By All Means Travel, but Travel Well!

Summer is on its way, and let's face it, as a single person, most of us don't always have a travel buddy. As I do with most things lately, I've taken a few solo trips. A few years ago it was 15 days on my own in Italy, and last summer it was a 17 day-solo adventure to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.

Surviving a solo vacation can be trying, but done properly, you might even enjoy it. Granted, there are days on the road that can get a bit lonely, even in a major international metropolis.

Travel guides provide a ton of great information about sightseeing, dining and shopping. In some places, solo travelers pay extra for everything from hotel rooms to a restaurant table. But here is some real practical advice for the single traveler from one who knows.

Rules of the Road
· Snap Decision: Learn how to ask people to take your photo in foreign languages. One of the most difficult elements of traveling alone is the photo op. Everyone wants pictures of themselves in front of famous landmarks. Plus, we need proof that we were really there.

An outstretched arm and close-up of your smiling face is not really high-quality photography. If your camera has a timer, you can't really plop it down in the middle of a crowded piazza and let the time elapse because someone will snatch it before the picture is snapped.

Fellow English-speakers are sometimes eager to lend a hand, while locals or tourists from other places tend to be a bit more reticent. The photo op also represents a chance to chat with other people, especially if there is the quid pro quo exchange (you take mine, I take yours).

Last summer in Paris, I spoke with Americans from Colorado, New York and even European military bases, as well as people from Britain, Australia, Poland, Japan and Hong Kong.

· Native Tongue: If you don't speak the native language, there are a bunch of key phrases you must learn: Where's the toilet? How much does this cost? I'm an American, don't shoot me! Are you really 18? (Just to be sure, learn numbers, so you can do the math with the follow-up question, what year were you born?) The last thing you need is an international incident because you chatted it up with someone underage.

· Dining Anxiety: Dining out presents some difficult decisions. Most tourist cities are loaded with nice restaurants. But which do you choose? On top of that, there is sort of an uncomfortable stigma associated with dining alone. That's why you need to pick a place where there are plenty of other people. While you're waiting for your French waiter to be rude to you, make sure you have either a book or notebook to occupy your time.

When I'm on the road, I like to keep a journal. That's the perfect way to appear less like a loser, and more like someone with important things to work on or write down.

· Walk the Walk: There is no better way to learn about a city than to walk its streets. On foot, you feel the pulse of the city. You take in the people, the scenery, the smells. However, there are risks to walking the streets, especially if you get lost and wander into the wrong part of town. You can be the target of pickpockets, theft and other violence. Without a friend to watch your back or help fight off attackers, you're basically on your own.

Tourists are especially susceptible and obvious targets. Not only do you generally not know where you are, but tourists tend to carry money, credit cards, expensive cameras and documents, such as passports, on them.

So be aware of the propensity for pickpockets and their scams. In Paris, I saw two such attempts, where one guy threw something down, like a cheap metal ring or coins. They expect you pick it up, and that's when someone else reaches into your pockets and snags your cash or wallet. Twice I saw this happen.

The other scam is at tourist sites where groups of kids, particularly gypsy children, swarm you. They throw some card in your face and ask you for money, or distract you and go for your pockets. When they asked me if I spoke English, I shook my head.

Sure, I'm a bit wary. Meanwhile, almost every day people stopped and asked me for directions. I'm still don't know why. But each time, my first instinct was to put my hand in my pockets. Some tourists prefer money belts or pouches that fit under shirts to safeguard their cash.

On the street, though, you have to look like you know what you're doing. I hated getting lost and pulling out my map. I tried to do that as covertly as possible because I got lost a bunch of times.

I also adopted another trick while on the street: I not only walked like I knew where I was going, but like I was in a hurry, with a big chip on my shoulder. If you walk like you're not only focused but angry, it might discourage the average street thug from hassling you.

Then again, who knows how many nice, approachable people I may have fended off with this tack, but luckily, nobody messed with me.

So bon voyage, singles -- and watch your back!

Roy S. Gutterman is a Syracuse, N.Y.-based writer. To contact him, visit: www.Lrev.com.