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[orangarnold]

I do solo trips here there and everywhere all the time, and yes the key is to make sure you're safe and blend in as best as you can with how you dress and act

[DisneyDancer92]

Donuttiejj: I can only add to what has been said. I am also a quit young solo traveller- being 20. I have done solo trips abroad since I was about 18- and it can feel quite daunting at first, since your so used to travelling with one of your parents to take care of all the practical stuff, papers, etc. But it is something that makes you grow alot- and will make you cope alot better in situations in your normal life. My pointers would be:

-Research!: basically research everything. In the case with Disney- research the train system to and from the park, print out (or take pictures on your phone) of maps you might need to get you to your hotel, the airport, etc. Don't leave anything to be sorted out during the trip- also because you most likely won't have the same access to internet on your phone as normally- and a good advice would be to print it all out anyway, just in case your phone dies out.

- Be prepared for the unexpected: Think about how you cope in a stressfull situation. We have probably all witnessed while on holiday with our parents that something goes wrong- a passport goes missing, a map led to the wrong hotel, credit card suddenly stops working,etc- but they coped with it in a calm matter never letting us know there was any problems. As a solo traveller (especially a young one who is new to being so independent) you might suddenly find yourself in an unfortunate situation- but in this case you need to cope with it alone. I have allmost missed a plane 6 hours from where I lived, thought I had lost my passport, couldn't find the hotel, etc. the issue is probably easily solved- but you need to be able to take a deep breath, not pannick and find a soloution. Theres nothing worse than pannicking, alone, far away in another country. Again this is where the research comes in- the more you know the less likely this is to happen, and the easier it is to solve.

The questions to ask yourself that bad-pink-tink posted are really good- because its very important to be sure youre ready for it- or it can suddenly be quite scary to stand in a foreign country. That said- if you stay in one of the onsite Disney hotels- Disney is a very easy destination for a solo traveller, compared to say a city like London, its all very safe, everybody speaks english and theres people to help you everywhere. If you arrive with eurostar it's so easy, since youll be in the magic right away- and if you fly it's not very difficult to get from the airport either (and again lots of people to help you). I find Disney to be the most pleasant and easy travel destination. I stay offsite in Busy St Geogres (because you can find really nice cheap hotels- and Im a student)- but for someone who might not have travelled on their own before, its def better to stay onsite, since you wont have to figure out the RER trains, how to get to the hotel, etc.

If you feel like youre ready to do it- go ahead! It gives you and amazing feeling of independence- and its so valuable to learn how to travel and do things on your own.

[orangarnold]

I'm now 26 and I've had more breaks away alone than I have with company since I was 18. I've even gone to NYC on my own, that was brilliant.

Yes being prepared for the unexpected is the big thing. Some main things I always do to make sure that I am prepared for the worst:

-Make and print off copies of full travel intinerys (right down to your planned time of leaving your home) give a copy to your main point of contact at home, keep a spare copy in your home, and keep one on you
-Make sure someone knows when you are on the transport, arrived at your destination and keep them updated on general disruptions/delays
-Agree in advance with your point of contact at home how often you are going to keep in touch and how, say a text message in the morning and at night, a phone call at lunch etc.
-Make sure you have photocopies of passports and have the out of country contact number for your bank
-Make sure you have enough money or access to enough money to get home if anything happens
-Make sure you have fully comprehensive insurance and if you are an EU citizen an E111 card
-Pack a mini first aid kit including your painkiller of choice, forgetting what asprin in French was my downfall once.

[bad-pink-tink]

oh wow, this thread has really taken off.  :ears:

Thanks to DisneyDancer92 and orangarnold for adding some very valuable tips and hints from their own experiences.

I've changed the title a bit to fit in with how the thread has evolved,  as I think this thread should be a standalone thread and I will do a new thread for my trip report.

To add on to what orangarnold posted

1, I always print 2 copies of my initiatory and all reservation confirmation emails,  I leave one set at home and put my set in a folder.

2.  I plan every travel route before hand, Googling maps and depending on the route, sometimes printing maps.

3. I make sure to give my home contact person the name, address and telephone number of my accommodation, the airline and flight numbers or the  train /bus company name & expected time of departure and arrival.  I always text my home contact person at each stage of my journey and depending how long I am away & what I am doing, I usually text a couple of times during the trip.

4. Depending on the country I am visiting and how long I will be away, I also bring a basic first aid kit.  This usually includes painkillers, re-hydration sachets, plasters, anti diarrhea tablets and throat lozenges.

5. Travel Insurance is also something you need to have and as orangarnold stated, Europeans make sure you have your E11.  

6. Also contact your bank if you plan to use your bank cards in ATM's or pay in shops and restaurants. Tell them you are going out of the country and will be using your cards when away. This might seem a bit silly but I learnt the hard way with this. When you use your card your Bank knows and if there is something outside your normal usage, it gets flagged immediately.  This means your bank will block the use of your card and will contact you to verify it is you and that your  card has not been stolen.  If this happens in a foreign country, it can leave you without access to your money for a minimum of 12 hrs.  If this happens, its easy to get your card unblocked but it just takes a bit of time and effort. If your card gets blocked when in a different country, you need to contact your bank immediately.  You will need to have the international phone number of your bank, and your full account details.  I always make sure that my home contact person has a copy of my bank details, just in case I have a problem calling my bank from a different country.  You will also need to remember time differences and if it is outside regular banking hours.  

This sounds scary but the main thing if this happens is not to panic and that it will get sorted but it might take some time.

7. Another thing that has happened to me is travel disruption.  In a perfect world, every flight takes off on time, roads are always open,  people don't go on strike, and all the other things that happen to delay or disrupt your journey.

If something happens on journey, don't panic.  

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, it is the airlines responsibility to make sure you complete your journey.  Many people get angry and abusive towards airline staff but if you don't, if you remain calm and just go with the flow, then things will get sorted much quicker.  Yes your plans will be disrupted, yes you may have to miss something at your destination, but take it from me,   so what.  The only thing that matters is that you arrive at your destination safe.  

Depending on how long your flight is delayed, the airlines offer various things. My advice is to take whatever the airline is offering, don't cancel or re-book with another company, as you will just get yourself all stressed out with trying sort out a new itinerary.  

8. When flying, bags do get mislaid. If this happens , again, don't panic.  Every airline has a customer service desk in the baggage collection area. Just go to them with your details.  When this happened to me, it was due to a very short time between connecting flights.  I had run through the airport and made it onto the connecting flight but my bag was not processed as quick and didn't make it. When I arrived at my destination, my bag never appeared on the luggage carousel. I went to the airline customer service desk and they knew exactly where my bag was.   I filled in some forms, gave them my hotel info and I was given a tracking number. My bag was put on the next flight and delivered by the airline to my hotel the next morning.  It meant that I couldn't change my clothes when I arrived but I knew my bag was on its way as the airline gave me  a phone number which I could ring and with the tracking number I could follow my bags progress.  Again, many people would get angry and abusive with the airline staff in this situation but to me, it wasn't worth it. I knew how short the time was between the two flights and I could understand why my bag had not made it onto the second flight.

[PrincessHi]

So many things I hadn't thought if in this thread! Thanks guys!

[orangarnold]

I totally forgot about letting your bank know that you are going abroad, and it's just reminded me I need to do this for my trip in two weeks! Whoops!

[bad-pink-tink]

So many things I hadn't thought if in this thread! Thanks guys!

Your welcome    In my experience your family or guardian  worry about you travelling alone and thats their main objection when you first start planning your solo trip.  They just want to know that you will be safe , and that you are able to cope in difficult situations.   If they don't want you to do a solo trip, its not cos they are spoilsports and are being mean, its cos they are not sure you know what you are doing.  Its up to you to gain their trust and prove to them that you are.

Involve your family or guardian with your trip planning,  show them that you are capable of doing this.  Ask their advice about  how they coped when something went wrong.  You never know, they might say something which you never thought of  

I totally forgot about letting your bank know that you are going abroad, and it's just reminded me I need to do this for my trip in two weeks! Whoops!

   me too, I need to sort this for March

[orangarnold]

We all forgot the number one rule: have fun!!!!

[bad-pink-tink]

unfortunatly I have had to cancel my Disneyland Paris holiday,  not happy at all, but something beyond my control happned. Hopefully I might be able to rebook for later in the year  

[orangarnold]

unfortunatly I have had to cancel my Disneyland Paris holiday,  not happy at all, but something beyond my control happned. Hopefully I might be able to rebook for later in the year  

I know how bad that is, I was meant to have gone this weekend but my Granddad passed away last week and his funeral was on Monday.

I hope everything is ok

[bad-pink-tink]

Thanks, Im ok, just something which I had no control over, a very unexpected situation.  Ive spent the morning on the phone, cancelling flights and hotels, as the Disney holiday was part of a longer trip.  oh well, just need to try to fit in later in the year...sigh...

[DisneyDancer92]

Oh no- im so sorry to hear you had to cancel your trip   I hope you'll get sorted whatever has happened so you can go at some other point. Must be a devastating feeling to have to cancel- but Disneyland will allways be there- and your "real" life comes first