James Metcalfe
Italy is a country of immense beauty, amazing culture and more than welcoming locals which, naturally, makes it one of the most romantically looked upon countries for conquering. Millions of travellers choose Italy to trek through every single year, with plenty deciding to go solo. These are some of the finest expert sourced tips for those jetting out to Italy on their own.
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#1 Fine Tune Your Intuition
When you travel alone, pay close attention to yourself, to others, and to your surroundings, and your intuitive skills will get kicked into high gear. Fine-tuning your intuition and learning to listen to it is one of the great benefits of solo travel.
Contributor: Chandi Wyant from paradiseofexiles.com
#2 Join A Group Tour
Traveling alone doesn't mean you have to be alone, but joining a tour you can meet other travellers and possibly make a few friends along the way. After all Italy's culture is about conviviality and togetherness so there is no better way to experience much of what Italy has to offer than with few other like-minded individuals.
Contributor: Chantelle Kern from https://www.theitalianontour.com/
#3 Maps And City Tours
I spent two weeks in Italy in October--a week in Lucca, a few nights each in Venice and Lake Como. It helped me to stay in B&Bs where the staff spoke English. I got my place in Lucca through a travel agent who had been there and my little apartment felt like home. I would highly recommend Karen Rowley at Manymoretravels.com. The owner of the B&B and her assistant helped me with taxis, directions, even purchasing concert tickets. I also made my train reservations online in advance.
Get a decent map as soon as you arrive in a new place--although the maps in Italy didn't have all the streets on them! I often go on a city tour to start out--it's a good way to get the lay of the land and maybe even meet some new friends.
Contributor: Lenore Hirsch from http://www.lenorehirsch.com/
#4 Dress The Part
Leave your precious jewelry and watches at home. Especially if traveling by train and when taking overnight trains it is best to dress simply and not wear anything of value. As a single blond female traveling alone for many months I found this one of the most valuable things I could have done to stay safe when traveling by train. I believe dressing down and not wearing jewelry helped me stay safe and not have a target on my back when going on local transit and trains.
Contributor: Chantelle Kern from https://www.theitalianontour.com/
#5 Stay At A Hostel
If you budget doesn't allow for a small group tour, then staying at a hostel is a great way to meet other travellers and those that may want to join you for some sightseeing or even a meal at that fantastic cafe you have been eyeing up.
Contributor: Chantelle Kern from https://www.theitalianontour.com/
#6 Don’t Rely On Your Phone
My biggest piece of advice to those traveling alone would be to not rely solely on your cell phone for directions. Sometimes service is spotty, your battery could run low, etc. It’s very reassuring to plan ahead and write the address of each hostel/hotel you are staying at, sometimes even writing a small map of how you’ll get from a train station to your lodging if you’re walking. There’s nothing worse than feeling lost, alone, in a country where you don’t speak the language!
Contributor: Suzanne Lee from bostonpropstylist.com
#7 Get A Home Base
Whether you rent an apartment for yourself or a room with a family, this allows you to travel more lightly, which is important when it's always YOU that's going to be doing the schlepping. Leave the big, heavy suitcase at home and take short trips with the smaller bag. Plus, it's grounding to have a place to call home when you're on the road. And if you're staying with a family, you have instant insider recommendations.
Contributor: Linda Claire Puig from adventurouslife.io
#8 Rent A Car
Rent a car (and learn how to drive like an Italian!). I love traveling by train in Italy, but you miss a LOT. When you drive, you can stop for photos, check out tiny hilltop villages, go where the best pottery is made, visit the cheese factories out in the countryside -- or whatever strikes your fancy at the moment. You also open yourself to unforeseen adventures that make for great stories, such the time I had to drive down a staircase in the middle of an orchard to avoid getting stuck on a road that had simply ended.
Contributor: Linda Claire Puig from adventurouslife.io
#9 Combat The Loneliness
Traveling on your own can bring amazing opportunities your way, but a big drawback is loneliness.
At your home base, make it a point to frequent the same places-same cafe, same restaurants, same salami shop, etc.-and develop relationships with those who work there. One restaurant owner and I began a language practice exchange, where he practiced English and Italian. Now, every time I return to this one town, I go back, eat his wonderful food, and catch up.
Contributor: Linda Claire Puig from adventurouslife.io
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