Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive
Most travel accommodations are priced for double occupancy. This works well for people who have a travel companion, whether it is a spouse or friend. For people who want to book rooms alone, the cost can be exorbitant. For example, a river cruise priced at under $2,000 per person for a double occupancy room, could cost over $3,300 for a single person occupying the same cabin alone. This makes it too expensive for many people to travel alone. However, some specialty tour companies, such as Wild Women Expeditions, Intrepid Travel, Exodus Travels and Adventure Travel, are helping single travelers by pairing them with other travelers who want to share a cabin, or by offering single accommodations for only a small additional fee.
Sign Up for a Tour or Cruise
While it can be exciting to travel completely alone, doing it through a tour company or on a cruise ship will give you more security and connect you with a group of other travelers to eat and chat with. This can help you feel more comfortable and less lonely. It can also be fun to share your adventures with other like-minded people.
Choose Safe Destinations
All travelers need to recognize the importance of checking the State Department website for travel advisories and warnings. We are fortunate, today, that we are able to find out important travel warnings with just a click on our computers.
The state department website can be found at:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
Tell Other People Where You are Going
Remember when you had teenagers and you asked them to let you know where they were going and how to reach them in an emergency? Today, your adult children or other family members will also worry if they do not know where you are or how to reach you. Give your itinerary to your family. Check in with them periodically by email or by using a free app on your phone such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messaging. These are free ways to send texts and you can also use WhatsApp to make video calls. Of course, you have to make sure you will have WiFi available during your trip.
If you register your trip with the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, they will notify you if something new comes up, such as a local political uprising, an approaching storm, or a serious increase in an epidemic, such as Covid. Make sure they know how to reach you.
Get Medical Emergency Travel Insurance
We have had several friends who had to end their trips prematurely because of an unexpected illness or injury. In each case, they had to spend time in a foreign hospital, and then arrange their own travel home. Before they were allowed to leave the foreign country, they had to pay the hospital bill in full. Typically, your Medicare plan will not cover any of these costs. Consequently, you will want to purchase a medical emergency travel plan which covers preexisting conditions, as well as the cost of having a friend or relative meet you at the foreign hospital, if possible. You will also want the insurance to cover the cost of evacuating you back to the United States as soon as you are able to travel.
Be Extra Careful About Venturing Out Alone at Night
While it is important to be vigilant and stick with your tour group during the day, it is especially important at night. Avoid getting drunk, which could make you much more vulnerable. Watch your drinks carefully, to minimize your risk of being drugged by a friendly stranger. Sign up for planned group trips to local night spots, restaurants, clubs and theaters. The tour group leaders will know the fun places to go, will have no trouble getting the necessary reservations or tickets, and will minimize the danger.
Look for Opportunities to Meet Local People
There are ways to protect yourself while still taking advantage of opportunities to meet local people. You may want to stay in a B&B or small hotel where you can meet other travelers. You can also arrange visits with local people through some of the websites listed below:
Meetup.com
Women Welcome Women World Wide
MamazSocialFood.com
EatWith.com
The last two sites allow you to book a meal with local hosts in their own homes in a number of countries around the world. You will get a home cooked meal and have the opportunity to meet local people.
Even when using these websites, it is a good idea to see if you can join a tour or put together a group of people who want to go together, so you are not traveling alone or spending time by yourself with strangers. Many tour companies can include an evening in the home of a local as part of their package. Ask about it when you book your tour.
It may also help if you take the time to learn a little of the language before you go. Using a program like Babbel (Ad) could help you learn enough of a language to be able to get around more easily while traveling. It will help you feel more confident about striking up a conversation or asking for directions, and increase the fun you will have.
Most importantly, do not give up on travel simply because you do not have a companion to go with you. Do some research, find a tour or cruise, keep an open mind, and have the time of your life!
Going on a cruise or a trip to a beach resort? Show your support of the ocean with this lovely tote bag.
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You are reading from the blog: http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com
Source of websites and statistics: AARP Bulletin, December 2019
Photo credit: Morguefile.com