Navigating Europe Solo

[KansasTexan]

I'm a fairly seasoned traveler from the U.S.  I've flown to Mexico, London, and Hawaii for solo vacations alone and have been on numerous cruises solo. I would VERY much like to see more of Europe and am thinking a cruise might be the way to go. My only real hesitation is managing airports, train stations, bus transfers, etc by myself. I wouldn't have more than one suitcase and a carryon so that's not the real problem. I'm more concerned with finding my way around with English and a touch of cantina Spanish. Does anyone here have experience with this? Thoughts? Advice? Thanks in advance.

[paddy Anne]

I have traveled in some ports in europe alone.  Get an app called Rome2Rio.  It's awesome.  It tell you all the different ways to get from one address to another.  Europeans are far better set up than north america to get around and way less reliant on cars.

[Dancer Bob]

Basic questions are how much time do you have, how much do you want to spend, and what are your interests?

If you're serious about seeing Europe, cruise ship port stops are not a particularly efficient way. A few hours in a port are not nearly enough.

Edited October 3, 2022 by Dancer Bob

[KansasTexan]

2 hours ago, Dancer Bob said:

Basic questions are how much time do you have, how much do you want to spend, and what are your interests?

If you're serious about seeing Europe, cruise ship port stops are not a particularly efficient way. A few hours in a port are not nearly enough.

I have pretty much however much time I want. (Retired and someone will happily watch my dog for a couple weeks or more.) My interests vary but I'd like to see art, architecture, and have some wonderful meals. I'm thinking maybe add a few days at beginning and end of a cruise...especially those that depart from Italy/France. Agreed, port stops aren't generally long enough to experience more than a taste of a city. I learned that well enough on my recent Alaska cruise. 

[KansasTexan]

2 hours ago, paddy Anne said:

I have traveled in some ports in europe alone.  Get an app called Rome2Rio.  It's awesome.  It tell you all the different ways to get from one address to another.  Europeans are far better set up than north america to get around and way less reliant on cars.

Thanks! I'll check out the app.

 

[Dancer Bob]

I don't speak Italian, never had a problem in Italy. I do speak French, but France shouldn't be a problem in tourist areas. Many Northern Europeans speak excellent (British) English.

Download language dictionaries for your tablet.

For a first time, it might be convenient to select detinations which offer HOHO buses.

The Tourist Information office is your friend.

Travel off-season. Summer is hot, crowded and expensive.

The biggest problem is probably fine dining at a reasonable price. Lots of tourist traps around.

Edited October 3, 2022 by Dancer Bob

[SparklingPinkDaisy]

On 10/3/2022 at 6:39 AM, KansasTexan said:

I'm a fairly seasoned traveler from the U.S.  I've flown to Mexico, London, and Hawaii for solo vacations alone and have been on numerous cruises solo. I would VERY much like to see more of Europe and am thinking a cruise might be the way to go. My only real hesitation is managing airports, train stations, bus transfers, etc by myself. I wouldn't have more than one suitcase and a carryon so that's not the real problem. I'm more concerned with finding my way around with English and a touch of cantina Spanish. Does anyone here have experience with this? Thoughts? Advice? Thanks in advance.

 

I just got back from a cruise starting in copenhagen - with stops in Denmark and Norway.  Someone mentioned only a few hours in port but we had two full days in Oslo with hours in the other ports (like all day)!   I had a day in copenhagen at the start and end of the cruise... plenty of time.  If you are in those two countries, English is spoken everywhere (although most people spoke their language to me first, then switched to English). I had help figuring out the trains at first then it was easy to figure out on my own.    Worth it to explore Europe. I can't wait to go back!  I hope you get the chance to explore Europe! 

[califsealion]

I'm stubborn and like using public transportation (and walking) instead of taxis and Uber. I've found Google Maps to be super helpful in finding bus lines and connections and such. If I'm going to be in one city for a few days, I make sure I understand how to pay for fares, if it's easier to get a day pass. I'll buy maps ahead of time that show the underground stops. Sometimes if I'm going to a museum, I'll print a one page map before leaving on the trip, showing streets and the bus/underground stop nearby. Most of the ticket machines include instructions in English. My main advice is read and research ahead of time so you know what to expect.

[Roz]

Have you considered taking a European river cruise?  

 

English is widely used and spoken in Europe due to the EU.  

[thefer]

Hi

 

I traveled through Italy about 6 yrs ago for 2 weeks alone and did ok.  Jet lagged kicked my butt as i didn't sleep for the first 40 hrs due to traveling.  I only knew English.  I struggled in south Italy due to the language barrier.  More people spoke English in larger cities.  I stayed in timeshares the entire time and took the train every where.  I used the Rome2rio app, which was helpful.  People were very friendly and helpful.

 

Today, I just booked a cruise on Royal Caribbean for a week in June 2023 to Western Mediterranean alone.  Then I will probably go back to my favorite timeshare outside of Venice for a week.

Edited October 14, 2022 by thefer

[PhD-iva]

On 10/11/2022 at 9:19 PM, Roz said:

Have you considered taking a European river cruise?  

This is the best advice you’ve been given so far. A river cruise is a great way to see Europe. Cities were founded alongside rivers. Many of the great cities of Europe have a major river flowing through them. You will dock quite close to the historic city center, or maybe half an hour to 45 minutes away.
There are many good river cruise lines. You will be able to pick according to your budget and your interests. Also check out the river cruising forum here on cruise critic. Lotta good information there.
Enjoy your cruise !

[cruisemom42]

On 10/6/2022 at 2:53 PM, califsealion said:

I'm stubborn and like using public transportation (and walking) instead of taxis and Uber. I've found Google Maps to be super helpful in finding bus lines and connections and such. If I'm going to be in one city for a few days, I make sure I understand how to pay for fares, if it's easier to get a day pass. I'll buy maps ahead of time that show the underground stops. Sometimes if I'm going to a museum, I'll print a one page map before leaving on the trip, showing streets and the bus/underground stop nearby. Most of the ticket machines include instructions in English. My main advice is read and research ahead of time so you know what to expect.

 

I'm like you.

 

I've done a lot of traveling in Europe as a solo, both on cruises (have taken more than a dozen Med cruises as a solo) and doing land travel on my own or in tour groups.

 

For the OP:  The key is doing the research. Once you get used to using public transportation (if you aren't already), it gets pretty easy as the processes don't really differ much. Many transportation hubs (e.g., train stations) will offer signage in both the local language and in English. The English may be smaller, but it's there.  However, it's really recommended to learn the place-names in the native language -- on a train stop you'll need to look for Firenze, not Florence, or in Rome you'll want to find your way to San Pietro, not St. Peter's.

 

In most of the places visited regularly by cruise ships, there is good tourism infrastructure in Europe and many people will speak at least some rudimentary English. That said, it always goes a long way if you learn a few basic words and phrases in the local language (Good morning, please, thank you, etc.)

 

 

[vunico]

I've traveled in Europe several times and a little planning goes a long way,although building in some flexibility is also wise. 

Next Spring I will take my first river cruise in France and I think I will go all in by sailing to London rather than flying. I will get a Eurailpass and wander around France and Italy,probably standing in line to try Stanley Tucci's favorite restaurants!

I still consult Rick Steves' guides before I leave,but with the internet,it is a lot easier to wing it these days than it was on my first trips.

Bon Voyage !

[dwc13]

Our experience has been ticket kiosks in big city rail/metro stations in Western Europe are usually multi-lingual, including English. Public transportation -- in particular long-haul rail -- is typically faster and more convenient in Europe compared with the US.

 

Consider getting an EU-friendly SIM/e-sim with a sufficient voice/text/data plan installed on your smartphone so you can call & text and conveniently access Google translate, Google maps and other helpful apps. Using your US provider's plan while traveling in the EU can be expensive and you'll probably run into 'high speed' data usage caps. Vodafone and Orange have good network coverage in the EU, though not necessarily the cheapest plans. Just remember if your home cellphone number is on a SIM and you remove it to install an EU SIM, nobody can contact you at your home cellphone number.  That also means an app or account requiring 2 factor authentication (2FA) can't be verified via text/call to that home cellphone number while its SIM is removed.

[KansasTexan]

Thanks to all for your input. I booked an NCL mediterranean cruise in 2024 (plenty of time to save $ and prepare).  I spoke with a travel agent and she pointed out a few of my personality traits that might not work so well with a river cruise. (My need to have alone time being the most obvious.) I'm using the Mango ap. Going to start with conversational Spanish and I should have time to start with Italian, also.  I think I can get by with what little French I remember from high school and college. Planning is a big part of my travel enjoyment and I appreciate your input.

[cruisemom42]

Congrats on your booking -- you've got all the fun of planning ahead of you.  

 

If you need any specific advice on your ports, don't forget to check out the European forums here -- that's mainly where I lurk and answer questions, lol.

 

[eileeshb]

On 11/12/2022 at 12:02 PM, KansasTexan said:

Thanks to all for your input. I booked an NCL mediterranean cruise in 2024 (plenty of time to save $ and prepare).  I spoke with a travel agent and she pointed out a few of my personality traits that might not work so well with a river cruise. (My need to have alone time being the most obvious.) I'm using the Mango ap. Going to start with conversational Spanish and I should have time to start with Italian, also.  I think I can get by with what little French I remember from high school and college. Planning is a big part of my travel enjoyment and I appreciate your input.

The handy thing with knowing French already is that it’ll be easier to understand Spanish and Italian than you might think. I did french in school, and a year of it as an elective in college, I’ve been to Italy a few times and the french lets me understand some of it, similarly for Portuguese and Spanish. I worked at so many surf contests in Portugal that I picked up a decent understanding so much so that the staff asked me to do something in Portuguese and I had done it before they realised they should have said it in English. I still can’t speak a word of it tho! 

Definitely invest in an EU sim with plenty of data allowance, google translate is your friend, you can download specific languages. You can also download google maps & directions to use off line there’s also another map app called maps.me that you can buy and download much larger maps for offline use. 

[Mike B Landlubber]

I find solo travel doable for the most part, though harder than being in groups. I’ve become kind of a fan of Road Scholar for areas where the language and practicality barriers to solo travel are more intimidating (Eastern Europe, Asia, etc.).

[UnbridledEnthusiasm]

I go to Europe all the time solo. If you are going to major cities or places with tourism, you will be fine. Whenever I have tried speaking some common phrases the people typically end up speaking to me in English anyway. Don't let language barriers scare you off. I find it refreshing quite honestly to have no idea what's going on around me simply because I don't know the language. 

[MSUjohn]

On 10/3/2022 at 7:39 AM, KansasTexan said:

I'm a fairly seasoned traveler from the U.S.  I've flown to Mexico, London, and Hawaii for solo vacations alone and have been on numerous cruises solo. I would VERY much like to see more of Europe and am thinking a cruise might be the way to go. My only real hesitation is managing airports, train stations, bus transfers, etc by myself. I wouldn't have more than one suitcase and a carryon so that's not the real problem. I'm more concerned with finding my way around with English and a touch of cantina Spanish. Does anyone here have experience with this? Thoughts? Advice? Thanks in advance.

 

i did a month in Europe solo when i was 20, in the year 2000. this was pre smart phone. with a smart phone it (Europe) has zero challenge.

i think for europe, cruise are more of a supplemental "treat" and free roming on your own is the way to go. renting a small car, setting you gps map on your phone to avoid freeways and setting out. such fun (i couldn't rent a car in 2000)

[Dancer Bob]

I'm currently finding the biggest problem to be the two-factor verification that 13dwc mentioned (this happened in Mexico too). Make sure you have a second credit card from a different provider.

[irvington]

I like cruises for solo travel but I've also done land based trips solo. I'm leaving in about a month on a 2 week trip from Vienna by train.

 

I really recommend this website for train travel. The Man in Seat 61 | The train travel guide

[oakridger]

Thank you @irvington.  My next trip to Europe will be a mix of transportation modes. (cruise, plane, train, ferry and car!!)  I'm just now looking into the train possibilities.  That website will be helpful!

 

~Nancy

[lucas34]

On 10/3/2022 at 5:42 PM, KansasTexan said:

I have pretty much however much time I want. (Retired and someone will happily watch my dog for a couple weeks or more.) My interests vary but I'd like to see art, architecture, and have some wonderful meals. I'm thinking maybe add a few days at beginning and end of a cruise...especially those that depart from Italy/France. Agreed, port stops aren't generally long enough to experience more than a taste of a city. I learned that well enough on my recent Alaska cruise. 

You can also have very cheap ferry cruises from Helsinki/Finland to Tallinn (2.5h) and Stockholm (overnight). This is how Finnish people travel. In summer time we have also 3 days cruises to Visby, which is very nice island to visit.

[MSUjohn]

On 3/31/2023 at 9:54 AM, Dancer Bob said:

I'm currently finding the biggest problem to be the two-factor verification that 13dwc mentioned (this happened in Mexico too). Make sure you have a second credit card from a different provider.

did you let your financial provider know where and when you were going?