Travel is a popular retirement activity, keeping a person mentally alert and providing direction, challenge and stimulation in the absence of a career goal. You have time on hand, and family and job commitments are no longer pressing. Another advantage is that you can travel outside peak seasons and, consequently, travel cheaper.

Travelling, on the other hand, can be tiring so it is best not to push yourself over your limits. One-city-a-night trips are not ideal for the elderly vacationer. Try to stay in a place for at least two or three days. See if long flights can be broken up into shorter segments.

Certain travel firms do not accept travellers over a certain age. However, some agencies and countries have special travelling facilities and discounts for the elderly and retired. Many companies offer packaged, long stays for the elderly at low prices, especially during off-peak seasons such as winter.

Many tour operators are now giving greater consideration to the disabled as well. The countries best equipped to accommodate disabled travellers are the United States, Canada, Northern Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

If you suffer from a medical problem, you should carry the necessary medication and ensure that your destination has the facilities to meet your needs or deal with emergencies. If you have to take prescribed medicines abroad, find out what can be taken in and out of the country. It is advisable to carry a doctor's letter giving details of the drugs prescribed.

Insurance cover should also be checked to see that it fits your requirements; some insurance companies make age-related exclusions.

Travel for the Disabled

A disabled person should keep the following in mind when travelling :

  • Ask for help at airports and while boarding the plane.
  • Easily accessible transportation or transfer from the airport or station should be available in order to reach your final destination.
  • Vacation amenities such as transport, shops, entertainment and beaches should be easily accessible.
  • Within the hotel, lifts should be able to accommodate wheelchairs, there should be ramps alongside stairs, the beds should be of the correct height and toilets should ahve stalls or rails for the handicapped.
  • Restaurants and hotels should have Braille menus and safety instructions.

Travelling while Pregnant

It is advisable for a pregnant woman who wishes to travel to do so between her 14th and 30th weeks of pregnancy. During this period, morning sickness and the tiredness associated with pregnancy should not be too pronounced, and she is not too "large".

Some airlines refuse to carry women in their last few weeks of pregnancy. Certain insurance companies add pregnancy-related restrictions to their policies. Sometimes, a doctor's certificate is required for proof of fitness. All these factors should be researched in advance.

As a woman increases in size during her pregnancy, clothes should be packed with this in mind. Pack a good book on pregnancy as well.

Infants and Small Children

If you plan to travel with an infant, the airline should be informed at the time of booking. Children under two years of age are not usually allocated a seat of their own; they are expected to sit on an adult's lap.

You should try and pick out seats as far ahead as possible; checking in early is a good way to ensure this. The first row in any section of the aircraft is usually a good choice as such seats offer more leg room and it may be possible to place a cot in front. "Skycots" offered by some airlines can be very useful. Do not, however, expect the airplane to be stocked with a supply of nappies. Window seats offer the most privacy for breastfeeding mothers.

Most airports have a room where babies can be cahnged and fed; others incorporate these features in the women's toilets. Some airports, such as Singapore's Changi Airport, have a play area for children.

Most airlines allow families with small children to board before others. Many also allow prams or pushciars to be wheeled up to the departure gate, after which they are kept away and returned on arrival.