Travel has no age limit and embarking on a global adventure in your 60s offers an experience no one in their 20s or 40s could ever understand. Solo travel tips are often geared towards the young, intrepid backpackers who are taking on a trek for the very first time. Seniors looking for traveling alone tips, however, need advice that’s tailored to their travel style and interests.
If you’re considering taking a vacation without a companion, a handful of senior solo travel tips can help you make the most of your experience. Many of the traveling alone tips from our experienced globetrotters focus on clearing up challenges and confusion that group tours eliminate.
Let’s look at a few reasons why you should travel alone in your 60s and six of the solo travel tips older adults find most useful.
See how you can travel solo with Trafalgar
Reasons to travel solo as a senior
Solo travel in your 60s lets you experience the wonders of the world from a perspective that only time can hone.
1: The world deserves a revisit
Recall your favorite trips, be it a family vacation to California or a honeymoon cruise around the Mediterranean Sea. Wherever and whenever you visited a destination, there’s a chance that you didn’t see and do it all. Take advantage of the time you have to travel and see how the world’s changed.
For travel inspiration: Europe destination guide
2: Your style, your speed
There’s nothing quite like traveling with your friends, family, and loved ones, but even in the best of times, not everyone in the group has the same goals. Traveling solo as a senior lets you choose the place and the pace, allowing you to see and do what you truly want on your own terms.
Read next: Why coach travel is the easy and cost-effective alternative to a road trip
3: One is silver; the other is gold
You’re never too old to make new friends. A small group tour with like-minded adults who share your life experiences introduces you to more than just travel companions. Many tour attendees stay in touch and make plans to meet again on other tours or trips. If nothing else, enjoying the company of fellow travelers for a few days or weeks brings convenient camaraderie to your solo adventure.
Next stop America? USA & Canada destination guide
4: Dreams have no expiration date
It’s never too late to take your dream trip. The pyramids of Egypt. The onsens of Japan. The ancient Incan ruins of Peru. Wherever you’ve dreamed of visiting, it’s waiting for your arrival. Traveling solo in your 60s is not an act of selfishness; it’s a golden opportunity to finally take the adventure you’ve waited your entire life for.
Read next: Where to travel in Europe in your 50s, 60s and 70s
Solo travel tips and tricks for 60+ travellers
Before you plan your trip of a lifetime, consider how these traveling alone trips can help you make your visit as easy, accessible, and exciting as possible.
1: Look for deals
When it comes to traveling alone tips, the number one trick is to learn how to save money without diluting your experience. Solo travel can seem expensive on the offset, but the trick to securing a cost-effective experience is to look for value.
Remember, you don’t want to sacrifice a once in a lifetime opportunity just to save a few dollars.
Looking for deals is one of the best ways to cut costs without thinning an itinerary. For example, some cities offer free or discounted admission to museums or historic sites throughout the month or for certain visitors, like those above 55.
Did you know that you can save money on all-inclusive tours, too? Check out Trafalgar’s latest travel deals, including last-minute booking and group discounts.
2: Get your in-destination travel secured
Believe it or not, the long-haul, multi-connection flight to your destination might be the most stress-free part of your trip.
Sometimes, it’s the in-destination legs of your trip that cause the most frustration. Airport or train strikes. Extreme traffic congestion. Simply getting stuck in pedestrian traffic because you’re passing through a neighborhood hosting an outdoor event can disrupt and delay your journey.
One of the best solo travel tips is to get your in-destination travel secured as reliably as possible. Short-haul flights may be “cheaper” when looking at the sticker price, but flight delays or cancellations can cause more chaos to your timetable than taking the train or bus. Similarly, prebooking a private transfer to an attraction, town, or transportation hub can spare you the uncertainty of trying to find a taxi or navigate public transportation in a new city.
Could Australia or New Zealand be next for you? Read our destination guides
3: Scan menus in advance
Two traveling alone tips for those with dietary restrictions or preferences: research a destination’s cuisine in advance and read menus or reviews whenever you can.
You shouldn’t have trouble finding gluten-free pizza in New York City, but you may not stumble upon extensive vegan dishes in a small Central American town. Whether you have a restriction as serious as a peanut allergy or a preference as specific as preferring a pizza without red sauce, look into the food scene of your destination in advance.
For instance, search food halls, markets or restaurants online in advance. Many of them will either have digital menus available to look at or will mention specific dishes that it specializes in. You can also read reviews on sites like Yelp that will highlight important information, such as if the gluten, nut or dairy-free options are prepared with equipment that isn’t cross-contaminated.
You may also like: 12 things you told us that you love about traveling solo
4: Make comfort arrangements ahead of time
One of the solo travel tips we haven’t seen discussed enough is making comfort arrangements ahead of time. You’d be surprised how much easier it can be to secure the creature comforts you want or need as a solo traveler than as a couple or family.
As it gets closer to your trip, call the hotels you’ve booked and ask if there are any adjustments you can make to your room, such as swapping a tub for a shower or getting an extra set of pillows placed on your bed. If you’re traveling on a group tour, you could also ask your tour company if they can make requests on your behalf, be it for a more accessible hotel room or asking if you can have a walking stick or wheelchair reserved for attraction visits that require extended periods of walking.
Join Trafalgar on our WWI and WWII Battlefields tour. This 11-day journey through the UK, Belgium, and France takes you to Dunkirk, the Ypres Battlefields, and the D-Day Normandy Beaches. Visit these important sites, including taking an additional optional tour of Napoleon’s Battle of Waterloo, as you make your way from London to Paris.
5: Study a map of your destination
A map may have more traveling alone tips than you’d realize. Reading up on your destination is helpful and studying a map is a unique way to gain supplementary insight that a guidebook might not cover.
For instance, take a look at where your hotel is located on Google Maps and you’ll instantly receive information like:
- Which food options are nearby
- If a convenient store or pharmacy is open 24-hours
- Where multiple forms of public transportation are
- If it’s actually practical to walk to a site that is “just around the corner” but actually requires traversing hills, crossing busy roadways, or navigating an area that has limited activity at night.
Remember, a hotel blog or guidebook may not have the updated or detailed information that a solo traveler needs. Getting your bearings by looking at a map ahead of time can help you feel more comfortable and confident when you arrive at each destination.
Bookmark for later: 9-time solo traveller, Isabelle, on her love of the USA and why she loves touring with Trafalgar
6: Preset translations for common words or phrases
If you’ve got a smartphone, then you should download a translation app that you can use offline. Google Translate is a popular choice, as it has a full library of languages that you can download and access offline.
Numbers like 1-10, 20, 50, and 100 are especially useful when it comes to paying in foreign currency. Basic phrases like “please”, “thank you”, and “hello, how are you?” demonstrate a respect for the culture and community you’re visiting.
And, if nothing else, having a handy translation of “I’m sorry, I do not speak your language. Do you speak English?” can instantly make your interactions with locals much smoother.
Related: 14 useful travel tips and phrases to know before visiting Japan
Why not travel solo in a group?
Have you considered taking an organized group tour as a solo traveller? Group tours for solo travellers, such as Trafalgar’s immersive excursions, allow you to see the world on your terms. Whether you’re looking for an active adventure, a low-impact journey, or a relaxed trip with the right amount of sightseeing, group tours are great options for solo travellers in their 60s.
With group tours, you can:
- Opt to share a room and split the cost or reserve a private room
- Choose when and how you want to socialize with group members
- Let someone else take care of the to-and-from logistics while you relax
- Use your free time to explore a destination to your desires
- Check-off your travel bucket list without having to cater to the wants and needs of your friends and family members
Find more solo travel tips on Traflagar’s blog and browse our exciting tours for solo travellers who desire comfort, convenience, and the “me time” you deserve on vacation.
Where could your solo travels take you? Let us know in the comments.