6 Fears Female Travelers Over 50 May Have, and How to Overcome Them.

Fear and worry often hold us back from trying new things. Female travelers whether alone or not, over a certain age, tend to worry about similar things. Here are some of their biggest fears and some suggestions on how to overcome them.

1. Safety

The number one fear about traveling, amongst women my age, without doubt, is personal safety. This topic is huge and could probably warrant its own post, but I will try to cover most issues here succinctly.

Firstly, research your destinations. Choose places that you and your friend/s feel comfortable with. Keep up to date with National Travel authorities such as SMART Traveller here in Australia. If there is a destination that you really want to see, but the research has you a little worried, go with a tour group – reputable tour group with good security. For example, Egypt has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember but I was very worried about going especially with current tensions in the region. That’s why we did our research and went with Viking and I’m so glad we did!

I have asked my female friends and they commented frequently about a fear of being hurt or injured while overseas. The beauty of traveling at our age, is that we are less likely to do any high-risk activities that would likely lead to injuries…. but accidents do happen! Speaking from personal experience, I was involved in a fall (not my fault!) and fractured my arm while on a cruise in Croatia last year. My advice is to of course, make sure you have good travel insurance. Pay the little bit extra to cover things like cruises or moped riding if that is something you intend to do. You can also check which countries have reciprocal health care arrangements with your country, if you are overly concerned, or have an existing health condition.

I love using apps and technology to help store and organize itinerary and booking documents, but I am also a little bit old school. I like to have a hard copy of the very important documents in my onboard luggage somewhere. That way if anything happens to my phone or I am involved in an accident, I or my travel partner, will be able to access that information easily.

Postcards From Abroad is all about traveling with your besties, your mates. So, talk to each other before you go. Make it clear that you are looking out for one another. If one of you is having a big night, the other might take it a bit easy. Be aware of your surroundings and make sure you know the timetable for the last public transport service to get you back home at the end of the night. Share important details about where health insurance forms can be found, who to contact, and how, if one of you should be involved in an accident.

Lastly, I found joining online chat groups very helpful in answering questions you may have and offering suggestions that may help you overcome some fears you may have about where you are going. There are groups for each demographic, each destination, each style of vacation you are taking (hostel/budget, luxury, cruise etc). So, get connected and start planning!

2. Feeling guilty

This one is very particular to our age group I feel, especially if you are choosing to travel with your friend/s and leaving your partner or kids at home. We know it is nice to be needed, but ladies, we have earnt a bit of me time! When you get to our age, you have raised your kids, run a household and held down a job. Now it is your turn to focus a little on yourself. It’s not selfish, it’s self-care! I have traveled with my spouse and with my kids, and those trips were wonderful. But there is something special about traveling with your best friends that is good for the soul. Trips with my friends have been the best fun, the most healing and resulted in the best stories! Oh my God the stories, the laughter, I think I actually pee my pants laughing most trips!

Your family love you; they want you to feel joy. They know you deserve to spend time doing something that makes you happy. Besides, with all the technology available these days, your family will never be too far away – Facetime, WhatsApp…. will they even know you’re gone??

3. Feeling shy and insecure

Are you the type of person who leaves the organizing to your partner? They do most of the talking, ordering, buying? You may be feeling you won’t be able to get on without their assertiveness? A couple of suggestions here…. you could join a tour where most of the organizing is done for you, and you don’t have to worry about being the one to do the talking. Or, as I have been saying all along, go traveling with a friend who compensates for your shyness. If you are a little introverted, like me, chances are, your best friends are a little more extroverted. The yin to your yang! They will soon have you coming out of your shell.

4. Worried about work/career and money

The solution to this worry, is simply a little planning. If you are working full-time, like me, chances are you have clocked up a little long service leave by now. Use it! Tack it on to some annual leave if you need to, and away you go! You can even organize some leave on half-pay to stretch it out a little.

As for worrying about money while you are away, it’s always a good idea to have a little back up credit/debit card locked in your hotel safe just in case it is needed. You never know, you could lose your Travel money card, get pick pocketed or just have too much fun shopping and need emergency funds.

Slightly off topic, but another bit of advice is to track your luggage with an AirTag or similar. Nothing worse than losing your luggage, then finding out 3 days later that it was in the airport the whole time! An Airtag, won’t help you find your luggage if was never on your plane, but if it is in the airport, it will. Another post coming soon on packing tips for more information.

5. Worried you’re too old

You are never too old! Say it with me…. YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD! Choose a destination and activities that you enjoy doing and are able to do without too much trouble. Join a guided tour group if you need help with certain aspects of the trip. On a recent small cruise, the age of the guests varied from 20 somethings to the oldest guests perhaps in their 70’s. We all had the absolute best time and I loved spending time with each and every one of them. Age is just a number, and I can tell you, that 70-year-old, was out snorkeling and swimming while the rest of us just looked on in admiration. While I’m at it, pack that bikini woman! Don’t tell me you’re too old. One thing traveling has taught me, is that no-one cares! In Europe, pretty sure I was the only one on the beach in a one-piece swimsuit. I am over 50 and now I always pack a bikini in case I feel the urge. Do and wear whatever you feel comfortable in.

6. Worried you’ll never want to come home!

Valid ….. why would you want to? Just stay! 😂

Seriously, it is always nice to come home and it’s nice to be missed by the ones you’ve been apart from. If, like me, however, you have seriously itchy feet, then the solution is simple. Start planning your next trip! Having something to look forward to helps ease the pain of back to work-a-day life.

Need some inspiration on where to go next? I know a good travel blog for that ….. 😉