20-05-2025
I'm 86 and have been on 42 solo traveller holidays in over ten years - these are the trips I've loved... and would avoid
At 86 years old, most people are thinking about putting their feet up - but not the extraordinary woman that is Valerie Simpson.
The avid globetrotter, from Sudbury, south west of Suffolk, has just booked her 42nd solo holiday abroad - and she shows no signs of slowing down.
Since 2014, Valerie has journeyed through Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America with One Traveller, a UK-based award-winning tour operator that specialises in holidays for mature solo travellers.
Her latest itinerary includes upcoming trips to Croatia, Albania, and a festive return to her beloved Switzerland - a country she's visited six times in the summer and winter.
Valerie's wanderlust was ignited three years after the loss of her husband in December 2011.
Determined to break away from the bittersweet reminder of cherished Christmas memories, she booked her first solo trip to the Turkish side of Cyprus, to experience the season from 'another point of view.'
It was a decision that would reshape her later years and inspire dozens more journeys.
Soon after, a conversation on a coach led her to discover One Traveller, and by 2014, she was off to Moscow.
Over the past decade, she's explored the temples of Thailand, the souks of Morocco, the markets of Myanmar, and the dramatic coastlines of Italy.
In April, she returned from her 39th trip, a scenic tour of Piedmont, Portofino and Cinque Terre.
Next up is her 40th trip to Opatija, Croatia in June, her 41st to Albania in September, and rounded off the year with an alpine escape to Switzerland in December.
Remarkably, age has done little to slow Valerie down, but in terms of encountering obstacles as she grows older in her travels, she admits balance is not her forte.
She said: 'At my age, what I call my balance, isn't quite as good. So I wouldn't be on a high mountain with a sort of foot wide path around the side, I couldn't do that anymore, that sort of thing. I do know there's a boundary that I don't cross.
'But I can still walk. I'll do my walking up steps. I'm not so keen on walking down steps unless I've got those rails to hold on to. But that's beside the point.'
Among the countless destinations she's visited, Italy holds a special place in Valerie's heart.
She explained: 'I like the food, I like the atmosphere, I love the country. I love the people, I think, from top to bottom, the country is so varied.
Remarkably, age has done little to slow Valerie down, but in terms of encountering obstacles as she grows older in her travels, she admits balance is not her forte
'You've got the north. You've got Milan, which is a bit posh, but you've still got the mountains coming down. They go right down to the south. You've got Rome and Naples. You've got Vesuvius to look at. Just overall, my favorite country.'
Though she's never had a truly bad travel experience, Valerie has had the occasional hiccup: rain in Portofino and a five-star hotel with no lounge and no drawers - which she joked was 'all planned by men.'
She recalled: 'I had a walk in wardrobe, which sounded great, but in the building, in the bedroom, there wasn't a shelf or a drawer anywhere.
'There was nowhere to put your underclothes and put things like that. So you just had to leave them really in your in your suitcase. I thought the bedrooms were lacking for the ladies - I think it's all planned by men.'
Though some friendships made on tours have been fleeting - and sadly, some fellow travellers have since passed away - Valerie still keeps in touch with her friend Pat from earlier adventures.
And while she's not sure she'll hit the milestone of 50 trips, she's content with the memories she's made along the way.
She said: 'I'd like to go into next year, but to be honest, I'll certainly be closer to 90 than 80, and I think I wouldn't like to have to book things too far in advance.'
Valerie's story has become legendary within the One Traveller community, where she's admired for her independence, curiosity, and openness to the world.
Her advice to fellow travellers who hope to continue exploring the world just as she has? Dream big early.
Valerie said: 'I'd love to have gone to South America, but I never did do it, and I certainly won't do it now. I've now wished I'd done it a few years ago and kept Europe too as I got a bit older. But there we are.'
As she prepares to pack her bags for yet another adventure, Valerie, who turns 87 in October, added: 'Cram in as much as you possibly can. I've been very lucky that I did save hard, and I have been able to visit a lot of places.
'There's still places I want to go to, places I will never go to... but while I've got a little bit of brain and a pair of legs that I can still walk on, I will do my best to carry on travelling.'
