How to travel after retirement – even on a budget!
Last updated on October 22nd, 2025 at 04:57 pm
Retired? Want to travel but on a tight budget?
It is a common scenario and a lack of riches is no reason to stop you. People in their 50’s and 60’s often ask me if they can afford to travel – and of course I say yes! (This of course actually applies to any age.)
In this post I will focus on new travelers of an age when the kids have flown the nest. It’s definitely a lot cheaper than travelling with them so that’s a bonus!
However, even if money is tight, don’t think long term travel is out of your reach. You can definitely travel on a budget.
Work through these 4 steps to plan your trip. There are lots of things to do in each step. Then all you have to do is book the flights, pack the bag, and get on the road!
1. Make a few basic but critical decisions
2. For short term traveling on a budget
3. For long term traveling on a budget
4. Stretch your budget further
This is basically how I manage my retirement travel on a budget!
First a few important links to use when you plan your trip. They are affiliate links, but I use them all for my travels and if you do too it will help me keep producing this content. Cheers!
A Quick Guide to plan your trip away
Insurance – Click here for travel cover with SafetyWing – almost any nationality, its ok if you are already traveling, up to 64 years old. Or click here for cover with EKTA – any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling!
Internet – get a highly rated yesim eSim before you go – click here for yours
Accommodation – book a hotel with booking.com or Tripadvisor, or, a hostel with Hostelworld
Hiking Trails – for the best walks in the area get AllTrails so you have offline maps to guide you.
Transport – book your train through Trainline or find a flight with skyscanner.
Car rental – compare prices and get the best deals with rentalcars.com
Tours and Activities – find the best tours with GetYourGuide or Viator.
Now on with the 4 steps to plan your retirement traveling……
1. Make a few basic but critical decisions to get going on your budget
These four questions will set the basic foundation to your travel:
1. How long do you want to go for, or are you able to go for?
2. What is your budget?
3. Where do you want to go?
4. Is your health an issue?
All four of these questions impact each other, but a few tips to make it easier to discuss or think through.
a. how long have you got?
Do you have a set timeframe that you cant move, or, only want to go for a month or two? On the other hand, do you want to go for a year or more and see how you like the longer term travel?
Don’t think about budget yet if you want to go longer-term but don’t think you have the money. I’ll show you how.
What is it you want to do? Decide that and then lets find ways to make it happen!
b. your budget?
Do you have a set budget?
If money is not an issue that makes life easier – skip on to the next point.
However, if like me you don’t have a lot of spare cash but a need to travel, this is a critical question. Below I cover ways to cut your expenses and make your budget go much further.
c. where?
There are so many great countries for a budget traveler!
If you are not wedded to a specific location and want to be able to go for longer rather than a shorter time but are worried about how long your funds will last, choose
- ‘cheaper’ countries as your destination, or
- somewhere closer to home that enables you to get there cheaply. You don’t have to start out heading to the furthest point on the planet involving expensive flights. Example – if you are in the USA there are a lot of other states to visit and you can simply find a cheap flight to head south where there’s a whole other fascinating Latino world right there waiting.
- Both – best is both of course, and we all live near enough to some great cheap destinations.
If you really want to go to a more expensive place(s) – don’t worry! We can do that too – it just requires doing things a little differently! We will get to that soon.
d. your health?
If your health is an issue or you think it is likely to become an issue sooner than later, e.g. arthritis or asthma etc., then look at your list and think about which places on it are ‘harder’ to travel in than others. If you want to go to Nepal to hike to Everest Base Camp, maybe choose that first over a beach holiday in Fiji which is not taxing on the body!
The next sections are more or less relevant depending on whether you are opting for short term travelling or longer term. But read both – or at least skim them. You might change your mind!
2. For short term traveling on a budget
Transport – are you flying?
Use sites like googleflights, skyscanner or kayak to hunt around for the cheapest flights for you.
I tend to use these sites to look. I then usually use skyscanner and click through to the options for booking the chosen flight. If one of the options is through the actual airline you are flying with I will continue as it will most likely be cheaper than via the airline direct. I wont usually book through third parties as you are going to find yourself on your own if something goes wrong. Once I know the airline I want to fly with, I go direct to that airline.
Look at non-direct flights, as often they are cheaper. If it means an actual stopover then that isn’t going to save you anything once you’ve paid for accommodation and transport, but if it means a couple of hours in a transit lounge, then it can be a great option as you get to stretch your legs for a bit. But see stopovers below.
If you are in the UK sign up to Jacks Flight Club to keep on top of the real bargains.
If you are in the USA sign up to Going.com to “get 40-90% off flights from your city.” There are tiers you can join – free to elite, and you will get great deals whichever you sign up to.
Consider, if you can get to where you are going on a bus, train or in your car, then look at the relative costs. Slow travel on buses, for example, can be very cheap. And they can be interesting too!
Stopovers
The advantage of taking non-direct flights can be to add another place to your travel itinerary. If the idea off seeing another city during a stop over appeals then perfect – make the most of it. You are landing there anyway. I did this recently in Bucharest. It was a great few days stopover.
Most main airlines don’t really advertise this, but if you book direct with them and talk to them it is often possible for free, or a small sum. Usually, free stopovers are in the home country of the airline.
There is a whole list of airlines with stopover deals – which includes most, if not all, of the Middle-Eastern airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Iberia, Iceland Air, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Malaysian, Qantas……. You get the idea.
Book separate flights
Another option is to book two totally independent flights. For example, buy a flight to Singapore – the cheapest you can get. Have a nice stopover there for a few days and then continue on to your destination, for example, Australia, or Thailand on a totally separate flight booking.
From Singapore a ticket on a budget airline, like Air Asia or Scoot, to Australia or Thailand can be a lot cheaper than a through ticket – and you got that nice stopover bonus trip as well.
Travel hack!
Use your points from your credit cards, hotel or airline memberships for cheap to free flights and hotels. There are different systems in every country and with every membership, but it can be a great way to travel or get accommodation for free or a small amount.
Book Ahead
Book ahead when it will save you money, particularly for things like trains, where booking ahead can reduce fares dramatically. I usually use Trainline for this.
Do some research about where you are going and if there are specific ‘things’ you want to see or do, book ahead for early bird discounts on those. This doesn’t apply to everything but always look at where it might apply.
Get Last minute deals
Converse to what I just said, you can also go last minute! Sign up for last minute deals or see what last minute specials are on offer. It can sometimes be incredibly cheap to fill those few remaining seats that haven’t been sold elsewhere.
Sites like Expedia, Travelzoo, Travelocity, Secret Flying, Booking.com, Last Minute Travel, CruiseDirect, and Cruise.com constantly offer deals.
I tend to use booking.com or Tripadvisor as both give me discounts.
A couple of tips:
- After booking a few times on booking.com you are moved to “Genius” status and start getting discounts just for being a return customer.
- If you see something you like on booking.com, see if it is on Tripadvisor as well. Sometime it is there for a lower price but links you through to booking.com at that lower price!
Travel off season
Be flexible – either with last minute deals, the location you are going to, or the dates you go. The more flexible you are the cheaper it can be. For example, flights can be hundreds of dollars cheaper one or two days after the day you thought you might fly, so if you can, flex – do!
3. For long term traveling on a budget
Think short and long term
Apply everything in “2. For Short Term Traveling” for the initial part of your journey! These tips will still be useful. For example, if you are flying to Australia, why not take in Singapore, and even some other countries in the area on the way?
Live rather than travel
A great way to travel is to actually go and live – then travel from your new home. This is definitely my way to go and gives much more of a feel for the rhythms of daily life. Not to say day-to-day touring travel is not great too – its just different.
The next five tips all relate to living rather than day-to-day moving. Note that most of them save loads of money on the big expense – accommodation!
a. rent a room or apartment longer term
Say you want to live in Europe for a year. Pick a few places that most interest you and rent an apartment or room longer term in each place. It will be cheaper than hotels and will give you a good base to travel from. If you have friends that want to do something similar, team up and share the cost.
Take a look at this lesser known site Bedycasa (bed and house) which aims to promote affordable travel and relationships with hosts. There are some good longer term deals available there – some hosts leave you to it and others will spend time with you.
Another option is to stay in someone’s home with them where they involve you in their daily life. Homestay is a good option – it is aimed at students and travelers, and I have seen some good prices here. A bit like Airbnb before prices went crazy!!
b. swap your home
Swap your home! Join a home exchange website and exchange your home with someone else. You can do either a direct swap or use a point system to exchange non-directly!
Sites like Home Exchange and People Like Us will help you get your home exchange sorted.
Alternatively, rent your home out through a property manager, or arrange an Airbnb manager to rent it on Airbnb. Either way you will have someone taking care of the day-to-day leaving you free to travel, and you will have some income coming in.
Of course this only applies if you own a home, but if you don’t there are still great options. Try housesitting (next) for one!
c. Housesit
Look after someone’s home, and usually their pets too, while they are away and stay for free immersed in their local area. Its a win win and there are so many sites that offer to link you and the homeowners together. Many are country specific but others are international.
Personally I use TrustedHousesitters which I think works well. Click this link to join with a 25% discount from my membership.
A few others to mention and get you started are: Mind My House – International, Aussie House Sitters – Australia, House Sitters America – USA, and Kiwi House Sitters – New Zealand.
d. work for your food and board
Work for your food and board, and really live local life while you are at it. Make friends in the country you are visiting and learn about daily life from a locals perspective.
Websites like woof, helpx, and workaway link you with hosts that will typically ask for 15-25 hours work a week for your food and board. The jobs vary from farm-work, to babysitting, to doing creative artwork, yoga, almost anything you can imagine. In Australia, you can also sign up for Grey Nomads Jobs for all sorts of opportunities.
Personally I use Workaway – click this link for an extra free month when you join (13 months instead of 12).
e. couchsurf
Another great way to meet the locals and have a free couch or bed for the night is through communities like couchsurfing and BeWelcome. Also creating a hosting community are Facebook groups like “Host a Sister” and “Host a Sister 50 plus.” (Ladies only sorry guys.) If you are biking, check out warmshowers.org – another great hosting site.
f. work – for money and rent a place as if you were back home!
The other alternative is to live and work in another country. This can take many forms from working for your food and board (as above) or if you have the right trade or profession, either Job swapping, or getting a sponsorship or a visa for a job in that profession. This works well with people in any kind of medical field, teachers and the like. I know a Dr that has worked on cruise ships to Antarctica every year for a long time just because he loves it.
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), or other languages such as Spanish or Chinese, is another good option. There are numerous in person or online training courses to get yourself qualified before you go. Picking up a teaching job in a country you are enjoying is a great way to extend your stay and get involved in daily life in the country.
If you have a trade like massage or hairdressing, and if you are staying at or near a hostel – put a sign up on the noticeboard for a cheap deal. It could earn you a bit of extra cash as you go.
If you are still working, the other thing to consider is keeping your job and working remote. these days it is becoming more and more common by the day. Of course you need a job that can be done remote and then your company or boss to agree to you doing it. But, if you don’t ask you won’t know.
These days a lot of people are dual citizens. So, if you have another passport, use it to live and work elsewhere with no hassles. It can’t get better than that! (Note -check your passports if you have to get visas as often you can go visa free with one of them and maybe not the other!)
4. Stretch your budget further
Extra cash
It may all seem obvious to many of you, but while you are planning think about how you can get some extra money together – stop eating out and save it for the trip, cut out any memberships you are not really using, have a clear out and sell things you don’t really need, take an extra job, and so on. It all adds up to more time or more luxury on the road!
Manage your overseas credit or debit travel cards
Spend time researching the best way to carry your money using an overseas debit or credit card. Foreign exchange rates and fees for foreign transactions can add up. It can be better to find a foreign exchange card like Wise or Revolut to use when travelling and save on these transaction costs. I personally use Revolut but both are good.
Of course you may want to take some cash too – especially if you are going to remote or less developed countries. Be careful about how much you carry and research into where you can withdraw cash, and where you will get the best exchange rate.
Eat like a local and carry a water bottle
Eat street food, cook at home, or see if there are specials nights / meals at local cafes or restaurants.
Staff where you are staying should be able to help with recommendations for this. You can save a small fortune by eating like you are at home and leaving pricey restaurant food to others.
Buy at local markets or check with staff or locals where the best deals are – people are usually willing to share this kind of information with you. Markets are always a good start.
If you don’t want to cook all the time, (and you shouldn’t as local food is part of the experience) look for deals. Often there are specials or lunch deals at restaurants and cafes. In South America most of the countries have a set lunch menu called an almuerzo which is a great way to fill up on local food and save money. Also keep an eye out for street stalls and try the (usually) delicious and cheap local foods there.
Remember that supermarkets and other food outlets often have massive deals at the end of the day to get rid of whatever food is left. There are some apps for this too – particularly for food left at the end of the day in cafes and restaurants. Too Good To Go is a worldwide app for this which I have used.
Always carry a water bottle – it can save you a small fortune in drinks! There is usually free drinking water around. For example, in pricey Switzerland, Zurich has 1.200 public fountains and Lucerne even created a water guide to help you find your closest refilling station.
Look for discounts
Especially senior discounts. Flash any ‘senior’ card you might have and see what discounts you can get. Even if its only 5%, like I got on a ferry the other day, it all adds up.
Don’t forget Automobile, museum, historical, or conservation group memberships too – often they have reciprocal deals with a similar group in another country. Check your memberships and see what they have. Most western countries have discounts for seniors that start at 60-65. Use them if you fall into that category – don’t be shy to ask.
Get out of the city
I’m into the outdoors and wildlife etc., so of course I’m going to be saying this, but think outside the city box. Hiking, walking, swimming can all be very cheap ways of holidaying and can often show you the best of the country you are visiting. If that doesn’t appeal, consider small towns and villages that you can ‘commute’ to cities or beaches from.
That’s me in the pic about to go to the top of the highest peak in the Kingdom of the Netherlands! Great views from the top too! But that’s another story.
Stay in cheaper accommodation
If you don’t like the idea of housesitting, house swapping, working for your food and board etc., or if you are having a bit of travel in between, then look at the best way of maximizing your budget, but still being in a place that is comfortable for you.
Often there is absolutely nothing wrong with a budget hotel, and hostels can be quite remarkable with views or cheap private rooms.
I still sleep in dorms as it tends to be far cheaper as a solo traveler, and I pick up little nuggets of information from other travelers, but I know its not for everyone. But consider, private rooms in hostels which can be a great option – especially if there are two of you.
Finally, couch surfing (details here) can be a really good experience. People offer anything from their couch to a spare bedroom to you for nothing. Although you probably should buy them a bottle of wine or at least a drink for their hospitality!
Whatever you do – do check the reviews before booking anything. Take reviews with a grain of salt as sometimes people just have a bad day or a bit of bad luck, but at the same time, they can tell you a lot.
Get around on the cheap
Finally, use public transport, cycle, or walk. It will almost always be cheaper than taxis, uber and the like. Look for bulk buying on public transport, e.g. a daily or weekly pass if you are going to be using it a lot. Don’t forget to ask for senior discounts.
With a bit of planning, and using what resources you have, short or long term travel can be cheaper than you think. Check out a few more tips in my post – 12 top tips to travel on a budget in those expensive places!
Time to start planning and get ready to go!
A Quick Guide of useful tools I use – to help you plan your trip
Insurance – Click here for travel cover with SafetyWing – almost any nationality, its ok if you are already traveling, up to 64 years old. Or click here for cover with EKTA – any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling!
Internet – get a highly rated yesim eSim before you go – click here for yours.
Accommodation – book a hotel with booking.com or Tripadvisor, or, a hostel with Hostelworld
Alternative Accommodation – Workaway for living and working with a family and TrustedHousesitters for housesitting. Both of these links will give you a joining discount!
For the best walks in the areas you are going to, get AllTrails so you have offline maps to guide you
Car rental – compare prices and get the best deals with Rentalcars.com
Tours and Activities – find the best tours with GetYourGuide or Viator.
Related Posts
40 fantastic countries for travelers on a budget in 2025
How to get the money to travel
10 vital must-do’s before you rent your house and go traveling!!
12 top tips to travel on a budget in those expensive places!
And for some good examples….
How to travel the Caribbean on a budget
How to visit the Galapagos Islands on a budget!
Just letting you know – Travelling the Wild Side contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Thanks for your support – it helps me keep writing articles for you!
PS – You can read more about how affiliates work here.