Make your over-50 solo trip fabulous by traveling with a theme. Turn your trip into your hobby, be curious about the history and art in the places you visit, and incorporate your passions into your travels. A trip planned around your interests is going to be a lot more exciting.
How to plan a trip with a theme
Turn your travels into a research trip. Do you love archeology? Go to a place where you can visit sites such as Skara Brae in Orkney, Scotland.
Is painting your thing? Plan a painting vacation and join a week-long course in Spain or France or create your own plans.
Maybe cooking is what interests you. Join a cooking class in Italy! YUM!
Have you thought of going on a photo trip? You can do part of the trip alone and the second half can be with a National Geographic photographer!
My solo trip to Glastonbury in Somerset had several themes: King Arthur’s legend, lay lines, the Chalice Well, and lovely walks.
When you design your trip with a theme, Make sure you make it about you!
My trip was about discovering Somerset’s myth and history. I wanted to meet people, photograph, go on day trips, and get to know more towns in the area. I even visited a local tattoo studio to explore its friendly and hygienic environment.
I loved the idea of traveling with a theme and adopted it for many other trips, such as the one to Lindisfarne and my trip to Paris to see the famous Paris Photo Exhibit.
As soon as I arrived, I went to the Tourist Office to get general information about the area.
Get as much information as you can before traveling! Smaller towns are not always stacked with goodies and helpful staff.
I did not have a good experience at the Tourist Center in Glastonbury so now I do a lot of research before traveling.
I love any and all stories about King Arthur and was in awe of the epic novel The Mists of Avalon.
King Arthur is supposed to be resting at the Glastonbury Abby, so I knew that I had to visit the area. The famous chalice is supposed to be there, and there are so many stories about King Arthur.
I wanted to meet people, photograph, go on day trips, and get to know more towns in the area. Meeting locals was crucial to gain deeper insights into Glastonbury’s history and culture.
Somerset’s landscapes are vast and mystical. When you walk around Glastonbury, you will feel something- I don’t know what, but it does have a special energy.
It is a myth that you have to be alone all the time when you travel solo.
You will learn how to be alone, how to entertain yourself, how to eat out alone and you will also meet lots of other solo travelers and groups who will make your journey a blast! These groups provide camaraderie and shared experiences.
I have always liked to walk, but it was during this trip that I discovered my passion for it.
I took long and leisurely daily walks and stopped to take photos and sketch.
Traveling alone allowed me to savor the area and take my time with the views and sounds.
I didn’t have a schedule, and I didn’t need to be there for anyone. It was me and that vast sky.
My very first Airbnb stay was with Storm, her husband, and a pup. My friendly hostess was a warm, welcoming, beautiful person.
Storm and her husband were very kind, and they shared a lot of information about Somerset. They made my stay so special because I felt I was almost a local.
Wells is near Glastonbury, and after spending time at the Chalice Well and Tor, I had a need to see Stonehenge, so I spent a few nights in the medieval city of Salisbury.
Frome was another gorgeous small town I stayed in. I went on lovely walks, ate well, and had a fantastic Airbnb experience.
It turns out that Glastonbury is a fantastic base for staying in Somerset. I did not want to rent a car, and the public transportation was okay. However, many connections were “iffy,” and there were times I had long waits. The camera and my sketchbook entertained me during the long waits.
Traveling solo is all about being flexible, spontaneous, and enjoying imperfection.
The Chalice Well is about a 15-minute walk from downtown Glastonbury.
The well is at the bottom of the Tor, and legend says this is where the Island of Avalon was. The Chalice Well has an educational center that provides many workshops throughout the year.
The Holy Grail was believed to have been placed at the Chalice.
The Chalice is the female symbol, while the Tor is the male symbol.
The island of Avalon may have been located there.
I went there on different occasions and saw many groups of mystical women on their pilgrimage to the Chalice.
The Chalice Well was a fantastic place to go at the end of the day. The blooming flowers seemed to have a stronger aroma, there were many birds, and I enjoyed going from bench to bench to enjoy nature at its best.
The Chalice Well has an educational center where they teach essence workshops, energy fields, and other exciting things throughout the year.
The Tor is a gorgeous hill with the beautiful St. Michael’s Tower.
Many people come here on pilgrimages.
Legend says that this is King Arthur’s burial site.
The National Trust states that it’s thought that there is a hidden cave where you can go to the fairy realm of Annwn.
Gwynd ab Nudd, the Celtic lord of the underworld, lives in the cave with the cauldron of Rebirth.
The Holy Grail was supposed to have been brought here!
So… the Holy Grail was here and at the Chalice.
Hmmm. The thing about mythology is not to get attached to specifics and just enjoy the stories. I love mythology.
Tor is the male symbol.
Tor is about a 20-minute walk from the center of town.
There are several ways to get there. You can take a bus part of the way and then climb up, or you can walk all the way—and it’s a lovely walk!
You can make your hike up as challenging as you want.
The views are breathtaking, and it’s a fantastic place to sketch, photograph, meditate, and relive Avalon and its mysteries.
So much to see and learn about in Glastonbury.
Learn more about the Somerset area:
Myths and Legends for Chalice Well
It depends!
Be independent when you travel. Make sure you can carry all your things and don’t count on people helping.
I love the soft-backed cubes. They organize your clothes; if you buy anything new, they can be squeezed in easily! I use the Eagle Creek soft cubes:
Photos of my packing cubes
You can buy packing cubes with more structure like these compression cubes.
Compression and standard packing cubes
Some people prefer not to pack with cubes, and they use the rolling method.
And other people have specific ways of folding.
I like to use a mixture of all of these! I fold and roll and use a soft packing cube.
You can get this little gadget and place it on the floor.
But I think you must move to another hotel in a different area if you feel unsafe. It’s better to spend a little more money and sleep well.
Meetup-up events
Day tours
Foodie tours
cooking classes
Check out the group InterNations
Keep a paper journal where you can write, draw, and paste things to remind you of the trip. Journals are fun and will entertain you on those solo evenings during your trip.
Create a photo diary on your phone and keep it all organized in a file on your phone.
Take a camera and keep all the photos there and when you get home print an album.
Make plans for about 70% of the trip and leave free days for spontaneity: research hotels and a few restaurants. Also, remember to look for good coffee shops and cocktail bars. If you like music, buy tickets to a few concerts. Plan good walks and join a few tours to meet other travelers.
Take your medication. Do not count on finding what you need.
Always take your prescription medication in its original package with a prescription signed by your doctor.
Verify if you can take that specific medication into the country because many countries ban certain types of medication.
Pack a few aspirins or equivalent, cold medicine, or anything you need in an emergency.
These items will add weight, and you will buy them when you arrive at your destination.
I take my a small bottle of my conditioner with me and use whatever shampoo is available. The conditioner will fix any crappy shampoo effect!
What an excellent opportunity to pair things down and de-clutter!
This is a vacation! If you need anything else, you can get it at your destination.
updated January 2025
Marguerite Beaty, Blogger, Photographer & Artist
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