Going solo Find adventure, friends and fun while traveling alone
A Santiago, Chile, tour guide takes the author’s picture with the city in the background.
By Marilyn Jones
I never thought I would travel alone, but as a single retired woman I soon realized if I was going to travel, I wasn’t always going to have a companion. In the last four years I’ve taken numerous road trips and traveled all over the world alone. This is what I learned along the way. Tours
Whether you are in Alabama, somewhere else in the United States or traveling internationally, one of the best ways to get to know a location is on a tour. You’ll be accompanied by a knowledgeable guide. You are also surrounded by a group of other like-minded travelers and, especially in big cities and foreign countries, you are safer.
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In a city, of course, your tour lasts a few hours and always a good idea in unfamiliar surroundings. But what I am referring to is a tour over several days or weeks. I have been on several tours all over the world. I always come back home with new friends, great memories and the desire to go again. After deciding where you want to go, investigate. Check out several tour com-
panies. Do you have friends who used a specific tour company? There are also usually customer reviews. This is a good indicator of many aspects of a tour — good and bad. Compare price points. Does the tour include air? What is the activity level? How many people on the tour? Smaller is better. You can find all this out on the internet or at a travel agency. www.alabamaliving.coop