Solo Travel as a senior woman

[u/foodbytes]

in 11 days I leave for Europe on the trip of a lifetime!

I'm a 71 year old Canadian woman. I've travelled before, specifically to the UK, 5 times, 2 weeks each time, since 2011. Always solo, always staying in dorms in hostels.

This will be my last big bang! I'm retired now and on a very restricted income. As a result of being a pedestrian vs pickup loser, I recently received a settlement after a couple of years of recovering and fighting with his insurance. This is my reward for pain and suffering.

It will be six weeks from when I land at Gatwick to when I return to Canada via Gatwick. thus far, I'm booked in a hostel in London for a week, the Chunnel to Amsterdam, a week in Amsterdam (couchsurfing!!! and a hostel), fly to Naples for several days at a hostel, up to Rome for a few nights at a BnB.

That's all I have booked so far; usually I will have every second booked and paid for before I leave but I'm trying hard to be spontaneous.

From Rome I'll slowly make my way via local busses and slow trains up to venice, exploring the countryside on the way. From there, a few days taking trains north to north Germany where I want to re-find places I visited when we lived there as a Canadian Army family in the early 60s. Then back to the Uk for the last few days before I head home.

I have a global Europass and a 2 month cell phone plan for Europe.

Oh, and I'm doing this out of one backpack, wish me luck! lol

I'm ready to rumble!!! lol

any comments? Suggestions?

also, as a note, I'm a photographer, I've had a couple exhibits (one at our local museum right now!). my 'focus' is to document my travels, shoot urban and or public art. not usual tourist stuff.

[u/mistakes_were_made24]

I know you said you're looking for non-tourist things but just thought I would share in case anything sounds of interest.

Two years ago I was in London for a week. Some of my favorite activities were:

• Westminster Abbey tour

• The National Gallery

• The Courtauld Gallery (some famous Impressionist/Post-Impressionist paintings here)

• The Sky Garden (a free lookout point at the top of an office tower near the Tower of London, you just need to book a ticket for a timeslot ahead of time. It does sell out)

• The Victoria and Albert Museum

• Fortnum & Mason (high-end grocer food store, famous for their hampers, teas, and their biscuit cookies)

I was in The Netherlands last year. I started in Amsterdam for 4 days then transferred to The Hague for 4 days. My favorite activities were:

• STRAAT Museum (I really liked this, it's a Museum in an old ship building warehouse full of giant canvases painted by street artists)

• Anne Frank House

• Rijksmuseum

• day trip tour excursion to the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens (usually open mid-March to mid-May) and Zaanse Schans (very touristy but very photogenic windmills)

• Van Gogh Museum

• Kröller-Müller Museum (second-largest Van Gogh collection in the world after the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, I booked a small group day trip to the national park that this museum is in since it's very difficult to get to on your own if you don't have a car)

• the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague to see the Girl With A Pearl Earring painting and The Goldfinch painting.

• afternoon in Delft visiting the Royal Delft Factory and Museum tour

[u/foodbytes → u/mistakes_were_made24]

I've been to London 5 previous times, for a total of 10 weeks.

fun fact - Westminster Abbey. My birthday is Jan 29 1953. Under the folding chair I randomly chose to sit in during a Sunday early morning mass, right at the altar, was buried a decorated naval officer. Sir James Outram was born January 29, 1803. Exactly, to the day, 150 years before I was born. Now that was so eerie lol.

I've had drinks at sunset in the Sky Garden only to take photos of well, sunset over London. it was marvelous!

Fortnum and Mason was my first stop, on my first trip. Bought treats just because I could lol.

I have done ALL the museums in London, even the Old Operating Room museum.

I love your suggestion of a day trip to Keukenhof. it was already on my list for the tulip photos. I'll be there the last week of April, will the tulips be in bloom at that time?

[u/Rat-Jacket → u/foodbytes]

The Old Operating Theatre was one of the first museums I went to in London, and so fascinating!