Hi everyone! My name is Kayleigh Mosher, and I spent 6 months studying in Alicante, Spain. Between January and June of 2023, I traveled to 6 countries: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Morocco. An important goal of mine was to solo travel in Europe. While I was across the pond, I went on a few solo trips and some of my favorites were Barcelona, Valencia, and Paris! I hope sharing my experiences and tips will help you when you decide to study abroad and/or solo travel!
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Picasso Museum - Barcelona, Spain |
Traveling alone can be a scary yet transformative experience. As I am writing this entry, I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia for the time I spent exploring the beauty and uniqueness of each place I traveled. Solo traveling felt special to me because I was completely in control of every decision I was making. Whether it be waking up early for the sunrise, or strolling down a random street aimlessly, or striking up a conversation with someone and deciding to change my plans just so I can keep talking to them, I was happy because I was doing what made me happy in the moment. While I was still in school between taking these trips, being able to make my own schedule was great because I would set my sights on finding a cool library or bookstore that I was able to sit down in and get my homework done. For me, these places that I went to to get work done felt like safe spaces.
Solo Adventures: Barcelona, Valencia, and Paris!
VALENCIA
One random day after class, I was sitting in the grass on campus at the University of Alicante and I decided to look up train tickets to Valencia. To my surprise, round trip tickets were only 30 euro Thursday to Sunday. I booked the tickets, found a cheap hostel, and within 24 hours I was at the train station. It was incredibly nerve racking, knowing that I was about to be by myself in a foreign city, miles away from anyone I had known, but I soon fell in LOVE with Valencia! After visiting many cities, I have to say that Valencia is by far my favorite place I visited! I quickly found that this place is a very safe and welcoming destination for female solo travelers, and I met so many other women just like me that expressed the same comfortability.
- Where I stayed: Purple Nest Hostel
While In Valencia, I stayed at ‘Purple Nest Hostel Valencia’ in an all girls 10 bunk room. Everyone I met while staying there was incredibly nice, and I even went out with a group of girls I met on the first night there! One of the things I loved about staying in hostels, other than the fact that it was cheaper than any other option, was that almost everyone I met had the same sense of adventure and curiosity that I do. A great piece of advice that I took and ran with was to make friends with others in your hostel. Most hostels I stayed in had events such as pub crawls, board game nights, etc. for the purpose of meeting new people. This is a great way to make connections with people from all over the world.
- What I saw:
The City of Arts and Sciences
Mercado Central
Torres de Serranos (Ancient Town Gate)
Plaza de Toros de Valencia (Bullring)
Catedral de Valencia
BARCELONA
- Where I stayed: Zero Barcelona Hostel - Now known as Jacobs Inn Barcelona
This was the nicest hostel I stayed in during my travels. We had big storage drawers that my travel backpack could fit in while it was completely full, outlets, a light, and a curtain for each bed space, and a shelf above your pillow for your phone/valuables at night. This is a top-tier accommodation compared to some other hostels I've seen that throw up a couple pieces of plywood and call it walls. Breakfast was an extra fee (I don’t exactly remember how much extra but it couldn’t have been that much because I was ballin 'on a budget) and it was delicious! I stayed in a mixed 12 bed dorm (Men and Women). I went into this scared to stay in a mixed dorm because I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in a room with men I have never met before, but people stayed in their own areas and everyone I met was very nice.
- What I saw:
La Sagrada Familia
Picasso Museum
Mercat de la Boqueria - Famous market in the city center
Park Güell
La Rambla
Ciutadella Park
Casa Batlló
PARIS
This was an amazing experience I will never forget! I flew from Alicante to Paris, France by myself. I flew into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and when I got off the plane, UBER pieces from the airport to my hostel were $50!!!! I do not have the funds for that! So I took a minute to rethink my options and decided to try and figure out the train from the airport into the city. After about an hour of trying to speak broken French, almost getting on the wrong train, and looking completely lost, I finally got on the right train and only paid $4 for a ticket! I was so proud of myself.
I met up with two of my friends that were also studying abroad through HPU, one in Seville and the other in Paris. We were all staying in different places, but met up to sightsee, eat dinner, and go out! I still considered it solo traveling, but I had the plus of seeing friends along the way! It was great to be able to have that sense of freedom and independence, while also being connected to home and having safe people to turn to.
- Where I stayed: BVJ Opera Montmartre - Youth Hostel
This hostel was in a great location with a lot of foot traffic. In the area, there were museums, parks, coffee shops, and super close metro stations. I would recommend staying here if you are traveling to Paris. I stayed in a Basic 10 bed female dorm, but there were only 4 girls in the room the whole time. Breakfast was included in the price and it was gooood too! I paid a total of $80 to stay there for 3 nights. I felt very comfortable, and I even met a girl that I still talk to now.
- What I saw:
Eiffel Tower
Arc de Triomphe
Louvre
Tuileries Garden
Montmartre
Musee D’Orsay
Luxembourg Gardens
Sainte-Chappel
Shakespeare and Company Bookstore
Tips and Tricks for Solo Travelers:
Research the destination
Be aware of where you are booking accommodations - “Is it in a safe neighborhood?”
Keep friends and family updated on your itinerary and/or share your location!
Seek advice from locals!
Never look lost!
Act like you know where you are going at all times! Of course in the middle of busy tourist areas it is common to stop, look around, and take it all in, but in less populated areas or at night, I always make sure to look like I'm on a mission!
Pace yourself!
You are the only one you need to worry about now! That means you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it! This can be very overwhelming for some people and it is important to remember to pace yourself if you need to. Personally, I get very stressed out when I am traveling because I try to cram every possible thing into two or three days. This is when I try to remember that I can sit down, have a cup of coffee, and just observe.
Journal
I tried to keep a journal of my travels, but I simply forgot or got too busy and I regret it too often. I recommend you take notes of anything and everything that you think is important. Sometimes I look back on a picture and think about how I felt at the time. If I kept a journal I could whip it out and be transported back to that memory. I highly recommend you journal where you go, what you do, eat, feel. Anything!
Homework can be done anywhere!
I had a heavy course load when I was abroad and ended up with hours of homework every weekend! Instead of staying cooped up at home sitting at a desk in my room, I decided to take my work wherever I went! I found beautiful old libraries and bookstores, cafes and parks to set up and get some homework done. I thought this was a fun way to go off the beaten path of common tourist attractions by finding places where locals might be working as well.
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I cannot stress enough how important solo traveling is for self discovery, and I hope I can encourage you to take the leap and expand your horizons by participating in HPU Study Abroad!
“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”
― Miriam Adeney
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