62, Female, alone Where would you go?

With a limited budget, I'd avoid Belgium and Switzerland. With the exception of Paris, France can be quite budget friendly. I certainly get why you'd want to cover a lot of ground, but I fear you would spend so much time getting places and you'd miss a lot, again. Maybe you'd enjoy a trip of Hungary, Austria and Germany. Cities I'm thinking of would be Munich, Salzburg, Hallstatt, Vienna, maybe Budapest. Or, instead of Budapest go to Bratislava on a day trip from Vienna. Lots of possible daytrips from Munich, Salzburg and Vienna.

I'm 62. I've traveled with my husband, and also a trip with my sons and another with my daughters. On trips without my husband, I felt most comfortable using trains, more so than the idea of renting a car.

I guess, I'm also thinking it really depends on your personality. Would you like to travel with people? What about a tour? Or, I can see the appeal of traveling alone. You can do whatever you want.

"So I’ve booked a different trip, 7 countries in 9 days, Belgium, Austria, England, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy. Basically it’s one night in a major city of each country".

How many nights total do you have?

With just 9 or less nights, I suggest you spend all of your time in just one of those countries.

Your proposed plan barely gives you time to do a walking tour of certain neighborhoods before having to rush back to the airport or train station for your trip to your next city.

Can you post a more detailed itinerary of exactly which cities you want to see and how you are getting to and from each one? Where will you first fly into? Where will your flights back to Oklahoma start from? Look at the map and try to see which direction of travel makes most sense, which order you see which cities in that makes the most sense without backtracking or skipping around too much.

If I were taking my last trip to Europe, I would go to Germany, but that's because I already went to Belgium, England, and Italy.

When is your trip? Assuming you are not going to the Olympics, you might want to avoid the Paris area because the Olympics are in Paris from July 26 to August 11, the paralympics from August 28-September-8th.

I’m wondering if I should change my trip to one that perhaps only goes to two or three countries with at least 3 days in each

Yes. Reduce the number of places. If you are spending just one night in each place, you are spending every single day on a bus or train. You get to spend very little time in each location.

As far as where to go, what places sound most interesting to you? I’d prioritize your list of places that you want to visit and then plan a trip that focuses on your highest priorities.

I am 78 and I travel alone. Plus I travel with an arthritic knee which will need to be replaced very soon.

Why are you so certain that this is your last trip[ to Europe? At 62, you sound like a kid to me. I did not get my first computer until I was 63 and I did not begin really traveling until after 65.

I am working on my 9th cruise.

Do you have any interest in a cruise? I think they are a good deal and I sail Norwegian because they offer studio cabins for us solo travelers. There are lots of solos in all age groups on a Norwegian cruise.

Last cruise, i sailed London (Southampton) to Lisbon. Loved London and I also loved Lisbon. How about Lisbon? And Portugal?

Right now, I am working on a Mediterranean cruise that leaves from Barcelona. I have never been to Barcelona but it seems incredible.

I was booked on a cruise from Haifa to Istanbul and like you said ........, I have chosen to go on this one instead.

One problem with a cruise. You see a lot of places but only for a matter of hours. You see a speck of sand on the beach but not the beach.

If this was going to be my final trip to Europe I would steer away from 7 countries in 9 days, because that sounds like way too much of a whirlwind. You spent 6 days in Rome and felt like you missed a lot - maybe a tour would be better for that aspect but maybe you just really want immersion. Also, if you saw a city you loved you would really want to go back - would it break your heart not to?
I'm similar to your age and my favorite solo trips have been DC (museums, awesome historical buildings) and Florence (museums, food, history.) I also notice you went to Ireland three times so is familiarity a focus? That again leads me to suggest going to one place and soaking it in. With lots of planning/reading you can do fine without a tour.

I am 58 and in reasonably good health and fitness. I would certainly not want to take on a trip that did 7 countries in 9 days - you will be exhausted, and you might even get sick considering how hard this might be on your body and immune system. Slow down and pick just one or two places. I live in a small town in the middle of Missouri, I travel 2-3 times a year to Europe, usually with a female companion, so I look for places that I feel comfortable in. If you can provide some more information regarding the month you are planning to travel that will also help us guide you with destination options. Although Switzerland is expensive, there are ways to do it cheaply. We stayed at a B&B in Murren recommended by Rick several years ago, and it was very, very cheap with a coop opposite that we could buy pack lunches. Switzerland is very safe and train travel is easy (although that is quite expensive). My other thought is Austria, but this all depends on the time of year. Please let us know.

Just a suggestion. Have you considered a Rick Steves Tour? There has always been a number of older single women on the tours we have taken.

It is very hard to know what to suggest without really knowing you. I join the chorus that 62 is still pretty young and that unless there are circumstances you haven't told us about, you would still have plenty of years to travel.

I suppose my first question is what worries you about traveling alone? Is it personal safety? Does it just not seem as much fun as being with others? One solution is to travel with a group. This could be a traditional tour like Rick Steves Tours or Gate 1 travel. Another solution is to take day trips or join walking tours in locations of interest to you. Still yet, another solution is to take a cruise. The cruise allows you as much or as little contact with others as you desire. You would get your one city a day schedule, but without the hecticness of changing hotels or spending daylight hours traveling from place to place. Instead the ship travels while you sleep.

There are ways to travel on a budget and still travel and see things. It takes good planning.

I do think that you might want to reconsider your current plan. A land based vacation that moves from spot to spot on a daily basis probably isn't the best idea.

Seven countries in nine days seems almost impossible. During that nine-day span, how many hours will you be traveling and checking into and out of hotels, how many hours will you be sleeping, and how many hours will you actually be visiting the cities you have traveled to. And as was noted above, constant travel adversely affects one's immune system.

With only nine days (would that be 10 nights?), limit your travel to two or three places. Despite the expense, Paris seems an obvious choice. What comes to mind for me are London-Paris, Paris-Barcelona, Paris-Bruges-Amsterdam, Paris-Amsterdam, Amsterdam-Belgium, Italy, Berlin-Salzburg-Munich, and Barcelona-Madrid.

And given your limited travel time, a Rick Steves trip might be your best vehicle.

If you don't mind sharing some more details I think the people on this forum could really help you plan a trip that fits your needs and budget. Have you already booked airfare, and if so, is it changeable? What is your total budget? Is 9 days the absolute most time you have?

If you enjoyed Rome, maybe splitting 9 days between Venice and Florence would be enjoyable for you.

I’m traveling in early April but I’m able to adjust the date. I’m kinda locked into the group I signed with, Cosmos/Globus because I paid for my tour and in the confusion following October 7th changed tours rather than waiting for them to cancel. My fights and tours can be changed now. within the group. Yes, I’m concerned that so much travel will not only be exhausting but also means that a great deal of time will be wasted on the road and moving from one hotel to the next. My budget is about $3500 not including flights or meals, except breakfast. I do have insurance so I might check and see what kind of loss a cancellation would cause. I am experiencing some health issues including a spot in my lungs that has to be monitored. I may be silly feeling my mortality. I do appreciate all of everyone’s kind advice.

Oh, Cindy… what a lot to deal with. Anyone would feel concerns in your situation. What I hear is that you are having second thoughts on the tour but you have so much invested financially you are unsure if you can change.

Definitely contact the tour company with your concerns and your travel insurance.

Good Morning cindy/biddy (a very cold good morning)

I think Cosmos/Globus is a very reputable company.

I would call and speak to one of their reps first thing., Is it possible to switch to a tour that goes to less cities and spends more time in fewer cities.

I keep thinking of the movie "If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium" Do you remember the movie?

I am assuming that even with a lot of moving from one city to another, luggage and transfer is completely taken care of. Why not just sit back and enjoy the ride. You might be seeing some beautiful country going from one city to the next as well as learning some history. Isn't there a guide traveling with you?

Maybe you can sleep on the bus. If you find yourself exhausted by the travel, forfeit a day of sightseeing and rest in the hotel. Don't think that you have to do everything offered.

But do check your insurance and see what your loss is if you cancel.

Also call a Globus rep and talk to the rep. Tell him or her of your concerns and see what they can offer such as less cities but more time in the cities that you do go to.

It sounds like you are getting nervous about your trip instead of excited.

I just glanced at Globus Tours website. It looks like they have several two city Italian tours in your budget. Since you like architecture, Venice and Florence may be a good option for you.
In September my trip includes Venice for five days
(third visit) and Florence for four days (first visit).
Seven countries in nine days is just plain crazy.

You’re younger than me by 10 years. I travel solo now, beginning two years ago after a few trips over 50 years. Budget wise I can afford one trip a year, averaging 27 days, independent plus RS Tour. I travel on the cheap side, staying in monastery stays, b&b’s, or cheaper hotels. I don’t splurge on food. But will spend money to see the sights and experience events.

I hope your health issues improve so you can travel more. If you truly believe this is your last trip, go where you want and see what you want.

In answer to your question I would do the two city Italy option or if Globus has a Great Britian tour in your budget range, I'd take that option - but that is me. If the Italy trip is Venice and Florence, I would go there in a heartbeat even though I have been before. I love both of these small cities. When I first went to Italy, I never thought I would fall in love but I did. I am in the minority in that I did not care for Rome-I am glad I went but that city did not impress me as much as Venice and Florence.

Whatever your decision, have a great trip.

Hi Cindy, your tour company’s Italy’s Best tour has nice destinations. If you would like to go to Italy with that tour company, that’s the one I would suggest.

This forum has several women who enjoy traveling solo - either independently or on tours. You will probably be surprised how many you run into during your trip. Have a wonderful time!

62, Female, alone Where would you go?

You might find some ideas here,
Adventure travel is a growth industry thanks to women over 40

I'm fortunate to have been to everywhere in Western Europe I wanted to go--except Lisbon. We've done repositioning cruises three times and other cruises of the Eastern Med and The Baltics including St. Petersburg. And I'm getting downright tired of big, congested tourist cities that are overpriced.

I'm presently drawn to inland Spain as a very inexpensive place to travel. And we want to go back to Budapest with a side trip to either Krakaw or down to Slovenia--both inexpensive. And I never get tired of those Austrian Alps around Innsbruck.

But as a individual traveling alone, the path of least resistance would be flying into London and staying close to Paddington Station. Then taking the Eurostar over to Paris (if the Olympics are not going on.) And if time allowed, a 6.5 hour fast train gets you to Barcelona--another great city.

If I'm reading your subsequent information correctly, it sounds like you have $3,500 in the bank with Cosmos/Globus to spend on any of their tours. Is that correct? The good news is, almost all of their Europe trips seems to slide in under that threshold. I think any of them will be very appropriate for a single traveler like yourself, and will likely include several others in the group who are also traveling solo.

So, I would just spend some time going through their catalog pages online and listening to your heart. Which trip really "sings" to you? Which one has the pictures that make you say "oooohh" or the description that sounds the most magical. Go through them all...I count 13 categories, each with 5 to 10 trips. Take your time. Look over them all.

I suspect you jumped on the 7 countries trip in haste because you were thinking "this is my last trip." Don't do that. Any trip could be your last trip, including when you are 25 years old in the prime of your life! And as others have said, you may discover yourself traveling well into your 80s, much to your surprise now. So set that idea of "if this is the last trip" aside. You have a sizable chunk of change with a reputable tour company that can take you on a very nice European tour. Which one is the one you REALLY want? What calls to you right now? That's your answer.

Just to clarify a few things, am I right that you’re going on a Cosmo/Globus group tour, whichever tour you decide to take? And that you’re paid-up with them, with a credit to use, which I’m guessing means that a cash refund isn’t an option? If you’re on a group tour, you won’t be totally by yourself, even if you aren’t starting off the tour with a known companion. Maybe you’re considering extending your trip beyond the 9-day Globus tour, and staying by yourself for additional time, either before or after the Cosmo/Globus trip starts or ends, and that’s where you’re wanting to determine a location (or locations).

Just to let you know, after my birthday yesterday, I’m 12 years older than you. Since the Pandemic, I’ve determined that I don’t know how many trips I can continue to take, so I’m taking as many as I can, while I can. I do have a husband to go with (he’s also older than 62), and we’ve got 3 trips planned at this point. We were scheduled for a tour with a different company, Overseas Adventure Travel, that was supposed to start in December, and we would’ve just gotten home this week. It originally included Israel, but after October 7 they changed the route and dropped the Israel part. With continued attacks on the Red Sea, they cancelled the whole trip, and offered us a complete refund. They also offered a financial incentive to reschedule the trip (with original itinerary, including Israel), so that’s what we are doing, hopefully. We’ll see how that develops in the coming months.

My 2 cents worth: if you’re looking for locations that are new to you, and since you’ve been to the British Isles, pick a tour that goes to countries other than England, Scotland, or Ireland. You’ve been to Rome, although on a trip to southern Italy, the man who ran our B&B in Sorrento, who’s also a chef, said that April was the best month to visit. I’ve been on a trip that involved stops almost every night in a different city, and that involved mostly seeing parts of Europe through a bus window. The longer stays were the best part. With 9 days, try to keep the number of countries to three or less.

I saw on another post that you were wondering about multi-city flights, also known as “Open Jaw.” Flying Open Jaw can save backtracking to your original arrival airport, which can save time and money. Sometimes, though, flying round trip can cost less, so you’ll want to calculate which saves you more, overall. And does one save you energy and effort, too? On some round-trip vacations, we’ve flown to a city, immediately left it by bus, train, or rental car to elsewhere in the country, then returned to the original place for a visit of some days before flying home from there. Does your mileage points program let you do Open Jaw, without lots of extra cost?

I’m so grateful for all of your generous support and encouragement. One of the reasons why I chose the trip was the round trip option. But then I have never used the multiple city option. Let me add a touch more information. I love the Architecture of DC, Dublin and London but, I’ve never seen mountains. If there’s a trip that has both… That would be perfect! I would really really appreciate any suggestions you have time to offer.