Senior travellers enjoying the views after hiking Kings Canyon Rim trail, Red Centre – Australia
Senior Independent Travel Guide: Adventure Travel Without Tours
Our story
As independent senior travellers, we have spent a lifetime exploring the world. Through this Senior Travel Guide, we share our favourite destinations, hiking adventures, travel experiences, and practical senior travel tips. For the first fifty years of our lives, we lived in Germany, where we developed a passion for nature, wildlife, wildflowers, and mushroom foraging. Although we have slowed down a little over the years, our love of travel and discovery remains as strong as ever.
Our travels took us throughout Europe, from Denmark in the north to the former Yugoslavia in the south. In those days, flying was rare. Most journeys were made in our trusty Volkswagen Beetle, giving us the freedom to explore at our own pace and discover places beyond the usual tourist routes.
At the age of fifty, we migrated to Australia and began exploring this remarkable country. Retirement opened even more opportunities for travel, taking us throughout Australia and onward to Europe, North America, New Zealand, and Asia. Along the way, we remained committed to independent travel, seeking authentic experiences, beautiful landscapes, and memorable encounters with nature and local cultures.
Why we choose independent travel
We have always travelled independently because it gives us the freedom to create our own adventures.
Planning a journey is part of the excitement. Long before departure, we enjoy researching destinations, reading Senior travel guide, studying maps, and exploring travel websites. By the time we arrive, we already understand the history, culture, attractions, and walking trails, allowing us to make the most of every day.
Independent travel also lets us maintain our preferred lifestyle. We can start the day when it suits us, change plans on a whim, spend longer in places we love, and skip those that don’t interest us.
Rather than relying on hotels, we often stay in holiday homes, cabins, caravan parks, and motorhomes. This gives us the flexibility to prepare our own meals, enjoy a barbecue, or share a meal in a camp kitchen while meeting fellow travellers.
Over the years, we have travelled in many different ways – by our own car, rental cars, motorhomes, ferries, trains, and flights. While we prefer independent travel, we occasionally join guided day tours or hire local guides to gain deeper insights into a destination’s history, culture, and hidden gems.
Above all, independent travel provides freedom, flexibility, and a deeper connection with the places we visit.
