Tag Archives: Solo Vacation Over Fifty

Going Solo Behind the Wheel: Your First Driving Adventure

I imagined winding through Tuscany in a convertible with the top down, a scarf around windblown hair, past hill towns, vineyards, and down lanes lined by tall cypress trees.  Reality was that my first driving abroad did wind through the Tuscan hills but in a Ford Escort wearing a hoodie with my nervous and reluctant parents in the back seat.

It was still great!  Having a car let our family explore the countryside with freedom and see places on country roads that a train could never reach. And we felt more a part of the life of the community and countryside.

When I began to take trips on my own, driving alone seemed out of reach. It took a while to build my confidence to set out in my own wheels – but when I did it was spectacular.  This isn’t about the technical how-to of driving but about how you can feel confident and enjoy a solo driving trip if you like the idea.

I started in Iceland which was surprisingly ideal. For one, it seemed to be a necessity.  There isn’t a train system and many of the sites are not within towns or cities. It’s an easy start to driving on your own – the traffic is light and for my itinerary, it was mainly rural driving and…all on the right side of the road.   

My plane landed in the early morning at Keflavik. I rented my car and loaded my bag…and realized it was incredibly windy and dark. It’s ok to take a minute so I decided going right back inside for a bit of breakfast was a good plan. As the sun rose, I took off for my hotel at the Blue Lagoon, near the airport.

The highlight of the Icelandic driving trip for me was waking before dawn (which wasn’t challenging in November) and driving through the starlit morning to see the sun rise over the glacial lagoon, Jökulsárlón.

What about that confidence? Before I set off, I considered those worries and faced them head on. I knew that here the actual driving was much like home. The car and the roads were familiar but what was the concern?  The evening before, I had a long talk with the hotel staff. Was it safe to be on the road before dawn (well, yes, most working people are in winter), what should I do if I had a breakdown? Were the gas stations manned? I got good and reassuring information, an offer of breakfast box, and set my alarm.

At Jökulsárlón, I pulled into the small lot just before the sun broke the horizon at about 10 a.m.  I was there with a hearty group of fellow travelers and watched the light hit the blue ice for the first time that day and walked along the volcanic black sand in the morning mist.  Many of us decamped to a travel center/gas station and had the best waffles in the world.

Driving back to the hotel, I had a surge of joy in being on the road in such a beautiful landscape and feeling that I was a confident citizen of the world.  And glad I was at ease with a stick shift.

Since then, I’ve built my confidence to drive in Scotland, Ireland, Mallorca, and again in Italy. There are great car rental places abroad, some with names you know. Do read up on how the insurance works. Your credit card may provide insurance if you follow their guidelines. Know that the same rental chain or credit card may have different rules depending on the country you visit.  It just takes a little online reading and research.  Here are a few tips that work for me.

What I Learned

Where to start is important. If your trip begins in a major city, enjoy the public transportation then take a train or subway to a rental office outside the urban area to rent your car and start your drive.  For example, leave Dublin on the DART train and rent in Dun Laoghaire.  It’s a calmer start and easier return.

Rent the smallest car you can. You may be graciously offered an “upgrade” to a larger car.  Insist if you can on the car you chose – easier to park, navigate narrow country lanes, and keep fuel costs lower.

Watch some of the online videos about driving in your area. It’s oddly useful to watch a video from behind the wheel.

Print out your map and directions even though you’ll likely depend on GPS.  I use my phone now just like I do when I’m home but sometimes your connection can cause a little delay, or you may lose your connection.  It’s good backup!

Learn the street and highway signs before you go even if you know the language of the area. Some are just icons and shapes and colors.  Seriously do this homework and you’ll feel like a pro.

Always fill up or top off your tank when you see a station. Why not? It’s an easy stress relief.

Breathe. Pack snacks. If you love to drive, the freedom of your own wheels is exhilerating.

Paris in a Day

A wonderful singer songwriter, Ellis Paul, wrote a song, “Paris in a Day. Paris in a Day. Only an American would do Paris in a Day.” And yet!

I had a plan to see Carcassonne and Mont Ste. Michel, using Paris as my home base, flying in for an overnight, training down to see MSM, back to Paris for a wonderful day, then back south to Carcassonne. It made my in-between, full and lovely day in The City of Light very special, like a gem in a setting. Paris wasn’t the purpose of the trip so the day was the vacation from the vacation, no lists, no rules, no expectations.

Sunshine, gracious not glaring, a light breeze, the crunch of gravel under the blooming horse chestnut trees. The sound of distant chatter from a tour boat on the Seine.

Nowhere to be but here.

Shouldn’t every trip have at least one unplanned day to wander? An absolutely unscheduled day that lets you tap into the joy of the traveler. As a type-A traveler, I set challenges, have lists, and push to the next summit.  I can lose the joy before I realize it.

Once, with a whole week to spend in a beautiful city, full of places to be and sights to see, it struck me. This used to be more fun.  My travel lust started at fourteen on a fantastic 16-day trip from London to Lucerne. I still have whole sections of the brochure memorized.  Though I might not feel the same way today as I did then, walking out of the hotel, luggage whisked away and boarding the bus meant anything could happen. I just had to show up.  (The smell of bus fumes in a city still inspire a feeling of possibility and mystery – odd, but true.)

As I stood in the street that day, in that city, I changed my plan.  I had a list of three obscure museums that the average traveler would not find and an address for a great authentic lunch.  I ditched the plan. How could I reclaim that feeling of the naive traveler wandering through the day like a theme park of history and art?  When all else fails, go to the train station.

From the train station, a joyous line of day-trippers was pouring into the streets. Hawkers were selling souvenirs, ice cream and expensive Cokes. I got a $4 Coke Light and joined the crowd. I felt it edging back in – JOY! You could almost hear carnival music.

Wondering with the crowd, I landed in a neighborhood that had eluded me the day before with my map and my list.  There it was – a perfect accident.  I broke my rules and ate in a restaurant with a menu in four languages.  The food was adequate but the people-watching was stellar.

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It was the ultimate day off amid a vacation.  So, back to Paris and the horse chestnut trees.

On this morning, I bought a pastry on the corner and started a slow ramble along the Champs de Mars. Following a bustle of activity, I watched with the crowd as three military helicopters landed like very dusty dragonflies. (We agreed, the crowd and I, that this was either very interesting or very bad.) Then, from far down the park, we heard the jingle of bridles and the most amazing equestrian parade appeared.

A visiting dignitary had apparently arrived and was whisked into L’Ecole Militaire. Soon after, they emerged once more, were bundled into a motorcade, and traveled down the boulevard with brilliantly uniformed riders before, after, and alongside the cars.

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It was spectacular.

And then they were gone, and I continued my stroll. What next?

I like problem-solving and gain great gratification from jumping hurdles and finding myself on the train after a tricky connection or achieving that elusive sunset view at the very right moment.

It is, though, a balance to maintain – the combination of great feats and achieving a purpose and just strolling with a camera and ice cream.  That day in Paris I wore a dress that I almost gave away. “At my age,” I thought, “this dress would only work walking along the Seine in Paris with an ice cream cone.”  So I did and then left the dress for the next guest.