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There are so many ways to travel we could go on forever. We prefer to travel together, just the two of us. Except for our travel to Africa, we pretty much plan our own trips. Nowadays, we generally fly first class and travel with only a carry on and a backpack. We do not do hostels, couch surfing or budget airlines. There’s nothing wrong with any of that – it’s just not for us.
Clothing consists of multi-use, washable clothing suitable for layering. Our hiking pants double as shorts, our heavy jackets have zip out liners, so they are two jackets in one, raincoats are also windbreakers- the list goes on. I always use packing cubes. If the weather changes and we need something, we either get it from the thrift store (the ones in the UK are excellent) or we buy something inexpensive and donate it prior to leaving. We believe there is always a workaround no matter the situation. We stay situationally alert, never stand in the middle of the sidewalk trying to read our Google map, put our iPhones in our back pocket or wear flashy clothes or jewelry. Trying local cuisine is always fun, even if we don’t know what it is. And remember to ring your patience, smile and sense of humor with you.
1.What inspired you to embrace full-time travel as seniors?
Pet sitting, which was a relatively new concept back when we started it in 2013, was our initial inspiration. It seemed the perfect way to blend our love of animals while traveling the world. Free lodging and lovely pets. What could possibly go wrong? (We wrote a blog post about this.)
We loved it! We followed up our first international 10-day pet sit Australia with 3 months in the UK the following summer. We were hooked!
We started out doing budget travel, which is primarily what we called our pet sitting. You could control your expenses, depending on what transportation you chose and what pet sits were available. For the times in between sits, we chose budget hotels and then started staying at Airbnb’s.
We both have travel credit cards that give us points towards airfare and lodging. Over time we were able to utilize these to bear the cost of more expensive travel. As to how we choose our Next destination, it’s really a combination of interest, cost, timing, and how hard it is to get there
Slow travel is the way to go. However, having said that we’ve also enjoyed some special occasion travel like staying at the IHG Intercontinental Thalasso Spa Resort in Bora Bora for our10th anniversary. That was one that we saved for, but we used our IHG credit card and got a ton of points!
11. Have you faced any health-related travel challenges, and how did you handle them?
I felt a little “off” as we left Kauai (where we were living at the time) heading for a pet sit in Portugal. Upon arrival in Lisbon, I tried for two days to sleep if off to no avail. I never got out of bed. We continued to Oliviera do Hospital to meet the home/pet owners. I felt terrible. After they left on their journey, I tried to go to the hospital emergency, but I wasn’t bleeding so they suggested urgent care. Urgent care rejected me as the care was only for locals. We finally called the owners and found out there was an English speaking pharmacy nearby. They were able to provide some medication that helped immensely. This was our most difficult experience as we were in a very local area of mainly Portuguese speaking people, so communication was touch and go. But we stayed calm and worked our way through our options. I did finally recover and went on to enjoy our “sit.”
12. What are the biggest challenges in finding senior-friendly accommodations?
The biggest challenge is comfort. As we’ve aged, our bodies are less tolerant of discomfort and the resulting aches and pains. It can really ruin your travel. On longer flights, upgrade your seating if possible. If not, bring some “comfort” items mentioned in #8. Read reviews of hotel / Airbnb etc before booking. You can learn a lot! Consider the transportation needed to arrive at a destination. The 3-hour boat ride we took from Belize city to Ambergris Caye would have been more uncomfortable if not for my Therma-Rest inflatable seat cushion.
13.Are there specific hotel chains, cruise lines, or airlines that you find especially accommodating for older travelers?
We fly Delta quite often and find their seating comfortable and their seatback entertainment pleasant. We can’t say the same for American. Even in first class the seats are uncomfortable, and entertainment is by streaming on your personal device. We do not fly discount carriers because our bodies don’t care for bare bones! If your budget requires this, bring your comfort extras. While in the UK, we stayed in the Premier Inn motels, which are budget friendly while also comfortable. We do not stay in hostels or shared rooms. We have memberships at several of the larger hotel chains, so we get points towards future stays. IHG and Bonvoy are two of our favorites. As for cruise lines, forget the large cruise ships which are often geared towards families. (Unless, of course, you are traveling with extended family.) Our cruise on the Windstar line was perfect with a maximum of @ 320 passengers.
14. What are your best tips for ensuring an accessible and comfortable stay?
Research is key. We plan our own trips but if you don’t feel up to that, there are many travel agencies that cater to seniors. If social media isn’t your thing, you can find tons of info just by Googling your destination. Fodors, Fromers, Lonely Planet etc all have website where you can ask questions.
15. How do you budget for long-term travel as retirees?
Long term planning is key for our more luxurious travel (ie our 15th wedding anniversary trip to the Maldives) which we intersperse with more budget minded travel. Again, having travel and airline credit cards and memberships in the major hotel chains is important. When you want to just get away inexpensively, go for a pet sit or house sit. It helps to mix it up!
16.What are the best ways for seniors to save on travel expenses?
Travel off season, travel to the lesser-known destinations, book last minute cruises, vacations etc that are often deeply discounted, try Costco, and of course, pet and house sitting. There are many ways to travel no matter your budget. VolunteerHQ.org has volunteer opportunities all over the word for those 40 and over. Whatever your passion, it’s out there if you just look for it.
