Solo Travel Adventures: Safe Travel for Women, Preparing for a Trip, Overcoming Fear, Travel Tips
Equipping Women over 50 to Safely Travel in Confidence
Is fear holding you back from traveling because you don’t have anyone to go with? Are you concerned about being a woman traveling alone? Not sure how to prepare for a solo trip? Do family and friends think you are crazy for even considering solo travel in this day and age?
In this podcast, you will become equipped to travel safely by yourself. You’ll learn things like tactical travel tips and how to prepare for a trip, and how to overcome the fear so you can discover the transformation that travel can bring. My mission is to see more women over 50, empty-nesters, discover how travel can empower them. If you want to enjoy your next travel adventure solo, then start your journey here.
Hi Sister Travelers, I’m Cheryl, solo travel advocate and coach. I spent nearly 20 years putting my family/children first and felt guilty about even considering solo travel at the time. After my divorce and transitioning to an empty nest, I began to rediscover my passion for travel, built confidence in myself, and started to explore again. I have experienced life-changing adventures through travel and I want the same for you.
If you are ready to find freedom through travel and build your confidence while safely navigating new places, then this podcast is for you!
Pack your bags, grab your plane tickets and check one more time for that passport. It’s time to explore the world!
Email: adventuresredheadrambler@gmail.com
Solo Travel Adventures: Safe Travel for Women, Preparing for a Trip, Overcoming Fear, Travel Tips
Real-Life Tips for Navigating Bad Booking Accommodations
Are you ready to learn how to handle disappointing accommodations and what to do if you find yourself in an awful lodging situation? Join me on this episode where I share personal stories and practical advice on navigating less-than-ideal bookings. Discover how I managed a sweltering night in Belize without air conditioning, and why staying adaptable and open-minded can turn an inconvenient situation into an unforgettable adventure. You'll also hear about critical safety and financial considerations that ensure your travel experiences remain both enjoyable and secure.
We'll also expose a common scam in the accommodation industry—offering free nights for five-star reviews—and teach you how to see through these misleading offers. Get practical tips on reading lower-rated reviews to get an honest picture of your potential stay, and learn how to use Google Maps and seek recommendations for more informed choices. Tune in for a wealth of information designed to enhance your travel adventures and keep you safe on your journeys.
Reach me:
Instagram @solotraveladventures50
www.cherylbeckesch.com
hello@cherylbeckesch.com
Facebook community: Solo Travel for Women Over 50
Send me a message or share your solo travel story with me.
https://www.speakpipe.com/SoloTravelAdventures
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/solo-travel-adventures-safe-travel-for-women-preparing-for-a-trip-overcoming-fear-travel-tips/id1650161410
You've curated this wonderful trip, you've spent time researching, your flights are booked, your accommodations are ready and you're off to see this wonderful place. And you get to your place, you check into your accommodations and, lo and behold, they are not at all what you expected. What should you do? Well, listen in to today's episode to hear some options. Welcome to Solo Travel Adventures for Women 50 and Older. I'm Cheryl S, your host, solo travel advocate, freedom traveler and coach. This is your passport to adventure. Freedom Traveler and Coach. This is your passport to adventure.
Speaker 1:Have you ever arrived at your accommodations only to be greatly disappointed? Maybe what they showed on the internet was not at all what you see in person. The pictures were deceiving. Maybe there's some things that were not shown in the pictures or described in the description of the place, and so when you get there, maybe, for example, you thought it included breakfast, but lo and behold, you have to pay extra for that. Or the pictures that were taken are so old that it's been years and they don't look the same. Or maybe it's not in a great part of town and again, the pictures and description were deceiving to you. Well, what should you do when you arrive at a place like that that maybe isn't up to your expectations. And often we experience this a lot in travel because we have these really high hopes, we have these grandiose ideas and pictures in our head about what this place, what we're expecting this place to look like and be, and often our expectations and reality are so disproportioned from one another that that's when we get a little disappointed and you know, then it kind of maybe taints your travels or your trip. Part of one thing that you can do to overcome that part is really being open minded and learning to sort of go with the flow.
Speaker 1:Because I don't know about you, but my expectations as an American may be higher than, say, someone from another country. Or if I'm traveling to another country and those accommodations are not really up to snuff not really up to snuff comparative to what I might usually experience in my own country, for example. I'm a US citizen, so when I travel to, say, southeast Asia area, accommodations may be a little different. They may say they're, you know, high end, four star, whatever they've rated them, but that's going to be different. You know different perspectives, different country standards as well. Now I'm not saying that you know, southeast Asia doesn't have beautiful accommodations they do. This is kind of what we're talking about how to find those, making sure you get the right accommodations and don't get stuck with some disappointing bookings. It does happen and it's happened to me and I'll share some of my stories along the way of what I've done.
Speaker 1:So in general, you do have basically two choices. Obviously, you can decide to rebook. Maybe you've arrived at this accommodation and it is clearly not what you thought it was and, for whatever reason, you just don't think you could stay. Like under no circumstances. And I would say, if your safety is involved, if you do not feel safe in that place, that accommodations whether it's. You know, I saw someone post about you know doing a room, I think, and the host was kind of creepy. So as a female solo traveler, we do have to sort of be careful about those kind of settings. So under no circumstances should you stay if you feel you are unsafe where you're staying, depending on your circumstances. So definitely you would rebook in that circumstance. Now, do understand, obviously you are losing money when you do that and if I can help it, I'm not going to rebook because I do work on a budget and I'm very financially conscious If I don't have to spend the extra money, I won't. But if there were ever a case where I felt unsafe and I'll also share an example when I actually did rebook for a different reason, so that is an option, making sure you rebook. Reason, so that is an option, making sure you rebook.
Speaker 1:My example is when we were in Belize, we rented an Airbnb beautiful place and actually it was an Airbnb that was very true to what it said. You know, two big bedrooms, big open front porch, big open living room and kitchen, little kitchenette and big shower, and it had been remodeled. So it was lovely. It was everything it described it was. However, I don't know if the price was right too. I think that's what kind of caught me, and maybe because of that I didn't quite look at the full description. And if I did, there's another reason. I may have overlooked it, but there was no AC and I'm sure it did say that.
Speaker 1:But I also thought well, april in Belize is not going to be that hot. I should be fine, right? I'm sure that is what my thinking was. But we got there and you know it was exactly that, but sleeping at night, where it didn't get any cooler than you know, maybe 78 or so. It was really warm the week we were there and so the last two nights I actually part of it was I was not feeling, starting to not feel well.
Speaker 1:I could tell I was maybe on my way to getting sick and without AC it just kind of aggravated that feeling. Right, you know, when we don't feel well we kind of want those comforts of home. So I did for our last two nights, uh, rebook. I did lose the money, not a whole lot, because the, the Airbnb was less expensive, so I felt like, okay, I could justify paying a little extra going somewhere else. And we ended up at this beautiful little resort kind of place with little cottages right on the cove, and our cottage did have AC and it was a good thing because I got home after that trip and I had a sinus infection. So I knew my body and that would be a reason to to possibly move. But definitely safety is a factor to consider. So just keep that in mind. Now.
Speaker 1:Another thing you could do is you could actually just stay and learn from that experience. Also, I think it builds character having to stay in places that maybe aren't quite what we expected, or having to stay in places that maybe aren't quite what we expected, and again, that's that whole difference between our expectations and reality. And so, as an American too, just you know, understanding that things are different in other countries. So my example on this one where I ended up staying was and I could tell you why we ended up staying. Well, we booked a place in Paris, my friend and I, for last year, and we had, you know, we had some specifics that we wanted to be near the Eiffel Tower, we had a price range, we were trying to stay in, and we found this place and I will say the pictures online and which you know, you have to understand, everybody is booking online these days. So, um, it's hard to get a really good feel, you know, physically, cause you can't physically see the place beforehand, so you have to rely on online pictures, online descriptions and even online reviews, and I'll talk about that again in a moment.
Speaker 1:But we decided to stay. The pictures made the room look huge, right, with two big beds and, you know, nice big shower, and when we got there, we I don't know what angle they took the pictures at, but it was basically a shoebox, my friend will tell you that and the bathroom was tiny, almost like it reminded me of like an airplane bathroom, honestly, with just an added shower. Right, that's how small the bathroom area was. But we ended up staying because a couple reasons. The location was perfect. It was right near the Eiffel Tower, it was right near a metro station and a bus station and there was some lovely shops and cafes right on the corner there. And you know, honestly, we would have lost a ton of money and it's not cheap to stay in Paris. So even booking last minute I'm sure it would have been extravagant. So we decided to stay. Part of the reason is we weren't even in the room except to sleep at night, so it was perfectly fine and so that's kind of you know. We decided to stay for that reason.
Speaker 1:But there have been other times where I have booked and learned some lessons from these bookings that didn't turn out so great. So I will share a lesson that I learned in how to avoid getting places that just aren't so great right, maybe don't meet those expectations. So one example is when we were in Lima, peru, I did want to stay near the airport and I did not know that an area near the airport is not a safe area, not a great place and we kind of even had gotten there at night, and so it was a bit, a bit unnerving and I was very fortunate. I think if I had been solo I would have definitely been like nope, not going there, would have told the taxi take me somewhere else. But I was with my son, so I felt a little safer. He's a male, you know like maybe, and we were two people.
Speaker 1:Um, but what I could have done to avoid that situation and this is what I do now, when I do go to book an area, I will look, I will get out Google Earth, google Maps kind of thing, I'll look at the address and I will do a street view of it. That gives me a pretty good idea not always, but mostly of what is around it. So you can not just look at the building, but you can do that little. You can turn it around, look what's across the street, look what's next door and get a feel for that area or that neighborhood Right. And then, um, the other thing I I do as well is you can go on Facebook groups. There's a lot of women's travel Facebook groups out there, including mine that if you ask the question, people will give you recommendations of places to stay.
Speaker 1:I have found my best places to stay by word of mouth. People that have actually been there experienced it and I hear from them directly that, oh, you need to stay here, like one of my best, one of my best days. Um was a recommendation by a journalist, and so this was uh, when I was solo in Paris, I stayed at this place and it was fabulous. And then I got really fortunate when I did a booking in Bruges, belgium, and I got that actually through bookingcom site, which I do use a lot, and I got really lucky with that one because it turned out also to be an amazing place to stay.
Speaker 1:So, you know, using Google Earth, asking people, looking Facebook, the other thing you can do is, let's say, you have arrived to a place and maybe you don't like where you're staying and you are considering moving or rebooking somewhere else. On that first day in that place, maybe you book a walking tour and on that walking tour you can ask that person that is doing the tour, you can ask people that are in the tour group where are you staying and get an idea of some other places to look into. Also, when you're on your walking tour, you could be noticing different places like, oh, I like this section of this little city, I think I'm going to look for a place here right, so that gives you a really good visual and a feel for the area and so you can feel free to. Or, if you haven't booked yet, like that could be how you find your place right. And, who knows, maybe even the tour guide will offer to house you. So that has happened in some cases with some people. So you just never know. And so those are ways that you could avoid um, finding, you know, a not so great place, or finding ways to, uh, find a good place right by, you know, doing that Google earth thing, the asking for recommendations, verbally asking your tour guides or your walking tour guide people that maybe you run into, um, all those people could make some great recommendations. And then, um, I did mention also I do look at reviews In my episode 76, I talk specifically about how to utilize reviews for your travels.
Speaker 1:I do want to add something to that. Do be aware that there is a scam going on right now it has been for a little bit but where, when you book an accommodation and, let's say, you run into accommodation that is not so great, right, and what happens is the owner of that establishment or the manager, will maybe come to you and offer you a free night stay if you provide a five-star review and there's just no way in your conscious mind that this is a five-star, maybe a three right, or maybe a two, and so this is a scam that they're doing. Please do not buy into it, because then that skews the truth of the reviews that people might be relying on to really get a better picture of what is at that place. So, um, please don't fall in that trap. Even if money's tight, um, just know that's not. It's not acceptable. Um, people do it. So if you are reading some reviews, um, just make sure you're aware of that. If you, I like to actually not read the five star, I like to read the threes or below and just kind of get a sense of you know what is the true picture of the place. And some of them some of them, you can tell people have been angry when they do them, or disappointed and frustrated, or disappointed and frustrated, and others can really offer you some picture of what is really happening, some feedback too, on you know what the place was like.
Speaker 1:So those are some things you can do, like I said, to rebook due to your safety. You'll probably want to also refer back to a recent episode I did talking about what is safe, defining what you consider safe, and talking about safety in general and how to gauge that when you travel. That is episode 84. So you might want to refer to that if you're trying to determine should I leave this place, should I rebook my accommodations, and so that is a tough decision. But I will say again, if it comes to your safety, there's no question you need to rebook and, yes, it'll cost you more money, but your safety and your well-being and your life is more valuable than saving a few hundred bucks maybe. So, in the scheme of things. So use those tips, um, but also have an open mind.
Speaker 1:I think, um, like I mentioned the beginning of the episode, you know a lot of places that I've gone to maybe weren't exactly what I had pictured, but I like to look at everything as an adventure and you know it's, it's fun. I mean the adventures that I've had in places that weren't quite what I expected. If I opened my mind and opened my heart, it turned out just fine. Um, for example, the hostel I stayed in in Amsterdam, it was noisy, had a lot of young people, um, but and I was at first, you know, my first night there I think it was our three nights. My first night there I was kind of frustrated because I was pretty tired, right, and you want to sleep, and it's noisy. There's a bar downstairs of this building and I wanted that environment. So I had to remind myself, hey, hey, you signed up for this, like, you wanted this environment.
Speaker 1:And so it was nice, because the next day I actually got to communicate with my roommates and had a lovely conversation. I got to know each of them, where they were going, what they were doing. You know, it was just fun to share our travel stories. And you know, the one couple was from India and they had just gotten married and so this was kind of their belated honeymoon because they couldn't travel during COVID. And you know, it was just great to hear their stories and where they were going and just how they, how they view things. And so I changed my perspective.
Speaker 1:Is what I'm getting at and that certainly comes with the territory of travel in general is that we have to look at everything as an adventure, maybe a learning experience and not, you know, don't sweat the small stuff. They say, right, and that's part of the joy of traveling getting to experience all these different cultures, different ways of living, staying in different places, right? So maybe try those tips. If you're concerned about booking something online and you go to a lot of places sight unseen, of course and you're not sure, get out your little Google map, look at the street view, reach out to people ask questions in Facebook or reach out to personal people that maybe you know that have been to the country you're going to Find out where they stayed. And then also, maybe look at a few reviews. Don't rely heavily on those, but they do help give you a general idea and enjoy your travels. Be open-minded to where you stay and be grateful, be totally grateful about where you stay as well. All right, we are fortunate to have the ability to get out there and have these adventures.
Speaker 1:Hey, sister travelers, did this podcast inspire and encourage you or move you to get out there and travel? Wonderful, there are three ways you can thank me. First, one is leave a written review for the show on Apple Podcast. Two, share the show with your sister travelers, your friends, your family and three subscribe. Share the show with your sister travelers, your friends, your family and three subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode. And thank you again for listening to the show. Sisters, be fearless, take the leap, get out there and have an adventure.
