Travel Tips

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The Empty Nester’s Guide to Travel: Tips for Exploring the World Beyond the Nest

1. ✨ Embrace the Freedom!

Now’s the time to travel on your terms—no school schedules, no kid-friendly restrictions! Take advantage of:

✅ Off-season travel – Enjoy fewer crowds, lower prices, and a more relaxed experience. We take advantage of this all of the time!
✅ Last-minute getaways – Because you can! With no school or work schedules to worry about, spontaneous trips are easier than ever.
✅ Longer stays – Immerse yourself in a destination by spending weeks instead of days exploring a new city, culture, or region. Be sure to check the flights by looking at the monthly calendar.
✅ Extended layovers – Turn a stopover into a mini adventure and explore two places for the price of one!
💡We love to fly out on a Thursday night and fly back home late Sunday. We miss only one day of work, or if you can plan your week right, you won’t miss any time at all. We also always check not only round trip flights, but sometimes the one way flights are cheaper. Don't be afraid to spend some time checking air fare on different days, times and maybe an airport that isn't your main choice. We are in Michigan and we have noticed that sometimes Grand Rapids is cheaper than Detroit, and DTW is a hub for Delta.

2. 🗺️ Choose Your Travel Style

Are you into luxury resorts, off-the-beaten-path adventures, or slow travel? Define what excites you most:

🌍 Cultural Explorers – Immerse yourself in history, museums, and local traditions. Opt for guided walking tours or hire a private driver—we love this approach so much more than group tours! It lets you explore at your own pace, stay as long as you want, and create a truly personalized experience. 😊
⛵ Relaxation Seekers – Find adult-only resorts, spa retreats, or scenic cruises where you can unwind without distractions. Be sure to ask when you check in for any coupons for the spa or excursion specials!
🚇 Train Travelers – Enjoy scenic train rides like the Glacier Express in Switzerland or the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada. We have traveld on a few trains and actually boat tours. Be sure to check if you can bring food/drink with you. Our evening canal tour in Amsterdam was amazing (the bottle of wine we took was just a bonus!). LOL
🎨 Food & Wine Aficionados – Plan trips around food festivals, wine regions, or local cooking classes to indulge your taste buds. We love finding a winery or taste testing somewhere local.
💡 Early in our travel experiences, we had a scheduled itinerary, but in our last 5-7 years, we have gone to a much more relaxed, do what the day gives you kind of schedule. Most of time, it is on the beach with a book and a drink in our hands. LOL

3. 🌟 Maximize Your Airline & Hotel Rewards

Now’s the time to cash in on all those points and perks you’ve been saving:

✅ Sign up for airline and hotel loyalty programs to earn free flights, upgrades, and perks. Please go to our links page if you are interested in a Delta Reserve Card or click here.
✅ Consider a travel rewards credit card for bonus points, lounge access, and extra travel benefits.
✅ Use deal sites like Delta's travel site (we get our annual credit and extra miles) or Google Flights to find incredible airfare deals. We have also checked one way flights and have used different airlines on the way there and on the way back to save some money.
✅ Look into business-class deals – Sometimes the splurge is worth it for long-haul comfort. With our status with Delta, we book economy and have an immediate upgrade to Comfort Plus. Use your airline cards!
💡 We have saved tens of thousands of dollars using our Delta miles and Marriott Bonvoy points. If you have a business, or you use credit cards that are not paying you, you must sign up today! We love Delta as we use our companion tickets, all of our upgrades and our miles for every flight! Don't leave money on the table—start maximizing your travel rewards today! 🚀🌍

4. 🧵 Pack Smart, Pack Light

Ditch the overpacking habit! Focus on:

🧰 Versatile clothing that layers well and works for multiple occasions.
🥾 Comfortable shoes for long walks—invest in a great pair for sightseeing days.
💼 A compact crossbody or backpack for day trips to keep essentials secure.
💡 Pro Tip: Roll your shirts/pants. This helps save room. Also, find a large personal item that you can pack a good amount of items that will fit under the seat or in an overhead bin.
✅ Pack a light weight sweatshirt. These are nice for a climate that has cooler evenings.
💡Melissa and I have become very good at only taking a large personal item and a carry-on each. This helps save so much time and we can get to our destination so much faster! Plus, after a few trips, we realized we didn't need so many items! 😜

5. 🏡 Find Unique & Affordable Stays

If you don’t need family-friendly hotels, get creative:

🏠 Airbnb & VRBO – Rent unique homes, treehouses, or waterfront cottages.
🏟️ Glamping & Boutique Inns – A perfect blend of nature, comfort, and charm.
🏰 Castle Stays & Historic Hotels – Make your trip unforgettable by staying somewhere truly unique. We have had some amazing places that we have stayed by contacting castles to see if they take reservations, even when their website says they don't! 🏰
🛳 Repositioning Cruises – Great deals on one-way voyages that take you across oceans at a fraction of the cost.
💡We love to use Delta’s travel website and compare it to Marriott’s to see what is the best deal. https://www.travelextras-delta.com/ is the site we use sometimes. Not only do we save money, we also receive our $250 travel credit and get extra miles!

6. 🌄 Stay Active & Explore Like a Local

Take advantage of experiences that let you connect authentically:

🏃 Hike national parks and scenic trails. Ask around for the best scenic, nature walks.
🍷 Visit wineries, breweries, & food tours to taste local flavors. No secret---this is our favorite.
🎶 Find live music, festivals, and local events to dive into the culture.
🛵 Bike rentals & walking tours – The best way to see a city up close.
🎨 Be sure to visit the local shops. Ask the concierge where the best shopping is.
💡 We love discovering great wineries and breweries, especially those with live music. At every resort, we make it a point to ask for recommendations on the best spots—places with authentic vibes, fantastic food, and live entertainment that aren’t overly crowded.

7. 🌐 Travel & Stay Connected

💳 Use a travel-friendly credit card for rewards & no foreign transaction fees. See above. LOL
📶 Get a local SIM card, eSIM, or portable Wi-Fi to stay connected abroad. Be sure when you travel abroad to bring an adaptor.
📸 Back up photos automatically with Google Photos or iCloud.
🔎 Download offline maps and translation apps before you go. Luckily, we have not had issues with any language barriers, but this is a good idea.
💡 We rely on friends, family, and a little Google sleuthing to uncover the hidden gems of every destination. While we’ve started expanding our adventures, we’ve revisited many of our favorite resorts so often that we know exactly what to expect—LOL! Still, we always check safety, weather, and recent reviews to make sure every trip is just right.

8. 👯 Make It a Social Experience

👫 Join group tours for like-minded travelers—great for making new friends. As we mentioned, the private tours are more "customizable", but some group tours work just as well.
🎉 Plan trips with friends or other empty nest couples for extra fun. We love traveling with another couple to explore with.
📍 Share your journey on Instagram (@wanderwiththeallens 😉) to inspire others.
✈️ Consider home exchanges or house-sitting opportunities for unique and affordable stays. This is another idea that we are looking into. We have not done this yet, but hey, we all saw the Holiday! 🏡🔄🏡
💡 We’ve mastered the art of using our timeshare points to maximize our stays, even splitting visits when it makes sense. We’ve also brought friends along, scoring two rooms at an incredible rate! We always keep an eye on the best deals and plan our travels around them.

9. ⚖️ Prioritize Travel Safety & Insurance

💉 Pack essential medications, don’t forget your tweezers (splinters happen!), and bring any must-have toiletries. A little preparation can save you a lot of hassle!
✈️ Get travel insurance—especially for international trips to cover cancellations, medical emergencies, and lost luggage. Also, if you do check bags, be sure to know your airlines policy on lost luggage before you travel, you may miss out on a huge opportunity to recover costs.
📍 Share your itinerary with family for peace of mind in case of emergencies.
🚗 If renting a car, double-check insurance coverage and driving requirements in the country you’re visiting.
🔍 Keep digital and paper copies of important documents, such as passport, driver's license and where you are staying.
💡 We’ve started comparing Uber rides to renting a car, and in many cases, Uber wins! It’s saved us money on gas, rental fees, and parking—especially at theme parks, where parking alone can cost $25 or more. Plus, with Uber, you get dropped off right at the front entrance—no long walks from the parking lot! 😊

10. 🌟 Savor the Moment & Be Spontaneous

✅ Ditch strict itineraries and let the day unfold naturally.
✅ Try something new—whether it’s a private boat excursion, scuba diving, snorkeling, or a unique local dish.
✅ Enjoy slow mornings & sunset strolls instead of rushing from place to place. We usually take a walk on the beach every morning!
✅ Say yes to unexpected invitations—sometimes the best experiences come from chance encounters with locals.
💡 Don't get too fixated on your itinerary—life happens! Weather, health, and unexpected surprises are all part of the journey. Don’t let small hiccups ruin your trip. Stay flexible, embrace the changes, and enjoy whatever the day brings. We’ve found that some of our best travel memories come from the little detours along the way!

11. ✨ Start Planning Your Next Adventure!

🌍 Keep a “future travel” list and add to it as inspiration strikes.
📚 Look into travel trends—hot destinations, new cruise routes, or emerging cultural hubs, but also search when the deals are best.
✅ Consider volunteer travel or learning vacations to add depth to your journeys.
💡 Take some time to research flights and compare different days of the week—it can make a big difference! With Delta, we’ve found that booking as far in advance as possible usually gets us the best deal. In fact, we always book our January Aruba trip as soon as flights are released. But the key is to keep checking even after you book! We’ve saved thousands by rebooking when prices drop.

Final Thought:

The empty nest isn’t an ending—it’s the start of your greatest adventure yet! Go explore the world on your own terms. ✈️🌍

Whether it’s your first family trip or your tenth, travel light, check the weather, and be ready to embrace the unexpected (rainy days often turn into the best stories!). But most importantly—CREATE MEMORIES! Years ago, we decided that giving our children unforgettable experiences was more valuable than anything money could buy, and we hope they continue our traditions for generations to come.

Our new motto? YOLO! You only live once—so make it count. That extra $2,000 or $5,000 won’t matter when you’re gone, but the laughter, lessons, and love you share will last forever. ❤️🌎✨