Solo travel abroad?

[Alfonso]

I went to New Zealand for 5 days. On a leisure trip jetlag isn't much of an issue as you can sleep whenever you want. Personally I much prefer the variety of language, culture, food, drink and landscape in Europe. It being on the doorstep rather than the other side of the world is a bonus. FWIW I flew out with a few hours in San Diego and took the BART metro downtown to see the steep streets and tramcars and came back on a "direct" flight with a couple of hours in LA in a middle seat in economy. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

 

[Bungle158]

If ever you are in Viet Nam, there is an extremely sociable hostel at Ninh Binh, actually sited within the old station buildings. The tracks outside are still in use as part of the main Hanoi-Da Nang line, so an ideal place to sit on the former platform, now a terrace, and sip a beer whilst watching trains. Vietnamese rail travellers are usually extremely friendly to towards foreign travellers, particularly in the north of the country and fares are not expensive

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 May 2021 ==

I mostly travel solo. I am a pensioner without savings or private pension, so my oap Govt pension means I pretty much need to travel economically too!
I tend to use hostels to make my cash go further. These are not salvation army or "down and out" places, but are specifically for travellers, of all ages, thankfully! I enjoy meeting folk from all over the world in these places, which helps to alleviate some of the lonliness of solo travel for me. I am not a "foodie", so am quite happy to eat at MacDonalds if needs be, or buy sanwiches from a shop. I often buy food and cook in the hostel kitchens too. I have travelled extensivly in India and America by train, alone, and found it easy to chat with local people. I am not good with languages, so countries where English is known,makes that a little easier.
I would love to have a girlfriend to share my travels, but at least going solo, I can do exactly as I please, without any earache.
(Although I have used hostels in Europe and America, as someone else has mentioned, it is better to use hotels in India, etc.)

If folk are interested, there are a couple of "trip reports" from my old bloke travels on Indian trains, a sort of "what not to do" guide!

https://www.indiamike.com/india/journal.php?do=showentry&e=1396&enum=1

https://www.indiamike.com/india/journal.php?do=showentry&e=1405&enum=2

Having travelled extensively in India by train, I enjoyed the reports.

 

[Techniquest]

Those jokes are as old as those about BR's curly sandwiches.
It has a veneer of British values (often more Scots and Irish than English), royal family, TV content, drive on the left etc, much like Australia.
It has far more scenery in a smaller space than Australia, it's semi-tropical in the north, the ecology is quite different to here and the Pacific "ring of fire" runs through the country, so you get earthquakes, volcanoes and hot springs, unlike in, say Basingstoke.
Geographically it would fit in northern Spain and Portugal if the coordinates were reversed, so the sun is that much higher and brighter than here.
The weather is indeed almost as variable as the UK, but it's generally warmer and the air (from the southern ocean) has a purity and clarity you can't imagine here.
There's also a significant population of Maori and Pacific islanders with their own distinctive culture, and it's a very integrated, family-oriented place.
I find it a friendly, endearing and progressive place, and well worth travelling half-way round the globe to see - when they decide to let us in again.
You can also annoy Australians by telling them you prefer NZ - it sends them wild...
And I like Australia too, but it's just TOO BIG!

You're making me want to go right now! I'm sure, like pretty much all of us, you can imagine how much I'm looking forward to jetting off again and having to stop myself booking flights when researching them, well that is a challenge! Been finding a lot of good deals lately, around £900-£940 return to Christchurch/Wellington/Queenstown, although I am still tempted by looking at a route involving Qantas and that direct flight from Heathrow to Perth...

Now, 2 weeks travelling around Poland sounds like great fun. I've been to Warsaw and Krakow but Gdansk and Poznan have been on my to do list for years. Really friendly country, great food and drink and reasonable prices too.

I'm told Gdansk has some nice beaches, this is from a friend who was raised there, and that it's a nice place in general. Poznan just looked stunning in a few travel videos I've seen ages ago. Warsaw I've had mixed reviews on though.

What about jet lag? I thought that would cost at least a day or arrival and another on return home, from a week down under there would not be much left. Better maybe to save up and go for several weeks, or wait till retirement and go for a few months. Or if one is young enough get a work and travel visa.

No chance am I waiting until retirement, that's 30+ years away. Jetlag wasn't that much of an issue on the Australia trip in 2019, coming back it was more so but just for a day. Quite, my first couple of days in Sydney were long exploring ones, so I'm not too bothered there.

2 weeks should be enough for me, and if it isn't I'll go back another time!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm told Gdansk has some nice beaches, this is from a friend who was raised there, and that it's a nice place in general. Poznan just looked stunning in a few travel videos I've seen ages ago. Warsaw I've had mixed reviews on though.

The "Tricity" - Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot - is basically a Polish Merseyside with a similar seafaring and port heritage. It even has its own "Merseyrail" (SKM). Sopot is basically...strange coincidence on the name...a Polish Southport!

Gdansk is in many ways a bit nicer than Liverpool though

 

[Techniquest]

The "Tricity" - Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot - is basically a Polish Merseyside with a similar seafaring and port heritage. It even has its own "Merseyrail" (SKM). Sopot is basically...strange coincidence on the name...a Polish Southport!

Gdansk is in many ways a bit nicer than Liverpool though

Ooh nice! Definitely high up the list to do when travel is a realistic option again!

 

[Whisky Papa]

I've had a few solo holidays over the years, plus a few more where I've been a member of an organised group for a special interest - birdwatching in my case. The ones I have been on completely solo have generally been no more than 4 or 5 nights, which I think is long enough to have a bit of space but not get homesick. If we are looking at trips by train, I travelled round parts of the Netherlands on a Euro Domino ticket back in 1997, but never really took advantage of my later FIP travel facilities for solo holidays. The only time I bothered was one of the trips I made to Prague when my son was living there, and did a trip out to Kutna Hora one day while he was at work. We went to Plzeň together the day after, but the fares are so cheap it was hardly worth the effort of getting the free travel and I didn't bother on subsequent visits.

I have done a couple of solo trips to Prague in recent years, primarily because my wife was tied to school holidays and it was considerably more expensive to go then. Now she has retired we should be able to go together, and I am extremely fortunate that she is happy to follow my formula of birdwatching or museums in the morning (depending on the weather) and seeking out the city's many brewpubs in the afternoon. I've never had a problem drinking on my own there, particularly now it is possible to read a book or browse the web on my smartphone. The only vaguely tricky part is having to leave one's belongings at the table to go to the bathroom, but so far nothing has gone astray.

In fact, if in places not often frequented by tourists, being alone and thus not drawing attention to yourself by conversing in English may perhaps be an advantage? Also, if anything bad does happen, it only happens to me.

 

[camflyer]

I'm told Gdansk has some nice beaches, this is from a friend who was raised there, and that it's a nice place in general. Poznan just looked stunning in a few travel videos I've seen ages ago. Warsaw I've had mixed reviews on though.

Yeah, Warsaw was OK for a weekend and is useful as a hub but I'd be in no rush to go back. It's just big city which feels like you could be anywhere in Europe.

 

[TravelDream]

This will be my first trip without focus on exploring the cities and ignoring much of the countryside (Hungary, for example, I have only done Budapest. Poland, I've only done Kraków but I am determined to go back and visit Gdansk, Poznan and the country in general), so it'll be interesting to see what I plan.

Your NZ trip sounds very interesting. I haven't been, but I have heard only good things about the country.

On Poland, I've traveled pretty extensively and it's a (surprisingly to some) pretty interesting and beautiful country. If you're interested in the urban areas, just follow the trainlines across the country. Krakow - Katowice - Wroclaw - Poznan - Gdansk would be a pretty nice tour taking in both the grand and historic, and the grittier, quirkier industrial side.
There are some reasonable beaches near Gdansk, but it'd be very much like visiting Britain and going to Skegness. Baltic Poland is very beautiful though if you go further out.

 

[JRT]

The "Tricity" - Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot - is basically a Polish Merseyside with a similar seafaring and port heritage. It even has its own "Merseyrail" (SKM). Sopot is basically...strange coincidence on the name...a Polish Southport!

Gdansk is in many ways a bit nicer than Liverpool though

Agree with this. Have stopped at Gdynia a few times, a bit small for spending more than a few days there but an ideal base to explore other local areas. The local rail operations have improved tremendously in the last few years for easy access to the Airport, Hel and Kashubia.

 

[route101]

I've had a few solo holidays over the years, plus a few more where I've been a member of an organised group for a special interest - birdwatching in my case. The ones I have been on completely solo have generally been no more than 4 or 5 nights, which I think is long enough to have a bit of space but not get homesick. If we are looking at trips by train, I travelled round parts of the Netherlands on a Euro Domino ticket back in 1997, but never really took advantage of my later FIP travel facilities for solo holidays. The only time I bothered was one of the trips I made to Prague when my son was living there, and did a trip out to Kutna Hora one day while he was at work. We went to Plzeň together the day after, but the fares are so cheap it was hardly worth the effort of getting the free travel and I didn't bother on subsequent visits.

I have done a couple of solo trips to Prague in recent years, primarily because my wife was tied to school holidays and it was considerably more expensive to go then. Now she has retired we should be able to go together, and I am extremely fortunate that she is happy to follow my formula of birdwatching or museums in the morning (depending on the weather) and seeking out the city's many brewpubs in the afternoon. I've never had a problem drinking on my own there, particularly now it is possible to read a book or browse the web on my smartphone. The only vaguely tricky part is having to leave one's belongings at the table to go to the bathroom, but so far nothing has gone astray.

In fact, if in places not often frequented by tourists, being alone and thus not drawing attention to yourself by conversing in English may perhaps be an advantage? Also, if anything bad does happen, it only happens to me.

If you are travelling solo, you blend right in.

Chomping at the bit to get abroad and travel solo.

 

[Techniquest]

Your NZ trip sounds very interesting. I haven't been, but I have heard only good things about the country.

On Poland, I've traveled pretty extensively and it's a (surprisingly to some) pretty interesting and beautiful country. If you're interested in the urban areas, just follow the trainlines across the country. Krakow - Katowice - Wroclaw - Poznan - Gdansk would be a pretty nice tour taking in both the grand and historic, and the grittier, quirkier industrial side.
There are some reasonable beaches near Gdansk, but it'd be very much like visiting Britain and going to Skegness. Baltic Poland is very beautiful though if you go further out.

I've never heard of anyone having a poor experience in New Zealand, so I'm hoping I'll not be that unfortunate soul who doesn't love it. I really doubt that I will, the long coach journeys will be a challenge I suspect but with destinations of exciting things to do and places to see, I think I'll be fine. The train journey promises to be fun too!

Thanks for the tip on the beaches, and I'll definitely investigate the Baltic part of Poland, that sounds good fun.

Going back to the main topic of the thread, I remembered earlier that one of my favourite ways to see a city is to jump on a tram and go for a ride. It's not as informative as a bus tour, obviously, but you do get to see the actual city, and things that look interesting can be researched for further study. Bus and walking tours are good fun though, I rather enjoyed the walking tour I did in Kraków. Indeed, exploring a city by tram makes it much easier to blend in I find, and it's just generally more fun!

 

[camflyer]

I've never heard of anyone having a poor experience in New Zealand, so I'm hoping I'll not be that unfortunate soul who doesn't love it. I really doubt that I will, the long coach journeys will be a challenge I suspect but with destinations of exciting things to do and places to see, I think I'll be fine. The train journey promises to be fun too!

Thanks for the tip on the beaches, and I'll definitely investigate the Baltic part of Poland, that sounds good fun.

Going back to the main topic of the thread, I remembered earlier that one of my favourite ways to see a city is to jump on a tram and go for a ride. It's not as informative as a bus tour, obviously, but you do get to see the actual city, and things that look interesting can be researched for further study. Bus and walking tours are good fun though, I rather enjoyed the walking tour I did in Kraków. Indeed, exploring a city by tram makes it much easier to blend in I find, and it's just generally more fun!

The first thing I do in any new city is to join one of the free walking tours. You get an introduction to the history and a chance to get your bearings before deciding what to do in detail.

Kraków is great as the city centre so small that it's impossible to get lost. Would love to go back as the weather was pretty miserable when I was there so spent most of the time bar hopping. Nothing wrong with that as it has some excellent bars but there was a lot that I didn't get around to seeing.

 

[Techniquest]

The first thing I do in any new city is to join one of the free walking tours. You get an introduction to the history and a chance to get your bearings before deciding what to do in detail.

Kraków is great as the city centre so small that it's impossible to get lost. Would love to go back as the weather was pretty miserable when I was there so spent most of the time bar hopping. Nothing wrong with that as it has some excellent bars but there was a lot that I didn't get around to seeing.

Good idea that, I'll be looking at such walking tours when I go exploring again. I do like exploring by myself, but sometimes a local expert is useful. Definitely easy to explore Kraków, as you say, because of the size of the city. I went in January 2020, when it was rather chilly, but that gave it more character.

 

[Bald Rick]

I was a fan of the Air New Zealand flight from London to Auckland via Los Angeles (in my day it called in at Tahiti or Honolulu too, at dead of night).
However, that route is now unattractive with heavy US customs/immigration checks at LAX.

It doesn’t exist any more! You can do it NZ code share connecting via the US (with Virgin or United to NY / LA / SAN Fran) or connecting via Singapore with Singapore / HK with Cathay.

Or there’s plenty of other connecting routes via Asia / Middle East with other airlines the whole way.

Wow that is a lot of useful information! The South Island is absolutely where I plan to spend most of my trip, the North Island looks amazing for sure. The plan is only exceptionally vague right now, but the first handful of days lies something like this:

Day 1, arrive in Auckland from the UK and adjust to the new timezone as much as possible, get a bearing on what's around and so on.

Days 2 and 3, explore Auckland and the surrounding area, utilising ferries to the places on the little islands etc.

Day 4, venture south on the train to the Interislander ferry, ending probably in Picton for the night but maybe Wellington (times not yet examined), and I will say the ferry journey looks amazing

Day 5, explore the area, if in Wellington spend time there.

That’s almost exactly what I did. I went for 11 days; couple of days exploring Auckland, a day in Rototua (touristy, but incredible if you like your geology!), train to Wellington, a day / night there, then the Interislander to Picton. See the ferry thread for my experience of that.

Then the rest exploring the South Island. I hired a car which made it relatively easy. Went down the west coast, finished in Queenstown, then flew back via Christchurch to Auckland for a night there before heading over the Pacific next morning.

Heading back to the UK, I would probably choose to fly from one of the South's airports

Limited options from the South Island, unless you want to change more than once. Basically it has to be from Christchurch: Qantas via Sydney, Melbourne or Perth; Singapore via Singapore; Emirates via Dubai; China Southern via Guangzhou; and possibly Cathay via HK or American via LA. Some these subject to Post Covid route changes. There’s a possibility of Queenstown to Sydney /Melbourne and on from there.

Or you hop from any South Island regional airport to Auckland and have a much wider choice.

 

[TravelDream]

The first thing I do in any new city is to join one of the free walking tours. You get an introduction to the history and a chance to get your bearings before deciding what to do in detail.

Kraków is great as the city centre so small that it's impossible to get lost. Would love to go back as the weather was pretty miserable when I was there so spent most of the time bar hopping. Nothing wrong with that as it has some excellent bars but there was a lot that I didn't get around to seeing.

I agree they can be a really good way to get acclimatized. Generally they last 90-120 minutes so it's a short, but very helpful, introduction to the city. I've found the guides have always been very open to answering questions and giving tips and recommendations at the end of the tour as well which is really useful. The tip part is a little awkward - I usually give £5-£20 depending on the length, cost of living of the city and quality of the tour but have no idea if that's too much or not. I did once go on one in Edinburgh where somebody gave the girl a 10p coin which was just insulting!

Krakow's tourist centre is surprisingly big once you consider everything within the planty and Jewish quarter and it's easy to get lost if you don't follow Google Maps. For Eastern Europe, I am very much a shoulder season lover. July and August are too hot to do real exploration and touristy cities are far too busy with hordes of tourists. May, June and September give pleasant weather for walking/ being outdoors and places are all open, but are not packed.

 

[Techniquest]

That’s almost exactly what I did. I went for 11 days; couple of days exploring Auckland, a day in Rototua (touristy, but incredible if you like your geology!), train to Wellington, a day / night there, then the Interislander to Picton. See the ferry thread for my experience of that.

Then the rest exploring the South Island. I hired a car which made it relatively easy. Went down the west coast, finished in Queenstown, then flew back via Christchurch to Auckland for a night there before heading over the Pacific next morning.




Limited options from the South Island, unless you want to change more than once. Basically it has to be from Christchurch: Qantas via Sydney, Melbourne or Perth; Singapore via Singapore; Emirates via Dubai; China Southern via Guangzhou; and possibly Cathay via HK or American via LA. Some these subject to Post Covid route changes. There’s a possibility of Queenstown to Sydney /Melbourne and on from there.

Or you hop from any South Island regional airport to Auckland and have a much wider choice.

If you have a link to that post on the ferry thread, that would be appreciated. I'm not massively into ferries, so I have to admit I didn't know such a thread existed!

Not being able to drive is going to make New Zealand awkward to do, but there's coaches that can take me to places I want to go so it's not the end of the world. If money was definitely available I'd do one of those scenic tour flights, they look amazing.

Thanks too for the tips on flying from the South Island, certainly something to consider. Currently I'm looking to go in September/October 2022, which will fall nicely into time when the mothers at work won't want time off in the school holidays, so it'll be easier for me to get the two weeks off.

 

[Bald Rick]

If you have a link to that post on the ferry thread, that would be appreciated. I'm not massively into ferries, so I have to admit I didn't know such a thread existed!

Not being able to drive is going to make New Zealand awkward to do, but there's coaches that can take me to places I want to go so it's not the end of the world. If money was definitely available I'd do one of those scenic tour flights, they look amazing.

Thanks too for the tips on flying from the South Island, certainly something to consider. Currently I'm looking to go in September/October 2022, which will fall nicely into time when the mothers at work won't want time off in the school holidays, so it'll be easier for me to get the two weeks off.

Worst Ferry crossing thread (nervous travellers, brace yourselves)

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/worst-ferry-crossing-you’ve-been-on.211932/page-2

If you’re going Sept / Oct, and going to the west side of the South Island (incl Fiordland), take warm clothes and ‘deluge’ grade wet weather gear.

 

[306024]

I was a fan of the Air New Zealand flight from London to Auckland via Los Angeles (in my day it called in at Tahiti or Honolulu too, at dead of night).

NZ001 16.25 Heathrow to Auckland (arrive 05.15 - two days later!) when I did it on Wed 19/09/01. I was travelling solo to meet up with an old school mate in Wellington. Anyway note the date. Yes just a week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

This was one of the first flights across the Atlantic following those events. It was absolutely full, every spare seat taken by US citizens trying to get back home, the most nervous travellers you could ever meet, with good reason. The two Americans I was sitting with were quite rational, but you could sense the atmosphere on the plane. The pilot however made the best welcome I have ever heard. Very sensitive to the situation he put many people at ease.

We landed at LAX. Now I’m not sure what the normal arrangements were for this flight, but we had to go through immigration, enter the USA, walk 100 yards from arrivals to departures, and check back in again to get back on the same aircraft. Luckily I had a US visa in my passport so it was less hassle for me, but security was understandably everywhere.

Contrast with the second leg, plane half full, much more relaxed. With a couple of hours before my connecting flight to Wellington I wanted a shower, but had to wait for the florist to turn up as she had the key to the showers!

Everything everyone else has said about NZ is true. Wonderful country.

 

[miklcct]

I solo travelled in countries including Russia, Turkey, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Taiwan, Switzerland etc. In most countries listed I travelled by train as I love trains, especially for short distance travel on popular commuter routes (I have less interest in long distance train travel unless on a sleeper).

In some of the countries listed I could travel hundreds of kilometres on train with a price just a few euros, such as Latvia, which is a great deal of money compared to road traffic in a country without any motorways.

 

[Techniquest]

Worst Ferry crossing thread (nervous travellers, brace yourselves)

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/worst-ferry-crossing-you’ve-been-on.211932/page-2

If you’re going Sept / Oct, and going to the west side of the South Island (incl Fiordland), take warm clothes and ‘deluge’ grade wet weather gear.

Jeepers there's enough on there to scar anyone for life! Thanks for the tip on the clothing!

 

[camflyer]

I solo travelled in countries including Russia, Turkey, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Taiwan, Switzerland etc. In most countries listed I travelled by train as I love trains, especially for short distance travel on popular commuter routes (I have less interest in long distance train travel unless on a sleeper).

In some of the countries listed I could travel hundreds of kilometres on train with a price just a few euros, such as Latvia, which is a great deal of money compared to road traffic in a country without any motorways.

There is something fascinating about railway stations in central Europe where you can see trains to destinations all across the continent, some place which you have heard about other you can't even pronounce. If I ever had 3 months spare I can think of little better than travelling around Europe by train. I never did the Interrailing thing when I was younger as I was always skint but now I'm working I just can't take sufficient time off. Problem is finding a period in your life when you have time and money at the same time.

 

[alex397]

Yeah, Warsaw was OK for a weekend and is useful as a hub but I'd be in no rush to go back. It's just big city which feels like you could be anywhere in Europe.

Some of Warsaw certainly felt like most of Europe, such as the large shopping centre, however a lot of it did feel very unique to me. Such as the Communist architecture (Palace of Culture & Science being the prime example), elderly trams, the military and transport museums with old ladies selling tickets. It did feel very Eastern Europe, and less touristy than Krakow. I’m sure there are other cities in Poland which feel more Polish though - many capital cities don’t truly represent the country I find, and hopefully I’ll get to see places like Poznań and Gdańsk soon. But I’d still really recommend Warsaw.

 

[306024]

Walking to the Old Town in Warsaw is quite enjoyable, if a little touristy. Plenty of good bars in Warsaw, some Legia Warsaw supporters even bought us a drink once, although if I had been travelling solo I would perhaps have thought twice about entering. Polish cities are quite special, Kraków, Poznań and Gdańsk are indeed superb, and so are Wrocław and Toruń. Very underrated country.

One thing that makes travelling solo easier for those of us who are linguistically challenged, is that finding English speakers is easier than it once was, especially amongst youngsters. Failing that Google translate makes life easier if travelling alone, came to my rescue in Bulgaria, where the language is impenetrable.

 

[TravelDream]

Polish cities are quite special, Kraków, Poznań and Gdańsk are indeed superb, and so are Wrocław and Toruń. Very underrated country.

One thing that makes travelling solo easier for those of us who are linguistically challenged, is that finding English speakers is easier than it once was, especially amongst youngsters. Failing that Google translate makes life easier if travelling alone, came to my rescue in Bulgaria, where the language is impenetrable.

I'd definitely agree with this. Warsaw, Wroclaw, Krakow and Gdansk are all incredibly beautiful cities, though a little overrun with tourists these days in peak season (delete a little for Krakow).
Torun is a little better. It's a real gem of a city, but it doesn't have its own airport and is a little more difficult to get to so tends to be quieter. Also good are places like Czestochowa, Poznan and Tarnow. Though when you start getting to the smaller cities, there's definitely less to see and do.

I posted on another thread how things have changed though. This isn't the Poland of a decade ago. Pints is Warsaw are pretty damn expensive nowadays. I was there last summer (during Covid) and ended up paying above £3 in some of the trendier bars in the centre. They were packed with Poles so not exactly tourist traps. For the sub £1 pint you now have to got to provincial city 'discount bars' which every city seems to have.

@alex397 - I'd say Warsaw is pretty representative of the rest of Poland's economically-successful large cities like Krakow, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Poznan etc.. It's a very ethnically and culturally homogeneous country. Some of the industrial cities like Katowice and Lodz are grittier, but not totally unlikely the capital. Obviously rural areas are different as parts of the east of Poland are still incredibly deprived.

 

[birchesgreen]

I travelled solo to SE Asia a lot in my late 20s. I found things no problem at all in HK, S'pore, Indonesia and China (though I did have a friend in Beijing who I went around with, took me to a restaurant serving dog!)

A little preparation beforehand is best, much easier nowadays as so much is on the web.

 

[camflyer]

Walking to the Old Town in Warsaw is quite enjoyable, if a little touristy. Plenty of good bars in Warsaw, some Legia Warsaw supporters even bought us a drink once, although if I had been travelling solo I would perhaps have thought twice about entering. Polish cities are quite special, Kraków, Poznań and Gdańsk are indeed superb, and so are Wrocław and Toruń. Very underrated country.

One thing that makes travelling solo easier for those of us who are linguistically challenged, is that finding English speakers is easier than it once was, especially amongst youngsters. Failing that Google translate makes life easier if travelling alone, came to my rescue in Bulgaria, where the language is impenetrable.

I was especially impressed with the standards of English in Poland. Really everyone under 40-ish speaks excellent English - though I suppose not many foreign visitors can cope with Polish. I even got a ticking off in almost fluent English by a policeman in Warsaw for crossing the road away from a crossing point. I apologised and said that I hadn't realised that it was illegal in Poland so got off without a fine. So watch out when crossing the road.

I'm terrible at languages but always try to remember the most important words (hello, goodbye, please, thanks, beer) for where I'm visiting but it is fortunate that we natively speak the international language of tourism. In all my travels the only place I have really struggled was in rural Italy but got by with lots of pointing and "grazie!"

 

[Techniquest]

I know how you feel with Polish, I tried learning Polish a few months ago and it is really difficult. I don't do well with languages anyway, so taking on Polish was always going to be tough. A shame, as it's a beautiful language, and I'd like to be able to speak it. Still, it could happen eventually!

 

[camflyer]

I know how you feel with Polish, I tried learning Polish a few months ago and it is really difficult. I don't do well with languages anyway, so taking on Polish was always going to be tough. A shame, as it's a beautiful language, and I'd like to be able to speak it. Still, it could happen eventually!

To be honest, there really isn't much point in learning Polish as they will always be better at than you.

If you really want to learn a foreign language for international travel then it would have to be either Spanish or Chinese.

 

[takno]

To be honest, there really isn't much point in learning Polish as they will always be better at than you.

If you really want to learn a foreign language for international travel then it would have to be either Spanish or Chinese.

Both of those are pretty useless for travelling in Poland, and hard as Polish is, Chinese is probably harder from English. Spanish is a lot easier, but suffers from a lot of the same uselessness in a word that's ever more determined to learn English.

Having put a huge amount of effort into it over the last couple of years, I'd say Polish is hard - I've learned a lot of Norwegian over the same period without really even noticing, but daily immersion in polish still leaves me struggling to follow conversations. That said, I could probably do touristy stuff with no trouble at all.

 

[TravelDream]

To be honest, there really isn't much point in learning Polish as they will always be better at than you.

If you really want to learn a foreign language for international travel then it would have to be either Spanish or Chinese.

I agree there's definitely little point learning Polish. It's way too difficult and English is widely spoken.

Not much point learning Chinese either though.
English has been compulsory in schools there for years and the Chinese government has made a real effort to add English language signs everywhere (not always in the best English obviously). It's not too difficult to get around the country with only English. It's far too difficult to learn as well!

Spanish would likely be very useful if anyone has any intention of doing Latin America.