Why do you travel?

[aplmac]

My parents are now in their late 70s and they are still purchasing insurance on their overseas trips. Is this generally still possible once they hit 80?

I believe so - but from what I've seen some "over-the-counter" style travel insurance providers that would allow for specific medical circumstances at little or no cost stop at age 80, so then it's looking to find a more heavy-duty insurer who may then require, for example, a medical before issuing a policy at a significant cost. I guess the older you get the more of a risk you become so cover drops and premiums rise.

 

[Forg]

Y’know, it’s a good question and I don’t know if I know the answer.

One thing I know makes me feel uncomfortable is going to places where people are struggling; I don’t like to be the wealthy foreigner surveying the lowly plebs … I want to be the scum when I go somewhere, that’s my comfy spot.

Last trip I organised was to the UK, and I used the theme “TV & movies” to book everything. I think that one was to enjoy seeing in-person all the things I’ve seen from afar via televisual entertainment. I think that if the Orange Terrorist’s hatred of foreigners goes away when he does, I’ll do another similar in North America.

But overall motivation? Really not entirely sure. I think I just want to experience new stuff, within the boundaries of zero risk to life or limb.

 

[Aeryn]

Most of my career I have worked on projects or managed teams or clients distributed across Australia and increasingly the world. So when we have needed to work together face to face ive happily travelled. The benefit of being childless and currently dog-less is that I can usually be available to fly at short notice when often other colleagues cant.

If travelling for work I will often stay on in a city for a day or two extra over the weekend at my own expense to check out things clients or colleagues recommend; as long as the return airfare cost isnt impacted.

As to why I travel on my own dime well its is because there so many places I've read about or seen on tv that I want to experience for myself and being an extrovert love striking up conversations with locals and fellow travelers alike. I love to eat authentic food, explore area outside the tourist traps to see how the locals experience a place although many touristy things are also still worth doing.

I want to visit so many places, every time I tick one off i usually end up hearing about others I add to my list. I want to go whilst im fit and mobile enough to do all the activities, be that swim/dive/snorkel, kayak or hike. I dont want to find myself retired with insufficient funds, or mobility issues or illness and then have regrets.

I try to go to at least one new overseas destination (be it a country, city or region) a year and also try to go somewhere in Australia I haven't been. But I also love to return to favorite places and challenge myself to find new experience there and visit the many friends i have all over the world.

Whilst I love my home city and my home, if I've got more than a normal 2 day weekend off you wont find me here, I'll be somewhere else.

I'll never understand people who don't use their annual leave, I always use mine and usually take extra leave without pay because the opportunity cost of not doing so is way too high imo.

 

[Human]

I travel when I need to mainly to visit and look after my elderly mother. She lives in Sydney and I live in Melbourne; she lives independently so I fly up every 4 weeks or so to do chores for her and to generally make sure she's OK. But it's not a burden -- I enjoy even those short weekend MEL-SYD trips and they go a long way towards helping me to maintain VA Platinum!

I travel when I want to, to escape, revive, relax and recharge. It can be as "small" as a long weekend somewhere in Australia or NZ, or as grand as a multi-week tour of another continent (mainly Europe). I also have family in Paris so it's nice to have something of a "base" there.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have always wanted to travel.
One of my earliest memories is lying in my Grandparents back yard as a small child on a sunny day gazing at the contrails of jets high above and imagining who was onboard and what exotic destination they were going to.
We didn’t travel a lot as a family and when we did it was usually a long car trip.
As soon as I was in the financial position to do it I actively sought out travel opportunities eg.teaching summer camps.
Moving here to the other side of the world as a young adult certainly increased the travel. I had already visited Australia twice as a student.

Now I travel both for work and pleasure.
I still get excited packing and I still love that take off roll on every single flight.
It never gets old for me.

 

[kpc]

I travel to see and experience places that I have seen on TV, online, read about etc. I always prefer to go to somewhere new...no matter how nice a place is, the 2nd time visit is never the same or as exciting.

I know quite a few AFFers have been to more than 100 countries and this has been a long term travel goal of mine. Covid really set me back, but since our international borders reopened 3 years ago, I have made a concerted effort to get to a 100 asap

At last count, I have been to 25+ new countries in the last 3 years and my current total is 87, give or take depending whether some places are considered countries or not eg Kosovo

People ask me what would I do when I get to a 100, simple answer is to keep going...I do accept I will never get to every country in the world

 

[MonteCristo]

I do very active travel. Not lounging around on deck chairs, at cafes, dining. Not my thing.

As a result, every day on our trips is pretty different.

Life at home is nice enough. It's comfortable. But it's ... samey.

So I adore having a different experience every day when travelling. There is very little routine. Almost every day you're going somewhere for the first time - some new museum, a new hiking trail, a new site, etc. Not every day is remarkable, or overly memorable, but it keeps you on your toes.

The one thing that makes me sad is knowing that for most places I will never be there again.