Advice please when travelling alone

[Debs]

Condolences for the loss of your wife. I was in a similar situation almost 4 years ago and having the van kept me sane (together with the fantastic support on here). It must be doubly hard, having to deal with this lockdown on top.

Getting ill & being safe are my main concerns with solo travel so as others have suggested make sure your insurances meet your needs.

A reversing camera is an essential in my book, as are written directions to back up the sat nav & making sure I've looked through the route as there's no co-pilot to double check with. I have got pretty good at 3 point turns though.

Take things as they come, some days you will cope & some days will be worse than others. Don't be too hard on yourself, it's only natural. Eventually things will feel different.

And don't forget that this forum is a great place to find help & support.

 

[jonsea]

Condolences for your lose I also lost my wife in November last year and I bought another camper to see how I can cope mentally in fact I taxed the van this morning for 6 months so i will take it from there all the best for the future

 

[Podney]

Condolences for your lose I also lost my wife in November last year and I bought another camper to see how I can cope mentally in fact I taxed the van this morning for 6 months so i will take it from there all the best for the future

I gave that a”like” to wish you well now that you’ve taxed the van and will soon be setting off!
Onward and upward!

 

[Janp]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement

 

[smudger]

hi chap
your worrying about nothing, I,m paralysed from the chest down, wheelchair bound, and my first meet was shepton mallet back in 208,i,ve been all over spain, Portugal, every where, on my own, if I can do it, you can too, and don't forget, you will always get the best advice here, go to a few meets first, meet some people and get the some feedback, cheers for now, smudger…..

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[Carado]

Hi. And sorry to hear of your loss.

Personally I think you did the right thing keeping your Motorhome. Yes, you must have planned to go on trips together and that may play on your mind but I am sure she would want you to be happy and find things to enjoy.
As for solo travellers, there are groups and forums for single travellers that you can seek out and they often arrange their own meets so you are all in the same boat (hopefully other solo travellers from The Funsters can offer better advice).
But also think of the freedom (once lock down is finished) to pick a place of interest or a nice beach and know you can park nearby self sufficient and enjoy the place and retire to your own cosy space to sleep for the night.

Make sure your insurance is adequate should be unable to drive and then stop worrying about that kind of situation.

One of the best singles groups is the New Companions camping club I have been camping on my own for 14 years now and have been all over continental Europe without any major problems
try this link membership@newcompanions.org.uk

 

[Zulu]

Hi, Best thing I did was join New Companions.
I traveled to Spain via France in January this year, meeting up with a small group of Companions in Spain, fantastic time until virus struck.
I traveled alone there & back which I prefer, no problems at all.
Others within the group traveled in a small convoy, the choice is yours.
They have a programme of meets all over GB as well, you would be made very welcome. Hope to meet you when this lockdown is all over. Cheers for now.

 

[gwyntaxi]

Have a 7.4 m coach built . My wife passed away just before ‘lockdown’ so have had lots of time on my own trying to come to terms with how different my life will be. One issue is what are the challenges of travelling on your own. Is there anything I should do in advance to better prepare myself for a trip. We had planned to travel to France and Spain but am concerned that this maybe not a good idea for example if I was sick or had an accident preventing me from driving. I am determined to give it a go and hopefully will not be too lonely. Thanks

Really sorry to hear your loss, but give it a go, there are a lot of solo campers and travellers out there in your position who tour Europe and further afield every winter
you'll probably kick yourself in a few years time if you've passed up the opportunity.

 

[yodeli]

hi chap
your worrying about nothing, I,m paralysed from the chest down, wheelchair bound, and my first meet was shepton mallet back in 208,i,ve been all over spain, Portugal, every where, on my own, if I can do it, you can too, and don't forget, you will always get the best advice here, go to a few meets first, meet some people and get the some feedback, cheers for now, smudger…..

Weyhey!!! Nice to hear about you Smudger!!! Happy to see you're still around!!

Affecteusement
Frankie

 

[Mayflower]

Sincere condolences.
Get a dog, company/entertainment/gets you out and about/some security.
Good luck.

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[Machbuster]

Hi, so sorry to hear that. I have travelled alone the past four years, all over Western Europe and spent several winters in Spain. I find it lovely just to do just what you want, even sometimes it would be nice to be able to share. Then again I find it really easy to get in contact with others. One important tip, I find, is planning your trip, if you know where you are going. It's not easy to navigate with a map on your lap, and even the best satnav is not always reliable. Then again you can always chance it and drive out in the blue. Good luck and all the best.

 

[duffs]

I'm so sorry for your loss, I also lost my partner before lock down, it's just so hard sometimes isn't it.

I'm glad your going to carry on as I'm sure it's the best way forward if not daunting. Lovely bunch this lot aren't they always positive, which is welcome .

We had a caravan, selling it as I don't want to tow alone, I've just bought a camper van and will be doing my first trips alone well with Coops too, I am excited though which is keeping me going.

 

[Kit44]

My condolences and sorry for your loss, I too am in the same position and find the help and advice on these forums very welcome. I have difficulty over one of the suggestions though, its the health insurance one, with my past issues and age I have found it extremely difficult to get health insurance. I managed to get one quote though, it was very cheap and I think it covered me in case I had a broken left pinkie finger, but that was about all !!

Best wishes and hope to meet up at one of the MHF meets next year

 

[gwyntaxi]

hi chap
your worrying about nothing, I,m paralysed from the chest down, wheelchair bound, and my first meet was shepton mallet back in 208,i,ve been all over spain, Portugal, every where, on my own, if I can do it, you can too, and don't forget, you will always get the best advice here, go to a few meets first, meet some people and get the some feedback, cheers for now, smudger…..

Hi Smudger,
Got to admire you mate, that takes some doing for someone in your position, hope you get many more years travelling.

 

[gwyntaxi]

My condolences and sorry for your loss, I too am in the same position and find the help and advice on these forums very welcome. I have difficulty over one of the suggestions though, its the health insurance one, with my past issues and age I have found it extremely difficult to get health insurance. I managed to get one quote though, it was very cheap and I think it covered me in case I had a broken left pinkie finger, but that was about all !!

Best wishes and hope to meet up at one of the MHF meets next year

Hi there Kit 44,
I imagine you’ve tried most of them but I noticed some insurance companies were prepared to cover even if you had pre-existing history
Staysure was one that springs to mind, might be worth looking into.

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[CamperJack]

Sorry for your loss.

I would perhaps use this year, where travel overseas is looking tricky, to practice going away closer to home. Take small steps towards that trip to Europe and that will build your confidence. Perhaps even just stay in the next town and then look at going further away from home in the UK. There are lovely places to visit. I hope to see much more this year.

Being single I'm usually alone. The biggest problem for me is pulling out of junctions. I've had to learn to drive like a trucker and to position myself in such a way I can see both ways down the road I'm joining.

For company you cannot beat a good pub IMHO. I combine a place to stay overnight with a pub by using BritStops and just asking pubs I pass if I can stay on their carpark for the night if I have a couple of pints or perhaps a meal. This is good because I cannot always be bothered to cook alone, for just me.

 

[deleted79651]

I had a heart attack in late January 2020 in Spain, just as coronavirus was gathering pace. Elaine has Nationwide Travel Insurance for both of us, so that covered the Air Ambulance transfer, hospital stay, medicines etc [eventually; it took much longer to both get through to the Contact Centre and to get claims processed because of COVID. Elaine rarely drives and wasn't very happy at the prospect of driving for the first time in Spain and France, including towing a caravan [for the first time] over the Pyrenees.

So the Insurers initially offered an emergency repatriation flight for both of us, with medical staff onboard [which seemed OTT, since the 3 new stents meant that I felt better and fitter than before the heart attack; AND I would then have toturn round and travel back to Spain to collect the car and caravan ...], so the insurers agreed to extend the 90 days policy by 3 days [nightmare discussions!] so that I could observe the1 month driving ban, and then drive gently back through Spain, France and England to Scotland, without having to cover stupid distances each day. Insurers paid for 2 weeks extra campsite fees to cover the 1 month driving ban [cheaper than the medical flight and more comfortable for us], and all ended well.

But the amount of paperwork needed to enable the Insurers to agree to our plans was a PITA, not least because the Winter storms had caused communications problems and really slow/failing email service. At one point, the Contact Centre Insurer employee in the Risk Assessment Section actually said, 'If it's difficult to email the 55+ pages of the Hospital Report from Spain, wait until you return to the UK and send them to us. Then we'll be able to decide whether you WERE insured to travel ...' Yes, he honestly said that! That's the point at which my blood pressure reached the level where a second heart attack was possible!

Happy Days ... Now back to my obnoxious self and Stents doing a great job!

Steve & Elaine