Posted on December 6, 2018 By Judy Tan Editor Pick 2, Travel

During your working days, there was probably no time for extended travel and adventure. Ideally, most retires will be travelling on a fixed budget. This means that you have to come up with ways to stretch your travel dollars. The good news is that with more time on your hands, it becomes easier to spend less on travel and adventure while striking off your bucket list travel destinations. Retirees can apply some of the strategies deployed by youthful backpackers to cut travel cost without sacrificing on comfort. Some of these strategies include; making use of travel rewards and taking longer travel period than a normal vacation. It is recommended that you start your travels soon after retirement in order to take advantage of your good health and energy. Here are ways to optimize your travel during retirement.

Slow Travel

Slow travel is one of the most logical methods of travel for retirees. Ideally, slow travel requires more time but is less costly. Instead of taking trips with tight itineraries, slow travel allows you to soak in every detail and eccentricities at very destination. Extended stay also means lower transport and accommodation expenses. This will ultimately increase the value of your travel dollar. Slow travel also gives you an opportunity to learn about your travel destination such as where locals eat. In the process, you might even make a few friends. This makes your trip more rewarding and whenever you feel like you have had enough, move onto the next destination.

RVing

Using recreational vehicles is an amazing way of driving around the major parks and cities that make this country so unique and beautiful. RVs allow you to travel in your preferred style since they are available in a wide range of comforts. However, your choice of RV will be determined by your budget. The downside of RVs is that they require a significant amount of upfront charges. However, renting an RV over an extended period of time reduces the cost of travel as accommodation becomes less expensive each day. The good thing about RVs is that you will enjoy the journey as much as you enjoy the destinations. There are RV campsites and facilities spread across different parts of the U.S to cater for road warriors.

Extended City Visits

Have you ever asked yourself how it would be if you were living in Buenos Aires or Copenhagen? It is now possible to book for extended stay in some of the major cities in the world through services such as Airbnb. Instead of booking yourself into a hotel, Airbnb hosts offer discounts to long-term visitors in order to reduce maintenance cost and avoid unnecessary vacancies. If you are planning to stick around for a while, consider taking language classes so that you can blend in as a local. However, make sure you are aware of the visa limitations rules in the country which you have booked your extended stay.

Train Travel

Train travel is a scenic way of exploring the globe for retirees. The most exciting and convenient journeys are in Europe and Asia. These journeys can be optimized with the right rail routes to give you an amazing travel experience. Eurail for example is a conglomerate of rail systems passing through 28 different countries. Trans-Siberian Railways is another classic train route that travels overland from St. Petersburg, Russia to Beijing, China.  Using the Trans-Siberian route, you can schedule a visit at Lake Ulaanbaatar or Baikal, Mongolia to maximize your travel experience.

Book Multiple Tours

When you are flying a great distance to one of the destinations on your bucket list, booking multiple tours will maximize the value of your flight costs. The idea here is to fly to a global hub destination from where you can launch your tours to different parts of the world. Cities such as Paris, France and Bangkok, Thailand are excellent launching point from where you can tour different cities and neighboring countries.

Toolkit to Help you

AirBnB

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Are there other ways that you can optimize your travel during retirement? If you have additional strategies to maximize your travel experience, let us know in the comments section. If you have any questions, turn to our finance forum here.

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