I'm Paul an active 39 year old and recently been through a hard breakup. I feeling a bit low and although I've joined some social groups through meetup, none of the persons are actively interested in holidays and I love my time away.

Anyway, some questions that might help me decide to travel alone are.

I am a fairly active guy, ok I don't like trekking although I don't mind a nice walk, be it a bit of exploring or walking around a city. I love a bit of action, be it quad biking, jet skiing, scuba diving, theme park and I've even jumped of a mountain (tandem parachute). Also I like to occasionally chill out, I don't want to be rushed off my feet all the time. I am open to new ideas. My problem is I have no idea where to go? At least not just for my first holiday. Ideally as a taster I would prefer just a week, just to make sure I was ok with the whole situation. Also I don't like the idea of being stuck on a coach for 6-8 every day travelling from place to place, that said the occasional coach journey wouldn't be an issue. So any ideas please?

Also I am worried that the groups end up very small and then feel isolated a bit (I am quite a shy guy), how many people generally go on these types of holidays. I have looked at the group of 25-45, because I am fairly active but, can anyone who has done ages higher possibly out my mind at ease that I can be just as busy in other age groups? (It would give me more flexibility in dates).

Finally how easy is to mingle? Like I said I am shy and find the while walking up to people and striking up a conversation very daunting.

Does anyone want to take me under their wing?

Thank you

Paul

Just thought I would say hello and share my thoughts. I cannot help with most of your queries but just tell you my thoughts on all this. I am 55 and lost my partner and have never travelled alone, I came on this site and read all the reviews and just decided to go for it - nothing ventured, nothing gained. We as a couple were going to South Africa in 2014 and I decided to go for it this year. In my head I am still 21 and am fairly active, and like adventure too but on these trips it sounds like most people are the same. Age is just a number, and everyone will be on their own, I see it as a chance to make friends and see the world. You will only be as isolated as you want to be and it sounds like its women on the majority of these trips so I am sure you will be spoilt for people to chat to, and will easily mingle. Good luck,

Sue

Not sure I can offer advice to a holiday to do the activities you like. I've done both touring and resort hols with JY but they do involve some coach travel (especially if you do all the excurrsions but not everyody does). Especially if you dothe touring hols you stop off at some great places onroute to your next hotel,day is split into 3 journeys of upto 2 hours with a couple of interesting stop offs.

Numbers going, well the smallest group I've been with is 18 and the largest 45.

Think some other companies will run with very small numbers but never heard of a JY trip with less than 16.

As for mingling with others, remember a lot of first timers are nervous but soon settle in andmore often than not come back again. Best time to mix is meal times, advice i got on my first trip was to try sit with different people every day at breakfast & diner, I still try to stick to that rule and have my 10th hol coming up.

Mick

Just to echo the other posters - choose a location that appeals and go for it, you will have the interest in that location in common with all the other travellers and by and large they are a friendly bunch in my experience.

One thing I would add - read VERY CAREFULLY the descriptions of the holidays regarding travel times on coaches etc. The brochure / website is accurate but it's easy to overlook just how far it is between some of the stops. For example I love the idea of the South Africa trip, but all those long days on the coach - no way. Get out an atlas or log on to a website, check out the distance between towns.

Good luck! RM.

Welcome to you, the JY holidays are not age banded at all, so in the group you can have all ages from 20-80. The core age range is about 55-70. I started going on JY holidays in 2006. I am now 54. ladies out number the men, and it's a very safe way to travel.

I have my 9th JY tour booked for Florida leaving next week, along my journeys I have been on helicopter flights, and a jet boat.

I would suggest you really have a good look on what is on offer if you have a tour in mind, and then perhaps ask on here if some one has been on that tour for any extra information.

Please don't worry someone will take you under their wing, people are not left on there own for long, unless they make it know that's how they want to be.

Just remember a smile goes a long way to show your having fun and it does take two people to have a conversation...

have fun travelling this world of ours.

Cindy

The company normally lays out an evening meal to socialise but you're forgetting most of the people are travelling alone and so tend to just strike up conversation. Being nervous is no barrier to this, and i normally find the tour manager helps you socialise anyway.

Pick a trip and go for it- you'll have an amazing time!

Thanks

I plan on using your holiday to write as many JY messages as possible to get my status updated to 'posting freak'.

Enjoy your trip!

Mark

Of course I shall write a review about the Florida tour when I return, this time next week I shall be at LGW!!!!!! Yeah...:thumbup:

And good luck chasing my posting total...no one has managed it YET!!:dodgy:

Wonder what title they will give me next.:huh:

Cindy:angel:

Mark:D

Of course I shall write a review about the Florida tour when I return, this time next week I shall be at LGW!!!!!! Yeah...:thumbup:

And good luck chasing my posting total...no one has managed it YET!!:dodgy:

Wonder what title they will give me next.:huh:

Cindy:angel:

Hi Paul

I have just returned from my first JY holiday and was very nervous and apprehensive about going. I also am not good just striking a conviersation, but what I liked is that you can be by yourself if thats what you wish to do or you can join in, it is a very safe environment and no one makes you feel uncomfortable. The only thing I would have liked is for more men to have been on the trip as ladies out number men, it would be better to have a more even split. Take the plung and enjoy yourself:thumbup:

Pauline

Mark:D

Of course I shall write a review about the Florida tour when I return, this time next week I shall be at LGW!!!!!! Yeah...:thumbup:

And good luck chasing my posting total...no one has managed it YET!!:dodgy:

Wonder what title they will give me next.:huh:

Cindy:angel:

Hi Cindy, did you see that Mick has now reached Freak status as well so you are not alone! I'm a little way behind him, then I'd say Jaya comes next! I'm not sure where you can go after being designated Posting Freak - if the JY Community was Irish, I'd suggest "Forum Mammy!" but maybe you or someone else can come up with a British alternative - given the subject matter of many of your posts, it would be better than being called the Forum Granny!!!

Cheers,

Bob

OH PLEASE NOT forum Granny, how old does that make me sound....would prefer YUMMY MUMMY...LOL..

Cindy

Bob...

OH PLEASE NOT forum Granny, how old does that make me sound....would prefer YUMMY MUMMY...LOL..

Cindy

:thumbup:

No idea when I will reach the 'freak' status as I have a very long way to go. Perhaps Cindy can give us some ideas on how to reach the 'freak' status. At least we are past 'juniors'!!

Regards

Jaya

Mine changed to "freak" when i reached 750 posts, Bob looks nailed on to be next on 707posts, Jaya on 651 will not be too far after.

Mick

Just keep posting messages ...and more and more and more!!!!!!

BTW how are you doing ? OK I hope

Cindy

I will have to keep on posting more and more messages to try and keep up. Am intending to take the laptop with me when I have to spend about 4-6 weeks in a hotel and hospital during the transplant process so hope I will manage to keep up. I would have reached the 'freak' status by now, but had almost a 9 month break in 2011 whilst undergoing the treatment the first time around!! Watch out guys - I will soon catch up.

By the way all is going well for me and am really looking forward to the end of the treatment. Despite not being a jealous person, I do get a little bit jealous when I read about everyone's holiday plans but I do have some nice holidays to look forward to.

Wishing you all great holidays and hope you all have wonderful time whereever you are going. Do post the reviews as I love reading them.

Love

Jaya

I thought you'd like to know that you are 81 posts of becoming a "posting freak" - so you could have the title in just a matter of days!

Kindest regards,

Julia

There's a good chance you'll beat me to it, as I'll be very busy with work over the next while! Hope all goes well for you in the coming weeks.

Julia - I'm sure our preoccupations with these things give you a giggle!

Still there are worse things we could be doing - as my father used to say "sure it'll stop you chasing after strange women!"

All the best,

Bob