destinations for independent 60-somethings

Since you say you love music, art and history and are budget conscious I'd like to suggest Vienna and Budapest as a good fall/winter destination when the music scene is at its peak.

You can economize now by traveling in the off season and staying for longer periods of time in weekly apartment rentals.

Sometimes there are great airfare sales in the off peak seasons so you may find you're able to go more than once every five years.

Congratulations on your retirement!

Unless there are health challenges, go to any destination you want and can pay for, like non-60-somethings. I'm a decade older and will now pay for more comfort than when I toted a tent on my back, but I didn't start doing that until I was in my late 20s. More gently, I am saying that age is not an issue, just an attitude. Don't worry about needing more assistance until you need more assistance. Get going, and give those younger pups something to chase.

Hi,

If you're big into European history and culture, I agree with the above suggestion in choosing Budapest, Vienna and add Berlin too. I'm in the same age group as you, mid-60s. If you should happen to catch one of those summer noontime concerts in Berlin on a Sunday, they are absolutely fantastic, so much that you would think the Berlin Philharmoniker were playing. No, these musicians were 3rd or 4 th stringers, yet the performance (Beethoven obviously) was beyond words. Location wise they take place east of the Brandenburg Gate. Berlin is inexpensive when it comes to accommodations, but it all rests on one's level of accepted luxury. If you want accommodations with that sense of Berlin Milieu, they're still around too.

My wife and I are both 70+ and last year we spent 30 days in Italy on our own. Had no issues and Italy is great for European history and art.

As a 70 something who travels independently I will say that almost any destination in Europe is manageable for 60 something retirees, unless you're not totally mobile. I have done a month long trip around France (by rental car and train) plus a month in Paris. I have also done a 5 week trip in mostly central Europe (by train) starting in Brussels and ending in Budapest. I travel solo and had no problems managing the logistics of traveling around Europe by myself so I'm sure with 2 of you there should not be any issues that you could not handle.

It would be hard to pick out favorite destinations because I enjoyed everywhere I visited but I guess my all-time favorite was the time I spent in Brittany for the small villages, the rural b&b's I stayed in, the drives and hikes along the coast and on a couple of islands, the local culture (music and food) - all of it was wonderful. Then of course there was Paris, the most wonderful city in the world - in my humble opinion.

The next most favorite city would be a toss-up between Berlin and Budapest, I loved every minute of my time in both of those cities, even though it was during the heat of July (couple of days in Budapest hit 100 degrees F). I would have liked cooler weather but you get what you get. It didn't deter me from seeing and doing what I wanted to.

My husband and I are nearly 61 and have traveled exclusively on our own in Europe; many, many destinations are not difficult to do without a tour. Economizing? Go of the off season when you can not only land hotel rooms less expensively but enjoy fewer other bodies to deal with. You may have to put up with some chilly weather but if it saves enough to get you on the next trip a little sooner, it can be well worth it.

All tourist cities offer off-the-beaten corners so you can enjoy both the main attractions and the quieter spots too; all that takes is some research. There is usually a very good reason the most-visited attractions draw the crowds that they do!

That said, Italy has have been our favorite so far for the wealth of history, art (!!!) and architecture. We haven't devoted a lot of time to music (and we met as music majors in college) but there have been enough great street performers to keep us happy there. It's an easy country to get around by public transit, and train tickets do not have to be expensive.

I'll also throw Belgium out there: a very pleasant surprise for both of us. Brussels didn't really do it for us but we loved Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, and will be back to explore more of the country. Again, lots of art - although a bit different than Italy's - architecture and history.

Just in case you have not seen Athens, it is inexpensive, and the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum are stupendous. It's about $100/person from Athens to Vienna (as suggested above) via Austrian Air.

My husband and I are 10 -15 years older than you. We travel independently to Europe every year. Last year we were in Vienna for a week and liked it so much, we're heading back there this year. We had an apartment for under $100/night, in a building with an elevator, just two u-bahn stops from the center. In fact, we could have walked, but I wanted to save my energy. We made our own breakfasts and usually ate only one meal out. Vienna has incredible art and architecture, as well as being a hub for music. I highly recommend it for you.

Of course Vienna , Budapest , Berlin , add Munich -- not to mention Paris and London . My wife and I are 65 and 70 , respectively . I spent my working career as a professional classical musician ( bassoonist ) in New York City . Weaving art , music , culture and history is , for us , our raison d'etre . So much out there , so little time ! We will return to Munich and Vienna this Autumn . An often overlooked destination , particularly for you , is St Petersburg , It's all there in Spades .

For all the Vienna lovers , you MUST !!! watch this - https://youtu.be/AFZBOTgL_Hk

If you decide for Budapest, Vienna, Berlin add Prague especially because you have love of european history and cultures. Prague will be on your way from Vienna to Berlin. Prague was a capital of Holy Roman Empire under the King Charles IV and also under Rudolf II. Especially two medieval neighborhoods are stunning. Prague and Budapest are also great eye candies.

I too would suggest doing an in depth tour of Italy, as there's so much architecture, art, food and history that's taken place there.
I also love Budapest-Vienna-Prague-Dresden-Berlin as an option.
All of the above are very easily reached by trains from place to place.

"Age ain't nothin' but a number" (an old blues song). Seriously, though, just go wherever you like. We are close to your age, and while I am not about to climb Mt. Everest, there are a million other places I would love to go, and as long as I can walk, I will go!

I read the word "manageable" as referring to budget, not mobility or activity level. As retires on a fixed income, they have lots of time but less money to spend. The way we address this in our European travels is by staying longer in one place and exploring it in depth. Apartments are much cheaper than hotels, especially when you cook for yourselves rather than dining out. Shopping in the local markets becomes a cultural experience in itself. And by cutting down on intercity travel you spend much less on train tickets or other transport.

Three days after my retirement we hopped on a plane for Europe. Our goal was Venice, where we rented an apartment for a month. But we flew into Berlin and explored a bit of Germany on the was, since my husband had never been. We bought our train tickets well in advance and they were very inexpensive. In Venice we enjoyed shopping at the Rialto fish and vegetable markets each morning ( except the few days the fish market does not open). We walked all over to explore the city, reading about the history as we went. We splurged on opera tickets as La Fenice had recently re-opened after the fire. Most days we spent nothing other than what we needed for food (and wine). It was a wonderful month.

So pick a city you love and start looking at apartments. Go during the off season since you are no longer tied to school schedules. October still has nice weather in much of Europe; April and May are nice as well. consider signing up for a frequent flyer program and learn how to earn miles so you can fly for less.

Now go have fun.

Why not consider a country that is beautiful, full of art and culture and also very easy on the pocketbook since they still use their own currency? Poland is all that and as I and others on this site have noticed, as yet not wildly popular with the entire world so a much more enjoyable experience overall. Vienna and Budapest are mentioned many times for good reason, too--Budapest is still relatively inexpensive but Vienna not so much.

"I read the word "manageable" as referring to budget, not mobility or activity level. As retires on a fixed income, they have lots of time but less money to spend."

Funny that you should read the term this way Lola. I'm also a retiree on a fixed income so I guess I should have read it that way too but I didn't. Since the OP didn't say what they meant by 'manageable' I assumed it to mean the relative ease of researching, handling the logistics of lodgings and transportation, etc on your own vs taking a tour. I guess if the OP didn't explain what they meant by manageable it was open to interpretation. But, however you interpret the term, it's all manageable with proper planning and budgeting.

It's funny how many people mention Berlin, Vienna and Prague, but forget the region between Berlin and Prague, where Heinrich Schütz, Johann Sebastian Bach, Carl Maria von Weber, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt lived and worked, and the Thomanerchor, the Kreuzchor and the Staatskapelle Dresden (world's oldest orchestra) come from. :D

As many of the above: Vienna should be high, very high on your list of priorities. I always thought about it a stuffy place, until I visited it some ten, twelve years ago. It is worth a visit only for its creative explosion around 1900. Following the architecture of Otto Wagner - with the Kirche am Steinhof as my favourite - can keep you busy for one or two days. The Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) has an extensive collection of that other icon of modernity: the Wiener Werkstätte. Unique are the social housing projects of the 1920s, with the Karl-Marx-Hof and the Rabenhof. The Military History Museum (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum) and the Imperial Furniture Collection (Hofmobiliendepot) are undervisited monuments to the old Imperial days. Melk is worth a day trip for its baroque monastery and Eisenstadt, a few kilometers from the Hungarian border, for the Esterhazy Palace with its associations with Joseph Haydn.

To add to Martin's recommendation of Dresden where one of my favorite art museums is located, the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. World class Italian and northern Renaissance paintings from the best of the best in beautifully restored museum.

I tend to go to the unique and less spoiled destinations in Eastern Europe with the see it now before it changes forever attitude. I went to Rome in the 70’s and again 30 years later and both times it was essentially the same. I don’t think will be true with Eastern Europe so I am trying to get to as much of it as I can before it looks like Western Europe and costs as much as Western Europe.

As Mona said, since you say you love music, art and history and are budget conscious I'd like to suggest Budapest as a good fall/winter destination when the music scene is at its peak. Vienna is good too, but a bit more expensive.

For me the prettiest time to be in that region is between 15 September and 15 October. The weather is at its best and as noted the theaters and concert halls are up and rolling. But even Christmas is good with the markets and the concerts and theaters.

And yes, Apartments are pretty economical and can save you a lot over an equivalent hotel room, but apartment or hotel, what is most important is location so you are immersed in the culture and the beauty day and night.

The most common two week tour is Prague, Vienna and Budapest. With a bit more time you can throw in Cesky Krumlov and Melk and Gyor so you see the small and the large. Or if you want an experience of a life time combine Budapest with Romania or Bulgaria or Slovakia. All great destinations with loves for music and culture and nature; and lower cost than Western Europe.

And all very manageable for anyone of any age.