Solo Travel

As a follow-up to my recent Colorado trip, last night I attended a seminar on solo travel at my local High School. Hosted by Stephanie Daniels from Leaps and Bounds Travel, here are a few highlights:

Solo and General Travel Safety Tips:

• Keep medications in the original bottles, and take only what you need

• Call banks and credit cards, and use credit cards—not debit cards

• Always get travel insurance

• Never discuss your room number in the hotel lobby

• Keep a copy of your passport in the hotel/room safe, and keep one at home

• Register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free service that registers your itinerary with the State Department.

The Single Supplement:

On the subject of the single supplement, Stephanie suggests calling the cruise lines and tour companies directly, but you have to be flexible with the dates. This is because they have certain dates that the supplement is waived. The only way to find out when is to contact them. In addition, many cruise lines, such as Norwegian and Royal Caribbean now have studio cabins designed for solo travelers.

Where To Go:

Finally, she gave suggestions on good places for solo travelers to visit. These destinations were chosen because they are relatively inexpensive, easy to get around, and are up and coming destinations for solo travelers:

International:

• Switzerland

• Iceland

• New Zealand

• Ireland

• Krakow, Poland

Domestic:

• Ashville, NC

• Boulder, CO

• Washington, DC

• San Diego, CA