The ultimate Prime Time sabbatical through Europe
This week’s Prime Time is a treat, with the fabulous Fiona Dalton sharing her 'grown up gap year' and what it was like to travel solo. This is inspiration for all of us.
This week’s Prime Time is a real treat, with the fabulous travel guru, Fiona Dalton back on the podcast! You might remember Fiona from her last appearance, where she spilled all her insider travel tips. Well, she’s back to share something even juicier: her own grown-up gap year across Europe. Yep, Fiona took a massive sabbatical and travelled exactly the way she wanted, and she’s sharing every bit of her journey with us.
This show is an inspiration for anyone keen for a slow-travel European adventure. And, she did it solo — and keenly shares her lessons learnt.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
The adventure highlights
Copenhagen – Fiona kicked off her trip in true Scandinavian style with early summer days in the city. She spent her time exploring the streets, swimming in the chilly harbour, and staying in a cosy apartment that let her live like a local.
Vienna – A week in Vienna meant soaking up the opera, exploring art galleries, and enjoying river swims. Vienna’s tram system made exploring easy, and Fiona relished the independence of apartment living.
Salzburg & Austrian Alps – Reconnecting with old friends and rediscovering the beautiful Austrian countryside brought her back to her early days in the industry. From spring blossoms to alpine hikes, she soaked up the region's charm.
Lake Constance, Germany – Staying by this massive lake, Fiona indulged in her love for swimming and long walks along the shore. With audiobooks from BorrowBox in her ear, she made this part of the journey all about relaxation.
A month in London – A whole month to rediscover London! From museum-hopping to getting around on bike shares, Fiona embraced London with a fresh perspective, soaking up the city’s vibrant culture.
Language School in Lucca, Italy – Fiona took on Italian in the charming town of Lucca, spending seven weeks there with immersive language classes. She pushed herself in a beginner class with international classmates, took trips to local markets, and perfected her gelato order.
Cycling Croatia – Fiona joined a cycling tour through Croatia’s islands, complete with swims off the back of the boat and dinners in local tavernas. She loved the blend of adventure and downtime, with a boost from the electric bikes that helped her tackle those hilly rides!
Road-tripping around Scotland – Fiona finished her journey with a solo road trip on Scotland’s North Coast 500. She clocked in over 2,700 km exploring remote landscapes, making her way through the Lake District and along the rugged Scottish coastline.
Lessons from the road
Fiona’s journey wasn’t just about sightseeing and travelling. This sabbatical let her recalibrate, find her passions again, and push her limits and she talks at length about the lessons she learnt. And while travel has its hiccups (she even spent the night on an airport floor!), Fiona says the freedom of going it alone was worth it. She came back with a stronger sense of what she wants in life’s next chapter.
Tune in to hear Fiona’s stories, her insights on solo travel in midlife, and maybe pick up a few ideas for your own Prime Time adventure.
Catch the episode – it's full of gems!
From Bec’s Desk
Hey there! Wasn’t Fiona amazing! Have you got a sabbatical story to share? Leave your comments on the post here.
She’s already got me trying to figure out out how I can one day take a six month European sabbatical of similar proportions through Europe. So many of the things she did are now on my bucket list! Cycle-sail through Croatia; an Apartment stay in Lucca; a two-star stay in Monterosso — magic! I find the idea of taking a gap year in midlife both ‘revolutionary’ and necessary! I hope you enjoy hearing her story and feel inspired too.
Now, onto more serious stuff. Last week one of the largest super funds in Australia had a delay in their retirement income payments — and almost noone noticed — an issue I think is pretty significant. So I wrote a big column on it over the weekend in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times and WA Today. It’s worth a read.
“A major superfund had an outage this week and almost noone noticed”.
Tonight I’m speaking for a packed house at Ipswich Libraries about the Six Pillars of an Epic Retirement. Should be great fun.
Catch you next week, and in the meantime, make your Prime Time count!
Many thanks! Bec Wilson
Author, podcaster, guest speaker, retirement educator … Visit my website for more info about me, here
What a great podcast, Fiona's story really resonated. I retired in July and just spent 3 months travelling around Europe/UK on my own and with family and friends. All I can add is to say that her tips will be so valuable to those yet to do it. So, travel by train, book self catering, stay longer in each place and be flexible. And yes, be careful of flights out of Dubrovnik, I got to the airport at 10am Monday morning and finally flew out Wednesday evening at 8pm. And as Fiona says, be the first to say "Hi I'm Bob or Mary", that way you will make friends as I did in my 3 days in Dubrovnik airport. Safe travels.
Love this podcast and travel adventures . FYI - On the topic of library apps I know access free Sydney Morning Herald 7 days a week through Borrow Box and most Australian magazines through the Libby app- also free 👌🏻