How much time do you spend abroad in retirement?

[TipsQuestions]

You've got the time and money, and there are 200 countries to explore. OTOH there's no place like home. What works for you? Is there a specific foreign country that's your second home?

[PottedPlant]

We typically travel once a year for 23 days to western Europe.
I do not recommend arriving in Milano on March 1, 2020.
We are trying to visit more offbeat places.

[SurferLife]

I retired out of the military and have been to quite a few countries and even spent half my career living abroad. When I retired I had zero desire to travel. I recently had to travel to another state and I couldn’t get home soon enough. So yes, traveling Is an amazing thing if you haven’t done it, but I got all mine in.

[gator15]

Great question as I’m trying to make the same decision. I like the idea of a second home but I can’t figure out where and I can justify the expense. I’m leaning toward having a home base and living in short term rentals across the country and abroad. Maybe we spend 6-8 months at our home base and 4-6 months in short term rentals. That might be a good option for you. Most trips we’ve taken have been between 4-10 days. It would be nice to stay at one place for a few months.

[SurferLife]

I think if you're talking about a second home abroad, then the real question comes down to, where can you get a visa to stay long enough. That will narrow down your list of options significantly.

[TLC1957]

Does Canada count?

If so we are retired and spent 1 month on Prince Edward Island driving 2 days in each direction from Philadelphia.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Atlantic Canada. PEI is a beautiful place we have been visiting since 1985. We have been to all 50 states, most of Canada, Italy, Ireland, and Scotland, but still find time to get back to PEI we love it. Why….friendly locals, amazing seafood ie lobster, muscles, oysters, cod, not crowded even in the summer. Endless red sand beaches and cliffs, amazing folk music, green potato fields, bike and walking trails the entire length of the island, warm water via the Gulf Steam to swim in the ocean. Anne of Green Gables if you have kids. Best time to visit is June to September. You can get onto the island via a 8 mile long bridge, the world's longest bridge over ice-covered water. Or a 2 hour ferry from Nova Scotia. The largest city is Charlottetown about 50 k population with an island population of 170k. But get out and explore the countryside it’s amazing.

I posted a lot of information on the island on this Fodors website.

https://www.fodors.com/community/canada ... i-1664364/

Tom

[Vogatrice]

100%. We moved to Italy from Canada in 2020. Haven't been back at all except two short trips to the U.S. to visit my parents. We are settled into a small village that is peaceful but not isolated. We've made friends and are conquering the bureaucracy. Cost of living is so much lower and life is never dull but never frantic. Highly recommend

[neilpilot]

We love to travel, and have decided to keep going so long as our mobility holds out. We typically travel to 8-10 destinations each year. While we usually limit each trip to 1-2 weeks, we just did return from 4 weeks in the UK.

Our travel expenses are greatly reduced thru use of a house-and-pet arrangement, that offers free lodging in exchange for caring for a homeowner's pet(s) while they're away. No money is exchanged. For our last 3 weeks in the UK, we stayed in 2 homes in England (one with a cat, the second a dog). In each case we also had use of the homeowners car.

I just checked the website we use, and there are currently over a hundred listings in Europe, mostly in the UK, that run a month or longer.

[stuper1]

We love to travel, and have decided to keep going so long as our mobility holds out. We typically travel to 8-10 destinations each year. While we usually limit each trip to 1-2 weeks, we just did return from 4 weeks in the UK.

Our travel expenses are greatly reduced thru use of a house-and-pet arrangement, that offers free lodging in exchange for caring for a homeowner's pet(s) while they're away. No money is exchanged. For our last 3 weeks in the UK, we stayed in 2 homes in England (one with a cat, the second a dog). In each case we also had use of the homeowners car.

I just checked the website we use, and there are currently over a hundred listings in Europe, mostly in the UK, that run a month or longer.

Do you mind sharing the website for the house-and-pet arrangement?

[jebmke]

Very little to none. On the other hand, we spent a ton of time abroad prior to retirement. Glad to have done it while younger.

[Claudia Whitten]

I retired out of the military and have been to quite a few countries and even spent half my career living abroad. When I retired I had zero desire to travel. I recently had to travel to another state and I couldn’t get home soon enough. So yes, traveling Is an amazing thing if you haven’t done it, but I got all mine in.

Can confirm. It gets old as you get older, especially if you've done plenty of it earlier in life. I'd rather live somewhere for an extended period than "travel." Running around to see things doesn't float my boat anymore. Being there, living like a local, does.

[MathWizard]

2-3 weeks a year.

When we
were young: time , desire, little money.
middle age: money , desire, little time
Old age: money time, no desire

[Careful]

Not retired yet, but have a great desire to spend lots of time abroad in retirement. Programs like the D-7 (passive income) visa in Portugal can facilitate that. Some retirees travel full time! https://www.reddit.com/r/ExpatFIRE/comm ... efinitely/

I'm thinking about my options and all the things I want to while I'm mobile and (compatively) healthy.

[Tib]

In retirement, I've mainly done European river cruises, a relatively comfortable, low-stress way to travel (when river levels cooperate). Germany is a favorite. I'm glad to have lived and traveled in Europe when it was less touristed. At 80 I'm ready for further travel, but my travel partner's health is an impediment. Happily, there's ample entertainment close to home (Las Vegas).

[stocknoob4111]

Travel full time, back for 2 weeks in the US per year

[ondarvr]

I'm on the edge of retirement, just finishing some stuff up for work. I've traveled constantly for the last thirty years and I'm in the Philippines right now, and this will probably be my last international trip ever. My boss would like me to make another major overseas trip to customers in other parts of the world, but I don't really want to.

Travel loses its luster after a while, I love to be at home with no upcoming trips on the calendar.

[Wannaretireearly]

I retired out of the military and have been to quite a few countries and even spent half my career living abroad. When I retired I had zero desire to travel. I recently had to travel to another state and I couldn’t get home soon enough. So yes, traveling Is an amazing thing if you haven’t done it, but I got all mine in.

Can confirm. It gets old as you get older, especially if you've done plenty of it earlier in life. I'd rather live somewhere for an extended period than "travel." Running around to see things doesn't float my boat anymore. Being there, living like a local, does.

I can concurs I’m in my mid/late 40s and feel like this above.

[teniralc]

100%. We moved to Italy from Canada in 2020. Haven't been back at all except two short trips to the U.S. to visit my parents. We are settled into a small village that is peaceful but not isolated. We've made friends and are conquering the bureaucracy. Cost of living is so much lower and life is never dull but never frantic. Highly recommend

How did you do this? Did you get an Italian passport, or do you stay for 90 days, then go back to the US and then back again to Italy?

[bobn60014]

Each year we average 12 - 14 weeks going to various locales. Most trips are 2 weeks in length.

[AlohaBill]

73 year old retiree here. Spent 1973 until 1989 in the Marshall Islands, Hawaii, Japan, back to Hawaii, 6 years in Saudi Arabia and then back to Hawaii and finally, California. These days we only travel within the contiguous USA (Massachusetts, Florida, SoCal) and finally to Hawaii to visit family. Our traveling is now done usually with one of our sons and their family. It’s difficult to travel alone. Cheers!

[TipsQuestions]

Can confirm. It gets old as you get older, especially if you've done plenty of it earlier in life. I'd rather live somewhere for an extended period than "travel." Running around to see things doesn't float my boat anymore. Being there, living like a local, does.

Yes, that's why I avoided the word "travel" in my post. I wasn't thinking of the "if it's Tuesday it must be Belgium" type trips you have to do while working, more the extended, slower trips abroad retirees have time to do.

[TipsQuestions]

100%. We moved to Italy from Canada in 2020. Haven't been back at all except two short trips to the U.S. to visit my parents. We are settled into a small village that is peaceful but not isolated. We've made friends and are conquering the bureaucracy. Cost of living is so much lower and life is never dull but never frantic. Highly recommend

How did you do this? Did you get an Italian passport, or do you stay for 90 days, then go back to the US and then back again to Italy?

In case this poster doesn't respond, I assume it was the "residenza elettiva", which allows you to retire in Italy if you have the passive income.

https://visaguide.world/retirement-visa/italy/

[TipsQuestions]

Does Canada count?

If so we are retired and spent 1 month on Prince Edward Island driving 2 days in each direction from Philadelphia.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Atlantic Canada. PEI is a beautiful place we have been visiting since 1985. We have been to all 50 states, most of Canada, Italy, Ireland, and Scotland, but still find time to get back to PEI we love it. Why….friendly locals, amazing seafood ie lobster, muscles, oysters, cod, not crowded even in the summer. Endless red sand beaches and cliffs, amazing folk music, green potato fields, bike and walking trails the entire length of the island, warm water via the Gulf Steam to swim in the ocean. Anne of Green Gables if you have kids. Best time to visit is June to September. You can get onto the island via a 8 mile long bridge, the world's longest bridge over ice-covered water. Or a 2 hour ferry from Nova Scotia. The largest city is Charlottetown about 50 k population with an island population of 170k. But get out and explore the countryside it’s amazing.

I posted a lot of information on the island on this Fodors website.

https://www.fodors.com/community/canada ... i-1664364/

Tom

Sounds fantastic! Added to my retirement travel list. I've always liked the ratio of people to seafood in Canada.

[TipsQuestions]

I think if you're talking about a second home abroad, then the real question comes down to, where can you get a visa to stay long enough. That will narrow down your list of options significantly.

Personally I favor renting or airbnb-ing. Things can change quickly in a foreign country - like when Thailand last month decided to tax foreign residents' global income.

[jaqenhghar]

100%. We moved to Italy from Canada in 2020. Haven't been back at all except two short trips to the U.S. to visit my parents. We are settled into a small village that is peaceful but not isolated. We've made friends and are conquering the bureaucracy. Cost of living is so much lower and life is never dull but never frantic. Highly recommend

How did you do this? Did you get an Italian passport, or do you stay for 90 days, then go back to the US and then back again to Italy?

In case this poster doesn't respond, I assume it was the "residenza elettiva", which allows you to retire in Italy if you have the passive income.

https://visaguide.world/retirement-visa/italy/

Appreciating the comment right above about Thailand taxing foreign residents' worldwide income, would anyone happen to know what taxes are involved if a US citizen chooses to retire in Italy via "residenza elettiva"?

[TipsQuestions]

Appreciating the comment right above about Thailand taxing foreign residents' worldwide income, would anyone happen to know what taxes are involved if a US citizen chooses to retire in Italy via "residenza elettiva"?

I don't know about Italy, but Spain has a similar retirement visa program (sin lucrativo), however they hit you with "el patrimonio", a global wealth tax that makes living there untenable for Bogleheads with significant assets, regardless of income.

[teniralc]

100%. We moved to Italy from Canada in 2020. Haven't been back at all except two short trips to the U.S. to visit my parents. We are settled into a small village that is peaceful but not isolated. We've made friends and are conquering the bureaucracy. Cost of living is so much lower and life is never dull but never frantic. Highly recommend

How did you do this? Did you get an Italian passport, or do you stay for 90 days, then go back to the US and then back again to Italy?

In case this poster doesn't respond, I assume it was the "residenza elettiva", which allows you to retire in Italy if you have the passive income.

https://visaguide.world/retirement-visa/italy/

Thank you for the response

[Claudia Whitten]

Appreciating the comment right above about Thailand taxing foreign residents' worldwide income, would anyone happen to know what taxes are involved if a US citizen chooses to retire in Italy via "residenza elettiva"?

I don't know about Italy, but Spain has a similar retirement visa program (sin lucrativo), however they hit you with "el patrimonio", a global wealth tax that makes living there untenable for Bogleheads with significant assets, regardless of income.

There's a lot to research financially w/ any country that you move to or live in for an extended period. That's been my experience. Some of the complications you find, as above, may make you think twice about the whole thing. Gets worse as you get older/more assets. Several European countries will tax your unrealized capital gains, for example. Try that on for size and see how it feels to pay tax on paper gains before you've even sold. And when it goes down the following year?

https://taxfoundation.org/testimony/cap ... xation-eu/

https://www.alexanderpeter.com/news/tax ... -countries

viewtopic.php?t=290510

[HomerJ]

We love to travel, and have decided to keep going so long as our mobility holds out. We typically travel to 8-10 destinations each year. While we usually limit each trip to 1-2 weeks, we just did return from 4 weeks in the UK.

Our travel expenses are greatly reduced thru use of a house-and-pet arrangement, that offers free lodging in exchange for caring for a homeowner's pet(s) while they're away. No money is exchanged. For our last 3 weeks in the UK, we stayed in 2 homes in England (one with a cat, the second a dog). In each case we also had use of the homeowners car.

I just checked the website we use, and there are currently over a hundred listings in Europe, mostly in the UK, that run a month or longer.

How in the world does that work? How do you verify someone would be a good caretaker for your pet and house?

[quantAndHold]

The first few years of retirement, we traveled 4-5 months per year. We loved it, but realized we missed being home and spending time with friends and family, so in early 2020, we decided to do one last long trip to Spain, then slow down on travel. We never got to Spain. About the time people started getting out and about again, I got cancer. Since then, I’ve been on a short leash, medically. In 2023, I had medical appointments at least once every week, often more than that. Other than 5 days at the National Senior Games, we never left town. Things are better this year, but I still have medical stuff too frequently to do the kind of traveling we used to do. We did get to Alaska for a cruise last week, though. That was fun.

So the moral of the story is, if you want to travel, do it. You might not be able to (or want to) in the future.

[Claudia Whitten]

So the moral of the story is, if you want to travel, do it. You might not be able to (or want to) in the future.

Indeed. But I will add this: You won't care, either. So don't beat yourself up about not doing what you don't want to do--or can't do.

People worry too much about "regret." And of all the types of regret, regretting "not traveling enough" is among the silliest and least impactful.

With aging comes acceptance, acceptance of who you are and a respect for the choices you've made. Many studies have shown acceptance to be a happy byproduct of the aging process (thankfully):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609879/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... and-affect

So I would amend the moral of the story in this way: If you want to travel earlier in life and don't get to, it doesn't matter. You won't suffer endlessly in older age for not having done what an earlier version of yourself wanted to.

Don't sweat it.

[andypanda]

I used to enjoy traveling sometimes. Then everybody started doing it and airports and airplanes began reminding me of cattle cars, or the subway at rush hour. Or the D.C. beltway during a traffic stoppage.

It appears to be getting worse some places.
"Venice, Italy received an estimated 20 million visitors in 2019. This was 100 times the city's population of around 50,000 at the time."

[LilyFleur]

So the moral of the story is, if you want to travel, do it. You might not be able to (or want to) in the future.

Indeed. But I will add this: You won't care, either. So don't beat yourself up about not doing what you don't want to do--or can't do.

People worry too much about "regret." And of all the types of regret, regretting "not traveling enough" is among the silliest and least impactful.

With aging comes acceptance, acceptance of who you are and a respect for the choices you've made. Many studies have shown acceptance to be a happy byproduct of the aging process (thankfully):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609879/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... and-affect

So I would amend the moral of the story in this way: If you want to travel earlier in life and don't get to, it doesn't matter. You won't suffer endlessly in older age for not having done what an earlier version of yourself wanted to.

Don't sweat it.

Thank you for your wise words.

I think gratitude is key. My body has aged a lot since I went to Europe three times in my late 50s, walking many miles a day. At 64, I sit in a comfy chair more with my feet elevated, and I understand why my grandmother and my father became less active when they got older. I still enjoy looking at the photos from those wonderful trips on my laptop, and my kids and my sister and I share photos from those trips together on group texting.

I took French in high school and had wanted to see Paris my whole life. I got to go twice!

Life is bittersweet, and I think if we can accept the challenges of growing older gracefully, it eases our journey and is a positive model for our children.

[EddyB]

Appreciating the comment right above about Thailand taxing foreign residents' worldwide income, would anyone happen to know what taxes are involved if a US citizen chooses to retire in Italy via "residenza elettiva"?

I don't know about Italy, but Spain has a similar retirement visa program (sin lucrativo), however they hit you with "el patrimonio", a global wealth tax that makes living there untenable for Bogleheads with significant assets, regardless of income.

Italy does have a 0.2% annual tax on the value of financial assets. However, new residents who move to qualifying areas (broadly, municipalities in certain regions, primarily the south, with fewer than 20,000 residents) may elect into incentive programs for up to ten years, exempting them from that tax. Search for the “7% flat tax” if that’s of interest.

[Parkinglotracer]

Just spent my first few days outside of US in Portigal since we retired. Nice place. Affordable. Good food and wine. Lots of public transportation.

[livesoft]

We used to live overseas. Also travelled quite a bit during those years. This thread made me think of the last time I was overseas which was a few years ago. My spouse has stepped up her travel game in retirement and will be overseas about 6 weeks in 2024. For myself, I have stepped up my domestic travel game but will not be overseas this year. However, I have now been to all 50 states and some territories.

I'm happy people who travel find it fascinating and rewarding, but I also understand the folks who report they are sort of tired of travel. Some folks find the world a small place and other find it humongous. I'm glad people are able to make choices as many people really don't have the choices and opportunities that we all have had.

[jebmke]

So the moral of the story is, if you want to travel, do it. You might not be able to (or want to) in the future.

Indeed. But I will add this: You won't care, either. So don't beat yourself up about not doing what you don't want to do--or can't do.

People worry too much about "regret." And of all the types of regret, regretting "not traveling enough" is among the silliest and least impactful.

With aging comes acceptance, acceptance of who you are and a respect for the choices you've made. Many studies have shown acceptance to be a happy byproduct of the aging process (thankfully):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609879/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... and-affect

So I would amend the moral of the story in this way: If you want to travel earlier in life and don't get to, it doesn't matter. You won't suffer endlessly in older age for not having done what an earlier version of yourself wanted to.

Don't sweat it.

right; there is a bit of a "set theory" problem that is at work though. The number of things you didn't get to at a younger age is infinite. Turned around, the number of things you did get to while younger is finite so it makes it quite easy to say "I'm glad I did XYZ when I was younger." We bagged most travel after the first few years of retirement because we realized "we've done this before." New is a premium for me so after a while, I'm ready to move along to something different. Friends of ours are the opposite. They go on a cruise every year like clockwork, something I could never do.

[neilpilot]

We love to travel, and have decided to keep going so long as our mobility holds out. We typically travel to 8-10 destinations each year. While we usually limit each trip to 1-2 weeks, we just did return from 4 weeks in the UK.

Our travel expenses are greatly reduced thru use of a house-and-pet arrangement, that offers free lodging in exchange for caring for a homeowner's pet(s) while they're away. No money is exchanged. For our last 3 weeks in the UK, we stayed in 2 homes in England (one with a cat, the second a dog). In each case we also had use of the homeowners car.

I just checked the website we use, and there are currently over a hundred listings in Europe, mostly in the UK, that run a month or longer.

How in the world does that work? How do you verify someone would be a good caretaker for your pet and house?

While I can't say the system we've used since 2017 is foolproof, there are thousands of sits each year that are completed with relatively few issues. The sit includes user vetting, some insurance coverage as well as sitter & homeowner feedback.

[Vogatrice]

How did you do this? Did you get an Italian passport, or do you stay for 90 days, then go back to the US and then back again to Italy?
[/quote]

In case this poster doesn't respond, I assume it was the "residenza elettiva", which allows you to retire in Italy if you have the passive income.

https://visaguide.world/retirement-visa/italy/
[/quote]

Correct. Elective Residency Visa allows one to become resident, renewable bi-annually for 5 years, then become a permanent resident for the next 10, then citizenship if I want it, or just renew permanent residency every ten years.

Takes a bit of determination to get through the paperwork but is not very hard to qualify for.

[Vogatrice]

100%. We moved to Italy from Canada in 2020. Haven't been back at all except two short trips to the U.S. to visit my parents. We are settled into a small village that is peaceful but not isolated. We've made friends and are conquering the bureaucracy. Cost of living is so much lower and life is never dull but never frantic. Highly recommend

How did you do this? Did you get an Italian passport, or do you stay for 90 days, then go back to the US and then back again to Italy?

In case this poster doesn't respond, I assume it was the "residenza elettiva", which allows you to retire in Italy if you have the passive income.

https://visaguide.world/retirement-visa/italy/

Appreciating the comment right above about Thailand taxing foreign residents' worldwide income, would anyone happen to know what taxes are involved if a US citizen chooses to retire in Italy via "residenza elettiva"?

Yes I do know but it's not a one-sentence answer. Italy taxes you on your worldwide income as well but the U.S.-Italy tax treaty spells out a lot of special conditions. For example, only Italy taxes U.S. IRA withdrawals. Not sure about who taxes Social Security as I'm not claiming yet. And you can deduct one country's taxes paid from the other country's taxes due. You would definitely need professional help to get it right. I am a CPA, lived in Canada for 30 years while filing in both countries, and I quickly gave up trying to do it myself.

Furthermore, if you choose to live in one of the 7 southern regions, in a smaller village, you are eligible to pay just 7% flat tax for the first 9 tax years. This is a sweetheart deal, I'm in year 4 and it is allowing me to drain my IRA over that time frame and pay only 7% on the withdrawals (no U.S. tax). And isn't part of the point of such a move to get out of the rat race? Why would I live in a busy part of the country, overrun with tourists? I've spent 4 months near Milan, driving on crammed highways. No thanks. Save taxes, gain peace.

So...short story...it can be very advantageous tax-wise but you need to understand your options and how the two countries' tax regimes interact.

[HomerJ]

I used to enjoy traveling sometimes. Then everybody started doing it and airports and airplanes began reminding me of cattle cars, or the subway at rush hour. Or the D.C. beltway during a traffic stoppage.

It appears to be getting worse some places.
"Venice, Italy received an estimated 20 million visitors in 2019. This was 100 times the city's population of around 50,000 at the time."

I spent a few days in Rome about 20 years ago, and it was amazing.

We were on a cruise last spring where we had one day-trip to Rome as part of the agenda, so we re-visited a few spots, and it was insanely crowded. If that was my first time in Rome, I would have been sorely disappointed.

[THY4373]

I used to enjoy traveling sometimes. Then everybody started doing it and airports and airplanes began reminding me of cattle cars, or the subway at rush hour. Or the D.C. beltway during a traffic stoppage.

It appears to be getting worse some places.
"Venice, Italy received an estimated 20 million visitors in 2019. This was 100 times the city's population of around 50,000 at the time."

First off don't let the headlines drive your decisions they are almost always going to report the exceptional and outliers. It is true that tourism is way up but most of the world isn't slammed with tourists. Get off the beaten path, go at non-peak times. For example in 2019 I was in Athens in January, I went to the Acropolis when it opened one weekday morning, I had the place almost entirely to myself (I think there were like six other folks total up there). On another trip to Greece I skipped Santorini and went to an island that had a grand total of two paragraphs about it in the Lonely Planet guide. No airport you had to get there by ferry. I spent a week on the island doing some epic hiking honestly one of the most memorable trips I have done. Few tourists and once I hiked 30 minutes out of town it was just me and the feral goats. When I retire I am planning on doing a month or more island hopping in Greece on the lesser visited islands.

This spring I was in Spain and went to some of the secondary cities/towns that while not exactly not visited by tourists are at least not slammed by them either (Merida, Zaragoza, Salamanca). They were all very interesting cities.

[Cruise]

Since Ms. Cruise retired a few years ago, we have upped our travel. This year we have spent over two months abroad, taking in Norway, the UK, Japan and SE Asia.

In our youth, we used to fly to a country/region and rent a car without anything but the first and last night's hotel rooms reserved. Traveled extensively through foreign countrysides. Found fantastic surprises that way, with the ability to change course and stay longer at a place. Of course, there were times that we were forced to stay in barns and worse...

Now our travel is cruise-centric, with extended time spent in embarkation and debarkation cities, and destinations easily accessible from embarkation/debarkation cities.

We get our taste of living local (I realize this is not a full bite) by hiring local guides that bring us to less-touristed areas.

We have no interest in moving abroad.

[andypanda]

"It is true that tourism is way up but most of the world isn't slammed with tourists."

Compared to the '70s and '80s it is. The world is simply much more crowded. And the airports and airlines are in a downward spiral race to the bottom. My wife flew to Valencia Spain last fall to visit her oldest sister who has lived there and raised a family for over 40 years. Every trip she says she is never getting on another plane or ever sitting in an airport. (fwiw, they were born and raised in Pittsburgh.)

Meanwhile, my wife and I have purchased a small cottage on a small island off the coast of North Carolina. The village is 4 sq.mi. at most and the National Seashore owns the rest of the island. We meet people from everywhere.
The village has a speed limit of 20 mph, no stop lights, and only one set of gas pumps. Well, there is a gas dock at the marina. The ferry ride from Hatteras Village is 65 minutes and the $15/car ferry ride from Swan Quarter is 2.75 hours.

There's a single air strip in the park for folks with a plane. The two-day pirate festival is coming up the first of November if you're in the area. Blackbeard was defeated here - in Teach's Hole - and had his head put on a stick. He reportedly was shot five times and stabbed more than 20 times before he died. November 22, 1718

[1moreyr]

I retired in 2020. I am 61 and spending 16 weeks or so away from my house. It may be more but hasn't been less. I was stationed in germany in the 80s and enjoy going back. it's like a second home . I also spent significant business travel in Europe, China, India and mexico over my 30 year megacorp career. Cumulatively, I spent 300 days in china over a 3 year period as an example

for the last couple years we have done one month airbnbs in grand Junction colorado and Moab Utah for hiking and Jeeping. We also did a 12 week camping trip to alaska this summer driving up from the lower 48.

I have considered a one month airbnb in germany or Italy but haven't pulled the trigger on it. I find 4-6 weeks is enough to "live local" for me. It's also great to not feel the need to rush and do everything in a 10 day trip.

There is no wrong way to see the world or spend your retirement. I understand some may not regret if they don't travel in their go go years. I know that I would. It's actually why I retired at 56 although I loved my work.

i am a firm believer in live your best life in retirement because it can end or change at any moment.

[mike@jb]

So far zero, but.. Covid impacted our plans somewhat.
We retired in 2020, and the first two family (kids, wives, grandkids) vacations were renting a beach house and staying in a fishing cabin.
Last year my wife and I went to Alaska, and this year we went to Hawaii. Next year we plan a London+Paris trip.

[RANkiDEr]

When my wife and I retire, we've talked about living for some undefined amount of time in Spain and flying between there and home.
One thing that's been weighing on me is flying back and forth and the amount of CO2 that puts into the atmosphere.
Approx each flight generates about 18,000 lbs of CO2 per flight and it's making re-think our plans.
Anyone else thinking about this, or is it just me?

[erictiger12]

I spend 4-5 months every year overseas visiting relatives and friends.

[halfnine]

Well, not at retirement age yet but there are a few regions of the planet that I have yet to really get a chance to explore and those countries essentially run in a diagonal line from Senegal to Kazakhstan. I was hoping maybe yet to have a chance at it when my kids get older, possibly even cycling the Silk Road with them. But, if my kids lack the interest (which is most likely) that is alright. The most likely reality is we will spend most of our time visiting family and friends as they are spread across the globe anyway.

[THY4373]

"It is true that tourism is way up but most of the world isn't slammed with tourists."

Compared to the '70s and '80s it is. The world is simply much more crowded. And the airports and airlines are in a downward spiral race to the bottom. My wife flew to Valencia Spain last fall to visit her oldest sister who has lived there and raised a family for over 40 years. Every trip she says she is never getting on another plane or ever sitting in an airport. (fwiw, they were born and raised in Pittsburgh.)

I don't find airports or even airlines all that maddening these days but I have TSAPre/Global Entry/generally fly business/first class etc. I also fly at non-peak times. Yes it isn't the 1970s (I remember well flying internationally in the pre-deregulation days of TWA/PanAm as my dad was a US diplomat) but honestly in some ways it is better and some ways worse. I guess YMMV.