Prioritizing destinations based on age.

A trip that I was glad we didn't wait longer to do was the Galapagos Islands/Peru (Machu Picchu). We were 61.

One that I thought we should do before we got too much older, but I realized afterward we could do it when we're older was a safari.

Allan, congratulations on retirement coming soon! It wonderful!

I will give you a different perspective. My husband and I both thought we had many more years to travel. Now that isn’t the case. So, my advice would be to consider your “want” category vs. your “should” category. If there’s some place very special on both of your “want” lists, something you would regret not doing, don’t slide it too far back on your priority list.

When we both retired, we each made separate wishlists and compared them. That didnt help. We kind of started taking turns picking the next trip, but found that didnt work either. Our decisions became driven by opportunity (family or friends that wanted to go somewhere, great airfares). Now, age and mobility are becoming a factor, airfare less so.

What I wish we had done earlier are the (for us) the more difficult trips - expense, logistics, comfort & safety, and distance:
Egypt/Nile; Israel; Major WWII sights; Norway cruise (wife has no interest): return to Australia (too far); and especially family origin locations. I would like to see the places my ancestors come from, but put it off until the right time. Now war is in the way.

You could make yourself a matrix and grade destinations by several factors. But spousal agreement is the main decision-maker.

I agree with Jean. Our friends finally came with us to Croatia last september. We had a great trip and on our last day spoke about future trips as the wife was finally retiring. Fast forward to February. The couple flew to Colorado to ski and they thought the husband got altitude sickness. Upon their return home and further tests, turns out he has lesions on his lungs (still determining from where) and now needs oxygen to walk 10 feet. His future traveling is doubtful.
Go where you always dreamt of going! Go as often as your budget allows! In 2023 we went on 4 trips, this year 4 again. Not every trip has to be to Europe. One trip this year is to a wedding in Denver, the other a Disney Christmas cruise with the kids and grandkids. Next year we have Japan booked and will figure out the rest of the year later on - we’re thinking Morocco or Bulgaria/Romania. Think big and go for it!!

PS, we are both 67 this year, retired 4 happy years.

Allan, I counted every day of my last year of work. I put in 34 years in education. I remember how you feel , will you ever truly be free?
Now I've had 13 wonderful years of retirement. I hope for 13 more healthy years. Congrats for a life style well-earned!

As others are recommending, prioritize "travel wants" over "travel shoulds". In fact, forget about "shoulds", banish that word from your vocabulary. And tackle the tougher trips now, however you define them, and don't put them off, because, friendo, you can't stop what's coming...

My wife and I are 67/68...we have lots of friends the same age who have traveled extensively as we have, for decades...and with all of them, we have discussed how it kind of slipped up on us, but we realize that we are all losing the "fire in the belly" for longer, harder, more complex itinerary trips we took as recently as 5 years ago, earlier in retirement. Our bucket list of trips has shrunk significantly since the pandemic tripped us up - that surely did not help anyone, but it really cut into our plans.

We still plan to travel, but we have no regrets about the pandemic years "water under the bridge" because we have always gone to "wants", never the so-called "shoulds", and going forward, we will be going back to our favorites (France, Japan, the UK) and a couple of "wants" we never got to (Ireland, Poland, New Zealand), but the truth is the wish list is down to a few select countries now, and we are actually perfectly fine with it. No regrets whatsoever...

have no reason to think that mentally and physically we don’t have at least 10 solid years of healthy travel years before we begin to experience a slowdown...

...Until life decides to smack you upside the head with an unwelcome dose of reality. You just never know. So do the trips that you most want to do first. We had 2 items on our bucket list that we considered important; but put off because of expense and the lead time necessary. But life got in the way, and now they will remain beyond our reach. And I can't tell you how much I regret that. We can still travel. And can afford to travel for longer periods at a time. But the type of travel we can do has forever changed.

I've been retired for 4 1/5 years and have always gone with "want" rather than should, because if it's a "should" destination, then why bother? I don't really plan too far ahead, and my trips are usually based on some idea that comes to life in my brain.

For example, I went to Scotland because I met a Scottish woman at Burg Eltz castle in Germany, and our conversation evoked something that made me start planning for Scotland. I've got Romania on the brain right now, because I saw some photos of it at the "Guided By" tour site, and it sparked something in me, and now I'm thinking of heading there (maybe with a few other places) in late 2025. Still independently; I'm not quite ready for a tour yet.

Actually that really is the determining factor for me. At some point, I might need more help traveling and would start looking at tours. But in the meantime, I'll keep traveling solo and independently.

To clarify what I mean by "SHOULD." My wife and I first thought about this question after she had a discussion with a friend about Lisbon. The friend is similar in age but not similar in physical ability. She said Lisbon wasn't worthwhile because it was too hilly. We tend to do a lot of walking on vacation and this Fall in Lisbon will be no exception. We fully expect to walk rather than take transit uphill in Lisbon as well as Sintra. Huffing and puffing uphill is part of the adventure. We also plan to ride bikes from Lisbon to Cascais one day which according to Google maps will require about 4 hours of riding there and back. No big deal. So in my case, "SHOULD" can also be a "WANT".

Another example would be hiking some trails in the Swiss Alps. It's top 10 for me, but probably closer to 10 than to 1. But I have to consider if it should be prioritized based on my current abilities.

Many people say you shouldn't get too old before trying out Cleveland Ohio. Many people.

Antarctica.
Egypt.
Tikal.
Angkor Wat.
Hobart.
Milford Sound
Edmonton. (What? I hear it's cold. Brrrr!!)

Ah, the tyranny of free will!

Congratulations by the way!

Switzerland and hiking the Panorama trail from Schnygge Platte to First! we did it in 2018 and I'm so glad. I may still be in shape enough to do it, but that's not a certainty!

Bike tours! We have done around lake Constance and the the Mosel from Metz to Cochem. It was nice to have plenty of energy for this, but we could do it again with electric bikes:). 2014 and 2018.

For reference. we are now 64 and 63 so late 50's when we did these.

ETA: In Glacier national park hiking from Logan Pass to the Granite Park Chalet and the next day hiking from the Chalet to Many Glacier. Bucket list and don't think I'll ever be in good enough shape to do it again, but so glad I did it while I could.

To clarify what I mean by "SHOULD." My wife and I first thought about this question after she had a discussion with a friend about Lisbon. The friend is similar in age but not similar in physical ability. She said Lisbon wasn't worthwhile because it was too hilly. We tend to do a lot of walking on vacation and this Fall in Lisbon week be no exception. We fully expect to walk rather than take transit uphill in Lisbon as well as Sintra. Huffing and puffing uphill is part of the adventure. We also plan to ride bikes from Lisbon to Cascais one day which according to Google maps will require about 4 hours of riding there and back. No big deal. So in my case, "SHOULD" can also be a "WANT".
Another example would be hiking some trails in the Swiss Alps. It's top 10 for me, but probably closer to 10 than to 1. But I have to consider if it should be prioritized based on my current abilities.

Even with your clarification, and understanding your feeling that at age 60 you should have 10 solid years of travel before slowing down (been there, remember that confidence well), my advice stands: rank your wants, and start with #1, and proceed. As you say, you have 50 years of travel ideas, but of course you don't have 50 years of time, so start with #1. And hit it hard in the early years, really push the envelope on time and budget...because you just don't know when that slowdown is going to come...it came earlier for us than I imagined at age 60, and all of my friends say the same thing.

Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones who is still tearing it up at age 70 and beyond, but instead of thinking you have at least 10 years ahead of you, imagine instead that you only have, say, 5 years, and then look at your list, and realistically project how much you will get done in 5 years. As time goes on, shorten that horizon bit by bit, to prioritize and reorder your wants as you age. At my current age (nearly 68), my planning horizon for travel is no longer multi year, it is 6 months to a year at a time, with 2 or 3 irons in the fire at all times...the next trip we will take (working on one for October) is #1 on our shortened list - it is a repeat visit, not even one of the never beens - because we just don't know if there will be another trip after that one.

I had lunch with a high school buddy this week, had not seen him in nearly 20 years...he retired from a high paying corporate gig at age 52, and he immediately traveled the globe, months on end. He would be gone a year at a time...and he kept up that pace for around 10 years, until in 2019 when he said he started to slow down, started looking for a place to call home...well, he was in Thailand when Covid hit, and he got "stuck" there. and he stayed until he could return to the US in 2022, but he soon returned to Thailand where he lives now full time on a retiree visa...he has no more desire for being on the road around the clock, he does a little bit of travel in the region, but he no longer has the "fire in the belly" for travel...his health is excellent, he has plenty of money, so those aren't the issue. He was shocked when the urge to slow down hit him after those 10 epic years, but he is at peace with it.

You just can't predict the future, how long you will have not just the desire, but the health, physical ability, and money to travel, so get after it out the gate, and always go to the top spots on your list first...

"I would like to see the places my ancestors come from, but put it off until the right time. Now war is in the way."

Stan, that is heartbreaking.

"I've been retired for 4 1/5 years and have always gone with "want" rather than should, because if it's a "should" destination, then why bother?"

@Mardee - you are reading my mind. I've done a few "should" trips and after the last one decided that was for the birds, lol!

I think Machu Picchu, Galapagos and Egypt were "shoulds" for me. I'm past the point age-wise where I could tolerate the elevation of Peru plus the hassle to get there, or traveling by water to get to Galapagos, and unsettled conditions in the Middle East and the hassle involved there also doesn't seem worth it for the remaining years of my travel career. Petra was a mild want but I've decided that will not happen.

Allan, I sincerely hope you all have way more than 10 years but as posts demonstrate, it's not a given. I've also been retired for nearly 13 years and coming up on 75. The first few retirement years were focused on parent care. My Mom had memory loss and EVERY day she would tell me she only had 2 regrets in life - that she did not get to see the Great Wall of China and that she did not go on a safari. Neither of those appeal to me but I want to go out with no travel regrets whatsoever!

I have lived overseas in Saudi Arabia 5 years and Germany 4 years, as well as traveled to 81 foreign countries.
Until I was 33, I had only visited Mexico and Canada.

Now, I am 76 with an arthritic back and need a hip replacement. Still, I walk with my wife 2.5 miles every other day and still cut the grass in my yard.

My first point is not to wait until you are over 70 with health issues. We did Machu Picchu, Cuzco and the Sacred Valley in Peru in 2019, when I was 71. My back and hip were issues, but not as bad as today. My wife and I successfully climbed around the hills of Machu Picchu at 8500 feet of altitude, but it totally wiped us out that day. We did visit higher places on that trip, up to 11000 ft. above sea level. Glad I didn't wait longer, but wished that I had done it sooner.

We did Quito and the Galapagos (on a cruise) three years later and did a bit of climbing here and there, but it was from sea level. Still, warning, don't wait too long.

My second point is to mix up you travels. When I started traveling, I wanted to see London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Munich, etc. I wanted to see historical places with great art. Don't skip on the scenic places like Machu Picchu; a cruise around the Horn of South America; a cruise of the Norwegian fjords up to the North Cape; the grand circle of Iceland or other great scenic places like our own national parks like Yellowstone.

When I was younger, still raising kids (and putting them through college) I didn't have the funds to travel as much. Also, did a lot of stuff on our own. Stayed in small inexpensive hotels or BnBs, planned our trips to the dollar. Now, we prefer taking a guided tour where everything is planned for us, including hotels, transportation, most meals and reservations for key sites. Today, travel is more difficult because WAY more people do it. You have to book in advance key sites, where 25-40 years ago, you didn't have to book in advance, even places like the Sistine Chapel.

Other things that we did right was visit places like Russia, Ukraine when travel there was easy and safe. Russia today won't happen and of course Ukraine is the location of a terrible war. Also, I had been to Israel and Egypt in the 80s and loved those places, but my wife had not been to either place. We did Egypt again with Gate 1 Travel and it was fantastic, I was impressed with how the country has modernized and prospered the last 40 years. Still, because of COVID and the terror attacks on Israel, we had to cancel trips there twice and my wife still has not been there.

One more thing, I talk to some people like my barber and when he goes on vacation, he always goes to the same place in the hills of NC. Great, I have done that a couple of times, but not every vacation. Be sure to balance going to your favorite places over new places. I loved Venice, but have been there six times, not am not likely to return, not because I dislike it, but just that 6 times are enough.

Try to plan with a list of you MUST see places. We have done a lot in Europe, but also, loved other places, here is a list of suggestions:
1) China and Japan. Loved both, but especially loved Japan and its wonderful people.
2) Australia and NZ. It is a long flight from LAX to Sydney (15 hours) but well worth the trip.
3) South America; Favorite countries are Peru, Chile and Argentina.
4) Take a cruise through the Panama Canal, amazing.
5) Egypt
6) Israel
7) So many places in Europe, love them all, but Italy is special for history and art; Switzerland and Austria for scenic as well as Norway. Also, love the British Isles including England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Visit the countryside not just London, Edinburgh and Dublin.
8) Cruises are fun, ocean and river. We used to combine an ocean cruise with a land trip. Rivers to see, the Danube, Douro and Rhone.

We are not near retirement age, but cannot agree with this statement enough. "Until life decides to smack you upside the head with an unwelcome dose of reality. You just never know. So do the trips that you most want to do first."

My husband and I have so many trips that we want to take. Many involve hiking and backpacking, and I have two brand new knees so am excited to be able to do these pain free now. I kept doing them, but with pain management, which was no fun. The problem now is running out of time since we want to do all of them right now. Greenland has been on our list, and he will be there in a few weeks so will scout it out a bit. I am hoping we can fit that in next summer. Also hut to hut hiking in Switzerland is on the bucket list. I bought a book on that the day before my second knee replacement a few months ago. I want to do these sort of trips while we can, because you never know what life will bring you.

"I talk to some people like my barber and when he goes on vacation, he always goes to the same place in the hills of NC. Great, I have done that a couple of times, but not every vacation."

@Geovagriffith -That comment made me laugh and reminisce! When I lived in West Central FL there were people who went to the same place, stayed in the same hotel, asked for the SAME ROOM!! every year. They also ate at the same restaurants in the same order every time. I would have run screaming but it worked for them. I suspect they ordered the same food as well, lol.... VERY different travel styles!

Pam, I think you and I have some of the same travel wants and shoulds. I've never had any real desire to go on an African safari, but felt like I should. Same thing with Machu Picchu. And you know what happened with my planned jaunt to Egypt, lol!

Allan, I forgot to congratulate you on your retirement! You will love it!!

@Mardee...(laughing emoji!!)

Two of my 2025 trips are for destinations that I know I had better get going on while I can.

One aspect is the physical demands of the location - hiking, temperatures, altitude, etc.

Another is that these are places where the food creates demands: don't drink the water, don't eat foods washed in tap water, etc.

I want to take those trips while I'm in good health to manage the conditions.

I'm not sure there's a difference between "want" and "should". At this point in our 63 year old lives we just hope to go. Anywhere. If you asked us last year we would have said we had a good 10 years of travel ahead of us. But right now..... Let's just say that life can hit you smack up the head, throw you down the stairs and dare you to get back on your feet. So write down all the places you're thinking of. Put them in a hat, shake it all up, pick one out and GO. You are a sufficiently experienced traveler to plan a meaningful trip no matter where you end up.

"You are a sufficiently experienced traveler to plan a meaningful trip no matter where you end up."

Well said. The planning can make any destination into a memorable trip.

"I talk to some people like my barber and when he goes on vacation, he
always goes to the same place in the hills of NC. Great, I have done
that a couple of times, but not every vacation."

@Geovagriffith -That comment made me laugh and reminisce! When I lived
in West Central FL there were people who went to the same place,
stayed in the same hotel, asked for the SAME ROOM!! every year.

I wonder if we all have stories like that. Growing up, we went to the same campground, same campsite, for the same 2 weeks every July. Thankfully I'm not like that, but I do have a habit of thinking my last trip was the greatest ever and I can't wait to go back (I'm thinking of you Pompeii). But my wife forces me to expand my horizons beyond where I've already been.

Allan, after we went to Lisbon, I told my husband that I wanted to grow up to be a Portuguese old lady. In our apartment building, there was a cane/crutch thingie at the bottom of the stairs. One day, we heard noises outside our door and opened it to see a very old woman crawling up the stairs with a bag of groceries. There was another bag at the bottom of the stairs, along with the crutch. We took the grocery bags and carried them up the stairs for her. Turned out, she lived on the 3rd floor, and we found out from our landlord that she was 96 years old. This apartment was in the castello district, which is hilly and cobblestone-y. In my (then) late 50s, I found it challenging at times.

That said, there are ways to avoid the worst of the hills by taking a tram.

Pam, when we went to the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu in 2019 (age 61), we did a "land based" trip. We flew to the islands from Quito and stayed on two of the islands, visiting others on day tours. We didn't get to the further flung islands, but I had looked at a list of what creatures and sights could be seen where, and determined that we could see what we most wanted doing the trip this way. Still, we did a LOT of snorkelling, and the heat was a challenge, so I'm glad we didn't wait too much longer.

And I agree with CWSocial. Developing countries are more challenging, so we try to intersperse those with trips elsewhere. We find we can manage a couple in a row, but after that, we want to travel someplace "easier" next time.

I've shared this before, but the reason I have a "bucket list" is that my mother passed away when she was 7 years younger than I am now, and her father passed away when he was 1 year younger than that. So, I don't take anything for granted, and I've tried to make sure to see the places I've most wanted to see while I could. I've done that now, but, really, I want to go almost everywhere, so now I am trying to visit some more "challenging" (to me) places (such as Vietnam and Cambodia this past February) while I can still manage them. Heat and lots of walking are already no longer my friends, but I can still manage, as long as I pace myself.

Another great place not to delay visiting is East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania).

We had a wonderful safari in August 2022 during "The Great Migration"

In our early 70s the worst part of it was that my wife and I both have lower back issues and our large cross country vehicle had to negotiate the savannah with all its potholes and bumps. It did affect our backs. We managed, but after several days of that, I realized that we could have done the safari 10-15 years ago when we didn't have the lower back issues.

I pretty much could have said what Jojo Rabbit has said in two of his posts. My thoughts exactly. So I should stop, but, of course, I will type on...

I've never had "shoulds" on my list. I leave "shoulds" to etiquette requirements and house cleaning. I also don't have places on my list that seem to attract many others; ie, safari, Asia, Australia. I'm just not interested to travel to these places. I also started traveling decades ago so Covid didn't annoy me and only now am I starting to think about more travels. When I retired at 59 I did have a sense of urgency and was told to "get my international travel over with" and while I did others with family, I did my solo ones, too: Sweden(ancestry), Greece(Art history major here and took my first RS tour for the convenience and knowledge) and the Rijksmuseum(seemed every piece I asked about in other parts of Europe, I was told it was in the Rijksmuseum. It took me 4 days. LOL) I picked the harder ones first that were on my short 'really, really must' list (Sweden, Greece). Now, I think I'd just like to get better with my French and further wander around the UK, and maybe visit some found distant cousins in Sweden. These are all much easier, but after a year of long covid symptoms from Covid surfacing immediately after my Camino Frances last year, I am more cautious, I think.

Nonetheless, to think you have a stagnant list that will be finished someday is unrealistic. The Camino wasn't on my list until about 5 months before I went. I am not stagnant. My list will always be there, added on to, adapted, fluid, because of requirements, or books, or new knowledge. I don't have the push to do it that I used to have and I am getting to the point where I'll be happy to relax more and sit in cafes around Paris or enjoy all the parks of London, etc. If I don't go somewhere I can't pack...so that's motivation. LOL

First, congrats on your upcoming retirement, may your final work days pass quickly. I just reached the one year mark of retiring from a 31 year career. I am a young retiree so I was sure I'd be hitting the road immediately and ticking off a very long list of places I am interested in going. I traveled a lot while working so I have already seen several of my "must see" places, including a strenuous trips like SE Asia and Peru that I know I would not physically enjoy in 20 years. But I also took many "easier" trips and enjoyed them immensely.

My ambitious retirement travel plans have tempted fate. I did get in one lovely trip on a RS Best of Turkey tour. Then this winter very serious health issues came up for two family members. Being home to support and care for them is the new priority. It won't be forever, but home is where my heart is for now, the road will wait for me.

If there are more challenging destinations that you and your wife share interest in, go. If you want to take an "easy" trip, go. Just get going while you are able. I have few regrets in life other than I didn't take better care of my knees. After that, it's all been gravy. Bon voyage where you choose to go next.

When I retired at 59 I did have a sense of urgency and was told to "get my international travel over with" and while I did others with family, I did my solo ones, too

Great point, Wray, same here. but with a couple of health issues I did not have a decade ago when I was hitting it hard, I think my solo trips are behind me - at least that is what my wife has told me. And I agree with her, I don't want to worry her, much less burden her, should I have a problem abroad.

My list will always be there, added on to, adapted, fluid, because of requirements, or books, or new knowledge. I don't have the push to do it that I used to have and I am getting to the point where I'll be happy to relax more and sit in cafes around Paris or enjoy all the parks of London, etc.

I was working on my list just last night, pruning, adjusting, mapping out the next year, the possibilities and wants depending on the season...it is always a live, work in progress - as Wray says, no stagnation, constant adjustment. I keep mine in a google spreadsheet, very easy to edit, update...

Then this winter very serious health issues came up for two family members. Being home to support and care for them is the new priority. It won't be forever, but home is where my heart is for now, the road will wait for me.

At the start of our retirement, we were dealing with the travails of the last standing parent, that slowed us down on travel for several years (we did two one week trips to Europe - once Paris, once London - all we could justify at the time). And like the above comment, we had to cancel plans last winter because of a sudden serious illness involving one of our adult children (all OK now)...hence all the more reason to go early and often in retirement, because there will be events beyond your control that will keep you home, including your own health, unfortunately.

Congratulations, Allan. Retirement has been wonderful for my husband and me. Hope it’s the same with you.

Near the end of my working life, I came to the realization that I was not going to travel to all the places I want to go. There’s just not enough time to fit them all in. Since then, my attitude is to have fun where we go and be grateful to get there.

Prioritizing can be difficult; I understand the dilemma you are facing. Do you try to squeeze in the most physically demanding places first? I am doing that to some extent, but not at the expense of going to places that are easier but that appeal to me more. It’s not like the only issue is slowing down. There’s also the risk of getting an illness that makes it impossible to travel anywhere at all.

There’s no predicting your health. I am now 70, and my husband is 72. We are still able to travel and hike as much as we did at 60 and 62. So far there is nowhere we’ve gone that I wish we had gone to earlier, and there is no place we feel we’re too old for. But we are lucky, and there’s no telling how long this luck will last.

At 70 I know we’re pushing it, and I’m starting to think about getting in the hard stuff while we can. For instance, we are going to Machu Picchu in September. I’m planning trips for the next year or so that involve lots of walking and hiking. That’s what we enjoy the most so I want to do it while we can.

Do you try to squeeze in the most physically demanding places first? I
am doing that to some extent, but not at the expense of going to
places that are easier but that appeal to me more.

That sums up my attitude so far. We're taking a river cruise next Spring, which could wait if we wanted to save 'easier' for later, but it is something we've wanted to try so jumped on it when the right itinerary and price came up. Plus we are likely going to rent bikes and cycle from town to town in the Alsace region of France after the cruise. The RS tour of Sicily is also something we will likely do sooner rather than later although that could wait as well. Egypt and a Safari should move up on the list, but we're being patient; no choice on Egypt as the Canadian government is having a spat with Egypt making it difficult to get an entry visa.

Short side trips from destinations may take some priority such as the Tower Tour at Salisbury Cathedral where we get to climb to the top, but we're not booking an entire trip to England just for that. I still see a lot of driving to do in the UK and I would prefer to be younger to squeeze those in.

This has been a very interesting thread. My husband is retiring at the end of this year and we are both 59. We have a long list of travel wishes and have been discussing which to do first, how many to do a year etc. so this discussion has been timely. Our situation is complicated with a daughter that lives abroad so we try to visit her and then add on new places to explore as well but much of our travel to do list is in a different part of the world from where she is. Lots to juggle. And we are mindful of taking advantage of our good health and calm family situation for the time being. You never know how long that will last.

Congratulations on your retirement. One idea I have had, will be to try out a few trips that have been challenging working full time, to see if I will want to do that more . For example Asia is hard with jet lag and longer flights now. But I would like to see if it could become a new favourite vs my default to Europe. Same with South America.

My partner and I sort of create a "destination matrix" - each year we each propose the 3 that appeal the most. Then we add dimensions of difficulty of the travel to the destination, and the difficulty of the activities required at the destination. Usually we give highest priority to flights to Europe while we can still tolerate them. They do become increasingly more difficult to tolerate. We will leave further US domestic travel for older ages when we simply don't want long flights. Then we give the most difficult activities highest priority while we are still in great health and abilities. The easier destinations can wait for older age. We also might consider the wild card of an extreme desire on either of our parts (such as last year's Vermeer retrospective for me, an ancestry investigation (which would be Switzerland & Ireland for me and the Czech Republic for hubby). It's not always easy as sometimes we may not even have a common destination in our top threes. But it's worked this year and fortunately again for 2025. I got Ireland this year and next up Greece for him. Next year I get Switzerland and he gets Spain. We're 68 and 67 btw, retired long ago with no only minor health issues (dry eye disease for one). We've checked off many of our bucket list items already.

For example Asia is hard with jet lag and longer flights now. But I would like to see if it could become a new favourite vs my default to Europe. Same with South America.

This is important to me, too. Although we have a couple of destinations we repeat a lot - like France - we have moved some of the places that have been on our list for a while that we have not yet made it to (SE Asia, for example), in the hopes that we discover a new favorite. That is our travel goal, or the dream, for us, and it keeps us motivated to keep on traveling, keep searching...

Lots of good insights in this thread.

My wife and I are still a few years shy of retirement but I am counting down :)

My "missed opportunities" are of the geo-political and natural phenomena types, rather than the physical limits type.

I feel like I've missed the Russia boat, and that's possibly permanently off the travel card. Places in the Middle East are likely gone as well. Some places have been trending back again, though, like Egypt, so that's positive and gives me hope a few off-limits spots will return given time and saner situations.

We visited Machu Picchu many years ago, and that, from a physical perspective, showed us how many older folks just couldn't do it. We were relatively unaffected by the climbing and altitude, but saw folks on oxygen tanks and others unable to navigate the ups and downs in Machu Picchu (and even Cusco), so that's a "do it while you're able" spot for sure. My wife got to hike the Annapurna trail a few years ago with her friend, and I'd love to head back with her for my chance. Same with many hikes in the mountains of Europe, or, for me, cycling trips.

Loss of wildlife habitat is also a leader of the "prioritize" higher listing. Things like African safaris, the Amazon rainforests, or the Great Barrier Reef are changing, and our options to visit them and see them in their prime may be passing.

Also, as noted in another reply above, it takes TIME to travel to some places - NZ, Australia, SE Asia, etc. - and even in first class comfort, a 20+ flight is HARD especially the older I get. I guess when retired, the option of breaking a trip up into smaller bites is doable - ie fly halfway, spend a bit there, fly on to the main destination.

One huge advantage of being retired, though, will be your ability to "beat the crowds" to some of the wonderful places on Earth being "loved to death" - many of the US (and CA) national parks, Venice, Barcelona, or other popular but bursting destinations.

Those of us widows/widowers here on the forum can tell you firsthand that nothing is guaranteed in terms of time. No one expected my perfectly healthy husband to die of a heart attack at age 59. He spent a great deal of time thinking about trips we would do in retirement. It never happened for him.

The truth is that the loss of a spouse means learning how to live life in a new way, often with a large decrease in income. Travel has be relearned as well. Step by step, day by day, it is possible. The pain doesn’t go away but you learn how to incorporate it into who you are and just keep moving forward.

I’ve gone on many of the trips my husband dreamed about since retirement. I’ve sat crying on Swiss mountainsides thinking of how much he would have enjoyed it and how thankful I was to experience it, even though I missed sharing it with him. I stood outside a high school in Rwanda that memorial funds from his passing helped to build, thankful that something good could come from this loss.

My point is that time together, whether traveling or at home should be cherished. Go on the trips that are most important to your spouse.

Carol, your post is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it. I am sorry for your loss.

Allan, here's a tip for you that my cycling buddies picked up from Clint Eastwood: "Don't let the old man in." Just as we begin doddering along in a workout, one of us will challenge the group on a hill, and all of a sudden I'm not 63, but 33, sort of. My wife has bought into that philosophy and it's worked wonders for her. So after a hard workout I get to suffer for another hour riding with her, and yeah Mary takes advantage of that.

I'm convinced diet is most of it, in that you can't outrun a bad diet. Also, sitting is as bad as smoking. Move, move, move. We are hard wired biologically to be active. The sedentary lifestyle with an overabundance of food with easy living makes us weak, tired, and sick, and is a very recent phenomenon over the past 100 years out of 200,000 or so years of homo sapiens.

Anyway, we always include lots of walking on our trips, and soon realized we could walk from place to place in Edinburgh nearly as fast, or sometimes more so, than public transportation. Plus, we could eat a lot more and not add bad weight. Win-win.

To all,
I have never been a hiker or bicyclist and never partook of sports. In my youth there was nothing like Little League for girls where I grew up. And no sports persons in my family, so when I read about everyone doing these strenuous hikes I think "good for them!", but it is not is my travel wheelhouse. In the past I could walk in all the cities and places we visited, but in the last 15 years (I am now 80), various physical limitations make some sightseeing difficult or slow. Plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritic knees (since replaced!), deteriorating spinal discs, an ongoing lifetime of sciatic nerve pain have made me think twice about certain destinations and activities. (Machu Pichu is not on my radar.)
Yet I have been to China, Chile, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Canada, Mexico, most countries in Europe and a few Caribbean islands and over half the United States.
My one bucket list item was Egypt, and through the years if we had the funds and time, things were too volatile over there. If things were good in Egypt, we didn't have the money or the time off. I told my DH that if I ever got a diagnosis of a shortened life, we would go to Egypt no matter what. Luckily, we went when I was 75 and NOT at death's door!
My thoughts on travel wants or shoulds are these: Go where you want first. Your satisfaction and joy of being in a place you have dreamed of, perhaps for a lifetime, is worth it. As I get older and trim some of my travel plans to fit my physical abilities, I will never regret missing Machu Pichu when I was younger, but I will forever cherish my memories of Egypt. I have traveled since then, but even if I hadn't, or am unable to again, I am content. My memories of Egypt (and a handful of other places) are like a balm for my soul.
Take that dream trip first. You never know when your travelling days may end.

P.S.
Unlike many of our friends, we have prioritized travel over such things as redoing the house. My sofa is getting frayed and my carpets are old and getting faded and the walls need new paint, but I am content with my choices. I hope this is true for all of the forum contributors and visitors. When you have to choose, choose what brings you the most joy!

here's a tip for you that my cycling buddies picked up from Clint
Eastwood: "Don't let the old man in."

I've never heard it put that way, but yes, yes, yes. Coincidentally, mountain biking is something I'm thinking about taking up again. It's something that had to be sacrificed once kids came and then their heavy involvement in sports. I won't be able to be as young and stupid as I was 30 years ago, but that's probably a good thing.

And diet, I lost 22 pounds during the pandemic as we completely changed our eating habits. It's not always fun, but I found that the effects of my new diet transformed the the aches and stiffness in my joints that I was blaming on old age. Now if I can not get hit by a bus in the next 10 years....

Judy, I'm right (write?) there with you. Myriad studies have shown that experiences are far more important for lasting happiness than things. As in, things are transient, but the memories of your wanderlust are forever. That brand new car I bought back in 1995? Who cares? I don't. The trip to Rome in 1997? Unforgettable.

Your memories go with you through this life and perhaps beyond. Stuff and things are irrelevant in the scheme of things. Among my final conversations with my wife will be about experiences, not the hours I put in at work, what rank and honors I achieved, or that beautiful 1967 Corvette I bought. All of that stuff is BS in the end.

This article in today's CNN has given me a different reason to prioritize destinations. Something for every tourist, regardless of age, to think about, sadly. One sentence especially struck me: Human-caused climate change is heating Europe faster than any other continent . . .

Maybe we should start priortizing our travel destinations based on what's going to be unattractive (or unattainable) soonest.

This is a fascinating thread, with posts, nearly all instructive, that range from moving and inspirational to practical and prosaic. I thank all of you for contributing.

There are many reasons related to age that make travel more challenging--physical and mental decline, the lack of a travel companion for those who feel they need one, the need to care for a loved one who is declining and other family obligations, a reduced enthusiasm to venture far from home, and finances. And then add political conflict and war (Russia, China, and the Middle East), and, as Chani notes, our increasingly bizarre weather events. (Those of us near the Gulf of Mexico have just seen a hurricane--in June--that quickly accelerated to category-five status and see the almost historically bad conditions for a horrible 2024 hurricane season. Like others who live near the Gulf or parts of the Atlantic, I never travel overseas from, say, the second week in August through the end of September.)

Though today parts of the play are badly dated, Rent was one of the three best musicals I have ever seen. I recently re-watched it (the last show on Broadway was filmed). There is a line in a special feature that resonates--that the entire play is about loss and thus the need to truly appreciate today because of the fragility of tomorrow.

And as we get older, the seasons, of which we have fewer, seem to pass more quickly. If you have a passion or a heightened curiosity about travel, decide to do it, plan, and enjoy. There are many ways to travel--individual travel, even for solo travelers; tours; and ocean and river cruises. The only right way to travel is the way you want to travel. And the only right places to travel to are the places you want to see. Travel does not necessarily mean "adventure travel," which I have no interest in, or overseas travel. For the Americans on this forum, we (and many others in the world) are living in extraordinary times and have much to see and further understand about our own country. Every region of North America has amazing attractions.

So my first question would be what do you really want to see and where do you really want to go. If it's back to London for the 10th time, do it. Travel should be about what moves you and gives you pleasure and satisfaction--not checking off a box on a list of places-to-see in a travel book. Almost invariably, when I have visited places that for me were second-tier sites, I leave appreciating what I saw but understand why for me they were second-tier attractions and think "once is enough."

It is true your age and health can come together in a bad way to abbreviate your travel. There is no, " do this later".
Another bogeyman should be considered and that is geopolitics. How many places may be off the want or should list due to situational aspects of countries?
I am sure we all have our places to not go due to these factors.
So consider your health, but consideration of no go country possibilities also. So go if you can.

treemoss2, that would be Russia for me, a bucket list item that looks like it ain't happening. I've always been fascinated with Russian history. I've occasionally thought about visiting North Korea because it seems like such a bizarre place, but my conscience wouldn't allow me to give that regime one dime.

douglas, I sense quite a story there with your dad. A novel and movie.

Starring Tom Cruise.

Pam, my mom always wanted to cruise thru the panama canal, and DID.

Carol, my dad died when mom was still in her early 60s and it took her quite a while to be ready to travel with out him, but as I did tell her several times, one of the gifts dad left her with was about ten female first cousins of his that were either widowed or never married and kept inviting her along on bus trips, etc (and eventually that epic Canal Cruise)

BigMike - Me too on the Russia thing. Was considering the Tran Siberia train before the Ukraine invasion and did not and thus I lost out now and probably forever since I am 73 and the age will catch me before the Trans Siberia train will happen.
Where else? I have been to the Baltics, so that got done. Poland, who knows. Turkey, maybe, but another thought process. Mexico, done that many times in my past, now I am done with that. However, perhaps Colombia has reemerged as a possibility. But Brazil not so much.
RS cites travel as a political act, and so not traveling somewhere is also such an act. Although overall it is a drop in the ocean if I do not go somewhere. I mean, really, who cares?
So age is certainly a time bomb, and so is politics and ability to travel, and perhaps the morality of doing so to those places.

I do wish I had visited the Hermitage Museum when there was an opportunity. It's one of the few art museums I haven't visited and I don't really believe it will ever happen now. Even if it does become possible I don't think my husband will feel safe enough to venture there. So that's our potential political act.

I love the variety of opinions and how the post evolved to include climate and geopolitical factors. I too, have accepted that Russia is likely permanently off my list. China likely is as well. Other than China we've never shown much interest in Asia but we do have direct flights to Tokyo and Seoul so you never know if the right deal should come up. But neither makes the top 10 list right now.

If I could combine my wants/should I would likely put an African Safari and Egypt high on my list to do sooner rather than later. I have a significant number of 'wants' in Europe but nothing that needs to be an immediate 'should' based on physical abilities.

Congratulations on your retirement!
When I was able to travel in my 50s, I made a very modest short global list of places I would be angry to miss. Those were my priority. They were also places I knew were changing...either due to environment or changes to take place within how you could visit.
So I visited Egypt, Peru, Ecuador (for Galapagos Islands), Tanzania for the Serengeti (well, I went back 3 times) and Uganda for gorilla trekking. All of these were life long interests...but also at risk of change, restrictions and possible loss.
Anything after that were places I wanted to visit, but I could live with any disappointment if I missed them.
Some places, like India and SEAsia were very late to my list; in fact never thought I would go...but interests changes and I retired, so had time to actually stay and give them a good visit. With 20 hour travels to get there I made sure I spent 6 weeks in the areas.
So my retirement travel plan is to get the far distances and more challenging places done while I am able to tackle (endure) them. Then as I age I'll travel closer to home. It may be more frequent shorter trips; don't know.
Allan, as you know, Canada was slow to ease travel restrictions post-Covid. Trying to kick start back after that had me assessing and reflecting past and future travel. Several times trying to accept travel may not happen anymore...and if that was to be the case, then I had no regrets...I had been privileged to see awesome places on my initial list.
I suggest you prioritize and see the real 'must do's' so there will be no regrets.

As MariaF said

So my retirement travel plan is to get the far distances and more
challenging places done while I am able to tackle (endure) them. Then
as I age I'll travel closer to home. It may be more frequent shorter
trips; don't know.

See the US last. Our top tourist sites are more accessible for those who are older or have physical challenges. This is due to some pretty strict accessibilty regulations and the fact that many of our sites are relatively (compared to the rest of the world) new.

See the US last.

Not being American, I'll likely see Canada last as I'll have health insurance. I've never looked into it but I have to wonder what a travel policy to the US will cost if I'm 70+; especially if I end up having some kind of health condition. Right now at 60 a policy for 2 weeks is $200.

Allan, you'll want to start looking at annual travel insurance policies. I think Alberta offers Blue Cross which has annual plans. Also look at SoNomad. All annual plans have 'per trip' length limitations...30 or 45 days...but you can buy additional coverage for any extra days. At 66 and healthy, my coverage is $212 per year for multiple trips up to 30 days each. Much cheaper than 'per trip' insurance.
CARP is the Canadian Retirement organization and offers 'snowbird' insurance.

Thanks Maria. I was checking out Blue Cross last night, and a 6 month policy for a 6 month stay in the US based on a healthy 70 year old is $3900 (2 people). The travel Insurance offered on both my credit cards won't be adequate because it limits length of stay to 2 weeks per trip. I anticipate I'll need more than 2 weeks at a time but less than 6 months so the search will go on.

Interesting topic! I worked in a very upscale retirement community while I was in college. Best possible education for a 19-22 year old. I saw couples who had waited all their lives to travel in retirement. Then - BAM! - a week after moving in, the husband has a stroke. Or is diagnosed with narcolepsy and can’t get from the apartment to the dining room without collapsing. EVERYONE told me “Travel while you’re young!”

Thirty years later (and a blown acl), and there are some places that are less easy to travel than others. Elevation, heat, humidity, stairs all factor into the planning process more than they did 20+ years ago. Egypt, Machu Pichu, Thailand, Amalfi Coast are a few places that are challenging for various reasons and I know we need to prioritize, if we really want to see them. My husband keeps talking about taking a cruise to Alaska, but I’m afraid we’ll get hooked and never get back to independent travel. We’re too young for that yet!

I am 72 in July (oh, wait, it is July). Wife is 75.

We are both in OK shape. My knees have been dodgy for the last year. They have MAYBE turned the corner in the last 2-3 days. She's more active.

We figure we've got until about 83 for traveling. So, maybe 8 years.

We are doing Portugal-Spain-Bretagne-Xmas markets later this year. Maybe 1 M

We also want to do Latvia-Lithuania-Finland-Estonia, maybe Norway, certainly Montenegro-Albania-Bulgaria. We are not beach people. We like museums, restaurants, just sampling the local color. We do not cruise.

Allan, congratulations on your upcoming retirement and thanks for this post. I am reading all of the responses with great interest. My husband and I are now in our mid 70’s and I have been wondering the past few days how much longer we will be able to get out there and travel. I was doing great in Jan. 2023 and was able to snowshoe at 9,000 feet albeit a bit slower than when I was younger. Then in March 2023 I suddenly tore my meniscus and, after months of cortisone shots and extensive physical therapy, I opted for my second knee replacement this past April. The second knee replacement has not gone as smoothly as the first. My husband and I are both pretty wiped out - he from being the caregiver and me from recovering from surgery. We are both starting to work on getting back to “normal” and getting our stamina back. That being said we will be on safari again (those are easy) in less than two weeks and will be in India and Nepal for nearly a month in November. We are hoping to go to Morocco next year as that is on my husband’s wish list. My advice is to do the trips that are the most physically challenging now and save the easy ones for later.

@Allen. I realize that health insurance that works in the US is a challenge. It is a challenge for Americans as well. I feel I have very reasonable priced insurance. Just under $400 a month for Medicare and my Medicare Advantage plan which is quite comprehensive and covers me when I travel. That still adds up so the amount quoted to you for health insurance is not that far off of what Americans pay.

I wonder if this site might be of help to you.
https://www.internationalinsurance.com/

I would recommend that if you want to go to Australia and New Zealand, you do it sooner rather than later. We went as a 70th birthday trip and it was great, but the tour was very busy and we flew through 15 airports and I don't think I would be able to do that in 5 years. (And our transPacific and transcontinental US flights were in business class)