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Retirement is often heralded as a time to relax, explore new hobbies and fulfill life-long travel dreams. Whether you’re embarking on a local trip or jetting off to a far-flung destination, traveling in retirement can be incredibly rewarding. At eliseo, we witness many of our residents partaking in travel in retirement and have compiled some tips and things to consider when planning your next adventure.
Local Adventures
Local travel can be a fantastic way for seniors to explore nearby areas and enjoy new experiences without the complexities of long-distance travel. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have a ton of incredible locations and experiences at our fingertips. Here are some senior-specific local travel tips to ensure enjoyable, comfortable, and safe trips:
- Choose Accessible Destinations: Look for destinations that are easily accessible and have good infrastructure for seniors. Important things to look for are places with smooth sidewalks or paths, accessible public transportation, and amenities like benches for resting.
- Check for Senior Discounts: It will be easier to find this kind of information for local adventures. Take advantage of discounts available to seniors at local attractions, museums, theaters, and restaurants. Many places offer reduced rates or special promotions for older adults. AARP, local senior centers and social media groups and hashtags can all be great places to start your search!
- Visit During Off-Peak Times: A benefit to living close to a desirable travel destination is the ability to avoid crowds and enjoy a more relaxed experience by planning your visits during off-peak hours or days. This can also help reduce wait times and allow you to explore at your own pace.
- Look for Local Events: Local events and celebrations can be a great excuse to visit an area that you have not been to previously. It gives you something specific to plan for and then you can explore the greater surrounding community as your time and energy allow.
- Consider Guided Tours: Guided tours or group outings are often organized specifically for seniors by local community centers, retirement communities (consult the Community Life calendar for eliseo specific trips), or senior organizations. These tours often include transportation and are designed with the needs of older adults in mind. They can also be a great means of learning lots of “insider” information that would be much more difficult to come by if you were putting the trip together yourself.
- Pack Light and Only Bring Essentials: Bring only essentials such as medications, a small first aid kit, comfortable walking shoes, and weather-appropriate clothing. Traveling light reduces the burden of carrying cumbersome bags and makes it easier to move around. However, depending on where you are traveling, the weather in the Pacific Northwest can change quickly. Don’t skip on garments that could protect you should the weather change for the worse.
- Stay Hydrated and Rested: Stay hydrated throughout your trip, especially in warmer weather. Take breaks as needed to rest and recharge, whether it’s sitting down at a cafe or finding a peaceful spot in a park. Having your body in the best condition possible throughout your trip makes everything more enjoyable.
- Safety and Security: Be mindful of your surroundings and take precautions to ensure your safety. Carry a mobile phone with your emergency contacts pre-programmed and consider using a tracking app if you have mobility concerns. Make sure to let someone know the general plan for your trip and when you expect to be back.
By following these tips, seniors can make the most of their local travels, discovering new places, engaging in enriching activities, and enjoying the comfort and convenience of exploring closer to home. People come to the Pacific Northwest from all over the world to explore things that we have access to all the time. Take advantage of our proximity and explore your backyard!
International Adventures
Traveling internationally as a senior can be a rewarding experience, offering opportunities to explore different cultures, cuisines, and landscapes. You generally have more time and flexibility at this point in your life with less consideration needing to be paid to jobs or home upkeep (at eliseo – you don’t have to worry about this at all!) Here are some specific tips to ensure a smooth and enjoyable international travel experience as a senior:
- Plan Ahead: You want to start planning these sorts of trips well in advance to ensure that you can secure accommodations and transportation that meets your needs. This is especially important for popular destinations or during peak travel seasons.
- Consider Group Travel: Many retirement communities organize group travel excursions specifically for their residents. You can also get a group of your friends together and use the purchasing power that you have as a group to get better rates or discounts that you wouldn’t get individually. This also allows you to spread the responsibilities around so that you aren’t overwhelmed trying to plan an entire trip abroad by yourself. Plus, you have more people to share the experience with!
- Check for Senior Discounts: Take advantage of discounts available to seniors for transportation, accommodations, and attractions. Many airlines, hotels and tour companies offer special rates for older adults. Why spend more than you have to?
- Choose Senior Friendly Destinations: Opt for destinations that are known for being senior-friendly. This means good accessibility, healthcare facilities in case of an emergency, amenities suitable for older travelers and attractions that fit your capabilities. With all of the information available online, you can have a very good idea of how accommodating a place will be well before you book your trip.
- Consider a Cruise: Cruises can be an excellent option for seniors because they offer a variety of activities, dining options and entertainment while you are onboard. You can choose specific cruises with ports of call that interest you. Certain cruise lines also cater to different demographics so that you can research beforehand and find one that focuses on seniors (or family trips if you are looking to go with relatives).
- Get Travel Insurance: Invest in travel insurance. It can cover health emergencies, trip cancellations, and delays. Do some research and look for companies and policies that specifically cater to seniors and consider any pre-existing medical conditions that you may have.
- Pack Smart: Pack as light as possible while still bringing enough for the environment that you will be in. With international trips, you will be moving your luggage around more than on local trips and you want to minimize the hassle of carrying heavy luggage.
- Stay Safe: Be vigilant with your belongings, especially in crowded or tourist heavy areas. Trust your instincts if something doesn’t feel right. Even the safest places can have bad actors.
- Stay Connected: Keep in touch with your retirement community (as well as neighbors and family) while you are away. Provide people with your itinerary and contact information in case of emergencies.
- Be Flexible: Different locations have different speeds of life and ways of doing things. Keep your travel plans flexible to accommodate things that may come up. Embrace the opportunity to explore new places at your own pace.
Whether you want to explore the area that you live in or see more of the world, your retirement is the ideal time to venture out and explore. With a few steps and a little planning, your trips can be much more enjoyable.