Vacations for 1

February 15, 2008 9:33 PM

Considering a vacation for 1...

Any thoughts on where to take a vacation for 1? I would prefer english speaking, easy travel, will consider out of US- but in US even better (I have no passport- but could get one). I don't want to go where a single woman will feel uncomfortable/ unsafe. Would love a place with beautiful scenery & great food/ wine. I don't have a ton of money. If given the choice, I would rather pay cheap airfare/ hotel & splurge on my dinners. Thoughts?

posted by MayNicholas to Travel & Transportation (19 answers total)

May I ask where you would be starting this trip from?

Seattle is a wonderful place and is well loved by foodies.
I suggest looking on 10best.com for more info on travel destinations. They have been a help to me in the past.
posted by CreativeJuices at 9:44 PM on February 15, 2008

Response by poster: Virginia. I am more interested in awe inspiring scenery than anything else.
posted by MayNicholas at 9:48 PM on February 15, 2008

Response by poster: No NYC though. I used to live there.
posted by MayNicholas at 9:49 PM on February 15, 2008

Vancouver Island, specifically Ucluelet and Tofino. Beautiful trails, luscious waves, beaches, lush rain forest - yet you are in Canada and utterly safe. A great place to relax, enjoy, read, write, and meet others on the beach. PM me if you want lodging recommendations, I spent some days there over the winter hols.
posted by seawallrunner at 9:57 PM on February 15, 2008

specifically:

Seattle, WA
Napa/Sonoma Valley, CA
Charleston, SC
Austin, TX
Maui, HI

and if you do decide to get that passport:

Toronto, ON
and i traveled around the streets of Paris myself and loved it, talk about a foodie experience!!

Oh, how I envy your trip!

Have fun and soak in each experience!
posted by CreativeJuices at 9:57 PM on February 15, 2008

You don't mention what time of year you'll be travelling, but Montreal in summer is lovely for wandering, with good food and lots of byob restos. There are festivals all summer so you'd have lots of excuses to be out and about day and night. It's very safe and doesn't require a car. Most people in the tourist industry and lots of locals speak English.

I agree with Seawallrunner too -- Vancouver Island would be lovely for a meander (with a car).

I went to LA on my own last year and felt totally safe. I think most places in the US and Canada are fine for single females as long as you do your research, use your intuition and keep your wits about you.
posted by loiseau at 10:09 PM on February 15, 2008

Oh and just let me say I have travelled the US and Canada alone a LOT and it has always been an amazing experience. I positively LOVE travelling alone and I'm constantly dreaming about it. I'm jealous!
posted by loiseau at 10:11 PM on February 15, 2008

Response by poster: I would be traveling the 2nd week in March.
posted by MayNicholas at 10:11 PM on February 15, 2008

Response by poster: I haven't decided for sure if I will, but it seems like it would be a great experience if I did. Thanks for the advice so far! I figure I may do it if I get into grad school. It will be my reward to myself before I plunge headlong into 7 years of non-stop hard work.
posted by MayNicholas at 10:14 PM on February 15, 2008

I second Napa/Sonoma, CA or really any of the California wine-producing regions. In fact, one of my favorite wine trips in CA was to Murphys which is only about a three hour drive from San Francisco. Definitely great wine and food available in both areas. If you want more information, please feel free to contact me by mefimail.
posted by harrumph at 10:17 PM on February 15, 2008

I'm biased, but State College, PA is a neat place to visit. It's a college town that has a drinking problem, but it is also surrounded by beautiful mountains and the town itself is pretty interesting. There is a great art gallery on campus.
posted by Loto at 10:36 PM on February 15, 2008

I went to London for a week a few years ago for my first solo trip. Loved every second. Building off of that I'm going to do a year long trip around the world.

Wine and scenery - you can get by in Italy without knowing much of any Italian. Give it a thought.
posted by MillMan at 11:08 PM on February 15, 2008

Hey, I'd like to recommend Oxford Mississippi, and for the best catfish on earth, nearby Taylor Grocery & Restaurant in, umm, Taylor. There's a lot of history there, including dozens of writers, Square Books, Ole Miss, Rowan Oak, great restaurants from the Downtown Grill to Yocona River Inn and pubs like Proud Larry's with top quality live entertainment.
Plus you can rent a car on the cheap and make the one hour drive to Memphis on the Mississippi, see Graceland and Beale St (Bar-B-Q!)and the National Civil Rights Museum.

It makes for a lovely 'solo' vacation. One of the best ever, in my memory.
posted by dawson at 11:57 PM on February 15, 2008 [2 favorites]

I'm going to suggest the Adirondacks in New York state. You don't have to go camping, there are scads of available lodging from cheap motels all the way up to beautiful lodges. Think Old Forge, Lake George, or Saranac Lake. Lake George especially sounds right up your alley. Incredible beauty, but plenty of entertainment , good restaurants, and things like that. For awe inspiring scenery, it really can't be beat. There are lots of lovely places to eat, museums, etc. You'd be quite safe, as the crime rate in those areas is practically nonexistent.

You'd probably have to take a plane into Albany (about 50 miles south) and then rent a car and drive the rest of the way but trust me it's worth it.

I've spent many happy summers exploring just about every place in the Adirondacks. It's absolutely lovely.
posted by katyggls at 5:24 AM on February 16, 2008

Having taken a 15,000 mile solo road trip around North America, I feel confident in recommending Santa Fe, NM. Beautiful scenery, outdoor opportunities everywhere, a small, friendly, artsy town with lots of history and museums, and some of the best and oldest cuisine on the continent. You could stay somewhere cheap, like this studio that I am going to rent in August, then spend most of your money at the area's amazing restaurants. Make sure you splurge at Ten Thousand Waves Spa.

Previous askmes on SantaFe
posted by billtron at 8:08 AM on February 16, 2008 [2 favorites]

Port Townsend, Washington. It's a strange, beautiful town on the edge of the continent with very friendly locals and a beautiful waterfront location. Reachable by bus and then ferry from Seattle. Totally walkable, beautiful state parks, a great hostel just a little ways out of town, dramatic beaches, sailboats galore, good food, can you tell I miss it?
posted by gyusan at 8:48 AM on February 16, 2008

In the US, Portland and Anchorage are nice. Denver and Santa Fe are good too and have better weather. I have not been around the midwest or east coast much.

Outside the US but still close by, Toronto and Montreal would be good choices. Tokyo and Sydney are safe and beautiful, but far away. I have not been to Europe (yet), so I don't have any thoughts there.
posted by amfea at 12:14 PM on February 16, 2008

I've travelled to Paris 3 times by myself and never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. You certainly can't beat the scenery (or food). I found it to be less expensive than New York, except for the airfare. My French is decent but not fluent, and people tended to switch to English when they realized I wasn't a native speaker, so I don't imagine a non-French speaker would have any problems.
posted by desjardins at 1:45 PM on February 16, 2008 [1 favorite]

Asheville NC would be lovely the second week in March. Some surprisingly good little restaurants tucked in there.
posted by mozhet at 6:45 AM on February 17, 2008