Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 07:58     Subject: Re:Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:I recently switched from your typical 1 week vacation to 4-5 weeks and it has been a game changer for me. I either stay in one city for the entire trip or I'll stay at an Airbnb for 2 weeks and then travel around the country for the remaining 2-3 weeks. It's much more relaxing and a great way to scope out potential retirement spots.


Im glad that works for you but I would absolutely hate being away that long. We went on a 14 day trip as a family and everyone agreed it was simply way too long for us.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 07:09     Subject: Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:I sort of feel this way. Now in my 50s my tolerance for things going wrong on travel is much decreased. I don’t want to end up with some sketchy cab driver taking me God knows where (happened in my 20s) or in a hotel room that looks like a place women are trafficked (same).
I also just feel like if I don’t get to see a particular place, that’s okay. I’ve seen gorgeous mountains and cathedrals and lakes and beaches and art etc etc — sure seeing more of it is nice but it’s not really qualitatively different in kind. I still like researching and planning. I also get the “lonely when traveling” thing because my family often has different preferences than I do. But I feel less alone in a city, so do like trips to cities where I can wander a museum or go window shopping by myself, which doesn’t feel so lonely. I tend to avoid vacations where I will be stuck someplace isolating because if my family is not interested in joining me, I feel very pent up and lonely. One time I did take artists pencils and a sketch book, and of course I always bring a book, but I’m not the type that wants to just sit a read for hours in a day.


Oh gosh in my 20s and even 30s I sought OUT those sketchy cab drivers and hotel rooms! My friend and I let someone we didn't know take us to some party way out of town in Turkey and my then-boyfriend and I went to go stay with some random guy and his wife in a little town in Tunisia, and we dropped in on a woman who told us she was a witch in India just to see what her house was like. I could go on and on and on.

I am not looking for that kind of adventure now. And travel is a lot less fun without it. I do like going away to random little towns with my husband now, but now we're more into off the beaten track stuff that doesn't end up with us possibly getting kidnapped. More of the quirky variety, not the people would shake their heads at me if this got me killed and it winded up in the newspaper variety.

Life was exciting back then, that's for sure. I don't mind this more comfortable stage of life either.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 06:59     Subject: Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you're getting lonely, what about traveling with someone? What about taking someone with you who hasn't traveled and getting to show them the world (like a niece or nephew)?


I don't think so necessarily. I feel this way when traveling with family.

Sometimes it's worse traveling with someone else because you feel obligated to do the things they want to do that you really don't like doing.


Totally, totally get that feeling - I've traveled with friends sometimes and decided that I hated them by the time a trip was done, I was so tired of compromising with and talking with them.

I don't think there is anything wrong with deciding that you want to spend your time and money on things other than travel now. But if you do want to try again, how about an active group tour - like a hiking tour or biking tour, where there are other people to talk to when you feel like it but you don't HAVE to spend every meal eating with the same person. There are some great looking ones I am interested in, if I ever get the money and time to do it.

Or just do something else for a while! I feel like we attach a sort of moral goodness to seeing the world - but it's a consumption activity like any other, at the end of the day. There is no obligation if you don't want to do it.
Anonymous
Post 01/23/2025 06:27     Subject: Re:Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Same here. Early 50s, been to at least 70 countries. Not much desire to do it any more. I still have to travel this year, for work, to places on many people's bucket lists but I feel kind of "meh" about it even though they are amazing places. I've been to those places many times before.


Is 70 countries supposed to be a lot? Doesn’t seem like a lot. I think all the people here claiming to have loved travel didn’t really love it. If you love it, nothing can stop you from doing it.


You sound snobby and insufferable.


I thought 70 was a lot. Five or ten can be a lot of you spend a lot of time there, or if you go to one country repeatedly.

Who is the bigger traveler - someone who goes through nine European countries in ten days on a bus or someone who spends six months in one country visiting all corners?


To each his or her own. 70 countries is a lot, any way you slice it.
I’ve been to 20, taking 2 trips per year (slowed down a lot when I had my DS). I tend to spend a lot time in one place to really get a feel for it though, long enough that I can stop pulling out the maps and public transportation guides. I’ll keep travelling but probably slow down even more and spend 4-6 weeks, pretend I’m a local.


Anonymous
Post 01/22/2025 16:58     Subject: Losing the love of travel
As we age, don't we trust our own preferences? Why crowd source? It's fun to discuss this but no one is changing anyone's mind - as it should be.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2025 15:53     Subject: Re:Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is group travel that makes all the arrangements. Some people love trips arranged by their Alma mater or local museum.

Ugh. That's even worse.


This really depends. Many of these groups have free days and you are also free to go or not go on the daily tour. In general they get better room and restaurant rates (and even better air prices). Some are small groups as well. You can find just about anything in this area of travel.

Agree with a lot of people here and now only go if it's a compelling trip. This fall I had my first group travel experience (with a shared interest, all women) and have decided it's what I want going forward. Sure, it was a little pricier, but everything was arranged and booked with just enough downtime for side quests. We got some very unique experiences that we couldn't have access to on our own. It was just big enough where we would have organic groupings that changed daily and many of us are still in touch.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2025 13:12     Subject: Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We just took our first lazy holiday where we didn't attempt to see anything. I had literally never just laid on a beach for an entire day. I didn't even read a novel! I just turned sixty and my husband and I have decided we are still interested in travel but only for the purposes of relaxing. Perhaps no more tourism. Pretty sure that makes us uneducated or something, but I'll take it.


This would be literal torture for me. My ADHD would burn me up from the inside.


DP here. Yes the relax types and the ADHD types can't travel together. This is why I can't travel with my MIL. She wants to schedule the hell out of everything.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2025 12:59     Subject: Re:Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Same here. Early 50s, been to at least 70 countries. Not much desire to do it any more. I still have to travel this year, for work, to places on many people's bucket lists but I feel kind of "meh" about it even though they are amazing places. I've been to those places many times before.


Is 70 countries supposed to be a lot? Doesn’t seem like a lot. I think all the people here claiming to have loved travel didn’t really love it. If you love it, nothing can stop you from doing it.


You sound snobby and insufferable.


I thought 70 was a lot. Five or ten can be a lot of you spend a lot of time there, or if you go to one country repeatedly.

Who is the bigger traveler - someone who goes through nine European countries in ten days on a bus or someone who spends six months in one country visiting all corners?
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2025 12:39     Subject: Re:Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Same here. Early 50s, been to at least 70 countries. Not much desire to do it any more. I still have to travel this year, for work, to places on many people's bucket lists but I feel kind of "meh" about it even though they are amazing places. I've been to those places many times before.


Is 70 countries supposed to be a lot? Doesn’t seem like a lot. I think all the people here claiming to have loved travel didn’t really love it. If you love it, nothing can stop you from doing it.


You sound snobby and insufferable.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2025 12:33     Subject: Losing the love of travel
For me now it's all about wanting easy + nice. I dread air travel complications and delays, a bad hotel experience more than I did in the past. Last time I went to France (I have to go often to see family, not for pleasure) everything was so easy and it was the first time I liked being back.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2025 11:01     Subject: Losing the love of travel
I am the opposite. I can't stand traveling to most places because of the people. Especially the constant prepping and posting of so many people. Most people have no idea how to act in public.

I prefer places with the least amount of people as possible.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2025 01:23     Subject: Re:Losing the love of travel
I recently switched from your typical 1 week vacation to 4-5 weeks and it has been a game changer for me. I either stay in one city for the entire trip or I'll stay at an Airbnb for 2 weeks and then travel around the country for the remaining 2-3 weeks. It's much more relaxing and a great way to scope out potential retirement spots.
Anonymous
Post 01/21/2025 22:19     Subject: Re:Losing the love of travel

Anonymous wrote:
There is group travel that makes all the arrangements. Some people love trips arranged by their Alma mater or local museum.


Ugh. That's even worse.


This really depends. Many of these groups have free days and you are also free to go or not go on the daily tour. In general they get better room and restaurant rates (and even better air prices). Some are small groups as well. You can find just about anything in this area of travel.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2025 06:01     Subject: Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s really interesting to me how many people on this thread are recovering or exploring an interest in the American west!


Ugh the America west is so over too. It peaked in the 80s.


????
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2025 04:13     Subject: Losing the love of travel
Anonymous wrote:There is group travel that makes all the arrangements. Some people love trips arranged by their Alma mater or local museum.


Ugh. That's even worse.