If dinner alone is the meal that worries you, do not start with dinner.

A coffee after an activity is a far smaller commitment. Half an hour over noodles counts. So does breakfast with somebody you will never see again. #SoloTravelOver50 #EatingAlone

Arriving somewhere unfamiliar, in six steps.

Leave the aircraft. Follow the signs. Clear the border. Collect your bag. Pass customs. Find your transport.

You only ever have to manage the next one. #SoloTravelOver50 #TravelConfidence

The most useful question when planning an itinerary: if I add another destination, what am I willing to remove?

An itinerary that only ever grows is not a plan. It is a wish list with dates attached. #TravelPlanning #SoloTravelOver50

Check your medication against the rules of the country you are visiting, and start with the active ingredient, not the brand name.

The familiar box in your bathroom cabinet tells you nothing about how another country classifies what is inside it. #TravelTips #SoloTravelOver50

You do not have to ride a scooter to see Vietnam.

Flights, trains, taxis and cars with drivers reach the rice fields and the limestone scenery perfectly well. You are declining an activity, not missing a rite of passage. #Vietnam #SoloTravelOver50

A rental shop will put you on a scooter with a passport photocopy and a smile.

That is not permission. If your own licence carries no motorcycle category, your insurance is void the moment you pull away. Check before you fly, not at the counter. #TravelTips #SoloTravelOver50