(The Good Life Abroad/Submitted)
When in Florence, travelers with The Good Life Abroad have the opportunity to shop in local markets.
One tour operator is helping seniors confidently travel solo in Europe. The Good Life Abroad’s month- to three-month-long stays in one- or two-bedroom apartments let travelers experience life as a local in cities across Italy, Spain and France. Participants become part of a community of like-minded travelers who are also taking part in the experience.
“We are much more than accommodations; we are primarily a community experience,” CEO and company founder Andrew Motiwalla said. “It’s about a community of travel lovers who are ages 55-plus who want to live like locals and connect over community activities and also have independent exploration.”
Travelers can choose from Paris, Barcelona, Florence, Palermo or Lisbon. Within each city are several upscale apartments that are within walking distance of each other and a community center dedicated to The Good Life Abroad travelers. The apartments are furnished and come with high-speed internet and fully equipped kitchens. Each bedroom has its own dedicated bathroom.
Each city has its own price point, but most start at about $3,750 a month per person. Time of year of travel and number of bedrooms also affects the price. If a solo traveler would like to have a roommate, that can be arranged.
Before travelers leave the U.S., they fill out a questionnaire that pinpoints their interests and goals. Community managers who live in the city will then seek out those activities so they can advise travelers when and where they take place. The managers can also obtain tickets to local events and host gatherings — very much like a concierge.
Hosted gatherings include language lessons, a Happy (to be 55+) Hour, Tuesday lunches, lectures about local history, as well as a welcome reception and farewell party. There are also excursions and events tailored to the particular city.
Managers are always just a phone call away, no matter the time, so if a traveler has an emergency they will be there.
“This is like worse-case scenario, but a woman said to me, ‘What if I fall?’” Motiwalla said.
With the manager, there is someone to notice if a traveler is absent or hasn’t called in. The whole point is to provide a safety net, where these types of situations and concerns are covered.
The object of all this service is to give travelers an opportunity to really experience life and culture in the chosen city, something that may have been denied to them while they were busy with life’s concerns and obligations.
“When (travelers) were raising their kids or had jobs there wasn’t time and now for the first time they find themselves with a block of time on their hands,” Motiwalla said.
He likens The Good Life Abroad experience to a glass of wine. When they were younger and touring, travelers could only take a sip from the glass, spending a day or two in each city. Now, at this age, there’s time and money to do a deep dive and drink the entire glass.
“Fundamentally, what The Good Life Abroad is is a community experience,” Motiwalla said. “That appeals to two types of travelers. It appeals a lot to solo travelers for obvious reasons, but it also appeals to couples who are social. They enjoy meeting people when they travel, and the thing that unifies all of our travelers is that they are all very well-traveled people.”