Fall calls to mind travel: to meet up with family for holidays, to make plans for winter vacations, to tick off a destination on your bucket list, or to plan for better weather adventures. But as we’ve previously suggested, travel right now requires thoughtful planning and strategizing, given rising costs, dangerous world conditions, and the continued presence of Covid in much of the world. This is not to suggest you can’t or shouldn’t travel right now. In fact, older adults are apparently embracing travel again at the level of pre-pandemic days or even beyond that. Looking at purchases of travel insurance, analysts are able to see that more older adults are buying travel insurance this year than in 2021 (sales since last year have more than doubled) which suggests that travel plans have really increased. The most preferred destination this year? Looks like American baby boomers are heading toward Europe again (with the UK and Italy as the most popular destinations). An AARP survey confirmed these findings, as it reported that AARP members planned on average 4 trips for 2022, just below the levels of pre-pandemic days.

With all this travel in the works, it’s likely deals are just as important as the destination. The New York Times reports that being a flexible traveler and not being stuck traveling at traditional holiday times may allow you to get the best prices for your money. US News recently published its list of best travel discounts for seniors, which includes savings on hotels, flights, car rentals, cruises, and more. And stepping back a bit, a recent article in Forbes reported that a RAND Corporation study found that people didn’t need to have as much retirement money for travel as they originally anticipated. It seems that the older we get, the less interested in travel we seem to be (and therefore the less money we spend on travel). Bottom line? You may want to spend your travel allowance while you have the money, health, time, and interest rather than waiting until the later years of your retirement.

If you are planning holiday travel now, you do need to consider how to keep yourself and your travel companions safe. Covid cases are already showing an uptick in Europe, and it’s likely that with so many of us coming together or heading out again without the previous Covid restrictions and limitations, you need to DIY when it comes to safety. Among the suggestions? Tailor your plans to meet the needs of your most vulnerable travel companion, paying attention to vaccines, testing, case counts wherever you’re going, and masking. Try for outdoor or well-ventilated activities. As one expert said, “We have the tools for a normal life. We just have to use them.” This means travel can be a pleasurable and enjoyable experience for us all, as long as we use our heads when making plans and heading out. 

Finally, two interesting trends to report when it comes to enjoyable travel for older adults. First, it appears that more and more companies are trying hard to come up with novel and workable ways to accommodate the needs of disabled travelers, be they mobility, hearing, vision, or some other sorts of impairments. At this time, it’s estimated that more than 20% of travelers have some kind of disability, and it seems that many organizations are trying to address the needs of this market. For more on this trend, read here. The other emerging trend is called “two-generation travel” meaning grandparents with grandkids alone, or adult children with an older parent. Given the limitations during the pandemic, many grandparents are anxious for some quality time with the grandkids, and what better way to find that than to share an adventure together? While experts recommend waiting until the grandkids are at least pre-teens and developing a travel plan that meets the needs and interests of the kids, now may be the right time to get those travel ideas into full gear for next summer. So grab your atlas and gather the grandkids and read more here.