The Early Retiree Travel Thread

lisyloo

This is my plan, but I have a couple of health issues which will possibly get in the way eventually.

You may find insurance becomes the limiting factor as you get older.
When I've been on cruises I've had to sign to say we're fully insured (as they don't want to be stuck with the cost of air lifting you off or diverting the ship).
I know some people who've signed who almost certainly werent fully insured (receiving chemotherapy) so there may come a time for you when the cost of insurance or your appetite for the risk of a huge bill is actually more of an issue that the condition itself.

zagfles

arnoldy wrote: »

As well as some queasiness about the environmental impact of long (especially) haul travel I think the ‘homogenization’ of the world has reduced the allure of overseas travel. Yes you fly half way across the world and there are the golden arches or KFC. The hotels have internet and home is 2 seconds away by text or e mail, making the whole experience feel safe and bland. The TVs are all showing the much the same as at home. And your fellow travelers are UK/Europe/Australians etc.

Yes this is an issue, travel is definitely not as exciting as it used to be even 30 years ago...but you can avoid boring Western style hotels and try to find more traditional accomodation, hotel with TV? Not usually, never watch TV on holiday! I do find it annoying seeing KFC and McDonalds everywhere, but then I tell myself to get over it - the rest of the world isn't a theme park for Western visitors, and if the locals want to eat KFC etc they will even if it diminishes our touristic experience.

I suppose some parts are off the beaten track – relative to 40 years ago most parts are not far off the well-trodden path though.

In the 1970s inter-railing around Europe for example, your parents often didn’t know where you were, phone calls home were prohibitive and often impossible, any big issue you had to sort it yourself.

:rotfl:yes I've only recently told my Mum about stuff we did interrailing when I was 16, if she'd have known at the time she'd have probably flown out and dragged me home!

Roll 2019 and the ‘adventure’ to Vietnam is a text away to Mummy if there is a problem and 4G connects to internet so everything is available – for example transport schedules.

If you have an old Windows phone it makes things a bit more interesting!

Just for interest my favorite places are Italy, Greece and I would probably have tissue rejection on Dubai or Florida (but not other parts of USA)

Florida is actually an excellent place for a holiday, we had a superb time there (back in 90's), it's an entire state, it's not just theme parks which you can avoid easily enough. The everglades, the keys, the vibe of the Cuban part of Miami, the beaches on the west coast, the space centre, nature parks etc.

hugheskevi

I think the ‘homogenization’ of the world has reduced the allure of overseas travel. Yes you fly half way across the world and there are the golden arches or KFC. The hotels have internet and home is 2 seconds away by text or e mail, making the whole experience feel safe and bland.

I agree with this, but I also think a lack of imagination is part of the problem too.

There are lots of amazing experiences such as climbing Kilimanjaro, trekking to see wild gorillas, hiking through the Himalayas and so on that a lot of people just don't consider.

There is also interest-based travel to add a new dimension to destinations. Since 2012 I've followed the expansion of ospreys into England and Wales, and this year traveled to Gambia as that is a key place they migrate to in winter. Going out with a bird specialist to find one of the ospreys that spends summer in north Wales (they are ringed) was great, and then to track owls in the interior of the country the following day. Whereas our neighbours at the hotel just went out every night drinking and slept all day.

Volunteering gives some very interesting opportunities too, and I was lucky to spend a week volunteering at an osprey centre in the Scottish Highlands, which was essentially a week in a hide close to the nest (seeing dawn over the nest was best), as well as spending 2 weeks volunteering at a private game reserve in northern Kenya which is home to the world's last 2 Northern White Rhinos, which will almost certainly be extinct in my lifetime.

Once you get away from packages and design your own holidays, there are far more opportunities and information now than there was previously.

Avgeek

lisyloo wrote: »

You may find insurance becomes the limiting factor as you get older.
When I've been on cruises I've had to sign to say we're fully insured (as they don't want to be stuck with the cost of air lifting you off or diverting the ship).
I know some people who've signed who almost certainly werent fully insured (receiving chemotherapy) so there may come a time for you when the cost of insurance or your appetite for the risk of a huge bill is actually more of an issue that the condition itself.

Yes, I already pay a large annual premium for insurance. Although I found a company which halved it from £490 in January. I do have a friend with less than a year to live who is going all out travelling with no insurance! She doesn't care she says. I wouldn't do that, if they won't insure me I just won't go - although I hope that day never comes.

zagfles

Avgeek wrote: »

Yes, I already pay a large annual premium for insurance. Although I found a company which halved it from £490 in January. I do have a friend with less than a year to live who is going all out travelling with no insurance! She doesn't care she says. I wouldn't do that, if they won't insure me I just won't go - although I hope that day never comes.

Why wouldn't she? In less than a year she'll be dead and she's supposed to just sit here and wait rather than enjoy her last few months of life? Because there's a possibility of financial loss?

We had a regular poster here who travelled while terminally ill. I'd do the same. In fact I aim to die abroad since funerals are a rip-off in the UK and it'll give the family an excuse for a holiday :rotfl:People get married abroad so why not funerals?

Anonymous101

I find it really difficult to answer many of these questions as I plan on doing a lot more slow travel. Effectively living abroad for long periods of time, visa depending.

When doing that I imagine living costs to be similar to those at home and therefore difficult to split out “travel costs” per se.

If I had to put a number on it I would perhaps say £5k pa which would allow for the full additional cost of a long haul trip abroad. Plus a number of domestic breaks in our campervan.

zagfles

Anonymous101 wrote: »

I find it really difficult to answer many of these questions as I plan on doing a lot more slow travel. Effectively living abroad for long periods of time, visa depending.

When doing that I imagine living costs to be similar to those at home and therefore difficult to split out “travel costs” per se.

If I had to put a number on it I would perhaps say £5k pa which would allow for the full additional cost of a long haul trip abroad. Plus a number of domestic breaks in our campervan.

Yes, for longer or more frequent holidays you're really can't live like you would for the typical short summer holiday fortnight. You won't be eating 3 course meals out every night, drinking most nights, going on trips every day etc, you'd end up with cirrosis and putting on 10 stone :eek:

So spending on longer holidays will inevitably be less per day, and in some countries you might find you're spending less per day than you would at home!

melanzana

Planning a train trip around Eastern Europe next Spring. Might use Interrail First Class (a treat for us), and will pay locally for local trains.

Haven't figured out an itinerary yet, but Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania are on the list. We can be away for three or four weeks at a time or a little more. But our Travel Insurance restricts us to max six weeks away, and the house insurance has restrictions on non occupancy, but we get over that one by getting one of our family stay a few nights.

I must do some research, it might be more economical to buy train tickets locally, rather than using Interrail, as there may not be many First Class carriages available in that neck of the woods. I hope that does not sound elitist, but I will check it out anyway.

Over to Seat 61 soon for more information!.

Will fly to one country and out of the other. I know it is not carbon neutral, but it's got to be better than flying half way across the world to see the sights. Each to their own though, I will not judge anyone, have done the long hauls to beat the band so really who am I to judge here.

I think I enjoy the research and planning more than the trip itself sometimes!

zagfles

melanzana wrote: »

Planning a train trip around Eastern Europe next Spring. Might use Interrail First Class (a treat for us), and will pay locally for local trains.

Haven't figured out an itinerary yet, but Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania are on the list. We can be away for three or four weeks at a time or a little more. But our Travel Insurance restricts us to max six weeks away, and the house insurance has restrictions on non occupancy, but we get over that one by getting one of our family stay a few nights.

I must do some research, it might be more economical to buy train tickets locally, rather than using Interrail, as there may not be many First Class carriages available in that neck of the woods. I hope that does not sound elitist, but I will check it out anyway.

Over to Seat 61 soon for more information!.

Will fly to one country and out of the other. I know it is not carbon neutral, but it's got to be better than flying half way across the world to see the sights. Each to their own though, I will not judge anyone, have done the long hauls to beat the band so really who am I to judge here.

I think I enjoy the research and planning more than the trip itself sometimes!

Trains in eastern Europe are cheap, so you may find it better value paying locally, or online. They do tend to be slow though.

I used online for Romania and it was quick and easy and you get a discount compared to buying tickets at the stations. You can show your ticket on your phone so no need to print.

melanzana

zagfles wrote: »

Trains in eastern Europe are cheap, so you may find it better value paying locally, or online. They do tend to be slow though.

I used online for Romania and it was quick and easy and you get a discount compared to buying tickets at the stations. You can show your ticket on your phone so no need to print.

Thanks for the info. We don't mind slow, we are retired now and wish to forget about the frenzy of our working lives at last!

I did think that rail travel in Central/Eastern Europe might be better purchased locally. Will check out the online Romania system.

I enjoy the research