Retirement - Live Life or Penny Pinch

Albermarle

Fortunately, I have pretty cheap tastes. One of the things I look forward to most, is simply being able to be outside on a nice day, no matter what day of the week it happens to be. Or to take a last minute break in the UK because of a good forecast. I would consider it a luxury to eat out and have a takeaway once a week each. 

You might find those last minute UK breaks rather more expensive than you plan. Even half decent hotels, or other accommodation, like a good airbnb in a good location are not cheap. Plus if you add on meals, then you can easily be looking at £150/£200 a night for a couple.

DT2001

IdrisJazz said:

SarahB16 said:

IdrisJazz said:

I need to make sure we get in a couple of holidays in those first retirement years, because I am already developing a nervousness about visiting far-away places that is only likely to escalate.

I hope you don't mind me asking about the nervousness you are developing.  Could you instead simply go on easier foreign holidays.  I've never really been a fan of package holidays but if those are easier for you could you do that instead?  Or maybe still independently travel to Europe if you are feeling more nervous. 

It's a very interesting comment that you make but as I'm 50 not one that I'd ever thought about.  I do expect to holiday more in the UK when I'm older but I still expect to travel abroad.  To me it's all about doing research beforehand and with the internet always to hand on your phone it does make things so much easier to travel.  

I really would be interested to hear what you are nervous about re travelling as you get older if you don't mind sharing this. 

No problem at all.

I'm a pretty unadventurous person anyway, and prefer to stick to things I know. Fortunately, my wife is more adventurous, so we have left the country three times in twenty years together! (USA twice and Paris)

I'm particularly conscious of personal safety while we have children. I'm nervous of being mugged, encountering "overenthusiastic" panhandlers etc wherever tourists tend to stand out, being ripped off because you don't know the local taxi prices etc. I'm nervous of going somewhere with vastly different culture (e.g. far east) due to perceived inability to communicate. Over the last few years, the added uncertainties of travelling during covid added a new angle, with the risk of flights being cancelled etc. meaning I might worry before going, rather than looking forward to it.

In retirement, when there might only be two of us, I might feel more relaxed in some of these matters, as long as we have our wits about us. I would genuinely like to go inter-railing round Europe, and a cruise seems fairly low risk. I find it difficult to imagine myself going anywhere in Africa, Asia or South America though.

Travel insurance can be harder to get as you get older, and have existing conditions to think about, so that's why getting the travelling done early in retirement (maybe while my wife is still working) would be a priority. And of course you become more physically vulnerable...

Research is the key. 
There are areas in all countries/cities that should be avoided! I think our children have gained hugely from seeing parts of Cambodia, China, Egypt and Thailand. English is spoken everywhere - the most difficult place to deal with was China where you need local help (however was cheap to get a personalised package) - and the vast majority of people are friendlier than visiting U.K. cities.

LHW99

English is spoken everywhere

In larger towns, perhaps, but even in parts of Germany / Austria Knowledge of English is not a given. I used up my half dozen words of german, trying to work out what part of the large unmarked area in front of our Austrian hotel could be used by customers - and that was on the outskirts of Vienna.

zagfles

LHW99 said:

English is spoken everywhere

In larger towns, perhaps, but even in parts of Germany / Austria Knowledge of English is not a given. I used up my half dozen words of german, trying to work out what part of the large unmarked area in front of our Austrian hotel could be used by customers - and that was on the outskirts of Vienna.

Indeed, knowledge of English is never a given, even with people who work in the tourist industry (hotels etc). Never mind staff in shops and restaurants. But generally if someone wants to comminicate with you you find a way. These days it's a lot easier with translation apps you can download, which can listen to a foreign language and translate, or can translate text by pointing your camera at a menu or sign in the street etc.

Always worth learning at least a few words of the language of the country you're going to eg thank you, hello, goodbye, excuse me, good morning, please etc, get much better response from locals if you make a bit of effort with their language. I've noticed in Germany in particular some people will refuse to speak English to you until you've at least tried to speak German. France too although my French is good enough for most stuff so I don't usually need to speak English there.