I'm going to Spain early next year, and I can't get any of my friends to come. I would like to go alone, but am afraid. If anyone has travelled to Spain alone, please give me tips on things to do, how to be safe, how to meet people and have fun. That would help a lot!

Jake, are you a woman or a man? Sorry. I have to ask.

You'll find the following threads relavent and useful:

" Is Madrid safe for a woman alone? ", " Woman traveling alone ", " Is travelling solo safe? ", & " I felt safe in Sevilla and Madrid " among others. You can do a SEARCH of this forum using other safety-related terms for other results. Best of luck to you and enjoy your time in Spain.

Saludos, MadridMan

Jake, assuming you are a man. Buck up! I travelled to spain alone and it was definitely a great trip. I was able to go where I wanted to go when I wanted to go and was not in any hurry. Whereas, if you go with somebody, it could end up being the worst trip of your life. ie.arguing about where to go next, where to eat etc. Do you speak Spanish? Not necessary but definitely useful in finding friends. You'll find most Spaniards a friendly bunch, it's not too tough to find people to hang out with or go dancing with etc. Enjoy the solo trip. I think the only downside of travelling alone(in my opinion) is that you don't have afriend or family member to share these wonderful vistas and experiences with. I would highly recommend a journal to write things down in and take lots of pictures. Spain is a beautiful country!

I am a woman and have travelled alone to Spain. In fact, I have another solo trip planned for February. I would much prefer having company on the trip. It is lonely eating and touring by yourself plus it feels strange to be out very late. Still, it is better to go alone than not at all. It is just different.

I have travelled a lot with friends and solo. Here are a few of my tips for travelling solo and not feeling like a loner:

1) go see live music - it's a way to go out by yourself and have something to "do".

2) join a group for a day or take little tour of the city - like "walks of spain" (I think that's what it's called) or the Stephen Drake Jones thing. I have not done either but those are the types of things I would do.

3) bring a journal with you when you eat. I love writing about my day, my meal, any pointless thing that is fun to read later! I have 4 travel journals from Lonely planet filled with stuff from all my trips, solo and non-solo. People just think you are a writer, or at least "occupied".

4) Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with ANYONE. All it takes is "where are you from?" or "do you know how to get to X place?" And if they feel like talking, everyone has a story to tell.

5) I find it easier to do in small towns - just go to a small bar, sit down, have a beer and talk to the bartender. One night in Greece I spent hours at a little place talking to other people in the bar. If it is slow, the bartender is probably bored and will talk to you about anything. I learned a lot about Greece from Greek bartenders.

6) Smile and look happy. I know, that's corny.

I just went on a solo trip to South America and I met tons of people. Then again, I did a 4-day hike thing so that facilitated some friendships. But I even met people in the airport when we were waiting for connections and met up with them later that night and had the most interesting dinner! You'll feel a little lonely sometimes travelling solo but you might surprise yourself. And obviously, don't get too drunk when you are walking home by yourself. Be safe of course!

Madridman, for the record I am a man. And I was mostly concerned about what to do, not safety. Thanks to everyone for their posts. I have travelled alone before, just not for more than a few days.

Hola Jake, see what you mean. You may want to make some contacts with folks from this forum that already live in Spain, that way you may already have things to do planned out. It's always nice to have a cup of coffee or a cañita at the Plaza Mayor, right?

Depending on the time you are going, it's a good idea to have your itinerary filled with alternative things to do so you won't get bored. I am a shopper so I list the stores and their specialties, I also go to the museum websites and see what special programs are being planned, I love culture too! Select a few activities going around during the time you plan to leave, there is always some type of festival going on in Spain, you may want to search this website for threads about festivals. In addition to this informative forum, you can get information about events from many newspapers. See MM's link to newspapers and it will tell you what's going on.

Buen Viaje!

Sometimes, solo is the way to go: If you are on a train, for example, and you are two or three speaking English among yourselves, people will not 'intrude.' People are more likely to try to communicate with you if you are by yourself.

Also, don't use one of those 'walkman-type' tape or CD players with the earphones. Things like that also paint you into what will be perceived by others as a privacy 'bubble.'

I have travelled solo on trains throughout Europe and have never found myself 'alone.' People are generally gregarious by nature. Add to this their curiousity and you have an opening for some fun.

Hi all, }I travel alone nearly all the time. I still want to say "thank you" to everyone especially Eddie. Some great advice given on this topic.

I agree with you, zorro37. Eddie's the greatest. That's for sure.