I guess I have to wonder -- as a 40-year-old myself -- why you'd consider yourself too old to travel by yourself.

That said, my 60-year-old Mom, who looks about 47, really has fallen in love with the the group trips she's done to Italy. Group only in the sense that they pick you up in Rome, transport you to the western cost of Italy where you have your own room in a lovely chataueax and they make you breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. You are free to join the group on day excursions or not. My mom opted to venture into the local coastal town by herself on a daily basis, and had the time of her life.

Email me for details on this group-but-not-so-group venture.

Otherwise, I would counsel you to live it up as a footloose and fancy-free traveler. Go by yourself where your heart fancies. You'll never regret it.

Edited to add:

Prague, Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Edinburgh, Bath, London, Glasgow, Dusseldorf, Tokyo, Singapore, Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., have been great for me in terms of being a single woman traveling alone. Of course, I take advantage of the FT Community forum for finding other like-minded souls who might be transiting the same time I am.
That leaves me with plenty of room to do what I want and to have company when I want.

Don't hesitate to try travel on your own. It's incredibly rewarding ...

[This message has been edited by essxjay (edited 12-09-2002).]