A comment in another thread got me thinking about this question. Many of the older people we know say, “don’t wait, travel while you can!” because they faced unexpected health challenges when they retired.
For those who are still in this camp, what do you do in terms of vacations? If you are retired, what did you do when you were still working?
For us, we didn’t have the budget to travel when we were younger other than visiting family or short weekend trips. When there was more income to start traveling, there was a baby/toddler in the mix. So, we had a 10 year gap where we didn’t do too much of anything.
Then cancer hit one of our parents and they died in their early 60s and missed a couple of major bucket list trips that they were waiting to take. That was a bit of a wake up call to us that there was no guarantee that there would be a tomorrow and we had to rethink our strategy.
Ever since, we’ve been trying to take one trip/year alternating between going abroad and saying domestic. We had a run of international travel after Covid derailed us but I think we’re back to our normal pattern now.
There are definitely places that we want to see but take so much time/effort to get there, that they do fall into the “wait for retirement” bucket (ie New Zealand and Japan) where I don’t think 2 weeks is enough time.
We also like the idea of cruising - unpack once and see lots of places, but also are back burning that since our last cruise with the inlaws wan’t active enough for us so we feel like we can keep that for when we are older. Yet, we might not get older…
Our next international trip will be hiking to Machu Picchu. That one felt important to do sooner rather than later and it is a bucket list trip for me.
We’re also in the “both” camp. There is a lot that we’ll only have proper time to do while retired, but also that’s going to get more difficult as we get older. (We did Galapagos a few years ago and that’s one that would be a huge let down to do when older as a lot of it is active.) We try to do at least one big trip a year as well as one or two national parks trips, maybe weekends and long weekends away as well, but also have a list of “when we have lots of time”.
I am notorious for being one of those people who is planning the next trip on the way back from one…
Former school educator here. Our travel times were restricted to summers and school vacations which were very busy and expensive times to travel.
I actually retired from that job because of a three week trip we took to Africa. The BOE wasn’t going to give me that much time off between Thanksgiving and Christmas so I just retired.
My DH was a business traveller for a while and we did have the benefits of seat upgrades and points for tickets, and hotels. We sometimes used those.
We took a couple of trips a year, usually visiting family. We have family all over the place. Let’s just say, a vacation to San Diego was terrific!
The nice thing about being retired is we can fly on any day of the week and go to places whenever we feel like it…not just on school vacations.
So…I guess we balanced what we had to do with what we wanted to do.
We’ve done mostly family short of a destination wedding to Israel with some Europe packed in and four or five days to Maine.
I suppose it depends on interests. Some like culture or to learn new things. Others want to sit on a beach, etc. my wife is the former. I’m the latter.
We’ve done nothing long or solo but that’s choice. I also tend to work some as I’m customer facing and I don’t know how to shut off even when I have a back up.
This fall, I plan to take my better half for a week. I say now I’ll leave the laptop home. Still I’ll have my work and personal phones.
I plan Montreal and Quebec City in a week - fall foliage although it’s end sept so I might be early. At least I’m planning. My wife loves plants etc. for me it’s a snooze -15 mins and I’m good. But I’ve got to cater to her - she got me through illness last year and deserves something she’d love (regardless of the illness).
We are fans of short flights so while Australia is on the list - not yet.
My dad is late 80s and cruises many times a year. For him it’s trivia and food. He doesn’t get off the boat - it’s just too much for him.
In your case - no doubt you can make the trips you want - but I think everyone’s interests are different and maybe our traffic patterns align with those interests.
As the kids are gone though we should do more us things. But right now it’s visiting the kids instead of vacationing with. We’ll see…
Until 2011 we had zero money for nice trips. We were lucky to do anything within a 4 hour driving radius. 2011 we had a little more and did nicer, but cheaper trips once/year - drove the 1000 miles to Acadia, drove the 700 miles to Orlando/Cocoa Beach. Got a Delta Amex card and used the points to offset plane fare SF/Oregon. Interspersed my parents took us to Europe 3 times! That is what really set me off on my love of travel.
As the years went by, we found ourselves better off with more $$$ to travel. We still aimed for one nice (for us) trip/year. But H was a teacher until last June, so between that and the kids, we were limited to summers and Xmas when things are crowded and pricey.
Now that he’s retired and just working at Planet Fitness, we are free to go whenever. And I now get 6 weeks of vacation a year! (My first 5 years, I only got 2 weeks/year and I couldn’t use my sick time for my kids and had no flex time. Any errands also came from those 2 weeks! Not that we had $$$ for traveling anyway, but I digress. It was a hard time.)
I like the idea of trying to knock off bucket list items now, while we are younger and more able to do stuff. In May, we did a long road trip from Vancouver through the Canadian Rockies. Next year, we are contemplating doing something similar from Rapid City-Yellowstone-Grand Tetons. In between, my parents are taking us on a Xmas Market cruise from Nuremburg-Basal. I am excited for that too! We also want to do Alaska soon. One nice trip/year is a definite must, but sometimes we get in a smaller nice trip - like we did an extended weekend in Quebec City or Chicago.
I figure why not hit some of these places now. I have the $$$ now. We have our health now. Who knows what we can do later. Thanks to his genetics, H also has a hip replaced and will have a shoulder hopefully done very soon. His Dad had issue in his 30s. He also has CLL like his Dad. And there are just so many places I do want to go and see, I will never run out of places. The constraints are time and $$$. So why wait?
One idea is to do shorter/grander trips now while still working. Then when retired with more time you could go places where you can stay longer/cheaper.
Oooh! Travel is my favorite topic. No matter our income situation, I have always prioritized traveling, even at the expense of other things we might have spent on (newer cars, cleaning help…). My travel bucket list is LONG!
When the kids were growing up, we had always taken one family trip a year, as that’s what we could afford, both in terms of funds and vacation time. Now that the kids are out of the house, I aim for several trips a year (a few shorter domestic and 1-2 longer domestic or international). Since last September we have traveled to the National Parks in Utah, the beach in Puerto Rico, the mountains of western North Carolina. We are headed to Bar Harbor and Acadia next month and Portugal in early spring. I’m now starting to plan for a summer 2026 trip to Glacier Nat’l Park, and a fall trip “somewhere” in Europe. As long as we are still working, our trips will be no longer than 8-10 days. Like you, I plan to back burner trips to places that take a very long time to access (Asia) until we are retired.
I was recently retired when my previously very healthy and active spouse had a significant health event. Thankfully she fully recovered and encouraged me to go back to work for a renewed sense of normalcy and purpose beyond caring for her. She certainly and outspokenly no longer needs my help😀
As we contemplated next steps we didn’t want to delay some of our bucket list plans. Consequently, the arrangement I made with my new employer was that my wife would often join me on the 6+ international trips I make a year. We bolt on several days and extend the trips. When working that is my priority and she does her own thing.
We have now visited Spain, England, Italy, France, Netherlands, Switzerland and numerous other great locations as part of my business travel. We love to explore smaller towns or just walk in cities and get lost. Thankfully we can communicate across a few languages and are comfortable being a bit lost.
This approach to work makes it much more manageable for me not to feel like I am away, my wife often gets to explore a city’s cultural sites independently while I work, and there is always something 6-8 weeks out to plan and look forward to. We have also now returned to several cities multiple times which adds a great deal of comfort and cultural depth to the experience. We have also built a network of other similar travelers.
We get our “family” vacations by spending a month working remotely from a beach community which serves as a destination for kids, significant others and extended friends and family. I tend not to ever be able to entirely disconnect from work so this hybrid approach works well.
We are blessed to have these vacation options but given all that went on we never loose sight of how lucky we are in the bigger picture. Our goal is to not look back and think we should have done something because we are very aware of how quickly life changes.
So OP in response to your question, we have found a way to do it now.
I think it also depends what your vacation allocation is at a job. There are people who still have “2 weeks a year” and that’s it. We were lucky to both have decent vacation benefits but at the same time, we are not big travelers. Nearly all our vacation time would be used in the summer when the kids were off and we could visit our cottage which was only a summer place.
Semi retired now and will use time to do a family vacation once a year and then random shorter trips - traveling just not our thing.
I have always been self-employed and have exited my most stressful business interests over the past decade. I still work but enjoy it and can’t imagine full retirement. Neither child is interested in coming back home and taking my business over. We are grooming my partner’s son to take over my role. I always say, only half in jest, that my exit plan is death.
I’ve had some health issues, including open heart surgery earlier this year to replace an aortic root and mitral valve. I had no coronary artery disease and recovered fully in six weeks. We realized several years ago that we should enjoy ourselves while we’re physically able.
We take our children on vacations and pay their way. We include our son’s girlfriend and daughter’s boyfriend also. It’s an easy way to see them, and saves them money at a time when they need to be saving. We visit them regularly as well.
We also have a fairly famous relative in entertainment, and get to travel to LA, NYC, and elsewhere going to talk shows, tapings, and other events associated with that relative’s career. It’s so much fun us, and especially for our kids. Our son slipped away from his IB job in NYC recently to be backstage at a talk show taping, then went back to work until midnight.
So we’ve figured out how to work and travel. The work keeps the travel from being a financial burden and keeps me occupied. We feel very fortunate and life is good for us.
My father had a progressive illness and died at 69 after several rapidly declining years. My mother got cancer at 67 and had only a couple of good years before she died a month after turning 75. I grew up with the story of my grandfather who got cancer within months of retiring and died shortly after. This has definitely impacted my thinking, including retiring earlier than many (with a pension). We always have been restricted by finances but I always prioritized travel/vacations when my kids were growing up. Nothing fancy but seeing the country (couldn’t/ didn’t see the world). We’re doing more traveling now in early years of retirement. At whatever point I get to not being able to travel any more I want to have memories, not regrets.
I do want to say that for some people, there are no regrets not having traveled much.
I think if you want, enjoy and prioritize travel, then that’s what matters.
For others, the priority is enjoying their life close to home. Or vacationing somewhere year after year.
Neither is better than the other. Both are great
I’m glad there’s different types of people
My own husband really enjoys his house. He has hobbies and interests. Keeps himself busy and is very happy. Travel is ok but doesn’t define him.
I like to travel and he’s happy to come. He doesn’t want to or has a need to travel much at all. Doesn’t mean he’s limited in his world view. Mostly he’s really happy in his comfortable surroundings.
I have one kid who loves to travel. That couple is on the go all the time. My other kid, likes to be home. Does not like to be on the go.
We tried to do both.
• At my first job, I negotiated an extra week of vacation. In exchange for a slightly smaller paycheck. Most firms at that time only allotted 10 days total, but our entire family lived over 1000 miles away. We would spend it all just visiting family, and I wanted a bit more flexibility.
• When our children were young, we tried to have at least one away vacation (7-10 days) every year or two. USA has such incredible variety, I didn’t feel the need, or had the finances to travel abroad, especially with young children.
• When our children were college age+, we planned international trips about every 3 years (4 total). By then, our budget allowed more expenses, although we remained extremely frugal.
• Unfortunately, Covid hit when we had the time (and energy) to take more trips, and we haven’t yet started back in our former plans. Now, frankly, I’m happy spending time with family, and back to exploring the variety of the USA (parks, cities, and small-towns), so the travel bug is not as strong as it once was. Or, maybe I’ve become tired of all the planning involved, and not willing to pay the premium in cost and flexibility of organized trips.
• My hope was that the children would take over the planning, and we tag along to babysit, or diverge once at various location. Not happening (yet).
I’d advise travel NOW if that’s high on your bucket list. It can be done, with children and frugally (if you’re willing to spend a lot of time researching and planning). Bucket lists change over time.
Physical and mental ability to travel
Then, travel.
If one or more of these is not in place, then write your own story of time off and having new experiences. You can have new experiences for less $$, less time, less physical/mental abilities if you can leave your home.
My husband is still working with no exit plan in sight. His work is stressful and I’m trying to plan more travel to give him breaks. We don’t have a bucket list but I enjoy Europe. We just did 3 weeks in Sicily and Puglia this May. It was a little long for him and he said yesterday he isn’t up to thinking about another long flight destination. He loves camping trips and I reluctantly agree to several shorter trips a year. We have two coming up in September. He also loves sailing charter trips. On our last charter trip last December I realized that I no longer have the ability to pick up the mooring ball and some of the other physical stuff. I’m still happy to go but we need to bring one of our adult children and spouse.
I’m thinking about a trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward’s island for next year. It won’t be so long of a flight from the west coast as Europe.
My parents all died in their early 70’s so it’s something I keep in mind. Also doing the more physical trips while we can.
Like others here, we had no money for travel for several years. Even rearranging priorities was not an option. We also lived 800 miles away from our families via the one way road. Travel was to family ( small towns in the Midwest) or H’s family reunions.
As our kids got older and finances improved, we started traveling as a family. We were also able to take a few trips as empty nesters.
That changed in 2017. My dad passed away and my mom went to AL. Her dementia was worsening and she was lonely so I traveled to see her 7-8 times a year ( as did my sister). My PTO was basically drained. Mom passed in 2019 and then well …Covid cancelled several trips.
I am thankful H and I had a few years of travel (including a trip to Italy) before he passed away recently.
I still have places I want to see and things I want to do. I plan to go in the next several years as I am able.
I thought I had no money to travel when our kids were young. We had a family member with a vacation home so trips were there. We have great memories of that time.
If I thought we had no money when the kids were young, we definitely didn’t when we had 2 in college at the same time.
Took a while after college to pay off the loans accumulated during college. We committed to paying for their education.
Then the pandemic, a layoff, weddings. Seems like we were always chasing the time where we would have the opportunity and money to travel.
Even when we were worried about saving money for college and retirement, we tried to make sure and do some things for “now,” while still saving for the future.
While we were still working, and after all kids were in college we decided to prioritize travel. We figured we could afford to up our travel game while we still had our salaries coming in, and no longer had to worry about saving for college, etc. We decided we should strive for 5 trips a year towards the end of working. They didn’t all have to be “great” trips, but we did it for a couple of years. Then COVID hit, and we were very careful during that time.
I retired in 2021, and my husband retired in 2022 (I still worked a little for a couple of years, and husband works maybe 25%, but his work is very flexible, and is not allowed to take priority over travel). We consider ourselves in the “go go years,” and are traveling a fair amount.
Even though we are fairly active (I rode my bike over 50 miles yesterday, husband ran 6 miles), we are slowing down already, so want to do some of the active trips while we can. We go on at least one, sometimes 2, group cycling or multi-sport trips a year. Our longest vacation was a month long trip to New Zealand, but we usually go for 2 weeks or less at a time. I especially look for “good deals,” and sometimes we just go because I got a good deal. Sometimes we take and pay for the kids, sometimes they help pay, and usually we go without them (youngest is 29, and they have their own lives).
Dementia runs in my family, and 4 of the siblings in my mom’s family died right around 70, so I want to enjoy myself while I can.
Favor work that allows me to live the life I want to live, rather than having to wait until older/retired. However, I prioritize things like being able to spend a few hours outside most days; rather than prioritize being able to break up months of high workload to take a multi-week international vacation.
As an example, in another thread I posted some pictures from a hiking daytrip I took yesterday – a Tuesday trip, giving notice on Monday evening. I chose to leave yesterday because that may be the only day with a low enough temperature for the trip until the fall. I prioritize having the flexibility to do this.
I’m close to 60 and working in healthcare I’m well aware that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. I’m starting to think about retirement and what travel will look like. My husband and I both made a trip bucket list and are trying to do the more expensive far away trips now while we have replacement income and our health. We are saving the shorter cheaper trips for when we are older. (Except for SE Asia, I think that would need several weeks, is cheaper while there but does take several travel days to get there. -we can’t fit this in while working)