South America

One of my Ambitions is to visit every Continent and as I've only done Europe and North America I'm looking at the possibility of visiting elsewhere.

South America has always been of interest and I've a feeling it will be there or Australia which I will visit first among the rest of the world. Maybe later this year are next year who knows.

Trouble is the prices charged by Solo holiday companies are just outside my budget to justify for one holiday. So I've been looking at a number of Cities (ok i like city breaks) and the two places I would most like to visit are Argentina and Chile so cheked out Buenos Aires & Santiago and to be fair its not as expensive as I thought it would be.

Reckon I could do two weeks for around £1300 including flights and 4 star hotels with breakfast spending a week in each city.

Whether I'll do it only time will tell, I've so many ideas.

Would love to hear from anyone who has visited these places or even others that fancy going.

Fly Drive

Everyone that knows me will realise I do like travelling over the pond to America, visited many Cities and done touring holidays (coach).

One thing I've not done over there is drive a car and I've always had a wish to do a fly/drive holiday. Trouble is its not something I would do as a solo traveller.

Definately think its a couples or friends thing to do, reckon you need company on the road would be much more of a laugh (and splits the cost of car hire and fuel).

Have actally checked a few sites that specialise in these sort of holidays and there are so many options, I'd actually enjoy the logistics of sorting my own out, in fact I've done it provisionally on a number of ocasions for difrerent areas.

Think with the £ getting stronger against the $ its maybe something i should start to look at possibly for next year or even Autumn this year.

Reckon it would be good to find others interested in the same sort of holiday, feel that 3 people would be a great number if all solo travellers (car not too crowded).

Would be great to hear from others who would be interested in this sort of thing and what areas they would like to tour. Be good to chat with people who fancy the same sort of holiday.

In the past I've looked at the costs touring Northern California & Yosemite starting from San Francisco. Another I looked at is starting from Atlanta and visiting music cities such as Nashville & Memphis, also looked at a tour of Texas. Just so many options in country of that size.

Reckon for 3 people if you plan it yourself you are looking in the region of £1,500 for a 2 week holiday (plus fuel), maybe less. That would include flights, car hire plus single room with breakfasts (many touring hotels provide) but other meals and tourist attractions would be extra.

Just one of my many dreams.

4 worst things about travelling on your own.

Travelling on Your own has its disadvantages and in my opinion these are 5 of the worst parts :-

1. Eating Out - I never feel comfortable eating in restaurants and if i do visit one tend to rush my food so i can get out. Normally I would eat in Pubs but luckily Irish Pubs seem to be everywhere. One thing I like in America is people actually eat sitting at the bar, never seems right sat at a table on your own.

2. Hotel Rooms - Very few modern hotels have single rooms which usually involves me having to pay the same as a couple. I'm sure it would make sense for hotels when built to include a percentage of smaller single rooms that they could charge a reduced price for. There are lots of us singles out there and i'm sure it would attract plenty of custom especially in touristy cities.
I'm happy with a small room its not that i want to live there (very rarely use the tv), clean, secure, comfy bed & hot water are what i require, I only want to sleep there.
Must admit if i ever get a room with two beds i feel like using both as i'm paying for it.

3. Taxis - Not there fault but can prove to add significant cost to the holiday if you have to use them a lot, if with a group you can split costs. It can start with airport transfers but i try do my homework and find out about public transport or shuttle buses.
Also try make sure i book hotels in the area i want to be so not having to use them on a night, works out better paying a little extra fo a hotel in the city centre than cheaper suberb options.
Many Cities have good public transport passes.

4. Airports - Arguably these can be boring particularly when on your own with nobody to chat with. My music player is a godsend.

What are your hates about solo travel ?

Austrian Lakes - Stunning Scenary

If you like stunning scenary one holiday I can recomend is "Austrian Lakes" with Just You , I did this in August 2012 and it is a truly beautiful place.

We stayed in a small family run place that had a lawned area on a lake which was a nice place to chill after the many excurrsions. I opted to do them all included and optional and it was a great mix.

We visited some really nice towns and cities such as St Wolfgang and Salzburg, the sound of music city was the only bad day we had but that was because of the weather. Apparently rain is not unusual but its still an impressive place.

One of the best trips for me was the excurrsion into the Czech Republic to a place called Cesky Krumlov in Southern Bohemia, just a word of warning for anyone going, they are not on the Euro so is an idea to take your credit card. Cafes will take the Euro but when a few of us visited the castle they wouldn't so paid on my card.

Other trips took us to some beautiful lakes, can't remember all of the names but it was a really good mix of places to visit.

Another word of warning to those that like a drink and a little story. A few of us went down to the village one night and visited the local bar. Had a bit of a late one and was walking back to the hotel at about 1am when all the street lights went off. We found ourselves in pitch darkness and of course its me who tripped over a kerb grazing my elbow in the process. Wasn't that drunk honest.

Got to mention another night they had traditional Austrian dancers on at the hotel, and guess who they picked on to teach a few moves.








Here are a few more photos from this trip, not sure they do it justice :-

City Breaks - Meet me in St Louis

Later this year (november) on my "Americas Heart & Soul" holiday with Just You I'll be visiting St Louis for the 3rd time. Did it a couple of years ago while doing Route 66 but my first trip there was in 2006 when I did a short City break.

Picture on the right is Charles Lindburgh's plane "spirit of St Louis"

From a sports fan particular football it doesn't hold great memories because it was in one of the bars on Lacledes Landing that I watched England go out of the world cup on penalties to Portugal. Even managed to get the locals supporting England and believe me its one city in America that knows nothing about footie.

Their main sport is Rounders (Baseball) and my hotel was very close to the Busch stadium home to the Cardinals. They were home to Kansas City Chiefs while I was in town and each night the hotel was packed with fans of both teams. Apparently its the big missouri state derby and I learned Kansas City isn't in Kansas, most of it is in Missouri.

Now must say I've normally nothing against American sports fans but took a dislike to Cardinals supporters they are so arrogant, didn't help when some tried to push in front of me in the bar. So when it comes to Baseball I now support whoever plays the Cardinals.

So more about St Louis well the main tourist attraction is the impressive arch otherwise known as the "gateway to the west". Didn't actually go up on this trip but but that to rights during my route 66 visit.







Have already mentioned Lacledes Landing where there are a number of bars and restaurants. Its a old part of town by the Mississippi and good fun on a night. Well who can forget the lovely ladies that serve you in "show me" and the "big bang" piano bar is great fun.
Saying that found a cracking place not on Lacledes landing but past the Busch stadium called "beale on broadway", had live blues playing in the floodlit beer garden, in fact everyone was outside as it was still really hot even late at night. The two ladies behind the bar were a good laugh and remember one night some mouthy Cardinals fans came in and asked for the baseball on the TV only to be told that it was a music bar and to f--- --f to a sports bar if they want to watch the game, made me smile.







St Louis historical Union Station is now a shopping complex with bars and restaurants and well worth a visit.






One place to go for those like me that enjoy walking is Forest Park and its up there with Central Park in New York and Lincoln Park in Chicago. Definately can spend a full day there.









On my rounds I came across a museum, a Zoo, A boat house with a good restaurant, a visitors centre with a cafe, a golf course, a opera house, a tennis centre, a art gallery plus plenty of scenic views.
Just a great place with something for everyone.

So that was St Louis.