Sunday, 21 November 2010

How to Make It As a Solo Mature Traveler

How to Make It As a Solo Mature Traveler



Traveling alone can be daunting - but it doesn't have to be, whatever your age. A few simple precautions can set your mind at ease, and your feet towards that destination.

Steps

  1. Plan well before you go: make 2 copies of your important papers (passport, driver's license, credit cards). Give one set to someone for safekeeping back home, and take the other with you.
  2. Do plenty of research. Read destination guides, surf the web, join a forum - find out what you need to know about your destination including weather, terrain, health facilities, vaccines.
  3. Go see your doctor and get your prescriptions renewed, including eyeglasses. Make sure you're well covered by health and travel insurance.
  4. Agree 'check-in' times with friends and family - each day or each week. Also give them a bit of leeway. You don't want them to call out the army just because your bus is stuck in a traffic jam.
  5. Consider couch-surfing or other hospitality schemes. You'll be able to stay at people's homes for free, and get a peek into local life. And you'll have company, in case you don't feel like being on your own.
  6. Take it easy if you're in less than perfect health. Don't try to hike up Everest if you haven't been around the block since 1990. Choose your destination sensibly.
  7. If you're in the mood for company, stay in a hostel - they're not just for 'youth' anymore. The lobby is always full of travelers exchanging travel tales - and looking for new friends.
  8. Leave your age behind. On the road, no one really cares. People just want to know where you're going, and where you've been.

Tips

  • If you're traveling far from home or to a rural or distant destination, make sure your medical insurance covers repatriation so you can be flown back home if needed.
  • Get a backpack with wheels. You can lift it if you're in the mood but you'll also be able to pull it behind you if you're tired.
  • Take plenty of fun and useful safety gadgets on your trip. A plain rubber doorstop is as good as a lock any day. And a money belt around your waist is a better place to keep your money than in a bag over your shoulder, that can easily be stolen.
  • In your hotel, get a low floor in case of fire, and memorize the way to the fire exit. And keep a flashlight by your bed.
  • Make sure you keep age identification handy. In many places, you can get discounts on transport and museums after retirement.

Warnings

  • Be sensible. Don't act differently than you would at home. Dress casually but modestly, don't flash any money around, and don't tell the world you're by yourself - unless you know the person you're talking to.

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