TRAVELING: If you are retired, and are financially comfortable,

[Anonymous]

Does travel appeal to you or not? If not, share your reasons if you would. My theory is that not all people enjoy traveling as much as we are supposed to enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

The older I get the less I like traveling. First of all the bad environmental impact of international traveling puts me off. I like train trips once in a while. A lot of people try to fill the emptiness in their lives with traveling and you meet them at every desitnation desperately trying to impress themselves and whoever by pretending having a great experience.

[Anonymous]

I love to travel, enjoy planning the trip, exploring different cultures and meeting new and interesting people and seeing and doing new and different things.

If you don't enjoy something, don't do it

[Anonymous]

I just came back from a trip. It was great. But I find that when I was younger I had to see and do everything and now I didn’t mind an afternoon break at the hotel to watch a movie. I would research and plan for weeks. I’d travel an hour to try a restaurant. I feel something about how I’ve changed, like I might have missed something or wasted money on a trip that I didn’t carefully plan. But I was wanting a break and didn’t want to spend the money for a movie. Guess that means I’m slowing down.

[Anonymous]

We lived and worked abroad for many years and for us most places in Europe in particular are not all that exciting. We have a lovely second home on the ocean and I’m not really all that interested in traveling in my retirement. We love hobbies like doing crafts and cooking I would rather stay home and pursue our hobbies, and spend our money on our hobbies

[Anonymous]

I love it but honestly it’s the best way to spend time with our young adult children who still happily join in & realize their days of international lay flat seats and 5 star accommodations are numbered. And now they can all check in at work remotely if need be - so we’re not sucking up their “vacation days”

[Anonymous]

As I get older, I am more aware of the importance for us to:
-Not travel during school holidays (everywhere is much less crowded)
-Leave for vacation mid-week
-Return from vacation on a Friday morning (3 days to unpack, deal with whatever has come up while away, rather than stretching vacation to the maximum by returning Sunday night)
-Travel longer and slower. Not10 days rushing all about with everyvminute planned, but 2-3 weeks, worh purposeful downtime built in
-Visit more off the beaten bplaces rather than the popular tourist places

[Anonymous]

I think spending money to make it comfortable becomes a higher priority. At least for my parents that was true. They really loved the Viking river cruises, even when still fairly mobile and active. Or taking a tour aimed at people their age. My mom loves signing up and not having to worry about the details, even though it costs more.

They still fly coach though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As I get older, I am more aware of the importance for us to:
-Not travel during school holidays (everywhere is much less crowded)
-Leave for vacation mid-week
-Return from vacation on a Friday morning (3 days to unpack, deal with whatever has come up while away, rather than stretching vacation to the maximum by returning Sunday night)
-Travel longer and slower. Not10 days rushing all about with everyvminute planned, but 2-3 weeks, worh purposeful downtime built in
-Visit more off the beaten bplaces rather than the popular tourist places

+1 I can't wait to retire and travel. Cross fingers.. in four years. I'll be 56.

Spouse and I used to travel outside of peak travel times, for 3 week stretches, and it was glorious. This was prekids. When we retire, we hope to do 2 to 3 month stretches.

[Anonymous]

I think you can also redefine what travel is when you are retired.

Who says it has to be entirely about sightseeing and rushing around?

You can plan a trip where you stay in one place and spend that time doing something you enjoy - sitting on a beach, taking a cooking class, learning a new skill, volunteering etc.

Or take shorter trips where you focus on one particular enjoyable activity like going to a concert/play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As I get older, I am more aware of the importance for us to:
-Not travel during school holidays (everywhere is much less crowded)
-Leave for vacation mid-week
-Return from vacation on a Friday morning (3 days to unpack, deal with whatever has come up while away, rather than stretching vacation to the maximum by returning Sunday night)
-Travel longer and slower. Not10 days rushing all about with everyvminute planned, but 2-3 weeks, worh purposeful downtime built in
-Visit more off the beaten bplaces rather than the popular tourist places

This. I'm no longer willing to take red-eyes, not have a buffer day at home, hassles of winter weather, and trips where the ratio of travel and standing in line at customs etc. is too high relative to the time spent enjoying myself. No more dashing about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think spending money to make it comfortable becomes a higher priority. At least for my parents that was true. They really loved the Viking river cruises, even when still fairly mobile and active. Or taking a tour aimed at people their age. My mom loves signing up and not having to worry about the details, even though it costs more.

They still fly coach though!

My mother in law does a lot of planned trips which mostly serve her age group— like Viking cruises or trips through her senior groups or clubs (she does trips through her gardening club).

After years of having to arrange everything for family vacations, handle all the mental load and details (father in law did nothing on trips besides show up…she even packed for him), she doesn’t want to do that stuff. I get it.

[Anonymous]

I'm married to someone who generally doesn't enjoy traveling. I love the planning. I'm at my happiest planning, whatever might be the next trip. I make sure I would want to go alone (which has always been the case) He could decide he doesn't want to go, and that's ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We lived and worked abroad for many years and for us most places in Europe in particular are not all that exciting. We have a lovely second home on the ocean and I’m not really all that interested in traveling in my retirement. We love hobbies like doing crafts and cooking I would rather stay home and pursue our hobbies, and spend our money on our hobbies

Me too. This is how I feel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love to travel, enjoy planning the trip, exploring different cultures and meeting new and interesting people and seeing and doing new and different things.

If you don't enjoy something, don't do it

This used to be me. I am in my sixties now, and fear that the amount of exertion (lots of standing, walking, carrying luggage) could make it less fun at my age. But perhaps I can travel differently than when I was young.

I also fear that traveling alone will be less fun than in my 20’s…so I am going to give group travel a try.

Wish me luck!