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Tips and tricks for solo travelers headed to Europe
Hello, thanks for taking time to learn more about Smart Solo Travel in Europe.
There are several reasons why I spend time on social media discussing solo travel. After visiting 20 plus European countries, much of it alone, I want to share the treasure chest of knowledge and photos acquired over the years; why let them go to waste? Next, I believe solo travel is a wonderful way to explore the world. Finally, creating content is an enjoyable hobby derived from significant professional writing, photography, and website creation experience.
Years of trying to climb the corporate ladder robbed me of precious time to travel. I decided I would no longer wait for anyone else to get up and go to faraway, fascinating places for two basic reasons:
1) Life is short and opportunities can vanish instantly. After Covid 19 hit, it became clear that time cannot be taken for granted. Recently, people around me, who are about the same age as myself, have either suffered serious illnesses, lost financial stability, or died. Their heart-breaking misfortunes spotlighted that I am at an age that is closer to death than to birth; I better start living life to the fullest now while crossing off items on the bucket list.
2) People are fickle and unreliable. Has this happened to you? You are having dinner with friends and you start brainstorming about an epic trip abroad. Everyone is on board and happily shares what they’d like to do on this dream trip. Later, when it comes time to save money and nail down plans, friends start dropping out like dead flies. International travel requires a ton of financial discipline; some people may not tolerate the sacrifices it takes in order to save the funds required. Also, your friends may have people in their lives who don’t want them to leave for more than a few days, especially if the destination is a distant, overseas location.
After completing the first lone journey, I was hooked. Solo is now my preferred way to go.
Liberating is how I describe solo adventures. Grueling work schedules and demanding commitments day after day can be tiring and get sickening month after month. Imagine escaping it all and not having to answer to anyone for a week or so; get up when you want and take time to pay attention to yourself. The mental rejuvenation after a week of self-discovery while exploring new places is priceless.
The stress of traveling with someone else who doesn’t share your travel style can ruin a trip. If you are an explorer who can walk all day while your companion is a leisure lover who demands to take taxis everywhere, someone is going to be miserable. Somebody will have to compromise their preferences; this uncomfortable situation may produce a disappointing experience and possibly destroy the relationship. With solo travel you don’t have to worry about someone else’s conditions or risk your own satisfaction.
I’d like to share my background with you to ensure you’re confident that the information on this blog is from a competent source.
After earning a four-year marketing degree, I slaved in corporate America in various communications, operations and marketing roles. Though the money was decent, I didn’t care for office politics or the inflexible, often unreasonable, hours businesses expected their employees work. At one point I became physically ill forcing myself to return to an unhappy, sometimes hostile, environment. One day after a frustrating meeting with my boss, I went to my desk, typed a letter of resignation, and quit three weeks later without another job lined up; it was one of the best decisions I made in my life.
I shut the door on corporate America more than a decade ago and never looked back. Since then I’ve been a professional photographer, substitute teacher, a Door Dash delivery driver, a seasonal employee at major venues around town and a casino dealer. The 9 to 5 grind no longer exists and has been replaced with flexible streams of income where I control which days I work. Although benefits such as paid time off are now nonexistent, I am much happier today and will never return to another cubicle farm, moral-busting position.
When I dream about the future, I envision more time abroad in my life. Ideally, it would be great to earn money while traveling or get paid something for the time spent sharing valuable tips. I will never be wealthy, but I would like the streams of income to be more flexible and profitable than they are now. Perhaps arranging small tours or holding Solo Travel seminars will be possibilities.
People ask me why I always go to Europe instead of other places? Simple, I love to explore, learn about history, and be wowed by architecture built hundreds of years before my country (The United States) existed. I’m not into the beach or partying with crowds of people. Nor am I into extreme sports or highly physical activities. I’ll choose hiking up grueling steep hills to see the Neuswanstein castle before lying on the sand all day or sky gliding off of a cliff. Europe goes beyond satisfying all my interests; I’d rather spend the limited money I have going somewhere I love.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool when planning your next trip; just pull up an app and get AI generated advice for your next vacation. However, there is something lacking about this tactic: personal experience. The best tips I’ve received were from people who shared the horrors or joys of the places and services they’ve encountered. When researching hotels, would you trust one AI generated review, or look at several opinions of people who actually stayed there before hitting the “Book” button? Every post on this blog is authentic and real. All photos were taken by me, unless mentioned in a footnote.
AI also scares the hell out of me. I’ve been a victim of both identity theft and check-washing; countless hours were spent correcting these messes to avoid excessive credit card charges and return the $1900 stolen out of my checking account. Police reports were filed and new accounts established to stop and repair the damage. To avoid similar nightmares, I don’t share specific personal information about myself online. You will not see photos that clearly identify me or know my exact name, age, and origin. Here is what I’d like to share: I’m an American woman from the Midwest who is at least 45 years old. I take four trips to Europe per year in hopes to visit every country on this beautiful, fascinating continent. Though I will not tell you my actual name, please call me Taylor (I like the name and wish my mother chose that instead of what she did).
If you have read through this introduction – thank you. I hope my love of travel, fascination with Europe and appropriate professional experience produces a blog you find worthy of checking out on a regular basis. Ideally, I’d like to create a community of mature solo travelers who share their real experiences and honest opinions.
I wish you plenty of safe and enjoyable journeys where you go far…go smart…go solo.
All the best,
Taylor
Smart Solo Travel in Europe 