Did you know that more older adults travel solo internationally during the winter holidays? According to Road Scholar, in 2019, 38% of travelers on Road Scholar international holiday programs were solos.
Check out current winter travel tours with Road Scholar here.
Now that people are traveling again, solo travel for seniors is popular again, particularly for women.
I am a fan of winter travel and have taken several trips to Europe during the winter months. They included Italy, Spain, Poland, and other spots in the Mediterranean.
Traveling abroad during the off-season has many advantages. There are fewer crowds, better personal service, and less heat, and you can observe holiday traditions from other countries, which are often gorgeous and festive.
I interviewed Kelsey Perri from Road Scholar about solo traveling during winter and why you might want to take a Road Scholar tour.
Watch my video with Kelsey below.
Highlights from our conversation
About Road Scholar
Road Scholar was founded in 1975 as Elder Hostel. It has always been a non-profit and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. Older adults would stay in campus dorms when school was not in session to attend lectures. The company evolved into an educational travel company.
Tours are a combination of classroom learning and experiential learning out in the field. You might do a lecture in the hotel conference room in the morning and then take a walking tour of old Prague afterward.
Road Scholar has always served older adults. The average age of its travelers is 72 years old. However, it serves people in their 50s up to 100s.
2/3rds of Road Scholar participants are Baby Boomers, but it is now serving three generations as GenXrs are booking trips as well.
70% of Road Scholars are women. 30% are solo travelers and most of them are women. A significant percentage of Road Scholar travelers are retired educators. Most come from the U.S.A. and are English-speaking but there are some international travelers too.
Road Scholar developed virtual programming during the pandemic and has continued to offer it for people who cannot physically travel. The company also has a Grandparent program where grandparents and kids participate.
Popular winter travel destinations
Italy is popular all year round but especially in winter as the weather is mild. Other Mediterranean locations are also popular and less expensive to travel than during peak seasons.
Another great winter travel location is Costa Rica. Winter in Costa Rica is the country’s busy season so it’s busier, but the weather is fabulous. Kelsey suggests Thanksgiving in Costa Rica because it is just before the busiest season and the weather is still good.
France and Ireland and African Safaris are also popular. There are programs in over 100 countries and all 50 states.
In the U.S., the National Parks programs are the most popular. Road Scholar also has a collection called Signature Cities where you go to one iconic city and spend 6 days and 5 nights there. This allows you to take a deep dive into that city’s local history, heritage, and cuisine.
Road Scholar does multiple city tours, small cruise ships, and other options for learning and travel.
How Road Scholar programs work
When you enroll in a Road Scholar program, the cost includes everything involved including accommodations, food, learning, field trips, medical insurance, taxes, and tips. The group leader takes care of all logistics, including museum tickets, and assures everyone is where they are supposed to be, etc.
Most Road Scholar trips do not include airfare, but the company has an airfare department that can book flights and provide airport transfers.
All instructors are experts in their field. The might be a museum docent, a lobster boat captain, an organic wine maker, or other local experts.
Traveling solo with Road Scholar
The biggest challenge with solo travel is the single supplement that hotels and cruises charge which is often unavoidable. Because Road Scholar is a non-profit, they do not charge any more for a single supplement than the hotel charges them. The company also has a collection of programs with no single supplement.
It also has a unique roommate matching opportunity if you choose to have a roommate to avoid the single supplement.
Many participants who travel solo with Road Scholar meet people and become good friends. Often these friends take more trips where they room together.
Many women travel solo without their spouses
Many women on Road Scholar trips travel solo with their spouses. When surveyed, the number one reason is because their spouse is not interested in travel.
Baby Boomer women tend to be more independent, are highly educated, and have had successful careers. It’s also become more acceptable for married women to travel solo.
Read my post about Suzanne Maggio, a married woman who walked the Camino in Spain and two other long walks solo.
Looks very interesting. My husband finds traveling tough and I’ve looked into going with a group of women somewhere. Someday!
Steve and I have been on several Road Scholar programs in the US and overseas and loved all of them. I have travelled with girlfriends, but so far never on a trip solo.