Alone in Paris

I%26#39;ve never been to Europe alone, I%26#39;ve always met friends once I got off the plane but this trip my friend may not be able to join me and I realy want to see Paris - I%26#39;ve never been there. Am I crazy for going alone or will I be so busy I%26#39;ll never notice how romantic the city is?

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I%26#39;ve heard mixed reviews about going alone. I myself am going alone too...and it%26#39;s my first trip alone too. I am a bit worried about my nights that I will feel lonely eating by myself. However, I think during the day I will be so busy sight seeing and shopping that I%26#39;d even notice I am alone. When are you going? You can always post a message on here and meet up with some people from the forum for a drink or dinner. Others in this forum have organized something like that in the past, and I have only heard good things about it.

Good luck, and have fun in Paris!

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I am going at the end of June, the 29th through July 4th. When is your trip?

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I traveled alone to Paris once last year and again this year. It is the best way to go, in my opinion. I walked wherever my two feet took me. I had no problem meeting people to have dinner with. And you never know, you might find romance there, too!

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I just went alone to Europe and I really enjoyed it. You do have more opportunity to meet others/locals when you are solo. And you have the freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want w/o having to worry about someone else.

That being said, I did get a bit lonely in Paris. I didn%26#39;t really meet anyone there.. as I had in London %26amp; Amsterdam. (And it is a bit awkward for doing things in the evening) And you have no one to take a picture of you!!

But I definitely don%26#39;t think you%26#39;re crazy. Make the most out of it. See if you can meet other travellers (from this board) up for dinner/drinks and definitely be outgoing in hopes of meeting locals.

I%26#39;m actually returning to Europe this summer. And I am again going solo.

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How about taking a couple of walking or bike tours with other people? There is a good possibility that you might meet someone compatible who is also travelling alone. And even if you don%26#39;t you will be with other people and not feeling quite so isolated.

Try this link: …compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/

And this one: http://www.fattirebiketoursparis.com/

If you speak more than rudimentary French it will help, but even if you don%26#39;t there are places where you can safely meet other people and spend a bit of time talking with them. Try some of the less expensive and more casual restaurants, such as Polidor on rue Monsieur-le-Prince where you will be sitting at long tables with other people - who may or may not be friendly/compatible, may or may not speak English or whatever. I%26#39;ve eaten there many times both alone and not (It%26#39;s a kind of sentimental thing to eat there every time I am in Paris. Long story...) and have met some fascinating people, bioth Parisians and tourists, and had some great conversations...

I like to take walks by myself with a very good detailed itinerary (ParisWalks is quite good if it is still in print...) and kind of make the guidebook my %26quot;companion.%26quot; And when I%26#39;ve had a few days in a strange city on my own, I like to have a really good book about that city - not a guidebook, but a book of essays or a history or whatever - to read while I am sitting in a cafe or wherever. Again it%26#39;s a kind of substitute for having a companion to %26quot;deconstruct%26quot; the city with...

Have fun!

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In my opinion, there are two ways to visit Paris: 1) alone and 2) With someone you trust and are compatible traveling with. In my opinion, I would find it miserable to travel to Paris in a group. Especially one with different views on what to do and can%26#39;t agree. What misery!!! Different people have different interests and Paris will accomodate these - each person will have their own unique Paris experience.

I think the best way to approach a solo trip is to plan ahead your must sees, yet be flexible enough to enjoy each moment as it comes. Expectations come into play. If you expect to meet complete strangers and expect conversations with strangers, you can set yourself up for disappointment should that not happen. Better to enjoy your own company and see everything else that happens as a gift. I find Paris to be quite suitable for solo travelers. Nothing like relaxing at a cafe and enjoy the day/evenings. Please do not hesitate and GO FOR IT. Don%26#39;t miss out.

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Thank you all so much! I definetely feel better about traveling alone and I will visit the Polidor. I give all of you a lot of credit for traveling alone - I%26#39;ll see how this turns out....I keep picturing in my head Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

Is it better to buy admission to various sites on-line or do it when I get there?

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I have traveled alone and with groups. I will be in Paris this Fall for my 4th time and my 1st time alone. I am looking forward to doing the things I want to do at my own pace. I always think dinner is the hardest but I always bring a book or use that time to plan the next days activities. There are some day tours you can take and a boat trip on the Seine is always fun. Have a wonderful time!

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im going alone as well from july 28-aug 14... and im only 18... hopefully i can make some friends somewhere or find someone i could warm up to. ;)

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and oh yea... this makes me really nervous.