Going Solo

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Such precautions should not daunt the traveler-to-be. Dolores Priem still gets a frisson of excitement when she recalls her visit to Morocco in the '70s. "In Tangier, I had a profound awareness of being completely removed from Western civilization. It was like stepping back in time 1,000 years. It was a very powerful sensation, because I wasn't distracted by fellow Western travelers." Indeed, many singles extol the advantages of immersing themselves in another culture, without the comments or presence of a companion to dilute the experience.

At the same time, it is wise to guard against the predations of pickpockets and con men. Try to dress so that you blend in with the locals. Fanny packs may be handy, and white athletic shoes may be what you wear at home, but single-travel expert Wingler says both are like neon signs announcing your tourist status. They may make you a victim waiting to be scammed. Don't carry anything valuable, and don't wear gold.

Packing light is key. "No one's going to see you every day, so you don't need as many clothes, and it's important to be able to manage your own luggage," says Berman. "Travel is not a fashion show," adds Phyllis Stoller, a longtime solo traveler and president of the Women's Travel Club, which organizes package tours for women. Carry only what's necessary for your day's outing in a front or inside pocket or in a shoulder bag that fits securely under your arm. Or try out one of the wide array of devices available now in travel catalogs, including money belts that zip on the inside, document holsters that fit beneath a jacket, slips that have zippered hems.

Experts say the best travel bargain is not cheap airfare or a cut-rate hotel room but rather a good guidebook with up-to-date street maps and tips about local ripoffs that target tourists. Plot your day's itinerary in advance, so you know where you're going and how to get there. Don't assume you're safe because you're in a crowd; the bustle and confusion surrounding ticket lines at tourist sites simplify a thief's job. Finally, pace yourself. Travelers tend to relax their vigilance when they're exhausted.

Through all the ups and downs of your journey, it's important to maintain a spirit of adventure--though not everyone will be able to match Bernice Price's pluck. Several years ago, the Rome apartment she was staying in was burglarized. She wanted to move out but became engaged in a battle with the landlord before she was able to obtain a partial refund of the rent she'd prepaid. Rather than let the mishap ruin her stay, she savored the drama it provided. "It was exciting because I had to face so many issues," she says. "It was like an Italian tragicomedy." Two years ago in London, she came down with the flu and was referred to a local physician, who turned out to be a homeopathic practitioner. Some Americans might have been aghast. Not Bernice. She underwent treatment, which was effective if unorthodox, and relishes recounting the tale: "It was fascinating. It really added to the trip."

Experts advise wistful, would-be wanderers to build up their travel muscles by degrees. Start out by having a meal alone at a local restaurant. Then try a day trip to another town or city, visiting the sights and eating lunch and dinner there. After that, take a group tour to a more distant destination, and arrange to spend a few days at the end traveling alone. The next time you get the travel bug, you may feel ready to skip the tour entirely and head off on your own.

Single seniors who long to travel but want to share the expenses and experiences should consider joining the Travel Companion Exchange. This highly regarded service uses in-depth personal profiles to match up like-minded travelers within its active database of 2,500 members. But if you're a single who treasures your unmarried state, beware. TCE is so skilled at creating compatible pairings that at least 800 of its 16,000 clients since 1982 have become permanent partners. Neither Sherry Winder, 60, a divorced ice-skating teacher from Arlington, Va., nor David Cook, 64, a divorced computer programmer from Colorado Springs, Colo., had any desire to remarry. Both stated in their TCE profiles that they were willing to share a room with a member of the opposite sex but sought platonic relationships only--separate beds, please. Alas, the two were wed Sept. 1, after traveling together to Yellowstone, the Netherlands and London.