Americans fear solo travel
Sep 14, 2017, 12:00 pm
#76
Join Date: Dec 2007
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There were some reports I remember that sole mid-30/40s male travelers to Thailand were especially pulled for questioning after they returned back to US.
Sep 14, 2017, 1:43 pm
#77
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 19
love traveling alone
I have been traveling alone since 2003 when I retired. I very much prefer solo travel. Freedom to make changes to my travel plan, do not have to check with anyone else to decide where to eat, drink, when and where to sleep.
Traveling in Europe I encounter very few if any fellow Americans in the small family hotels or B&B's that I favor.
In my experience the general statement that Americans are not inclined to travel alone is true. Also true in my experience is that my friends are fearful for my safety when I am traveling, even though my local paper is full of muggings, shootings, etc.
I feel much safer in Europe than in the US, plus public transportation is much more accessible than in US.
Traveling in Europe I encounter very few if any fellow Americans in the small family hotels or B&B's that I favor.
In my experience the general statement that Americans are not inclined to travel alone is true. Also true in my experience is that my friends are fearful for my safety when I am traveling, even though my local paper is full of muggings, shootings, etc.
I feel much safer in Europe than in the US, plus public transportation is much more accessible than in US.
Sep 14, 2017, 1:44 pm
#78
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 81
Not 323 million, as only 30% of Americans even have a passport so at least not internationally LOL! 
This is based on my own personal sample size...that is how statistics work, they don't poll every single person. My sample size is now large enough that I can come to some conclusions, probably sampling around at least a 1000 people and 99% of them avoided solo travel, expressed a terrible aversion to it, expressed shock that I travel alone or have arrived to a place alone.
This is based on my own personal sample size...that is how statistics work, they don't poll every single person. My sample size is now large enough that I can come to some conclusions, probably sampling around at least a 1000 people and 99% of them avoided solo travel, expressed a terrible aversion to it, expressed shock that I travel alone or have arrived to a place alone.
Sep 14, 2017, 2:10 pm
#79
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Solo American males of some ethnic origins were indeed disproportionately targeted by CBP for electronic device searches when it came to trips involving returns from parts of Asia.
Sep 14, 2017, 3:07 pm
#80
Join Date: May 2009
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https://news.booking.com/do-not-dist...re-going-solo/
With warmer weather on the horizon and thoughts finally turning to summer holidays, Booking.com, the world’s number one accommodation site, unveiled its first Solo Travel Report. Commissioned by Booking.com, the independent research spanning five countries revealed that 72 percent of American women have embraced solo travel and are taking advantage of unique destinations for inspiration and self-discovery. In comparison to other countries surveyed*, American women ranked first in frequent solo travel, and are most likely to take three trips or more in a given year. The report concluded the trend also looks set to grow with over half (59 percent) of female solo travel enthusiasts saying they plan to do so again in the next 12 months.
Sep 14, 2017, 3:13 pm
#81
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Mass
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I suppose it is the same as anything else. Is it that there aren't many Americans traveling solo, or that you are not recognizing as being Americans the travelers you see traveling solo?
Having said that o course, I do think Americans tend NOT to travel alone. And that doesn't go just for travel - Americans are more social people. Maybe it's because we often spend more time away from large groups of people that when we do something for the experience, we want to share that experience with others. It's like eating out alone - something you don't see a lot of in the US. Sure there are some of us very comfortable with the idea. But for a lot of people it just feels lonely. Same thing traveling - here you are in a strange place with strange customs and now you are all alone. At least if you are traveling with someone else there is that little bit of a sense of a safety blanket.
And I think it goes both ways. Remember, for someone form Europe to be traveling to the other side of Europe, you still have some connection. For an American, this is a totally different place, they have been bombarded constantly of how bad anything American is, how "rude" Americans habits are, how "loud" American tourists are. They are already up against all these negative stereotypes. Now add the fact they have probably grown up hearing all kinds of precautions against pick pocketing, petty theft and terrorism, legal systems which, whether true or not, seem to be less than fair, and lacking the socioeconomic safety nets other countries seem to expect, and solo travel can be pretty daunting to someone who never experienced it before.
Having said that o course, I do think Americans tend NOT to travel alone. And that doesn't go just for travel - Americans are more social people. Maybe it's because we often spend more time away from large groups of people that when we do something for the experience, we want to share that experience with others. It's like eating out alone - something you don't see a lot of in the US. Sure there are some of us very comfortable with the idea. But for a lot of people it just feels lonely. Same thing traveling - here you are in a strange place with strange customs and now you are all alone. At least if you are traveling with someone else there is that little bit of a sense of a safety blanket.
And I think it goes both ways. Remember, for someone form Europe to be traveling to the other side of Europe, you still have some connection. For an American, this is a totally different place, they have been bombarded constantly of how bad anything American is, how "rude" Americans habits are, how "loud" American tourists are. They are already up against all these negative stereotypes. Now add the fact they have probably grown up hearing all kinds of precautions against pick pocketing, petty theft and terrorism, legal systems which, whether true or not, seem to be less than fair, and lacking the socioeconomic safety nets other countries seem to expect, and solo travel can be pretty daunting to someone who never experienced it before.
Sep 14, 2017, 3:41 pm
#82
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As for fellow-Americans' reactions to my solo travelling....As long as people are broad-brushing from anecdotes, I want to say that maybe I'm just lucky, but I've been travelling solo since before some FTers were born and I don't recall this wave of shock and horror that some others have reported. Some people have said that they're afraid they'd be lonely if going solo, and some were stressed about having to manage all the logistics themselves, especially back in the days before cellphones, internet, and widespread English. (Even Europeans I know sometimes voice similar concerns.) But I haven't heard a there-be-dragons "gripping fear." In fact, I sometimes feel like the wimpy one because I normally travel to Europe, while I know Americans who have travelled independently in South Asia, Central America, etc.
Sep 14, 2017, 4:33 pm
#83
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Except for business travel and leisure travel to an international destination where friends/relatives live, most other international air travel seems to involve people traveling as a group of 2 or more persons. It's far from being a uniquely American dynamic.
It's not so easy for even most Americans to tell who is a Canadian by briefly listening in on the spoken words of Canadians.
It's not so easy for even most Americans to tell who is a Canadian by briefly listening in on the spoken words of Canadians.
i know a canadian west coast accent from a canadian from Toronto when they talk.
As i know a west coast cali accent from someone from minnesota, boston, NY or the south.
it's really not very difficult.
not sure why so many of you won't accept reality
Sep 14, 2017, 6:04 pm
#84
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I think that is the big problem. We tend to assume these people are or are not Americans. Or Europeans. But we don't know better, so we must be right? Almost 20% of Americans are of Hispanic descent - how many of those do you see travel? In fact they often do - you just don't automatically think of them as Americans. Americans don't speak foreign languages, right? We have 52 million people who speak Spanish alone. That's more than Spain! But again, we never think of that, because it doesn't fit our neat little idea of learning French or German to get around Europe.
Sep 14, 2017, 7:20 pm
#85
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Funny how you can accuse others of having issues with the English language when you can't even tell the difference between "you're" and "your".
Sep 14, 2017, 8:09 pm
#89
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Interesting discussion. I'm American. Retired many years ago. I generally travel alone, although will include a grandkid occasionally. Once in a great while another family member or friend. 3-4 longish overseas trips a year. Odd corners that interest me - Isle of Guernsey just one example. While Europe has much attraction, I've not limited myself to that area. My passport has stamps from Moscow, Buenos Aires, Wuhan, and other places more challenging for Americans.
Rarely do anything packaged. Local public transport, AirBNBs, trains/buses.
Please add me to your statistics as not fearing traveling alone. Ever.
Actually, not simply not fearing traveling alone. Truly genuinely enjoying it.
Oh yeah, female too, in case that is a category in your statistics.
Come to think of it, you might not have noticed me as a solo American traveler. I'm quiet, and make a serious effort at blending in with local dress norms. Careful of the wrong hand gesture communication. Maybe there are lots more out there you haven't been counting?
Rarely do anything packaged. Local public transport, AirBNBs, trains/buses.
Please add me to your statistics as not fearing traveling alone. Ever.
Actually, not simply not fearing traveling alone. Truly genuinely enjoying it.
Oh yeah, female too, in case that is a category in your statistics.
Come to think of it, you might not have noticed me as a solo American traveler. I'm quiet, and make a serious effort at blending in with local dress norms. Careful of the wrong hand gesture communication. Maybe there are lots more out there you haven't been counting?
Last edited by Romelle; Sep 14, 2017 at 8:18 pm
Sep 14, 2017, 8:29 pm
#90
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As an American!!! I'm not sure about the traveling alone but I think Americans are less adventurous in their travel than say British or Asian travelers. I'm not sure why and I have no data , just MY observation.