Travel Tips I’ve learned so far! or We failed at retirement the first year!

Photo of Lyon, France

December 31, 2021 my husband, Lee and I semi retired. Lee hit that magic number of 65 and we decided it was time for a “lifestyle change”. We got the blessing from our financial advisor that we could manage on the money we have saved and took the plunge. What we did right, and wrong, in the past year and a half.

As I am writing this, it is May 7, 2023. I am sitting in a hotel in Lyon, France watching it rain and waiting on the rest of my party (Lee and our son Jake) to get ready to go to lunch. I was reflecting on our past travels and what we did right and wrong. First, in 2022, our first year of retirement, we did some major things. The year went like this. Jan-Feb: 5 weeks in Hawaii. April: 4 week trip started in Florida, cruised the Panama Canal and ended in Cabo, Mexico. May: Family Party in Norfolk, Va. June: Family Wedding in Hawaii. September: Vegas for a Family Birthday. October: Wine Trip to Oregon. December: Cruise to Southern Caribbean. The year went flying by and so did our budget. Right out the window. We had failed at our first year of retirement. We had planned on still working part time, and it’s a good thing we did. We need to “ease into” a fixed income. It also allows us to plan the big trips and do extra experiences that we enjoy doing. We just didn’t think about how many we were doing in one year. The upside is it was exciting and fun. The downside is we never felt like we settled into a routine. We still haven’t, but that’s another post.

We decided that 2023 would be different. We had already planned a few “bucket list” trips, so we are building around that. We began the year with a 5 week trip to Argentina which included 3 weeks touring around the country and 2 weeks on an Antarctica cruise. Late April -May we are in France for 3 weeks for a wine tour then our son Jake will graduate from the Burgundy School of Business with his Master’s Degree in Wine Management. So this was a trip we couldn’t miss!

Now for what I have learned about budgeting for travel. It depends on three things. 1) Why 2) Who 3)How

The why is the beginning. Is this a once in a lifetime trip? A trip to the beach done annually? A getaway weekend? Once the importance of the trip is set, we move onto who is going. Is this a trip where it’s just you or you and your partner? A trip where the entire family will be there? The more people the more planning, and the more money, is needed. Now to the how. How are we going to move about during our trip. Getting there, plane, train, car? Once there, how are we getting around? Are we staying in a hotel, Airbnb, VRBO, Bed & Breakfast, tent/camper? All these questions is what makes planning a trip, and staying within budget, harder.

I am what I call a semi-planner. I research places to stay, where to go, and what to see before I book anything. Once we have decided why we are going, we look at what we need to do and see and what we would like to do and see. I try not to book a trip totally with no extra time. There is always something to do or see that you didn’t realize was there, or a day to just relax and have a coffee or glass of wine in a beautiful setting. You can’t do that if you are booked solid!

Where to stay! Lodging is all about personal preference. At some point I suggest you plan outside your usual preference and turn one or two nights into an experience. It’s nice to be in the 5 star hotel with lots of amenities, but it also can be a great time in an small house on a cliff overlooking the ocean. If you stay in a condo or house, you have places to get away from each other. You can cook some meals, bring home those left overs from a great restaurant, or a baguette from the bakery. Popping open a bottle of wine is nice to do if you have a patio, balcony or porch with a view. If you like the Five Star treatment with an in house Spa, then check out that wonderful hotel. It’s nice to be pampered! Getting back to nature is easy in a camper, tent or cottage in the woods. Take a look at everything available in the area you plan to visit!

Plane travel! To check a bag or carry on only. The stories of lost luggage will make you never want to leave your house. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2021 carriers handled approximately 393 million bags. They lost over 2 million of those bags. The chances increase of a lost bag over the Holiday season. Personally, my husband or myself have never had a lost bag. Our son has once. Consider where you are starting and finishing. If you have a direct flight, chances are much lower that your bag will be lost! Not impossible, but lower. If you are connecting, is it a major international airport or a small regional one? If you do connect, make sure your carry on has a few essentials, extra clothes, medications, etc. in case they do lose your bag. Also, if you are heading to a cruise, it is always a great idea to fly into the port city the day before the cruise if at all possible. This will make things go a lot more smoothly. Lastly, pack a collapsible duffle. This is an invaluable item that can be used to carry all the extras you’ve bought and can be checked on the way home.

Train travel! Although not a usual way to go here in the US, other countries have train travel down to a science. However, unlike in the movies where the nice man in the fun uniform is there to help with your bags, he is not going to help you. It’s all on you! I love to travel by train. To sit and watch the countryside glide by is magical. It usually is cheaper than flying. Even if your car rental seems cheaper, take into consideration all the costs. My advice on train travel. 1 suitcase and 1 backpack. 50 lbs max for a large suitcase. You need to be able to grab and go!

Let’s Drive! If you are driving in the US you can pack the car and off you go! It’s easy to go from sea to shining sea! But if you are looking at car travel in another country it can be a different experience. We did a car trip around Iceland. It was wonderful. We could go at our own pace and had everything we needed. Iceland does not have mass transit outside of Reykjavik. They don’t have much traffic, mostly sheep standing in the road, and the scenery is breathtaking. Directions can get a bit trying as we did tend to lose signal at times. If you are traveling in Europe it’s a whole different story. Roads are very narrow. Depending on the country, depends on the side of the road you are driving on. Gas is expensive. Parking is also costly and not necessarily near your accommodation. We had a car in Strasbourg and the parking garage was 6 blocks from the hotel. The rules of the road may not be the same as you are used to. If you are in a city, chances are you will be able to walk, take a taxi, catch a bus, train, or tram to wherever you need to go. You can always hire a driver for a day if you need to go further out.

Last but not least, let’s talk about travel tips! There are many, many travel bloggers, vloggers, etc. out there. Everyone has an opinion on how to travel. The best advice I believe I can give is, be comfortable. Wear what you look good in. Go to the places that make you happy. Eat local foods at least once. Talk with a local. See not just how pretty a place is, but get to know how the people live. A perfect trip is one that leaves a great memory! One last thing to pack, an open mind.

Take Care,

Kim