Advice for inexperienced traveller

[Ereerenownow]

I haven't been abroad for years and desperate for a foreign holiday next year. Any advice for an easy trip for an inexperienced traveller? Even dealing with an airport is daunting. Im looking for about 4 to 5 nights and I have a tight budget. Are there any particular holiday firms for example that make holidaying a bit easier?

As a solo female traveller some of the easiest places Ive been to recently for short breaks have been-
Krakow- clean safe and easy to get around, plenty to do.
Dubrovnik-also felt safe and beautiful, loads of trips out to do too.
Venice- fun but easy to get lost!

I like to find a central apartment as its easier for getting back to in the evening.
I just use sites like booking.com and use the map to find area I like at prices I like.

I've done two independent trips -although by train not plane.

Best way to have a stress free experience:

1)Research beforehand - find out how to buy bus/train/Metro tickets for instance.

2)Allow plenty of time for any transport connections.

3)If arriving at any destination in the evening always book a hotel near your arrival point. Both my trips I booked hotels for the first night then moved to an apartment for the rest of the week.

And remember solo travelling can be a wonderful self indulgent experience!

We’re Newcastle based. I would recommend -

• A quick trip to Amsterdam on the ferry from North Shields. You can go cheaply as a foot passenger and either have a few hours or an overnight stay.

• RyanAir to Bergamo (Milan). We thought Bergamo was lovely and also enjoyed the day in Milan. You can also take a trip to a Lake, if you fancy it.
• RyanAir to Zadar, Croatia. This is a lovely place, quite small but very pretty.

For all of the above options, you can book the travel through the relevant company and then book your own accommodation. It works out much cheaper.

If you’d like to PM me, I can let you know some of the places we stayed/visited etc.

The package cost can be considerably cheaper if the flight is a Jet2/easyJet charter.
The cost of the flight plus hold luggage is often way cheaper plus you get a transfer to the hotel included.
Yes, somewhere that's a busy business/city
break like Barcelona will have plenty of cheap scheduled flights and good airport transfer options. Cheaper to travel independently.
However popular holiday Canaries or Lido dJeselo are sold cheaper as a package.

Rome makes a great 4/5 holiday. It can be cheaper first weeks if August as it's boiling and the Romans go on holiday themselves. Easy to get from the airport, compact walkable city with literally thousands of things to see. Get a hotel with a balcony or rooftop view for afternoon nap and wine and explore morning and evening.

Newcastle Airport website has a really useful flight guide that tells you what flights are available and which airlines:

flight-guide.pdf

Also think about what temperature you'd like - some European city break destinations are very hot in summer, so not nice for walking around, but if you're going alone and not tied to school holidays, early May is a nice time to travel and often cheaper than June to September.

You say you have a tight budget, but what is this? Some people say this and then come up with a huge sum, which is twice what I normally spend on holidays without limiting costs.

However, the Nordic countries are very expensive when you get there, so needs to be considered. How about Gdansk in Poland? Cheaper than the UK, beautiful city, lots to see and do, easy train transfer from the airport to the city and you can also get the train to the coast, which is nice for a wander, even if you don't lay on the beach - probably won't be warm enough in May anyway.

Also think about what type of accommodation you want. I prefer self catering so I can eat out but also buy some provisions like drinks, snacks and breakfast stuff from the supermarket. If I'm going somewhere warm, I always make sure there's outside space and if I'm on my own, I prefer to eat out at lunchtime and then just have wine and something light in the evening on the balcony/terrace.

I'm not up to date but I think with a package if something goes wrong then you get looked after, I think money saving expert has some information.

OP

Warning, solo travel is addictive, I've been solo to Australia, Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay.

Even though I book everything independently, for a nervous traveller, I would suggest physically going to a friendly travel agent on your local high street, and chatting it through with them - be honest about your nervousness, get them to help you book it, and check your passport, flight details, get them to take you through exactly when to get to the airport (if you fly) etc. If they enjoy their job, then they'll love talking you through it and helping you choose something nice.

Ferry idea to Amsterdam is good. We've done that before from Hull. It was years ago when we did it, but I think you do overnight both ways (book a cabin), with 1 full day in Amsterdam, or you can stay longer in Amsterdam to give you more days there. Don't know if you can do it through a travel agent, but worth asking.
Prague and Vienna are both good for city breaks. I also love Rome, but probably not for a nervous traveller.

A charter flight? Are you suggesting she books a cruise?

That’s not going to be “considerably cheaper” than the £58 actual flight I posted upthread and the bus stops right outside every 20 minutes. No need to fret about transfers

I mean, the flight is £58. Not sure what you’re thinking might go wrong but for a saving of 100% or more I’d be happy risking that. The hotels are free cancellation up to the day before or 12pm on the day.

I was going to say this - so, so easy.
Eurostar goes to Amsterdam too - right in the middle of the city.

From the north east? It’ll cost her hundreds, take forever, involve loads of changes and she’s on a budget. Newcastle airport is also much easier to navigate than St Pancras and you still have to do the EES.

Have a look at coach holidays. From Newcastle it would mean a day of travelling and maybe an early start but very supported and stress free. www.shearings.com/last-minute-holidays

I agree with this, for an inexperienced traveller it’s so much easier to have a phone line or app, or rep even. TBH sometimes the same hotel and flight separately has worked out more expensive (trip to Edinburgh in July this year).

Lisbon is a very easy city break. The metro is right by the station exit with colour coded routes to the right train. If you get a hotel close to the station in the old city, you can walk almost everywhere and it’s really interesting.

Newcastle airport is probably the easiest in the uk
car park to lounge in 12 mins
metro into British rail

look at who flies from there
I fly BA from there weekly but jet2 are great for overseas

We have done the overnight Newcastle to Amsterdam ferry lots of times of you can often book posher cabins for not that more than basic if you go mid week and they include breakfast then Amsterdam is a good and easy city break.

Also Newcastle airport isn't huge but Teeside is tiny! We have flown from there a few times when it's been cheaper and likes it they definitely fly to Amsterdam and a few other places. We flew to Málaga from there in Feb. Worth a look.

No need to over complicate it or spend extra money on a package deal if you’re just visiting one city and only have a short time! A few tips I’d suggest:

• From your nearest airport find direct flights only, if you’re not in London or Manchester this will already a narrow it down. Flight connections shows you all direct options. For only 4-5 nights I’d suggest a place max 3 hours flight away https://www.flightconnections.com/
• pick a medium sized/ smaller city that you can walk / get around easier - and ofc you’re excited to see!
• If you’re flexible on dates don’t go peak season - aka not Rome in August or Amsterdam on Tulip season
• pack carry on only if you can! Personally find check bags a hassle, extra money and one less thing to worry about getting lost. Get a good backpack like this style that fits enough stuff and make your life easier www.tribefeel.com/products/ryanair-vacuum-compression-backpack

I can’t say what you’ll like but a few of my favourite solo places: Prauge, Budapest, Venice, Malaga! Happy travels :)

Takes 3 hours to get a direct train from Newcastle to King’s Cross, not sure what route you are referring to taking forever and loads of changes.

But its still a crazy suggestion when getting to London will take longer and likely cost more than flying from Newcastle to Paris.

Well, presumably she doesn’t actually live at Newcastle train station. So there’s whatever transport she needs to get to the station, the a (absolute minimum) 3 hour train to King’s Cross. Then get herself across to St Pancras. Then go through the same security as she would at an airport. Then a 2.5 hour train to Paris. Then whatever route she needs to take to get to her accommodation.

Oh, and this will cost a fortune thanks to rail travel prices.

Yeah, you’re right. Compared to a quick drive to, arguably, the easiest airport in the UK and an hour or two on a bargain flight, Eurostar is just sooooo easy 🙄😂

Venice is a good shout. The bus stops straight outside the terminal and takes you all the way to the city. I think the airport ticket was around 15 euro return.

Er what?
A charter flight is one of those huge planes that have TUI or Jet2 on the side. The flight is chartered by the tour agent as part of a package. Comes with hold bags and free transfers.

Your £58 flight is cheap but bet it only comes with underseat bag .Tiny hand luggage unless its BA. Workable for experienced traveller but not for a nervous newbie. A cabin or hold luggage can double that.

I never mentioned a cruise. It would be ideal I think but as someone else said it’s expensive for a solo traveller.

Also Venice is great for solo travellers but stupidly expensive to stay, eat and drink. I would think about staying at Lido Jesolo on a cheap deal and getting the public bus over. Inexpensive and easy.

Ah you’re talking about a public charter. It’s not quite a chartered flight, such as ones used by cruise lines, but more of a subset by jet2 and not many others.

Easyjet packages, for example, tend to run on their scheduled flights alongside flight only passengers as opposed to a public charter. And certainly not a chartered flight since they already own the aircraft.

Venice isn’t “stupidly expensive” unless you’re sitting down to eat in St Marks Square.

Stay in Mestre or around. The buses are 1 euro and run past midnight. Check out the little hole in the wall places in Arsenale or Santa Croce. You’ll get ciccetti and wine for a few euros.

And walking around is free (after a small tax). The sights are around every corner.

If you can’t tell, I hate it when people made sweeping statements about whole cities and put people off when it’s entirely doable on a budget.

As for the underseat bag. You get loads in them! It’s a 4 day trip and she’s solo city sightseeing. Her trainers will be on her feet and her coat on her back.

For someone on a budget it’s wild that you’d try and make her think that the £58 isn’t doable for her. Of course it is, and it should be encouraged. Paying through the nose to drag 22 kilos of luggage around on a chartered flight booked out by an agent is so 1980s 😅