Being retired doesn’t have to mean sitting at home reading the paper and watching the news. Travelling can be a great way to spend some of your retirement, getting to see more of the world first-hand. Here is a guide to travelling during your retirement.
Planning your travel
Planning your travel is an important step. Firstly, figure out where you want to go. Whether you want a sunny holiday, beautiful sights, or exciting adventures will help you decide. With a travel across Europe providing some stunning views, a trip to the Maldives will provide the sun, and a road trip across America’s vast deserts, some of the best adventures are yet to be had.
It’s also good to decide on how you plan to get there. Do you want to travel Europe by car and take it at your own pace, stopping at different cities and sights along the way? Would you prefer to jet off on a plane and arrive quickly so that you can enjoy your holiday ahead? Or would you much rather live the life of luxury on an all-inclusive cruise and have the indulgent experience of a lifetime?
The beauty of being retired is that you don’t have to worry about making sure you have enough holiday days to take off to make your trip worthwhile. You can travel for as long or as little as you’d like and plan everything down to the last detail or take a spontaneous trip at the last minute! The option is yours.
Funds
Your retirement can be one of the best times to go travelling due to the access to your retirement money. However, if you’re worried that your savings might not cover it or would like to save them for later down the line, there are also other sources of funding.
If you are over 55 you can opt to release funds from your home with an equity release, providing you with even more funds for your travelling experience.
Budgeting
It’s good to think about how much your holiday might cost in total and plan ahead for this. It’s good to take at least 10-20% more than you think you’ll need just in case of any emergencies, or simply spotting something that you’d love to take home for the grandchildren.
Think about how much hotels, food, activities, and transport will cost and remember to do your research. Look at retirement travel guides online and watch videos of other’s that have travelled to your destinations already so that you can get a feel for the place.
Also consider looking at the national holidays, weather, and activities for these destinations and plan your time of visit around them. If you end up travelling during a monsoon season or big religious holiday, you may find that some of the activities you want to do are unavailable due to places being closed for the season.
