According to AARP’s 2017 survey, 83% of Baby Boomers said that ‘travel’ is at the very top of their bucket lists. Retirement travel is an incredibly unique experience, unlike traveling in any other point of your life. You’re free from the constraints of the 9-5; you have the financial freedom awarded to you after a lifetime of hard work; and the energy courses through you like a kid just being released from school in summer vacation. Travel for retirees is a thrilling experience, and we’re here to help.

There are plenty of reasons to travel after retirement. Beyond simply visiting a city or a country you’ve been itching to visit, why not trace your heritage back your home country? You can also visit places you’ve never planned on visiting before with a cruise or a train tour of a new country.

But the most important commodity here is time. Retirement offers travelers all the time they could possibly want for travel, to research places throughout the world that would be hard to properly explore with just a week long vacation.

If you’re getting close to that big retirement age and need a little direction once you reach total freedom, check out these retirement travel ideas.

On The Road

Harness the spirit of Jack Kerouac and thousands of other American travels by hoping in your car and driving across the country. The idea is echoed by so many interested travelers that it’s almost a cliche at this point.

No matter where you live in the country, there’s always a city that is the complete opposite of yours. In fact, that’s why the United States doesn’t have a city like Paris or Berlin that defines the culture of the country. Boston is just as different from Los Angeles as Seattle is different from Miami. And what better time to cross off as many cities as you can than with retirement travel.

One If By Cruise, Two If By Train

Don’t want to rack up the miles? Try other forms of transportation. Cruises and railway cars are a great way for you to pass the driving to someone else so you can take the full scope of the land.

A lot of these travel options also offer hop-on hop-off options as well. Visit some of America’s national parks in 14 days or spend a week touring New England during the storied fall foliage on the railway. Cruises, of course, can take you around up and down the seaboard, from Boston to Bermuda.

Timely Options

Retirement offers a freedom unlike any other “freedom” you’ve experienced before. You will quite literally have all the time in the world, making retirement travel the perfect time for you to travel to cities and countries you couldn’t possibly do with ‘paid time off.’

Countries like Australia and Japan require quite a bit of time to travel; even from Southern California, the flight times can reach almost twelve hours long. Take this time to expand your adventure longer than the standard week-long getaway and really spend time learning the culture and getting to know the area.

If you choose to stay domestic, you’d fare better with more time as well. While popular spots such as Orlando, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona are common tourist destinations, chances are you can’t do those towns in just one-week long setting. With the vast number of world-class golf courses alone, you’ll want to make sure you spend plenty of time exploring these opportunities.

Going Back To Your Roots

Use the time in your present to rediscover your past. Travel after retirement is a great way for people to explore their heritage and discover where they came from.

A lot of these places have a substantial mixture of the old and the new, the historic and the modern. Head out to a country like Israel, for example, where in the same expedition you can learn about the historical value and traditions at Birthright while also spending time at Tel Aviv, a city boasting a thriving arts community, beaches, and unbelievable restaurants. Plenty of European cities such as Dublin and Berlin also offer a chance for travelers to relive the city’s rich history while simultaneously offering the massive modern culture of a 21st century metropolitan city.

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