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Best ways for seniors to travel this holiday season

Updated: December 29, 2023
By: Dr. Steven Rydin
Dr. Steven Rydin
Director of Product
As the former director of product, Steven oversaw Retirement Living’s product and marketing efforts for four years. His digital marketing expertise helped launch senior-focused buyer’s guides and a wide range of products surrounding finance, insurance, healthcare, and lifestyle. Steven holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from George Fox University.
Director of Product
Edited by: Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith
Sr. Content Manager
As Retirement Living’s senior content manager, Jeff oversees the product and publishing of all retirement, investing, and consumer wellness content on the site. His extensive expertise in brand messaging and creating data-driven stories helps position Retirement Living as a top authority for senior content and community resources.
Sr. Content Manager

With Thanksgiving coming up, the Holiday season is just around the corner. It’s the time of year for families to come together and create memories. Still, for all the joy the season brings, the Holidays can be a stressful (and expensive) time of year.

So we chose to bring you some helpful travel tips to cut your stress – and budget – in order to keep your Holiday journey as enjoyable as possible.

Make your travel cost efficient

One of the great things about traveling during retirement is there are limited time constraints, and you have lots of flexibility. Make this work in your favor. For example, do you need to fly? Or should you take that road trip you’ve been putting off.

If you choose to fly…

Try traveling during the week and avoid the airport hustle of the weekends. It’s generally cost-efficient for you to plan your travel during the middle of the week and avoid peak prices. Plan in advance, buying your flight sooner rather than later. Cheap Air conducted a study to find the best time to purchase a flight. The study found travelers that purchased 47 days before departure saved the most money. As you get closer to your departure date, prices start gradually rising.

Lesson
Travel doesn’t have to be too expensive.

Of course, there could be certain airlines that offer you great last-minute deals, but waiting until the last minute can put you at price risk.

Some airlines claim to offer senior discounts but make sure to compare your rates using comparison sites like Expedia.com. Compare Fare is a great resource to determine which airlines actually offer Senior discounts.

Special accommodations

It might be useful to book your flight as a non-stop trip. This can help you avoid the hassle of rushing from one terminal to another and getting lost in an unknown location.

If you have some mobility concerns, all airlines are required to offer certain accommodations for passengers with disabilities. If you do not own a wheelchair, your airline can provide you with one and an attendant to get you to your gate. Contact your airline at least 2 days before your departure date to plan for special assistance options. For instance, American Airlines provides different options.

Purchasing insurance

Planning for the unexpected can be difficult and stressful. When traveling, make sure to look at different insurance policies that can help you navigate challenging circumstances. Most carriers offer a variety of insurance options to customers which can help cover medical, evacuation, baggage, and cancellation costs. Sites like InsureMyTrip use third parties to offer you various policies based on your needs.

Travel with confidence

Don’t forget to pack all medications you regularly use. Make sure that all prescriptions travel with you in your carry-on bag in case your checked-in luggage is lost. Also, it might be useful to make a list of your medications and their dosage in the event of a medical emergency.

Once you have finalized your trip details you can use the list below to ensure you have the important points covered:

Holiday travel checklist

  • Purchase ticket
  • Get insurance
  • Pack medications
  • Prepare for special travel accommodations
  • Enjoy your trip!

The Holidays should be a time of stress-free time of joy with loved ones. Ensuring you have necessary factors covered before a trip can be essential to the journey and its outcome. Planning ahead and following our cost-saving tips can make sure this year’s Holiday travel runs smoothly and affordably.