Travel changes as we get older. That does not make it smaller or less exciting. It simply means we now plan around what helps us enjoy the whole trip, rather than what looks impressive on paper.
At thirty, a poor night of sleep was an inconvenience. In our fifties and sixties, it can affect the next day as well. Long flights feel longer, luggage feels heavier, and a packed itinerary can leave us needing a holiday after the holiday.
James and I have not lost our appetite for travel. Far from it. We are preparing for much longer periods away and thinking seriously about how travel will fit into retirement. What has changed is our definition of a successful trip.
We no longer judge a journey by how many places we managed to squeeze in. We judge it by how well we experienced them, how we felt while we were there, and whether we would happily travel that way again.
These are the seven mistakes we try not to make now.
1. Planning as if recovery time does not exist
You can survive an early start, a connecting flight, a delay, a long transfer and a late arrival. The more useful question is what that journey costs you afterwards.
If you lose the first two days recovering, the itinerary may not have been sensible. We used to arrive, shower and head straight out. Now we avoid putting anything important immediately after a demanding journey.
For a long trip, build recovery into the schedule before you leave. Consider the flight time, time difference, transfers and how well you usually sleep while travelling. One unplanned quiet day can protect the rest of the week.
2. Moving simply to increase the destination count
Seven destinations in fourteen days can look impressive. In practice, every move involves packing, checking out, travelling, finding the next place, checking in and unpacking again.
Even a short transfer can consume most of a day. Ferries have timetables. Trains can be delayed. Accommodation may not be ready. By the time you have worked out the area, it can be time to leave again.
Our Croatia trip reinforced this for us. We loved seeing several parts of the country, but each move created more work than the distance suggested.
Slow travel now suits us better. Staying longer gives us time to experience ordinary life, not only the famous sights. We can return to a favourite cafe, have a quiet afternoon, change a plan and still feel that we have properly experienced the destination.
Before adding another stop, ask what it genuinely adds. If the answer is mainly another name on a list, leave it out.
3. Choosing accommodation from photographs alone
We do not need five star luxury. We can live without designer furniture, room service or an enormous bathroom. We are much less willing to compromise on the things that determine whether everyday life works.
A comfortable bed matters. Noise matters. Air conditioning can matter. The location may matter more than all three.
A cheaper apartment stops looking like a bargain when it sits at the top of a steep hill, far from the shops, or an expensive taxi ride from everything you want to do. That may be tolerable for a weekend. During a longer stay, a small inconvenience becomes part of every day.
Look beyond the attractive balcony photograph. Check the route to the nearest supermarket. Read recent reviews for comments about beds, stairs, street noise and temperature. Confirm whether there is a lift if you need one. Study the surrounding streets, not only the pin on the map.
This is especially important if you are testing a possible retirement location. You are assessing how it feels to live there, not only how it looks at sunset.
4. Treating the hottest season as the best season
We love warm weather, especially when Britain is cold and dark. However, there is a point where heat changes what you can realistically do.
Croatia gave us a useful reminder. During the hottest and busiest periods, we had to arrange parts of the day around both the temperature and the crowds. Walking became harder. Public transport felt less comfortable. Restaurants needed more planning. Popular places felt very different when large numbers of visitors arrived together.
The weather promoted as perfect for a beach holiday may not be ideal for walking around a city or living somewhere for several weeks. A shoulder month may bring a little less certainty, but it can also mean more space, more comfortable temperatures and a gentler pace.
When you have flexibility in retirement, use it. Choose the season for the trip you actually want to take, rather than accepting the busiest months by default.
5. Assuming everyday fitness will be enough
Travel gives you a direct assessment of your fitness. At home, it is easy to feel reasonably active. Then a destination presents hills, cobbled streets, stairs, heavy bags and a full day of exploring.
One day of fifteen thousand steps may be manageable. The real test is whether you can enjoy another active day tomorrow, especially in hot weather.
We do not need to become athletes. We do need enough strength, balance and stamina to manage airports, public transport, luggage and ordinary walking. This is one part of ageing that we can influence.
Regular walking helps, but strength and balance matter too. Be honest about current limitations when choosing accommodation and activities. That is sensible planning, not giving in.
We think of these as our go years. We want to use them well, while also doing what we can to keep them going for longer.
6. Leaving medical preparation until the last minute
Medical preparation is rarely the enjoyable part of planning, but it becomes more important as trips get longer and we get older.
Travel insurance must cover the journey you are actually taking and the medical conditions you actually have. Medication, prescriptions, vaccines and relevant health information all need attention before departure.
We also consider what would happen if one of us became ill. Is suitable healthcare available? Could we communicate with medical staff? Might we need to pay upfront? Could we manage an unexpected interruption without creating a financial problem?
These questions should not frighten you into staying at home. They give you a practical plan if something goes wrong. Always check current health advice, entry requirements and the exact terms of your insurance before travelling.
7. Expecting a couple to want the same thing all day
A holiday lets you step away from normal life together. Longer travel creates a new normal, usually in unfamiliar surroundings and with many more small decisions.
Where are you staying? How will you get there? Who has the passports? Where is the booking confirmation? Who checked the ferry time?
Tiredness affects people differently too. One person may want to keep exploring while the other needs a quiet afternoon. One may prefer every detail planned while the other wants to decide on the day. Neither approach is wrong.
James and I love travelling together, but that does not mean we must spend every minute doing the same thing. Personal space matters. So does saying when one of us is tired, uncomfortable or simply not enjoying something.
For a long stay or retirement trip, talk about pace, money, priorities and time apart before small differences become repeated arguments. The ability to change a plan is often more useful than the plan itself.
Our practical rules for travel after 60
Our approach is simple. We allow time to recover. We move less often. We choose accommodation for everyday practicality. We take heat and crowds seriously. We maintain the fitness that makes travel possible. We prepare for medical problems. We also accept that travelling together requires compromise and personal space.
None of this means becoming fearful or unadventurous. It means removing the avoidable problems that can take pleasure out of a trip.
Our honest verdict
We are not too old to travel. We are too old to pretend that comfort, recovery, health and pace do not matter. We no longer see exhaustion as proof that we are adventurous, and we do not want to rush through destinations simply to increase the total.
Travel after 60 can be more rewarding because you may have more time, more experience and a clearer sense of what you enjoy. The key is to stop trying to travel like the person you were thirty years ago.
You can hear more about the lessons behind these rules in our video, Travel After 60: Seven Mistakes We Do Not Make Anymore.
What has become more important to you as you have grown older: comfort, pace, healthcare, cost, or simply having enough time to enjoy where you are?
