Go-Go, Slow-Go, No-Go Travel

[Chuckanut]

Oh no - after I just preached the joy of travelling with just carry-on, I'll confess that I just upsized a bag to checked size. We're going to Machu Picchu/Galapagos and walking sticks are strongly recommended for the Galapagos. TSA doesn't allow hiking poles/walking sticks. So we figured we'd check one of our bags... but the hiking poles don't fit in the bag, even diagonal. So we upsized the bag and decided to bring our own mask/snorkel (leaving fins at home). We'll still have space to spare. I am still struggling with the idea of checking a bag and worse - that it's a bigger bag.

I had a similar problem. So I purchased a pair of fold-able walking poles. They fit in my carry on suitcase. Of course, they also take up valuable room, so that's fewer socks or such. They are not height adjustable, so make sure you get the right size.

 

[rodi]

Ours are collapsible but only collapse to about 25". Didn't fit diagonal. We leave Thursday so it's too late to order new ones.

And we have to check the bag anyway since TSA says no hiking poles.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/hiking-poles

 

[Sunset]

Ours are collapsible but only collapse to about 25". Didn't fit diagonal. We leave Thursday so it's too late to order new ones.

And we have to check the bag anyway since TSA says no hiking poles.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/hiking-poles

Thanks, We haven't flown for over a year and it was only once in 2021, so we are really out of touch.
This is a lesson to me, to check what is allowed/not allowed as I would have not thought about packing hiking poles.

 

[Ronstar]

Oh no - after I just preached the joy of travelling with just carry-on, I'll confess that I just upsized a bag to checked size. We're going to Machu Picchu/Galapagos and walking sticks are strongly recommended for the Galapagos. TSA doesn't allow hiking poles/walking sticks. So we figured we'd check one of our bags... but the hiking poles don't fit in the bag, even diagonal. So we upsized the bag and decided to bring our own mask/snorkel (leaving fins at home). We'll still have space to spare. I am still struggling with the idea of checking a bag and worse - that it's a bigger bag.

Maybe you can buy hiking sticks at your destination. Probably expensive, but maybe your only option this close to departing. And I read that MP does not allow pointed sticks - only rubber tipped.

Our travel friends have collapsable sticks that they put in checked baggage. Serves them well. I use single wooden sticks, so I have gone stickless on our trips by air.

 

[braumeister]

FWIW, nobody needed poles during our week in the Galapagos a few years ago. Don't know about Machu Picchu though.

 

[Aerides]

Oh no - after I just preached the joy of travelling with just carry-on, I'll confess that I just upsized a bag to checked size. We're going to Machu Picchu/Galapagos and walking sticks are strongly recommended for the Galapagos. TSA doesn't allow hiking poles/walking sticks. So we figured we'd check one of our bags... but the hiking poles don't fit in the bag, even diagonal. So we upsized the bag and decided to bring our own mask/snorkel (leaving fins at home). We'll still have space to spare. I am still struggling with the idea of checking a bag and worse - that it's a bigger bag.

If folding sticks aren't an option, try contacting your hotel first. They might have sticks available for guests to use/rent?

 

[Souschef]

FWIW, nobody needed poles during our week in the Galapagos a few years ago. Don't know about Machu Picchu though.

It depends on how sure footed you are. The footpaths at MP are easy to navigate.
In the Galapagos, there is a lot of uneven volcanic terrain to walk through.

 

[Chuckanut]

I did check my bag with the fold-able hiking poles when I flew. But, all the other times, train, bus, etc. the fold-able poles fit nicely into the bag. It's to be able to walk around wheeling one bag and not carrying other stuff. Not having to check the bag is just one of many benefits of traveling light.

 

[TheWizard]

I scour the internet on Matrix ITA mainly looking for budget airfares...

I thought Matrix ITA went away a few years ago?
There's a Google Flights thing now.
I'll look into this later on...

 

[Koolau]

I’ve heard about retirees’ travel tending to slow down once they reach their mid-to-late 70s. But surely, I thought, that’s not gonna be the case with me! I’m reasonably healthy, exercise regularly, am not overweight, etc. (I’m 77, my wife almost 76). So, for the first time in almost 3 years, we flew across “the pond” to pick up a river cruise ship in Amsterdam for a week-long Rhine River cruise. When the cruise ended in Basel we took the train to Zurich and spent 3 night there before returning home

I’ll have to admit, this trip took a lot more out of me than I recall from earlier trips. It was primarily the getting there and getting home that was so taxing. The whole airport/aircraft experience (standing in lines for long periods, shlepping luggage, trying to find a place to sit, virtually no leg room, etc. was just hard.

The cruise itself was fine although some of the departure times for shore excursions were bit earlier than I might have liked. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip but I have to admit that, at least in our mid-70s experience, travel is a whole lot harder now than it was a decade ago. I guess we’ve officially hit the Slow-Go years.

What has your experience been?

I think we're at least at the go-slower level now. At 75, we suffered the worst jet lag on our routine trip back to the midwest. It's roughly a 14 or 15 hour ordeal - door to door (10 hours in the air.) Took us 2 days each way to begin to recover. DW was still complaining about brain fog, almost a week later. It took us by surprise. I'm sure there's no magic number (like 75) but it sure felt like it this year. YMMV

 

[DrRoy]

We just got home after 2 1/2 weeks in NM and CO. The flights back to MI were fine and on time, and we were even in comfort+. It was still more tiring that it was 10 years ago (now 63 and 62).

 

[marko]

It was still more tiring that it was 10 years ago (now 63 and 62).

I don't think that's just limited to travel! Just about everything is for me (now age 70)

 

[brett]

What I find strange for us (in our early 70's) is that when we fly to Bangkok we do not experience any jetlag. It is a about 22 hours...three flights. We arrive at midnight, get to our hotel by 1:30, sleep in until 9:30Am or so, then have a good breakfast. After that we are good to go. No noticeable jetlag.

Yet, coming home on the 18 hours of fly time it takes us several days to recover.

This is not an east west thing either. We experience little or no jetlag flying to Europe. Coming home...different matter. Takes us a few days to get over it.

Absolutely no issue flying to Central or South America-either way. But...the time zone changes are not dramatic for us.

 

[Koolau]

We just got home after 2 1/2 weeks in NM and CO. The flights back to MI were fine and on time, and we were even in comfort+. It was still more tiring that it was 10 years ago (now 63 and 62).

I don't think that's just limited to travel! Just about everything is for me (now age 70)

Obviously I can't quantify the difference but my WAG is that the effect (travel discomfort) goes up exponentially with age after about 60. It sure did for us. Of course, as marko points out, "everything" is becoming more difficult (heh, heh, walking, house w*rk, p-ing, driving, etc.) YMMV

 

[aja8888]

Obviously I can't quantify the difference but my WAG is that the effect (travel discomfort) goes up exponentially with age after about 60. It sure did for us. Of course, as marko points out, "everything" is becoming more difficult (heh, heh, walking, house w*rk, p-ing, driving, etc.) YMMV

I don't think you can just say that everything gets more difficult after a certain age. I think it all depends on your physical condition and how you age knowing the right foods to eat and ways to stay in good physical shape.

I have several friends that are over 75 and play golf several days per week, and play well. I also have my best friend who is 83 who runs 5 miles every other day. Plus, I am 79 and still do ll my own yard work, fix our vehicles, and play golf twice a week. Maybe I hang out with "exceptions', but I see a lot of older folks being very active around here.

My ROMEO group of 12 or so guys range in age 70 to 85 and all are very active and several travel extensively several times per year. Three of them have large RVs are are gone most of the summer.

Granted, age is catching up with us, but I see very few people in my age group that are "handicapped" or stuck inside with the TV in their face.

Maybe I just don't see them?

 

[Koolau]

I don't think you can just say that everything gets more difficult after a certain age. I think it all depends on your physical condition and how you age knowing the right foods to eat and ways to stay in good physical shape.

I have several friends that are over 75 and play golf several days per week, and play well. I also have my best friend who is 83 who runs 5 miles every other day. Plus, I am 79 and still do ll my own yard work, fix our vehicles, and play golf twice a week. Maybe I hang out with "exceptions', but I see a lot of older folks being very active around here.

My ROMEO group of 12 or so guys range in age 70 to 85 and all are very active and several travel extensively several times per year. Three of them have large RVs are are gone most of the summer.

Granted, age is catching up with us, but I see very few people in my age group that are "handicapped" or stuck inside with the TV in their face.

Maybe I just don't see them?

Heh, heh, throw a few morbidities into the mix and it can change things pretty quickly. YMMV

 

[brett]

We are in the process of planning and making soft reservations for a snowbird trip to Thailand and Malaysia.

So far, we have four 7 night and one 5 night stay tentatively. booked. Expect to book one more 7 night and a 5 night. The rest will be 3 nights and perhaps a one night stay in transit.

No air yet. Looks like air may be 30/35 percent higher. Oddly enough we are finding accommodation rates have decreased to the point where they will compensate for the air fare increases.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Seems like the discussion has moved on but I'm commenting mostly on the original post. I think this could boil down more to adjusting your behaviors whether because of age or other factors.

I have always tried to optimize my personal travel by booking red-eyes when possible. I can sleep on planes and am quite functional the next day as long as I can get a good coffee to get me started. My relatively new partner put up with that for a couple of trips before telling me she did not want to do red-eyes anymore becasue she did not enjoy the first day of a trip. Fair enough. We live in Hawaii so Europe could be a double red-eye but we have agreed to overnight in Houston, DC, or Chigago to ease the trip.

We are mid 50s with a lot of travel experience so I don't think this is an age/ability thing. Just a recognition that we have more time to make things more comfortable!

 

[SecondAttempt]

Oddly enough we are finding accommodation rates have decreased to the point where they will compensate for the air fare increases.

Strong dollar!

 

[DrRoy]

Strong dollar!

Yep! Good time for international travel.

 

[brett]

Strong dollar!

Not for us. We are CAD.

What we have found is that that higher end accommodation providers have dropped their prices.

The price gap between higher end and average accommodation in this region seems to have lessened. We are taking advantage of it.

We consider staying for a week in multiple locations as being slow travel over an 8-9 week trip. If we were doing six months or more slow travel would translate for us into being a one month condo rental, or perhaps two rentals in different locations.

 

[brett]

Strong dollar!

Not for us. We are CAD.

What we have found is that that higher end accommodation providers have dropped their prices.

The price gap between higher end and average accommodation in this region seems to have lessened. We are taking advantage of it.

Flights to SE Asia are very expensive at the moment. But, once we get there flights within the area are as plentiful and inexpensive as they have been for the past number of years.