February 7, 2026 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif discuss solo travel—why it’s booming, how to plan your first trip, and what to really expect on the road.
We cover the mindset shift, picking a destination, building a beginner budget, where to stay, safety best practices, how to meet people without feeling awkward, packing smart, and classic first‑timer mistakes to avoid.
You’ll leave with practical steps, confidence, and a checklist to make your first solo trip not just doable—but unforgettable.
We cover the mindset shift, picking a destination, building a beginner budget, where to stay, safety best practices, how to meet people without feeling awkward, packing smart, and classic first‑timer mistakes to avoid.
You’ll leave with practical steps, confidence, and a checklist to make your first solo trip not just doable—but unforgettable.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcasts
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
ft Avenue in Harsmer and online at the wishing Well
dot biz. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and A Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say hello, Chris, it
is the weekend again. Oh, I'm so excited about it.
I know it's a big one too. Yeah, I say
hi to Harry.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Well, thank you guys for seeing Hi to Harry.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
We forgot last week.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
We're halfway into the show before Harry made an appearance. Well,
it's good to see you both.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Good to see you, sir. I'm excited about today's show.
I am too. I am too. We've got a lot
of ground to cover. We've actually had some really interesting
shows I think over the past few weeks with regard
to luxury travel and things that people can look forward
to when they travel. So for those of you listening,
(01:04):
first of all, thank you so very much for joining
us here. We love knowing that you appreciate and love
this show and listen to it faithfully. But you can
go back and listen to all of those Chris tell
people how they can go back and listen to these shows.
So you can go to the wishing Well dot biz
in the upper right hand corner. I think they call
(01:24):
it the Hamburger menu. It's that little three lines. You
click on that and you'll see a link for a
Life Less Ordinary podcast And when you click there, all
the shows will come up. It's searchable.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
You can type in a keyword for whatever travel topic
that you have and.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Maybe rail whatever.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
It'll find you a podcast to listen to. If you've
got the iHeartRadio app downloaded, you can also listen there
or anywhere else that you listen to podcasts.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
What's really interesting because today's show is hearkening back to
a topic that we have not covered here on a
Lifeless Ordinary since twenty twenty two, so I'm pretty excited
about it. But it is one that is growing massively
by leaps and bounds in our industry, and that is
solo travel We've touched on that in other shows as well,
(02:13):
from Tom to Tom. Yeah, but we've never really just
dedicated an entire show to it since twenty twenty two.
So it's a topic whose Tom has come. It's a
topic I have a little bit of experience with. Indeed,
I know, so I got married old. Well I shouldn't
say old. I was older.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, I wasure mature, not mature.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
We were ready.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I was fifty when Back and I got married, and
she's about to hit fifty now, and she's like, oh,
I don't like this.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
She's not gonna like that. I just said that anyway,
I was mature when we got.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Married, and I had a lot of years of traveling
by myself, dining by myself, doing a lot of things alone.
And I will not as bad as you would think
it would be, exactly. I actually enjoyed my travel. I
had a lot of great travel experiences. So I'm looking
forward to your take on solo travel and why we
(03:13):
should embrace it.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah. I'm excited, you know, to cover this topic. And
we're going to change up the format on today's show
just a little bit. We're not going to hit the
driving news like we normally do because to me, this
is news, you know, it's very trending. It's what's in
the industry right now. It is, it's topical. And then
(03:35):
we are going to roll our sales into the actual
meat and potatoes of our show today. But we do
have some interesting things going on this weekend. I mean,
this is this is big stuff going on. Big sports weekend. Yeah,
Big Sports weekly. Got super Bowl tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Olympics opening ceremony was last night, right, and man, some
of the stuff that was going on in that.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
It's unbelievable, uncanny, what you can imagine, you know, And
I love that. That's what I love so much about travel.
It's a lot of it is what you can imagine.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Well, I think that with the opening ceremonies with the Olympics,
for me, the benchmark of the one everybody is trying
to compete with has got to be the Chinese opening
ceremony when we're in Beijing, exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It was crazy how good that was.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yes, And last night at one point they had like
these oil paint things squeezing paint out of the sky
and that we're pouring down into the center.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Absolutely unimaginable things, and it's amazing because I'll tell you what, Chris,
I think AI is really starting to come into its own.
So you know as well as I do as much
as you and I use AI for other things in
work and in business, that AI pro I will played
(05:01):
a very big part in those opening ceremonies, don't you think.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
You yeah, I would imagine that. And the other thing
I love about the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. It's
an advertisement for the country that's hosting for real, probably
more so than it is celebrating the athletes at that point.
And I know that as they bring their flags in
and everything, that that's a celebration, but not the celebration
like the closing ceremonies that's all about the athletes.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Not that Italy needs any advertising. I mean, they're one
of the number one hottest travel destinations these days, but
you know, not like they needed a lot of advertising.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I was going to say, people have been running to
Italy since before they announced the Olympics were coming there.
Oh yeah, so popular.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
What's your favorite winter sport? Oh, for me, it used
to always be figure skating. And then I actually was
kind of motivated by the enthusiasm some from the Jamaican
bob sledding team, and all of a sudden, my sights
(06:06):
got shifted a little bit. But now, you know, we've
got Lindsay Vaughn, who is kind of the sweetheart of skiing.
She did, but she's back up. She's back up, and
she's going to compete, and I think we're going to
see some great things out of her, hope. Uh. And
that means good things for America. You know, that's what
we strive for, right, we strive for the gold, so
(06:27):
we don't give up. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I was always the the ice racing, you know, the luge,
the skeleton, the bob sled, those were to me that
was always the most exciting.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
This is how I know Harry calls it being more mature.
How I know I'm getting old. Curling is my favorite
that it is my favorite Olympic sports. I love watching
the super stone sliding down the ice with the guys
in their brooms. I don't understand why like it so much,
but I mean I will stay up until two or
(07:02):
three in the morning watching it on one of the
sub channels they're streaming it on.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It's like, this is my sport. Love it that reminds
me of people who just waste time at work, you know.
I mean there's so much effort that goes into that
with so little movement. It's it's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Look, no, you can figure out with most Olympic sports,
you can figure out what the goal is, get down
the hill first, you know, make the yeah, exact, prettiest
exhibition on the ice. With curling, what's intellectually stimulating, I
think is what are they doing and why so Curling is,
this is my opinion, is the ice version of golf.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Okay, I can see.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
That it's a mess, a lot of a lot of downtime, yeah,
waiting for your ball to get to the hole or
in this case, the stone to get to the center
of the target.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And you know, maybe a little bit of billiards mixed
in because you can knock your opponent out of the circle.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
But the only difference might be is you don't have
golfers in ugly pants walking, you know.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
And I think the other pro may be the only difference.
I think the other part that I love about curling
is you can be sixty five in the Olympics and
be an Olympic curler right trying to do that as
a figure skater. Probably you know you're gonna be like
Lindsay Vaughn. Your knees aren't gonna hold it out through
all that. So I love that part of it too.
I'm not even sure my knees hold out that much anymore.
(08:33):
I think actually going up and down steps should be
an Olympic sport because I'm sort of figuring that I'm
accomplishing something.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Never am I doing anymore. I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I like how you were looking at this, and then
tomorrow we've got the super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It should be a national holiday, Okay, So I got
to ask, what are you having for your Super Bowl spread?
Everybody wants to know, it's about food and commercials.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
For me, commercials now, they put them all out before
the game even starts. It's to me, sitting there waiting
for the commercials is a waste of time. I can
just go on YouTube and watch all of the commercials.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So it's about the food.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yeah, and Becca's out of town, so I'm going to
be responsible for making any food.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
She says she'll be back in time to watch the game.
But I think we probably are not having anything exciting.
Maybe some popcorn, the microwave. Huh, I will tell you this,
have some hot wings.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
But I am having homemade beef stew, a really nice,
hearty beef stew. I'm having boneless chicken wings, garlic parmesan
on those, and I'm having some vegetable and spinach and
artichoke dip.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
So we could just solve all of the problems in
the Carmichael house and just come to.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Your house from you could You're invited the worst house guest.
You could help. We don't know what kind of game
it's going to be, so a lot of people might
be having that issue, as will. We've got Seattle and
we've got New England.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Yeah. I don't have any invested interest in either of
the teams.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Other than sorry, I got to go New England.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I work with I work with the radio station in Seattle,
and they're very excited right now. So I'm going to
root for Seattle.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I think. Yeah, I'm going with New England. They've won enough,
I know, but I like them, Okay, I do. I
like them. I like your players.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
I'm back to where you started, Chris. The food. That's
my winter for Super Bowl Sunday. The food.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
We touch on this when we first started the show.
Our show today is entitled A Party of One, and
we're going to talk about solo travel today.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Absolutely, and we're going to have a good time doing
that because there's a lot of people out there, Chris,
that this is not necessarily something they would have chosen,
although I'm starting to see clients who are but this
is a there's a good way to do this, and
there's some remarkable companies that support this kind of travel.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
So let's start. Who are the clients that are traveling solo?
Are the people who have lost their travel companion, Some
people who don't want to be bothered by other people
as they travel.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Some.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, I mean primarily the people that we find that
are doing this. Interestingly enough, sixty percent of those are women.
So I actually have a group of women who have
approached me. And by the way, this is a perfect
time for me to bring this up to our listeners.
If you are a single traveler and you have wondered,
(11:50):
is there a group or an organization of people that
I can travel with? We want you to reach out
to us at the Wishing Wheel because we want to
put together this group of people who really love to
travel solo. But also appreciate traveling in a group, and
if you find yourself identifying with that right now, I
(12:10):
want you to reach out to me. Terry Dean or
Harry Raife at the Wishing Well. We want to hear
from you because our goal is to put together really
some activity group type situations together where you can meet
one another first and then we can begin to put
these groups together.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
And this is not just for people that are in Harrisonburg, Terry,
this is the lifeless, ordinary listening community you're talking to.
I please, I am. We want people who like this show.
You know who we are, you know what we talk about.
I hope that you feel comfortable listening to us and
knowing our personalities. This is going to be Terry's group
if it's all solo traveler women, it's not going to
(12:52):
be my group, obviously, but it's going to be people
who are interested in traveling together. So no matter where
you're listening around the country, please contact us, send an
email to Terry at the wishing Well dot biz, or
give us a call. Are numbers five for zero nine,
zero eight, two three three three. Let us know you're
interested and let us know the kinds of things you
(13:13):
want to do. That's what's going to drive this group.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
So Terry, I find it we're really encouraging that we
are saying this is solo travel, But then you immediately
said within a group, this is not Chris Carmichael saying
I want to book a flight by myself and go
wander around the streets of Rome by myself, and that happens.
(13:36):
I say, maybe there are people who want to do that,
but there are Solo travel does not mean you have
to be alone.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
It does not. And actually that's a great point. I'm
so glad you brought that up, because right now, as
we're sitting here talking, I'm thinking of one particular traveler
that I have. She loves to travel within groups of
other people, but she will easily and readily strike out
on her own with the help of us at the
(14:04):
Wishing Well, on a completely independent type of travel experience. So, yes,
there are both kinds of people out there, and we're
gonna drill down and talk about all of that today.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
I was the solo traveler who struck out on my own.
I remember, yep, my trips. The things I did was
I've mentioned this on the show before I toured baseball stadium.
I remember that, and I drove, Gosh, I don't know
how many six thousand miles I think in a week.
I drove from here in Virginia up to New York,
(14:38):
to Chicago, Saint Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Baltimore back home
in Virginia, all in seven days. I did it by myself.
I went to games by myself, I went to restaurants
by myself. And I will tell you and that experience
was both thrilled to be a solo traveler and miss
(15:00):
being a solo traveler. Yeah, this is a double edged sword.
I loved the experience. I hated and I tell my
wife this now. I hated that I would look over
to the passenger seat and have nobody to talk to.
And I probably, if I would have known you back then,
would have had you plan a vacation for me. That
(15:22):
would have allowed me to spend more time around people
that I could have conversed with, because I literally didn't
talk to a soul for seven days except for the
waitress who was bringing me my dinner.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Yeah, and I'm going to take a real leap here.
And you might disagree with me, but I would be
willing to bet that if you ever did a trip
by yourself. Now, if you were doing that maybe because
of need or because of desire, you would have a
whole lot more confidence about it and have a whole
(15:51):
lot more knowledge about how to structure that trip than
you did the first time.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
If I could encourage anybody who finds themselves newly solo
for their travel, it is all about confidence. It is
you are empowered to do whatever you want, yes on
your own schedule. You get to order the food you want.
You can go to whatever restaurant you want, and any
(16:17):
thought that would slip into your head. And this happened
to me when I was younger, and I'd go to
a restaurant and you know, they would say just one and.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
I'm thinking, oh, yes, put.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Me in the small little table in the back that
you can't put you know, it's a one top next
to the bathroom. I used to feel like I was,
you know, kind of a loser going to a restaurant
by myself. Then one day it was like, you know
what I'm paying for this food. I would have come
in here and I'm gonna sit where I want. I'm
gonna take a crossword puzzle in and work on that
(16:50):
if I want.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
And I just found that those moments, which early in
my life felt like, you know, a stumble of failure,
actually made me feel even more in control of my.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Life because you're exactly right. I was doing my thing. Yes,
So don't be afraid of it. You exactly step out
and enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Yes. Some of the trips we've had where we've had groups,
we've had solo travelers in our groups, and these people
are really interesting to me because they do exactly what
you're talking about, Chris. They may want to strike out
on their own and go see something independent, but they
liked being in a community of solo travelers. They liked
knowing that there was someone there should something go wrong,
(17:31):
that could could get things right. They not liked knowing
that there was someone there who could ask a question
if they had a question. But they kind of had
the best of both worlds. They had that independence and
they had the security of being in a solo traveler community.
If that makes sense, Terry.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
I feel like this has been more therapy for me
than anything. I am so glad we were here for
you if we worked through my younger life.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Let's talk about some of the options we have for
a solo travel Yeah, some experiences that we can partake,
I got to tell you.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
And just hearing you talk, Chris and Harry, I think
what we know is this, the world is just too
big to have to wait around for somebody to go
with you every time you want to go in on adventure.
That's not okay. You know you shouldn't have to do that,
And that the conversations I've had with some of my
solo travelers, Chris with you, it just points to that
(18:25):
thought alone and that fact alone, and I thought maybe
we should talk about solo travel. And who knows, maybe
today's show is going to be just the right nudge
that somebody needs to get up off your couch and
go anyway, anytime, even by yourself. If that's you need
the confidence, let this show kind of be your motivator today,
(18:46):
I'd say. And I think it's important to look at
why more people are choosing solo travel. And these days,
I got to tell you, my news feed at work
is filled with photos of solo adventurers. They're heading to
one gorgeous destination after another. And yes, solo travel gets
(19:07):
a lot of positive press, but let's be real. There's
still some real concerns, so I want to address those.
I want to not you know, shove those under the carpet,
because the things that we hear about with many solo
travelers or would be solo travelers, is you know, is
it safe? Am I going to feel lonely? Am I
going to get bored? It's the fear of the unknown
(19:30):
for a lot of people, and I get that, I
really do. I've traveled for business and groups, with family,
with friends, and yes by myself before also, and as
someone who truly values experiences, I can tell you this.
Each type of travel has its own unique advantages. But
ever since my first solo adventure Chris a whole lot,
(19:52):
like you with your first one, I've been a huge
advocate for giving it a try. I really have, And
some of the best exp experiences of my life happened
when I traveled alone. My eyes were more open, my
ears were more open, I listened and saw things differently
through a different lens, and that's what happens. So today
(20:13):
I want to share some powerful reasons why solo travel
might be something worth considering, and one of those first
things on that list is the independence and the empowerment.
Travelers who return from solo trips, they're often going to
say the same thing to me. I felt different. I
(20:34):
felt stronger, I felt more confident, and I saw things
and life more differently through that lens. And solo travel
represents freedom and independence and a grasp on that wonderlust
that we often always talk about here on a life
less ordinary, You're able to set your own schedule, just
(20:56):
like you said, Chris, you get to choose your own pace.
You decide what matters to you. You don't have to
worry about the other person who's traveling with you, or
that other whole group of people who may or may
not share your interest at that moment, at that time,
this is all about you. It's all about you. Several
years ago, I actually watched a fascinating PBS travel show.
(21:20):
It was called Journey of a Lifetime and it was
hosted by the actor Jeremy Piven, you know him talking
about Yeah, great guy. I mean this was really riveted.
I was riveted to what his experience was. He had
always dreamed of going to India, and he decorated his
home with Indian artifacts, He practiced yoga, and he thought
(21:42):
it's Tom I need to take this trip to this
place where I'm so fascinated with it. And so he
went to India and he totally immersed himself in the
culture there, and then when he went alone, it became
deeply personal to him, and he documented that on this
(22:04):
show that he called Journey of a Lifetime and years
ago it is when I saw this and he spoke
again and again about how empowered he felt on this
journey into India, and that stayed with me. I mean,
it really moved me. And because that's what solo travel does.
(22:24):
It reminds you just how capable you really are, and
we forget that sometimes, you know, we clutch onto things
really as a crutch sometimes and a secondary person traveling
with you sometimes can be your crutch. I can tell
you this. When my family travels with me, they lean
(22:44):
on me. And it's not that I'm mind that. I mean,
this is what I do for a living. But every
once in a while when I said I've experienced solo traveling,
I love it. It gives me a freedom to experience
it without someone leaning on me or me leaning on
somebody else. This is about me and how I see
(23:05):
that I've told.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
You this story when I was in Mexico and I
ended up in a dark alley with yes, not speaking Spanish,
trying to figure out how to hail down a cab
to get back to the hotel.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah. Yeah, transportation issue. Oh, I'm.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
I was in the beginning stages of a NBC Dateline
special about how an American traveler disappeared in Mexico. This
is Chris melting down. Yes, and I figured out what
to do. I spoke enough Spanish to convince the taxi
driver to get me back to my hotel.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I got back safely.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
It was I'm not gonna lie, the scariest thing I've
ever done in not just travel, in my life. I think, Yeah,
but I still think back on that and think I
kicked that moment. But yeah, I overcame. It actually is
probably the highlight of the trip. Yeah, which sounds crazy,
(24:07):
But when you talk about empowering yourself, you don't know
what you can do until you force yourself to try.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yeah, and wasn't a big word that was sort of
iconic a couple of years ago, not so long ago. Winning.
I mean, that's what we do when we overcome and
we find ourselves in the position where we can do that,
and that brings me to my next point, which is
why is this becoming more popular. It's because we are
seeking things to make us more confident in who we are.
(24:36):
And some people say solo travel is brave. I'm not
sure I would go that far, but I think well
planned solo travel is smart. It is all about preparation,
and your confidence starts with preparation. It starts with overcoming
those issues of safety and culture and language and customs.
And the more you know, the stronger you feel. That's
(24:58):
just a fact. Even when things don't go perfectly. You
saw that with your experience, and sometimes they won't. You
learn how to handle it. You grow, you realize, hey,
I got this, and that confidence carries you into every
part of your life, not just travel. And we're going
(25:23):
to talk about more of these. I'm gonna ask Chris
to take us into a break here, but when we
come back, I want to talk about some of these
other issues as to why solo travel is becoming more popular.
And hopefully you can even see yourself. If you are
somebody who's listening to us today contemplating solo travel, maybe
(25:44):
you've shot away from it. Maybe you're eager to try it.
But we want to talk about these things and bring
them into reality for you today here on a life
less Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google or Syria. I'm not the Wishing
World Guide Travel Experience travel the world if you enjoy
the very best destinations and all they offer at the
best prices. Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation on
track and keeps you connected with our team of experts
for help. If you need it, call us at five
four zero nine zero eight two three three three stop,
(26:17):
buy two forty three nap Avenue, or visit us at
the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
All right, welcome back to a life less Ordinary. Every
Saturday morning, at this time we talk travel. We talk
luxury travel, we talk about international travel. Sometimes those are
the same conversation. Today we talk about solo travel. Our
show is entitled A Party of One. This show is
about empowerment, how to get the most out of your
(26:44):
solo travel. If you're listening, if you're a member of
the solo travel community and you'd like to travel in
a group, Terry's putting together a group of women doing
some solo travel you need to contact the wishing Well.
You can find them online at the wishing Well dot
Biz there at two forty three and f Avenue in Harrisonburg.
(27:04):
If you'd like to stop in today, that'd be great too,
or give them a call by four oh nine oh
eight twenty three point thirty three. And remember past episodes.
They're available on the wishing Well dot Biz website in
the upper right hand corner. So if you're enjoying today's show,
share that link with your friends so that they can
learn more about what the wishing Well does.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
They do it all well, I can tell you that,
we hope.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
So.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Yeah, so let's continue our conversation about solo travel too.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Yeah, we were. Before we went to break, Chris, we
had talked about a couple of powerpoints really that are
driving the gates opening for solo travel, and one was independence.
We talked about that and we talked about how it
boosts people people's confidence. The next on that list would
have to be self discovery, and I want to talk
(27:55):
about self discovery. Solo travel kind of gives you space
to listen to your own instincts, which you don't often
get to do when you're surrounded by really a mass
of other people. I think particularly family, you know, because
everybody wants something and they all want something different.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
My discovery in my family at least, is when you're
in those moments, if you're not gonna be confident enough
to stand up for what you want, they all.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
Turn into pullice. Well it's like they're all fighting to
get their way. Yeah, So that's why this looks so attractive.
You know, when you are looking to do some self discovery,
it's important to do that in a solo situation because
you need time to reflect. You want to learn what
really matters to you. And years ago, when I worked
(28:48):
for an international travel organization, I was flying constantly, probably
three out of five days every week. I was on
a plane going somewhere. And during that time, I really
got to know myself. I got to know the real tale,
and I learned what I was capable of. I handled pressure,
and I learned how to handle pressure. I learned what
(29:08):
gave me strength. And I actually still use those lessons today.
And I credit solo travel with learning those things and
those skills.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Do you think that people who travel for business make
better solo travelers because they have so much experience traveling
on their own for work.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I do. I do because I think as I just
capsulized all of those qualities that you absorb, you're kind
of like a sponge. When you're out there traveling solo.
You have no choice but to learn those things, and
in learning those things, you become a lot more confident
(29:49):
and a lot more self assured about how to travel.
If you have to in a solo situation, you absolutely do.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I did it for fifteen years, Chris. I was on
the D for fifteen years, forty five weeks a year,
and I was a solo traveler. I'd go all around
different places, and I had to learn what it's like
to As you were talking about finding the right restaurant,
there's some restaurants are more receptive to solo travelers and others.
You can spot that after a while. It's a sense
(30:18):
you get that I'm going into an airport and knowing
you know where to go.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
What to do.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
I built a confidence that I could get anywhere, I
could be anywhere I wanted to be, and actually confidence
sometimes I got over confident. I got to do what
I wanted to do if I wanted to. You know,
route through a city just because I wanted to experience
that city. I'd take a stop in that city on
(30:44):
the way to my destination.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
In exciting as you look back on, you know, your
travel life, and you think about, I have been so
many neat places. When I hear someone talk about like,
for me, you mentioned Saint Louis, Yeah, I'm like, well,
I've been at the top of the Arch. I've you know,
I've experienced Saint Louis, Ribs or whatever.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
For me, it's always food.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
If you're when you're having those conversations with people, you're
watching something on the news and they're talking about a
place and you're like, I've been there, I know exactly
what they're talking about, you exactly.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
I love that about travel.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
I love that about this show because we take people
into those experiences.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
And yes, yeah, I'm really enjoying today's show. And you know,
we owe Frank Sinatra a lot for that song. I
did it my way, Yeah, you know, and I kind
of have heard that in my head the whole time
we've been talking on Today's show. But one thing I
want to make sure that people are aware of, Chris,
and that is, I mean, we've been talking a lot
(31:45):
about the advantages of complete solo travel. But that does
not mean isolation right, not at all, because another one
of the things that's really a driving force right now
behind and powering solo travel are the connections and the
new friendships that people can make when they do that.
There's this myth that solo travel means being lonely, and
(32:09):
it doesn't. It's not true. In fact, a lot of
solo travelers make more friends. At the Wishing Well, We've
got clients who travel solo so often, and they are
masters at connecting with people, something that I'm envious of.
You know, you probably wouldn't believe this if I told you,
But by and large, I'm an introvert. I really am.
(32:30):
I am great on my own platform, in my own space.
When I'm talking about travel, I'm a total extrovert. But
when I travel by myself, not so. I'm actually more
of an introvert. But people who travel with us, they
become masters at connecting with people. And when you're open,
(32:52):
the world opens back, you know, and between apps and
tours and shared spaces and just simple conversations, opportunities are
out there everywhere. All you have to do is say, yes, I.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Had a trip last year. I talked about my trip
where I stopped over in Istanbul. You might remember that
while I was in the lounge in Istanbul, I met
a guy whose career is repairing harps. Interesting talk about
an interesting person to meet. Really to listen to this
person talk about how important it was to be able
(33:24):
to do this kind of you know, repair work for
people who were masters, you know, in concert halls and
things like that. He would fly around the country also
a solo traveler, and all he did was repair harps
because I guess ourp prepare men are in short supply,
so you meet some of the most interesting people that
(33:46):
you couldn't meet, you know, otherwise. I've got no one
in my family that does that. I've never met anyone
in my work that does that. But here I am
in an airport lounge and Istanbul, Turkey and learning about
the importance of being a harp repair men. What a
great experience it absolutely is.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
And I think that rolls perfectly into one of the
next levels of points good points about solo travel, and
that is freedom, you know, finally freedom. I love traveling
with friends. I did it most recently when I went
to Barcelona. I took a really good friend of mine
with me when we went, had an amazing time. But
(34:28):
I love group trips too, and we do a lot
of those of course at the wishing well. But I
cringe when somebody cancels because somebody else they wanted to
go with can't go, you know, because again, the world
is way too big to wait. Solo travel means you
go when you want, where you want, and at the
budget you choose. It is invigorating and yes, you rely
(34:52):
on yourself, and yes that can feel a little scary,
but it can also be incredibly in incredibly empowering. Did
you say your trip to Barcelona you considered that solo travel?
I did.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Well, Yeah, I've never thought about that. You could go
with a friend and still have a solo experience, yeah,
and then have someone you know, Hey, I'll meet up
with you for dinner at the end of the day,
And yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Absolutely, I like that idea, you know. And there's a
lot of cruise lines and tour operators out there that
really do a lot for us to bring these solo
travelers into the fold. If you will, you know, and
you know, we want to talk. We're going to take
a break here, but I want to talk when we
(35:39):
come back about how to start. Really, where do you start?
You know, it's like where do you put the pen
down when you're getting ready to write a book. Every
book starts with the first word. You know. Who was
it that said every journey begins with the first step?
And that's true. So when we come back from our break,
we're going to talk about how to start solo travel.
But then Mary's going to talk to us about some
(36:01):
of the tour operators that actually begin help you begin
that process. All right, Well, talk more about this a
party of one on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Next, who would.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Think of driving off to a new destination without guidance
from Google or Syria? Let the Wishing World guide your
next travel experience. Travel the world that you enjoy, the
very best destinations and all they offer at the best prices.
Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation on track and
keeps you connected with our team of experts.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
For help.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
If you need it, call us at five four zero
nine zero eight to two three three three stop buy
two forty three ap avenue or visit us at the
Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary. Today's show is called
a party of one, and we're talking about solo travel.
If you're interested in today's show, if youd like to
get more information, if we haven't answered a specific question
that you have, give Terry or Harry a call. They're
going to be in the office and as we're done
with the show call them at five four oh nine
(37:01):
oh eight twenty three thirty three. You can email them
your questions as well. You can find the email address
on the website the Wishingwell dot biz or stop buying
see them two forty three and f Avenue in Harrisonburg.
I mentioned the website. That's where you find the podcast.
If you're listening on the radio this morning, and what
(37:22):
were they saying earlier in the show you missed them, Hey,
just go to the wishing Well dot Biz in the
up right hand corner. You'll find a link for the podcast.
You can go back and re listen to the entire show,
and we appreciate that. Before we went to break, we
were talking about there's a high demand for solo travel,
and I was thinking, is it because the we as
(37:45):
a society, we were living a more independent life than
maybe generations in the past did, And so we're all
coming into age now where it's like, I want to
experience travel like my parents or my grandparents did when
they were at this point. But I'm by myself. Yeah,
I don't want to miss out on it. And I
think you're right, And there are a lot of cruise
(38:06):
lines and travel industry partners that are looking at people
that are solo and saying we can help give you
a wonderful experience that is exactly right. But it all
begins with the first step, you know, And we talked
about why this is happening while we're seeing this, and
I think also, I think the lockdown pandemic had a
(38:28):
lot to do with what we're seeing evolve with solo travel.
People got kind of used to being in their own skin,
if you will. But now I want to talk about
how you do it. So if you're thinking about your
first solo trip, it's perfectly normal that you would feel excited,
maybe a little nervous, But preparation matters, it really does.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
And here are some of the basic things that you
want to be thinking about when you're making your decisions.
Budget is probably number one, because for a solo traveler
that's important. You don't have anybody to share those expenses
with so budget's important. And then the destination is is
it going to be a destination that's going to be
friendly and opening open to solo travelers. The transportation what's
(39:13):
that going to look like when you get there? Is
that going to be readily available to you because you
don't have anybody else to depend on? And then your accommodations,
what is that going to look like? How long do
you want to stay? And is there good local transportation?
So if any of that sounds familiar, you're exactly right
because those are typically the things that you need to
think about when you are planning and making preps. So
(39:36):
solo travel is still just travel, It still is all
of those same things go in, But here's the extra
questions you want to ask yourself. Are you ready? Are
you ready for that kind of experience? And how challenging
could this be for you? And are you physically up
to that task? And do you enjoy your own company?
(40:00):
You know, like you said to me, Chris, you looked
over and saw an empty seat, and that was concerning
to you, if not making you a little sad, you know,
So are you ready for your own company? And do
you want to connect or do you want just total solitude.
There's a lot of wellness places these days that specialize
in the ability for you to just have solitude time,
(40:23):
which is supposed to be healing for a lot of people.
You know, how will you stay safe when you're doing this?
You know, are you going someplace that's known for their safety?
And how do you reassure people that you've left behind
at home about this experience that you're taking that you're
gonna be okay? And do you start with a group tour?
(40:47):
Maybe that's how you want to begin your solo travel,
because we've had a lot of clients at the Wishing
Well that that's how they begin with us. And now
they've gotten to the point where ay, they're a little
more apt to maybe go somewhere by themselves right now.
So all of those questions kind of help to build
that confidence. And then the other thing is finding the
(41:07):
right tour operator for us to link you with that's
going to make that experience special. And I know, Harry,
you brought some along today to share with our listeners
to help them maybe look and reach out to us
that we can connect them with these operators.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
Yeah, every week, Terry, you know, we get lists from
and emails and bulletins from different tour operators telling us
what they're doing, and as you said in the beginning,
we are seeing more and more of these focused on
solo travels. So I want to go back to referencing
the list that you talked about, looking at budget, destination
(41:45):
transportation accommodations and talk about what some of these companies
have specifically to address those kinds of considerations that you've
asked folks to talk about. Let's start with some of
the mainstream crews operators if I can. We're familiar with
companies like Norwegian Cruise Line. They have a large, large
inventory of stody what they call studio solo cabins. These
(42:08):
are cabins that have no single supplement. They are designing
ships Chris with solo cabins right now. They're a little
bit smaller, but they're priced just right for the solo traveler.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
You know, they actually have a unique area right on
the ship for those solo travelers. They have their own
concierge area, they have their own lounge area, so it's
really kind of nice.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Yeah, I think they've done probably some of the most
things solo friendly and that's Norwegian cruise lines with it,
and it's on select ships, select cruises, but they're a
great place to start. Likewise, our friends at Real Caribbean
also have studio state rooms that's single traveler or solo
traveler state rooms, and they are often running no supplement
(42:56):
promotions on specific sailings. So you may be in a
regular room, Chris, but it's got this promotion on there,
so you're not paying for that second spot in the room.
Pretty good, DLA, how it sounds. Yeah, so far, that's great.
There are some of the luxury cruise lines. One of
my favorites is Silver Sea. They are regularly offering zero
(43:18):
single supplements. They don't have the special rooms, but they
offer the rates that are the single supplement zero single
supplement rates and those are really friendly. I like that
a lot. Some of the other river cruise lines, one
of my favorite is Uni World. They do some ocean
cruising and some river cruising. They will occasionally partner and
(43:41):
offer some of the reduced or free single supplement travel
options out there on some of their itineraries. TAUC is
another one. They've got some small ship programs and they've
got solo friendly lists too. Terry, I know you love taul.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
I do, and I want to circle back though to
the Silver Sea and the Uniworld one that you mentioned
a while ago. A lot of times what is overwhelming
to solo travelers are the vast numbers of people that
are in a particular setting once they get there, and
that's a bit overwhelming. What I want to encourage you
with as a single traveler is that companies like Silversea
(44:23):
and Uniworld, they have a very low threshold of number
of passengers that they take on board to start with.
So you're looking at about one hundred and seventy five
people maximum on any one of those, which is really
going to make a very intimate type of sailing situation
for you.
Speaker 3 (44:41):
That's ideal for a person, you know, an introvertse person
like yourself, because it's not like you're on a ship
with four thousand people and you're the only solo traveler.
You feel you're the only solo traveler. You're in a
small ship and they're likely going to be other solo
travelers there too, so it's a much more friendly community.
Make you feel at ease, if you know the kind
(45:01):
of feeling that I'm talking about Chris is nodding his
head right.
Speaker 1 (45:03):
Yeah, as you're talking. I'm sorry I started drifting off
and thinking about other Do we have solo train travel?
Speaker 2 (45:11):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (45:12):
Absolutely, I kept as you were talking about the studio
solo cabins. I was thinking if I'm an introvert, I
would enjoy train travel, but I didn't want to derail you. Yes,
let's continue on your list and if we have time,
we'll come back to I'll tell you I've done solo
train travel on Amtrak.
Speaker 3 (45:31):
They have some rooms in there that are ideal for
a solo traveler. You have your little seat at the window,
you have a bed in there, you have you know,
your own private place so you can eat by yourself,
or if you want to get out and mingle with
the others, you can, but then you can go back
to your solo place. So the answer is resoundingly yes. Okay.
(45:53):
We talked some of the bigger cruise lines and talked
about the luxury cruise lines ocean travel, and talk about
river cruises too, because they too have options for solo traveler.
I mentioned you in the World earlier. They are ocean,
but they're also river and they have some fantastic solo
traveler rates that have been coming out specifically for twenty
(46:15):
twenty six reduced single supplements in particular. Among some of
the most popular voyages, the one that I like a
lot is the Rhine voyage. They have one called Castles
along the Rhine, and they have one on the Enchanting
Danube too that they have some tremendous rates for solo travelers.
And again that's one of those more boutique cruise lines
(46:36):
that don't have as many people and you're talking to
maybe one hundred and fifty people on the ship altogether.
Avalon's another great one with some good deals for solo traveler.
They're very friendly for solo travelers. As is Ama and
one of Terry's favorites I mentioned earlier. Tao also has
some tremendous sailings. I was looking through their list. They've
(47:00):
got sailings for twenty six and twenty twenty seven, and yes, Chris,
people are booking for twenty twenty seven this week. I
booked to twenty twenty seven cruises for the last half
of twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (47:12):
And if you are interested in a TALC experience, I
am one of only a few TALC certified agents in
the country, so you can actually find a whole lot
about talk by reaching out to the wishing Well. We'd
love to help you with that.
Speaker 3 (47:29):
Yeah, Terry's got some very special ends at TALC. When
you book a trip with her, it's going to be
very very special with certainty. So what it means if
you're looking at solo traveling, if you're on river cruises,
you've got some of the widest and most predictable solo
friendly cruising that I've seen for twenty twenty six in
particular and extending into twenty twenty seven. And ocean options
(47:53):
exist as well, particularly if you look at some of
those boutique lines, the smaller lines, and if you look
to some of the leaders in there. Norwegian, as we mentioned,
is certainly one of those. You wonder also not just
who's doing it, Terry, but where can you go? Do
I have time to run through and give you some
(48:14):
examples there, because some of the places you know, where
can you go? Today? I think that's the children's book,
isn't it. So you think these are limited to just
certain locations, they're not. You can go all around the world.
I've looked at solo cruises this week, and I've seen
Iceland cruises, I've seen the Norwegian Fjords and the Arctic Circle.
(48:35):
I've seen Mediterranean cultural voyages France, Italy, Greece. Of course,
you can go to the Caribbean, Central America. There's some
transatlantic crossing cruises that Canard has where they have single cruises,
British Isles, Western Europe. You want to see the Northern Lights,
head to Norway. Yes, there are single cruises there, the
(48:56):
ones I saw for this winter. So it's rate to
be able to think about solo cruising, solo traveling. It's
also great to think of all the places that you
can go. And I don't think there's any kind of
limitation there, so that's the places you can go. I
want to take a minute also and talk about some
(49:17):
of the other tour operators that are out there that
have single supplements. So it's not just being on the water.
You can be on the land and get single supplements too.
And we get on a weekly basis of emails and
promotions from these folks telling us where they're offering special
(49:38):
single solo supplements. They're not as plentiful as the ocean ones,
but one of the ones that I see a lot
is one of our companies that's a favorite, and it's
called Gate One. They have a lot of cruises or
a lot of land tours where they have some very
very low single supplements and some of them are zero,
(50:00):
but even the ones where they're charging it's as low
as maybe, you know, four hundred dollars for a tour.
Speaker 2 (50:05):
And not to interrupt Harry, but Gate One also has
their own fleet of river cruises, yeah, for which they
also offer that single supplement waved sometimes again.
Speaker 3 (50:16):
Yeah, and I think that's a great way. If you
can get a waiver at zero, that's great. If you
can get it for three four hundred dollars for a
whole week. You got to remember they're buying that hotel room,
and they're spreading the cost of the hotel room on
two people, and you're just traveling as one, so you've
got to cover part of that. But they haven't marked
up the other parts of the cruise just because you're
(50:38):
a single traveler. Particularly what I see there a lot terry.
You see this too, are these flash deals that come
through for single travelers. So look look for those we're seeing.
We're seeing a lot of them in where are they going.
They're going to places like Greece, very very popular destination.
(50:58):
I've seen them for it this year. That's surprising and
popular as Italy is. I've seen the Iceland tours out
there of Peru and Macha Picchu, Ireland. That's really really
you know, great kinds of places to be thinking about
for your single supplement tours.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Yeah. And you know, the other thing that I would
highly recommend to you is if there's a tour operator
that you particularly are fond of. Maybe you used to
travel with a spouse before you no longer have that spouse,
but you still like that tour operator. If you are
booking on your own, you can book if you want to,
and you can hand that booking off to the Wishing
(51:38):
Well within a certain amount of time. There's restrictions that
apply for that, and we will see that booking and
you through that travel experience. So, I mean, there's multiple
ways for you to be able to enjoy solo travel.
And I want to cost.
Speaker 3 (51:55):
You anything extra service and attention that folks are used
to getting from the Wishing Well exactly.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
And I want to just finish up here with a
few final thoughts for you. Thanks, Harry for sharing those
special tours that and cruise opportunities that are out there.
There's many many more that we probably didn't even have
time to get to today. But I hope this show
today has helped you feel really inspired. That was my
(52:22):
goal was to make sure that that's what we did today,
that we helped launch you maybe into a new pattern
of travel. Solo travel is not scary, it is not lonely,
and it's probably nothing like you imagined. It's empowering, it's enriching,
it's life giving, and most of all, it reminds you
(52:44):
that your dreams don't need permission. And if you're ready,
we're ready to help you. Because at the wishing Well,
we're all about helping you live that life less ordinary.
So today and any day, if you are interested in
traveling your way, all you have to do is reach
out to us at the Wishing Well. We are located
(53:04):
at two forty three Neft Avenue in the Valley Center.
You can find us at five four oh non zero
eight two three three three, or you can find us
online at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:18):
This has been a life less Ordinary. The travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nef Avenue in Harrisonburg.
Speaker 2 (53:24):
If you have any.
Speaker 1 (53:25):
Questions on topics discussed today, please reach out to The
wishing Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five
four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past
episodes are available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll see
again next Saturday morning at ten for a life less
Ordinary from the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel show and podcasts
from your friends at the wishing Well two forty three
ft Avenue in Harsmer and online at the wishing Well
dot biz. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and A Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say hello, Chris, it
is the weekend again. Oh, I'm so excited about it.
I know it's a big one too. Yeah, I say
hi to Harry.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Well, thank you guys for seeing Hi to Harry.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
We forgot last week.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
We're halfway into the show before Harry made an appearance. Well,
it's good to see you both.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Good to see you, sir. I'm excited about today's show.
I am too. I am too. We've got a lot
of ground to cover. We've actually had some really interesting
shows I think over the past few weeks with regard
to luxury travel and things that people can look forward
to when they travel. So for those of you listening,
(01:04):
first of all, thank you so very much for joining
us here. We love knowing that you appreciate and love
this show and listen to it faithfully. But you can
go back and listen to all of those Chris tell
people how they can go back and listen to these shows.
So you can go to the wishing Well dot biz
in the upper right hand corner. I think they call
(01:24):
it the Hamburger menu. It's that little three lines. You
click on that and you'll see a link for a
Life Less Ordinary podcast And when you click there, all
the shows will come up. It's searchable.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
You can type in a keyword for whatever travel topic
that you have and.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Maybe rail whatever.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
It'll find you a podcast to listen to. If you've
got the iHeartRadio app downloaded, you can also listen there
or anywhere else that you listen to podcasts.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
What's really interesting because today's show is hearkening back to
a topic that we have not covered here on a
Lifeless Ordinary since twenty twenty two, so I'm pretty excited
about it. But it is one that is growing massively
by leaps and bounds in our industry, and that is
solo travel We've touched on that in other shows as well,
(02:13):
from Tom to Tom. Yeah, but we've never really just
dedicated an entire show to it since twenty twenty two.
So it's a topic whose Tom has come. It's a
topic I have a little bit of experience with. Indeed,
I know, so I got married old. Well I shouldn't
say old. I was older.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, I wasure mature, not mature.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
We were ready.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I was fifty when Back and I got married, and
she's about to hit fifty now, and she's like, oh,
I don't like this.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
She's not gonna like that. I just said that anyway,
I was mature when we got.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Married, and I had a lot of years of traveling
by myself, dining by myself, doing a lot of things alone.
And I will not as bad as you would think
it would be, exactly. I actually enjoyed my travel. I
had a lot of great travel experiences. So I'm looking
forward to your take on solo travel and why we
(03:13):
should embrace it.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah. I'm excited, you know, to cover this topic. And
we're going to change up the format on today's show
just a little bit. We're not going to hit the
driving news like we normally do because to me, this
is news, you know, it's very trending. It's what's in
the industry right now. It is, it's topical. And then
(03:35):
we are going to roll our sales into the actual
meat and potatoes of our show today. But we do
have some interesting things going on this weekend. I mean,
this is this is big stuff going on. Big sports weekend. Yeah,
Big Sports weekly. Got super Bowl tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Olympics opening ceremony was last night, right, and man, some
of the stuff that was going on in that.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
It's unbelievable, uncanny, what you can imagine, you know, And
I love that. That's what I love so much about travel.
It's a lot of it is what you can imagine.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Well, I think that with the opening ceremonies with the Olympics,
for me, the benchmark of the one everybody is trying
to compete with has got to be the Chinese opening
ceremony when we're in Beijing, exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It was crazy how good that was.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yes, And last night at one point they had like
these oil paint things squeezing paint out of the sky
and that we're pouring down into the center.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Absolutely unimaginable things, and it's amazing because I'll tell you what, Chris,
I think AI is really starting to come into its own.
So you know as well as I do as much
as you and I use AI for other things in
work and in business, that AI pro I will played
(05:01):
a very big part in those opening ceremonies, don't you think.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
You yeah, I would imagine that. And the other thing
I love about the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. It's
an advertisement for the country that's hosting for real, probably
more so than it is celebrating the athletes at that point.
And I know that as they bring their flags in
and everything, that that's a celebration, but not the celebration
like the closing ceremonies that's all about the athletes.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Not that Italy needs any advertising. I mean, they're one
of the number one hottest travel destinations these days, but
you know, not like they needed a lot of advertising.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I was going to say, people have been running to
Italy since before they announced the Olympics were coming there.
Oh yeah, so popular.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
What's your favorite winter sport? Oh, for me, it used
to always be figure skating. And then I actually was
kind of motivated by the enthusiasm some from the Jamaican
bob sledding team, and all of a sudden, my sights
(06:06):
got shifted a little bit. But now, you know, we've
got Lindsay Vaughn, who is kind of the sweetheart of skiing.
She did, but she's back up. She's back up, and
she's going to compete, and I think we're going to
see some great things out of her, hope. Uh. And
that means good things for America. You know, that's what
we strive for, right, we strive for the gold, so
(06:27):
we don't give up. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I was always the the ice racing, you know, the luge,
the skeleton, the bob sled, those were to me that
was always the most exciting.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
This is how I know Harry calls it being more mature.
How I know I'm getting old. Curling is my favorite
that it is my favorite Olympic sports. I love watching
the super stone sliding down the ice with the guys
in their brooms. I don't understand why like it so much,
but I mean I will stay up until two or
(07:02):
three in the morning watching it on one of the
sub channels they're streaming it on.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It's like, this is my sport. Love it that reminds
me of people who just waste time at work, you know.
I mean there's so much effort that goes into that
with so little movement. It's it's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Look, no, you can figure out with most Olympic sports,
you can figure out what the goal is, get down
the hill first, you know, make the yeah, exact, prettiest
exhibition on the ice. With curling, what's intellectually stimulating, I
think is what are they doing and why so Curling is,
this is my opinion, is the ice version of golf.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Okay, I can see.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
That it's a mess, a lot of a lot of downtime, yeah,
waiting for your ball to get to the hole or
in this case, the stone to get to the center
of the target.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And you know, maybe a little bit of billiards mixed
in because you can knock your opponent out of the circle.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
But the only difference might be is you don't have
golfers in ugly pants walking, you know.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
And I think the other pro may be the only difference.
I think the other part that I love about curling
is you can be sixty five in the Olympics and
be an Olympic curler right trying to do that as
a figure skater. Probably you know you're gonna be like
Lindsay Vaughn. Your knees aren't gonna hold it out through
all that. So I love that part of it too.
I'm not even sure my knees hold out that much anymore.
(08:33):
I think actually going up and down steps should be
an Olympic sport because I'm sort of figuring that I'm
accomplishing something.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Never am I doing anymore. I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I like how you were looking at this, and then
tomorrow we've got the super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It should be a national holiday, Okay, So I got
to ask, what are you having for your Super Bowl spread?
Everybody wants to know, it's about food and commercials.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
For me, commercials now, they put them all out before
the game even starts. It's to me, sitting there waiting
for the commercials is a waste of time. I can
just go on YouTube and watch all of the commercials.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So it's about the food.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yeah, and Becca's out of town, so I'm going to
be responsible for making any food.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
She says she'll be back in time to watch the game.
But I think we probably are not having anything exciting.
Maybe some popcorn, the microwave. Huh, I will tell you this,
have some hot wings.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
But I am having homemade beef stew, a really nice,
hearty beef stew. I'm having boneless chicken wings, garlic parmesan
on those, and I'm having some vegetable and spinach and
artichoke dip.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
So we could just solve all of the problems in
the Carmichael house and just come to.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Your house from you could You're invited the worst house guest.
You could help. We don't know what kind of game
it's going to be, so a lot of people might
be having that issue, as will. We've got Seattle and
we've got New England.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Yeah. I don't have any invested interest in either of
the teams.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Other than sorry, I got to go New England.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I work with I work with the radio station in Seattle,
and they're very excited right now. So I'm going to
root for Seattle.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I think. Yeah, I'm going with New England. They've won enough,
I know, but I like them, Okay, I do. I
like them. I like your players.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
I'm back to where you started, Chris. The food. That's
my winter for Super Bowl Sunday. The food.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
We touch on this when we first started the show.
Our show today is entitled A Party of One, and
we're going to talk about solo travel today.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Absolutely, and we're going to have a good time doing
that because there's a lot of people out there, Chris,
that this is not necessarily something they would have chosen,
although I'm starting to see clients who are but this
is a there's a good way to do this, and
there's some remarkable companies that support this kind of travel.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
So let's start. Who are the clients that are traveling solo?
Are the people who have lost their travel companion, Some
people who don't want to be bothered by other people
as they travel.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Some.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, I mean primarily the people that we find that
are doing this. Interestingly enough, sixty percent of those are women.
So I actually have a group of women who have
approached me. And by the way, this is a perfect
time for me to bring this up to our listeners.
If you are a single traveler and you have wondered,
(11:50):
is there a group or an organization of people that
I can travel with? We want you to reach out
to us at the Wishing Wheel because we want to
put together this group of people who really love to
travel solo. But also appreciate traveling in a group, and
if you find yourself identifying with that right now, I
(12:10):
want you to reach out to me. Terry Dean or
Harry Raife at the Wishing Well. We want to hear
from you because our goal is to put together really
some activity group type situations together where you can meet
one another first and then we can begin to put
these groups together.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
And this is not just for people that are in Harrisonburg, Terry,
this is the lifeless, ordinary listening community you're talking to.
I please, I am. We want people who like this show.
You know who we are, you know what we talk about.
I hope that you feel comfortable listening to us and
knowing our personalities. This is going to be Terry's group
if it's all solo traveler women, it's not going to
(12:52):
be my group, obviously, but it's going to be people
who are interested in traveling together. So no matter where
you're listening around the country, please contact us, send an
email to Terry at the wishing Well dot biz, or
give us a call. Are numbers five for zero nine,
zero eight, two three three three. Let us know you're
interested and let us know the kinds of things you
(13:13):
want to do. That's what's going to drive this group.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
So Terry, I find it we're really encouraging that we
are saying this is solo travel, But then you immediately
said within a group, this is not Chris Carmichael saying
I want to book a flight by myself and go
wander around the streets of Rome by myself, and that happens.
(13:36):
I say, maybe there are people who want to do that,
but there are Solo travel does not mean you have
to be alone.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
It does not. And actually that's a great point. I'm
so glad you brought that up, because right now, as
we're sitting here talking, I'm thinking of one particular traveler
that I have. She loves to travel within groups of
other people, but she will easily and readily strike out
on her own with the help of us at the
(14:04):
Wishing Well, on a completely independent type of travel experience. So, yes,
there are both kinds of people out there, and we're
gonna drill down and talk about all of that today.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
I was the solo traveler who struck out on my own.
I remember, yep, my trips. The things I did was
I've mentioned this on the show before I toured baseball stadium.
I remember that, and I drove, Gosh, I don't know
how many six thousand miles I think in a week.
I drove from here in Virginia up to New York,
(14:38):
to Chicago, Saint Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Baltimore back home
in Virginia, all in seven days. I did it by myself.
I went to games by myself, I went to restaurants
by myself. And I will tell you and that experience
was both thrilled to be a solo traveler and miss
(15:00):
being a solo traveler. Yeah, this is a double edged sword.
I loved the experience. I hated and I tell my
wife this now. I hated that I would look over
to the passenger seat and have nobody to talk to.
And I probably, if I would have known you back then,
would have had you plan a vacation for me. That
(15:22):
would have allowed me to spend more time around people
that I could have conversed with, because I literally didn't
talk to a soul for seven days except for the
waitress who was bringing me my dinner.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Yeah, and I'm going to take a real leap here.
And you might disagree with me, but I would be
willing to bet that if you ever did a trip
by yourself. Now, if you were doing that maybe because
of need or because of desire, you would have a
whole lot more confidence about it and have a whole
(15:51):
lot more knowledge about how to structure that trip than
you did the first time.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
If I could encourage anybody who finds themselves newly solo
for their travel, it is all about confidence. It is
you are empowered to do whatever you want, yes on
your own schedule. You get to order the food you want.
You can go to whatever restaurant you want, and any
(16:17):
thought that would slip into your head. And this happened
to me when I was younger, and I'd go to
a restaurant and you know, they would say just one and.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
I'm thinking, oh, yes, put.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Me in the small little table in the back that
you can't put you know, it's a one top next
to the bathroom. I used to feel like I was,
you know, kind of a loser going to a restaurant
by myself. Then one day it was like, you know
what I'm paying for this food. I would have come
in here and I'm gonna sit where I want. I'm
gonna take a crossword puzzle in and work on that
(16:50):
if I want.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
And I just found that those moments, which early in
my life felt like, you know, a stumble of failure,
actually made me feel even more in control of my.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Life because you're exactly right. I was doing my thing. Yes,
So don't be afraid of it. You exactly step out
and enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Yes. Some of the trips we've had where we've had groups,
we've had solo travelers in our groups, and these people
are really interesting to me because they do exactly what
you're talking about, Chris. They may want to strike out
on their own and go see something independent, but they
liked being in a community of solo travelers. They liked
knowing that there was someone there should something go wrong,
(17:31):
that could could get things right. They not liked knowing
that there was someone there who could ask a question
if they had a question. But they kind of had
the best of both worlds. They had that independence and
they had the security of being in a solo traveler community.
If that makes sense, Terry.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
I feel like this has been more therapy for me
than anything. I am so glad we were here for
you if we worked through my younger life.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Let's talk about some of the options we have for
a solo travel Yeah, some experiences that we can partake,
I got to tell you.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
And just hearing you talk, Chris and Harry, I think
what we know is this, the world is just too
big to have to wait around for somebody to go
with you every time you want to go in on adventure.
That's not okay. You know you shouldn't have to do that,
And that the conversations I've had with some of my
solo travelers, Chris with you, it just points to that
(18:25):
thought alone and that fact alone, and I thought maybe
we should talk about solo travel. And who knows, maybe
today's show is going to be just the right nudge
that somebody needs to get up off your couch and
go anyway, anytime, even by yourself. If that's you need
the confidence, let this show kind of be your motivator today,
(18:46):
I'd say. And I think it's important to look at
why more people are choosing solo travel. And these days,
I got to tell you, my news feed at work
is filled with photos of solo adventurers. They're heading to
one gorgeous destination after another. And yes, solo travel gets
(19:07):
a lot of positive press, but let's be real. There's
still some real concerns, so I want to address those.
I want to not you know, shove those under the carpet,
because the things that we hear about with many solo
travelers or would be solo travelers, is you know, is
it safe? Am I going to feel lonely? Am I
going to get bored? It's the fear of the unknown
(19:30):
for a lot of people, and I get that, I
really do. I've traveled for business and groups, with family,
with friends, and yes by myself before also, and as
someone who truly values experiences, I can tell you this.
Each type of travel has its own unique advantages. But
ever since my first solo adventure Chris a whole lot,
(19:52):
like you with your first one, I've been a huge
advocate for giving it a try. I really have, And
some of the best exp experiences of my life happened
when I traveled alone. My eyes were more open, my
ears were more open, I listened and saw things differently
through a different lens, and that's what happens. So today
(20:13):
I want to share some powerful reasons why solo travel
might be something worth considering, and one of those first
things on that list is the independence and the empowerment.
Travelers who return from solo trips, they're often going to
say the same thing to me. I felt different. I
(20:34):
felt stronger, I felt more confident, and I saw things
and life more differently through that lens. And solo travel
represents freedom and independence and a grasp on that wonderlust
that we often always talk about here on a life
less ordinary, You're able to set your own schedule, just
(20:56):
like you said, Chris, you get to choose your own pace.
You decide what matters to you. You don't have to
worry about the other person who's traveling with you, or
that other whole group of people who may or may
not share your interest at that moment, at that time,
this is all about you. It's all about you. Several
years ago, I actually watched a fascinating PBS travel show.
(21:20):
It was called Journey of a Lifetime and it was
hosted by the actor Jeremy Piven, you know him talking
about Yeah, great guy. I mean this was really riveted.
I was riveted to what his experience was. He had
always dreamed of going to India, and he decorated his
home with Indian artifacts, He practiced yoga, and he thought
(21:42):
it's Tom I need to take this trip to this
place where I'm so fascinated with it. And so he
went to India and he totally immersed himself in the
culture there, and then when he went alone, it became
deeply personal to him, and he documented that on this
(22:04):
show that he called Journey of a Lifetime and years
ago it is when I saw this and he spoke
again and again about how empowered he felt on this
journey into India, and that stayed with me. I mean,
it really moved me. And because that's what solo travel does.
(22:24):
It reminds you just how capable you really are, and
we forget that sometimes, you know, we clutch onto things
really as a crutch sometimes and a secondary person traveling
with you sometimes can be your crutch. I can tell
you this. When my family travels with me, they lean
(22:44):
on me. And it's not that I'm mind that. I mean,
this is what I do for a living. But every
once in a while when I said I've experienced solo traveling,
I love it. It gives me a freedom to experience
it without someone leaning on me or me leaning on
somebody else. This is about me and how I see
(23:05):
that I've told.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
You this story when I was in Mexico and I
ended up in a dark alley with yes, not speaking Spanish,
trying to figure out how to hail down a cab
to get back to the hotel.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah. Yeah, transportation issue. Oh, I'm.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
I was in the beginning stages of a NBC Dateline
special about how an American traveler disappeared in Mexico. This
is Chris melting down. Yes, and I figured out what
to do. I spoke enough Spanish to convince the taxi
driver to get me back to my hotel.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I got back safely.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
It was I'm not gonna lie, the scariest thing I've
ever done in not just travel, in my life. I think, Yeah,
but I still think back on that and think I
kicked that moment. But yeah, I overcame. It actually is
probably the highlight of the trip. Yeah, which sounds crazy,
(24:07):
But when you talk about empowering yourself, you don't know
what you can do until you force yourself to try.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yeah, and wasn't a big word that was sort of
iconic a couple of years ago, not so long ago. Winning.
I mean, that's what we do when we overcome and
we find ourselves in the position where we can do that,
and that brings me to my next point, which is
why is this becoming more popular. It's because we are
seeking things to make us more confident in who we are.
(24:36):
And some people say solo travel is brave. I'm not
sure I would go that far, but I think well
planned solo travel is smart. It is all about preparation,
and your confidence starts with preparation. It starts with overcoming
those issues of safety and culture and language and customs.
And the more you know, the stronger you feel. That's
(24:58):
just a fact. Even when things don't go perfectly. You
saw that with your experience, and sometimes they won't. You
learn how to handle it. You grow, you realize, hey,
I got this, and that confidence carries you into every
part of your life, not just travel. And we're going
(25:23):
to talk about more of these. I'm gonna ask Chris
to take us into a break here, but when we
come back, I want to talk about some of these
other issues as to why solo travel is becoming more popular.
And hopefully you can even see yourself. If you are
somebody who's listening to us today contemplating solo travel, maybe
(25:44):
you've shot away from it. Maybe you're eager to try it.
But we want to talk about these things and bring
them into reality for you today here on a life
less Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google or Syria. I'm not the Wishing
World Guide Travel Experience travel the world if you enjoy
the very best destinations and all they offer at the
best prices. Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation on
track and keeps you connected with our team of experts
for help. If you need it, call us at five
four zero nine zero eight two three three three stop,
(26:17):
buy two forty three nap Avenue, or visit us at
the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
All right, welcome back to a life less Ordinary. Every
Saturday morning, at this time we talk travel. We talk
luxury travel, we talk about international travel. Sometimes those are
the same conversation. Today we talk about solo travel. Our
show is entitled A Party of One. This show is
about empowerment, how to get the most out of your
(26:44):
solo travel. If you're listening, if you're a member of
the solo travel community and you'd like to travel in
a group, Terry's putting together a group of women doing
some solo travel you need to contact the wishing Well.
You can find them online at the wishing Well dot
Biz there at two forty three and f Avenue in Harrisonburg.
(27:04):
If you'd like to stop in today, that'd be great too,
or give them a call by four oh nine oh
eight twenty three point thirty three. And remember past episodes.
They're available on the wishing Well dot Biz website in
the upper right hand corner. So if you're enjoying today's show,
share that link with your friends so that they can
learn more about what the wishing Well does.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
They do it all well, I can tell you that,
we hope.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
So.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Yeah, so let's continue our conversation about solo travel too.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Yeah, we were. Before we went to break, Chris, we
had talked about a couple of powerpoints really that are
driving the gates opening for solo travel, and one was independence.
We talked about that and we talked about how it
boosts people people's confidence. The next on that list would
have to be self discovery, and I want to talk
(27:55):
about self discovery. Solo travel kind of gives you space
to listen to your own instincts, which you don't often
get to do when you're surrounded by really a mass
of other people. I think particularly family, you know, because
everybody wants something and they all want something different.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
My discovery in my family at least, is when you're
in those moments, if you're not gonna be confident enough
to stand up for what you want, they all.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
Turn into pullice. Well it's like they're all fighting to
get their way. Yeah, So that's why this looks so attractive.
You know, when you are looking to do some self discovery,
it's important to do that in a solo situation because
you need time to reflect. You want to learn what
really matters to you. And years ago, when I worked
(28:48):
for an international travel organization, I was flying constantly, probably
three out of five days every week. I was on
a plane going somewhere. And during that time, I really
got to know myself. I got to know the real tale,
and I learned what I was capable of. I handled pressure,
and I learned how to handle pressure. I learned what
(29:08):
gave me strength. And I actually still use those lessons today.
And I credit solo travel with learning those things and
those skills.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Do you think that people who travel for business make
better solo travelers because they have so much experience traveling
on their own for work.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I do. I do because I think as I just
capsulized all of those qualities that you absorb, you're kind
of like a sponge. When you're out there traveling solo.
You have no choice but to learn those things, and
in learning those things, you become a lot more confident
(29:49):
and a lot more self assured about how to travel.
If you have to in a solo situation, you absolutely do.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I did it for fifteen years, Chris. I was on
the D for fifteen years, forty five weeks a year,
and I was a solo traveler. I'd go all around
different places, and I had to learn what it's like
to As you were talking about finding the right restaurant,
there's some restaurants are more receptive to solo travelers and others.
You can spot that after a while. It's a sense
(30:18):
you get that I'm going into an airport and knowing
you know where to go.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
What to do.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
I built a confidence that I could get anywhere, I
could be anywhere I wanted to be, and actually confidence
sometimes I got over confident. I got to do what
I wanted to do if I wanted to. You know,
route through a city just because I wanted to experience
that city. I'd take a stop in that city on
(30:44):
the way to my destination.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
In exciting as you look back on, you know, your
travel life, and you think about, I have been so
many neat places. When I hear someone talk about like,
for me, you mentioned Saint Louis, Yeah, I'm like, well,
I've been at the top of the Arch. I've you know,
I've experienced Saint Louis, Ribs or whatever.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
For me, it's always food.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
If you're when you're having those conversations with people, you're
watching something on the news and they're talking about a
place and you're like, I've been there, I know exactly
what they're talking about, you exactly.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
I love that about travel.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
I love that about this show because we take people
into those experiences.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
And yes, yeah, I'm really enjoying today's show. And you know,
we owe Frank Sinatra a lot for that song. I
did it my way, Yeah, you know, and I kind
of have heard that in my head the whole time
we've been talking on Today's show. But one thing I
want to make sure that people are aware of, Chris,
and that is, I mean, we've been talking a lot
(31:45):
about the advantages of complete solo travel. But that does
not mean isolation right, not at all, because another one
of the things that's really a driving force right now
behind and powering solo travel are the connections and the
new friendships that people can make when they do that.
There's this myth that solo travel means being lonely, and
(32:09):
it doesn't. It's not true. In fact, a lot of
solo travelers make more friends. At the Wishing Well, We've
got clients who travel solo so often, and they are
masters at connecting with people, something that I'm envious of.
You know, you probably wouldn't believe this if I told you,
But by and large, I'm an introvert. I really am.
(32:30):
I am great on my own platform, in my own space.
When I'm talking about travel, I'm a total extrovert. But
when I travel by myself, not so. I'm actually more
of an introvert. But people who travel with us, they
become masters at connecting with people. And when you're open,
(32:52):
the world opens back, you know, and between apps and
tours and shared spaces and just simple conversations, opportunities are
out there everywhere. All you have to do is say, yes, I.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Had a trip last year. I talked about my trip
where I stopped over in Istanbul. You might remember that
while I was in the lounge in Istanbul, I met
a guy whose career is repairing harps. Interesting talk about
an interesting person to meet. Really to listen to this
person talk about how important it was to be able
(33:24):
to do this kind of you know, repair work for
people who were masters, you know, in concert halls and
things like that. He would fly around the country also
a solo traveler, and all he did was repair harps
because I guess ourp prepare men are in short supply,
so you meet some of the most interesting people that
(33:46):
you couldn't meet, you know, otherwise. I've got no one
in my family that does that. I've never met anyone
in my work that does that. But here I am
in an airport lounge and Istanbul, Turkey and learning about
the importance of being a harp repair men. What a
great experience it absolutely is.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
And I think that rolls perfectly into one of the
next levels of points good points about solo travel, and
that is freedom, you know, finally freedom. I love traveling
with friends. I did it most recently when I went
to Barcelona. I took a really good friend of mine
with me when we went, had an amazing time. But
(34:28):
I love group trips too, and we do a lot
of those of course at the wishing well. But I
cringe when somebody cancels because somebody else they wanted to
go with can't go, you know, because again, the world
is way too big to wait. Solo travel means you
go when you want, where you want, and at the
budget you choose. It is invigorating and yes, you rely
(34:52):
on yourself, and yes that can feel a little scary,
but it can also be incredibly in incredibly empowering. Did
you say your trip to Barcelona you considered that solo travel?
I did.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Well, Yeah, I've never thought about that. You could go
with a friend and still have a solo experience, yeah,
and then have someone you know, Hey, I'll meet up
with you for dinner at the end of the day,
And yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Absolutely, I like that idea, you know. And there's a
lot of cruise lines and tour operators out there that
really do a lot for us to bring these solo
travelers into the fold. If you will, you know, and
you know, we want to talk. We're going to take
a break here, but I want to talk when we
(35:39):
come back about how to start. Really, where do you start?
You know, it's like where do you put the pen
down when you're getting ready to write a book. Every
book starts with the first word. You know. Who was
it that said every journey begins with the first step?
And that's true. So when we come back from our break,
we're going to talk about how to start solo travel.
But then Mary's going to talk to us about some
(36:01):
of the tour operators that actually begin help you begin
that process. All right, Well, talk more about this a
party of one on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Next, who would.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Think of driving off to a new destination without guidance
from Google or Syria? Let the Wishing World guide your
next travel experience. Travel the world that you enjoy, the
very best destinations and all they offer at the best prices.
Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation on track and
keeps you connected with our team of experts.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
For help.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
If you need it, call us at five four zero
nine zero eight to two three three three stop buy
two forty three ap avenue or visit us at the
Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary. Today's show is called
a party of one, and we're talking about solo travel.
If you're interested in today's show, if youd like to
get more information, if we haven't answered a specific question
that you have, give Terry or Harry a call. They're
going to be in the office and as we're done
with the show call them at five four oh nine
(37:01):
oh eight twenty three thirty three. You can email them
your questions as well. You can find the email address
on the website the Wishingwell dot biz or stop buying
see them two forty three and f Avenue in Harrisonburg.
I mentioned the website. That's where you find the podcast.
If you're listening on the radio this morning, and what
(37:22):
were they saying earlier in the show you missed them, Hey,
just go to the wishing Well dot Biz in the
up right hand corner. You'll find a link for the podcast.
You can go back and re listen to the entire show,
and we appreciate that. Before we went to break, we
were talking about there's a high demand for solo travel,
and I was thinking, is it because the we as
(37:45):
a society, we were living a more independent life than
maybe generations in the past did, And so we're all
coming into age now where it's like, I want to
experience travel like my parents or my grandparents did when
they were at this point. But I'm by myself. Yeah,
I don't want to miss out on it. And I
think you're right, And there are a lot of cruise
(38:06):
lines and travel industry partners that are looking at people
that are solo and saying we can help give you
a wonderful experience that is exactly right. But it all
begins with the first step, you know, And we talked
about why this is happening while we're seeing this, and
I think also, I think the lockdown pandemic had a
(38:28):
lot to do with what we're seeing evolve with solo travel.
People got kind of used to being in their own skin,
if you will. But now I want to talk about
how you do it. So if you're thinking about your
first solo trip, it's perfectly normal that you would feel excited,
maybe a little nervous, But preparation matters, it really does.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
And here are some of the basic things that you
want to be thinking about when you're making your decisions.
Budget is probably number one, because for a solo traveler
that's important. You don't have anybody to share those expenses
with so budget's important. And then the destination is is
it going to be a destination that's going to be
friendly and opening open to solo travelers. The transportation what's
(39:13):
that going to look like when you get there? Is
that going to be readily available to you because you
don't have anybody else to depend on? And then your accommodations,
what is that going to look like? How long do
you want to stay? And is there good local transportation?
So if any of that sounds familiar, you're exactly right
because those are typically the things that you need to
think about when you are planning and making preps. So
(39:36):
solo travel is still just travel, It still is all
of those same things go in, But here's the extra
questions you want to ask yourself. Are you ready? Are
you ready for that kind of experience? And how challenging
could this be for you? And are you physically up
to that task? And do you enjoy your own company?
(40:00):
You know, like you said to me, Chris, you looked
over and saw an empty seat, and that was concerning
to you, if not making you a little sad, you know,
So are you ready for your own company? And do
you want to connect or do you want just total solitude.
There's a lot of wellness places these days that specialize
in the ability for you to just have solitude time,
(40:23):
which is supposed to be healing for a lot of people.
You know, how will you stay safe when you're doing this?
You know, are you going someplace that's known for their safety?
And how do you reassure people that you've left behind
at home about this experience that you're taking that you're
gonna be okay? And do you start with a group tour?
(40:47):
Maybe that's how you want to begin your solo travel,
because we've had a lot of clients at the Wishing
Well that that's how they begin with us. And now
they've gotten to the point where ay, they're a little
more apt to maybe go somewhere by themselves right now.
So all of those questions kind of help to build
that confidence. And then the other thing is finding the
(41:07):
right tour operator for us to link you with that's
going to make that experience special. And I know, Harry,
you brought some along today to share with our listeners
to help them maybe look and reach out to us
that we can connect them with these operators.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
Yeah, every week, Terry, you know, we get lists from
and emails and bulletins from different tour operators telling us
what they're doing, and as you said in the beginning,
we are seeing more and more of these focused on
solo travels. So I want to go back to referencing
the list that you talked about, looking at budget, destination
(41:45):
transportation accommodations and talk about what some of these companies
have specifically to address those kinds of considerations that you've
asked folks to talk about. Let's start with some of
the mainstream crews operators if I can. We're familiar with
companies like Norwegian Cruise Line. They have a large, large
inventory of stody what they call studio solo cabins. These
(42:08):
are cabins that have no single supplement. They are designing
ships Chris with solo cabins right now. They're a little
bit smaller, but they're priced just right for the solo traveler.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
You know, they actually have a unique area right on
the ship for those solo travelers. They have their own
concierge area, they have their own lounge area, so it's
really kind of nice.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Yeah, I think they've done probably some of the most
things solo friendly and that's Norwegian cruise lines with it,
and it's on select ships, select cruises, but they're a
great place to start. Likewise, our friends at Real Caribbean
also have studio state rooms that's single traveler or solo
traveler state rooms, and they are often running no supplement
(42:56):
promotions on specific sailings. So you may be in a
regular room, Chris, but it's got this promotion on there,
so you're not paying for that second spot in the room.
Pretty good, DLA, how it sounds. Yeah, so far, that's great.
There are some of the luxury cruise lines. One of
my favorites is Silver Sea. They are regularly offering zero
(43:18):
single supplements. They don't have the special rooms, but they
offer the rates that are the single supplement zero single
supplement rates and those are really friendly. I like that
a lot. Some of the other river cruise lines, one
of my favorite is Uni World. They do some ocean
cruising and some river cruising. They will occasionally partner and
(43:41):
offer some of the reduced or free single supplement travel
options out there on some of their itineraries. TAUC is
another one. They've got some small ship programs and they've
got solo friendly lists too. Terry, I know you love taul.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
I do, and I want to circle back though to
the Silver Sea and the Uniworld one that you mentioned
a while ago. A lot of times what is overwhelming
to solo travelers are the vast numbers of people that
are in a particular setting once they get there, and
that's a bit overwhelming. What I want to encourage you
with as a single traveler is that companies like Silversea
(44:23):
and Uniworld, they have a very low threshold of number
of passengers that they take on board to start with.
So you're looking at about one hundred and seventy five
people maximum on any one of those, which is really
going to make a very intimate type of sailing situation
for you.
Speaker 3 (44:41):
That's ideal for a person, you know, an introvertse person
like yourself, because it's not like you're on a ship
with four thousand people and you're the only solo traveler.
You feel you're the only solo traveler. You're in a
small ship and they're likely going to be other solo
travelers there too, so it's a much more friendly community.
Make you feel at ease, if you know the kind
(45:01):
of feeling that I'm talking about Chris is nodding his
head right.
Speaker 1 (45:03):
Yeah, as you're talking. I'm sorry I started drifting off
and thinking about other Do we have solo train travel?
Speaker 2 (45:11):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (45:12):
Absolutely, I kept as you were talking about the studio
solo cabins. I was thinking if I'm an introvert, I
would enjoy train travel, but I didn't want to derail you. Yes,
let's continue on your list and if we have time,
we'll come back to I'll tell you I've done solo
train travel on Amtrak.
Speaker 3 (45:31):
They have some rooms in there that are ideal for
a solo traveler. You have your little seat at the window,
you have a bed in there, you have you know,
your own private place so you can eat by yourself,
or if you want to get out and mingle with
the others, you can, but then you can go back
to your solo place. So the answer is resoundingly yes. Okay.
(45:53):
We talked some of the bigger cruise lines and talked
about the luxury cruise lines ocean travel, and talk about
river cruises too, because they too have options for solo traveler.
I mentioned you in the World earlier. They are ocean,
but they're also river and they have some fantastic solo
traveler rates that have been coming out specifically for twenty
(46:15):
twenty six reduced single supplements in particular. Among some of
the most popular voyages, the one that I like a
lot is the Rhine voyage. They have one called Castles
along the Rhine, and they have one on the Enchanting
Danube too that they have some tremendous rates for solo travelers.
And again that's one of those more boutique cruise lines
(46:36):
that don't have as many people and you're talking to
maybe one hundred and fifty people on the ship altogether.
Avalon's another great one with some good deals for solo traveler.
They're very friendly for solo travelers. As is Ama and
one of Terry's favorites I mentioned earlier. Tao also has
some tremendous sailings. I was looking through their list. They've
(47:00):
got sailings for twenty six and twenty twenty seven, and yes, Chris,
people are booking for twenty twenty seven this week. I
booked to twenty twenty seven cruises for the last half
of twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (47:12):
And if you are interested in a TALC experience, I
am one of only a few TALC certified agents in
the country, so you can actually find a whole lot
about talk by reaching out to the wishing Well. We'd
love to help you with that.
Speaker 3 (47:29):
Yeah, Terry's got some very special ends at TALC. When
you book a trip with her, it's going to be
very very special with certainty. So what it means if
you're looking at solo traveling, if you're on river cruises,
you've got some of the widest and most predictable solo
friendly cruising that I've seen for twenty twenty six in
particular and extending into twenty twenty seven. And ocean options
(47:53):
exist as well, particularly if you look at some of
those boutique lines, the smaller lines, and if you look
to some of the leaders in there. Norwegian, as we mentioned,
is certainly one of those. You wonder also not just
who's doing it, Terry, but where can you go? Do
I have time to run through and give you some
(48:14):
examples there, because some of the places you know, where
can you go? Today? I think that's the children's book,
isn't it. So you think these are limited to just
certain locations, they're not. You can go all around the world.
I've looked at solo cruises this week, and I've seen
Iceland cruises, I've seen the Norwegian Fjords and the Arctic Circle.
(48:35):
I've seen Mediterranean cultural voyages France, Italy, Greece. Of course,
you can go to the Caribbean, Central America. There's some
transatlantic crossing cruises that Canard has where they have single cruises,
British Isles, Western Europe. You want to see the Northern Lights,
head to Norway. Yes, there are single cruises there, the
(48:56):
ones I saw for this winter. So it's rate to
be able to think about solo cruising, solo traveling. It's
also great to think of all the places that you
can go. And I don't think there's any kind of
limitation there, so that's the places you can go. I
want to take a minute also and talk about some
(49:17):
of the other tour operators that are out there that
have single supplements. So it's not just being on the water.
You can be on the land and get single supplements too.
And we get on a weekly basis of emails and
promotions from these folks telling us where they're offering special
(49:38):
single solo supplements. They're not as plentiful as the ocean ones,
but one of the ones that I see a lot
is one of our companies that's a favorite, and it's
called Gate One. They have a lot of cruises or
a lot of land tours where they have some very
very low single supplements and some of them are zero,
(50:00):
but even the ones where they're charging it's as low
as maybe, you know, four hundred dollars for a tour.
Speaker 2 (50:05):
And not to interrupt Harry, but Gate One also has
their own fleet of river cruises, yeah, for which they
also offer that single supplement waved sometimes again.
Speaker 3 (50:16):
Yeah, and I think that's a great way. If you
can get a waiver at zero, that's great. If you
can get it for three four hundred dollars for a
whole week. You got to remember they're buying that hotel room,
and they're spreading the cost of the hotel room on
two people, and you're just traveling as one, so you've
got to cover part of that. But they haven't marked
up the other parts of the cruise just because you're
(50:38):
a single traveler. Particularly what I see there a lot terry.
You see this too, are these flash deals that come
through for single travelers. So look look for those we're seeing.
We're seeing a lot of them in where are they going.
They're going to places like Greece, very very popular destination.
(50:58):
I've seen them for it this year. That's surprising and
popular as Italy is. I've seen the Iceland tours out
there of Peru and Macha Picchu, Ireland. That's really really
you know, great kinds of places to be thinking about
for your single supplement tours.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Yeah. And you know, the other thing that I would
highly recommend to you is if there's a tour operator
that you particularly are fond of. Maybe you used to
travel with a spouse before you no longer have that spouse,
but you still like that tour operator. If you are
booking on your own, you can book if you want to,
and you can hand that booking off to the Wishing
(51:38):
Well within a certain amount of time. There's restrictions that
apply for that, and we will see that booking and
you through that travel experience. So, I mean, there's multiple
ways for you to be able to enjoy solo travel.
And I want to cost.
Speaker 3 (51:55):
You anything extra service and attention that folks are used
to getting from the Wishing Well exactly.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
And I want to just finish up here with a
few final thoughts for you. Thanks, Harry for sharing those
special tours that and cruise opportunities that are out there.
There's many many more that we probably didn't even have
time to get to today. But I hope this show
today has helped you feel really inspired. That was my
(52:22):
goal was to make sure that that's what we did today,
that we helped launch you maybe into a new pattern
of travel. Solo travel is not scary, it is not lonely,
and it's probably nothing like you imagined. It's empowering, it's enriching,
it's life giving, and most of all, it reminds you
(52:44):
that your dreams don't need permission. And if you're ready,
we're ready to help you. Because at the wishing Well,
we're all about helping you live that life less ordinary.
So today and any day, if you are interested in
traveling your way, all you have to do is reach
out to us at the Wishing Well. We are located
(53:04):
at two forty three Neft Avenue in the Valley Center.
You can find us at five four oh non zero
eight two three three three, or you can find us
online at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:18):
This has been a life less Ordinary. The travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three nef Avenue in Harrisonburg.
Speaker 2 (53:24):
If you have any.
Speaker 1 (53:25):
Questions on topics discussed today, please reach out to The
wishing Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five
four oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past
episodes are available on the iHeartRadio app. And we'll see
again next Saturday morning at ten for a life less
Ordinary from the wishing Well
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