Going Alone - Worth It?

I%26#39;m looking to have a well earned, if student life covers that ;) break this year.

I have always fancied visiting New York City and would be something different from my usual sun holiday.

One snag is that I would have to go alone, I%26#39;m a mature 20 year old, and my idea of a holiday isn%26#39;t to get as drunk as I can, so I%26#39;d just like to know, if going alone would be a worthy visit and what kind of things would suit someone traveling alone.

Going Alone - Worth It?

Pretty much anything you%26#39;d like...shopping, theater, sightseeing, dining out, sporting events, musuems...depends on what you%26#39;re interested in, of course!

I%26#39;ve traveled alone to NYC (as well as several other places) for both business and pleasure and had a blast!

Going Alone - Worth It?

Welcome to the forum, AdviseMe1!

New York City is an absolute wonderful place to visit. It is an extremely safe city, with wonderful public transportation, a very diverse population, and a plethora of things to do to satisfy every interest. I lived in the city when I was not much older than you ( I was 22 and attending grad school at NYU) and it was the best time of my life (other than my wedding this past August!).

With a little research, a guidebook, and a great map, I am positive that you would find many things to do alone (museums, Broadway shows, great restaurants, exploring different neighborhoods, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, tours, meeting other students, etc.). That being said, I think that only YOU can decide if coming alone at your age would be worth it. And remember that in the United States you cannot drink until you are 21.

If you do decide to go, this forum is an amazing resource. Good luck!

Good for you!

See these collections of trip reports by solo travelers. Hopefully it will give you inspiration!

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k474427-鈥?/a> Collection_of_trip_reports_from_SOLO_TRAVELLERS

NOTE: you might not be able to get as drunk as you can anyway, even if you wanted to, since the legal drinking age here is 21.

Also, the biggest problem for tourists is pickpockets and scams, so make sure you carry your money and ID securely (i.e. not in your back pocket) and, if it looks too good to be true, it is. ;o)

I have found that I really enjoy traveling alone. I think often traveling alone for business made me realize the advantages. The prime advantage being that you do whatever you want to do without having to compromise. If you have a traveling companion, no matter how much your interests are alike you will have to do at least a few things you would not do on your own.

I really enjoy traveling with my significant other. There are advantages to having a traveling companion too, but my biggest nightmare is traveling with a large group and missing out on a lot of the things that I want to do.

You will find New Yorkers very friendly. Being form the Midwestern US whenever I visit New York I always end up striking up interesting conversations, waiting for a subway, asking directions, sitting in a coffee shop or restaurant, etc.

You can have a great time in New York on your own.

I%26#39;ve been to New York a number of times by myself. And I can%26#39;t recommend it highly enough :-)

These days I meet up with friends over there, but I travel over by myself, and do most of the stuff in the days by myself, just meet up some evenings with friends.

Such is the city there is plenty to do by yourself, whether you are into art galleries and museums, or just doing the sites, or basically just walking about and taking in various neighborhoods. It%26#39;s the perfect place to wonder about. And by yourself you never have to have discussions about where to go, and you never have to make concessions to a fellow traveller. You do your own thing.

Go for it, you%26#39;ll love it.

As a 25yr old who%26#39;s just travelled round the world solo i can%26#39;t agree any more with the above posts. Dont be put off by the fact you%26#39;ll be alone. It won%26#39;t stop you having an incredible time. I spent 5 days in NYC, along with 6 days in Hong Kong, 7 days in Sydney and 3 days in New Zealand and loved every second of it (I%26#39;ll eventually get round to writing a trip report).

There%26#39;s so much to see and do. Get it booked!

I think you%26#39;d love it. I%26#39;d suggest trying to a Big Apple Greeter for a day so you%26#39;ll have someone to chat with one day and show you around. This is a volunteer from NYC that will show you whatever part of NYC interests you. You need to apply for one ahead of time so check out the website. There are a few BAGS on this forum that could also give you more info.

New York is a very unique city in the sense that solo travelers who ordinarily don%26#39;t enjoy being on their own can still enjoy New York.

New Yorkers tend to be more outgoing than people in most other cities I%26#39;ve been to.

In alot of cities in America people get into their cars and drive from one garage to another. They pull out of their garage at home into their garage at the office. People don%26#39;t interact with strangers as much. New York is the opposite, we walk on the streets, we ride on the subways. You are liable to ask somebody, ';Is this the right platform for the train to Times Square?'; and spend the next ten minutes hearing about their trip to the cousin in the UK, etc.

When I travel for business and have the occasional trips where I%26#39;m all alone for a few days in places like Tampa, Phoenix, etc. where you have to have a car I just think some of those places are so cold and lonely (for solo travelers) compared to the warmth and friendly fun nature of New York.

If you travel with a laptop you can sit in any one of the cafes with wireless internet and before you know it people are talking. You may especially like hanging out some in Greenwich Village as you%26#39;ll be in the heart of the NYU campus.

New York is a very friendly town for solo travelers. You are welcome to ask all the questions you may have. Don%26#39;t pass up an opportunity to come over.

The one bad thing, you need to be 21 to drink and to even be in most bars. I%26#39;m not saying not to come, there is plenty to do, but just wanted to make you aware of that fact.

And when they say you have to be 21 y.o. to drink, they mean ANYTHING - beer, wine or hard liquor. Quite a bit different from the UK.