Solo travel to Europe...

You're talking with an italy whacko here. I spent about a month on my own last time I was there, and no, I don't speak italian. I can read it to some extent, and garble out a few sentences with hotel clerks watching tennis matches.

Last time I was there I was a 58 year old woman with a duffle bag and big sack-y purse. Where I went was somewhat based on what I wanted to photograph, but I wish for a longer life and more money, I've hardly started. I was never afraid, but ... I have an eye problem and stay close to where I'm staying at night, so maybe not a good test person.

You might not like what I liked. Will just rattle off some favorite places -

Lucca and its surroundings.

Parma, I'm partial to Parma. Elegant in its way, I liked it a lot.

Modena, would like to spend more time there. Fbaezer here on a2k studied there, thinks it's much more interesting than Parma.

Arezzo - not sure anyone else would like it. Good anthro museum and a lot of antique shops, which I somehow missed. I went for the art and the piazza.

Siena - have been a few times now. Makes me cry when I first get there (affection).

Strove - small village outside of Siena, small inn, named Casalta (you'd need a car).

Volterra - would like to go back again.

Gubbio - haven't been, would like to check it out.

Tivoli - a tourist destination in that Villa d'Este and all the fountains are there, and Hadrian's villa is about a mile out of town... but, hardly anyone stays there, or did back when I was interested, and the people were nice, the street market bountiful... and there's a hotel with a temple to the Sybyl plus a waterfall to look at. I probably couldn't afford it, but there are other places to stay.

Ostia Lido - where you stay when you want to go through the ruins at Ostia Antica. We learned this the hard way, no place to stay in O. Antica.
O. Antica worth seeing. And O. Lido is by the sea. (Dove' il mare??)

Hardly a start.

Francis and Eva and Raphillon and Kicky and CJane and Ul if she sees this will have more to say..

Oops, Ostia Antica and Tivoli are near Rome.

You may want to stay in the north of the north in Italy. I don't know so much about that, except for going once to Ivrea, north of Torino (skip it, not Torino, which I don't know, but Ivrea) and Vigevano, west of Milano, and Cremona, east of Milano.
I liked both Vigevano and Cremona, but wouldn't push you to go there.

I think a few here have been to the Lakes in the north, and Pantalones studied in Bergamo (eek, was it Bergamo?) about a year ago.


Sigh, I wish I'd have gotten to Ravenna and Ferrara and Regio Emilia and
... oh, the Piedmont with all the great food and wine.

When I went we started in Rome, then to Florence,Pisa,Sienna and Venice. I loved Sienna. I like to hike so I thought the Cinque Terra would be a nice place to spend some time.
I'm not so much worried about being lonely because I plan on seeing a lot but am concerned with safety in another country or unfamiliar surroundings.
I'm hoping to have at least two weeks. Anyone else out there with past experience of travelling alone??

Safety in Italy often is talked about relating to guys snatching purses (a friend had her shoulder wrenched in Florence while hanging on to her purse), and various zingari surrounding tourists to get into their packs.

So, stupida, don't put anything valuable in your fanny pack or purse, because you will look like a tourist and a possible mark no matter what you do. It's a pain to keep stuff sequestered away in your Travel Smith clothes or in travel hide-stuff things, but smart in key cities and on trains. I've been accosted, shall we say, several times, at least four, but never seriously in the way one would be in the US. At last resort, keep photocopies of stuff, keep track of your data, and report any loss immediately. (Despite approaches to me, I've not actually lost any personal stuff.)






Note, I say 'stupida' to you as I would say to myself, no offense meant.

I think you'd be pretty safe in Italy - I agree with Osso's assessment that the worst that could happen would be someone stealing from you. Which is bad, but maybe not bad enough. Bring your credit cards and use them instead of cash. You can cancel them quick! I'd say that you are safer in the small towns and countryside than in the big cities.

I am a big fan of Lucca (and area, as Osso is), Sienna, Assisi, Barga (which is a darling little town with a hilltop gothic church overlooking rooftops and mountain ridges). And, perhaps somewhere in the North - my old housemate comes from Trentino and I've seen pictures - it looks lovely. stop at vinyards and olive farms as you go....

I'm famous to myself for wearing a TravelSmith suit, with zippered pockets. good for where to put the credit cards. They have other clothes with sort of hard to get to places. I personally hate the hang around the neck or waist packets, yaaaack.

I've never been burglarized from a hotel (have probably stayed in more than thirty, only a couple of them high style).

When you say stop at vinyards and olive mills are these compable to winery's in the US where you can just drop in for tours and tastings??

Unless they've changed recently, no, they hadn't gotten into tourist/winery stuff. Well, maybe they have, but not like us. When I was paying attention there it was zilch re promotion. You should call ahead.

I'm from California and love love love small vineyards.

Look at the area you are interested in and zero in on vineyards, research them online. They may be more commercial now, but I bet not so much as in Napa/Sonoma et al. (I used to make all my hotel reservations by phone, and it didn't hurt, once I got here, at least in a few cases). The father of the family remembered my call, for example, in Parma. When I spent time in Chianti, they were way behind on commercialization, even villa Banfi, who I instinctively don't like since they (I read) lopped off hills...

If a key interest is wine, then look at Baron Ricasoli's place in Tuscany (I don't know anything about it, if it still exists as a place and if anyone can visit - but an early baron formulated chianti), and Badia a Coltabuono (sp?) near Radda-in-Chianti. Go to Montepulciano in Tuscany, go to Montalcino in Tuscany, and places in Piedmont I can't name. Greve is mid Chianti, a lace making city, according to the books, a wine distribution site. (I liked it, stayed in a non expensive place in town square, across from an - I found out later, closed when we were there - widely famous butcher shop) Either the hotel or the restaurant below was named after Verranzano. We just had some pasta. Turns out to be a well regarded restaurant.

If you really really are interested in the history of Chianti, read the book Chianti by Raymond Flower, who was a key guy for English going to Chianti and fixing up an old place. Past all that (the english were loud at a favorite restaurant), R. Flower's book is still the best history in english I've read of the area and I've read a lot. (which is not saying much, it's complicated). I think it's been republished recently.

I don't mean to be pedantic - I know little after all - and other folks will show up tomorrow.

Assuming you are more interested in local places in the north, consider google and Gourmet mag....

I'd suggest the NYTimes, but you have to pay for old articles...
if you don't mind paying, they're a treasure trove.

I find them better than the travel mags, which tend to look high end with plastic photos.

Italy and Pariss are excellent choices. No matter where you visit in Italy, you'll feel as thought you're in a different country from one place to the next: they all have very distinct atmospheres. As for Paris, the METRO is easy to use, and there are world famous museums including the Louvre.

Thanks,
I really feel that I need to do this. I need to know that I can still enjoy life now that I am single again. I'm just trying to decide between a tour group or going on my own all the way.

marty, If you're an experienced traveler, solo is just fine, because you get the freedom of doing what you like, when you like. Spend as mch time or less time as you want without being herded around like cattle.

The advantage of group travel is obivious; it removes all the worry about transportation from one place to the next, where you'll be staying, and you'll visit most of the highlights of that destination - alas with up to 50 others getting on and off the same bus.

Each form of travel has its advantages and disadvantages. I do both depending on where I'm going.

So far I'm thinking Paris by myself and small town Italy with a tour

Marty--

Go for it. When you come home you'll be a Sophisticated World Traveler.

YES, YES, YES...
I wish you soooo much fun!

I love northern Italy, have been traveling there with friends and on my own.
Been to Paris, too, on my own and with friends, so I don't think you should worry too much about it!

Just keep your purse safe, but that would be my advice for any holiday, anywhere!!

Dont worry, I'll not be around, neither Walter do

OK Francis,

Because I think I could recognize that ear if I saw it somewhere

I wonder what you'd said if he had posted the other one ...


Edited: When I'm in Paris, I do look different. And don't trust Francis what he says about others!

I can personally vouch for Francis and Walter. I would take advantage of their knowledge if I were planning a trip to Europe.