After decades of working hard, retiring is a huge milestone in your timeline and you deserve to celebrate the moment by travelling. You have been saving many years and now is the time to relax and enjoy your free time or experience new adventures.
In the run up to retirement or at the beginning of your golden years, it is wise to take some time to plan up where you would like to travel, who you will go with and what activities you will do. Effectively planning will ensure that you have the resources, information and inspiration you need for a trip of a lifetime.
While you may have travelled in your younger years, going on holiday still has many benefits for retirees. For example, it can encourage you to take a break from your routine which can become monotonous after a while.
It also helps to reduce loneliness and meet new friends with similar interests to you. Furthermore, now might be the perfect time to fulfil lifelong dreams that were perhaps put on the backburner due to career goals or family commitments.
Whether you are attracted to adrenaline and out-going activities or someone who just enjoys a more casual and relaxed holiday, there are a wide range of options to look into. Here are just some exciting travel ideas to consider:
A sailing trip in the Caribbean
Chartering a yacht is an idea for those looking for a luxurious experience on the open water. It is an ideal trip to do with a spouse, or you might even choose to charter a larger vessel and share the adventure with friends.
Sailing in a destination with a warmer climate is often the most enjoyable and a sailing trip around the Caribbean island of Antigua on a crewed catamaran is highly recommended. There are hundreds of Yacht charter choices for Antigua and other islands in the Caribbean and charters are now very easy to arrange.
By hiring a vessel with skipper and crew, everything is arranged for you and any stresses are taken away from you. Your crew can nativate your desired route and recommend activities for you to do on shore.
On a sailing trip, you can choose how active you want to be. You might wish to make loads of stops to explore different parts of the island (or islands) or stay onboard and relax.
If visiting Antigua by boat, you will likely dock in Nelson’s Dockyard or a marina somewhere around English harbour. This is where you will find many of the island’s top rated restaurants, shopping outlets and holiday attractions.
There is also Jolly Harbour on the west side of the island to explore and many hiking trails and natural attractions to visit. The weather is hot and the seas calm much of the year, but hurricane season around September and October should ideally be avoided if you want to guarantee a smoother journey.
An campervan trip at home or abroad
If you prefer to remain on land, then hiring or purchasing a campervan is another option for those who love to explore. During your working years, you may not have had much chance to visit destinations in your home country and now is the chance for a leisurely drive to some of these locations.
A campervan trip does require some planning and there is some work involved, making this less ideal for those simply looking to relax. In a campervan you can visit beautiful rural locations that may not be serviced by hotels and the usual tourist facilities.
You can have your own cooking equipment, place to rest and a mode of transport all combined into one vehicle, giving you a huge amount of freedom to travel at your own pace. Whether that’s a trip around the lake district or a tour across the Scottish highlands, the choice is yours.
If you are looking to go further afield, a ferry over to Europe is easy to arrange with a campervan and once there you can take your time to drive across borders and enjoy all the great sites, cuisine and culture that the continent has to offer.
A guided coach tour
If you are a solo traveller looking for a way to meet other retirees and enjoy adventures together, a guided coach tour is a great option. Your trip will be managed by the tour operator, taking all the planning and travel arrangements out of your hands.
With a tour, you will be guided by someone who knows these destinations well and can learn more about the local cultures and sites than you would if you ventured there alone. Coach tours are a popular option for mature travellers and so you are bound to meet others that share your interests.
Coach tours may focus on one region or longer trips may take you across countries. This type of travel is popular everywhere, so whether you want to visit Europe or Asia, you will find plenty of options available to you.
