Travelling when you’re in your 50s and beyond feels different. Most people have more money and more time to spend on holidays, while at the same time you need to consider more carefully aspects like energy management and wellbeing. Here’s how to make the most of travel over 50, so trips feel rewarding, and you return rested and renewed.
- Embrace slow travel
One of the key travel trends of the last decade, slow travel prioritises intention and connection. It’s a far cry from traditional site-hopping, multi-destination tours or fly-and-flop beach resort holidays. Visiting fewer locations and spending time uncovering the authentic culture away from the tourist trail is a gentler, quieter way to explore that ultimately makes holidays more special and memorable.
There are logistical benefits too. You waste less time packing and unpacking and getting from A to B, letting you get more out of precious holiday time. You also have more opportunities to explore on foot or two wheels or by train, turning journeys into a rewarding part of the experience.
- Travel in shoulder seasons
If you no longer need to plan every trip around school holidays, take advantage and visit countries outside of peak season. For most destinations, this is spring and autumn, helping you avoid extreme heat and giving you the chance to see wildflowers and autumn colour while avoiding uncomfortable overcrowding. Choose your dates carefully to minimise any risk of bad weather, activities being unavailable or facilities being shut.
Shoulder season is usually more affordable too, with airlines and accommodation providers running cheaper rates and offering special deals. When your money goes further on the basics, you have more scope for travelling for longer or indulging in luxurious experiences.
- Prioritise your wellbeing
In later life, you likely have more considerations with health and accessibility. When designing your holidays, prioritise your comfort and wellbeing to ensure you can explore for longer and with confidence. Build in sufficient recovery time following demanding days and choose activities that match your fitness level and won’t leave you exhausted.
Especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition and may require specialist care abroad, taking out tailored over 50 travel insurance rather than a standard policy gives you more thorough financial protection for medical conditions, medical emergencies and repatriation without the usual penalties. Many tour operators will require you to have travel insurance, and it can be invaluable in helping you recover costs if unpredictable circumstances occur.
- Try something new
It can be easy to get ‘stuck in your ways’ when you find a travel style you like. But one of the joys of travel is having the opportunity to experience new things – and in turn, this is the best way to stimulate a stagnant mind and return home feeling reinvigorated. Trying something unfamiliar can give a trip a stronger sense of purpose, whether that means taking a cookery class in Sicily, joining a guided walking holiday or travelling somewhere by rail instead of flying.
Start with a new experience that fits comfortably alongside things you already enjoy. If you love coastal holidays but want to be more active, for instance, you might add kayaking or a guided coastal walk rather than committing immediately to a week-long adventure holiday. Choose one unfamiliar experience for your next trip and leave enough space around it to enjoy the rest of your holiday at your own pace.
- Consider bucket list trips
Your 50s can be a good time to stop treating a much-discussed holiday as something you'll tackle ‘one day’. Longer or more ambitious trips often benefit from advance planning, particularly if you have a specific route, activity or season in mind, and higher energy levels.
Turn the dream into a practical plan by working backwards from what matters most. If you've always wanted to see the Northern Lights, research the regions you want to visit, estimate a realistic overall budget and decide how much travelling you're comfortable doing once you're there. Then you can book the foundations and look forward to a shared experience that’s truly once-in-a-lifetime. Pick the trip you'd most regret never taking and make it happen.
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