TOO OLD TO TRAVEL? Age Isn’t Even a Factor

I never asked myself if I was too old to travel when I was in my 20’s. It never even occurred to me in my 30’s. No one else posed the question, either. So why is it suddenly becoming such a concern now that I am a bit older? Is there a limit to how much one can do, that somehow is imposed by how many birthdays have passed? Or is it just expectation that has become the norm in today’s society? Expectation that someone who doesn’t fit the stereotype of the beer swilling, partying backpacker, somehow has no place taking up a bed in a Thai Hostel.

The thing is, I had my fair share of that. I traveled the world as a fresh faced 18 year old. Granted, it wasn’t as your “typical” backpacker. But then, that stereotype has evolved long since I did what I did. In the end though, it was pretty much the same deal. Drinking, Partying, checking out local sights without really seeing them, and looking for the next flashing neon “Bar Open” sign.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Many backpackers are on a journey of their own, and I am an advocate for any young person to get out and see the world. Travels such as these change lives. That sort of travel is a lot different to the travel that can be experienced later in life though. There are many reason’s for that, and I intend to cover some of them here. Because as far as I’m concerned, traveling is for anyone, no matter your age.

Age is just a number

It is something that we hear all the time. Mostly, it is not even in relation to Travel. You hear it in online dating sites. In the boardroom where youth is promoted over experience. In the NFL every single year in defense of Tom Brady. And in the end, they are right. Age IS just a number.

When it comes to the question of traveling, the term is once again dragged out into the spotlight. Age. What is it really? Well, basically it is the prime indicator of how long a person has spent on this Earth. That’s it. End of story.

So how can it possibly determine whether or not you are still fit to travel? The same argument is used every single day for a myriad of reasons. Are you too old to drive? Too old to date? Too old to hit the gym? Too old to enjoy a beer with your grandson?

Where does it stop?

You are NEVER too old for anything. Because getting old IS just a number. There are, however, plenty of other things that enter the equation that come hand in hand with age. It is THESE things that you should take into account before you buy that plane ticket.

Age, however, is NOT one of them.

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Be inspiring!

I read a story recently of a woman in her 40’s. She decided to hit the trail and buy her ticket to South America. It was a lifelong dream, and something that she had been determined to do some day. By the time she was in a position to take the trip though, she was hit by the same questions. Should she be traveling at her age? Should she be doing something better with her time?

And why? Is it simply because most of the other travelers on that same flight would be half her age? That she would be sharing the trail to Machu Pichu with dozens of sets of younger legs. That her dorm would be populated with fresher faces than hers? Why should that be a deterrent?

As it turned out, nothing like that deterred her at all. She bought that ticket and boarded the plane. Upon arrival, she braved the expected glances from the hordes of youth, and checked into her hostel. And guess what?

Her room mate was an 85 year old grandmother that was determined to fulfill HER lifelong dream as well. She had even taken the TOP bunk!

Age should never be a barrier.

Life Experience actually IS a thing

As you get older, you gain wisdom and experience. This is only natural. It doesn’t matter where you come from, whether you raised kids, or spent your life dedicated to your career. The fact is that over the years, you have gained experience.

That experience will come to the fore when you are researching and planning your proposed trip. Now, I know that anyone can research. The internet makes it pretty easy these days. But experience is something that you can’t teach. It can only be obtained over time, making mistakes, and learning. There simply is no other way.

Along with this experience comes life lessons, and a lot of learned common sense. You will still make mistakes, but “hopefully” they will not be as brutal as the mistakes that a traveler a lot younger might make. You will cope a lot better, and your age has now become an asset.

Remember that. Age is an asset. It is not a handicap. Especially not if you can maintain that mindset.

I can guarantee you ONE thing. There will come a time when you are traveling, that you will be asked for advice. Imagine this scenario.

You are in South East Asia. You find yourself on a tour, or in a Hostel, with a LOT younger crowd. Teenagers, and people in their early 20’s. You are there, in your 40’s or 50’s, and maybe sitting off to the side, enjoying a quiet beer and possibly even a book. Suddenly, you have company. Two young backpackers that need advice. Their parents are so far away, and you are right there. Suddenly, your age is now an asset.

I can honestly say that this has happened to me. In Japan not long ago, I was visiting my daughter who is a ski instructor. I decided to stay in a Hostel and experience the culture of a side of resort life that I had never seen before. I loved every minute of it!

But it was those nights in the rec room, when I was sitting with my book and just enjoying the vibe. On the outer, but still there. Every now and then I would break between chapters to join in a game of pool, or give someone a lesson on the Ping Pong Table, (experience!) and then retire to my corner again. That was 10 days that I will always look upon fondly.

It makes your day, week and entire holiday when someone needs your advice though. Being the oldest person in the dorm isn’t such a bad thing. Especially not when you can make someone else’s time a bit better, and help them past some homesickness. That’s when being a parent can really pay off, and it makes you feel even better that there is now a parent 10,000 miles away on the other side of the world that can rest a little easier knowing that you have their back.

Your priorities have changed

Before you overthink it too much, think about this. How many times in your life have your priorities changed? When you left school? Got a job? Became a parent? Chances are, they are even different now. If you are reading this article, then I can safely assume so.

When I first traveled around Europe, I was a fresh faced 18 year old. Now, to say that I traveled around Europe is a stretch, but being from Australia on my first overseas trip, it was a big deal. I saw some of Italy, Germany, Switzerland and France on that short backpacking trip, but I COULD have seen a lot more.

It was a day in Venice that I often look back upon now. With older and wiser hindsight, I see myself emerging from the train station bleary eyed after an overnight trip hitting a bottle of scotch way too hard. Hungover, I set off with my two companions as we navigated the narrow streets of the town, crossing over historical bridges and canals blindly. I hardly noticed that we were in one of the most iconic cities in the world, and in order to placate our hangovers, we sought out a cool café with plenty of cold water on offer.

Now, as I remember it, I ate the best Lasagna that I have ever tasted that morning. It was so good, I went back for a second helping. The dish, though extraordinary, is not the basis for this particular story, though.

From the café we passed into Saint Mark’s Square, and after marveling a little at the place we had seen in a couple of movies before, we remarked casually about the amount of pigeons, before setting off in search of a bridge that should be hereabouts somewhere.

Because as an 18 year old, that’s what travel was. It was a short list of things that we knew about the city. A checklist, I guess you could say. Saint Mark’s Square. Rialto Bridge. A ride in a gondola. And when we had checked those things off of the list, what did we do?

We found a bar and got hammered for the rest of the afternoon.

Our justification at the time was twofold. One, Venice is very small in reality, and we still had hours until our train to Munich left. Second, you can’t go to Venice and NOT have a beer! Right?

Well, years later I realise that you actually CAN go to Venice and not spend the afternoon staring at the Grand Canal through the bottom of a glass. At the time, it just made sense.

Now, I wish that I had known what I know now. Now, when I return to Venice, I will do so much more. I will seek out those glorious pieces of architecture, and marvel at the talent that created them. I will sit and chat with a local, and try to find a little insight into their incredible city. Maybe I would take a ferry to Burano, or Murano.

I would do SO MUCH more.

This is what my change of priorities in life brings to the table as an older traveler. I will still have a beer. But it will be at the end of the day, when I am enjoying a spot of dinner, and my legs are weary from walking, discovering, and exploring.

UPDATE – I’ve since returned to Venice a few times, and can honestly say that I DID make the most of it. While I still enjoyed a couple of Spritzers, I discovered that there is so much more to enjoy in Venice. It seemed so small when I was young, on that first visit. This time, I actually got lost exploring side alleys, and discovered some amazing hidden churches and art galleries. It seems that life and age really do change your priorities!

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Your Income now is an asset, not a barrier

If you think you are getting a bit long in the tooth, then think of this. You are actually at the PERFECT age. To clarify, I’m talking financially.

To travel around the world as a teenager, or straight from school/college, you have to find the finances to do so. Mostly, you will get a loan from your parents, or work a part time job saving. Most likely, the money will be blown in the first half of your trip, and a hasty SOS will go out to your parents for funds to get home again.

It is a story that is too common.

As an older traveler, though, you have life savings. Plus, you know how to manage money. That experience is gold for a traveler, and being able to budget is critical if you are going to make your savings go further. Put all of that together with your changing travel priorities, and you are onto a sure fire winner!

The only tricky part here is, how much of your savings do you use? Well, that’s a question that only you can answer. Are you willing to blow it all on your dreams? Will you sell the farm and go on a splurge?

Probably not. At least, the smart thing to do is to be sensible. Sit and budget it out. Work out what you can afford to spend, and what locations can make that money go the furthest. Cross reference that list with places your actually want to visit, and just go!

You have spent your whole life becoming debt free. You have worked hard and saved. Now is your time. You are the perfect age, and you deserve it!

You can cope with uncertainty better now

If there is one asset to life experience, it is that when things don’t go to plan, you have the past to draw upon. Nothing in life ever happens exactly as we wanted, and travel is no different. In fact, plans tend to go out the window more often than not.

With age comes the experience and clarity of sight to be able to deal with these things. It doesn’t make you any better at traveling, or planning. It doesn’t make you superman. But when something happens, you won’t panic. You will work your way though the issue with the common sense and calm that only comes from being a parent, or sitting in that boardroom for years negotiating deals. It is experience that only comes with age.

The whole Covid-19 issue was a game changer for so many people. I had just quit my job and decided to become a full time travel blogger. Literally, I had JUST jumped on the plane to Bali when the world decided to shut down. No one could see it coming. No one truly BELIEVED it was coming. But it came, nevertheless.

There are plenty that would have quit right then. I know of many that did. There are travel bloggers who shut up shop, returned to their home countries, and their life’s work stagnated. For some, they had no choice.

For me, I like to think it was my life experience that nagged in the back of my head that this was not the end. There was no way that I was giving up before I had even started. I was not backpedaling. I would tread water if I had to, and find a way though.

So I did. I traveled extensively around Bali and blogged about every minute of it. When I could, I went to Java, and spent months doing the same. I found my way.

I don’t think I would have done that when I was younger. In reality, I like to believe that I wouldn’t have given up. But I DO know that I would have blown my savings pretty quickly!

So how do we do it?

This is the big question for many. We want to travel, and we know we have the means. People will tell us we are too old to travel, but in the end, we are doing it anyway.

But how?

There are plenty of other obstacles that are in our way when we want to travel as an older person. You most likely have a few shooting around in your head even as you read this. Right?

As far as I am concerned, there should only really be three things that you must address before you travel later in life. And I say later in life, because you could be traveling in your 40’s, 50’s or 90’s! It doesn’t matter.

The first, I have already covered. That one is finances, and hopefully we are all better off in that regard than we were earlier in life.

But, I WILL make one point here.

The majority of you reading this will have a house and mortgage that you have paid off. You have assets. Many of you will also have a good sized, respectable bank balance. It is the nest egg that you have spent your life procuring, and you should be proud. You can do what you like with it.

My own story, however, is different.

I had no nest egg. Having just been through a divorce, (a very mutual and fair one) I didn’t have much, other than a lot of furniture. I was renting a townhouse in Brisbane, Australia, and held a good paying job in a mining company.

My savings were zero.

But I found a way. I decided I wanted to travel, and decided that I wanted to fund my way with a travel blog. To get started though, I needed to have some savings. So I put my head down and saved every Nickle and dime I had for 18 months. The reason for this? Because I was realistic and knew that a blog would not pay off right away. I needed a float to get me by until it did.

With the advent of Covid, I am SO glad that I did!

What I am saying is that it doesn’t matter what your situation. If you want to do it, then MAKE it happen!

You will have expectations

I am talking now about OTHER people’s expectations. It is unfair, but you will have to deal with all of the nay sayers, and then those that believe they are only trying to help.

Many of these people will be your family. They will be concerned. They will think you are having a mid life crisis, or simply worried that you are not thinking it through. Are you aware that you are putting your life in danger? Did you know that South East Asia has Malaria?

You will hear it all.

Don’t block it out. Deal with it. Sit your family members down and talk them through it. They love you and care about you. Put their minds at ease. Show them all the preparations you have been taking, and let them know you ready.

Set up a Facebook group, or even a page. Here, you can post regularly and those loved ones at home can not only be satisfied that you are safe, but they can also share in your travels with you. Keep the lines of communication open, and things will become a lot easier not just for you, but your loved ones at home as well.

Take Fitness and Health into account

This is probably the biggest question you have to answer. How healthy are you? How fit are you? The answers to both of these will determine just how much travel you can do, and where you might be able to go.

If you are fit and healthy, and your doctor is happy, then the sky could be the limit for you. If not, then maybe just a trip to another state is more suitable. The point is, if you want to travel, you should be able to find something that fits YOUR situation. You are never too old to travel. You just have to know your limits.

Once you have seen a doctor, got your check up, and made some decisions, then there is one more thing you really MUST DO.

Take out Travel Insurance.

It is absolutely vital. Why? Because things will go wrong, and when they do, it is nice to know that you are covered.

Now, you might be thinking right now about lost baggage or a canceled flight. Yes, these things are covered, but as an older traveler, you should be seriously looking at more than that.

Medical expenses mount up. Accidents happen. Even evacuations. You just never know. At our age, personally, I don’t want to take the risk. I always have my travel insurance, and make certain that I am fully covered.

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To sum up, you are not too old to travel if your doctor says you’re not! For many, you won’t even have to ask him. You know how fit you are. You also know if you have any health issues. Use some common sense, and get on with your dreams!

Only YOU can decide

At the end of the day, only YOU can decide what you can do. I am sure that you will agree that you are not too old to travel. But how far you can go, and what you can do is up to you. Know your limits, and understand them. Don’t push yourself too hard, but certainly challenge yourself. Why bother otherwise?

I don’t believe that you ever be too old. I am sitting here in Bali writing this now at 50 years of age. My plans for the near future are a quick trip back to Australia to see my kids, and then a slow 10 months traveling through Eastern Europe. I am excited and titilated at the prospect, and I can actually feel my heart rate going up as my excitement mounts.

Travel is wonderful. It fulfills, excites, teaches and rewards anyone that partakes of her delights. Why, oh why, would we deny ourselves of that, simply because of age?

We are never, ever too old to travel.

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