Long-Term Travel After 50 Survival Guide: Stay Energised & Comfortable

Retirement travel is the dream many of us spend half of our lifetime working for. To finally have the time, freedom, and flexibility to explore the world on our own terms.

But what you don’t often hear talked about is the reality that can hit after the excitement: travel fatigue, overpacking regrets, and the challenge of making unfamiliar places feel like home. If you are not prepared for any of that then your dream can become a nightmare quickly.

With Pauline still working full-time we recently decided to follow our own guide to maximising our travel opportunities and had a “trial retirement”, taking three months off work and heading to Spain and Portugal.

And while the first month, and then the second, was amazing, the longer we were away the more we struggled to enjoy the experience.

If anyone had told me that I would suffer from travel fatigue, I would have laughed to their face. But there I was, actually looking forward to getting home, even though we were seeing amazing places.

Whether your ideal retirement travel lifestyle is to travel long-term, or even for extended trips between stays at home, these practical tips will help you protect your energy, travel lighter, and settle in more smoothly.

Understanding Travel Fatigue: Why It Happens & What to Do About It

Travel fatigue isn’t only about doing so much when you travel that you are feeling physically exhausted, it’s also a combination of mental overload, emotional exhaustion, and logistical burnout. And even the most seasoned travellers feel it from time to time.

Common Causes of Travel Fatigue

• Constant transitions – the seemingly non-stop challenge of coping with new beds, navigating new cities, and having to learn new routines, will eventually take a toll on most travellers.
• Decision fatigue – comes from the anxiety associated with daily planning. Things like where to eat, what to do, and how to cope with forced changes to plans can easily get the better of you.
• Language and cultural barriers – it may be fun to test out your limited foreign language skills for a while but it can be a difficult thing to keep up over time. And learning to adapt to different rules and traditions takes a lot of effort sometimes.
• Disrupted sleep schedules – whether it’s jet lag from travelling long distances, adapting to a culture that eats and plays at different times to your norm, or being kept awake all night after you find out you chose the wrong neighbourhood for your stay.
• Missing familiar comforts or people – what you may consider to be your boring routine back home could also be called your comfort zone, and being bombarded with new experiences week after week may have you pining for a bit of boring routine.

Tips to Prevent or Reduce Fatigue

• Adopt a slower pace: Stay in one place for 2–4 weeks rather than hopping cities every few days. It gives you a chance to develop “mini routines” to make you feel more at home.
• Plan recovery days: Schedule “nothing days” to relax, do laundry, or sit around a local café or park. At first this may feel like wasted vacation time but you will feel much better in the long run.
• Stick to a loose routine: Having a morning walk, journal time, or meal ritual gives your days structure. It doesn’t have to be every day, but if you can get some consistency you will have less decision fatigue.
• Use familiar tools: Keep your apps, passwords, and travel documents organised and accessible, minimise friction wherever possible. Not being able to find something when you want it will just pile on more unnecessary stress.

Smarter Packing for Extended Travel

Many retirees or first-time long-term travellers fall into the trap of overpacking, especially when preparing for varied climates, unknown events, or “just in case” moments. They think that the more they carry, the more they are prepared.

How often have you returned from a trip and noticed that you never actually wore almost half of the clothes you had packed? It’s a common mistake to think that you need to be prepared for every possible wardrobe situation.

For years we would pack outfits that we rarely wore at home, thinking, for some reason, that we would suddenly need to wear them while we were away. And guess what… we rarely ever wore them then either!

Packing Mindset Shift

You need to stop thinking about clothing groups rather than full wardrobes. Versatile, lightweight clothing and dual-purpose items are key. Having to drag heavy suitcases and backpacks can easily cause a lot of avoidable stress.

Packing Essentials for Long Stays

• Core wardrobe: 8–10 items that mix and match easily (e.g., 3 tops, 2 bottoms, 1 dress/skirt, 1 outer layer, 2 pairs of shoes)
• Medical & personal essentials: Medications, copies of prescriptions, comfort items (heat pack, sleep mask, etc.) There is no need to overpack toiletries and bath items. Toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorants can always be bought on arrival.
• Tech & tools: Power board, travel adaptor, Kindle/tablet, offline maps, travel journal, computers, cameras and phones. Make sure you have charging cables for all of your devices.
• Mini home comforts: If you have things you just can’t live without, favourite tea bags or coffee, compact pillow or light blanket, then include them on your packing list. But think hard on whether they really justify the space they take up and the weight they add.

Don’t Pack Without…

• A set of compression packing cubes. This was one of the main reasons that we could start travelling with smaller suitcases.
• A compact laundry kit. Consider taking things like a small amount of washing detergent, some pegs, and a stretchy clothesline. We have often found it difficult to buy small packets of washing detergent.
• A small first aid kit, tailored to your personal needs.

Long-Stay Travel Hacks: How to Feel at Home Anywhere

Once you’re in a place for a week or more, it’s worth doing a few simple things to turn your rental or hotel into a space that feels comfortable, and not just functional.

Here are a few tips to help ease that decision fatigue, reduce money pressure, and make you feel more at home.

Settle In Like a Local

• Visit the same café, bakery, or market each day. You’ll feel more connected, and it helps create a familiar rhythm.
• Shop at local markets and cook simple meals. It’s cheaper, healthier, and grounding. Even making breakfast eases that stress of having to find somewhere to eat at the start of your day.
• Learn a few key phrases if you’re in a non-English-speaking country, keep them handy, and practice them. Just learning enough to be polite goes a long way to making you feel at home.
• Take public transport or walk. It gives you a feel for the layout of the place beyond tourist areas. We love to take a free walking tour on our first day to learn more about the place and find out where things are.

Bring Home To You

One of the simplest, yet most effective ways to hold off homesickness is to keep in touch with family and friends while you are travelling. And today’s technology makes that easier than ever.

It is amazing how a regularly scheduled video call home can give you the feeling that you are still there and, even if technology scares you, it is an easy process to learn and use. Nothing more than your smartphone or tablet is required.

Keep in mind that my mother is almost 80 and we have been able to teach her how to use video calls. So if you think that it would be too hard for you to learn, think again!

Comfort Hacks That Make a Difference

Some of these suggestions may seem a bit strange, but it’s amazing how a few small touches can keep any homesickness away.

• Bring a small framed photo, candle, or keepsake to personalise your space.
• Download favourite shows, playlists, or podcasts to make downtime feel like “you” time. Make sure you know all of your streaming service logins so that you can use them in hotels and rentals.
• Keep a “grab bag” ready for errands: reusable tote, water bottle, notebook, pen, umbrella. Being ready with these items can save a lot of running around trying to find them in local stores after you realise how handy they will be.

Final Thoughts on Improving Long-Term Travel

Retirement travel isn’t just about having a holiday, it’s a different lifestyle. The more thoughtfully you plan the practical side of your journeys, the more energy and eagerness you’ll have to enjoy the moments that truly matter.

Whether you’re travelling full-time or planning longer trips between stays at home, by implementing some, or all, of these strategies you will stay balanced, light, and ready to make the most of every travel opportunity.

We feel certain that if we had followed these ideas we would have enjoyed our full three months away, instead of suffering from travel fatigue over the final few weeks. Maybe next time we’ll do it right!