Aspie Travel

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I love to travel alone (well without other humans, I travel with Bearsac my teddy).

I face difficulties in relation to sensory overload and sudden changes. I find communication with people of a different nationality or culture a little easier than with British people, (I’m British).

I spend much time researching where I am to travel to before I go, to a level of strong preoccupation.

Are there any other Aspie travellers out there, and what are your experiences linked to being Aspie?

I travel a lot. Frankly, I do ok with most people. I don't even much care about the language.

I DO have sensory skewing, and personal space though.

Ha! I like your bearsac website, it's fun.

I too have found that I can be more socially effective when trying to talk to people abroad.

Years ago I went to Egypt and I had tried to learn a few phrases in Arabic before I went. I was really surprised how easier it was to be sociable in Arabic.

Also I used to work on a ship with lots of nationalities and I found it much easier to get on with the other language speakers than with the British crew.

I have wondered about this before and I think that people make allowances on both sides if they are trying to communicate and have different mother tongues.

It's as though it puts everyone in the aspie 'boat' because they are all trying to find the rules for communicating.

That puts us on a more 'level playing field'.

I have only done a little travelling.

I really like travelling and would like to do some more - in fact a lot more! - in future.

What I find helps me is to do loads of preparation beforehand and to learn some basic phrases in the relevant language as well as getting a good understanding of the culture.

I have an intestinal disorder, which means there are some foods I can't eat without getting ill, so I do some research about the diet and even local shops and restaurants beforehand if I can.

I also get confused about the 'airport' procedure, so once I asked a friend of mine who works with international students (who he has to take to and collect from the airport) to do a 'rehearsal' with me so that I know where to go in the airport and what to say. I also visited the airport before the day of the flight in order to familiarise myself with it.

I allow loads of time when I go to the airport so that I don't have to rush and even if something goes wrong - like if I get lost - there is still enough time for me to not miss my plane!

I ask the airline company for assistance I need - I explain that I am autistic and that I will need assistance with making my way through the airport when I arrive. They are normally okay about this, but they can also be useless too - it varies depending on how decent a member of staff you get.

Once in the country, I make sure I have as many maps as I can find and that I have made a note of the phrases I can use to ask directions. I also allow some 'rest time' when I am there as even if it is country I really want to visit, when I first arrive I can feel quite disorientated and stressed, so I normally just rest in my room on the first day, or just go somewhere not too challenging, like to a nearby shop and then straight back to my room!

Day by day, I find it easier to go to further away places within the country I have visited - and I sometimes am able to get chatting to other tourists, which helps as it is nice to have 'acquaintances' to hang around with, but at the same time, because I have just met them, I know that I don't have any obligation to hang around with them if I don't want to (e.g. if they are going drinking or clubbing or something - activities which I can't cope with and don't understand!)

And I usually really enjoy it and don't want to leave!

Another thing that helps is, if you do go with someone, is to find a friend you really get on with. I went on holiday with a person who I thought was my best friend when I was 18 and she just completely turned against me on holiday and was really unkind and told lies to my family about me. Needless to say, she is no longer my friend!

Since then I've been on holiday with 'real' friends and it was great and made such a positive difference!

I hope you have many enjoyable holidays!! !

I am besotted with travelling. Unfortunately being a student means I don't have the money to travel miles so most of my movements are restricted to the UK, but on the upside it does mean that there isn't much of the UK I haven't covered.

As far as abroard is concerned, my travels have largely been to France and Belgium. Mainly because my French isn't too bad so I can get by without too much hassle. I went to Avignon and the Riviera last year - was lovely, but so expensive.

I guess I'm not a huge fan of public transport, but it doesn't really bother me much...

cool thread, when i was little i loved looking at road atlases to see where i would travel alone to, places like st. lucia in the carribean was my favorite. i still want to live there someday

I'm still discovering America.

Travelling alone is my life's biggest pleasure. I too find it easier to communicate with people from other cultures (that's my job too, for this reason) and I can research a destination for YEARS before travellling, because I enjoy the research as much if not more than the trip itself. So when I reach a destination I usually feel familiar with it, I have an itinerary that covers every hour, so I don't get to feel lost or lonely. This is one of my life passions (obsessions). And I soak up the places and make them part of me, the memories are great. I like to travel in Western Europe mostly. I think aspies have the advantage that we can be by ourselves and still have a good time, which NTs rarely can. Travelling alone is wonderful, it's completely different from travelling with others, because you get to do exactly what you want when you want it, so you don't miss anything that you like.

I traveled a lot when I still had my motorcycle and car. Now the only
traveling I do is 21 miles down the Rail-Trail by bicycle to New Freedom and back.
I don't travel much unless I travel alone.

I am a bit of a traveler. And while i do it alone I would desire someone to do it with. I get by.

My first trip was Sacremento, Las Vegas, San Fransisco (over three weeks, a week in each)
Second trip was New Orleans. (pre Katriona)
Third was Napa Valley, San Fran.
Fourth trip was New York.
Last trip was South Island of New Zealand (Christchurch, and Queenstown)


I am a bit of a wanderer, and like just walking around a town.

As in relation to being an aspie, you just need to know your limits and what effects you and to what degree. A private and quiet hotel room is a must, so on the days when it's too much you can just stay and be completely alone. Another good idea I came up with when I was in Las Vegas is to cancel the cleaners for your stay. I.E. let them know that you'll make your own bed and change your own sheets, empty trash. The MGM (where I stayed) said that was ok, and when I was showed to my room they let me know where the laundry chute was and where extra bedding linens were. I had to forgo a few things like the nightly complimentary pillow mints, but it was a comfort knowing that I was going to be the only one there. I don't know how suss hotels might be if you are going to be there longer for a few days however. When I stayed in New Orleans it was for an entire month and the B&B/motel/hotel/tweener bits of everything made sure their cleaners went through at least once a week. Which was fine, I just let them know when I was leaving for the day and they nipped in and did it while i was out.

So, that's the biggest aspie tip I can think of. It all depends on your particular difficulties with your aspie symptoms. If you work with your own bounds, and no what bounds can be stretched and what one's cant, and in what particular ways those can be stretched, and if you do stretch them you are prepared to bare the consequences... then it's gonna be all good.

My biggest fret was New Orleans and New York. Those places I specifically went for the nightlife. I love jazz, so I just made sure that if I went to a jazz bar that I got out when I got overwhelmed and didn't have anything planned for the next day so I could curl up in my hotel room and rockmyself back to comfort. New York was fantastic for the classical music. I saw 4 shows by the metropolitan philharmonic (Tchaikovsky's 1st Violin Concerto was the best one, followed closely by Pictures at an Exhibition). Saw swan lake by the proper ballet (can't remember their official names), but also got to see sleeping beauty and romeo and juliet put on by a few amateur companies and dance schools for a note donation.

So, in summary, know your limits, and know your consequences. So when you reach your limit your plans aren't going to be put out.

Can't think of anything else really. Oh, except I saw Elvis in Las Vegas!! ! HOW COOL IS THAT!?!?!

I love travelling! I have lost track so many years ago how many times I've been on a plane. Well over seventy, at least! I'm doing a lot of travelling (but with my mom rather than alone) coming right up. I'm going to Ohio in three days, Texas near the end of summer, and Wisconson, Michigan, and Canada in the early fall.

I hope to do a lot of traveling during my lifetime.

I've done a lot of traveling already.

Tim

I hate travel, have never been on a plane.
I was getting a lot better with trains, until a weird journey, when some girls came up to me and said I had a beautyful bone structure, and eyes, and that they would 'do me' if I were a man. They also took photos of me dispite me asking them not to, I got off the train early, in a town I had never been to, and had to wait 20 mins for another train, it really stressed me.

I like camping holidays, but would really like to get on a plane some day, but will have to be with someone very understanding and supportive.
Travel is one of the main things I stuggle with.

I'm going to another state myself next month, and planning is the biggest part of it. i DO want exciting new experiences, but the thought of something BAD happening totally scares me. So i got my AAA guide book, maps, and so on so we could plan it all--- the plus side to this is that I've also been able to discover great discounts on restaurants and hotels from all this research that I wouldn't have gotten from going there without planning.
I do know that even with the best and most intricate plans, things may change or even go wrong. So I plan on putting AAA on speed dial and keeping my cell phone on me at all times so i will be able to get help.
It's not another country, but it's still a trip for me. I am happy and excited. I hope your trip goes well, if you're planning one.

I love being a stranger, and you only get that if you go somewhere new, but i hate flying, i get claustrophic and the air is foul in planes.

Lately i do a lot of long distance driving with my dogs (I got a campervan). this is a big country. Once I learnt to avoid caravan parks with their rules, their social microcosm and little hitler owners, it was nice. all i need is a better campervan with solar power and i'll be happy.

It's such a blessed relief to be unknown, so normal.

One of the weirdest things about travelling is having complete strangers approach you to satisfy their need to talk, to be social. I'm still working on that one. it's a burden. the aspie burden.