College senior here, I graduate in May & have 2-3 months of freedom before I start working.
Hearing from lots of people that solo traveling is an awesome and worthwhile experience. I really want to try it.
Has anyone here solo travelled or backpacked through hostels in their early 20s? Where'd you go? Anything you learned about yourself, or the world in general? What advice would you have for someone taking his first ever solo trip? Currently planning a South America trip & Europe trips, 2-3 weeks each.
I've been through a lot of hostels and had great times. Read the reviews and some hostels are worth the increased price. Also, sometimes a private room but shared bathroom can be nice as well. If you have a lock to your door, you can have peace of mind with the security of your belongings. And you can bring back chicks to your private room and avoid trying to hook up on a bunk bed.
In general when you're walking around, you have to prepare that you will be robbed. Keep your passport in your room or locked up if you're in a group room. Bring multiple credit/debit cards and keep some backups in the room and use different ones when you're walking around. I've traveled extensively and only have been robbed once - on the beach in Rio. Luckily I was with a friend and also had backup cards and my passport in my room.
The best hostels have adventures and nights out on the town. This can be a great deal as often they offer discounts or a wristband to the club to skip the line. Check out the top party hostels in the world below and if you're going to Italy and Greece, be sure to travel from Italy to Corfu, Greece to check out the top Party Hostel in the world - The Pink Palace. Their club was a lot of fun and I rented a 4 wheeler from there to haul ass around the island.
https://oneweirdglobe.com/best-party-hostels-in-the-world/
Corfu's Pink Palace Named in Top 10 Craziest Party Hostels
https://greekreporter.com/2012/08/17/corfus-pink-palace-named-in-top-10…
https://thepinkpalace.com/
Greece
Thanks for the tips.
Saw you mentioned Rio - I'm going there for 3-4 days, any good places to check out? Things you did that were fun? Cafes, bars, beaches, etc... thanks!
Hangliding is pretty cool in Rio
Did two months between graduation and start of full time job traveling around Europe, did 12 cities in total. Stayed in hostels throughout and looked at hostelworld.com for reviews. I only stayed at places rated 8/10 and above. One of the best experiences in my life, met many different types of people, made memories, took lots of travel photos, even got laid in Sweden.
Do it if you can and have the time for sure
How did you get laid in Sweden? Going to a bar?
It was at Trädgården, a club south of Gamla Stan. I walk in and notice two friendly Swedish girls and had an initial conversation with them. They went to dance. Then at the end of the evening as things were dying out and people were leaving I reintroduced and started talking to one of them, hugged her waist and walked out with her. Went back to her place and smashed
Lesson: have your Hotel/Airbnb's address and phone number written down on a sticker/piece of paper. It might literally save your life.
Background: Traveling solo, driving a used car that didn't have a phone charger in it.
Occasion: Celebrating New Year alone
Destination: Joshua Tree National Park in California
Situation: my phone died when I was on a highway. The road infrastructure was so terrible that there was almost no light to see the road, yet somehow all other cars coming and going seemed to know the road really well to be able to drive that fast.
I had 0 clue where to go. Lucky for me, there was a gas station nearby so I managed a full tank. Unfortunately, there was nobody in the gas station except myself. I waited there for 30 minutes, still no.
Then I saw this path off the highway that might lead to somewhere and I just drove that way into the bushes. After maybe 3 minutes I hit someone's house's fence. Then came a kind and patient grandpa with a British accent. I found that both warm and weird because what was a British guy doing over there, in the middle of nowhere, alone, with no family/children visiting him?
He was literally like Santa Claus (I think that day was December 27th). Called my Airbnb hostess, drew the directions on a piece of paper, and saved my life. Otherwise, God knows how I would end up.
Yeah man this kind of stuff happens when traveling. I've woken up in fields in other towns and had to navigate out pre iPhone.
Recommendations:
South America: Buenos Aires. Chile.
Europe: Stockholm and BARCELONA. Berlin and Warsaw are 50-50 among friends.
I cannot stress this enough: BARCELONA.
i'm going on an exchange semester in barcelona this september. any general pro tips/advice/things to do/stories etc. you could share?
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