A Change Of Scenery: Is Now Your Time To Travel?

For so many of us, the idea of traveling in our later years has been a bedrock concept. In our younger days, we may have lacked the time, money, or courage to set out and see the world, but in our later years, the world is our oyster, so to speak, and the call to travel beckons us beyond our daily lives. As the writer Susan Sontag once wrote, “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” The question is, in the present time, given everything going on in the world, can you still embark on your journey, whether a local trip or the trip of a lifetime?

A recent poll by YouGov certainly suggests that Baby Boomers continue to embrace travel. According to this poll, older adults travel more than other generations and spend more on their trips. This may be due to the obvious factor of having more free time available and more money that can be devoted to travel, given fewer daily expenses. The most popular travel among older adults involves beach vacations, scenic countryside trips, and sightseeing excursions, along with a sizable number interested in cruises. As for specific destinations, YouGov reports that Hawaii is the most popular, followed closely by Canada, Ireland, Florida, and Italy. For further insights on Baby Boomer travel patterns (as well as opportunities to save on your travel expenses), pull out your suitcase and click here.

Of course, right now, unusual cross-currents are happening that may diminish your interest in, or ability to, travel. As USA Today recently reported, between geopolitical tensions, airport disruptions, and global travel warnings (from the US State Department), not to mention rising prices in the US, many travelers are rethinking travel plans or even outright cancelling plans already made. A survey from March of this year found that 56% of Americans were worried about disruption of their summer travel plans. As the US Travel Association stated, “Traveler anxiety is a real and growing concern, and our new data shows it has become a decisive issue for American voters.” In fact, data shows that transatlantic travel demand from US citizens is down by over 11% for summer bookings, and, not surprisingly, far fewer international tourists are coming to the US this year.

Should you therefore cancel your plans or postpone that hoped-for trip? That’s not an easy call, though many older travelers continue to maintain that life without travel is not worth living. As one 76-year-old globe-trotting traveler recently told The Guardian, “Solo travel is better than sitting at home looking back instead of forward…I worry about standing still, of missed opportunities, and of not evolving- and the travel bug remains strong…So many friends say I’m so brave to continue to travel, to try new experiences, but meeting new people in new places is what keeps me alive, what keeps my brain engaged far better than crosswords or Wordle.” And 70-year-old travel expert Rick Steves couldn’t agree more. According to recent interviews with Steves in the San Francisco Chronicle, Steves still travels close to 100 days a year, and he’s an avid fan of travel as a wonderful part of healthy aging. While attending a conference on Aging and Longevity, Steves realized how essential travel is: “He said he heard those experts discuss the value of movement, purpose, connection, and learning as we age, and he just kept thinking, well, that’s what travel does. Getting stimulation, getting exercise, getting social, fun, getting good sleep, the whole works.” However, he’s also practical when it comes to traveling as an older adult. His advice? Pack light and be able to pick up your own suitcase; think like a pickpocket and don’t leave anything to chance or leave yourself vulnerable (He has all of his pants with a button on the back pockets to prevent easy pickpocketing); skip Europe during the hot and crowded summer months; and, perhaps most importantly, study up before a trip. He strongly believes the more you understand, the more you’ll enjoy your trip. But, as he also makes clear, in his mind, “Travel is the fountain of youth.”

Finally, with sensible product advice, Travel and Leisure has several posts to make travel easier for adults who may need to prioritize comfort and adaptation. For flying, these include such practical suggestions as packing a blanket or shawl for cold cabin temperatures, compression socks (a must-have!) to avoid leg swelling and stroke risk, medications in your carry-on bag rather than checked luggage, earplugs to reduce ear pain, and a seat cushion for hard airline seats. An international traveler also suggested to Travel and Leisure that older adults include in their bags a neck pillow, sleep mask, lip balms, refillable water bottle, portable phone charger, and don’t forget the comfy pants! And for those of you traveling who need to accommodate mobility or vision disabilities, The New York Times recently published a list of phone apps and a website to help you navigate and plan for whatever contingencies arise.

So, whether you’re setting off in your car, flying across the country, or venturing to another part of the world, we wish you safe travels and expect you’ll have stories to share and new friends to celebrate as you soak up the experience of traveling in your later years.