It is thought that seniors traveling internationally will make up sixteen percent [16%] of the international travel market by 2025! Will you be included in that number? There are a few pretty simple reasons why you should be traveling now & we will discuss those here.
Seniors Traveling Internationally
If the wanderlust of traveling is ticking your toes then lets go! Traveling internationally as a senior does not have to be an impossible dream! If The Big Guy & I have said it ten times, we’ve said it hundred. It really is all about the planning!
The Five P’s of Successful Traveling
Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance! Say it with me “Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance”. I don’t think there is any further explanation on this. It’s all in the planning & if you are detailed oriented than you already know that for prime performance of anything has to start with a lot of planning to prevent any bumps in the road. Of course, not all travel will be without its bumps & bruises but it should go a lot smoother with some good planning.
Why Should Seniors Travel Now?
If you aren’t ready to jump into international travel right now than its ok to wait until circumstances are good for you but… According to a study by the Aegon Centre for Longevity & Retirement June of 2020, “13% of U.S. workers and retirees aspire to live abroad in retirement”! And the numbers are ever increasing with the main reason being the ability of living on a budget. To take this a little further, the study also shows that as of December 2019 over 430,000 retirees drawing social security are living abroad.
Let’s just break this down a bit.
1] Passport – You have a passport with no stamps in it? Let’s change that. You got it with the intent to travel one day but It was never the right time: college expenses, work issues, credit card debt, etc. Lets face it Life can be pretty damn expensive at times but using your Five P’s put even a basic plan on paper & you are on your way.
If you do not have a passport yet, check out online for requirements. It is pretty easy, you just need patience. While you are waiting for your passport to arrive you can dream about all those places you always wanted to see ‘one day’. That one day could be right around the corner!
2] Health Benefits – There are so many health benefits for seniors traveling! Fresh air, exercise & simply breathing in freedom with no pressure! I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful & freeing we felt the day we walked out of our ‘just sold’ house! All those years of paying taxes, utilities, payments, etc were gone. We got to keep all the memories but truly felt free to begin the second or third phases of our lives!
Of course, your health history may be great or you may have issues that may need periodic address. Do your due diligence to check out healthcare services of the country you are interested in. Remember read the fine print of your present insurance as it may or may not cover you for a specific number of days out of the country. While you have your health or travel insurance on the line, check with them to see if they “partner” with any doctors or hospitals in the area you are interested. They may just surprise you with a “of course we do.”
3] Seniors Living on a Budget in Retirement – You are probably getting close to retirement of some sort & seeing an end in sight of work constraints! Are you wondering ‘what will I do after retirement?” EVERYTHING! The world is your oyster – where or what to do first? Relax, read a great book, spend quality time with the grandbabies or maybe you are ready to hit the ocean & sip margaritas while sitting in a hammock – oh wait a minute that was one of my bucket list to do’s.
Back to retirement, you should have by now an inkling of your financial situation & a handle of your monthly income by now. Will you be one of many of us senior travelers traveling on a budget? If you have not yet thought about income after retirement now might be a good time to do some due diligence.
Maybe you are one of the retiring senior travelers without the luxury of a pension? That is ok too! Again, as long as you follow the Five P’s in planning your grand adventure into international travel anything really is possible. I mean really stick to it & you are golden!
4] Seniors Bucket List for Seniors Traveling – Do you have your senior bucket list prepared? If not, start it now. I would recommend getting a pretty/handsome spiral for your adventure notes. You will define it many times along the way but that is the fun of it all. You can erase/add/edit as you want but it really helps to keep you motivated to stick to your Five P plan during those weak moments of wanting to make a larger purchase! Just saying.
Lastly, this is your time! You deserve this. We refused to let anyone try to guilt us from our plans. We knew when, where & how we would put our dream into a reality & we have never looked back.
As seniors traveling on a budget, we have never looked back. Happy Travels!
Seniors traveling, International travel, Traveling on a budget, Bucket list for traveling
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