Female senior going solo
 

Any suggestions for a female senior thinking of traveling solo in Europe = other than stay home and attend to my knitting (don't knit, never have)?

Yes, travel!!!!! :) Decide your passion....what do you have to see before you die!...then find a tour that matches your price and desires, book and go!!! Only think of the first step...getting to your local airport and the rest will just happen!!!!

I think tours are great, cause they take good care of you. As you venture forth you'll get braver and then can do a bit on your own.

Dont wait another minute. Get to going! Good luck! :)

I bought a copy of "A Foxy Old Womans Guide to Traveling Alone: Around Town and Around the World" by Jay Ben-Lesser for a friend who wanted to, but was intimidated by travel. After I read it, I've purchsed more copies to give/loan to "would be" solo travelers of all ages and gender.

Remember that in the end, you'll have more "wish I had" regrets than "wish I hadn't" ones.

If you are looking for a group to go with, I highly recommend checking into Elderhostel. Their tours work nicely for a single female friend of mine (you must be 55+). They are smallish groups, focus on educational aspects, and take their time moving about (3 cities in 3 weeks in Spain was one my friend recently did and loved).

If you are looking to go solo, I don't see what would stop you. Just plan it like anyone else does. I don't see a difference for a 'senior' woman traveling solo, then a slightly younger one like myself!

Decide what cities you want to see, buy a plane ticket, make hotel reservations, that's about all the planning I usually do for Europe.

If you want encouragement (which it doesn't sound like you need!) look on amazon.com or your local library for short stories about women traveling. Hot Flashes from Abroad was a good one about older women travelers and their adventures.

www.journeywoman.com might be of interest to you...

Many thanks for the suggestions and enouragement. I'll follow up on the websites and books, including ones suggested re others' posted questions. I need to find out a lot about arranging for money to use in Europe, extra costs in using credit cards and ATMs, etc. if/when I'm on my own.

I encourage you to keep it very simple for your first solo trip. It really is pretty easy to plan...

For instance a combination like Amsterdam and Paris, or Paris and Venice would be good IMO. You fly into one city, and out of the other, and take the train in between.

You bascially need:
1) a valid passport
2) a plane ticket
3) money in a checking account with an ATM card (credit card, cash, travelers checks optional)
4) reservations at two hotels
5) a small suitcase packed with easy travel comfortable clothes

That's about it, honestly! Reading here on Fodor's you see some people make incredibly elaborate daily itineraries, prebook all kinds of transportation, tours, passes, etc. but that is not necessary or even desirable IMO.

Bottom line is passport, money, plane ticket, hotel, & suitcase (and the last two are optional -LOL) that's all you need to go to Europe! Take my word for it.

I highly recommend two ATM cards. A friend called me last week from Germany in a panic because his (one) ATM card got eaten by the machine.

Suze
Bit confised about the reservation at 2 hotels. I'm planning a trip to Sicily in Oct and was only thinking of reserving my first night...

My suggestions are forget the knitting and get thee to an airplane!! I love to travel solo. I have been to Europe 3 times on my own and getting ready to go to Croatia in the fall. Traveling solo gives you a great deal of freedom to come and go as you please. You'll meet a lot of fellow travelers and locals so go and have an open mind and positive attitude. You'll be glad you did it. Let us know how your trip turned out when you return.

Hi gertie, I think suze meant be sure to have a hotel reservation for your first night in Europe and one for your last night in Europe (before you fly home). You might feel better reserving hotel rooms for all your time in Europe though, and if so, than do that. And have fun!!

P.S. If you are a senior you know doubt have Medicare does not cover you when you are out of the country. So you might want to check into insurance that will. Just a thought.

You are so sweet LoveItaly. I'm just under the Medicare age and am a Brit anyway so have EU medical cover plus US private healthcare. Yes, you're quite right about reserving first and last night, to make sure I get on that plane back again. Any words of wisdom on Sicily as you LoveItaly??

I think the best 1st solo trip overseas would be a week/10 days in London. One could spend most of their time in London and then do day trips outside the city.
I've also wondered why some people make such complicated travel plans. Like Suze said a great 'travel plan' is two awesome cities connected by a train ride.
Faith

Something to do with making the most of Europe after that big jump across the pond. Yes, 10 days is perfect for London, I do it about twice a year.

Hello Gertie, Sicily is the one area of Italy that I have never been to, unfortunatly. But if you go to the Europe Board and use the search box there you will hopefully pull up lots of travel reports about Sicily. Best wishes to you!

Oops, sorry to be unclear. I gave as my example going to 2 cities for a first solo trip to Europe. And I prefer to have hotel reservations ahead of time, so I would reserve 2 hotels... 1 in each of my cities.

Especially traveling solo I don't want to have to be beatin' the street, suitcase in tow, looking around for a place to stay, in a city where I am not familiar with the neighborhoods, distances, public transportation, etc. I do research very carefully and get first-hand recommendations when possible, but like the security of knowing where I'll be sleeping and what the cost will be ahead of time.

for gertie, maybe you are renting a car and driving yourself around Sicily, so want the freedom of deciding where to stay as you go?

Additional suggestions are great including having 1st and last night hotel reservations and 2 ATM cards, and I plan to check on medical insurance. Thinking small at the moment, Paris and at least 1 other city/area in France, but may get nerve to extend to ... Italy(?). I've been to London as part of a great 3-week tour of England, Scotland, Wales and (So) Ireland.

My best tip as already mentioned above is to begin reading the Europe board here on Fodors. Youll get tons of information for traveling solo or otherwise. For whatever reason the 'solo traveler' branch doesn't get much readership here.

LoveItaly: yes, there is tons of info on this board, plenty to get me started.
suze: no, I don't rent a car, do too much driving here in TX. I'm thinking of basing myself at 2 centres (Palermo/Catania) and doing trips from there by train. There are probably day trips available from those bases too when I get there.
Thanks for your helpful replies.

I am with Suze; as a solo traveller I want to have a room to go to when I get there. I do my research well before hand to ensure I am in a safe and convenient.

Sicily is beautiful. I have spent time in Naxos and Taormina and they are lovely little seafront towns if that is what you seek.

I also totally agree with the concept of two great cities connected by train for a short (10 days or so trip). For me, those cities in Italy would be ROme and FLorence.

gertie, I thought maybe you had a rental car only because it seemed like it might be hard to come into town, alone and with luggage, on a train and then look for a place to stay on foot (but maybe I'm wrong since I've never visited Sicily!).

There's only one problem with traveling solo......once you start, you can't stop!

Follow the others advice and you will do great. I always take about E50 to cover metro tickets or Roissy bus and maybe something to eat upon arrival. From that point on, I use the ATM.

I've been solo'ing it for about 7 or 8 years and love it. Once I know when I will be in a certain city, I will post a message asking if anyone will be there at the same time. I've met some wonderful people this way and it gives me a night or 2 of not having to eat alone.

Naomi

On the strength of that, I'll be in Palermo 5-10 October then Catania 11-16.
I booked my hotels in both places. See you there anyone??

Am also a Senior. The suggestion for Elderhostel is not good, they are very expensive except for US programs. Grand Circle is much better, they will match you. I went to Egypt with Grand Circle, met a lady travelling with Elderhostel, she paid almost $4000 for a trip that cost me under $2500. No matter where you travel with a group you will see the same sites in a country. In countries where language may be a problem I recommend a group. The rest of my travel now will be in English speaking or countries where I do not stand out from the crowd so I will make my own arrangements via internet. If you are not too particular about the luxury of your rooms (you only sleep there) you might check with the Hostels, they are not just for young people now. Hope this helps, as your post was in June and it is now Oct.

Going to Italy?
Need accomodation??
I can help you .....
call me at 0039 3498021255
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By all means, DO NOT stay at home just because you are a solo!

Do you prefer to travel alone or with a group? If with a group and your financial situation allows you - check out Elderhostel and other commercial tours. Affordable tours website has a full list of groups, and give a 10% discount on most of them.

There are also tours like Gate 1 who make your plane and hotel reservations, include a few city tours, and the rest of the time you are on your own.

My mother in law lost her husband when she was about 76.
That year she went to Argentina alone and the year after she went to Isreal.
I don't knit either so I guess I will have to keep traveling too :D

And what's wrong with knitting? It can be done on the plane too!

I <i>can't</i> knit, I have taken lessons, I have tried, but I just cannot knit.

I used to knit, crochet, saw, mend, cross-stitch, you name it! And I can tell you for sure: travel beats all of the above :))

While not quite a senior citizen yet (early 50's) and not quite single (married but with a husband who never travels).. I travel solo all the time. I generally do quick long weekned trips to Europe / Asia. I stay in major cities where I've booked my hotel stays, but then look for one or two day trips via rail from my arrival or departure city. I take one small roller/carry on and make sure my colors coordinate (black/tan/red/white etc). I've never had a problem with safety, but then again I try to avoid any spots that may be trouble late at night. I've met loads of interesting people both locals and fellow travellers, and have no fear of dining alone or stopping into a local wine bar for a drink. To be honest, I prefer travelling solo as you can make your own decisions, change plans without conferring with someone and basicially do exactly what YOU want to do. I agree with the ATM cards for money, as well as having some basic plan. You may want to leave your itinery + passport &amp; credit card numbers with someone at home just in case.

I (senior) enjoyed doing 3 days in London, 5 days in Rome, and back to London for 3 days before travelling home. I intend to do it again, picking a city in Europe other than Rome. My intentions in Rome were to take a few train day trips to outlying towns, but there was so much to see in Rome I never got out of the city. With those intentions I would make my Rome stay longer.

Can't knit either, so I took myself to Paris. I agree with the 2 ATM cards. I'm one of those weirdo's that also likes to have about 100E's in my pocket before I get there...and mmmmm... other than finding the best airfare, searching for recommendations here as to a place to stay, I sort of plan my itinerary on the plane over...that's about it. (I think the apartment thing is pretty nice. I am an early riser, in my own &quot;place&quot; I was free to have posh lunches and a few nights stayed in with my own wee kitchen. Traiteurs .. my french isn't that good, what I mean are those take-out (carryout?) places make WONDERFUL food!) That helped my budget, but I do not have any problem eating a meal in a nice restaurant by myself either. But I'm not too much into clubs, etc.

SuzieC: You mean single travellers can rent apartments?? At a reasonalbe price? Tell me about it.

I agree with Mauld &quot;I prefer travelling solo as you can make your own decisions, change plans without conferring with someone and basicially do exactly what YOU want to do&quot;.
While it is great to share an experience, anyone who has traveled with others knows the compromises that need to be made to keep everyone happy. Traveling solo means the only person to keep happy is you! I am still in my 30s and started traveling solo 3 years ago. It is a liberating experience to take that plunge and know you can do this on your own! Also keep in mind, women live and work on their own everywhere. You are just a &quot;temporary&quot; resident for the time you are there. Walk like you know where you are going and all is well. Thanks to all for your insight into Europe solo. Rome is my next big solo adventure!

Following Naomi's advice upthread, I'll
be going to Paris from April 11 to the 18th or 19th.

Is anyone else going to be there at the same time?