time2go

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)?

LEANNA

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!

rb_travelerxATyahoo

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.

suze

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.

suze

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

time2go

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.

suze

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.

Catbert

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.

gertie3751

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...

LindaL

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.

LoveItaly

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.

gertie3751

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??

faith77

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

gertie3751

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.

LoveItaly

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!

suze

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?

time2go

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.

suze

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.

gertie3751

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.

kfusto

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.