As a married mother of two fabulous kids who found her travels alone to be some of the most meaningful experiences in my life. This may sound strange, but as I have told a few other people, I’m looking forward to spending time alone and getting to know myself better during my retirement. Solo travel for retirees offers incredible freedom and I love the thought of using last-minute travel tips for seniors to make every adventure spontaneous and unforgettable. How I picture planning retirement travel adventure to be during retirement years is probably, strolling through glorious scenery and luxurious cultural holidays across the continents.
Solo Travel for Retirees is Life-Changing
Anyone who has spent the majority of his or her life travelling with family and friends might find it an intimidating prospect. But there is nothing like having the ability to take your own journey. This really can be a life-changing experience in retirement. As someone who juggles the demands of a busy household, travelling solo has given me precious moments of self-discovery and I know this experience can be even more transformational in retirement. The advantages to retirees are much more than independence and getting involved with what you enjoy from the arts to history and hikes.
Last-Minute Travel Tips for Seniors
Retirement is a wonderful time to be impulsive in adventure. Although I am still working full time, I often employ these methods to make my own travels more flexible and fun. With that in mind, here are a few tried-and-true approaches I make for perfect last-minute getaways for seniors:
Tip 1: Clear Your Calendar for Deals: Sign up for airfare alerts from various sites like google flights. When it comes to planning retirement travel adventure, such tools can help you make sure that you get good deals.
Tip 2: Travel Light and Well Equipped: Even just a ready to go bag filled with essentials such as an extra light jacket, comfortable boots for hiking, toiletries can prepare almost anyone for impromptu trips.
Tip 3: Be open to New Experience: Being spontaneous means being open to visiting places you never thought were in your travel plans. A few of my best cultural holidays have been those on which I simply went with the flow.
Balancing Family Life with Lone Travels
I will be the first to say that stepping away from family responsibilities for a solo road trip can be difficult. I almost feel like I am doing something wrong, but these little escapes are what make me a better wife, mother and person. Solo travel for retirees is a chance to rediscover passions that may have had to take a back seat during the 9-5 grind in your working lives. For me, that is walking mountain paths or wandering in the art and architecture of a new city.
Plan Retirement Travel Trips That Feed Your Soul
Retirement can feel like a blank slate, an opportunity to finally pursue those long-held dreams. From a slow cultural journey on the continent to hiking national parks, when you plan your activities out wisely, this can help make your adventure very enriching:
Choose a Senior-Friendly Destination: Find a location that combines adventure with comfort.
Use Technology when Planning a Trip: Finding an apartment on Airbnb or getting lost in the maze of alleys, are two things that changed forever with applications like these and Google Maps.
The Magic of Travelling Alone
You might not realise how nice it is not to have specific of your trip planned out. Perhaps the best advice I have ever received myself and something I pass along to friends also bitten by the travel bug is to make room in your itinerary for the unexpected. Many last-minute travel tips for senior suggest the benefit of ‘serendipity’ – a term used to describe making an unexpected discovery, such as finding a local festival or signing up for an impromptu tour of an ancient ruin. To me, these events are fun and they leave great memories that last a lifetime rather than anything by design could ever achieve.
Staying Safe and Comfortable While Travelling Solo
While the thought of travelling alone may sound scary, it is good to ease those worries with some preparations. Especially when you are hiking in new territory or traversing a crowded foreign city, safety must come first:
• Share your Itinerary with someone you trust: Tell a friend, family member about your travel plans especially if headed to remote hiking trails where communication might be difficult.
• Be selective about your accommodation: I ensure that when deciding on where to stay, I am booking places with positive reviews in high-density populated areas. These will be even more important as you approach or enter retirement, when comfort and safety need to be paramount.
• Travel Insurance: This might be something you want to avoid as an unnecessary expense, but when something goes wrong, this is definitely a must-have.
Adding a Cultural Touch to Your Travels
The experience of a full immersion in a new culture is one of the best benefits of solo travel for retirees. From art museums in Paris to ancient ruins in Peru, these experiences are even better when you can visit them at your own speed. This type of holidays have always been close to my heart, where you immerse yourself in the rhythm of a new place, eating local food, learning about traditional dances or simply watching how life unfolds around you.
Retired Life of Hiking Adventure
If you are also a hiker at heart, retirement simply opens up the shuttered doors to all those wild and scenic trails you have only dreamed of hiking. Consider hiking among the stunning peaks of the Dolomites in Italy or enjoying San Francisco’s lands End Trail. Experiences like these not only offer physical activity but also a spiritual connection with nature as well.
Here is Why Solo Travel for Retirees is The Fountain of Youth
I honestly believe that the wonder and curiosity ignited through solo travel will keep us young even as we age. Whether it is travelling to new places, trying unfamiliar foods or meeting people from different walks of life, that makes life so rich and profound. Retirement is the best time to take risks, it is never too late.
Are You Feeling Inspired Already?
Why not try solo travel if you are nearing the end of your working life or already into retirement. Trails to hike and cultures to discover, memories to create – all of it waiting for you around the world. For more information about solo outdoors and travelling, head over to Solo Traveller World.
For me, travelling alone is not just a pillar of your passion but how you can keep the spirit of adventure alive. Dream and plan and always remember that the best of the adventures is made when you follow your heart.
It also just might be that travel in your golden years is your time to give solo travel a go. So, tie up those walking shoes, book that flight and prepare to explore the earth one adventure at a time!
Be a Part of Our Community of Solo Traveller and live out your fulfilled life in retirement! Check our Perfect Holiday Ideas to Consider on Your Retirement too.
About the Author:
Article is written by Dr Fausat Oladipo.
Dr. Fausat Oladipo, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with background in intensive care and expertise in mental health care for US veterans and the elderly. She loves outdoor adventure, hiking enthusiast and also passionate about purposeful living.
