Holidaying on my own?

August 3, 2008 4:45 PM

What to do with 15 days holiday, and no one to spend it with.

I'm a 25yo guy living in the UK, recently split with my long-term girlfriend.

I have holiday time that I have to take before the end of the year but I'm not sure what to do. I feel like I'm in need of a break but it's going to be impossible for me to arrange something with friends, which means any time off work will likely be spent alone and bored.

How can I best make use of this time on my own with a fairly limited budget? Would it be crazy to go on holiday to Ibiza or somewhere on my own?

posted by anonaccount to Work & Money (18 answers total)

Shortly after the (miserable) end of long-term relationship of my own, I spent 2 weeks bumming around Barcelona. Traveling alone can be quite fun-- I especially after a break-up, answering only to your own whim is a nice change of pace.
Good luck--
posted by BundleOfHers at 4:53 PM on August 3, 2008

Would it be crazy to go on holiday to Ibiza or somewhere on my own?

No. Not crazy at all. If you're in a decent frame of mind, why not go somewhere fun? Bring a few good books, sun, relax, go to the bars, clubs, eat good food. Take a couple tours or excursions. You're bound to meet people to chat with. You won't feel alone because you'll be surrounded by other tourists. Good luck.
posted by LoriFLA at 4:55 PM on August 3, 2008

There are Habitat for Humanity builds going on in the UK.
posted by netbros at 5:06 PM on August 3, 2008

Do you have family or friends you can visit? It's all the better if they live in places a good distance from you. You can spend time with people you care about, take some time to explore the area either with them or on your own while they're working, and then maybe move on to another friend or relative in another location after a few days.
posted by orange swan at 5:23 PM on August 3, 2008

Why would it be crazy to go to Ibiza? That sounds like exactly what you need to do right now.
posted by wigglin at 5:24 PM on August 3, 2008

Immediately after a breakup is the perfect time to travel! I took nice trips to Europe, Israel, and the west coast of the U.S. after breakups. Best would be if you have a friend in an exotic locale so that you don't have to spend the entire time alone. Or, sign up for a tour for part of the trip.

For the limited budget, maybe you can spend at least one week off at home? Can you come up with a few projects you need to do, or books you want to read?

I do think that however lonely and bored you will be, it's better than donating your holiday time back to your workplace.

Good luck with this...
posted by tk at 5:26 PM on August 3, 2008

I personally really enjoy traveling alone for the reasons mentioned by BundleOfHers. I like being able to set my own schedule, do more or less as my energy/interest dictates, drop into little shops or restaurants on a whim, etc. I say go for it.
posted by fuzzbean at 5:27 PM on August 3, 2008

Traveling by yourself can be a wonderful experience - you can linger where you like and bail out of stuff that doesn't interest you without having to accommodate anybody else's wishes. I traveled to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific by myself in my 20s and had a blast.

If you think you'll get lonely, though, look into a group tour. There are group tours for all sorts of people, not just retirees. I've taken several "carry your own damn suitcase" type tours, geared for younger more adventurous travelers, and they were a great way to see more out-of-the-way places without spending your entire vacation waiting on line to buy train tickets etc. If you find a tour that interests you, chances are the other people in the group will be sympatico, as their interests will be similar to yours. The adventure-type tours are often fairly economical too as the accommodations are pretty basic (anything from staying in a villager's home to camping, or a sleeping car on the train, etc). Have a great trip!
posted by Quietgal at 5:34 PM on August 3, 2008

Why not come to the US? There's world-beating dining and culture (if that's your thing) in NYC, and and the sinking value of the dollar makes it quite a bargain--not to mention that girls here will be all over you like white on rice as soon as you speak. Or if Ibiza's more your speed, what about Las Vegas? Hong Kong and Macao? Thailand? Take the Orient Express?

I don't think you quite realize the extent to which the world is your oyster.
posted by Lycaste at 5:51 PM on August 3, 2008

Since the mefi meetups are listed in MetaTalk, you could plan a vacation around some MeFi meetup dates in different cities. That way you get time alone AND time with other people.
posted by gt2 at 6:41 PM on August 3, 2008

It's not crazy to go on holiday by yourself (and Quitegal's suggestion of a group trip is great - think dog sledding or kayaking or something) but you can just take the time, chill out at home, help your parents work on their house or somesuch. That recharges the batteries pretty well, in my experience.
posted by jamesonandwater at 6:45 PM on August 3, 2008

Most of my favorite travel experiences have been those where my only company was the thoughts running through my head. Go, go now. And, I agree with the bargain that is the US for those traveling from Europe.
posted by FlamingBore at 6:56 PM on August 3, 2008

Yeah, come over here stateside. You're 25, so you can rent a car. Get something you can kick the seat back and sleep in, and go see the western US.

(what I wouldn't give to have two weeks to fuck around with!)
posted by notsnot at 7:05 PM on August 3, 2008

I have had two of my favourite holidays where I went on my own to language schools (in Barcelona and in Peru) and then met up with lots of interesting people who were keen to explore the city. Nearly everyone there came by themselves so I didn't feel the odd one out. Since then I have become a huge Barcelona fan and been back both for language school holidays and also little 3-day long weekends by myself. My personal experience is that I would feel lonely being by myself for a whole couple of weeks, but as I say in a language school that won't be a problem.
posted by AuroraSky at 7:29 PM on August 3, 2008

Best answer: How limited is limited? Isn't this what Contiki is for - so single people can go on holiday with other single people? Anyway for $1,000 you can probably get a Contiki package of some sort.
posted by GuyZero at 10:03 PM on August 3, 2008

Response by poster: Contiki looks amazing. The idea of 5 days in Hawaii is massively tempting. I'm guessing their prices don't include flights?

I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and go away on my own. Thanks guys and gals (I'll aim for a mefi meet up if possible!)
posted by anonaccount at 11:47 PM on August 3, 2008

If you're still watching: now that I've moved to the other end of the world, and live largely among people who lack the time, money, or will to travel overseas, I use couchsurfing a lot to find people to hang out with and stay with when I travel because I hate traveling alone (groups suck too). The budget end works out much better than a Contiki-type package, and I get to hang out with locals, some of whom have the willy-nilly type job(less) lifestyle that means they can travel around or go sight-seeing with me. Never had a bad experience, now in, uh, 10 countries of use over 4 continents. Also, the international connections you can make are fantastic. Yay.
posted by whatzit at 4:34 AM on August 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

The way I travel has changed completely since I've started Couchsurfing. It may appear as just a way for grubby backpackers to get free accommodation, but I can't overstate how great it is to be immediately immersed in the local culture with a friendly host.
posted by quiet at 6:14 AM on August 4, 2008