The obviously American gentleman was eating dinner while reading at a cozy French restaurant, but I just had to interrupt with a somewhat rude question: “Why do so few older men travel alone in Europe?”

I’d been on the road for two months, touring the world as a travel writer, and this was the first American male I’d seen flying solo. He responded with just one word: “Fear.” I thanked him and went on my merry way, only realizing later I hadn’t asked, “Fear of what?”

The flat fact, however, is that older women are more comfortable traveling to foreign countries without a partner or tour group. You see them sitting in cafés, diligently scribbling in their journals and taking in the passing scene with genuine smiles. I formed easy friendships with many of these women everywhere from Abu Dhabi to Krakow, and learned quite a few frugal foreign-travel tips, which I’m delighted to pass on to men and women alike.

1. Hostels
I can’t stress strongly enough how much cheaper and more enjoyable it is to stay in a hostel. Other overnight residences are not only more expensive, they tend to segregate you from the reality of a city or region. Hostels throw you right into the mix, which nowadays includes travelers of all ages — not just the young.

Hostels usually provide breakfast, the heftier ones yielding leftovers from which you can use for lunch. Free Wi-Fi access and front-desk workers who can point you to unique sites worth seeing round out the many benefits of staying in a hostel.

To make reservations before you leave or while you’re on the road, Lonely Planet and Hostel World allow you to search by location, price and type of hostel, with photos and a description of the accommodations.

2. Food
Shopping local markets is a great way to interact with residents, learn about new foods, and how to prepare them. It’s amazing how easy it is to converse about food when you don’t share a common language.

You’ll want several Ziplock bags of varying sizes to store bread and dry foodstuffs. In France, I’d make a to-die-for baguette sandwich with any of their hundreds of cheeses, then stuff it into a large bag for train travel.

A couple extra tips: If you’re heading to Spain, I found a cheap and delicious dinner of tapas came free with sangria orders placed during “happy hour.” Most stores in Arab countries will offer you a cup of coffee just for stepping across their threshold, should you need a caffeine jolt while shopping.

3. Guide Books
Thanks to online guides, there’s no need to fill your luggage with heavy books. I printed out the pages I needed and created a list of vital foreign words I’d need, like “please,” “thank you” and “How much does this cost?” Omniglot has an easy-to-use website that will get you started.

Lonely Planet has some great PDF guides and you can buy them by the chapter (roughly $5 each). ArrivalGuides.com and Hostel World offer free online guides, but they’re not as comprehensive and the selection is limited.

If computers aren’t your thing, buy a bound guidebook, read it, and cut out only the pages you’ll need.

4. Trains
Boy do I love train travel. It’s cheaper than renting a car or flying, helps you meet new people, and usually drops you off close to the action in major cities. The trick, if you’re traveling to a rural destination, is to know the stops before your destination so you can be ready to hop off at a moment’s notice.

Another couple handy phrases you should learn in each language are “How much does a ticket cost?” and “From which platform does the train depart?”

It’s best to buy your Eurail train passes before leaving as it’s cheaper in the United States. My pass ran out once, however, and Eurail provided free shipping on the second one.

5. Money
Rule number one: Never, never, never exchange money at the airport. You’ll pay the highest rate possible. Instead, look for an airport ATM and take out the maximum amount (usually around $200). You’ll pay a fee, but not nearly as high as the airport exchange rate.

Rule two: If you’re going to travel a bit upscale, buy gift cards at a discount from sites like GiftCardGranny to purchase American services found in foreign countries. This might include airlines, hotels or car rental agencies for which you can realize up to 25-percent savings.

6. Plastic Safety
Notify all credit card companies you plan on traveling outside the U.S. so they won’t place a hold on your account for unusual activity.

Finally, note your credit/debit card numbers and foreign contact phone numbers and keep this info in a safe place, separate from the cards. I stored mine in my email account with a bogus “subject” line. You might need this info should your plastic be stolen or problems arise.

That’s about it, except I highly recommend you keep a journal. Traveling alone is lonely at times and writing out your thoughts and experiences helps fill in some gaps. As a bonus, you’ll have a personal record of your adventures.

Happy trails!

About the Author:

Kate Forgach is a Baby Boomer consumer specialist for Kinoli Inc. She has written about senior issues for 11 years and has been featured in USA Today, Detroit News, New Orleans Times-Picayune, New Yorker magazine, “ABC World News,” NBC’s “TODAY” show and many other media outlets.

If you’re a Boomer about to get married, this likely isn’t your first time around. Happily, a Bridezilla-style wedding isn’t likely in your future, as age also comes with a modicum of wisdom. At our age, it actually feels kind of foolish to spend a fortune on a single party.

My Boomer wedding was a textbook example of how to keep costs low. Ceremony and reception were held in a low-cost location; our attendants (one each) dressed as they pleased; my husband wore the family, hand-me-round tux; and I wore an elegant cocktail dress that’s seen use several more times.

The fact is, Boomers are more concerned with saving for retirement than hosting a blow-out party. Time with family and friends is more precious on our “special day” than stressing out over a myriad of expensive details. If you agree with me, read on for 11 tips to a low-stress, low-cost Boomer wedding.

1. Organize Early
One of the advantages of being an adult is that most of us have the patience and knowledge for planning ahead — a strategy that ultimately saves money. Since Baby Boomer weddings tend to be less complex, the standard checklists aren’t really for us. You might, however, use this comprehensive list from Real Simple as a starting point, then modify it according to your needs.

2. Figure Out Your Wiggle Room
Every married-couple-to-be should create a budget, but Boomers tend to have a bit more room to move than those still working starter jobs. Get your marriage off on the right financial foot by agreeing on your priorities. It’s one way to establish your values early while saving money on the wedding. While we’re on the topic of money, this is also the time to discuss a prenuptial agreement, particularly if children are involved.

3. Book a Creative Location
A church basement or hotel ballroom may be fine when you’re young, but many Baby Boomers have already gone that route and are ready for something entirely different. My husband and I held our reception in the dance building of our local university; a stunning space that even had a fountain in the forecourt. The total cost was just $100, and it came with a ready-made dance floor. Other possibilities include botanical gardens, a local barn or a park pavilion.

4. Simplify
Chances are this isn’t your first wedding and a puffy-sleeved gown isn’t in the cards. Since most of us won’t face long engagements but do face a long retirement, keeping it simple ensures there will be money left over after the party.

5. Tone Down the Clothing
More comfortable outfits — like a cocktail dress and basic suit — will make the reception more enjoyable and keep costs down. Plus, you can use them both again. Same goes for the best man and bridesmaid. Let them wear want they want and there will be far less drama.

6. Nix the Toasters
Nobody really gives toasters as wedding presents anymore, do they? The fact is, most of us are already set with just about everything we need, so why not create a gift card registry at CardAvenue.com? You can indicate the merchant or service you prefer, then spend the cards as you see fit. It’s a lot classier than asking for money and can help pay some of the expenses of the wedding.

7. Minimize the Diamonds
If you’ve already had one engagement ring, you may not feel the need for another gaudy bauble. My husband and I had special rings made for us that had a great deal of symbolism in the design but only cost $350.

8. Bake the Cake
A friend of ours baked special pastries, which proved a lot cheaper than a high-rise cake. We still stuck the wedding-couple miniatures in the top, but the divine desserts were unusual, cost less and didn’t leave us with any leftovers.

9. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dollar Store
You’ll find everything from wedding decorations to party plates and plastic dinnerware at your friendly neighborhood dollar store. Some sell food products you can use for the reception. You can also find cute little items that will make memorable wedding favors, if you’re so inclined.

10. Feeding the Masses
A sit-down meal is just too over the top at this point in our lives. We kept costs down by offering simple finger food and had it elegantly arranged by a friend with a catering business. Presentation is half the deal, anyway. You can also reduce your costs further by using the ever ubiquitous manufacturer coupons.

11. Create Special Moments
People won’t remember the food, the band or the wedding favors; they’ll remember the thoughtful touches that made your day so special. For example, like many Boomers, my husband and I had both lost parents. We honored their memories by displaying photos at our sides during the ceremony. My bouquet was made from dried flowers used in my sister’s wedding two years earlier. Finally, we toasted our friends with brief speeches, instead of having them toast us. None of these ideas were entirely unique, but people still mention them — and they didn’t cost a cent.

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About the Author:

Kate Forgach is a Baby Boomer consumer specialist for Kinoli Inc.. She has wrote about senior issues for 11 years as a Cooperative Extension specialist and for a wide variety of newspapers and magazines. She has been featured in USA Today, Detroit News, New Orleans Times-Picayune, New Yorker magazine, “ABC World News,” NBC’s “TODAY” show and many other media outlets.