Is $12,000 per year in travel enough

[Scuba]

I dunno. From where we are, airfare to Europe may run more than $1K a piece for economy, then that's $4K already for a couple for 2 trips. The $12K is doable, but each trip cannot be too long.



If one wants business class, then the $12K is not enough for airfares.

I agree. Even booking part of our air with miles and the rest on a discount carrier, air for two from LAX is going to be close to $2K. If we hadn’t had the miles to offset the cost, our air would have been between $3.5K-$4K. If you multiply that by 2, that’s $7-$8K for air alone before any lodging or ground transportation. I don’t see how anyone could do 2 trips to Europe in a year for $12K, at least from the West Coast.

 

[Freedom56]

I dunno. From where we are, airfare to Europe may run more than $1K a piece for economy, then that's $4K already for a couple for 2 trips. The $12K is doable, but each trip cannot be too long.

If one wants business class, then the $12K is not enough for airfares.

We fly business/first class when we travel for flights longer than 4 hours. The extra comfort of a lie-flat seat for a long flight is well worth it. Remember you can‘t take your money with you and for us health is more important than anthying else. If you shop around and are flexible with your dates, you can get pretty good prices for business class seats. Business class seats to Europe are discounted during the summer months when the demand is lower from business travellers. Flights out of LAX are very competitive and there are lots of deals. LAX to FLL or JFK sell for $1200 return on JetBlue Mint which is buy far the best domestic business/first class service. We booked our LAX to LHR seats on Virgin Atlantic business class for this July and returning in September for $3500 each. It's an eleven hour flight so for us it's well worth it. We booked Alaska air first class this June for $802 each return. That was a no-brainer given that the return economy seat was $521 plus luggage fees and meals. We also accumulate more mileage flying business class and use out points to buy free tickets. Plus it keeps my wife happy. Happy wife = happy life.

 

[DEC-1982]

"Is $12,000 per year in travel enough?"

We have cheap trips and we have costly trips and they average out to below that number.

 

[Dtail]

It might also matter what expenses are included for travel. We include every expense incurred while travelling as a "Travel" expense. Many others don't include food or possibly gas which could add up.

 

[flyingaway]

If you are retired to travel, $12,000 is not enough. However, it is enough for two persons to do two to three nice vacations each year, if you have something else to do in the rest of the year in retirement.

 

[Nemo2]

If you are retired to travel, $12,000 is not enough. However, it is enough for two persons to do two to three nice vacations each year, if you have something else to do in the rest of the year in retirement.

From the OP:

"...plan to slow travel 1-2 months per year staying in one spot for most of it. I am budgeting $12K per year to do this..."

Things magnified from there.

 

[brett]

It comes down to how and where you travel.

We spend two-three months in winter travelling to warmer climates. Not Florida, not Hawaii, not Arizona.

We typically go to places like Thailand or Costa Rica that have great, uncrowded beaches. Great food. The one downside for us is longer flights. Maybe not for a two week trip, but definitely for a 2-3 month trip moving around to different spots.

 

[Dtail]

If you are retired to travel, $12,000 is not enough. However, it is enough for two persons to do two to three nice vacations each year, if you have something else to do in the rest of the year in retirement.

+1
Have a nice entertainment budget for the myriad events available to us.

 

[Nemo2]

Overall expenditures for recent trip: Left April 14, returned May 17.... all flights, all trains (including getting to Toronto and back), accommodation in Romania and a couple nights in Germany, food, cruise Santo Domingo to Lisbon, medical coverage (which only needs a top up for our Fall trip):

$6,455 Canadian ~ $5,010 US

 

[ugeauxgirl]

If Nemo's trips are any indication, 12K would be plenty for me. I might need a lesson or two in frugal travel planning from his wife, but I'll have plenty of time to search for deals and fly when rates are cheapest. Love this thread.

 

[Dtail]

If Nemo's trips are any indication, 12K would be plenty for me. I might need a lesson or two in frugal travel planning from his wife, but I'll have plenty of time to search for deals and fly when rates are cheapest. Love this thread.

I think Nemo has the most cost efficient trips I have seen.
We can all learn.

 

[Nemo2]

I think Nemo has the most cost efficient trips I have seen.
We can all learn.

And we even sprung for a few beers......this pic in Bucharest with a friend from Oz:

 

[HI Bill]

Based on your description, it may be enough. But for me and my wife, who like to travel and scuba dive, it's only one trip. The trip may be 10 days on a liveaboard dive boat (all meals, diving, accommodations included), or it may be a month in Bali, Florida, Thailand, the Philippines, or Thailand. However, in retirement, one trip annually is not enough for us; we're budgeting half of our income for travel; hoping to do 4 to 5 trips annually like this.

 

[HI Bill]

We do have a cruise planned in 11 months so if he is still alive he will have to suck it up)

My parents had a 130-pound golden retriever. After one two-week trip, we came home to a subdued dog who never seemed to recover from our absence or the traumatic kennel experience.

 

[NW-Bound]

I used to think $12K/yr is not enough for travel. But in just a few years after retirement, I already get tired and slow down.

I will be headed to Alaska soon with my motorhome. The fuel cost for the round trip may come up to $5K, or exceeds that.

 

[Souschef]

In our first few years after retirement, we were spending about $40K a year on travel. This was on land, ocean, and river cruises. We booked balcony or better cabins and flew Business Class.
As time marched on, and our bodies did not tolerate time changes we have slowed down. The one that did us in was a Russian River cruise. 15 hour flight,11 hour time difference, and the rainiest September in Moscow history.
This year we are cruisiing to Hawaii for our anniversary. No airports!

 

[HillCountry]

Economic flight from central Texas to Auckland NZ is about 3000 in December. So $12K for our family of 4.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Sorry Bill about your old dog. We love the big guy and inherited him from my son 4 years ago. I doubt he will be around in February as he is on 2 pain medication and is almost 13. I rented a Airbnb in Wisconsin just for him because it has a private lake and walking trails. He loves to swim and is not spoiled ��

 

[HI Bill]

As time marched on, and our bodies did not tolerate time changes we have slowed down.

At what age did your travel slow down? Trying to plan a spending curve for aging!

 

[Teacher Terry]

My mom who loved to travel slowed down at about 80

 

[NW-Bound]

We never had problems with jet lag and daytime changes. In fact, we always adjusted immediately, and switched to the local clock schedule the next day. The same with going back home.

However, it is the overall tiring aspect of travel, i.e. the hassle of going through airports, customs, and immigration, the wait to board a plane, or the long line to get on a ship, the crowd at popular venues like various museums and Duomo in Florence, the crowded public transport and rail stations, the traffic in the roadway when I drive, etc...

I am not there, but start to see why some people might think that they could just stay home to watch the Travel Channel, or the various youtube videos of these places. It will be sad when I get to that point, but it may happen sooner than I thought. Sad...

 

[Souschef]

At what age did your travel slow down? Trying to plan a spending curve for aging!

We started traveling together when I was 68 and DW was 63. I just hit 80, and passed my flight physical.

 

[Teacher Terry]

This is one reason we are taking our long driving trip this summer because there will come a time when that would be too much driving. When I flew to Thailand at 44 I said I will never fly that far again. But my son moving to Vietnam is making me eat those words.

 

[brett]

It is a long flight to Vietnam or Thailand. That is exactly why we have spent 8-10 weeks in the area for each of the past four winters. If we endure that flight we want to make it worthwhile. And we expect to return.

The flight(s) are brutal on our 65 year old bodies but for us it is a primo area in which to be a snowbird. We gave up on Florida, AZ,etc. years ago. We tend to forget all about the flight after our first or second day and focus on enjoying ourselves.

 

[explanade]

I don't know about Thailand but the pollution is so bad in Vietnam, at least the big cities, that I wonder about staying there an extended period of time.