You are never too old for a vacation. After having worked for life, raised children, making a difference in society by all little things, you deserve a vacation more than anyone. A trip might sound very scary, but in reality all the years of experience and micro management skills that you have earned will turn out to be a game changer. There is nothing better than a wise traveler that you will be by default. To ensure you don’t face any awkward situations in other half of your life, we have curated some tips.
Prepare for your trip mentally and physically – Seniors, especially retired folks usually have a laid back routine without any mental or physical exertion. Their day to day routine is as simple as it could get. But trips can put your mettle to test. Travel at times could be challenging, and can be a test of your fitness.
Hence it is highly advisable that prior to departing, you make habit of going on long walks, or try treadmill, or go on long cycling tours. It will not only increase your stamina, but will also help you with increasing your mental capacity to endure hectic situations. The longer you plan to holiday, the longer you need to make a routine of such exercice.
Adventure trips should be avoided – Adventure might sound thrill, and a trek like discovery. But before falling for them, get double checked your fitness levels by a physician (Act like a PRO). It is very necessary to have a medical approval before going on any adventure trip. Your doctor is the best person who can recommend you if you are fit for any such trip.
For most of seniors it should be no. In all this world full of beautiful places why risk your physical health due to a adventure trip. But seniors mustn’t feel disheartened, as a lot of sunny experiences await you. If not adventure, then probably a beach holiday can do the magic. If not adventure, then probably a cruise trip can do the magic.
Specialized tours for seniors – Good News is, that Tour Operators around the World nowadays comes with specialized tours for seniors and elderly. Yes the entire package is built for seniors keeping in mind of their old age, and level of mobility. These tours are made to such places that suit the seniors well. These tours are designed so that seniors face less hassle and the trip is smooth.
You have my nod on it, only after you inquire well. Do check for the reviews of fellow seniors, and see what kind of experience they had. These kind of trips are less stressing, with focus on old age of travelers. This will also relieve you of hectic bookings, and stress free movement during your trip. If the travel agency is specialized only for senior travelers it is even better.
Peak seasons don’t suit seniors – Avoid booking your travel in peak seasons, this way you will already beat the odds of crowd that can be very stressful for seniors. You should keep this in mind especially if you are travelling to some high traffic destination like Italy or Spain. The crowd can also trigger panic and stress, which happens in most of the cases.
Whereas off peak seasons will help you gain your peace of mind and everlasting beautiful memories in form of less cluttered pictures. With lesser crowd you will not have to worry about about mobility. You will also probably save more. Plus if you are retired then time constraint should not be a determining factor for your trip.
Staying hydrated – This is one of the most important things to keep in mind, especially during the flights. The dry air in flights can be draining even for the fittest of people, and senior citizens must take extra care towards it. Make sure to keep a bottle of water always with you during the entire trip, and more importantly to sip from it at regular intervals.
It is also recommended that keep a packet of snacks with you. At older age your body requires more energy to keep it going. It is also to take a note of that senior travelers will also require food and water to take their medicines at the right time. Make sure that just because you are in your flight do not miss any of your medications.
Travel insurance is a must – Old age comes with high vulnerability for Bones, Organs and immunity. Its double recommended that you don’t leave without a health insurance. In old age even change in environment can also lead to disturbances in health. Please don’t risk it. It is a proven fact that at old age you are more vulnerable to catching diseases or catching up with a fractured bone.
Travel insurance will not only safeguard you from illness and unwanted medical injuries, but it will also give you peace of mind. If you are travelling to developed nations, then it becomes of utmost importance that you buy a travel insurance because healthcare there doesn’t comes cheap. For seniors travel insurance costs a bit more but it is totally worth it.
Take a step for home security – If your children are settled in other cities and you solely run the house without any external help, then it is highly recommended that you don’t advertise your trip prior to leaving. Keep it limited to handful of people for security reasons, because your home behind your back could also become subjected to burglary.
To safeguard your home and the pricey items kept inside, we recommend that you inform at least one of your neighbors to be careful if anyone drops by your home, or if they sense any activity inside. You can also tip your local police station that you are leaving the house, and that they should patrol by your house least once a day.
Doctor and medication – Consulting a doctor is a must before you leave. It helps not only in medical checkups before leaving but also with the existing ailments that you might have. Always keep proper stock of your regular medication, and also check with the airport authority if you are allowed to carry these medicines along with you in the carry on luggage.
Always keep along with yourself the medical prescriptions and records. These will come in handy in case of medical emergency when your health history will be needed. Plus you never know if you are going to need some more medicines in different destinations. The medical records will only help the doctors to better diagnose you when you are travelling.
Accessibility friendly – The world has changed, and it has changed for good. Now there are more means that can make life easier for senior travelers. Most of the popular tourist spots dotting this world are now accessibility friendly or wheel chair friendly. Make the best use of it, if you are too old and could use a little help.
It is not just the tourist sites, but airports, hotels, restaurants, lounges, art galleries, also offer such facilities. Make sure that you have navigated all your options and the bookings that you are making are in your best interest. There is absolutely no shame in using the wheelchair if you feel the need for it at any given point of time.
Pack lightly – Never pack too much for the trip. The lesser the baggage the smoother the trip is going to be. You might not have to carry the luggage all the time of your travel, but when you do be sure that you don’t regret. In most of the cases you will have some help. At airports you will have trolleys to assist you. At hotels you will have bell boys to assist you. But still pack lightly for unwanted places where you will be needed to carry your own baggage.
Make sure to carry an extra pair of glasses if you wear them. This is highly recommended. The older eyes won’t adjust well if one is damaged or lost. Plus you will have to face so much of trouble before you could get yourself made a new one, which would include meeting an eye specialist, and ordering for the glasses.
Luggage delivery – This is especially for folks who do not want to compromise with their luggage. This for folks who want to pack everything that they want. This is for folks who also do not want to carry the luggage at the same time. Yes there are tons of luggage delivery services nowadays which will parcel your luggage to the destination right from your doorstep.
They will also help you in returning that luggage from the destination back to your doorstep. There is also a room for flexibility that at what time you want the luggage to be delivered. You can choose a time after the arrival of your flight along with a room of time it will take from airport to reach your destination.
Direct Flights – Make sure that you book direct flights. Especially the retired folks should do it for sure, as they have no excuse for time constraint or flight being not available on a particular date. Connecting flights can be very troubling for seniors. The burden of carrying your luggage, waiting in odd hours for next flight to come, leaving and boarding flights, this all is not very easy when you are old.
Direct flights are the best means to give you some peace of mind. BY booking direct flights you can also ensure that you do not miss a flight as you are obviously expected to show up at time. Just think if you are a senior and you miss your connecting flight. This would be the last thing that you would want, being mentally exerted, in some foreign location.
Eating habits – I would never refrain you from having the joy of tasting locally cooked foreign cuisines. But mind the quantity and mind the ingredients. Older people have weak digestion, and too much of spicy, cheesy, oily, fried food can give you a little trouble of a day or two. It is better to avoid such dishes, and to keep it healthy and fit.
If you a senior and you have allergies to some particular foods, then be extra cautious. Always ask the chef of the restaurant to exclude any ingredient that you are allergic to. In older age even minor allergies can also sum up to big problems. Prefer to stick to fresh veggies, and if you are too tempted to try a local cuisine, then order a small quantity just for taste.
Wear comfortable clothes – Clothes are just like our luggage, which we need to carry all the times whether we like it or not. If your clothes are heavy, in cases if you have worn a three piece suit, or a jacket even in the summers, even though be it light, then your trip is going to get uneasy even if you do not realize it.
The secret behind every successful vacation is the comfortable clothes. At times your comfort level can be uneasy for others, but you got to do it, till it falls within the social norms. Comfortable clothes will allow your body to breathe better, they will be easy on your body. Physical benefits are not the only ones, mentally you will be more relaxed during your vacations.
Night roaming – Avoid going out in nights when on trip. We know that sitting in hotel rooms can get a little boring, but then nights are not the best time to roam around. Majority of people have soft corner for elderly, but then crooks love to rob them. Try staying close to your hotel, if so ever you are out in night. If you are returning from somewhere then take a busy route to get back.
It is also highly recommended to be in company of someone young and trustworthy, if you even go out in night. If you have a cab that you are planning to use in night times, then make sure that it is not some randomly booked cab, but booked through a trusted website or through the staff of your hotel. You have to extra cautious in the time of night.
Hotel location in the city – It is highly recommended that you book a hotel that is well within city, with busy surroundings, accessible to public places, with good transport connectivity. This is highly recommended for two main reasons, one you will be safe, as you will be in the center of the city and area which is less prone to criminal activities.
The other main reason is that you will save lot of time in commuting. Most of the popular tourist spots are within the close range inside the city, which will help you navigate better if you are closer. If you are a foodie then you will also get plenty of options inside the center of the city to eat. At a prime location you will also find souvenir shops for buying merchandise for loved ones, easily.
Tracks of your every move – During the time that you are travelling there should be some people that should know that you are travelling and should keep a track of your movements while being back there in home in situations where things can get awry. The best way to do this is by creating a WhatsApp group or any small online community where you can easily update your movements.
The people that you should add in that group should be your Hotel Manager, your children back home or some close friend. Make note of updating your every significant move in that group. This will keep them informed about your whereabouts. In case of emergency you can also ask for help from them. On a lighter note also don’t forget to update some fun pictures in real time.
Carry copies of your documents – At older age you become more prone to losing things, and forgetting things. It happens naturally with old age. So in cases where you might loose your passport or any important document, or you forget it along with your bag in any particular place, then make sure that you have copies of them back in your hotel in the main luggage.
This will help you deal with unwanted situations. In case of lost passport a copy of it can expedite the process in the nearby consulate. It is also highly recommended that along with keeping copies, leave few copies of the documents with your immediate family. This is for cases if you need them in urgent situation, while they will be able to fax it to you, or email you.
Elderly discounts – Enjoy the perks of being old, after all becoming elderly is not that bad. At many tourist spots your age can get you discounts on entry, you might also get discounts on Transit Rail Travel cards in many countries, and also concert tickets at slashed prices. This is just the tip of the iceberg, you might also get less crowded queues only meant for elderly.
Never be ashamed of asking for discounts when you are travelling. Your hotel might also have policy for senior citizens, the restaurant where you plan to eat might also have some reserved seats for elderly. The avenues for benefits are endless, all you got to do is just ask for it. Trust me this entire world care for seniors.
Bon Voyage!
