Setting yourself up for successful travel

Travel is one of the most common retirement activities we look forward to during our working years. Most retirees have a list of the places they want to go, the things they want to see and the experiences they want to do when they have the time and finances in order to tick off the list.

Don’t let this list overwhelm you though! It can be helpful to write down all of the different dreams you have and give them a priority, so you can work towards what you want the most in the early years of your retirement.

For example, you might want to go on a long hike, carrying a backpack and camping for several nights on the track. It is best to do a physical activity like this in the first few years of your retirement before potential health issues get in the way later in life.

Some of your dream holidays might also be time limited due to the destination, such as snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef as it may not be as beautiful to see in ten or more years with the effects of climate change.

And if you’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights or experience snow in Canada you’ll need to plan your visit for the right time of year. Thinking in detail about what you want to do over the potential 20 years of travel you may have in retirement will help you to achieve all your dreams.

Other things to consider before you go on your trip include:

◆ Having a complete check-up with your doctor, particularly if you have a chronic medical condition, and asking for their travel and vaccination advice

◆ Having a check up with other health professionals, such as your dentist and optometrist

◆ Organising travel insurance with the right level of cover for you, including illness cover if you need it

◆ Reading up on the travel advice for your destination, for example the Government recommends Australians don’t travel to particular countries experiencing conflict

◆ Whether you will go on your holiday alone, with a partner or friends, or whether you would feel safer joining a tour group The following pages contain more in depth information about different types of travel, including road trips and caravanning, overseas travel and cruises.

For travel budgeting tips see page 41 and for a checklist of what to pack for your next holiday see page 44.