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Rediscovering the freedom to travel in your 50s (and beyond) brings with it a unique sense of excitement.

Perhaps your children have grown up and left home or gone to university?

Maybe you have retired early. Or you’re at a point in your career when you can finally find some flexibility that allows you to enjoy travel as you did in your 20s.

Well, whatever your circumstances, there is nothing quite like being able to answer the open road call.

And knowing some tactics to survive a road trip is just one part of your travel plan.

It’s your time now to plan another memorable road trip. And to remember feeling the excitement of your youth.

Tactics to Survive a Road Trip

What are the best tips for surviving and enjoying road trips when you are over 50?

Here are four good ones that should help you on your way.

1. Research your destination, check the details

Make sure you know as much about the country you are going to be driving in as you can.

Look at the best places to make stops and plan every day so you know you can stop regularly and break up the journey.

But it’s also important to check health recommendations for the country you are going to be visiting – do you need inoculations, and if you take regular medication, what happens if you lose it abroad?

Make sure all your existing vaccinations are up to date, too.

If you do have an underlying health condition, it is worth speaking to your doctor for advice for the country you are travelling to.

Check your travel insurance too, and make sure you have all your paperwork to hand before you zip those suitcases closed.

 

2. Take plenty of snacks and ideas to pass the time

Keeping yourselves occupied and laughing is a great way of livening up a road trip.

Everyone has their own versions of the license plate game, and you should make up one of your own. Get competitive! Because you will be spending a lot of time in your car, you need to get creative.

For snack ideas, eating fruit is always going to be a winner.

But also try to find some snacks that perhaps come from the local cuisine and educate yourself on them as you go around the country.

Try not to let yourself get hungry or thirsty while you are on the road. You want to have plenty of energy when it comes actually to exploring the stops along the route.

Related Post: 20 Best Places to Visit in Italy

 3. Aim to meet new friends

You are at a stage of life where you have the confidence to strike up a conversation with almost anyone, so why not put that into practice?

There will be many people around the world who would be interested in getting to know you. Just like friends Bea and Jurgen we met in Hoi An, Vietnam, and again in Hamburg, Germany, three years later.

In countries like Thailand, a smile will open doors, start friendships and often bring you a smile in return.

So, get out there, don’t be afraid to meet new people, and convey the kind of body language that you would want to see in return.

You will be amazed at the results you get.

 

4. Let your hair down

You don’t need us to tell you, but age really is just a number.

Travelling extensively when you’re over 50 is a great sign that you are young at heart and have so many more adventures ahead of you.

So, when you get to your destination, throw yourselves into it.

Go eat and drink where the locals do.

Join in with their parties, watch the sunrise on the most beautiful beaches, and embrace the daily life of your destination.

It is a brilliant way of rediscovering your love of travel and a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the culture of a new place.

Now It’s Time to Plan

Driving gives you opportunities to be flexible with your schedule, too, so if you fall in love with a particular town, you can stay an extra day or two. It also puts you in a position where you can explore a little more.

You can follow your nose, wander, get lost, and rediscover the adventurous feeling you had many years ago.

Why not give it a go?