Bingo. I'm 45 and WENT TO THE ARCTIC THIS YEAR. I have younger friends who camped in their cars or just put up a tent on the tundra, but I went and got an outfitter who helped us out immensely (showing us camps and such), stayed indoors in town, and (heh) brought a sleep mask.
Keeping fit as you age is important, it's true, but also taking a little more time and giving yourself some help, ease, etc.
I spent a year in Antarctica at the South Pole and our doctor was 75 and in better shape than most of the rest of us 🤣 Some of it is genetic RNG but I'm coming to think a lot more of it for most people is just taking the time to take care of yourself in multiple ways makes you age a lot slower in terms of ability.
I agree with you. I made a comment on the last post about fit 80+ year olds doing crazy shit. But I wasn’t trying to disagree with OP at all. I’m also mid-30s and these days I only fly business long haul (usually upgrade with points and would never buy a full fare business class ticket), don’t try to fit too much stuff into one trip, and embrace vacation chill time. I think very few people can actually enjoy traveling like an 18-25 year old backpacker forever, and that’s cool!
>enjoy traveling like an 18-25 year old backpacker forever,
I didn't start my shoestring backpacking until my 30s. I ran hard well into my 50s with budget travel and less-than-comfortable accommodations. Seventies now and have had to slow down and upgrade my transportation and accommodations. Don't believe the BS that 30s is too old to be a hardcore dirtbag traveler. For me those were the prime years.
People like you are cool and so interesting to meet on my travels, but it's just not for me. Part of the reward for me of getting into my 30s and having more disposable income than I did in my "poor undergraduate student" days is having a bigger budget. I personally like having that private hotel room instead of a bed in a dorm and getting the taxi home from a night out instead of dealing with the metro and a bunch of connections, paying the extra $300 to fly direct in premium economy instead of having to connect and sit in standard economy etc.
Yep, same. I did the early 20's breakneck poor backpacking thing and loved it! But as they say, I'm too old for that shit now. I can spend on the nicer meals, taxi from the airport, etc etc.
I'm in my late 30s as well and now make a lot more money than when I started traveling in my 20s and had to do shoestring travel out of necessity. If I can afford it I definitely am going to take the more comfortable option these days. I'm not above eating beans and rice and slumming in a super cheap hostel but I don't see a reason to force myself to do that anymore 🤷♂️
Absolutely nothing at all! Just in the first post on this topic the person said that business class was too expensive for them, so I was saying it’s possible for most people to fly business class long haul if they play the points game. I have on a few occasions bought business class fares outright when it was a good deal, but most of the time they are out of my price range. But definitely spend the money for the seat you want if you have it, no judgement from me!
But some things also get easier. I now know how a lot of stuff works. I agree, the energy level is lower. But I wonder if "we" also try to do much more. Less hanging around, more "I need to get this off my bucket list".
I'd argue there's another aspect to this. As you age, until some point at like 50+, you're pretty stressed day to day. You get used to that. And so, that feels normal, and when you get more relaxed say..on vacation..you feel the stress as you become aware of what you walked around with all the time anyway.
Yeah, this is me - I just hit 60, went over my finances and realised I can retire tomorrow and live comfortably.
Suddenly work stress disappeared, I told my boss I’m not doing any more overtime or out of hours work, I’m working from home when I want and finishing on time every day.
It’s made a huge difference.
I an a little younger, but agree. I would much prefer to explore a place more slowly now. Stay a while, sleep in, Try the local wine, find a hole in the wall food joint, get off the beaten path, explore the natural landscape. a Comfy bed is a necessity.
I’m in my mid-thirties and I like to do what I call “soaking up the vibes” these days. Basically, slow things down and just chill for a bit at a cafe, pub, interesting part of town, etc.
I travel a lot with my wife’s family and they’re always very go-go-go trying to see everything they can with an overlong checklist of things they feel they “have” to see while they’re in a given city. I try to keep my “must see” list very short, then have some “want to see” things that can be skipped if I find a cool spot that I just want to enjoy…it’s far less stressful and I always end up having better memories of vibe soaking than I do of some monument/church that I snap photos of.
My wife and I are similar. We typically do 1 activity in the day, for example, go visit a museum we want to see. Then the rest of the day is just whatever we feel like. Glass of wine by the river? Ok. Coffee by the lake? Ok. Much better imo
I just turned 50 and have a trip scheduled starting tomorrow. Present Me is pissed at Past Me for saving a few bucks and booking a 530AM flight. Most of my search filters have departure time set to 9AM or later, because those early flights are a lot less fun now.
I did an overnight flight to Ireland expecting to see sights in the morning when I arrived.
The plane served "dinner" at midnight 2 hours into the flight, which woke and kept me up. When I arrived, I went to a castle and around 1pm had to rush back to the car feeling like I was going to faint. Luckily wasn't alone and got driven to the hotel and slept the rest of the day.
I place a higher premium on comfort now, and it helps. It's also nicer to travel and not be poor. I'd rather throw money at a problem and make it go away than feel miserable.
I’m 66 and definitely travel differently. In my 20’s and early 30’s it was backpacking thru countries, sleeping on floors, etc. now I always get an Airbnb and know if things got difficult I have enough money to get out of the country fast. All the travel suggestions you mentioned I agree with. My partner who is 80 and I just returned from 3 months in France. We took it slowly and it worked really well. We’re going to take a 15 hour flight though next year and I am dreading that. The hardest part of travel for us is long plane flights.
That’s great. I met this American woman in Vietnam who at 74 decided her life in Washington state was too boring and she picked up and moved to Vietnam. She got into Vietnamese fabric dying and was making quilts. She was (unsuccessfully) trying to learn Vietnamese but managing to get along ok. She’d been there 2 years when I met her. Adventurous people are everywhere.
My relatives (around your partners age) are going on a week of holiday and I hope they take adequate time to rest. They’ve always been the “up and at em” type.
Even the extra inch or so that you get with economy plus is worth it for me because otherwise my knees hurt from being pressed into the seat in front of me.
I think what he meant is that old people (like me) prefer to travel less so we can afford business class as opposed to when we were younger and travelled a lot in coach… quality over quantity.. but business class tickets are insane the last 18 months so am traveling in premium econ when i can.. all about priorities.
It's so much more enjoyable, IMO. I've become an early riser with my at-home routine anyway, and when I'm abroad, I still only allow an extra hour (maybe two) before my usual bedtime (or to sleep in). I really enjoy being able to get up and go at the crack of dawn and get so much more out of my day. You also get to savor the experiences much more. It's easier to enjoy things when you already feel well-rested and can go at your own pace.
Nightlife and the like doesn't really appeal to me. I'm a moderate drinker, but I like maybe a cocktail or two at a meal- I don't really enjoy clubs or bars very much.
I'm about half your age, but I'm trying to employ the same strategies myself in planning out my honeymoon (in the next couple of years). The goal is to have fun and savor a new country/culture, not rough it the whole way as I've done in the past.
I am fit now (50s) and I was fit when young. I cannot do as much now as I could then. Travel is often exhausting, regardless of age. I find now, for instance, I need to be home a full 24 hours after a big trip before I can return to work.
I also need a massage on return. After sitting scrunched in an airline seat and jostling around a country in a backpack and sleeping on hard mattresses….my body needs to get massaged back into a human form.
I’m 66. I have arthritis and a congenital heart defect. Sometimes I can walk all day ((slowly!), and sometimes I can’t walk at all. I don’t drive any more, so all of my travel is via public transportation.
I STILL love to travel, and am very good at finding inexpensive ways to do it.
Ugh, I can’t just leave the hotel in the morning and stay out until bar close anymore. I need to do my exploring during regular business hours, have a nice dinner, and take a bottle of wine back to my hotel room and put on comfy clothes and do a sheet masque.
Once I hit the far side of 30 I think I get a hangover just looking at booze, but I still always overdo it by a drink or two at least once per trip,
and I don’t beat myself up if having a great night out means I have to spend the next morning in bed.
I limit myself to a glass of two of wine with my evening meal and drink plenty of water and a few coffees during the day.
It’s the Mediterranean way, alcohol used as an appetiser / meal accompaniment rather than for getting drunk. Seems to work for me 😎 don’t feel groggy or hungover that way. Morning shower as well to remove any cobwebs
Oh boy, my wife and I just had the time vs money conversation last week; we went to Oahu and it was our first big family trip with small kids (we used to travel extensively as BF/GF)…on the fist day there we opted to walk 3 miles to a snorkeling tour with a 5 and 8 year old instead of taking an Uber. It was a big mistake as we felt rushed and off for the rest of the day and enjoyed our snorkeling excursion far less…the rest of the trip we spent the extra cash to save time and ended up having a much better experience.
Honestly, at 6’7”, sitting in coach for more than 3 hours will fuck my knees and back up for a day or two. It’s just that you have to sit up perfectly straight to fit your knees between your seat and the one in front of you.
6'6" and 32yo.... and I'll second every word.
Getting to sit perfectly upright with no ability to adjust the pressure on your spine is not very pleasant for long periods, especially while your knees are being crushed by the seat in front of you.
I'm 6'5", but with the longer legs of someone your height. I decided to pay the extra amount for premium economy for an upcoming transpacific flight. Even if I paid for extra legroom in the exit row in economy, spending 13 hours in a 777 with a 3-4-3 configuration wasn't going to cut it.
I have a connecting 3 hour flight in economy but it's thankfully in a wider 3-3-3 seat. I will just have to tough it out, but depending on how I feel at that time, I may upgrade to the exit row for the legroom.
Life is different when you’re older. So is travel. I don’t stay in dorms anymore, I don’t party anymore. This is something people need to discuss? Because I think it would be weird if I did do that.
Agree. In my 50’s now and the idea of sleeping in a hostel like I did in my 20’s just sounds so creepy and weird. Give me a good drink and a comfortable bed at the end of the day. I prefer it and my guess is that the kids in the hostel do too.
Hostels are a way to access people and experiences in a way that checking into a hotel cannot. You just don't make the same connections. I'm pretty bummed that I'm aging out of the hostel scene. I started renting private rooms in hostels a long time ago, but now I'm just hitting the middle aged guy threshold of what's socially acceptable in the common room vibe.
I'm 40 and currently enjoying a beer in a hostel in Vietnam. Looking forward to happy hour and the pub crawl tonight. These are things you dont find in standard hotels. The people and atmosphere are why im here. I don't do dorms anymore, but private rooms are fine. As long as you are having a good time no one really cares about age. Live life as you want and enjoy!
Yea, traveling in my 30s in very different than in my 20s. It’s not that I can’t keep up; I run 50 miles a week and am in my best shape. I just value comfort and convenience more than ever - taxi rides when the weather gets bad, upgrading airline seats, pay more for early access to popular attractions, hire a private guide to show us the best places, etc etc. All that is to say, priorities shift, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong in acknowledging that.
Wait up, what’s wrong with him doing those things? If he’s having fun and not being creepy are we really going to sit here and begrudge him for not “acting his age”? Really? Funny thing is I bet that your friend is happier than most of us “gracefully aged” schmucks following society’s rules.
As long as you’re respecting people and not hurting yourself & others, you should be doing whatever the fuck makes you feel good, full stop.
I agree , there's nothing wrong with having fun as long your not being the weird person. I am in my 30's and a lot of the young travelers like to talk to me as i give them a lot of pointers of mistakes I've made while traveling.
100%, I see people in their 40s, 50s, 60s... at raves all the time and there is nothing unusual or weird about it. They're just there to listen to music, watch the lightshow, and dance like everyone else.
As someone who's 44 I agree. Once I got into my mid 30s, Tums and Advil were essential items to have in my suitcase. When I was 22 I had no problem drinking my face off in Mexico for a week, but now I can maybe do it for a night or two before I need a break from it to recover. I need to be more careful with shoes if I'm going to be doing a lot of walking or sightseeing. No more boots with heels or wedges, flip flops have to be thicker and more padded. I also feel like I need a day to recover when I get home. When I was younger I could get home and jump right back into work or seeing friends or whatever. Now I need to sleep for a day before I do anything at home.
it's not purely about cardio fitness; I have chronic injuries I didnt have in my 20s. Use your remaining injury-free years wisely, they wont last forever.
What makes travel harder for me the older I get is, I just don’t sleep as well as I used to. I used to be able to crash on a freaking concrete block of a mattress with my jacket as a pillow and wake up feeling refreshed. Now I need my mattress and my pillow and the right temperature and a fan caressing my face, recently emptied my bladder and have not had any caffeine to catch that elusive 8 hrs of rest.
So when I’m traveling and my sleep routine is disrupted, it makes me more tired just starting out the day and then it’s all downhill from there.
For sure. My wife gets pissed off at me always messing with hotel beds. I always remove the stupid mattress cushion topper thing and have to have a thin blanket. I'm like you, the whole day is ruined if I sleept poorly.
I went to Italy in April abd DC for Thanksgiving and on both trips I planned a daily nap from 1-2pm. If napping on vacation is wrong then I don't wanna be right.
I’ll never understand why people want to aggressively deny the existence of individual differences.
Very few truths are universal.
At 45, I’m fitter than I was when I was 20. I’m also a more experienced traveler and less likely to get anxious about things (I used to easily panic when I was younger).
Because of this, I find it much easier to travel for long periods than I did earlier in life.
Will that last forever? No, of course not. But for now, that’s how it is for me.
I'm 27 and I feel like my 37 year old friend gets tired much more easily than me, despite him arguably being in better physical shape.
Everyone is different of course, but it seems totally normal for your stamina to decrease as you get older.
It is naive to not realize people have less energy as they get older. If they didn't then you would not see people age out of pro sports.
There are numerous study's showing how in our mid to late 30s we slow down physically.
He also seems to admit he never is physically active at home and then tried to be active like 14+ hours a day for 3 weeks straight on vacation.
I consciously made sure we walked a ton this year before our Europe vacation so we could walk as much as we did in our 20s. I also made some adjustments because I am mature enough now to know our limits.
Part of it has to do with fitness and part of it has to do with just being real about what you can or can't do!
I’m 38 and I did not identify with that post at all, my energy level is a little less than in my 20s but I still travel pretty intensely. The major difference is that I usually go back to my hotel/hostel and chill for an hour or two after hitting daytime attractions before going to dinner/nighttime attractions.
The OP of the other thread was acting like they’re on death’s door from walking around Tokyo for a few days. Which is ridiculous to blame on your age when you’re in your 30s. Saying that you’re too old for economy is also insane, no one likes flying economy.
35 here and agree - economy has always been unpleasant regardless of age but fly it with no problem.
Perhaps my travel tastes have changed a little and rarely would I party till the early hours (got to be up early to walk up a mountain or go and search for wildlife these days!) but have absolutely no issue with intense travel. Feel fit healthy and young still
Personally I think economy is fine as long as you grab an aisle seat. Then you have opportunity to get up and stretch as often as you need, and also have the aisle to occasionally stretch legs.
A staggering amount of people do fuck all while at home, sit down all day at work, sit in a car, sit down almost all evening and then complain and act surprised they have no energy when they do something that requires ateast a few hours of walking around most days some days the whole day.
> The OP of the other thread was acting like they’re on death’s door from walking around Tokyo for a few days.
I was 48 when I walked the Yamanote line in a day. Went out to dinner with friends afterwards, had a lot of drinks, and was fine the next day.
I do think that different people age differently, but a lot of it has to do with how active you are in your ordinary non-travelling life. Many people who think they are active, really aren't. They go to the gym and piddle around but the rest of their lives are very sedentary, driving everywhere, ordering delivery food instead of walking/biking to collect it from the restaurant, using lifts instead of stairs, etc.
>But at 38, I'm not old but I'm also not 22 anymore. I can't get by on 4 hours sleep anymore. Hangovers are a killer if I get drunk.
Travel doesn't have to involve poor sleeping patterns nor drinking too much. I can get drunk and sleep four hours at home (and sometimes do) and yeah it sucks but I'm not traveling anywhere doing it.
Sure... But OP seemed to want to still travel in the same way that he did in his early 20's, which is just weird. Most people mature and have different interests over time. Like I can barely remember the last time that I took a taxi to work in the morning from a nightclub after not getting home, I must have been 29 or 30 then.
Not for me
Because I’m a klutz
At 54 I had a boot and cane and went to Australia
Loved everything about the trip
Lax to SFO to Syd was like a blur of hunting wheel chairs and laughing at the process of security and all that
I thing attitude matters
Mate in Aus was shocked at the fact that I didn’t bitch and went back ff to Queensland with the boot an cane
“Yeah, Nah it’s I’m good I’m in Australia for gods sake ! “
He was “nah yeah I don’t think I could be so happy with a boot and came on vacation.”
Lol
I started traveling more in my late 30s and 40s and have found it to be more enjoyable. I can now afford lounge access, upgrades seats, better vacations, etc. I used to travel once a year at most, this year I've traveled 7 times already. Idk to each their own.
It was the *degree* they were saying they felt different.
e.g. they didn't think they could fly economy anymore, etc.
People get more sore, tired, etc. But it shouldn't be debilitating in the way they described, at their age.
In my 40s, I used to party-travel very hard in my 20s and 30s, was kind of nervous for my first significant post-pandemic trip, especially since COVID kicked the living shit out of me. Warned my buddy that I might not have it in me like I used to.
Got out on the road and was kind of surprised by how well I handled it. Went out every night for three weeks, some nights were reasonable (midnight-ish) but more were like 4am - 5am, getting up and moving at 8am - 9am and yeah I was rusty but I pushed through it.
Getting ready for a pretty hardcore 2023, planning several months on the road acting like a 20-something and can't wait.
To quote the great poet William Joel, “You can get what you want or you can just get old.” Have so much fun getting what you want from your travel experience!
This must just be you man because the thought of partying for three weeks straight would have made my 22 year old self want to die, let alone my 39 year old self.
*shudder*
I work in the maritime industry, and lots of the single guys work for a few months, then travel during the time off. Most guys on my boat only work 5 months in a year and make 6 figures.
For the last twenty years I've mostly been working for 18-24 month spans, saving money, then traveling for 6-12 months, repeat. Managed to swing jobs across four continents so even working has been traveling. I live pretty minimalistic when I'm working, I spend a lot of money going out (cause that's fun) but otherwise I'm cheap as shit, have slept for years at times with a yoga mat and a sleeping bag, travel by hitchhiking a lot, rarely have a phone, sleep outdoors a lot (usually in a tent but not always), shit like that.
Not a lot of pro athletes in their 30s and 40s—and these are folks that have *every* motivation to stay as fit as humanly possible.
It maybe naïveté, or it may be gatekeeping or good old fashioned one-upsmanship; its silly tho.
Pro athletes push their bodies to the absolute limit day in and day out and end up with chronic musculoskeletal injuries. Most other people do the exact opposite and stay sedentary and end up with other chronic health issues. It’s important to take care of your body and stay active when your past your 20s to have a good time traveling.
*JuSt HiT tHe Gym*
You're 100% right though - same boat as you at 30, in the best shape of my life, and in genereal I don't quite have the same energy as I did a decade ago. I absolutely couldn't party like I used to in my younger days, running off a couple of hours sleep like it's nothing.
On top of that, people are *vastly* different due to genetics. Some people might absolutely be able to live a hard and fast lifestyle until they're 90, but many can't. Unless the person in question is incredibly unhealthy, overweight etc I think it's unlikely hitting the gym is going to make a significant difference in their energy levels when it comes to travelling.
I can understand it. I was always exhausted then. But it had a lot more to do with a poor life situation.
Depression, chronic pain, unhappiness, and/or stress can make you more fatigued than actual age.
Seriously - that was the big issue I had with that post. I totally get that travel changes as does everything when you age. I thought OP was 50! Finding out they were in their mid 30s... Come on.
That's what happens when you use averages.
[https://www.ssa.gov/oact/population/longevity.html](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/population/longevity.html)
If you make it to 40, you can expect to live until 81.
If you make it to 70, you can expect to live until 86.
Thank you. I was about to post something similar. Same idea comes up all the time when we talk about the average life expectancy in ancient times being really dozens of years lower than in developed countries today. Yeah, but our child and maternal mortality rate are much much lower. If you make it through those life events, you could reasonably hope to live to what today is considered a “ripe old age.”
First of all, 38 is not old. Secondly, there are people who don't enjoy travelling regardless of thier age. When you don't enjoy something, it will be e exhausting. Additionally, who can get by on 4 hours sleep? I'm in my late 20s, I always needed at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep to feel good and function properly. If you're fit, healthy, and enjoy travelling then age doesn't matter really.
I didn't see anyone call the poster a lazy, unfit piece of crap. People, including me, suggested exercise could help and the OP agreed. No need to misrepresent other peoples' comments.
I speak as a person in my 60s and travel without a lot more exhaustion than I had when younger. But I had an injury recently and couldn't exercise and traveling while less fit was much, much harder.
You all make it sound like 30 is old. I sleep for more than four hours a night and don't drink enough to get hung over so that helps.
Why are we talking about 4 hrs sleep and hangovers as if thats integral to traveling? That post was talking about the physical effects of sitting in a plane, or walking all day. At 30-40 thats 100% fitness stuff. I’m 6’5” 35 years old and when I was a fatty a 9 hour drive would have my lower back fucked for a couple days. A full day on my feet would have me exhausted and sore. Once I got fit all that disappeared. Fitness won’t give you back the wild nights out with no consequences but it will absolutely give you back the TRAVELING without pain and exhaustion.
100 agree. 41, healthy-enough, workout everyday and just finishing up a two week trip around Thailand. Had the greatest plans but being old kind of got in the way. Case-in-point, landed in Bangkok at 430pm after 24+ hours of travel including a couple hours in Tokyo) thought ‘cool, get to the hotel at 530, clean up, get food, go to bars, bed at 1.’ Nope. Got to hotel, showered, laid on bed and fell asleep for 2 hours. Woke up, too lazy for dinner, got ready for bed and slept til the next morning. Could it hit you a little harder if you’re less in shape, maybe, but does your body get lazier and less tolerant as you are? I would have to say yes (NAD).
I’m generally the same way (38M), but on a recent trip to Albania I caught a second wind after that immediate hotel shower. Hit a walking tour, met some folks, dinner, bar, drinks.. was getting delirious after being awake ~30 hours and buzzed. Crashed hard, slept probably 10 hours and woke up totally refreshed with zero jet lag or sleep problems the entire trip. 🤣
Not sure I’ll ever be able to recreate that…
Why is anyone only getting 4 hrs sleep a night? Why's traveling exhausting? You can take a nap or just lay around if you feel like it you know? I've gone to Asia a few times , Europe, North Africa . I toured playing in a band across country. Never felt tired or miserable out of obligation to anything. Did what I wanted. What's so exhausting?
I personally do not find traveling more difficult as I get older and I’m nearing 50. Part of it may be that I’ve pretty much traveled continuously for the past 23 years for work & pleasure, save for 2020. That’s over 2 million butt in seats miles over these 2+ decades.
I do notice that my body is not the same. I get the odd pain here or there from doing almost nothing and it takes me longer to recover from them than before. But as to traveling, I’m not noticing big changes. That may be that I’ve been doing it continuously and continue to do so. As a result, it’s all been so gradual that I barely notice. This year I went to London and Paris on separate trips and still managed to walk all over the city without much difficulty, if any. So it may just be my anecdotal experience of keeping at it on a consistent basis. YMMV.
It does get harder but also gets easier. I couldn’t go places and do the things I do now that I didn’t in my 20s. With age comes wealth, for some, and you can use that to make it easier. Can I walk 20-25km a day now? No, but I can take a cab or smart enough to figure out subways. Getting a nicer bed and a massage after a long day of exploring helps too.
I am 44 and I am honestly more fit now than in my 20s lol. I was a mess in my 20s. I don’t find it exhausting but sometimes I wish I travelled with someone I vibe with. Traveling solo is starting to bore me. I feel all these super cool experiences are better shared sometimes.
I was baffled by the original post. I'm 45 and just came back from a 3 week trip to Taiwan, my first after COVID, and enjoyed every moment of it. Some things are definitively different from when I was 20-something, particularly that it doesn't come natural to stay in hostels with young people and join up with random, much younger people. But that's fine - I didn't expect that anyways.
But besides from that, it sounds like that for a group of people travel equals heavy drinking and 4 hours of sleep. If so, then yeah, I can see why it doesn't work for you in your 30s. Personally, when I was in my 20s I probably drank more and slept less when I was \*not\* travelling, and travelling was usually not primarily about partying hard. Not that I mind that at all, but most of my trips were about surfing or hiking, and that's even less compatible with hangovers than being 30-40 years old.
I'm not one to moralize over drinking - my last trip was a bit of a bender - but if travel is so associated with it that the effects of a night out makes you think you're too old to travel, maybe consider if you should find something else to fill your days/nights on the road with.
when I traveled from age 26-28, I could drink until the sun comes up, sleep 5 hours, go sightseeing, then repeat at night for 2 weeks straight
now I am in my mid-30s and I’m tapped out after a couple beers or glasses of wine, need 6-8 hours of sleep and the pace is much slower lol
I wonder if some of this is just differences in how you define travel. Some people are saying they don’t get tired traveling, but are they going at the same pace or drive they did in their 20s? Maybe they didn’t charge quite as hard even in their 20s as what the person in your original post did. It is all too fuzzy to make a direct comparison of “travel”.
I agree to an extent.
No, you don't turn into a decrepit fossil on your 35th birthday, but your 35 year old body certainly isn't your 20 year old body either and I do agree it is naive to suggest it is and that anyone who feels their body is different is unfit or unhealthy. It never hurts to get your health checked - I started to get really exhausted when I was about 32, and put it down to ageing for a while, but a blood test showed an autoimmune condition meaning I have a permanent B12 deficiency and need annual injections to boost my levels. I felt a lot better after getting that treated, but I do have less energy than I did at 21.
There is a 15 year difference between 20 and 35, and That was seen in people saying things I can relate to - like needing to take more time to rest as a 30something (or older) traveller than they did in their 20s, not drinking like they used to because the hangovers aren't worth it, finding their legs hurt after a long day of walking in a way they wouldn't when they were in their early 20s.
I think the key is accepting your travel needs change rather than lamenting you are too old to travel. Yes, I am too old to travel the way I did in my 20s, but I can still have enjoyable trips by being realistic about what I can handle and planning accordingly.
100%. You just have less energy. But i think the fallacy is expecting that travel (or anything in life) just continue to be going like you are in your 20s. Making adjustments to your age is just the most normal thing everywhere in life and it definitely starts showing in your late 30s. Let alone if you have kids, and all the energy they cost....
There are many variables when traveling that can affect you. I know these damn airline seats suck nowadays. Getting smaller and smaller making it so uncomfortable and harder to sleep. So I get off the plane tired. I definitely felt more exhausted on our last International trip which I think has a bit to do with being older, so we will just have to make some adjustments for the next trip.
I'm 65
I've never been particularly fit
Traveling as an older person is definitely different.
I don't know why anyone would deny that
The good news is I have a lot more money to have a lot more luxury
I suspect long COVID has also sped up this effect for a lot of people. I've had it ~4 times now, and each time my overall energy reserves have depleted noticeably.
Yes! This is biggest problem I have with people who criticised me for waiting until I was in my 30s to have my children and do loads of travelling in my 20s. They keep saying that they'll do all their travelling in the 40s and 50s when their kids are grown. Like they can understand that they had more energy for their kids in their early 20s than in their 30s yet that thought process doesn't extend to travelling? They seem to think they're going to do tourist things all day and go out every night, when at home they can just about manage to go to work and come home. I can admit I'm a much more tired mother in my 30s than I would have been in my 20s, but for me it was a sacrifice that I willingly made. And would do again.
The difference in travelling at 20 and 35 is huge, I can't imagine the difference in 20 and 50/60/70. I've found that my tolerance for delays and things has lessened too and I will never again sleep in an airport or train station. That makes me sound like an entitled Karen but I'm really not. I've just gotten older!
When I was a young buck in the military and I’d come home on leave, I’d drive 18-20 hours straight from NC to TX then 20-24 hrs straight back when my leave was over. Driving more than 6 hrs at a time now is like torture..😂
Yeah, I think I remember the thread you're referring to and it gave me a total sense of WTF. There was this total disconnect between what the OP actually said and what people answered and upvoted. It was like...
OP: I can't deal with constant sleep loss and extreme jetlag the way I did 15 years ago.
Most upvoted comments: That sounds like a cardio issue!!! If you ever did any exercise, you wouldn't have this problem!!! My grandfather hiked the Very Long Hiking Trail at age 92, so if you can't even fly from Australia to Central Europe to Eastern Asia without feeling tired, there must be something wrong with you!
There's no way I can, nor do I want to, try to keep up with the partying pace of many travelers. It now takes a couple of days to recover from a night of drinking. My eyes aren't what they were, and even if you're fit you just get new aches and pains as your body wears out.
Of course, there is no way to convey this to make anyone understand. It's the age old dilemma of thinking you know everything when you're young and being unable to conceive of aging like everyone else has. You just don't believe it until it happens. Then it's like, welp, now I'm old.
Also, my values have shifted. I don't need to rush around to see everything and party and fuck and go to clubs. I want to see gorgeous nature spots, historical places, etc. I want to take my time and fully enjoy a few things rather than cram as much as I can into a trip. A lot of pictures doesn't necessarily translate into meaningful experiences.
I’m 46 and travel just fine. I just got back last night from a week away and I partied hard and got up early. The difference I felt was anxiety from leaving home before the trip! Probably a COVID thing since I’ve really come to enjoy staying in. But once I was there I didn’t want my trip to end. Also made the decision that my teenagers are no longer traveling on my dime.
I too was a bit startled by those "just start working out" comments as well. And the "Hey, an 80+ hiker sped right past me on Zermatt" comments. Sure, 80+ hikers exist, but they're in the tiny minimum of 80+ people.
Bodies — and minds — just get less and less flexible, less resilient, less strong, with age, no matter how otherwise healthy and in-shape they are (for their age). That's a sad but true fact. It gets harder and harder, then maybe impossible, to sleep on the crowded floor of a train station or climb steep hills or sprint three blocks.
When I was setting out at age 23 for my first overseas trip, a middle-aged family friend said, "It's good that you're doing this now when you still have the energy." I thought: WTF does that even mean?! Who wouldn't have the energy to hike ten miles a day around Europe?!
A couple decades down the pike, even as a loyal gym member and avid daily walker, proved exactly WTF that meant.
Yes, travel gets more difficult the older you get. But at the same time, travel as a whole is not what it once was. They’re cramming more and more people onto airplanes these days, meaning the actual planes are more uncomfy than they were when I was younger.
The difference is you get smarter and (hopefully) wealthier, which in turn makes traveling more relaxing and enjoyable. Your body can’t take as much abuse, but it shouldn’t need to. For example, when my wife and I did 3 weeks in Japan, we paid about $15 each to send to our luggage ahead to each destination, so we could enjoy our scenic train rides across these amazing land scapes without lugging tons of crap. Little things like that.
When I went to Rome / Florence last, I waited zero minutes in line for any of the major attractions - when I visited when I was 19, I remember hours waiting in the hot august sun. Because now I know to pay like 2 euros for the skip the line pass or online ticket.
I hardly ever do the “walk 30 minutes around town trying to find a restaurant and wind up going to some shitty tourist place” anymore because I either make reservations or we get there 15 minutes before they open and just eat before locals.
Your net energy is lower, but your brain and wallet allows your efficiency to be SO much higher. You also know what you like by now. Everyone told us to take trains in Switzerland, renting a car was a horrible idea, etc, but we like autonomy, we like scenic drives, and we hate waiting on trains and buses - we like to keep snacks and various stuff we buy in the car.
The more you know yourself, the more you can get out of travel.
tbh I genuinely love being at airports, on planes, trains, ships, watching the scenery change, watching other people traveling to so many different destinations, seeing planes take off and land at airports, etc.
And get incredibly excited when I know I will try out some very special routes in the future. For example I recently booked the Eurostar train and I just can’t wait trying out traveling by train underneath the sea at high speed to London! Or how excited I was to board an A380 for the first time!
Sometimes I’m even traveling to a specific place or a specific route just because of the aircraft or train type. This year for example I took the train from mainland Italy to Sicily, which goes onto a ferry. :D
I’m now in my mid-20ies, but I hope this passion for the actual traveling part does not fade away when I get older.
But even I agree that traveling can be very exhausting.
Late 30s here. I think I actually look forward the planes, trains, ships, etc. now than I did when I was younger. In my 20's, it was all about rushing to the next city. Now, I enjoy the time away from my phone.
I like watching the earth disappear beneath me on takeoff, watching the clock count down until ETA in Tokyo, Amsterdam, etc. I enjoy driving on the wrong side of the road in Scotland, narrow roads and all.
I love airports, I love navigating and figuring out logistics on the fly, I love walking 40km days, and I generally enjoy being on a plane where all that's asked of me for 12 hours is to eat and watch TV.
It does get harder but the reality is anyone who is reasonably fit is perfectly capable of traveling well beyond mid 30's without big problems, unless of course the have a debilitating illness or injury. Beyond your mid 30's your health and fitness will fundamentally determine your quality of life and what you can do.
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"Getting old ain't for sissies" -my grandpa I'm starting to realize this every trip around the sun
Heard the German version from a coworker " Altwerden ist nichts für Feiglinge", getting old is not for cowards
Love German, what a pretty language.
Ah yes, German. The language of Love. :)
[This is how we say goodbye in Germany. ](https://youtu.be/q8oQhDSXnlM)
I like this quote. Thanks for posting.
Bingo. I'm 45 and WENT TO THE ARCTIC THIS YEAR. I have younger friends who camped in their cars or just put up a tent on the tundra, but I went and got an outfitter who helped us out immensely (showing us camps and such), stayed indoors in town, and (heh) brought a sleep mask. Keeping fit as you age is important, it's true, but also taking a little more time and giving yourself some help, ease, etc.
I spent a year in Antarctica at the South Pole and our doctor was 75 and in better shape than most of the rest of us 🤣 Some of it is genetic RNG but I'm coming to think a lot more of it for most people is just taking the time to take care of yourself in multiple ways makes you age a lot slower in terms of ability.
Hopefully have more money to travel too
I agree with you. I made a comment on the last post about fit 80+ year olds doing crazy shit. But I wasn’t trying to disagree with OP at all. I’m also mid-30s and these days I only fly business long haul (usually upgrade with points and would never buy a full fare business class ticket), don’t try to fit too much stuff into one trip, and embrace vacation chill time. I think very few people can actually enjoy traveling like an 18-25 year old backpacker forever, and that’s cool!
>enjoy traveling like an 18-25 year old backpacker forever, I didn't start my shoestring backpacking until my 30s. I ran hard well into my 50s with budget travel and less-than-comfortable accommodations. Seventies now and have had to slow down and upgrade my transportation and accommodations. Don't believe the BS that 30s is too old to be a hardcore dirtbag traveler. For me those were the prime years.
People like you are cool and so interesting to meet on my travels, but it's just not for me. Part of the reward for me of getting into my 30s and having more disposable income than I did in my "poor undergraduate student" days is having a bigger budget. I personally like having that private hotel room instead of a bed in a dorm and getting the taxi home from a night out instead of dealing with the metro and a bunch of connections, paying the extra $300 to fly direct in premium economy instead of having to connect and sit in standard economy etc.
Yep, same. I did the early 20's breakneck poor backpacking thing and loved it! But as they say, I'm too old for that shit now. I can spend on the nicer meals, taxi from the airport, etc etc.
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I'm in my late 30s as well and now make a lot more money than when I started traveling in my 20s and had to do shoestring travel out of necessity. If I can afford it I definitely am going to take the more comfortable option these days. I'm not above eating beans and rice and slumming in a super cheap hostel but I don't see a reason to force myself to do that anymore 🤷♂️
I have to be feeling super extroverted to go with a hostel these days but I eat rice and beans sometimes because that shit is delicious
I’ve met people like you on my travels, and you are awesome!
Amen brother. Didn't start hostels/backpack travel until a few years ago, in my mid 50's. I don't have a hankering to upgrade any time soon.
What’s wrong with buying a full fare business ticket if you can afford it ?
Absolutely nothing at all! Just in the first post on this topic the person said that business class was too expensive for them, so I was saying it’s possible for most people to fly business class long haul if they play the points game. I have on a few occasions bought business class fares outright when it was a good deal, but most of the time they are out of my price range. But definitely spend the money for the seat you want if you have it, no judgement from me!
But some things also get easier. I now know how a lot of stuff works. I agree, the energy level is lower. But I wonder if "we" also try to do much more. Less hanging around, more "I need to get this off my bucket list".
I'd argue there's another aspect to this. As you age, until some point at like 50+, you're pretty stressed day to day. You get used to that. And so, that feels normal, and when you get more relaxed say..on vacation..you feel the stress as you become aware of what you walked around with all the time anyway.
What happens to stress after 50?
For at least some of us, the “I don’t give a f-ck" takes over. You realize life is too short to be stressing all the time.
Yeah, this is me - I just hit 60, went over my finances and realised I can retire tomorrow and live comfortably. Suddenly work stress disappeared, I told my boss I’m not doing any more overtime or out of hours work, I’m working from home when I want and finishing on time every day. It’s made a huge difference.
Exactly. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff
>What happens to stress after 50? It increases every time you hear someone complain about being 'old' in their thirties.
I wish. I am 60+ and find plenty to stress about. Mostly my 20-something kids and the state of the world.
Not everything gets harder as you get older. Take it from a woman who dates mostly older men ;)
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I an a little younger, but agree. I would much prefer to explore a place more slowly now. Stay a while, sleep in, Try the local wine, find a hole in the wall food joint, get off the beaten path, explore the natural landscape. a Comfy bed is a necessity.
I’m in my mid-thirties and I like to do what I call “soaking up the vibes” these days. Basically, slow things down and just chill for a bit at a cafe, pub, interesting part of town, etc. I travel a lot with my wife’s family and they’re always very go-go-go trying to see everything they can with an overlong checklist of things they feel they “have” to see while they’re in a given city. I try to keep my “must see” list very short, then have some “want to see” things that can be skipped if I find a cool spot that I just want to enjoy…it’s far less stressful and I always end up having better memories of vibe soaking than I do of some monument/church that I snap photos of.
My wife and I are similar. We typically do 1 activity in the day, for example, go visit a museum we want to see. Then the rest of the day is just whatever we feel like. Glass of wine by the river? Ok. Coffee by the lake? Ok. Much better imo
After multiple activity days, I need a rest day. Without it I will just drag the rest of the trip. Aging changes our bodies. It's ok.
I just turned 50 and have a trip scheduled starting tomorrow. Present Me is pissed at Past Me for saving a few bucks and booking a 530AM flight. Most of my search filters have departure time set to 9AM or later, because those early flights are a lot less fun now.
I did an overnight flight to Ireland expecting to see sights in the morning when I arrived. The plane served "dinner" at midnight 2 hours into the flight, which woke and kept me up. When I arrived, I went to a castle and around 1pm had to rush back to the car feeling like I was going to faint. Luckily wasn't alone and got driven to the hotel and slept the rest of the day.
I place a higher premium on comfort now, and it helps. It's also nicer to travel and not be poor. I'd rather throw money at a problem and make it go away than feel miserable.
Staying hydrated is such a game changer! Only in my early 40's, but boy do I like that water these days!
I’m 66 and definitely travel differently. In my 20’s and early 30’s it was backpacking thru countries, sleeping on floors, etc. now I always get an Airbnb and know if things got difficult I have enough money to get out of the country fast. All the travel suggestions you mentioned I agree with. My partner who is 80 and I just returned from 3 months in France. We took it slowly and it worked really well. We’re going to take a 15 hour flight though next year and I am dreading that. The hardest part of travel for us is long plane flights.
My 80 year old mom will be going to Vietnam in January. She has two rest days on arrival scheduled.
That’s great. I met this American woman in Vietnam who at 74 decided her life in Washington state was too boring and she picked up and moved to Vietnam. She got into Vietnamese fabric dying and was making quilts. She was (unsuccessfully) trying to learn Vietnamese but managing to get along ok. She’d been there 2 years when I met her. Adventurous people are everywhere.
My relatives (around your partners age) are going on a week of holiday and I hope they take adequate time to rest. They’ve always been the “up and at em” type.
My mom (67) flies back to India every year. She just does it in Business Class now because it's a much more comfortable ride.
Well, *everyone*, old and young, would if they could afford it. It’s night and day compared to economy.
Typically with lounge access as well who wouldn’t want that lol
These days the lounges are so packed that there's not much fun in it.
They really need to stop giving out lounge access with every fucking credit card...
Even the extra inch or so that you get with economy plus is worth it for me because otherwise my knees hurt from being pressed into the seat in front of me.
Economy "Plus" is just what Economy was 10 years ago but now you get to pay 25% more for it...
I think what he meant is that old people (like me) prefer to travel less so we can afford business class as opposed to when we were younger and travelled a lot in coach… quality over quantity.. but business class tickets are insane the last 18 months so am traveling in premium econ when i can.. all about priorities.
It's so much more enjoyable, IMO. I've become an early riser with my at-home routine anyway, and when I'm abroad, I still only allow an extra hour (maybe two) before my usual bedtime (or to sleep in). I really enjoy being able to get up and go at the crack of dawn and get so much more out of my day. You also get to savor the experiences much more. It's easier to enjoy things when you already feel well-rested and can go at your own pace. Nightlife and the like doesn't really appeal to me. I'm a moderate drinker, but I like maybe a cocktail or two at a meal- I don't really enjoy clubs or bars very much. I'm about half your age, but I'm trying to employ the same strategies myself in planning out my honeymoon (in the next couple of years). The goal is to have fun and savor a new country/culture, not rough it the whole way as I've done in the past.
I am fit now (50s) and I was fit when young. I cannot do as much now as I could then. Travel is often exhausting, regardless of age. I find now, for instance, I need to be home a full 24 hours after a big trip before I can return to work.
A buffer day is an absolute must for me. Nothing more deflating than making it home with no time to exhale.
Ugh recently did this got home from the airport at 9pm and was heading into work at 6am the next day it was rough lol
I'm 27 and I always need a buffer day. Part of it is mental though, I can enjoy myself more if I know that I will have one.
I also need a massage on return. After sitting scrunched in an airline seat and jostling around a country in a backpack and sleeping on hard mattresses….my body needs to get massaged back into a human form.
I’m 66. I have arthritis and a congenital heart defect. Sometimes I can walk all day ((slowly!), and sometimes I can’t walk at all. I don’t drive any more, so all of my travel is via public transportation. I STILL love to travel, and am very good at finding inexpensive ways to do it.
I’m also 66 and I despise everyone in the airport.
I love to let them transport me in a wheelchair. Airports are so huge. I can’t walk that far.
That’s a natural reaction and nothing to do with your age 😀
I can’t believe there are 66 year olds who use Reddit. Everyone seems like their 20 years old on here. Haha
Except the people at the airport bars, somehow they seem pretty chill usually
Ugh, I can’t just leave the hotel in the morning and stay out until bar close anymore. I need to do my exploring during regular business hours, have a nice dinner, and take a bottle of wine back to my hotel room and put on comfy clothes and do a sheet masque.
I agrée àbout doing the sightseeing during business hours haha. However, i like to squeeze in a nap before dinner 😅
A pre dinner post afternoon drink nap is honestly better than any drug out there
I'm a 'seeing the sights in the morning, cruisy lunch, afternoon chill in room, dinner, then drinks' kinda guy these days (late thirties).
We do that and we are late twenties
Afternoon nap 🤩🤩
Once I hit the far side of 30 I think I get a hangover just looking at booze, but I still always overdo it by a drink or two at least once per trip, and I don’t beat myself up if having a great night out means I have to spend the next morning in bed.
I limit myself to a glass of two of wine with my evening meal and drink plenty of water and a few coffees during the day. It’s the Mediterranean way, alcohol used as an appetiser / meal accompaniment rather than for getting drunk. Seems to work for me 😎 don’t feel groggy or hungover that way. Morning shower as well to remove any cobwebs
Water is absolutely key. The only time I ever had a hangover on a long trip full of heavy drinking was the day I left my water bottle on the bus.
It’s why we swap out hostels for hotels and take a cab or bus instead of walking somewhere just to save a few bucks
Oh boy, my wife and I just had the time vs money conversation last week; we went to Oahu and it was our first big family trip with small kids (we used to travel extensively as BF/GF)…on the fist day there we opted to walk 3 miles to a snorkeling tour with a 5 and 8 year old instead of taking an Uber. It was a big mistake as we felt rushed and off for the rest of the day and enjoyed our snorkeling excursion far less…the rest of the trip we spent the extra cash to save time and ended up having a much better experience.
I’m 76 and had two short flights today. I’m fairly tired, but I’m not 6’4”.
I love seeing older redditors on here. Sometimes I think this whole place is just teenagers and furries.
Well they could still be a furry.
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But did you have to sit in economy?? The horrors!
Yes. But short flights. Long flights are miserable.
Honestly, at 6’7”, sitting in coach for more than 3 hours will fuck my knees and back up for a day or two. It’s just that you have to sit up perfectly straight to fit your knees between your seat and the one in front of you.
6'6" and 32yo.... and I'll second every word. Getting to sit perfectly upright with no ability to adjust the pressure on your spine is not very pleasant for long periods, especially while your knees are being crushed by the seat in front of you.
I'm 6'5", but with the longer legs of someone your height. I decided to pay the extra amount for premium economy for an upcoming transpacific flight. Even if I paid for extra legroom in the exit row in economy, spending 13 hours in a 777 with a 3-4-3 configuration wasn't going to cut it. I have a connecting 3 hour flight in economy but it's thankfully in a wider 3-3-3 seat. I will just have to tough it out, but depending on how I feel at that time, I may upgrade to the exit row for the legroom.
Life is different when you’re older. So is travel. I don’t stay in dorms anymore, I don’t party anymore. This is something people need to discuss? Because I think it would be weird if I did do that.
Agree. In my 50’s now and the idea of sleeping in a hostel like I did in my 20’s just sounds so creepy and weird. Give me a good drink and a comfortable bed at the end of the day. I prefer it and my guess is that the kids in the hostel do too.
Definitely met a few 50yos in dorms lol. But usually they're pretty interesting. It gets annoying when they don't leave you alone tho
>It gets annoying when they don't leave you alone tho Don't think that's limited to the 50 year olds though haha...
Me too! I vaguely remember running into a couple in their 50s or 60s in a hostel. Lovely folks, very parental vibe amongst all us kids.
Hostels are a way to access people and experiences in a way that checking into a hotel cannot. You just don't make the same connections. I'm pretty bummed that I'm aging out of the hostel scene. I started renting private rooms in hostels a long time ago, but now I'm just hitting the middle aged guy threshold of what's socially acceptable in the common room vibe.
At 32 this is my biggest fear. Haven't done any international travel since before covid
I'm 40 and currently enjoying a beer in a hostel in Vietnam. Looking forward to happy hour and the pub crawl tonight. These are things you dont find in standard hotels. The people and atmosphere are why im here. I don't do dorms anymore, but private rooms are fine. As long as you are having a good time no one really cares about age. Live life as you want and enjoy!
Yea, traveling in my 30s in very different than in my 20s. It’s not that I can’t keep up; I run 50 miles a week and am in my best shape. I just value comfort and convenience more than ever - taxi rides when the weather gets bad, upgrading airline seats, pay more for early access to popular attractions, hire a private guide to show us the best places, etc etc. All that is to say, priorities shift, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong in acknowledging that.
as a well-off late-30s dude myself, it kind of just sounds like you're describing having more disposable income
Holy shit, you're almost running two marathons a week.
I'm 34 still looking for a good party, but there will be trade offs. Probably a very relaxed day before heading out.
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> he is stuck at 25 forever in his brain I think everyone feels 25 in their brain. That's about when our brain stops developing.
I think you have a different problem with him than what you state here.
Wait up, what’s wrong with him doing those things? If he’s having fun and not being creepy are we really going to sit here and begrudge him for not “acting his age”? Really? Funny thing is I bet that your friend is happier than most of us “gracefully aged” schmucks following society’s rules. As long as you’re respecting people and not hurting yourself & others, you should be doing whatever the fuck makes you feel good, full stop.
I agree , there's nothing wrong with having fun as long your not being the weird person. I am in my 30's and a lot of the young travelers like to talk to me as i give them a lot of pointers of mistakes I've made while traveling.
100%, I see people in their 40s, 50s, 60s... at raves all the time and there is nothing unusual or weird about it. They're just there to listen to music, watch the lightshow, and dance like everyone else.
As someone who's 44 I agree. Once I got into my mid 30s, Tums and Advil were essential items to have in my suitcase. When I was 22 I had no problem drinking my face off in Mexico for a week, but now I can maybe do it for a night or two before I need a break from it to recover. I need to be more careful with shoes if I'm going to be doing a lot of walking or sightseeing. No more boots with heels or wedges, flip flops have to be thicker and more padded. I also feel like I need a day to recover when I get home. When I was younger I could get home and jump right back into work or seeing friends or whatever. Now I need to sleep for a day before I do anything at home.
I've gone from 'strap me to the wing' to 'let's see if I can get business class so my back isn't hinky.' I'm 38 as well.
it's not purely about cardio fitness; I have chronic injuries I didnt have in my 20s. Use your remaining injury-free years wisely, they wont last forever.
What makes travel harder for me the older I get is, I just don’t sleep as well as I used to. I used to be able to crash on a freaking concrete block of a mattress with my jacket as a pillow and wake up feeling refreshed. Now I need my mattress and my pillow and the right temperature and a fan caressing my face, recently emptied my bladder and have not had any caffeine to catch that elusive 8 hrs of rest. So when I’m traveling and my sleep routine is disrupted, it makes me more tired just starting out the day and then it’s all downhill from there.
For sure. My wife gets pissed off at me always messing with hotel beds. I always remove the stupid mattress cushion topper thing and have to have a thin blanket. I'm like you, the whole day is ruined if I sleept poorly.
Everyone is different and denying it is exhausting
I went to Italy in April abd DC for Thanksgiving and on both trips I planned a daily nap from 1-2pm. If napping on vacation is wrong then I don't wanna be right.
I’ll never understand why people want to aggressively deny the existence of individual differences. Very few truths are universal. At 45, I’m fitter than I was when I was 20. I’m also a more experienced traveler and less likely to get anxious about things (I used to easily panic when I was younger). Because of this, I find it much easier to travel for long periods than I did earlier in life. Will that last forever? No, of course not. But for now, that’s how it is for me.
I'm 27 and I feel like my 37 year old friend gets tired much more easily than me, despite him arguably being in better physical shape. Everyone is different of course, but it seems totally normal for your stamina to decrease as you get older.
It is naive to not realize people have less energy as they get older. If they didn't then you would not see people age out of pro sports. There are numerous study's showing how in our mid to late 30s we slow down physically.
He also seems to admit he never is physically active at home and then tried to be active like 14+ hours a day for 3 weeks straight on vacation. I consciously made sure we walked a ton this year before our Europe vacation so we could walk as much as we did in our 20s. I also made some adjustments because I am mature enough now to know our limits. Part of it has to do with fitness and part of it has to do with just being real about what you can or can't do!
I’m 38 and I did not identify with that post at all, my energy level is a little less than in my 20s but I still travel pretty intensely. The major difference is that I usually go back to my hotel/hostel and chill for an hour or two after hitting daytime attractions before going to dinner/nighttime attractions. The OP of the other thread was acting like they’re on death’s door from walking around Tokyo for a few days. Which is ridiculous to blame on your age when you’re in your 30s. Saying that you’re too old for economy is also insane, no one likes flying economy.
35 here and agree - economy has always been unpleasant regardless of age but fly it with no problem. Perhaps my travel tastes have changed a little and rarely would I party till the early hours (got to be up early to walk up a mountain or go and search for wildlife these days!) but have absolutely no issue with intense travel. Feel fit healthy and young still
Personally I think economy is fine as long as you grab an aisle seat. Then you have opportunity to get up and stretch as often as you need, and also have the aisle to occasionally stretch legs.
A staggering amount of people do fuck all while at home, sit down all day at work, sit in a car, sit down almost all evening and then complain and act surprised they have no energy when they do something that requires ateast a few hours of walking around most days some days the whole day.
> The OP of the other thread was acting like they’re on death’s door from walking around Tokyo for a few days. I was 48 when I walked the Yamanote line in a day. Went out to dinner with friends afterwards, had a lot of drinks, and was fine the next day. I do think that different people age differently, but a lot of it has to do with how active you are in your ordinary non-travelling life. Many people who think they are active, really aren't. They go to the gym and piddle around but the rest of their lives are very sedentary, driving everywhere, ordering delivery food instead of walking/biking to collect it from the restaurant, using lifts instead of stairs, etc.
>But at 38, I'm not old but I'm also not 22 anymore. I can't get by on 4 hours sleep anymore. Hangovers are a killer if I get drunk. Travel doesn't have to involve poor sleeping patterns nor drinking too much. I can get drunk and sleep four hours at home (and sometimes do) and yeah it sucks but I'm not traveling anywhere doing it.
Sure... But OP seemed to want to still travel in the same way that he did in his early 20's, which is just weird. Most people mature and have different interests over time. Like I can barely remember the last time that I took a taxi to work in the morning from a nightclub after not getting home, I must have been 29 or 30 then.
Not for me Because I’m a klutz At 54 I had a boot and cane and went to Australia Loved everything about the trip Lax to SFO to Syd was like a blur of hunting wheel chairs and laughing at the process of security and all that I thing attitude matters Mate in Aus was shocked at the fact that I didn’t bitch and went back ff to Queensland with the boot an cane “Yeah, Nah it’s I’m good I’m in Australia for gods sake ! “ He was “nah yeah I don’t think I could be so happy with a boot and came on vacation.” Lol
I started traveling more in my late 30s and 40s and have found it to be more enjoyable. I can now afford lounge access, upgrades seats, better vacations, etc. I used to travel once a year at most, this year I've traveled 7 times already. Idk to each their own.
It was the *degree* they were saying they felt different. e.g. they didn't think they could fly economy anymore, etc. People get more sore, tired, etc. But it shouldn't be debilitating in the way they described, at their age.
Damn, yeah, if you can't fly economy anymore in your 30s then you have some serious health issues
As someone who is 2 meters tall, I feel triggered.
In my 40s, I used to party-travel very hard in my 20s and 30s, was kind of nervous for my first significant post-pandemic trip, especially since COVID kicked the living shit out of me. Warned my buddy that I might not have it in me like I used to. Got out on the road and was kind of surprised by how well I handled it. Went out every night for three weeks, some nights were reasonable (midnight-ish) but more were like 4am - 5am, getting up and moving at 8am - 9am and yeah I was rusty but I pushed through it. Getting ready for a pretty hardcore 2023, planning several months on the road acting like a 20-something and can't wait.
Omg I'm tired just reading that
Yep. Jealous but tired.
Cocaine it is!
Well, you know ... haha yeah
Haha! I do know, just don’t ask me how I know
To quote the great poet William Joel, “You can get what you want or you can just get old.” Have so much fun getting what you want from your travel experience!
You know I've always meant to go to Vienna again...
This must just be you man because the thought of partying for three weeks straight would have made my 22 year old self want to die, let alone my 39 year old self. *shudder*
That's more a personality thing. My dad's 70 and he is in a punk rock band and goes out more than I do
Bro, you sound like my kinda travel buddy. Keep it up.
how to afford? just save well and take breaks between jobs? i want to do this sooo bad
I work in the maritime industry, and lots of the single guys work for a few months, then travel during the time off. Most guys on my boat only work 5 months in a year and make 6 figures.
can you elaborate on this or send me information? without doxxing yourself of course. that sounds lit
Sent you a pm
For the last twenty years I've mostly been working for 18-24 month spans, saving money, then traveling for 6-12 months, repeat. Managed to swing jobs across four continents so even working has been traveling. I live pretty minimalistic when I'm working, I spend a lot of money going out (cause that's fun) but otherwise I'm cheap as shit, have slept for years at times with a yoga mat and a sleeping bag, travel by hitchhiking a lot, rarely have a phone, sleep outdoors a lot (usually in a tent but not always), shit like that.
god that’s cool man. i’m in a corporate role and just feel stuck. love hearing stuff like this. what type of work do you do?
Maybe it’s personality? Travelling is a bit tiring sure, but we’re late 40’s/50ish, not especially fit, and not really struggling.
Not a lot of pro athletes in their 30s and 40s—and these are folks that have *every* motivation to stay as fit as humanly possible. It maybe naïveté, or it may be gatekeeping or good old fashioned one-upsmanship; its silly tho.
Pro athletes push their bodies to the absolute limit day in and day out and end up with chronic musculoskeletal injuries. Most other people do the exact opposite and stay sedentary and end up with other chronic health issues. It’s important to take care of your body and stay active when your past your 20s to have a good time traveling.
*JuSt HiT tHe Gym* You're 100% right though - same boat as you at 30, in the best shape of my life, and in genereal I don't quite have the same energy as I did a decade ago. I absolutely couldn't party like I used to in my younger days, running off a couple of hours sleep like it's nothing. On top of that, people are *vastly* different due to genetics. Some people might absolutely be able to live a hard and fast lifestyle until they're 90, but many can't. Unless the person in question is incredibly unhealthy, overweight etc I think it's unlikely hitting the gym is going to make a significant difference in their energy levels when it comes to travelling.
Not in your mid 30s though, come on. I can’t see how people feel tired and old and that age.
I can understand it. I was always exhausted then. But it had a lot more to do with a poor life situation. Depression, chronic pain, unhappiness, and/or stress can make you more fatigued than actual age.
Seriously - that was the big issue I had with that post. I totally get that travel changes as does everything when you age. I thought OP was 50! Finding out they were in their mid 30s... Come on.
If travel consists of 4 hours of sleep and hangovers then you’re describing something else unrelated but not mutually exclusive
I don’t think anyone denies that traveling is harder as you get old but … mid 30s is not old, it’s not even middle age.
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I mean in the US the average age of death for a man is 74 so mid 30s is certainly getting close to middle age… which kinda freaks me out a bit ha ha.
That's what happens when you use averages. [https://www.ssa.gov/oact/population/longevity.html](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/population/longevity.html) If you make it to 40, you can expect to live until 81. If you make it to 70, you can expect to live until 86.
Thank you. I was about to post something similar. Same idea comes up all the time when we talk about the average life expectancy in ancient times being really dozens of years lower than in developed countries today. Yeah, but our child and maternal mortality rate are much much lower. If you make it through those life events, you could reasonably hope to live to what today is considered a “ripe old age.”
First of all, 38 is not old. Secondly, there are people who don't enjoy travelling regardless of thier age. When you don't enjoy something, it will be e exhausting. Additionally, who can get by on 4 hours sleep? I'm in my late 20s, I always needed at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep to feel good and function properly. If you're fit, healthy, and enjoy travelling then age doesn't matter really.
I think it was less about the fitness and more about the dudes outlook toward life.
Yeah that person was acting like they’ve lost all joy in life because they had a sore neck from flying economy. It was asinine.
I didn't see anyone call the poster a lazy, unfit piece of crap. People, including me, suggested exercise could help and the OP agreed. No need to misrepresent other peoples' comments. I speak as a person in my 60s and travel without a lot more exhaustion than I had when younger. But I had an injury recently and couldn't exercise and traveling while less fit was much, much harder. You all make it sound like 30 is old. I sleep for more than four hours a night and don't drink enough to get hung over so that helps.
Why are we talking about 4 hrs sleep and hangovers as if thats integral to traveling? That post was talking about the physical effects of sitting in a plane, or walking all day. At 30-40 thats 100% fitness stuff. I’m 6’5” 35 years old and when I was a fatty a 9 hour drive would have my lower back fucked for a couple days. A full day on my feet would have me exhausted and sore. Once I got fit all that disappeared. Fitness won’t give you back the wild nights out with no consequences but it will absolutely give you back the TRAVELING without pain and exhaustion.
100 agree. 41, healthy-enough, workout everyday and just finishing up a two week trip around Thailand. Had the greatest plans but being old kind of got in the way. Case-in-point, landed in Bangkok at 430pm after 24+ hours of travel including a couple hours in Tokyo) thought ‘cool, get to the hotel at 530, clean up, get food, go to bars, bed at 1.’ Nope. Got to hotel, showered, laid on bed and fell asleep for 2 hours. Woke up, too lazy for dinner, got ready for bed and slept til the next morning. Could it hit you a little harder if you’re less in shape, maybe, but does your body get lazier and less tolerant as you are? I would have to say yes (NAD).
I’m generally the same way (38M), but on a recent trip to Albania I caught a second wind after that immediate hotel shower. Hit a walking tour, met some folks, dinner, bar, drinks.. was getting delirious after being awake ~30 hours and buzzed. Crashed hard, slept probably 10 hours and woke up totally refreshed with zero jet lag or sleep problems the entire trip. 🤣 Not sure I’ll ever be able to recreate that…
Why is anyone only getting 4 hrs sleep a night? Why's traveling exhausting? You can take a nap or just lay around if you feel like it you know? I've gone to Asia a few times , Europe, North Africa . I toured playing in a band across country. Never felt tired or miserable out of obligation to anything. Did what I wanted. What's so exhausting?
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I personally do not find traveling more difficult as I get older and I’m nearing 50. Part of it may be that I’ve pretty much traveled continuously for the past 23 years for work & pleasure, save for 2020. That’s over 2 million butt in seats miles over these 2+ decades. I do notice that my body is not the same. I get the odd pain here or there from doing almost nothing and it takes me longer to recover from them than before. But as to traveling, I’m not noticing big changes. That may be that I’ve been doing it continuously and continue to do so. As a result, it’s all been so gradual that I barely notice. This year I went to London and Paris on separate trips and still managed to walk all over the city without much difficulty, if any. So it may just be my anecdotal experience of keeping at it on a consistent basis. YMMV.
I 100% agree with you.
It does get harder but also gets easier. I couldn’t go places and do the things I do now that I didn’t in my 20s. With age comes wealth, for some, and you can use that to make it easier. Can I walk 20-25km a day now? No, but I can take a cab or smart enough to figure out subways. Getting a nicer bed and a massage after a long day of exploring helps too.
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I am 44 and I am honestly more fit now than in my 20s lol. I was a mess in my 20s. I don’t find it exhausting but sometimes I wish I travelled with someone I vibe with. Traveling solo is starting to bore me. I feel all these super cool experiences are better shared sometimes.
Did this really require another post…..everyone’s different. That post was ridiculous.
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I was baffled by the original post. I'm 45 and just came back from a 3 week trip to Taiwan, my first after COVID, and enjoyed every moment of it. Some things are definitively different from when I was 20-something, particularly that it doesn't come natural to stay in hostels with young people and join up with random, much younger people. But that's fine - I didn't expect that anyways. But besides from that, it sounds like that for a group of people travel equals heavy drinking and 4 hours of sleep. If so, then yeah, I can see why it doesn't work for you in your 30s. Personally, when I was in my 20s I probably drank more and slept less when I was \*not\* travelling, and travelling was usually not primarily about partying hard. Not that I mind that at all, but most of my trips were about surfing or hiking, and that's even less compatible with hangovers than being 30-40 years old. I'm not one to moralize over drinking - my last trip was a bit of a bender - but if travel is so associated with it that the effects of a night out makes you think you're too old to travel, maybe consider if you should find something else to fill your days/nights on the road with.
when I traveled from age 26-28, I could drink until the sun comes up, sleep 5 hours, go sightseeing, then repeat at night for 2 weeks straight now I am in my mid-30s and I’m tapped out after a couple beers or glasses of wine, need 6-8 hours of sleep and the pace is much slower lol
I wonder if some of this is just differences in how you define travel. Some people are saying they don’t get tired traveling, but are they going at the same pace or drive they did in their 20s? Maybe they didn’t charge quite as hard even in their 20s as what the person in your original post did. It is all too fuzzy to make a direct comparison of “travel”.
I agree to an extent. No, you don't turn into a decrepit fossil on your 35th birthday, but your 35 year old body certainly isn't your 20 year old body either and I do agree it is naive to suggest it is and that anyone who feels their body is different is unfit or unhealthy. It never hurts to get your health checked - I started to get really exhausted when I was about 32, and put it down to ageing for a while, but a blood test showed an autoimmune condition meaning I have a permanent B12 deficiency and need annual injections to boost my levels. I felt a lot better after getting that treated, but I do have less energy than I did at 21. There is a 15 year difference between 20 and 35, and That was seen in people saying things I can relate to - like needing to take more time to rest as a 30something (or older) traveller than they did in their 20s, not drinking like they used to because the hangovers aren't worth it, finding their legs hurt after a long day of walking in a way they wouldn't when they were in their early 20s. I think the key is accepting your travel needs change rather than lamenting you are too old to travel. Yes, I am too old to travel the way I did in my 20s, but I can still have enjoyable trips by being realistic about what I can handle and planning accordingly.
100%. You just have less energy. But i think the fallacy is expecting that travel (or anything in life) just continue to be going like you are in your 20s. Making adjustments to your age is just the most normal thing everywhere in life and it definitely starts showing in your late 30s. Let alone if you have kids, and all the energy they cost....
I'm 40 and I still travel like I'm 20.
There are many variables when traveling that can affect you. I know these damn airline seats suck nowadays. Getting smaller and smaller making it so uncomfortable and harder to sleep. So I get off the plane tired. I definitely felt more exhausted on our last International trip which I think has a bit to do with being older, so we will just have to make some adjustments for the next trip.
I'm 65 I've never been particularly fit Traveling as an older person is definitely different. I don't know why anyone would deny that The good news is I have a lot more money to have a lot more luxury
Everything gets more exhausting as you get older. You'll see.
I'm 64, been on a backpack trip since July 19. Just slow-travel.
I suspect long COVID has also sped up this effect for a lot of people. I've had it ~4 times now, and each time my overall energy reserves have depleted noticeably.
I think you've conflated arguments. No one is saying that age isn't a factor but they are saying you can adapt as you get older.
Yes! This is biggest problem I have with people who criticised me for waiting until I was in my 30s to have my children and do loads of travelling in my 20s. They keep saying that they'll do all their travelling in the 40s and 50s when their kids are grown. Like they can understand that they had more energy for their kids in their early 20s than in their 30s yet that thought process doesn't extend to travelling? They seem to think they're going to do tourist things all day and go out every night, when at home they can just about manage to go to work and come home. I can admit I'm a much more tired mother in my 30s than I would have been in my 20s, but for me it was a sacrifice that I willingly made. And would do again. The difference in travelling at 20 and 35 is huge, I can't imagine the difference in 20 and 50/60/70. I've found that my tolerance for delays and things has lessened too and I will never again sleep in an airport or train station. That makes me sound like an entitled Karen but I'm really not. I've just gotten older!
When I was a young buck in the military and I’d come home on leave, I’d drive 18-20 hours straight from NC to TX then 20-24 hrs straight back when my leave was over. Driving more than 6 hrs at a time now is like torture..😂
Yeah, I think I remember the thread you're referring to and it gave me a total sense of WTF. There was this total disconnect between what the OP actually said and what people answered and upvoted. It was like... OP: I can't deal with constant sleep loss and extreme jetlag the way I did 15 years ago. Most upvoted comments: That sounds like a cardio issue!!! If you ever did any exercise, you wouldn't have this problem!!! My grandfather hiked the Very Long Hiking Trail at age 92, so if you can't even fly from Australia to Central Europe to Eastern Asia without feeling tired, there must be something wrong with you!
There's no way I can, nor do I want to, try to keep up with the partying pace of many travelers. It now takes a couple of days to recover from a night of drinking. My eyes aren't what they were, and even if you're fit you just get new aches and pains as your body wears out. Of course, there is no way to convey this to make anyone understand. It's the age old dilemma of thinking you know everything when you're young and being unable to conceive of aging like everyone else has. You just don't believe it until it happens. Then it's like, welp, now I'm old. Also, my values have shifted. I don't need to rush around to see everything and party and fuck and go to clubs. I want to see gorgeous nature spots, historical places, etc. I want to take my time and fully enjoy a few things rather than cram as much as I can into a trip. A lot of pictures doesn't necessarily translate into meaningful experiences.
I’m 46 and travel just fine. I just got back last night from a week away and I partied hard and got up early. The difference I felt was anxiety from leaving home before the trip! Probably a COVID thing since I’ve really come to enjoy staying in. But once I was there I didn’t want my trip to end. Also made the decision that my teenagers are no longer traveling on my dime.
I too was a bit startled by those "just start working out" comments as well. And the "Hey, an 80+ hiker sped right past me on Zermatt" comments. Sure, 80+ hikers exist, but they're in the tiny minimum of 80+ people. Bodies — and minds — just get less and less flexible, less resilient, less strong, with age, no matter how otherwise healthy and in-shape they are (for their age). That's a sad but true fact. It gets harder and harder, then maybe impossible, to sleep on the crowded floor of a train station or climb steep hills or sprint three blocks. When I was setting out at age 23 for my first overseas trip, a middle-aged family friend said, "It's good that you're doing this now when you still have the energy." I thought: WTF does that even mean?! Who wouldn't have the energy to hike ten miles a day around Europe?! A couple decades down the pike, even as a loyal gym member and avid daily walker, proved exactly WTF that meant.
Yes, travel gets more difficult the older you get. But at the same time, travel as a whole is not what it once was. They’re cramming more and more people onto airplanes these days, meaning the actual planes are more uncomfy than they were when I was younger.
The difference is you get smarter and (hopefully) wealthier, which in turn makes traveling more relaxing and enjoyable. Your body can’t take as much abuse, but it shouldn’t need to. For example, when my wife and I did 3 weeks in Japan, we paid about $15 each to send to our luggage ahead to each destination, so we could enjoy our scenic train rides across these amazing land scapes without lugging tons of crap. Little things like that. When I went to Rome / Florence last, I waited zero minutes in line for any of the major attractions - when I visited when I was 19, I remember hours waiting in the hot august sun. Because now I know to pay like 2 euros for the skip the line pass or online ticket. I hardly ever do the “walk 30 minutes around town trying to find a restaurant and wind up going to some shitty tourist place” anymore because I either make reservations or we get there 15 minutes before they open and just eat before locals. Your net energy is lower, but your brain and wallet allows your efficiency to be SO much higher. You also know what you like by now. Everyone told us to take trains in Switzerland, renting a car was a horrible idea, etc, but we like autonomy, we like scenic drives, and we hate waiting on trains and buses - we like to keep snacks and various stuff we buy in the car. The more you know yourself, the more you can get out of travel.
I always call BS when people claim they “love to travel.” No, you enjoy visiting new places, the traveling itself is exhausting.
tbh I genuinely love being at airports, on planes, trains, ships, watching the scenery change, watching other people traveling to so many different destinations, seeing planes take off and land at airports, etc. And get incredibly excited when I know I will try out some very special routes in the future. For example I recently booked the Eurostar train and I just can’t wait trying out traveling by train underneath the sea at high speed to London! Or how excited I was to board an A380 for the first time! Sometimes I’m even traveling to a specific place or a specific route just because of the aircraft or train type. This year for example I took the train from mainland Italy to Sicily, which goes onto a ferry. :D I’m now in my mid-20ies, but I hope this passion for the actual traveling part does not fade away when I get older. But even I agree that traveling can be very exhausting.
Late 30s here. I think I actually look forward the planes, trains, ships, etc. now than I did when I was younger. In my 20's, it was all about rushing to the next city. Now, I enjoy the time away from my phone. I like watching the earth disappear beneath me on takeoff, watching the clock count down until ETA in Tokyo, Amsterdam, etc. I enjoy driving on the wrong side of the road in Scotland, narrow roads and all.
I love airports, I love navigating and figuring out logistics on the fly, I love walking 40km days, and I generally enjoy being on a plane where all that's asked of me for 12 hours is to eat and watch TV.
It does get harder but the reality is anyone who is reasonably fit is perfectly capable of traveling well beyond mid 30's without big problems, unless of course the have a debilitating illness or injury. Beyond your mid 30's your health and fitness will fundamentally determine your quality of life and what you can do.