What Seniors Should Consider When Traveling

With age can come all kinds of fantastic things: wisdom, decades of inside jokes, more time to relax and, importantly, more freedom to travel! But our bodies don’t always want to cooperate. Thankfully, modern tech and medicine has made senior travel much easier and more independent than it was in years past.

Below are a few tips for making those golden years’ vacations as carefree, safe and enjoyable as trips you took in your twenties!

Know thyself...and the location of your medications

Most any senior traveling knows how important daily medications are. If you’re flying, keep them in your carry-on—that way, you and your essential meds are less likely to get split up. Some airlines charge extra for carry-ons too, so check their policies on their website or over the phone before you book a flight. For longer trips in particular, make sure you can get your meds refilled while you’re on the road—especially if any of yours come from a specialty pharmacy.

Use GPS, but don’t let it boss you around

One of the beauties of modern senior travel is that it’s augmented by technology that used to exist only in Star Trek. If you’re driving rather than flying, you know how much of a lifesaver GPS can be—and how much easier it is than navigating with a physical map, especially in heavy traffic or new cities. That said, it’s easy to panic when you miss a road your GPS insists you take. Don’t slam on the brakes and try to back up or make a dangerous turn. Keep driving, as your GPS will recalculate the route and get you there safely. It may take five extra minutes, but it’s better than risking a wreck.

Get the Accommodations You Need

From extra-wide doors to accommodate for wheelchairs and scooters to walk-in bathtubs, most hotels have accessible rooms. And while those third-party sites may promise lower prices to lure your senior travel bucks, that’s often not actually the case. We recommend instead that you look at the room descriptions on the hotel website to confirm that the features of their accessible rooms fit your needs. You should also check to see if the hotel offers any additional senior discounts. You’ll save money and end up with valuable peace of mind.

Be an early bird

Good news for the early-bird senior travelers out there, according to FiveThirtyEight’s analysis of Bureau of Transportation Statistics data, flights first thing in the morning are least likely to be delayed. If you want to minimize the chaos of air travel, book a flight departing before 7 a.m.

Make sure you can see the sights

As a senior traveler, you’ll have more fun if you plan activities that fit your ability—whatever that happens to be. Maybe that means that you take a bus or trolley tour rather than exploring the city by foot, or that you stop at scenic overlooks rather than hiking several miles along a mountain trail. It’s worth a littleplanning to make sure you see what you came to see without wearing yourself out.

It’s okay to text or call your kids and tell them you’re fine

The tables have turned, and now your kids are the ones who feel better when they know your whereabouts. Senior travelers are wise to share travel plans with the people who care most about their safety. Keeping them posted on how you’re doing and where you are doesn’t have to intrude upon your day, either—it can be as simple as a quick text while you’re waiting to arrive at your gate or after you check in to your hotel.

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