Poll:How much do you travel?

[JustCurious]

How much do you travel? It seems that there is a wide range in the level of interest to travel, and I am curious to see how it breaks down.

 

[sengsational]

I've got a spreadsheet with trip history since retirement. It just counts total nights not at home, and that's sitting at about 20% of the last 5+ years. 1 or 2 big trips is the closest choice for me.

 

[W2R]

This is my 10th year of retirement, and during that time I have only left the New Orleans metro area once. That was in 2012, during our Hurricane Isaac evacuation. We drove to Jackson, Mississippi the first night, and then Eutaw, Alabama the second night. Then the next day, or the day after (I forget?) we drove back home to New Orleans.

I do not have any desire for further travel, and enjoy spending my retired time here at home. That's OK, my older brother travels enough for a dozen people. He and his DW just got back from a cruise to Australia, New Zealand, and the western Pacific, and before even unpacking they hosted two sets of friends (one couple from Holland, the other from the US Midwest) in their Hawaii condo for a couple of weeks, and now are planning yet another trip to Romania for this summer. I don't know if they have even gotten back to see their mainland condo yet, which is supposed to be their main home. Not my cup of tea! We traveled constantly as kids, and I guess he is carrying that on throughout his life. In my case, I decided I had enough of that and I'd rather not.

 

[Dtail]

Voted 1-2 big trips a year with a bunch of smaller ones. Budget is for 15k, but don't think we will hit it this year, as many other expenses for our newly moved to home.

 

[Teacher Terry]

One 2 week trip like a cruise or Europe. Then usually 2-4 weeks in the car or RV with the dogs.

 

[Bir48die]

One three to four week trip in the winter to warm up. One trip back east to see son and family. Several to the BA to see another. Added a Fall trip to Mexico for a couple weeks. Summer is camping.

 

[Cobra9777]

I answered 1-2 big trips per year... That's our plan and that's what we did the first 4-5 years of ER. But then DFIL's health took a serious turn for the worse and he needed more help than DMIL could provide. So we stopped traveling to help with his daily care. He passed away late last year and DMIL is reasonably self-sufficient (sort of).

But then this year, we decided to take care of a long-deferred major plumbing repair as well as some other home improvement projects and a new car, which exhausted the discretionary budget (and then some). So, with a few small exceptions, there's been no travel last year or this.

We hope to get back on track next year. But we've also got two very young grandkids now that we adore. And the kids are very dependent on us when "stuff" happens. No SAHMs and no other grandparents nearby.

There's also our beloved but neurotic border collie who's been banned from every kennel in the County (long story, but perhaps inherently self-explanatory). So we have to make arrangements with one of the kids to board him, which is highly dependent on their busy schedules. And with dogs of their own, and young kids in the house, they're not exactly keen on having a neurotic border collie added to the mix.

So there you have it. Our little travel dilemma of late. We love traveling and have some ambitious plans (Galapagos, New Zealand, Maldives, Machu Picchu). But we're at that age where demands on our time are many. But also at an age where we're still fit enough to take on the Galapagos with some "youthful" zest. So yeah... a bit of an ER travel dilemma.

 

[Bamaman]

We've been traveling on repositioning cruises the last couple of years and spending an extra week in Europe. We visit our RV in the Blue Ridge Mountains of N. GA a few times of the year. Otherwise, we don't go anywhere the rest of the year.

My wife and a girlfriend usually go on a cruise out of Florida, however.

We leave in 2 weeks for Madrid, Granada and Barcelona before taking a fast train to Paris--with our 7 year old granddaughter. Depending on how she acts, she may become a very well traveled little girl.

 

[Nemo2]

We almost went around the block once, but turned back halfway.

 

[brett]

Did seven month of travel when we retired seven years ago.

Since then...two independent international trips per year, typically 6-9 weeks each. Always 9 weeks in the winter. Plus some domestic travel to visit family/friends. An AI at Christmas with our daughter/family, and sometimes another last minute AI by ourselves.

On average, barring any medical issues such as we had this year, we are gone anywhere from 17-20 weeks per year.

I really notice it when I go to renew our car insurance and they ask how many miles/kms we typically drive in the year. It has gone down substantially since retirement.

If it were up to me I would be traveling for months at a time. Three or four, then home for a few months and out again somewhere different. DW prefers only two months at a time so that is what we are now doing.

 

[Dtail]

We almost went around the block once, but turned back halfway.

Of course we all know you and the wife take many wonderful trips and we have the proof.

 

[athena53]

We leave in 2 weeks for Madrid, Granada and Barcelona before taking a fast train to Paris--with our 7 year old granddaughter. Depending on how she acts, she may become a very well traveled little girl.

Ooh, and I thought I was cool taking a 5-year old from DSM to ORD for 2 nights this past week! I hope to emulate you soon. She already has an AAdvantage number and has been inside of two of ORD's Admiral's Clubs.

 

[rk911]

we travel in our motor home, usually 4-6 months each year when school is in session.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I've got a spreadsheet with trip history since retirement. It just counts total nights not at home, and that's sitting at about 20% of the last 5+ years. 1 or 2 big trips is the closest choice for me.

I am also a compulsive spreadsheeter (for vacations back to 1979).

Last year was a new high for me with 85 days, mostly cruising. I took my first 'walking' trip 2 months ago, train to San Luis Obispo for 4 days of walking around.

 

[Scuba]

When we worked, we did a couple of 2 week trips per year, usually to a SCUBA destination. Now that we’ve RE’d, we’re doing much longer trips - so far 3 months in the Virgin Islands, another month there for hurricane relief work, 6 weeks in Greece, and we are planning 3 months in the ABC Islands this coming winter. Plus several small trips, mostly to spend time with family - trips to TX, GA, Seattle, FL. Not sure, but thinking of perhaps alternating a long trip for sightseeing and culture such as Greece with a laid back beach and SCUBA trip. We would travel for much longer if we didn’t have our dog.

 

[DrRoy]

We are a bit between the second and third option. ~3 big trips/year and a couple small ones.

 

[Freedom56]

We cycle between our three residences and use them as travel hubs. On average we are in Southern California for 7 months, South East Florida for 3 months, and Switzerland for 2 months. We are in Switzerland now and travel somewhere or attend an event weekly. We have trips planned to Southern France, Greece, and Italy later this month and June. My in-laws like to go out to eat, so we are often in an obscure village in Switzerland or France trying out a new restaurant or bistro on a weekly basis. We have a lot of long established family and social connections in Europe, Florida, and Southern California so they are truly like homes away from home.

 

[WestUniversity]

One big trip each year and several long weekend trips, the latter using mostly miles and points.

We’ve already taken a big trip across the pond this year and we have 4 more stateside trips booked and an additional stateside trip in the planning. These are all short 4-5 day trips...

 

[Walt34]

"Travel" for us means leaving the county.

Well, it's not quite that bad but like some others we just don't enjoy it. I traveled at work for training and later, teaching, but while I enjoyed what I did at the destination I hated the traveling. There was a time long ago when I owned an airplane and perhaps that spoiled me because I know what flying could and should be like, and the airlines ain't it. Not even close. I am not cattle and I won't put up with being treated like one.

The railroads used to know what a "schedule" was but they seem to have forgotten. (Okay, I know the reasons, but when a load of widgets has a higher priority to the RR than me, I'm not playing that game.)

And we have a very nice home here. A few years ago a relative asked me "Don't you want to get away once in a while?" My response was "Get away from what? We like where we are."

 

[Oz investor]

i have medical considerations precluding travel currently

i do not travel regularly ( in previous times ) but did like to opportunity to do so if whim or opportunity arrived

 

[imoldernu]

I have an online friend who keeps me up to date on the world. Through him, I've been to places most people have never heard of.

 

[FreeBear]

We are usually out on long road trips for 5-6 weeks total, with each trip lasting 2-3 weeks. This year we'll probably be traveling for 8-9 weeks since we were already on the road for 6 weeks to escape the long winter.

This last winter was so long, cold, dark and depressing that I've decided to devote most of my vacation budget and time toward just escaping to somewhere warm in Florida or the Southwest. Thought about a trip to Europe but the logistics and planning seemed like too much w*rk. Now we just hop in the car and head south without much planning when feeling the weather blues. I haven't been inside an airport since retiring.

When w*rking, bad winter weather didn't bother me so much since I was stuck in the office or w*rking from the road most of the time. Now cabin fever grows almost overwhelming and we're thinking of two snowbird trips next winter. We've planning our first snowbird escape in January, after the holiday festivities die down, backed up by a second trip in March/April. Yep, still winter here in April...

 

[truenorth418]

I travel 100% of the time. I sold my place in NYC a year ago so I could live location independent. Now I divide my time between nice Airbnb’s, 3/4 star hotels, and cruise ship cabins, all over the world.

 

[Sunset]

I travel 100% of the time. I sold my place in NYC a year ago so I could live location independent. Now I divide my time between nice Airbnb’s, 3/4 star hotels, and cruise ship cabins, all over the world.

Sounds interesting, there are lots of issues to cover when doing that, like mail , health insurance, doing laundry , I don't even know what else.

Do you write a blog of travels ?

 

[truenorth418]

Sounds interesting, there are lots of issues to cover when doing that, like mail , health insurance, doing laundry , I don't even know what else.

Do you write a blog of travels ?

Yes these are some of the issues with full-time travel, but each one has a solution.

One of the most important issues is maintaining a legal address back in the States for financial accounts, and for that as well as mail services I rely on Escapees RV of Livingston, TX.

Actually, I don’t receive much mail as I’ve signed up for electronic correspondence for most things. It’s easy to file taxes and manage banking and brokerage accounts online.

I have ex-pat health insurance through Aetna International, which so far has been cheaper than what I was paying for private health insurance in the US. It covers me all over the world including the US, although there is a restriction of less than 6 months presence in US per year (which has not been a problem since I only return for a week or two here and there). I still keep up with annual physicals, dental cleanings, etc, I just do this in other countries.

Laundry is easy. Most of the Airbnb’s have washing facilities, and laundromats are easy to find in most cities. Cruise ships do laundry too (and return it perfectly fluffed and folded).

I don’t have a blog but there are many blogs and a few online forums related to long form travel, cruising, and the digital nomad lifestyle that I follow and post on. With Airbnb and other online resources, it’s never been easier to live location independent.