TRAVEL SOLO (AND SMART) IN THE UK

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Ever been to the top of the world? It's NOT Mount Everest - it's Hadrian's Wall, according to the Romans. They built it, and it's STILL there, after 1500 years.

Ever seen the sunrise over the North Sea? It doesn't get much more spectacular.

Find out how to have times of your life in the UK at Travel Solo (and Smart) in the UK!

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On the wall behind me, is a collection of bar towels from the UK. European travel is my passion.

In Istanbul, I’ve walked over the Galata Bridge from Europe to Asia Minor.

I’ve stood at Land’s End.

In the 30+ years I've been travelling, I've learned a thing or two.

ESPECIALLY about how to travel ON YOUR OWN.

That’s what this blog is about – insights, tips and suggestions for traveling on your own in the UK. I’ve been to 7 European countries over the years, and not just “Grand Tours”, either; I’ve made repeated visits to each, and explored the different regions within each country. But over the years I’ve narrowed my travels down to the UK in particular. It is especially ideal for solo travel; I’ll explain that in detail as we go along.

When many people think of traveling solo, they think “alone”, “all by myself” and other negative connotative phrases. But the potential adventures are endless, the rewards immeasurably great. I intend to share some of the benefits of my experiences on this blog.

My name is Patricia, and I’ve been a licensed Tour Guide in Charleston, South Carolina 10 years. I’m working on my fourth career. When I’m not storytelling there, I’m usually in Scotland, my favorite place in the world. I’m also setting up a specialty tours/travel consulting company called Signseeker Travel. You can check out that site if you’re interested.

Before we go too much further, I’ll define the general audience I’m speaking to (this blog is NOT for everyone):

Do one, some or all of these describe you? (They certainly describe ME!)

· Divorced, widowed or single

· Approaching or in middle age

· Family and friends are content to stay put, but you’re not

· Always pursuing intellectual stimulation

· A free spirit with serious wanderlust that is never satisfied by books, travel videos, etc.

Then this blog IS for you. If you’re more interested in family or couples travel, you should probably go elsewhere. This blog is for mature, solo adults who are also history lovers, and FREETHINKERS.

Many people are afraid to travel alone; they worry about getting lost, getting hurt, ripped off, etc. If they can’t get someone to go with them, they just don’t go. That’s sad, I think; you’re depriving yourself because of groundless fears. If you wait for other people to go with you, you may never go anywhere. You may be interested in subjects or places no one else seems to care about; that can push you towards travel clubs and other organized groups that remove your ability to change your direction and itinerary on a whim. And the freedom to explore is one of the greatest joys of travel.

When you travel SMART, the experiences are incredibly satisfying and extraordinary. You’ll meet wonderful, kind, interesting people, and find unexpected places you never knew existed.

MANY RECOMMENDATIONS HERE GO AGAINST CONVENTIONAL WISDOM. BUT THEY ARE TRIED AND TRUE!

Here are some tips and suggestions on how travel solo (and smart) in the UK.

Planning - Where and When

Planning your trip is where the adventure begins, and for some people is half the fun. There are certain aspects that MUST be cast in concrete (such as departure and return times on your airline ticket!), but the rest of it can (and should) be very flexible.

The place to start is research. Get one or more books on the place(s) you want to go, and read up on your subject(s)! You may discover a place or places you decide to go to instead of your original choice, and it may open doors not only of knowledge but vocation. For example, about 5 years ago, while reading a book on Scotland, I read a ONE SENTENCE description of some Pictish stones in eastern Scotland. I took several trips specifically to hunt them down, and have since developed a specialty tour devoted to that particular subject.

Be sure and plan your trip to AVOID holidays and festivals (unless that’s the specific reason you’re going); public transportation service is curtailed or non-existent on holidays, and festival -goers book accommodations months in advance. You probably don’t want to stay miles away from where you want to be because you can’t find a room (although THAT can be an adventure too!).

Get a legal pad or notebook and write out a general itinerary, with a base town or city. Depending on how much time you have, you can have several bases.

For example, let’s say you have one week, and you want to explore Yorkshire. York or Scarboro would be a good base; you can then take buses and/or trains to nearby villages and sites and return “home” every night to the same lodging (more about accommodations and transportation later).

As you map out your general itinerary, always be FLEXIBLE.

If you’re staying in York for three days, for example, set aside one day to explore the city, two days for “day trips” (out and back) and change the order based on the weather; if the weather is cold and rainy one day, stay in town and do indoor activities, such as museums, shopping and pubs. You can also use a bad weather day as a “travel day” to go to another region, since you’re going to be inside a bus or train. Every night either watch BBC or check local papers for the weather reports.

Copy flight times/dates, and your general itinerary into a small notebook that you’ll carry with you to do budgeting, taking notes, and use as a journal if you’re so inclined.

And wherever you go, DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT go in the summer, especially August! There are mobs of tourists, and higher prices. I travel anytime in the other three seasons. Believe it or not, January is a good time to go – it’s just you and the locals – although many sites are closed in the winter. Check before you go to avoid disappointment, but you should always plan backup activities anyway; you never know when there might be a transportation strike or act of God that will change your plans. I once had to switch a day trip because a freak storm blew down trees that blocked a road, and my intended bus route had to be shut down for that day!

Budgeting

Do not, repeat, DO NOT take credit cards! Cash, maybe traveler’s checks (if you feel nervous with cash) and a debit card will be all you’ll need. You’ll come home laden with gifts and marvelous memories and NO DEBT. I have not used a credit card for almost 10 years and have never needed one for any of my journeys. Most B & Bs won’t take them anyway.

You’ll need CASH for almost everything. Use the debit card like a credit card for train tickets and retail purchases. Also, when you do currency exchange, go to a bank (Lloyd’s is best – they don’t charge commission) and try to do as few exchanges as possible; if you can’t find a Lloyd’s, you’ll get popped on commissions every time.

Although the debit card has the advantage of doing an immediate currency conversion without a commission, your bank will charge you foreign transaction fees each time you use it; these add up too. I use the debit card and cash pretty much equally; you get hit either way.

Your two main expenses will be your airline ticket and your accommodations. Don’t try to get the cheapest airfare imaginable; there are few bargains left out there, and you don’t want to change planes 4 times to save $100. Believe me, it’s NOT worth it. It’ll wear you out before you even get there. The flight over the Pond is a long one (6-7 hours depending on what part of the UK you fly into); you want to be as rested and as comfortable as possible. Take the most direct flights you can get, to the smallest airports available, and travel on weekdays (fewer crowds in the airports, sometimes fewer people on the planes, and you’ll get through security faster). Again, try not to travel on holidays (yours OR theirs).

Expect to spend $800 up for your tickets, and don’t be pennywise, pound-foolish; there will be other ways to save money and still have a great time. Here are some money-saving tips:

Where to Stay

STAY IN B & Bs, GUEST HOUSES, SMALL HOTELS OR SELF-CATER

In the first three, breakfast is included in the room price, saving you money on one meal, and in the last you can buy and cook your own food, which is always cheaper than constantly eating out. And always, ALWAYS ask for a discount for a multiple nights stay; that’s another good reason to find a “base”; not only do you not have to move your luggage, you’ll also get a price break on your accommodation.

Since breakfast is included in the room price, even if you’re not a breakfast person (I’m not), eat it anyway – you’re paying for it, whether you eat it or not and it will fuel you up so you probably won’t even get hungry again until the afternoon.

A “full” breakfast is usually too massive for me, so I often request a smaller one, such as continental, if available; the staff is always happy to accommodate. By the way, most continental breakfasts in the UK include cold cuts and cheese (ask!); I wrap some of them up in a napkin for a snack later in the day!

Also, if you have to take a early ferry, train or bus, tell them, and they will make you a lunch to take with you instead of the breakfast; I like the “lunches” better: they usually include yogurt, fruit, one or more sandwiches and a crisp, perhaps. More to MY taste. They’ll sustain you just as well.

BUY FOOD FROM BAKERIES AND GROCERY STORES. AND EAT LIKE THE LOCALS!

Fresh baked pies with different fillings; baguette pizzas, fresh made sandwiches and much more are sold everywhere. Even the smallest village has at least one food store. The larger towns and cities have an amazing range of takeaways – Chinese, Italian, Indian, to name just a few. And if you see any little takeaway run by folks from Turkey…walk no further.

Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer and other food stores have great prepared meals, salad bars, hot delis…Who needs restaurants? At least once a week I treat myself to a sit down meal though, usually in a pub. Pub food has really gone gourmet in most places, the quantities are large, and the food very filling. And Sunday roast in a pub is fantastic – the ultimate comfort food.

I budget myself $150/day; that includes room, food, travel expenses, entry fees to sites, books, gifts, etc. I rarely spend close to that. Some days I spend much less, some more, but that seems to be a good average to set. Try to keep your room cost at half or less of your daily budget.

More on Accommodations

I RARELY book rooms in advance. This is because I’m never exactly sure where I’m going to be on a given day. You don’t want to have to rush to be at a specific location just to get to a room! Sometimes, I’ll just walk around and pick out a place myself, ask a barman over a half pint in a pub (also, some pubs have rooms for rent that are inexpensive and wonderful) or book a room through Visitor Information.

The VI is usually close to the train and/or bus station where you arrive, and they have a wealth of accommodation choices in every price range. They charge a small commission, but it’s worth it; they KNOW the places (and the people) they send you to, so you’ll get what you ask for and often more than you expected. I have ALWAYS been delighted, sometimes amazed by rooms I’ve booked through them.

A VI in Oban, on the west coast of Scotland, sent me to a Victorian house on a hillside. My room was huge, had a gorgeous view of the Inner Hebrides, was beautifully decorated, and had the amenities of a $150/night hotel for about $60.

One of the advantages of traveling solo in the UK is that you will often get a double room, but only pay for a single. This isn’t always the case, but just being “on your own”, seems to bring out kindness and generosity in the British people; they seem to take special care of you, and try to give you a little something extra to make your visit memorable; it has certainly been that way for me.

The only room I DO book in advance (and I do that when I get there) is for the last night. You can also indulge yourself, since you’ve stayed within your budget, right? I stay as close to the airport as possible, so I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn and/or have a long (and often expensive) ride to the airport. When I go to Scotland, I stay in a lovely little town called Paisley. A cab ride from the my B & B door to Glasgow airport takes about 10 minutes, and only costs about $10, including tip. Staying close to an airport will cost you more room-wise, but it’s worth every penny, for the convenience.

I don’t recommend choosing a room by looking at a picture on the Internet, or anywhere else. Pictures can certainly be misleading, as we ALL know. You can also book on someone else’s advice, if they’ve stayed there, of course. I always prefer to go on LOCAL recommendations. As I’ve said before, the VI has never given me a bum steer.

And again, it’s always best to be flexible: Several years ago, I had planned to go to Cumbria a certain week, but rerouted to a different region altogether; after heavy rains, major rivers flooded the area, and several of the towns and cities I’d planned on visiting had heavy damage and water shortages. I explored the Borders area instead. So you don’t want to get locked into room reservations you may have to cancel.

There are plenty of accommodations in the 25-30 POUND range. Double that, and you’ll get approximate dollars (these days); so I typically spend $50-60/night on my room; again, sometimes more (as for the last night), sometimes less.

Incidentally, many of the smaller B & Bs and guesthouses do not have en suite rooms. If you want one, be sure and ask before you book. If they are available, you’ll pay extra; try a room with one, one without, and decide if it’s worth the extra cost to you.

Transportation

Years ago, I nearly always rented cars on my journeys; this enabled me to cover a lot of ground. But now that I’m older, I don’t care to deal with the traffic and the parking (particularly a problem in the cities). I’ve also found that for the most part I can get to nearly every place I want to go on public transportation, often augmented by foot.

British Rail broke up some years ago, and private companies serve the various regions. If you get regional passes (Supersavers), trains are tough to beat. They go practically everywhere; they are nearly always on time and very comfortable. They also go to gorgeous areas you can’t get to any other way.

Any place you can’t get to by train is usually reachable by bus.

In some rural areas, there are tiny shuttle-type buses, where drivers can drop you off and pick you up at unscheduled places; just ask the driver. Although you can buy your tickets on most buses, bus passes are a real bargain.

The nice thing about both train and bus passes is that you can buy them a day or so in advance, carry them with you to show to your drivers and conductors, and use them (or not) whenever you want during a specific time period (one week, two weeks, etc.).

Back to Hexham

I decided to walk back to Hexham, the town where I was staying.

As I walked across a little stone bridge over a river, a car pulled over, and an elderly couple asked if I would like a lift. They had been having tea at the inn and overheard my conversation with the front desk clerk. After a pleasant ride, during which we traded travel stories, they dropped me off in the main square of the small town where I was staying.

As I go to many remote areas in my travels, events like this have happened frequently.

This is yet one more example of the unexpected joys of TRAVELING SOLO IN THE UK

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Packing

Travel light! On the plane, I take a book bag for my camera, notebook, passport, tickets, toilet articles, debit card and two coin purses, one for US currency, one for pounds.

Take ONE wheeled suitcase, size depending on the length of the trip.

Pack only simple, solid colored, comfortable separates that can be worn interchangeably. Roll them up like tubes if possible (not folded); they pack better and they don’t wrinkle that way. Don’t stuff the bag, and leave room for things you’ll buy.

Bring long underwear (tops and bottoms), gloves, a muffler, and one warm jacket. You’ll also need two pairs of good walking shoes (one as a backup).

If you smoke (which I do) bring a carton of cigarettes, packs distributed in both the bags. Cigarettes in the UK are about $9 a pack and rising.

And that’s it.

Don’t over pack! No matter how long my trip is, I usually only take clothes for 7-10 days. You can do laundry. Sometimes the B & B owner will ASK you if they can do some laundry for you! (I always accept) If not, ask them; some will charge for it, most will not.

On a daytrip, I only take what I need for that day, of course: cash, train and/or bus schedules, tickets, food, and leave room for anything I decide to buy, such as a scarf, a piece of jewelry, a book or other small items.

Build a Collection of UK Memories

Buying Stuff

Just as you do at home (if you’re smart), look for sales, and try to buy things that are useful and you can actually add to your travel wardrobe (clothes, jewelry, etc.).

You might also find some good buys at street markets and charity shops. Nearly every village and town, and certainly every city, has charity shops: the British Heart Foundation, and others. I always try to get at least one item (usually a children’s book) from Cancer Research, as I am a two-time cancer survivor. Pick a charity that means something to you, and give a something of yourself to the people of this beautiful country that is giving so much to YOU.

In my travel journal, I make a list of family members and friends to buy small gifts for, with notations next to their names of what to bring them (I ask them before I leave what they might like). It’s adds a little mission to your trip; like a scavenger hunt in a sense.

The gifts I find everyone enjoys are calendars, packaged baked goods and candy, small posters and coasters, and optics from pubs (some shown above; they’re sometimes very unique, and they’re free). Above all they’re LIGHT! Remember that everything you buy adds weight to and eats up space in your luggage. Try to do most of your shopping towards the END of your trip so you don’t have to lug around all that extra weight through the whole trip.

If you find yourself going berserk buying things, don’t fret; you can always buy a book bag or small piece of luggage to carry your treasures home; and you’ll have a new carryon for your NEXT trip!

Above ALL: Be courteous and respectful. It’s sad that I even have to say this, but anyone traveling abroad should never forget: You are a guest in someone else’s home.

And if you get lost or lonely, you can always head to a public house to meet new friends!

HAPPY SOLO TRAVEL IN THE UK!

TRAVEL SOLO (AND SMART) IN THE UK

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

About Me

Blog Archive

Sunrise over the North Sea, Yorkshire

Planning - Where and When

Budgeting

The Crown

Where to Stay

Eat Well, Bring Home Goodies

Grand Hotel, Scarboro, Yorkshire

More on Accommodations

Newcastle Train Station, New Castle in the background

Transportation

Train Schedule, ScotRail, eastern Scotland

Be sure...

Hadrian"s Wall, Housesteads

Oops - Missed the Bus

Good Place to Catch a Ride...

Back to Hexham

Reflection in Arborath Train Station window, Angus, Scotland

Packing

Brewing in the UK is TRULY an Art Form

Build a Collection of UK Memories

Public House, Ripon, Yorkshire