Saraho

I am almost 81, and DH will be 84 next month. We are both active and healthy, except DH has low vision and I have fairly easily managed diabetes. We traveled to Europe three times last year- each trip was a combination of a National Trust or Road Scholar tour, plus ten days on our own in areas that I already loved and was already very familiar with. The last trip in September I found it very exhausting because it seemed like I had to do all the thinking for both of us. DH copes well with places he is familiar with, but needs a lot of help in unfamiliar places. Add jet lag to that, and I really didn’t enjoy the last trip very much. I thought going on tours would help, but we ( and others) found the 8:30 am to 9:30 pm schedules to be way too tiring. We usually planned to arrive at a city a couple of days early to get over jet lag, but that was not practical for our last trip. I found myself really resenting having to be so responsible for both of us the whole trip.

So what next? As far as tours, we recently did do an excellent Road Scholar trip to Philadelphia for five days of visiting art museums. DH was an artist until he developed low vision. We found it just right for both of us, two hours of art events or amazing museums every morning, then lunch followed by another two hour art exploration. We were back at our hotel by three pm most afternoons. Then we could take a nap or do our own thing.

In March we are going to Charleston for a four day garden trip with National Trust. We love gardens, especially in the springtime. We will get there a day early.

I think I am discovering that short trips in the US will be most of our future traveling.
Also we recently spent a lovely week get together with my brothers and families. We are planning several more visits to dear friends and family members for nest year.

How about you? Are you making any changes in travel plans as you age? Do you have any suggestions for great trips that are not too demanding? One of our recent trips was Paris on a slow pace with Road Scholar, but that turned out to mean 8:30 am to 9:30 pm at a fast trot!

hetismij2

Your shorter visits within the US sound a great solution, and the US has a lot to offer!

We don't do tours (yet) but book self catering mostly, with the occasional hotel, so we travel at our own pace. DH, 76, is getting less and less inclined to travel much, having spent his working life travelling the globe. We are both reasonably healthy, he more so than me.
I hate flying so that means Europe, which is fine, except I have to do all the planning. He won't even commit to a country to visit, never mind an area or a place to stay, and I genuinely think he is happier just staying home.
I loved having the campervan when we would look for good weather, or a place that sounded interesting. If the weather wasn't great or the place we chose wasn't what we hoped we could move on easily.
Our trips to the US were always road trips booking on the fly as we travelled. Post Covid and post internet booking it is hard to do that in Europe, and I hate the thought of being stuck in one place if it is the wrong place. In April we were in the wrong place in horrible weather for a week, and it was miserable. The second week was better, but it has put us both off somewhat.
The Netherlands generally is too expensive for short visits though we have found a few nice places to stay for a reasonable cost, and we have been to much of it already over the last 40 years. Germany and Belgium can be a bit cheaper, but we don't really enjoy either country.
I now get out on mini adventures, weather permitting, finding villages i have never really visited and roads less travelled and enjoying the countryside on my trike. Every ride is like a mini holiday. We are contemplating a multi day ride in the spring!

PatrickLondon

I find I can't really be bothered. There's nothing to stop me going off for a weekend city break somewhere - except lethargy.
​​​​

jubilada

For us, age is not in itself the issue as much as ill health for the last two years. We had expected to be traveling a lot at this point ( we are in our 70’s) but it’s too hard for me now and my wife , an artist, is happy to stay home in her studio and paint.

luckily, we have moved to an area we are happy to explore a bit at a time.

Regardless of the above before my illnesses we had agreed to limit air travel due to climate concerns , but realistically I don’t know if we would have done so , honestly.

suze

Not yet but my trips are very low-key to begin with. I'm not touring around Europe which I probably would find too much. I rent an apartment or hotel room near the beach in Hawaii or Mexico and stay put for a couple weeks at a time. Just got back from Puerto Vallarta. Very relaxing. But that's a non-stop flight (under 5 hours) from Seattle, with a taxi ride at either end. I expect to continue these hopefully twice a year and hopefully extending to 3-4 weeks instead of 2. My health and fitness are fine but I do travel solo.

mlgb

I have been off Europe for years, not worth the effort and jet lag coming from the west coast. But never say never.

I would say I'm off longer solo driving trips and more likely to go with a friend or small group tour. Cruising has become more in favor, unpack once and someone else cleans and cooks. I know that Fodors is full of cruise haters (which I used to be) but I find it relaxing sitting on a balcony or walking laps on an outside deck and watching the world go by. And I definitely get my steps in!

Just got back from a long one which was a short flight to Vancouver, Alaska ports (Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay,) then a Pacific crossing to Hawaii, a day on each island followed by three nights in Honolulu (one overnight on board). We rented a car in each Hawaiian port, booked a few excursions in Alaska and used the public bus in Ketchikan. We had some very lucky weather for October in Juneau and in Glacier Bay.

So far a short trip to Texas in February and a longer cruise with a small birding tour from Santiago back home. Not really looking forward to that 10+ hour flight!!

suec1

More than anything the airports are doing me in. Departing from ATL - long, long walk thru security then any international arrival - I think last year we departed from Lisbon and transitted in Boston - international to domestic - and it was exhausting to me (altho I admit I'm not in great shape.) There was a time I thought I would always got to Europe twice a year but now I may be finished - I'm 71 and so thankful we traveled quite a bit in our younger years.

curiousgeo

We’re still managing travel well enough, I’m in my 70’s, the Mrs. mid 60’s. So health wise no major issues though we both realize that could quickly change at some point in time.

We like to settle in for longer stays now, anywhere for 3-5 days to 2 weeks depending where we are. Our days aren’t rushed, we go out around 10:00 am, have lunch then return mid afternoon 3:00-4:00 pm to rest and relax before dinner. The days of go,go,go morning until night are long gone, especially for me lol.

zebec

Fewer trips no, but less harried ones yes.
My wife put the foot down about a decade ago. No more third-world travel for us. None whatsoever.
And even trips to other nations must now be less whirlwind then before. Our most recent Pyrenees voyage was too much for her.
Cue Santa Barbara.
Then hopefully NYC. Cue single destinations in Italy and France.
I am done. the pivoting Pyrenial travelerz

Clousie

You've gotten some good suggestions here. I would NEVER want to do a large cruise ship, but we thoroughly enjoyed our very laid back voyage on the Hurtigruten ships along the coast of Norway. Just watched the beautiful scenery slide by. Got off at a few places to explore on our own or on their simple excursions. We did the basic Bergen to Russian border and return when that was all they had and they still run those. However, I believe they now operate more typical cruises with more activity, which may not be what you'd like.

Friends in our age range love American Cruiseline and have done many of their short cruises.

julies

I am in an even worse situation than many of you. After a lifetime of independent travel and making our own plans on our own timeframe, a couple years ago I was widowed in my 70s. Not having a travel partner is an aspect of widowhood that people even think about. We used to take longer self-planned trips and after retirement, in addition to several shorter trips, took a six week international trip each year. We didn't need to be on the go all of the time and enjoyed leisurely starts, frequent casual days, and a varied type of itinerary combining active travel with cultural and historical travel. Our rule of thumb was if the stay would be 3 nights or longer to get an apartment.

Now that I am alone I have resorted to small group tours with a couple days on my own added on on each end. I am also trying to make the most of the dwindling years I know I have left when I will even want to travel. The airports and flying logistics can be a major pain, and I have no idea how people with any mobility issues at all even do it. This past spring I went to Guatemala, connecting through Atlanta, and I swear my fitness tracker said I had walked nearly 1.5 miles in transit in Atlanta.

I don't know what the solution is. I am still physically active so have sought out tours that require a definite level of fitness. I have taken cycling trips to northern Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands, and Austria and Slovenia. I have taken combo walking and cultural tours to northern Spain and Japan. And, I have taken just regular tours to Morocco, Guatemala and Oaxaca. Almost every time I have come home sick and/or exhausted. I know this is because these tours are such a contrast to my own daily routine where a couple hours per day of excursions is more than sufficient. I like some down time on my own and don't need to be with people all of the time, and I don't need to be on the go from early morning until late at night. But, I think most tours are set up so that people can say they saw everything at their destination. I plan to keep up this type of touring routine (even though it's exhausting) until I can't any more. I am retired and don't need to get back and go to work. I figure I can rest and relax for weeks on end when I get home.

I have no personal experience with these companies, but they may be options for people who are looking for something different. Wheel and Anchor is a Canadian company that offers live-aways in the winter season for people who want to slow down their travel. https://www.wheelandanchor.ca/liveaways/

Untours offers a several week or month living situation in just one locale with some structured assistance and activities. https://www.untours.com/ I'll admit that I have known about this company for years but always knew that I could do the research and arrange a long term stay on my own for a lot less money. But, at different stages of life there could definitely be value in their services. https://www.untours.com/

Finally, about a month ago I read an article written by a psychologist discussing travel. Interestingly enough, he said that a great part of the appeal of travel is the novelty that a change offers to one's brain. The initial rush of brain novelty stimulation happens initially. That's why many shorter trips can be more beneficial than just one longer one. Of course, this was written for a general audience and not an older one. So, the physical stresses of just making the shorter trip wasn't taken into account.

MmePerdu

Julies, I don't think widowhood should necessarily condemn you to traveling on tours, especially since you have experience going independently. I haven't had a partner for decades & traveled on my own until I met an adventuresom man who was game to go anywhere my imagination drug us. He was a travel pal, not a romantic partner and we had the most fabulous adventures for a decade until he remarried, on the road around the globe for months at a time.

I'll admit I was very lucky to stumble upon such a person but it isn't impossible. I suggest you keep your eyes open at home & while on your tours & you may find a travel pal yourself, man or woman. We're out there.

My plan approaching 80 now is to get rid of my house & go first to Mexico to see how I like living there. If I don't settle there it will be another kind of adventure finding a place to live. I have some ideas.

MmePerdu

I'll add another travel company to the suggestions above, a company I chose for the 1 and only time I went by tour, my first trip to Morocco. They offer tours for various fitness levels for travelers over 50.

https://www.eldertreks.com/

Clousie

Julies, I understand your situation. I always planned our trips and loved doing it. It was so much fun to research and find just the right unique places to visit. We traveled every year before retirement, but hoped to expand it more after. Unfortunately, that was about the time my husband started having back problems. Although we did some trips, it was not as extensive as I had hoped and many times when we were on location, I would go out by myself and leave him in the room. I also hated the idea of doing tours, especially large ones. I did find Overseas Advantage Travel and have done five or six of those trips with between one and four girlfriends at a time, although there are usually people traveling alone on each trip

Their tours are capped at 16 and several times I have traveled with less. It is usually a mix of couples and single women. On each trip, there have always been some people who have deviated from the tour for a day to visit something on their own, so the leaders are quite flexible in what you do or don’t do.

know what you mean about navigating airports, too. But I don’t have any suggestions for that. Perhaps others do.

Clousie

That's https://www.oattravel.com

traveler24

In my younger years (now 90) I traveled a lot with Road Scholar. It was called Elderhostel then. All of these were in the US and usually were 5 to 7 days in duration. I usually stayed a couple of days after the tour was over just to explore some additional thing in the same area. I did several "tours"" of New England with a friend who happen to have an antique store in California. These were not necessarily" sightseeing" trips as it was part of her business. it was definitely "back roads" type of trip – Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine
Over my many years I have been in 50 states, England, Scotland, France, Mexico, and Canada..
I'm really glad that I accomplished all this because I've noticed as I age there's one important factor.... Decreasing energy level.!
I realize this is a normal progression, but it's really depressing.
My "Trips" now consist of any place I can drive within a 250–300 mile radius. I find this works for me because I can plan a overnight stay according to how I feel. There is another factor that of course I can do nothing about – – is the weather.
December through March when the mountain passes are intermittently closed due to snow – – I'm trapped!
I have tried taking a local "Shuttle" – hour and a half trip., very convenient but tiring. I did find out that most airlines are quite helpful. ... At check-in --wheelchair to boarding area.. same process upon arrival... to retrieve luggage.. My last trip I avoided this stop by sending contents of one suitcase ahead... This worked in this situation. because I was going to visit my brother in California.
The irony of this whole situation – – I have the time, and the money to travel about anywhere I want to go – – the mind is willing, but the body is weak.....
The "fun " in my life now is mainly staying home and enjoying my great grandchildren.
Although when spring comes and the mountain passes are open, I may still venture out..

RoamsAround

Spouse and I are in our 80’s and have 45 years of travel under our belt, 35 of which were years in which we made 3 to 4 different trips. We’ve done organized land tours, short and long term cruises. We’ve also done plenty of self-guided trips including, most recently, a 6 week driving tour of New Zealand, a 5 week around the world flying trip and 3 weeks visiting Ireland, Scotland and Wales and a month touring Italy. During the past 2 years we’ve cut back our travel to no more than 2 short trips each year. Quite frankly, we’ve been almost everywhere and the growing hassles of air travel have dissuaded us from venturing far and wide. Travel just doesn’t have the same draw and excitement for us that it did years ago.

zebec

Older folks travelin'...
We once agreed to my 86 year old father-in-law's request that he join us us for the final week of our honeymoon. We were touring Utah then, having a spectacular trip and planned to finish at the Grand Canyon, a place that both my wife and her dad had never seen. My father-in-law was a super-fit Swede, no probs right?

Unfortunately, my father-in-law took it upon himself to additionally invite my disturbed sister-in-law. She was a moody, spoiled, 12 year-old fifty year old.
Our dream honeymoon turned into a screaming disaster (no doubt, sister-in-law's plan all along) and I ended up not speaking to her for the next two years.
(groans at the memory...)

I am done. the ruined honeymoon