For us oldies - how much longer do you expect to travel long haul?

We travel as hard as we can, for as long as we can. In one day, it could all be over. We have seen this and I am sure you have too. A stroke, a fatal heart attack, etc.

Well, I haven't thought about it in such a ... finite... way, but I have noticed that I don't have the same level of energy I used to. Since I recently crossed the 60 mark I find that the thing that puts me off is that long flight from the west coast to Europe. It just wrecks me. But my husband and I are fortunate to be in pretty good health so far and can imagine continuing to travel indefinitely. Although that may include more guided tours vs. independent travel, maybe shorter itineraries. We've never had an urge to take a cruise, but river cruises are starting to seem like a possibility some day. I think we'll just continue one big overseas trip every other year with domestic trips here and there until we either can't or find that we don't want to. There are just too many unknowns to be able to make a long term plan, I think.

I’m your age and to some degree I’m thinking in that direction but for now I can walk with no issues, have no health issues and have a high energy level. Five years ago I went to Germany with my 90 year old mom who has some health issues. We stayed 2 weeks in Munich in a hotel close to the city center that had a small kitchen area. Munich worked for us as a base because there was plenty of sites by train to see as day trips (Salzburg, Bavaria Alps, etc) Mom was able to make some but not all trips. Did I went to visit more multi cities? Yes, but it was a trip of a lifetime and at least we were in Europe. The trip was actually very enjoyable being that it was unrushed and slow paced.
No cut off age maybe just the style will change. For my retirement gift to myself I want to take the 21 day RS tour.

I'm 72 now and fortunately no major health issues interfered with my last 2 long trips to Europe at 66 and 68. Unfortunately, financial issues intervened before health issues, and curtailed my international travel. Some minor health issues now but not enough to keep me from wanting to do one more trip - one I had planned for 2016 that never came off. It will take me a few more years to save up enough to do it, but if health is still good I may attempt it, maybe for my 75th. If money was no issue I would travel until I drop.

You don’t know how many good “traveling years” you have left and I doubt anyone can tell you that, even your doctors. All you can know is how you are feeling/how you are doing, today. I would plan based on that and this principle : assuming you knew you won’t be able to travel next year or, God forbid, won’t be here, which trip would you do this coming year? Do that trip. And, if things work in your favor, go through that exercise again next year. Eventually your limitations will become apparent and you can plan accordingly. Trying to plan long term is futile. We are 67 and 69. My perfectly healthy wife went through a life threatening illness requiring two brain surgeries shortly after we returned from our 6th and 7th RS tour last summer. She has recovered for the most part and we are looking forward to another tour, but not until 2019. Because of this we will “front load” our travel-do as much as we can and can afford while we have the health necessary. Life is tenuous.

At 76, I am planning on another 10 years before assisted living. Then we will need our travel funds to pay for assisted living. We have been traveling fairly hard for the past 25 years driven, in part I suppose by family situation. Both our families were saving for retirement and future travel. "Just as soon as we are retired ...." My father died at 67 (two years after retirement) and my wife lost her mother in high school and her father became a sad, old man who never fulfilled any of his dreams. Decided we could not wait for retirement. So we packed up the two boys and hit the road. Older son turns 40 this week and still tags along occasionally.

We have been fortunate in that we haven't had any serious medical problems other than some typical aging problems. We have kept our weight down and exercise frequently (Silver sneakers) at a local heart institute. Our expectation is to travel until we physically cannot. We never took travel insurance until two years ago. Don't think we can keeping rolling the dice and winning. One concession to getting old. Still have a couple of dream trips and still harbor thoughts of living in Europe for a couple months each year -- kids say that is not going to happen.

Had a colleague who each summer after retiring rented a summer cottage on the Irish coast. Had a routine of walking along the cliff each morning. One morning he was late returning. His wife found reclining on a boulder looking out to sea. Can anyone think of a better way to go?

PS -- Organized tours are beginning to have more appeal. And I am not an oddie!

I only wish I was still as young as the OP. Yes, DH, and I have slowed down as weve gotten older. And our endurance isn't what it once was. We know there will come a day when we can't travel anymore. But for now, we adapt and keep on keepin' on. We are doing more "bucket list" trips now. About 1 big trip per year. With 1 or 2 shorter trips as well. Who knows what could happen next year, or even next week? Fortunately we can afford it, if we're prudent, so there's no point in putting things off.

Long plane trips are a pain, both literally and figuratively, so now we fly premium economy or BC (when we can get a good deal). And since we are slower and can't do as much in a day, we take longer trips to accommodate that. Hotels with an elevator and AC are now mandatory. We cruise more now as well. Hopefully, by continuing to change the way we travel to compensate for our physical needs, we'll be able to continue our world travels for years to come.

I wholeheartedly agree with those saying we shouldn't put too much on our bucket lists, because many of us don't live long enough to start ticking things off. I too know several people who either didn't make it to retirement or had such poor health when they got there, they couldn't enjoy it.

I'm thankful that we've been able to travel for many years so, even if we had to stop now, we couldn't feel cheated. Nevertheless, we're taking nothing for granted, hence our thoughts about maybe planning, say ten years of some pretty good travel that will use up most of the budget. Any travel after that will be a bonus.

I think about this a lot. My husband passed away 3 years ago. He never got to do anything but work. I’m not taking that chance. I’m going until I can’t or until the money runs out. Life is too short. You never know.

till I drop dead in my tracks

This line of thought has been popping up in my mind over the last year. I am definitely on the wrong side of 60, 64 tomorrow as a matter of fact. I do find the one aspect that turns me off from travelling is the entire airport, cramped airplanes, no leg room, aisles that are far too narrow, and awefull (or none) food experience. I find myself questioning if I want to make a trip when I see the length of the trip and the long layovers that make getting to your destinaztion such a long drawn out effort.... that leaves me totally exhausted upon arrival. Once I'm there, I'm fine and except for turning in in the evening a bit earlier, I can keep up a busy pace of site seeing everyday. It's just getting there that had turned into a horrible experience that I dread it. Having said that, I still love Europe and it will always be my first choice of destinations. There are still many places I've not been to and some I'd like to return to and so I will keep on travelling until I just can't do it anymore.

I have it all figured out. Ha!

Well I have actually asked many people of all ages about this subject, so here are my thoughts.
For many people after 70ish they don’t seem to want to be out of their comfort zone as much. Certainly not everyone, but travel does become harder with the flights, not sleeping in your own bed etc.
I have noticed older people become more “fussy”.
Therefore, hubby and I hopefully have 20 years of travel left (we hope). We are older parents so have decided to suck up the extra price tag and take the kids with us. If we didn’t, we would only have a few years kid-free to travel. My husband still works and kids are in school so that does limit us somewhat.

I've never thought about how many years I have left for long haul travel. I've always figured that as long as the money holds out, and as long as I can sweet talk my other half into going wherever it is I want to visit, I'm good to go.

Guess I am really lucky -- I sleep through most of the 10-12 hours of the flight from SFO to Europe. So that part of the trip isn't taxing. We just plan our travel a LOT slower than the pace of hit-the-ground running milennials; lots of breaks to sit and smell the flowers or watch the river.

My late MIL once confided to me that after she turned 83, things got tough. Keeping that in mind, we have another 10-12 good years left to travel, even if we keep going slower and slower.

Very lucky so far at 65. Worst health problem is that I can't sit for long periods without discomfort of one kind or another. Flying can be a b.... Been thinking about this too as I hear I'm mortal. I'm not enamored of the drop-in-your-tracks strategy. I figure the 40+ years I've been traveling were partly for making memories. So if travel becomes doable only with major risks and hassles, I'll just live with the restrictions that inevitably come with staying alive - and enjoy the memories. Many years ago I got a small lesson in this regard... Back then I would travel furiously on short vacations from my short-lived career in theater management. Once a month, my theater would host a monthly "Armchair Travel" series, which brought in a speaker with slides and/or video reflecting off the big silver screen - and it also brought in maybe 100-200 white-haired, well-heeled oldsters with canes and walkers. At first I found it a bit sad that these folks were no longer able to pillage the planet independently as I could - they could barely make it across my lobby. But soon I could also tell they were having the time of their lives - sharing their interest in foreign lands and their own travels with their once-a-month friends... I think when the time comes to hang up my backpack, I may just try something like that.

I am your age but I don't any health issues. I'm able to walk many miles and/or climb many stairs without complaint and the transatlantic flights are just boring to me because I can't sleep. I look forward to my yard work - I mulch my half acre every few days with a push mower! I am actually in better health than all my younger siblings. I suspect I will be traveling many more years. However, my spouse is 18 months younger but finds the flights unbearable due to arthritic conditions, knee problems and foot issues. It's going to be a challenge for me to accommodate both of our needs. I've floated the idea of me traveling alone because travel is the reason I retired with a nest egg! I have the financial resources and plenty of time but may not have a partner to accompany me. i am glad to be a hardy individual but it's a mixed blessing.

I'm just a couple of years younger than you. I have a slew of health issues. But every year I make two 10-11 week trips to Europe. This year it might be three,.

My personal item is filled about a third full of medication. There are days I get up in pain and I decide to take it easy.

I don't have the energy I had 30 years ago and I sometimes forget that. On this current trip, I just made some changes that skips some of my stops so I can spend more time in others. Less running around. In fact, on future trips I've decided to have more longer term bases than do a bunch of 2-3 night stops.

And every time I think that it's time to hang it up and just stay home, I remember that being somewhere different, experiencing the culture, the people, the scenery, and the food is much better than staying home and playing shuffleboard.

I don't know how much longer I have. But I do have two choices--I can sit at home and moan about it or I can go out and enjoy every day doing things I like to do. I may not be able to them the way I used to but at least I'm still doing them.

And when the time comes that I can no longer travel, then I will find something else to occupy my time.

Hi -

I'm sixty four and still wondering how that happened. I've got arthritis too and am not happy about it although currently I'm largely pain free and mobile. My family appear to have a predisposition to DVTs too which makes long haul travel a small risk - I'm permanently medicated against them now. So every time I get off a long haul flight I do wonder if the desire is still there to do them.

My wife puts me right and says we should do it while we can. And as much as we can and/or want to. After all, as I joke, by the time my Dad was my age he'd been dead four years! I guess we never know and anyone of us, at whatever age and in whatever state of health, could be hit by the metaphorical truck any day.

So while we are able - the body being willing and the finances being available - we are going to crack on with it for as long as we ever can. Next stop for us Brits, Alaska! (Although I'm not yet sure what we are doing after June!).

Happy Trails! Or more appropriately, Keep on Travelling!

Ian

I can understand the sentiment, "Keep travelling till you can't". With unlimited funds, that's how I would approach travel. But the point I'm trying to make here is, for those of us approaching or in retirement, with a fixed retirement fund and travel budget that might (for instance) cover ten big trips in total, do we plan that out over thirty years, twenty years, or ten?

Some might say that it would be wise to get the big trips done before 70yo. The risk in that of course is, we might be lucky to find ourselves at 72yo and still fit, able and healthy enough to keep going, but the money has gone. Others might hope to get twenty good years and plan accordingly, but only get halfway through before ill health stops them in their tracks.

I'm not expecting anybody to provide a solution; there are too many variables, uncertainties and our personal outlook and circumstances vary. I simply wondered how those of us who had thought about this have dealt with it, and why they made their choices.

I was 62 last month, have a decent amount of disposable income since I paid off my mortgage a few years back, I have no one that depends on me financially . I am still working but get a lot of annual leave (42 days) and I travel as much as I can.I do intend to retire within the next 3 years before that if the university I work for will allow me.
I intend to keep travelling as much as I can for as long as my health will allow me and I am in pretty good health at the moment though my right hip is beginning to give up a bit.

At some point(different for different countries) our ability to do road trips will be gone because of age limits on rental cars, so we better do those now.

We're working on our bucket list trips now (mid '60s). Trying to do at least one big one per year, two if timing works out. I too can see the time coming when mobility becomes an issue, and we'll have to look for less stressful travel. In my mind, 75 is my planning cutoff, so we are front-loading the more adventurous (for us) trips. Thats the plan - life can get in the way.

we might be lucky to find ourselves at 72yo and still fit, able and healthy enough to keep going, but the money has gone.

Which is pretty much the position I find myself in now. Do I have any regrets about overextending myself financially to do my traveling while I was physically able? Occasionally I do, but if I had it to do over I would do it again. I wouldn't trade my travel experiences and memories for all the money in the world, even if it would make it a bit more comfortable for me now. So, for me at least, traveling early to most of the places I wanted to see was the right thing to do. I think I would regret it more if I hadn't gone ahead and traveled while I knew I was physically able and then got hit with health problems that prevented me from going. A decision all of us travel addicts must face and a very individual one.

I've recently been pondering how, when age comes up on this forum, it confuses me because I don't think of people as particularly aged in their 70's and in their 80's. My husband's uncle was still flying domestically, alone, without wheelchair assistance, when he was 96. It confuses me because my husband is 77 years old, was essentially dead 2 years ago, but has healed and he is back to traveling to Europe. He does have more meds than ever before now, but he still seems faster than I am in many situations. Is he not supposed to travel at age 77? Seriously, sometimes I pause about that when reading 'elderly' comments on this forum and find out the party is 60 or 70. I'm 64. So, I'm interested in what everyone has to say about being too old to travel.
My grandfather was on the roof painting trim at age 88 and the neighbors would come over and tell my mother to get him down. She would answer that if he dies by falling off the roof at his age, well more power to him (and there's no way she would be able to have him stop doing what he wanted anyway). My grandmother, also at 88, was peeing behind a gravestone (a Memorial Day) the day before she died...after they drove over an hour to the cemetery (Sorry, I love the visual). On the other hand both of my parents either died or became debilitated in their 60's. The thought of being ill in a foreign country, alone, does worry me...but not enough. With my parent's history, throughout my life, I have planned for the longterm, accumulated fewer things, and enjoyed the life I had at the moment. Kind of 'what if I were to die in six months' type of thing, what can I do now? Much travel was done before I retired because of this.

To answer your question, I have been working on my bucket list, starting at the top, but it can keep me busy a long time if necessary as it is a long list and I keep adding to it. I also have changed the way I fly so that it is enjoyable. I hate the long flights and am lucky enough to live on the east coast. I fly the day flight to Europe, sleep at the Sofitel and have lovely room service, rise slowly in the morning, and catch my next late morning flight to where ever. I am slowing up and breaking up the flight home as well. (It would take me days to get to Australia, but that would be OK.) Is this slowing and perfecting because I'm old or because I have the luxury of time or the experience now? I don't know. Also, I have always said that if I become immobile, I will return to Paris and sit at a cafe all day and watch people...so I will travel, just in a smaller circle. Will I ever think I'm old enough for a cruise? I hope not, but... On the other hand, my travel also fits into my yearly budget. I'm not yet stealing from the future.

Until I can't push the buttons on my electric wheel chair

I am 66, wife is 69. We both are pretty OK healthwise. We exercize for 1/2 hour every other day, and will be walking more now that winter in SD is over (please!!). With our parents, they did well until they got to be about 75-80. Our plans now are to move to Europe and live there long-term (assuming that Schengen holds) for a year or two. When we lose mobility, we hope to take a river cruise or two.

I decided long ago that I didn't want to be sitting on a pot of gold on my death bed. That's like being all of these "Survivor" contestants who are voted off the island while they are holding hidden immunity idols. I don't want to regret NOT spending it on the travel I've always wanted. What good will the nest egg be if I can't enjoy it?

I am 72 , my wife 68 We long dreamed of traveling to Europe , and were finally able to start in 2010 . We go every Autumn for a protracted stay , and will continue until we collapse , After all , as Silas says , what good is it if you can't enjoy it . This song by Mel Brooks , the opening to his 1970 film , " The Twelve Chairs " says it very well - https://youtu.be/rt1cA0jqamk

I plan to travel as long as I can. As others have said, I have been traveling hard over the last decade or so because you never know when you won't be able to. I am 58 and we had a trip to France scheduled in February. Two weeks before the trip, I suffered a herniated disc in my back and had a lot of pain in my right hip plus sciatica, numbness in my leg and foot. It was difficult to know how to walk! Falling was a real possibility, especially walking on uneven surfaces. I went to the doctor and chiropractor and got on the plane to Paris anyway. I spent 10 days doing everything I could. We walked 6-7 miles a day. In actuality, I think it really helped me get better. So the bottom line is - you never know when you won't be able to travel so enjoy it while you can. At some point, you will know when it's time to stop.

Wise and realistic comments here by many people. While 70 may be the new 50, or so, it is also true that everybody is different, or better, every body is different. As for me, two hip replacements about 5 years ago certainly re-started my life, or at least my travel life. Very soon after, I discovered Rick Steves Tours, began climbing bell towers and small mountains, and I have been on 1, 2 or 3 RS Tours every year since, with 2 more scheduled soon, Turkey in late May, connecting to the Basque Tour in late June. Just made my final tour payment yesterday! I always mix the tours with independent travel before and/or after. I find that a wonderful mix — too many weeks of group tour can become confining, too many weeks of solo travel can become lonely. My current concern is a generally low energy level, need to get more rest and pace myself. Also, there are so many other continents where I used to travel. Where is the Asian or African Rick Steves? I also know that someday, it’s likely that the traveling will all come to an end, leaving me with my my memories, my photos, my collection of all those accumulated arts, crafts, travel books, refrigerator magnets, and RS travel shows! Keep on travelin’!

I am the same age as you. We’ve been traveling each year to Europe for the past seven years, plus a few trips previously. The travel planning & trip are one of my major hobbies.

We’ve had friends with cancer, etc. and both of us have a family history of old age and early deaths, so we feel that we should travel while we are able. Our tentative plan is to take a Europe and USA trip yearly for the next five years and then concentrate more on US trips. We’ve never taken a cruise, but will probably take one up to Alaska sometime. For the past three years we rented a huge home for an extended weekend at the beach or mountains nearby for a fun family (us, kids and grandkids) vacation. Those are becoming some of our favorite vacation memories.

We have traveled to most of the places on our bucket list so no regrets if we couldn’t travel other than the enjoyment of being there.

Yeah, agree with Larry. The ability to travel and the interest in it is great. I am pleased that my wife and I are both healthy.

Health is the thing you have under your own control. Staying flexible and limber is key as you age. We do a sort of "tai-chi" kind of exercize with a video workout. It does not strength, but is more isometric. It emphasizes flexibility and forces you to work on your balance. As you age, falls become more difficult to overcome, and so that balance is important. I have not been able to run for 20 years (possibly due to inhaling stuff while doing floors, possibly asthma brought on by exercize). But we always spend our trips walking considerable lengths of time, and as long as we can continue that, we will travel. My wife discovered that her foot problems could be corrected by inserts and the right shoes, which has greatly increased her comfort and interest in walking.

In the next month, I will have made important decisions about the next 5 years. At that point, I will either plan on moving to Croatia or somewhere else.

Interesting thread.
steves_8, When planning for retirement we were thinking like this. We set aside a finite amount of money for travel, planning to do the longer international trips between ages 60-70, We are now ages 61 and 63, still working our way through our travel bucket list with 1-2 trips per year. But I’m already looking at ways to make the money go farther because I’m not sure we will want to stop at age 70.

Health is the thing you have under your own control.

Really? While I agree that fitness is one thing we have under control, I think we have limited control over our health. I know too many people who have become sick through no fault of their own. My dad worked out everyday, but that didn't prevent him from developing leukemia in his 70s.

We can't predict how long we will be around to travel. I think the best we can do is adjust as the circumstances arise. I hope to travel as long as possible, but I don't have any idea how long that will be. I just stay focused on my next trip... one trip at a time.

I'm still young-ish at 53, but as an only child with parents who are 81 and 82 I know that when something happens to one of them I will need to stay nearby to help the other, and that could potentially mean the end of my international travels. By the time I could resume my travels I might not be able for a variety of reasons. So, gather ye rosebuds while ye may is my motto.

Until they pry my dead butt out of my seat on the airplane. Which I hope will be on the return portion of my flight and then not for many years to come.

This is really interesting and I just have to jump in. We are 75 and 73 and have tickets to go to Austria and Ukraine in September. We haven't chucked the bucket list, but seem to frequently add to it. Our approach to a European trip now is similar to what many of you have stated--slower, make sure the hotel has a lift, etc. Sure there are thoughts about how long we can keep doing this, but we'll continue to make the effort. Meanwhile, we always purchase trip interruption/cancellation insurance.

My wife and I among the lucky ones health wise. I am 76 and she is 73. We each walk a minimum of 5 miles per day (she just told me she is at 10 miles today) and I also go to the gym at least 3 days a week. We are now signed up for 2 consecutive RS tours with 4 to 5 days of independent travel on both ends. We normally go to Europe on our own, but as mentioned above, got stopped by being "too old" to rent a car. Last year we did an month long auto trip to the west coast and the year before a month long tour to Myanmar. We have not slowed down yet as we are probably in better physical shape than we were 10 years ago. We will just keep going until we can not. We have lived on a budget most of our lives, and we just make travel a major line item.

Glad to read so many replies from 'older, oldies'. We are 71 and 74 and are also wondering how much longer we can travel. We're in good health and are budget travelers but it's not only money and physical health. It's also keeping up the enthusiasm for travel and the curiosity about the world. We recently returned from a 4 week trip to Morocco. Unfortunately, I planned an itinerary better suited to those 25 years younger - not too physical but very busy. We even took an overnight tour with a guide in a 4x4 to the desert and slept in a Berber tent, albeit a tent with a complete bathroom attached and electricity. It turned out that the two day trip and climbing sand dunes was exhausting and it was in the first 10 days of our 28 night trip! It took us almost a month after returning home to completely get our energy back. Still, we recuperated and are looking forward to our fall trip. How much longer can we keep this up? We don't know but will continue to explore the world and enjoy the sights, food, and experiences that each country has to offer as long as we have the funds, the physical and mental health, and the enthusiasm for it. We have met people older than ourselves still happily traveling and are hoping for the same good luch. So we're with the group that plans to do as many trips each year as physically and financially possible because as someone noted, it could all end suddenly by accident or by illness. We plan to do what we can while we can.

Glad to read so many replies from 'older, oldies'. We are 71 and 74 and are also wondering how much longer we can travel. We're in good health and are budget travelers but it's not only money and physical health. It's also keeping up the enthusiasm for travel and the curiosity about the world. We recently returned from a 4 week trip to Morocco. Unfortunately, I planned an itinerary better suited to those 25 years younger - not too physical but very busy. We even took an overnight tour with a guide in a 4x4 to the desert and slept in a Berber tent, albeit a tent with a complete bathroom attached and electricity. It turned out that the two day trip and climbing sand dunes was exhausting and it was in the first 10 days of our 28 night trip! It took us almost a month after returning home to completely get our energy back. Still, we recuperated and are looking forward to our fall trip. How much longer can we keep this up? We don't know but will continue to explore the world and enjoy the sights, food, and experiences that each country has to offer as long as we have the funds, the physical and mental health, and the enthusiasm for it. We have met people older than ourselves still happily traveling and are hoping for the same good luch. So we're with the group that plans to do as many trips each year as physically and financially possible because as someone noted, it could all end suddenly by accident or by illness. We plan to do what we can while we can.

Some very interesting comments here. Although I've always thought that time is all we really have beyond our genetics, I'd never thought about having only so much time left to do stuff.

I'm now 72. Having some significant health challenges in addition to the all-too-normal old age stuff, I'm planning to keep on traveling until I can't anymore. I get the travel medical and repatriation insurance. Friends have been amazed that I'm not afraid that something bad will happen while I'm in Europe. I point out to them that health care in most European countries is far superior to our own and that I can't imagine anything better than dying doing something I love.

I've done a total of 7 European trips since retirement in 2004 at the age of 58. Five were with my husband and 2 were solo. This year will be my 3rd solo trip. I would love to do more trips per year, but I choose not to spend my money that way.

I'm not sure what a "big trip" is. My post-retirement European trips have mostly been a month at a time, although they have included a 2-month one, a 6-week one and this year's will be the shortest at a total of only 23 days, US to Europe and back.

My husband's first trip to Europe was in 2009. I'd traveled solo for 4 months pre-Schengen in 1977-78 and lived in Germany 1982-85, but I hadn't been back since I left. We did a total of 5 trips together, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 before he opted out. He hates flying and now will only do it for emergencies.

He has his own priority, racing a Formula Ford. He likes the speed, the camaraderie and the fact that his butt is only about 2" off Mother Earth. He says he will stop in a couple of years. He turns 70 in June. I'll believe it when I see it. And unless a miracle occurs, he will likely not join me on any trip that involves flying after that.

His first trip in 2009 was a kind of a bucket list trip for him, all having to do with racing. As I think about it, all my trips from the very first have had very specific works of art or architecture or ancestral or pre-historic places I wanted to see or experience. I guess that's kind of a bucket list for me. One thing we both like is just being someplace different. We don't have to do a dang thing except look out the window, watch local TV, walk around town and have a meal. The idea of staying at a resort or taking a cruise gives both of us the willies.

The RS tours I've taken are definitely the fastest pace of travel I've ever done. I think that's because on that very first trip in the late 70's, I met a young Australian woman who was doing her gap year. She was considerably younger than me, but she still stuck to her travel style of planning to see or do only one thing per day. Sometimes it's not only 1 thing for me, but it's rarely more than 2.

I thought this was an interesting question, "what is your 'cut off' year, when you will cease the overseas stuff and revert to domestic only?" I don't see these as mutually exclusive, but I pretty much did all the domestic travel I wanted to do before I retired. That's because I had so little vacation time.

One of the factors in this conundrum for me is geography. Living in Australia, almost everywhere I want to go involves a lot of time on planes and in airports. Sure, there are lovely places closer to home (notably New Zealand) but, having also travelled extensively on business, I know there are lots of countries I NEVER want to see again. At present, our future travel plans involve the USA, Canada and Europe, all of which demand a LOT of time with my legs folded up in cattle class.

I didn't realise how lucky we were, when we lived in the UK, to have so many wonderful options within a couple of hours flying.

OTOH, I mentioned that we will at some point cease the long haul stuff and focus on domestic. In this we are lucky. Like America, Australia is a big place and we can easily design a six-week road trip to cover some beautiful places, no flying required. Just pack the car. We may also join the 'Grey Nomads' who circle Australia in their motorhomes and caravans, often taking a couple of years to do one lap. Consequently, the prospect of calling an end to our long haul trips doesn't sadden me (much), provided we don't leave anything important out until it's too late. We also absolutely love New Zealand, which is only a four-hour flight, and some of the Pacific islands, i.e. Vanuatu.

So much world, so little time :-)

My dilemma is that as I reach decrepit-ness, I am not at all interested in travelling in North America. (Sorry, North America) Thus I have to fly long haul which is not as wonderfully fun as it used to be. But ..... we try to book non stop flights. We do cruises, if all else fails, and that is not as horrible as some would think. There was a man who posted here in the recent past who called people who cruise "a swine horde" (so charming) but his time will come, too, (smiling slyly as she writes). So we are not ready to give up yet. A 12 day cruise in the Mediterranean is in the immediate future (i.e. May) Who knows what after that. But are we not so very privileged?

I strongly disagree with the poster who said our health is in our own hands. We can affect it to some degree, but science is starting to argue that our health in later years is largely determined by our genes and environmental conditions over the years - mostly what we did for a living.

I have never smoked, never been an alcoholic, never more than a few kgs overweight. Nevertheless, I had a heart attack at 52yo. I was born with a leaky heart valve, too. Basically, I have a 'duff pump'. I also have sleep apnea (which some argue is a factor in heart disease). Apnea is a common issue for obese people but, as I said, I have never been 'fat'.

I have also spent a few years as a young man working with pretty nasty chemicals and there is growing evidence that some of these can damage a person's genetics. I also spent three years working as a roofer, sawing up asbestos roofing sheets.

I was also a bit aghast when I first read the statement about our health being in our control. But as I thought about it some more, I think it's somewhat true. We do have control over some of the activities and habits that have been shown to adversely affect health - smoking, drinking, weight, exercise - so to that extent it is in our control. However that has to be balanced with the fact that we don't have control over our genetics, accidents that affect long term health, environmental conditions that precipitate illnesses later in life, etc.. I guess it was just the way it was stated that made me, and others, say 'whoa'.

One thing I can say is that, at least in my case, traveling actually improved my health. Since I stopped my international travel, my weight has increased and my stamina and flexibility has decreased. I still exercise, mostly a lot of walking, but somehow it's just not the same, and it was easier for me to diet when traveling - too busy sightseeing to stop and eat and too cheap to spend a lot on food and drink. I think I need my doctor to prescribe traveling to improve my health and maybe insurance will pay for it.☺

I have enjoyed reading everyone's replies. My husband and I are 72 and just days away from a 2 1/2 week trip to Italy and Switzerland. We are in good health and have the funds so I think we fall into the category of do it until it is painfully clear you can't. We started out traveling in a small motor home in 2000, and our 2nd trip was to Anchorage, Alaska. Talk about a long haul! (We live in Cincinnati.) Most of our travels were in the US and Canada until 2013 when we first went to London and Paris. We still travel in our motor home but get to Europe every 2 years. I think we are more concerned about how much longer we can handle the long days on the road in the motorhome. It takes more of a toll than the Europe trips. Nonetheless, there is that wonder in travel! I'm sure you all feel it. We are so fortunate to have these experiences, aren't we?

I just turned 60 and still have a lot of energy for travel, but my husband is 14 years older and has a couple of health conditions that are slowing us down. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to continue international travel for three or four more years. We do have a bucket list that we’re prioritizing as we look to the next couple of years. We have made a couple of recent changes in the way we travel to make it easier for my husband. No more coach seats on long haul flights. Any flight of 5+ hours, I book us in premium economy. (My dream is to someday fly business class!) We also stay longer in most locations than we once did. For instance, we’re visiting the Cotswolds this summer and will stay six nights in Chipping Campden. In the past we would have stayed in two or three different places in that time frame. It will be nice not to schlep our bags so often. Oh, and we also get taxi transfers to and from the airport more often now, rather than using public transit.

Good health is simply dying as slowly as possible :-)

Well, as the author of the "health is in our hands", I will defend myself.

There are two parts to health - your genetics and your behavior. You have no control over your genetics. My mom had an aneurism at roughly my current age. Did I inherit that? What is my genetic inheritance? Possibly intestinal cancer (mom's side), possibly diabetes (dad's side, no sign for me yet at 65). For both my wife and myself, we have parents who lived into their 80s, although my wife's dad died at 76.

However, the behavior and maintenance of our physical person is up to us. Do we exercise? Do we allow ourselves to become seriously overweight? If we live and eat modestly, and we exercise to maintain flexibility, we have done a good thing for our own future. Our health choices are our own choices. Are you addicted to drugs, to alcohol, to tobacco? Are there choices you make that you can take which improve your options? These are under your control.

So, I will continue to say "We control our health". Not all of it, but the parts involving consumption of food, of alcohol, of drugs, of tobacco. We can not do bad things, and can proactively do good things. I do agree - no one can predict when the genetic destiny of our mortality will arrive. We can do things to slow or even reverse our own physical decline.

"There are two parts to health - your genetics and your behavior"

It seems we are all in furious agreement. That said, environmental influences play a part, along with pure luck, i.e. accidents.

I have enjoyed reading this thread as I chronically plan waay way ahead. I know that frequently I will change those plans and would never "hold myself" to those plans, but it is comforting for me to think and plan for the future. Thank you to those that have shared their stories.
I am 52 . When I was 32 and making long term plans, I only envisioned one trip for me (Ireland). I thought that I would be accompanying my husband on trips because he was the travel minded one. Ironically, my husband is done traveling. A trip to Cuba got him on a plane, but that is it. After I went to Ireland, I caught the bug. Now, my rough plan is a yearly trip off the continent until I quit working. (Maybe longer?) I hope to work until age 70. Maybe in 18 years I will have had enough. I will have a hard time justifying the cost when I am no longer bringing in extra money.
JG, I appreciate your point of view. However, I advise you not to advise other people what to do with their money. I will find it a privilege to leave the loves of my life, my children, some money to make their lives and the lives of their children easier. This is more important to me than a trip. Also, my children are very generous with each other and would rather be on the short end of the stick, than take advantage of their brother.
Here is to many more years and many more trips for all of us!

When it comes to your health do all you can to maintain it-diet, exercise, moderation in alcohol, no smoking. But, as steves_8 points out, that does not guarantee your health. Let’s face it, nobody gets out of here alive! Having had a life threatening health crisis (my wife) out of the blue we don’t do 5, 10, 15 year travel plans. We do a year at a time and we go over budget. If, after 5 years or so we are low on cash for travel, boo-hoo. We’ll find a way and look back at all the great trips we had.

Interesting thread.

My husband and I just retired (I'm 60, he's 59). We had always planned to retire at 63, but a couple significant events occurred in the last couple years that made us say "retire now" not later. My husbands older sister (63) died from cancer a few months before she was going to retire. My dad passed away at 89, but spent too many of his retirement years being the care giver (my grandmother, my mom, and my brother) instead of traveling like my parents had talked about. A co-worker, at age 40, died in a car crash one day. After that we decided life was too short, and we didn't want to wait too long and miss out on our dreams.

So we started planning our Grand Adventure and wanted to live in a foreign country, not just travel there. So we looked at Italy, Costa Rica, and Panama. Well Italy won, mostly because it's very dog friendly. We are booked on the Queen Mary 2 from NY to Southampton, England with our Chocolate lab in July. Then we will live in Verbania, Italy for at least a year. Our Visa application at the Italian consulate is on May 2nd.

We've rented our house and in two weeks will be on the road from California to the East Coast, with 2 large suitcases, and everything else, boxed up, donated, or purged.

I'm with JG.

When my husband and I were doing our pre-retirement planning, we took the advice of both our companies to enjoy our retirement and not save our money for the 5 kids. They'll eventually get what's left, but our plan is for the money to run out when we do.

Earlier we took the common advice to choose preparing for retirement over paying for the kids' college. They could get scholarships and loans. There are no such programs for retirement. We told the kids not to expect to inherit anything. In fact, my husband lists "my children's inheritance" as one of his racing sponsors.

We both retired in 2004. I was 58 and he was 55. Both of us have medical issues and neither of us wanted to die at our desks.

Re: the genetics and behavior discussion, it should be noted that sometimes things happen to us that are beyond our control and that no amount of exercise and clean living will prevent. This may be TMI, but I'll tell you my story.

In 1980, I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Back then it was thought to be rare. Now meds for it are advertised on TV. I've been taking meds for it since 1980.

In 1987, I had surgery for it. That was before blood could be tested for Hepatitis C. You guessed it, I got Hep C from the blood I got during surgery. I first learned that my liver function was off about a year before the Hep C test was available. That day I stopped having alcohol of any kind. I've been told that may be why I'm still alive. The Hep C was "resolved" in 2015 with Harvoni. However, Hep C can cause cirrhosis or liver cancer. I have the former. I get tested every 6 months for the latter.

So I've been living on borrowed time for a very long time now. I'm happy just to wake up every morning, and especially happy when I wake up someplace I've never been before.

This situation hasn't made me want to do a bunch of trips each year. I don't have that much energy or money and I miss my dog and husband too much. But it definitely has influenced my decision to travel to Europe once a year for as long as I can.

What an interesting discussion!

To answer your question, I haven't really thought about a "cut off year". I'll keep on travelling as long as these three factors are still favourable.....

• reasonably good health
• enough money
• an interest in seeing the sights of Europe

I'm a few years older than you but still fairly healthy, although a few age-related issues are beginning to become somewhat problematic. I try to get to the gym at least three times a week, although that won't entirely help genetic factors.

As others have commented, I've also seen people who decided to work as long as possible and ended up passing away unexpectedly, never getting to enjoy the retirement they had worked their whole lives for. One of my former colleagues once told me "retire as soon as you can, as you can never get the time back'. I took his advice and retired at 59, and have never looked back.

I tend to approach travels on the basis of one trip and one year at a time, so don't have any predetermined strategy.

Many great replies so far. It's both informative and intriguing to see how others think about this issue.

As I start to order my thoughts a little better, I realise that this is essentially an economic matter. With unlimited funds, this wouldn't matter - we'd all just travel as and when we wanted to. Most of us don't have that luxury.

When we're working, spent dollars can be replaced by working/earning new dollars. Under current economic conditions however, retirees find their investments just don't provide the returns they once did and so we don't have much of an 'income'; many have no choice but to eat into their funds. Every dollar spent is a dollar we will never see again.

Forgive me if I'm labouring this point. I know I am a little paranoid about my finances - something that only happened when ill health forced early retirement on me. I am also an almost pathological planner.

So, the dilemma for me is the juggling act we travellers must perform when budgeting for holidays, as with all other expense items. I am trying to corral a fund specifically for travel, but of course it has to have limits. We're not poor by any stretch, but not rich either. But how many trips must it cover? That's where the age issue comes into play.

We could say each trip (in today's dollars) will cost AUD12K. That's about what I spend for a month currently (I don't budget for food and fuel because that's about the same at home or on holiday). We could then divide our budget by $12K and arrive at twenty trips. Now the conundrum!

Do we say we're going to travel for the next twenty years? That would be one trip per year. Twenty years takes me to 82yo - that sounds OK. But if my current 'health slope' is any guide, I might have to cease the long haul stuff in ten years, or even sooner. I might then wish we'd 'front loaded' a bit more.

My wife keeps saying we should plan for just ten years - live it up with either two trips per year or do ten really special trips, then just do the domestic stuff. I understand her reasoning, but then wonder if we might arrive at 72yo still willing, able and keen to have more trips planned (I think having future trips to look forward to is a blessing).

Aaaaagh! :-)

As for being in control with genetics and behavior, I find this view incredibly arrogant and misguided. My beloved former boss (age 65), who ran every morning, ate an apple and almonds for lunch daily (with the occasional indulgence of foie gras and Champagne — this is France after all), never smoked a day in her life, walked to and from work every day, spent her vacations hiking, caving, and bicycling, and whose parents died at 93 (Mother) and three weeks short of 100 (father), found herself dizzy last March (2017) and was dead by July. Non-small cell lung cancer that had metastasized to her brain. She had undergone a full physical the fall before in preparation for her retirement as required by her employer. She would have been the healthiest person I said I knew.

You never know.

Karen: What are the conditions of your move to Italy? How did you get the residency permit?

We are considering doing what you are doing. My limitation for the moment is my 91 YO Mom. She is doing OK, but I can't really move anywhere until I get her situated. I am going to talk to other sibs about getting her located near them.

We are thinking of Portugal, Croatia, Austria.

Steve,
Of course, you must make your own choice regarding when to take your 20 trips. If I wasn't working and had the time and money, I would take a trip every 6-9 months depending on location and climate issues. Then play that by ear based on interest and energy. If every 6 months turns out to be too often shown by being too tired and less anticipatory enthusiasm, cut it back. I think that your future wants will adjust to the amount of funds you have. At least it works that way for me.

And back to the leaving your kids money issue, of course it is personal choice. I won't leave money for my kids out of a sense of duty. I will do it out of love and the personal pleasure it will bring me. Providing gives me even more pleasure than traveling. Spend your money the way you choose, I will too.

We're leaving ours to the dogs.

"Under current economic conditions however, retirees find their investments just don't provide the returns they once did and so we don't have much of an 'income'; many have no choice but to eat into their funds. Every dollar spent is a dollar we will never see again."

I do not understand this. I have been retired for 15 years and the last two years have been the best ever for my investments. My "budget" is 25% higher than it was two years ago.

Until they pry the blue guidebook from my cold dead hands.

" I do not understand this. I have been retired for 15 years and the last two years have been the best ever for my investments. My "budget" is 25% higher than it was two years ago."

Here in Australia so far this year, cash is earning around 2%, my super (private pension) has grown by just 0.1% net of contributions and real estate values are up by just 0.5%. Gold and silver are both up around 3% since January, but essentially flat over the past year.

I guess we must be among the fortunate few. I've been retired for 15 years. DH has been retired for 10. We haven't touched a penny of our investments yet. DHs pension, plus 4-6 weeks/year with consulting jobs, meets all of our needs including travel. But we don't live lavishly day to day. The house and cars are paid for, children are grown and on their own. As far as leaving the kids an inheritance, they'll get the life insurance and all our worldly goods. If things work out as we would like, there'd be little left in the bank.

We've got an annual budget, and the majority of our discretionary funds are earmarked for travel. We've never had to exceed that budget yet. But we may have to "borrow" a bit from next year for our next big trip. I'd rather spend more now on big trips while we are still health enough to enjoy them, and then scale back to less expensive ones when we may be more frail and limited in our ability to get around.

We are in our 70s and have been traveling for 20 years. We always have liked the ambiance of travel and absorbing the culture more than checking off countries and we dislike the flights in coach. Therefore, we like to travel months rather than weeks. However, we have definitely slowed down and don't have the energy to climb to the bell towers etc. So we've decided that after this year we will plan to stay at least two weeks at each stop. We've mostly used buses and trains but now there is more of a draw to leasing a car. I think that if our health and finances allow that we need to keep traveling. As we age it is so easy to get cranky and want everything to be "comfortable" and dislike change. Since travel helps us be more flexible and forces us to fit into other cultures, we won't stop until our health or finances run out.

"We've mostly used buses and trains BUT NOW THERE IS MORE OF A DRAW TO LEASING A CAR."

That's how we always travelled till last year, when we decided that we could journey around Japan on public transport, with just small bags.

Never again! OK, so Japan isn't the easiest place to navigate on buses and trains (though by far the most punctual in my experience). However, we found the whole thing absolutely exhausting, especially getting around the train stations in the company of a million other humans. The bullet train was great fun though!

So we're back to renting a car for future trips, unless we're staying in a city/cities the whole time. I love the flexibility this gives and the reduction in pressure that getting around at your own pace produces, as opposed to being driven by timetables.

One basic answer...as long as I can travel to Europe. I'm 68 and have been traveling to Europe since 1971, solo, and after 1995 with family and solo. . I have no immediate plans to stop as I am in relative good health doing my own travel style, basically budget, using public transportation...buses, day and night trains, ferries.

On the health factor I am fortunate and grateful in that regard. I do have to take my prescribed meds which I do diligently. I took the early retirement at 59. Recently the doc basically told me outright, which I took as a direct order, to get the weight down so that your numbers will go down, ie, put yourself on half rations, so to speak, do a lot more walking, etc. I have, the results are telling.

In Sept 2017 my high school graduating class held its 50th Reunion, "Summer of Love," where one of the former class members, a physician, heart specialist, said in answer to my question that one's genetics are decisive in terms of longevity, assuming you have a good life style...no drugs, alcohol or smoking, doing the things within your control, good numbers, etc. That was certainly positive news.

There are still trips I want to do before having to stop, such as to China (with a tour) and Japan, aside from more traveling in Poland, France, Italy, Germany, etc, plus trips in the US, eg, back to Texas, Wash DC, New Orleans, and other Southern places. The issue of how many "traveling years" especially solo travel I have left prompts me get over the inertia, ie , either now or time won't wait.

As long as the basics are covered (see Maslow’s hierarchy of needs), I’ll travel on. At some point, trips may include less or no hiking and biking. River cruises may appeal to me some day. If you have kids, heed Warren Buffet’s advice as to inheritances. If I run out of money, I’ll have wonderful memories and photos.

Till I drop.

Born when Truman was in office. No family and lost my guy 2 years ago following “ minor” throat surgery. So it’s just me now working and saving for retirement. A bit scary but you just get on because you must.

Travel and photography soothe my soul. I listen very carefully to what my body says I can and cannot do. Huge long hikes are things of the past but strolling 5 miles a day on city streets still part of my routine.

Won’t be running with the bulls or climbing Kilimanjaro but as long as my health doesn’t betray me I will explore.

Life is about choice. I choose travel.

we plan on traveling till we can't. As for leaving an inheritance to our two girls, our house will be our gift to them. Luckily it is in a desirable neighborhood in Brooklyn and worth more than we could have imagined when purchased in 1986. But, what we do now is take our girls and their families with us when we can and pay for them. In 2012 it was a trip to Croatia (2 daughters, 1 SIL, plus niece and nephew) last summer was a cruise to Alaska (2 daughters, 2 SIN, 2 grandsons), this summer is Croatia again (1 daughter and SIN), next summer is Ireland. As family is added, such as kids and spouses, they come along too. But, we are still working so we have more income, who knows when we retire what will be, but we are enjoying these trips now with them while we can.

Steves-8,
I vote for the 10-year plan. Do it while you can and want to go. Too many unknowns for the future, even if you are in perfect health.

You have to ask yourself if you would rather arrive at a future date with fabulous memories of more trips, or would you regret not having taken more trips while you could (if you can no longer travel at that time).

Over the last five years, we have been taking 3 big trips a year, fast-forwarding our bucket list. We had a serious medical scare in our household (everything is fine now), but it made us do some serious soul-searching re: travel. We decided to have no regrets and to do it while we could.

After a really long flight to/fro Asia a couple of months ago (31 hours going/20-something hours coming home), I seriously wondered if I ever wanted to get on a plane again, and we were in Polaris Business Class....comfortable, just sooooo long. And, then there was serious air pollution issue in Asia, of which we were aware when planning. We recently adopted a puppy and plan to slow down the frequency of our travels.....maybe one big trip a year...maybe, and maybe a smaller trip here and there state-side or to the islands (once our favorite spot recovers from the hurricane). But, we've been to all 7 continents with repeats to some, and we've purposely visited everywhere on our Priority 1 and most of our Priority 2 bucket list.

Future travels will occur when I find a really good deal on business class or economy plus tickets or a tour or cruise to a location that is on our Priority 2 list. Egypt is still on my husband's list, and that will happen quickly IF we feel the country becomes stable enough that we feel it would be safe (and no reason for everyone to pile on telling me how safe it is....that will be a personal determination on our part). When Tauck Tours resumes travel there, we will trust their judgement.

But, go for it. (more quickly). Better to have the wonderful memories than the regret of not having done it soon enough.

Godspeed to you.

A truly worthy question. I retired late at 75 because of the job's opportunity for creativity and intellectual challenge, but now that I'm 78 and have only been traveling internationally on non-work-related trips since age 74 or so, I am sorry to have waited so long. The best I can do is try to stay in the best possible shape and avoid the dumb, and dangerous decisions of youth that could reduce the travel time left to me. Fortunately I found my "spiritual" homes in Norway and Cornwall, and no longer have to search for them. An occasional deep immersion there will keep me sane enough to appreciate further travel experiences elsewhere. Since finding Norway, and thanks to the Navy and earlier work travel, there is no well defined bucket list. That's liberating. The Southern and Eastern Baltic coast, and New Zealand would be nice to visit, and North America still has bunches to offer, but if death came tomorrow there wouldn't be a lot to complain about.

I am 62 and just finished a 267km Camino trek through Portugal and Spain with my daughter. Later this autumn when I am 63, I will do the 800km Camino Francis through Spain. Full believer in the use it or lose it option if at all possible. Obviously, some people cannot do something like this, but I do feel it helps to keep me young and fit.

Wow! Too many replies to read them all, but there is good advice and thinking in the ones I read.. To those of you in your 60s, if in good health, I say travel NOW as much as you can. It just gets more difficult. We are 79 and 76 and have done many home exchanges over the past 15 years - a great way for a more relaxing time in Europe. This week we leave for Norway - all planned independently but not a home exchange - and I am just hoping we can make a successful trip - my husband's health is now iffy, more so than in December when we planned the trip. We've taken out insurance (as we have for the past 4 years). I don't mind exploring on my own if he is too tired to go out, but this trip I will worry and be anxious, especially about the flights. I think it is our last trip to Europe although my health is still good. If we get to next year I will think of going to Quebec (close to us) and Maine coast. This may change if he gets better, but we can't count on it. So, travel NOW, all you youngsters, and as you age think more about home exchanges. So comfortable, inexpensive, and you get to know an area in depth. Email me if you have questions about h.e. Good luck to all of you who love Europe as we do! Julia

I just turned 59, most people think I'm 45 or younger. I think I have at least 20 good years to travel, before I lose the health fight. None of us is guaranteed anything, so I try to see as much as I can as often as I can.

I just had my back injected and am doing physical therapy so I can remain active, walking and horse riding/care. I’m 67. I plan to go to Italy either next year or the following year, RS south Italy tour plus a side trip to Venice.

After that, who knows. But my long term activity goal is to ride a Century Club dressage test where the age of the rider and horse must equal 100. My horse and I need to stay healthy and active for 8 more years to qualify.

When my active travel style in Europe is history, I’ll then succumb to traveling by river boats. That’ll be me on the top deck, nursing a spritzer, and wearing one of those ugly, large, floppy hats.

My goal is to travel (and live) forever ... so far, so good.

Well said Robert.

Remember the (I think) Kenny Roger's song - The secret to life -- Faster horses, Older whiskey, Younger women. I am OK with two out of three.

Wow! Have really enjoyed pondering your question Steve, as well as reading everyone's replies. Though my last job involved 50% technology, I never had any interest in Facebook, Twitter or any other social networks. I was just too exhausted by my daily work to even look at the computer when I got home. And, I still haven't joined despite being retired, but I do find this travel forum to be incredibly fascinating. So I guess you are all my Facebook friends! Thank you for your incite, advise and encouragement.
As my husband and I were reaching retirement, our plan was to travel throughout the US. Neither of us enjoyed the drudgery of flying and felt restricting our travels to the US would be just fine. Our abrupt change in thought came when our youngest son left for a two year working stint in London. Thankfully, that became the kick in the pants we needed to begin visiting and thoroughly enjoying Europe. Now, we definitely have the "bug" and as many of you have already stated, wonder how long we have to make those incredibly exciting as well as exhausting trips. We love most everything about them, but do feel our age starts to limit us in what we do. (We just came back from Amsterdam and though our hotel was lovely, we had to climb 3 flights of stairs) Crazy! We both realize now that we are healthy enough to deal with cobblestone streets, no elevators and sometimes long bouts of public transportation. We are falling in love with so many fascinating places and realize we need to keep going as long as we can because there will come a time when we physically can't do what we are doing. I really appreciate all of your suggestions including taking travel insurance and perhaps upgrading your air flight. Such worthwhile ideas.
Anyways, Steve, my 2 cents worth is to go for it as long as you can. I just met a friend for lunch yesterday and she travels extensively. We talked about our various trips and she gave me a piece of advice I hadn't considered. She said that our age, it is best to plan those trips that are the furtherest. So for me Steve, that would be to see your wonderful country of Australia. We can do those road trips later in life when travel might be more difficult.
Thanks again for bringing up this meaningful discussion to what my husband and I are currently facing. Safe travels

Perhaps I am younger than many of you answering but my partner is further along than most of you. And for us, it's funny because our limiting factor is my frustrating health quirks, not his. We travel as much as we can - trips designed by me and paced by me so we know what we can take on. The one nod toward aging/health issues we've made so far is to upgrade our air. It pains me to pay those prices....especially since we've previously gone coach for some great prices...but I cannot come through a coach flight feeling well anymore. We took an 11-hour Delta coach flight back from Shanghai in 2016 that left me unable to turn my head, even through months of doctor visits and acupuncture. Whenever life dictates that the two of us can't go abroad, we'll stop, I guess, but for now we aim for once a year and try not to think about the air prices too much.

I simply cannot bring myself to pay for Business Class, despite my growing dislike of long-haul flights in cattle class. Generally speaking, business class from Oz to anywhere else costs around four times what the same flight costs in economy. I really can't justify that. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, if I had to pay for business, I'd stop flying overseas.

I tend to look at all discretionary spending in terms of the 'opportunity cost'. That is to say, what else could we do with that money? A flight to Europe costs around AUD2K and I can't think of a better way to spend that sort of money. Now if you asked me what I would do with AUD8K, that would give me pause. For instance, that would pay for a whole three-week trip to New Zealand (4hr flight) including car hire and accommodation. Sorry, no contest!

Yes, I am a skinflint and I always look for value. That's not to say I'm cheap; I like to travel in reasonable comfort, eat well and do stuff - I just have a fairly rigid idea of what a thing should cost, and having a lie-flat seat, even for a 12hr flight, isn't worth paying four times what the same flight costs otherwise, even with my knees under my chin!

I don't track flights out of Australia ever so I don't know common pricing but I can tell you that one thing that REALLY helped us was Condor Airlines, which flies nonstop from Seattle to Frankfurt. We start most of our trips with this flight and then move on from there. We can usually go $1100 US roundtrip in premium economy. We can go for $2200 in business class. We choose cheap travel dates and work out the trip from there. It's more than I want to spend but a reasonable compromise to help us arrive healthy. I don't think we'd ever shell out the 8K - that's more than the budget for our entire trip.

Such an interesting discussion! My husband (73) and I (66) recently upped our travel rate after the untimely death of a dear friend. We realized we'd been waiting to travel 'later' and 'later' had become NOW. We're still healthy and nimble and we figure we will never be healthier, so now is the time. Italy was fabulous and we so wish we hadn't waited so long. But we will 'keep on traveling' as the saying goes. As much as we can as long as we can however we can.

"I just turned 59, most people think I'm 45 or younger."

I have the opposite condition, the Fred MacMurray Syndrome. When I was a young man with children everyone thought I looked fifty.

This is an inspiring thread! Last summer my hubby and spent three weeks in Europe. Kind of a pre-retirement "experiment". Rediscovered what we already knew...love spending time in-depth rather than rushing and that time allows us to connect with locals and feel more a part of the community we are visiting. I've observed that continuing to nurture a sense of curiosity and wonder is at the core of this passion for travel, driving us to set priorities that allow us to afford travel. We have a trip on the calendar for this year and others outlined for the year or two following. We realize that as we age (we're 59 and 63) travel will look different...and that's OK! This summer we are accompanying my parents, in their 80's, to Europe. They chose a river cruise...heresy to many on this forum but is an excellent choice for them :). It is inspiring to watch them prepare for this trip-exercising (both are pretty fit, but they want more stamina!) , shoe shopping, strategizing light packing "so we don't slow anyone"! It's a gift to get this up-close look into a potential future for myself. In time, I hope to have the health to allow me to do the same!

Three things are essential...good health, ample money, and the will to go, what I call how desperate you are. As long as the money is more or less sufficient, even down to shoe string expenses and I am blessed with good health, the will to keep going over is there.

I can put up with the sardine can seat in Economy, some worse than others, for 11 hrs non stop. Basically, I prioritise.

I'm 70 with few health problems. At one of my travel club's meetings, I suggested the following activity, and they responded with enthusiasm. I gave everyone paper and pencil, and asked them to make three lists. The first were all the destinations they had been to previously. The second was all the countries that still remain on their "wish list". The third list was to take the second list and rearrange it in order of difficulty, with travel destinations of the most difficulty first. Why? Because we can probably still go to France when I'm 80, but third-world countries such as India and Africa better be done in the next few years.(I broke my ankle in Egypt and I had to crawl into the ambulance myself!)The other thing I wanted to ask was, "Are you doing everything possible to maximize your health?" Workouts at the gym and keeping weight moderate can go a long way to maximize enjoyment while traveling. If your health problems are the type which cannot be helped with that sort of thing, I do apologize. Hope this helps!

@steves_8 Like you, I wouldn't spend the money for business class but I would definitely spend for Economy Comfort, especially on Virgin. My love of travel motivates me to go to the gym and sometimes work with a personal trainer. So far I'm mostly ok at 64, but as an earlier poster reminded us, you never know when a health problem will ambush you(I'm married to a cancer researcher).

When we took our 15 mo old to Europe, my inlaws were in their early 70's. They came to our house a day early because my fil thought(very insightful of him) I would need help since my husband was already in Europe at a mtg and my last day of school was 2 days before we got on the plane. It really is true that there is an inverse relationship between the age of the child and the amount of her luggage! I could never have carried her and our stuff without my inlaws help. My point: in their early 70's it was them helping us, not the other way around.

My husband and I are approaching 70. We are still going strong. We were in Belize and Guatemala in February, just came back from Cambodia and Vietnam, leave for Florida for 6 days next week and will be in Alaska in July. I have to admit that readjusting to the 14 hour time difference after coming back from Vietnam took about 2 weeks. For me, I hear that clock ticking. I have been traveling with a bum knee for five years and have put off surgery because I don’t want to stop traveling. I am going to bite the bullet in the fall and get the knee fixed. I am already planning our 2019 adventure to Egypt and Jordan. I have other trips on my wish list and hope to accomplish them all. But if I don’t, I will always have wonderful memories of our travels.

As Pam in MN said:
"He never got to do anything but work. I’m not taking that chance. I’m going until I can’t or until the money runs out. Life is too short. You never know."
I'm going to continue traveling, once or twice a year, until I can't. I continue to work to fund my travel accounts.

We're in our sixties, seasoned travelers and very fit, but stamina is getting to be an issue. My husband berated me for booking an overnight flight to Europe, arriving at 6 am and not being able to check into our hotel until 2 pm.

I am wondering what the alternative would be. I'm not sure there are flights for us that have different timing. But has anyone ever reserved an extra night at the first hotel so you can check in right away upon arrival? Is that a good remedy?

I'll be 60 next spring. My health issues are self-induced sports injuries from college days, they do get worse as you age. I'm still fit and healthy otherwise. One day this June, I hiked up to three castle ruins in the Pyrenees then slept in a tent. Not saying there wasn't some pain.

I'll stay active as long as I possibly can. Hopefully at least a couple more decades of traveling without needing any assistance. After that, there are always river cruises and guided tours until I can't get out of bed.

To Marcia - many airports have hotels with day rooms. I have not used any, but did research this on prior trips as an option and know both London & Paris have them. check-in/out times vary.

As 60 approaches, rapidly, we have talked about how many "good" travel years we have left. While physical ailments might slow us down, the real concern is mental. My parents traveled extensively all over the world mostly in their 50s and 60s and were in excellent physical health. In her early seventies, my mother was severely affected by dementia which put a rapid halt to any travel as my father became her caregiver. She lived for seven years, many of them not knowing who she or anyone else was. My dad made it to eighty before dementia got him too - he also lived many years needing care. Even though we both plan to work at least until we are 70, one of the reasons is so that we can travel while we are both mentally and physically able. Our next decade while we are both in our 60s is when we will plan to take the vacations that are on the bucket lists. My boss comments that I take more vacations than anyone else he knows and I just smile as I quietly plan my next trip!

@happytravels. Your story resonates so much with me. My parents followed a similar path. Tons of travelling through their 50's to 70's, then when the 80's hit it mostly fell apart. The strokes and other serious ailments hit my Mom which stopped everything in its tracks. Travel came to a sudden halt. Now he looks after her virtually full time. He's expressed that he would like to go on another trip with my wife and I (we've done several together) and I would absolutely love that, and it would mean the world to him, just not sure how or when that could happen. We'll see.

What can I learn from this? Stay active, exercise, and plan your travel for the long term. Modify your trip planning and activities to suit your physical and mental limitations. You just never know when it can end. As a friend of mine recently said, something is going to get all of us eventually.

PS. I know this might offend some ...Not to be too down on cruises (I've done two, and I know they are extremely popular and the industry is growing by leaps and bounds) but I hope to never see the day when I find them appealing.

Marcia wrote:

"has anyone ever reserved an extra night at the first hotel so you can check in right away upon arrival? Is that a good remedy?"

We hadn't considered that as an option before, but the idea of immediately checking into a room upon arrival sounds very attractive and might be worth the cost (it would be way less expensive than flying Business Class in the hopes of being able to sleep on the flight over).

Since we travel off season and use small hotels, it is rare for us to not be able to check-in when we arrive. On the few occasions when the room was not ready, we just stored our luggage with the desk and hit the street. Often they give us a time when the room will be available and it generally is around 1 or 2pm. Our preference is to take a nap around 2-4, 3-5 and I don't think we ever had a hotel room we could not gain assess by that time. So - for us - to reserve the room the night before would not be a wise expense.

I’ve found most hotels, especially small ones, will bend over backwards to get a room ready for an early arrival if they know in advance, and you remind them a few days ahead. If you rent a room and don’t show, no matter how many people you tell, chances are that room will be rented out to the first stragler who presents with a valid credit card. We had that happen at a Sheraton in Philadelphia, where we had 3 rooms reserved with a credit card. Flight delays caused our arrival to change from 3 PM to 3 AM, and when we arrived, no rooms. And it was spring break. They got us rooms elsewhere but what stress at that hour-I recall it was the 15th hotel they called. Too bad for them, but it was The Four Seasons! As for cruises- we did many when our kids were young, but stopped as we pursued more active vacations including 7 RS tours. Last fall after returning from back to back RS tours my wife became critically ill. Survived 2 brain surgeries and weeks in the ICU. Complete recovery! And we are headed to Italy for the Rome and Sicily tours this summer. But, in anticipation of maybe having to slow down, we booked an Alaska cruise this past summer, one week Seattle to Seattle. Now, we have been on Alaska cruises X2 and we wanted a ship that could keep us entertained and never have to get off. Man, we lucked out with the Celebrity Solstice. Got an Aqua Class stateroom, great veranda, private dining room with spa type dining options, large gym that we hit every day, wonderful spa (Canyon Ranch) where we pampered ourselves, premium beverage package. And, it was a relative bargain. We did get off he ship to browse for souvenirs but, honestly, probably 4 hours the entire trip. The capper was the Port of Seattle has a great system for debarkation. You give the purser on the ship your flights a few days before the end. On the night before debarkation you get your boarding passes and special luggage tags. The bags go outside the door and the next time you see them is when you get to your home airport. Very slick! Looking forward to many more such cruises. We may not wait until we slow down! We are 69 and 67.

"Until they pry the passport from my cold, dead hand."
(Apologies to Charlton Heston, aka Moses.)

In recent years, I have found that flying business class has pretty much removed all of the "ordeal" factor. Flights are actually a delightful pleasure. Thank goodness I have a good stash of FF miles.

We will continue to travel to ever-more insane places as long as my wife's knees hold out, or our 401Ks have been drained. Once we run out of money, we'll figure out what (if anything) to do. I figure the end could come any day, and the last thing I want is to exit the stage with any unspent money left in the bank, so I'm busy researching where to go where there are no big crowds, and booking flights. YMMV.

@Peter I think there are some assisted living places that will take people temporarily for respite care, if your mom is willing. Because my husband is an elite member at Hilton, we can usually check into our hotel when we get there around 11 and it is nice. Except for the time we arrived in NY after our flight over the pond when my husband forgot to give my daughter and I the reservation number and he was in the air and we couldn't get into our room until after 5-it was miserable. The reason we got in then was that my daughter nicely asked a different hotel clerk and pointed out that they could check our id to see we lived at the same address as my husband and they asked us some questions that were in his profile, including his email address, and the manager than agreed to override their policy.

This discussion has been very interesting - though I'm not yet 50, it reminds me to be thankful for every journey I have taken and for every one that I might have in the future. You never know when your last might be - and as many have mentioned, I'll keep going as long as I can afford to go.

An earlier comment on this thread came to mind when I saw this posted on Facebook today. Two 90 year olds who can't travel any longer, but through virtual reality can re-live some of it in their minds. Pretty amazing, and the look on their faces is just priceless. https://www.upworthy.com/watch-these-90-year-old-globe-trotters-travel-the-world-through-virtual-reality

"...cattle class." Eloquent! That must be the same as my sardine can seat.

I have to say I didn't think this topic was meant for me. I didn't think I was 'old'. However, after looking up the ages of the "old men on the Judiciary Committee" (my quote) and discovering all but two were essentially my age or younger...once I get over my shock, I'll have to read this topic in detail. Sadly. That being said, I'll just continue to chip away at my bucket list...even if I keep adding to it.

Hold Harmless: This is intended to state the humor in my life. It is not a political statement. So stay cool.

You've gotta respect celebrated traveler, Michael Palin . He spent his 75th birthday tending corn in rural North Korea.

MICHAEL PALIN seems to be most in his element when he’s out of his element. This May, for example, the writer and founding member of Britain’s Monty Python comedy troupe celebrated his 75th birthday in North Korea while filming a documentary of a week-long 1,300-mile journey through the enigmatic country. The program, “North Korea from the Inside with Michael Palin,” will air on the National Geographic Channel on Sept. 30—30 years, almost to the day, since he set out for the first of his many televised travel adventures, “Around the World in 80 Days.”

also can be found elsewhere & ep2 here.

I have heard that on the average people slow down with travel after age 75. I am not a big believer in bucket lists, although having said that, we plan to do a trip to Europe every year (RS tour plus independent travel before and after the tour). We tell ourselves that we will do river cruises once we can't do RS tours anymore.

Just turned 61 last week (sigh) and still working in an industry that I can continue to work until I don't want to anymore. Disposal income is not a huge issue but it is finite. Hubby is 66, has been retired for 3 years now & has a good teachers pension. We are both in good health and exercise pretty regularly. No kids to support only 2 lovely Bernese Mountain Dogs to kennel.

Recently, I have begun to think more about the quality of the trip not the quantity. Making a couple trips to Hawaii each year because we have Alaska Companion tickets which make trips pretty inexpensive & it's an easy flight from the west coast - just aren't good enough reasons for me right now. A finer point to me is - If I only have 10- 15 more years to travel do I seek new experiences or return to places I loved?

I have no bucket list but we do want to do the "active" trips while we still can be active. Group biking trips in Italy and Belgium the past two years - built my confidence that I can keep up with the youngsters in their 50's (lol!) so we hope to bike a week somewhere in the world once a year until we can't or we find some new active travel thing to replace the biking. I like the camaraderie of the small group and the ease of logistics that group travel provides. We do cruise but it's more a social thing not a travel thing for us.

I have found recently that the decision of where and when and how to travel almost soul crushing (yep) as I torture myself to find the "right" trip since I know travel is not an indefinite option. I find the RS forums a tremendous help and happy reprieve from work and world!

Donna

One more thing ... reading through all the replies did bring tears to my eyes - very moving and thoughtful posts!

Until I'm diagnosed with a terminal disease or Alzheimers, I will not think of any trip as being my last one. Remember Rick says "Assume you'll return". I am realizing that nothing should be put off into the indefinite "future" but that's really always the case-we just don't think about it until the end is definitely in sight.

On the other hand -- my dear mother-in-law warned me that things started going downhill after 83. Since I turned 74 earlier this year, I'll take that number rather than 75.... As long as there are benches to rest on, taxis to move me, and hotels with elevators, I plan to keep on travelin'.

Marcia and Paul wonder about reserving an extra night at a hotel when arriving very early so that they can check in right away.

Yes, I have done that in Hong Kong. My flight arrived at 5:00 am and I expected to get to the hotel by 7:00. I contacted the hotel about early check-in and they said they would “try,” but could not guarantee it and I was welcome to leave my luggage with them while I waited. I could not imagine what I would do with myself for possibly eight hours after flying all night (and more!). So I reserved the extra night and was I glad I did! It was heaven to walk into that cool, clean, comfortable, dark room and take a “nap” till noon. (Put the “do not disturb sign out!”) In the scheme of things, the cost of the night was a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands that I spent on the rest of the trip.

If you do this, be sure to let the hotel know that you won’t be arriving until morning so that they don’t assume you are a no-show and give your room away.

I agree with renee that booking a room for the night before an early arrival is worth it.
As we've gotten older we're finding that comfort and convenience outweigh the rather minimal cost involved. We particularly enjoy having our room "ready on arrival" so that we can shower, take a nap, and generally start feeling human again before setting out on the adventure. It can be a health issue for us as well. We've found that by trying to gut it out on the day of arrival (ie landing at around midnight body time) we get pretty run down and are less resistant to whatever bug is floating around. We've gotten to the point (thanks to the various joys of old age) where we really try to baby ourselves on long haul trips, and booking the room for an early arrival is all part of our new travel philosophy.

Our last RS tour was Eastern France. A delightful couple in their mid 80's are my new example. They knew how to pace themselves and bowed out quietly when something was too stenous (walking through an exposed vineyard in the heat) or they got a cold. They never complained about room allotments, meals or hauling their luggage. They bought ice cream for the entire group in Annecy and when the tour was over, they asked for everyone's best photo and made a video for the group. I hope they are still traveling and making a memory for other groups.

My husband is 72 and body parts are starting to go, so we're trying to knock out the more strenuous tours now. Hopefully, we can get at least another 10 years in.

Robert in Colorado Springs, thanks for your post. We will definitely book that extra night next time we take a flight to Europe that gets in first thing in the morning.

I agree that health is a consideration. Getting run down and then sick while traveling is no picnic.

In the grand scheme of things, the extra cost would be worth it to us.