Tips for Enjoying Traveling without a Companion

My Travel History

Before my husband discovered he had Alzheimer’s, we traveled frequently with our adult daughter.  We had wonderful experiences in Japan, China, Russia, and Europe. However, as my husband’s Alzheimer’s progressed, traveling was a challenge for him. For a while, we could travel out of state to visit our daughters and grandchildren, but even that became too much for him. Traveling is all about new places and new experiences, and Alzheimer’s patients need the opposite—regularity and predictability.

After my husband died, I decided I wanted to travel again, but then along came the pandemic and the quick demise of that plan.

Finally, when the worst of the pandemic was over, I decided in 2023 to travel again, but then I faced a challenge. I had never traveled internationally without a companion for over 50 years. However, I decided to take the plunge and do exactly that. Since that decision, I have made 3 trips. The first was a river trip from Prague to Berlin; the next was another river/train trip from Amsterdam to Zurich, and the last was a land/sea trip from the French Riviera to Tuscany. I loved all of these trips and even made discoveries about myself and about traveling. Hopefully, this article will help you in your journey. Although your decisions may be different than mine, I believe the decisions I faced will be helpful.

Selecting the Trip

Domestic versus International Travel: Individual versus Group

When I travel domestically, I prefer to travel without a group. I know the language and have been to most of the places. I don’t need guidance. I also like having no schedule. When I am in New York City, I can wake up when I like, eat wherever and whatever I like, stay as long as I wish at the Met, attend the plays I like, and most importantly, spend whatever I like on hotels and restaurants without having to worry about someone else’s budget. Also, I like to use my points on United and Marriott; a companion may have different points and understandably wish to use theirs.

Internationally is an entirely different story. I don’t know the language, the hotels, the activities, or the restaurants.  Of course, I could devour travel books but could never be sure whether to trust them. Most importantly, I don’t want the hassle of booking hotels, restaurants, and excursions in countries where I don’t speak the language, even with the advice of a travel agent. Hence, for me, one important advantage of a group is that it is pre-arranged. All I must do is sign up with the group and book my airline tickets.

Kind of Group

Once I decide to travel with a group, I need to decide the kind of group. There are numerous cruise lines, airlines, and increasingly fewer travel agents that arrange group trips. I chose university trips. My experience with university trips is that they attract travelers who are genuinely interested in understanding the history and culture of the countries visited. I enjoy the lectures by professors whose teaching and research are focused on the countries. These professors visit the sites as we do and provide wonderful insights that they uniquely have. One of my most interesting early experiences with university trips was visiting a school and a home in China, made possible solely by the fact that one of the university’s graduates lived in China and was willing to arrange the visits. In addition, university trips are paired with other universities or groups with like-minded individuals. We all have in common that we are less interested in eating and drinking and more interested in learning. As a result, I enjoy being with my fellow travelers.

Size of Group

On one of the earlier trips with my husband and daughter, we traveled on a large ship. Once was enough. Since then, I have tried to find trips with 100 or fewer travelers. Boarding and leaving the ship are much faster. It is also easier to actually see exhibits if there are no hordes of travelers with you.

Ship versus Land

I prefer ships to land, and my preference was reinforced this year when I traveled by bus and train for only part of the trip. On ships, I only have to unpack once unless I take a pre- or post-excursion option. Eating is much simpler on a ship. What I lose in diversity, I gain in predictability and in not having to worry about finding a restaurant and making a reservation. As a single traveler, at my age, I am not interested in traipsing through dark or busy sidewalks to get to the restaurant, not to mention navigating so I won’t get lost. Finally, on a ship, I can more easily get to know my fellow travelers, and that is the icing on my travel cake. We are all together at lectures, three meals, and occasionally entertainment, and more willing to share our joys and travails with others.

Places to Visit

I like to travel to places I have never seen. That is the reason I selected Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, Zurich, and the French and Italian rivieras. I may return to old favorites, such as Paris and London, but I’m not ready for that yet.

Meals

I prefer trips where most of the meals are already arranged. However, it is a treat if one or two are not.  On our China trip, the professor, who had been to Beijing many times, took us to a local Chinese restaurant where we were the only diners who were not Chinese. The food was amazing, and the experience was unbelievable. When I was in Cannes, a fellow traveler suggested that six of us explore an area where he had roamed 30 years ago that then was known for small, local restaurants. We found the area and had a grand time. On the whole, though, when traveling alone, unless I find others who want to explore, I would rather eat on the ship.

Excursions

I prefer trips that have two or three excursions from which I can choose. Not only will that make the group smaller, I can select the excursion that most appeals to me and avoid the ones that do not.

Single Supplement

I prefer to travel alone and do not wish to share a small room on a ship. That means I must pay the dreaded, and often expensive, single supplement. The choices of rooms are also fewer and less desirable than those for two persons traveling together. Those disadvantages, in my experience, are more pronounced on a ship than on land but are totally worth having my own room.

Tips for Improving the Experience of Traveling without a Companion

1. True for all travel, immediately fight jet lag and adjust to the new country. I am brutal. I do not sleep on the plane for longer than 2 hours, and I do not sleep when I arrive until it is bedtime in the country I am visiting.
2. Early in the trip, initiate conversations with your fellow travelers. They are as anxious as you are to meet new people but may be less motivated to approach a single woman.
3. Do not befriend only a few people and expect to spend all your time with them. 
4. Get to know as many of your fellow travelers as you can. You may be surprised at how interesting they are.
5. Just say no. There is no golden rule that requires you to go on every excursion. I typically skip one morning or afternoon. 
6. Stay hydrated and eat regular meals.
7. Do not get too tired because that is when you will get sick.
8. Pack as little as possible. Clothes can be worn more than once or washed in the sink.
9. Carry on your luggage. Then you know, when you arrive, your luggage will be with you.
10. Put all your cosmetics and pills in small containers to maximize space in your luggage.
11. Pack clothes that have pockets for your water bottle.
12. Wear your passport, credit cards, and money around your neck at all times.
13. Do NOT trust safes with your passport.
14. If the ship or hotel has laundry facilities, use them. That is expensive but better than checking luggage.
15. Get currency for the country in which you are traveling. In my experience, credit cards usually work, but you will need cash for tips, small souvenirs, snacks, and restrooms in some venues.
16. Buy things you can use and not tourist junk. For example, I purchased a leather jacket and wine in Tuscany and, very important, had them shipped to me. Believe me, your grandchildren do not need another shirt.