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Practicing Significance Glorifying God by fulfilling your own unique purposes through the never-ending action of acquiring, using, and sharing diverse resources. |
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Travel
“Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” Unknown
“Adventures are to the adventurous.” Benjamin Disraeli
“An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” G.K. Chesterton
“Somewhere within us there is an exultant being who was once capable of finding wonder everywhere.” Judith Viorst
“Florida – an ocean of blue hair.” Unknown
Introduction
Many people look forward to extensive traveling after retirement. Although the concept sounds appealing, a surprisingly large number of retirees travel less and with less pleasure than they expected. Like so many other things in life, it takes preparation to get the most out of your traveling experiences.
Thinking Ahead
Like many people, I dreamed for years about all of the traveling I would do after retirement. I was tired of taking only one or two weeks a year of vacation which was scheduled for someone else’s convenience and which usually cost more than I could comfortably afford. I envied my aunt who seemed to travel incessantly to the most interesting countries. Yet, after retirement, I found that having an intensive travel schedule took more effort than I was willing to expend and that travel didn’t provide the amount of satisfaction that I had expected. I found that many of my acquaintances had the same experience. Even so, I still travel quite a bit and enjoy it when I have prepared adequately. In no certain order, here are some miscellaneous thoughts about travel after retirement:
1. Keep your expectations realistic. Travel is what it is. It cannot meet the expectation that you will always be fully entertained, have witty companions that never annoy you, or be incredibly inexpensive. It can provide you an outlet to learn about new cultures, see amazing architecture, and meet new friends. The most successful leisure travelers are those that understand why they are traveling and set up their agendas accordingly. Some reasons why people travel include: education, see new sights, see new cultures, have new experiences, adventure, special leisure activities, meet new friends, and sooth feelings of loneliness. It doesn’t take long to notice that the frowning travelers are usually the ones that are doing it because they are just tired of being at home, their peers expect them to travel, or because a spouse or child forced them into it.
2. Long before retirement communicate with your significant other about traveling. Like many other subjects, you will likely find that each of you have very different ideas about traveling and compromises should be forged ahead of time. I have one friend who wants to buy a large travel vehicle and drive around the U.S. spending most of the year in RV camp grounds, while his spouse expects to fly to islands every few months and lie on the beach. They have a lot of compromising to do! Discussion topics with your significant other might include: how much of your budget should be allocated to travel and leisure, how much time per month should be allocated to travel and whether the time should be in increments or in one stretch, what methods of travel are acceptable to both, what accommodations are acceptable to both, and should you take separate trips every once in a while.
3. Like many other issues concerning retirement, don’t make any large commitments in the first year of retirement. Think about renting an RV or boat for a period of time rather than buying one. Think about renting a few condominiums or lake houses in different locations before buying one. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to never buy a second home before investing several visits to the site. Invariably I fall in love with nearly every place I visit and am tempted to buy a house. However, if I had ever bought a second home it would have greatly restricted my further traveling.
4. I always like to study the places I will visit. It’s a little extravagant, but I usually buy several travel books at the bookstore before traveling to a new location. In some cases, after studying these books I have chosen to alter my destination after finding my purposes could not be adequately met. In other cases, I usually piece together an itinerary and accommodation list. The books are also useful to find websites which can offer more detailed information.
5. Many people travel just to meet new friends. In some cases they want to be around people that have common interests and in some cases they want to meet people who are totally different. Cruises (although I detest them) can provide a perfect way to meet all kinds of people and travel to new places.
6. Group travel can be an excellent alternative for inexperienced travelers or those who want the safety of a group. In group travel, someone else makes the arrangements and gathers all needed information. You might give up some flexibility, but may gain on safety and quality of activities.
7. One nearly forgotten way to travel is by train. Many times the train trip will be more relaxing and inexpensive than traveling by auto or plane. Older people can often obtain significant discounts when traveling by train. Further, tickets can often be bought over the Internet.
a. Amtrak 800-872-7245 www.amtrak.com Has tracks in 47 states.
b. Alaska Railroad 907-265-2300 www.akrr.com Has more than 600 miles of track in Alaska. Might be an interesting way to see the Northern Lights in winter.
c. VIA Rail 888-842-7245 www.viarail.com Very popular rails across Canada.
d. Eurail 877-257-2887 www.raileurope.com/us Provide train travel across Europe. Can often combine with driving combination.
8. Many of us travel for educational purposes. For some of us that means going to a few museums or attending a local festival. For more intensive and inventive experiences try:
a. Elderhostel www.elderhostel.org
b. National Geographic Expeditions www.nationalgeographic.com
c. Academic Travel Abroad www.academic-travel.com/ata/
d. School of the World www.schooloftheworld.org
9. There is nothing that spoils an overseas trip faster than illness or injury. One company says that on average approximately one quarter of people will get ill who take an overseas trip lasting more than two weeks. Most of us don’t think about this too much before traveling and just hope our hotel or taxi driver can help us. Some of us might even have credit card assistance or travel-assistance groups to help us. In some cases it might be useful to contact the local U.S. embassy. The following are a few websites concerning medical care to visit before traveling overseas:
a. International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers www.iamat.org
b. Travel Medicine Inc. www.travmed.com
c. International Society of Travel Medicine www.istm.org
d. U.S. Department of State www.travel.state.gov/acs/html.
10. Some people want to find either a more inexpensive or more interesting way to travel. If so, you might try being an air courier. Try the Air Courier Association at 800-282-1202 www.cheaptrips.com, or Courier Travel at 866-470-3061 www.couriertravel.org.
11. If you travel outside of the United States, consider investing in travel insurance since Medicare is not applicable outside of the United States.
12. Last minute travel can bring surprising discounts and interesting destinations. Some websites to consider are:
a. National Geographic Traveler www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler
b. Travel and Leisure www.travelandleisure.com/hotdeals
c. Conde Nast Traveler www.concierge.com/deals
d. Last Minute Travel www.lastminutetravel.com
e. SkyAuction www.skyauction.com
13. Driving is still the travel method of choice. To avoid the interstates and see something interesting use Road Trip America, www.roadtripamerica.com or one of the many books available at the bookstore which specialize in scenic drives. One book for your area will reward you with many possibilities.
14. Traveling off-season can result in special discounts, especially in Europe and destinations with special weather considerations.
15. For a taste of the exotic and for cheaper prices consider offbeat cities and countries.
16. In Europe, consider renting houses and villas instead of staying in hotels. It can often be cheaper and more fun. Some useful websites are:
a. Home Away www.homesaway.com 800-374-6637
b. European Escapes www.europeescapes.com 888-387-6589
c. www.rentvillas.com 800-726-6702
d. Villa Net www.rentavilla.com 800-964-1891
e. www.VRBO.com
17. A very interesting alternative in Europe is staying in monasteries. The costs (and accommodations) are rock bottom, you may have to pay in cash, live with a curfew, and enjoy a few other oddities. In return, you may have incredible experiences, like haring chants or hymns. There are many travel books about this subject, or try www.initaly.com/agri/convents.htm.
18. Ok. Ok. You still want an RV. Experts say you should rent before you buy to avoid the most common mistakes. Next, spend lots of time communicating with your spouse about what you both expect. After that, learn about the size and type you need, along with budgeting future expenses. Try these websites:
a. Recreational Vehicle Association 703-620-6003 www.rvia.org
b. Recreational Vehicle Rental Association 703-591-7130 www.rvia.org
Conclusion
Travel is one of the great pleasures of life. With a little preparation you will find that your enjoyment can be greatly enhanced.