AFTER 40 YEARS â—½ MARRIAGE
Better Traveling
by Marcy Lytle
We’ve changed a few things about our travel as we’ve gotten a bit older, just because we realized that some things were easy to change…so that we can still go and enjoy! And sometimes, just a few little differences can determine whether the vacation was a blast or a bummer. I thought maybe you’d like to read these and try some, and share your own in the comments after you read!
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Switch credit cards – We did this years ago. We found a credit card with our bank that also had travel miles. We use it to pay for everything, and we pay it off weekly, and then the points add up. Most of the time we have enough travel points to cover our lodging and rental car, for two longer trips a year!
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One hub.– We used to travel from hotel to hotel each night or every couple of nights, packing up and leaving and driving. That used up so much of our time and energy. So now we pick a place as our hub. We map out day trips from there (the main attraction) to other small outings, within an hour or two at the most. That way we’re back at night in our one space, instead of packing and lifting those heavy bags every day.
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Mostly Airbnb houses instead of hotels – We still book a hotel for one night stays sometimes. But if we’re flying to a destination for a week or more, we book an Airbnb instead. We like breakfast we make on our own and leisurely sitting in living rooms instead of our beds, to watch TV or relax. We enjoy the homey feel and the cutesy places available, and…they’re really not much more than a hotel! We look for those with SUPER HOST on their site, as they seem to be tried and true, and the best!
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Read the fine print – If you only like a shower, and not a tub, then see what your lodging has available. If there’s no elevator and you have to lug your luggage up stairs, you might want to reconsider. If there’s a train that travels all night and commenters (yes, read those!) say it keeps them awake, that too is a deterrent. Do your homework before you book.
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Help each other – My husband has a neck issue to where he’s not supposed to lift heavy things, so we try to pack lighter and help each other (we both lift together) when placing bags in the back of the rental car, or up on a luggage rack, things like that. One time we had a flat and he twisted and threw the tire in the back…no, no. No more twisting or heavy lifting alone!
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Share meals – Not only does this save dollars, but we don’t need three heavy meals a day when traveling. We often share, or eat something light at night. Of course, we don’t agree sometimes on what to share, so there’s that! But when we do, we feel so much better after we eat!
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Walk a lot – When planning our trips, we love walking, but of course we make sure to read whether it’s an easy trail or not. And how far places are, etc. And we pack a pair of shoes made for walking! Traveling and sightseeing and touring is so much fun, when outfitted properly, and planned ahead of time.
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Rent a car – We’ve done this for years, because we’d rather not have the wear and tear on our own car, we like the fun of driving another car, and then the rental car company is responsible should something go wrong with the car! It’s a win-win. And again, we use our travel miles to save up for this convenience.
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What else have you changed as you’ve both gotten older, or tips you’ve used as you travel that make life easier and more fun? I’d love to hear!