Let us know in the comments below if you have suggestions for additional videos in our “How To” series. We plan to do these in addition to our weekly travel vlog. Thanks so much, John and Bev
@Retirement Travelers ... A question for you re: health insurance. Since you're traveling mostly outside the U.S. this year, how are you handling health insurance coverage? I assume you one through one of the traveler insurance providers and don't have a plan under the ACA, because they only cover treatment in the U.S. My wife and I have a couple more years to retirement, so we're trying to plan ahead. We'd like to travel the world as well, but may need to be in the U.S. a few months out of the year.
My prospective budget is $1900 a month for home in USA. If I divest myself and sell it all, and move home base to Colombia or similar, that saves $1400 a month. So if SSA is all and nest egg is only $50k or similar, then travel full time can be done. Even with $900/mo SSA payment.
Thank you for the video. We have traveled to 95 countries and most of your ten points are well aligned with our actions taken. We are now close to 70 and have slowed down due to the COVID-19, but we have begun to travel again. This year, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and next year to Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, and Turkey. The world is too big not to travel. Keep on traveling!
We really loved this comment!! Your life of travel is amazing, but still circling the globe at nearly 70 is truly inspirational. Safe travels and stay in touch. John and Bev
@@RetirementTravelers One thing I might add to your list would be converting your home (or part there of) into a rental property for a passive income. We converted our home into a couple of rental properties when we moved to Rwanda in Africa for a ministry and they have provided passive income. And their values have also gone up so that we have gained from both income and appreciation. Any asset that does not produce cash flow is a liability to me.
Thanks Bev and John. Unfortunately my husband and I worked till 65 and 69. My husband felt like he could only take a week off at vacation, so it was the beach or the beach! To do what you have done, requires both spouses to want the same thing. I would have loved to travel, my husband felt travel was work. After our retirement, we began going to Europe for a month. We stayed in VRBO's, took public transportation, planned our free walking tours or followed tours others recommended and had wonderful times. Covid came and travel came to a halt. We've been on several cruises and for us they are a good substitute for the more rigorous travel by land. Our ages make that type of travel more difficult (76 and 79). Now my husband has been diagnosed with a debilitating nerve condition and travel is a big question mark! Kudos to you!!! Enjoy every day and make lots of memories! You didn't wait...waiting can change everything.
Thanks. So sorry to hear about your husband's health condition. Wishing him better health and hopefully more travels. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
It's not the same. I am a 65 year old woman, on my own for almost 20 years. I have done some amazing solo trips and still want to,but it would be nice to have supportive and caring company , someone to make decisions with.there are remote places I don't feel I could to myself. I've been in some pretty tight spots and had to figure them out all by myself, which I did, but still- not as enjoyable . No woman friend I could imagine going anywhere with. so Johan an dBev are so fortunate to be together and on the same page. Best to them!@@LisaSoulLevelHealing
With all of the travel videos I watch, I can't imagine why TH-cam hasn't suggested yours until today, but I've now watched 3 of your videos! You two are so easy to watch and learn from. My husband and I are both retired teachers, but still teaching. That is our biggest obstacle right now to traveling more, since school calendars don't make for the best pockets of budget travel. We travel about 3 times a year, and picking up tips from travelers like you help quite a bit. I hope your channel grows quickly!
We don’t know either, we’ve worked hard to improve our craft. Maybe we just had a few lessons to learn before we got that proverbial push from TH-cam. Thanks for your compliment. It meant a lot! Happy trails and thanks for giving of yourselves by teaching children. John and Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
Being Canadian, I don't have to worry about the cost of healthcare! Anyways, good tips guys! We just came back from a 3.5 months trip with our 3 kids. To save money, you basically have to live in a way that you earn more than you spend. For us, it's : no big home renovation, one car, almost no restaurant, cheap activities like camping and hiking, not buying too many new clothes, dropping cable TV, make sure you have the cell phone package you really need, only buying stuff when we have the money, etc.
Sounds like you have some great things in place. Well done. Hope you enjoy our videos on retirement, downsizing and travel. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
We waited until 71. I worked full time, through serious medical issues until 71( husband retired at 65). We are doing it, but starting younger is the way to go!
We enjoy all aspects of learning and embracing other cultures. It is one of the most enjoyable things about travel. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Great tips. We are also travelling full-time in our 50s. We RV around Canada and the USA right now. We agree with you that avoiding a lot of restaurants and choosing free activities often makes a huge cost savings!
We loved our time visiting all the national parks in the lower 48. So glad we did that before we left for global travel, as it showed us that we have such a beautiful country. We knew it, but seeing it was another matter. Thanks for the comment! John & Bev
We've been retired for a year and a half at 66ish. We live in an in-law suite inside our son's home, with his wonderful wife, and our two grandchildren. No debt, just a cellphone bill, super healthy. We've been doing typical travel, tours, river cruises, etc, but recently came upon the idea of flex-patting, or staying a month or two somewhere, moving somewhere else or returning to home base for a bit. We are going to pursue this with gusto in 2024. I'll miss getting those Viking River Cruise catalogs every day ;) All the best!
We did a video on flex-patting last year and think it is a great idea. Enjoy your travels and hope you have an amazing 2024. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Hello, my girlfriend just told me about you guys. We are planning our retirement, (55&56)… we have to start scaling back expenses now so that when we do retire we no longer have that baggage….for now we are taking short road trips and cruises… new subscribers…❤
Tell your girlfriend we said "Thanks". 😊 Good luck with your retirement planning and scaling back. You might enjoy this video we just did called a Life without stuff. th-cam.com/video/v-kCNCMvchc/w-d-xo.html John and Bev
Thanks for sharing your tips! I was thinking you were going to list John's side hustles as drone pilot, break dancing, and selling white paint!! 🤑 I really enjoy reading your tips on how you are able to make full time travel work logistically and financially.
Great stuff. That Airbnb in Greece, wow. Your life of slow, full time world travel is where my wife and I intend to be in a few years. Im always looking to hear the experiences of those already doing it. The technical, nuts and bolts stuff is my main interest. I love it with full time travelers do periodic budget breakdowns. I’d love to see you guys discuss monthly expenses, budget targets and actuals. Thanks for sharing as much as you have already!
Another great video Bev & John!! Love all the tips and strategies you use to make full time travel doable. I wish my husband were open to the "downsizing" part of the plan but living in the SF Bay Area, downsizing doesn't always mean that it will be less expensive. I want you to know that I appreciate all the work that goes in to filming and editing your videos. I truly look forward to watching and living vicariously thru you and your experiences!! With time, the money will roll in for you (I hope!)!! You make everything seem so fun and easy. We travel too and I know it isn't easy, but it is fun, and so worth it!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Continued safe travels to you both!
Such a wonderful comment!! You can’t imagine how much comments like this help us to continue to move forward. There is a lot of work that goes into our channel, but we love what we are doing. We hope to inspire people to travel and live their best lives regardless of age. Thanks again for following along and the kind comment. Many blessings, John and Bev
Hi 👋 Bev and John, My wife and I have been traveling for the last fifteen years and have been to over fifty countries. Traveling keeps us young and has kept our love fresh. The moment we get home we start planning for our new adventures for the following year. The both of you are living a fun life; enjoy every moment of it.
Thanks so much for reaching out. Perhaps our travel journeys will cross paths someday. We are loving this adventure and cherish the time together. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
I'm very excited about a "how to" series. I spent 5 years traveling the world by teaching English. I'd take a new job in a different country every 6 months, on average. I also did inexpensive travel--hiking like the Appalachian Trail and the Camino in Spain. Just bought a travel van and hope to see more of the USA for the next couple years. I really need to work on a side hustle, though.
Thanks so much. It sounds like you’ve had some wonderful adventures. Good luck in your van and hope you can follow along on our journey around the world. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
John & Bev, you two are delightful! Thank you so much. I especially liked how you said not to be so cheap that you don’t have any fun. I completely agree. Your attitude is so refreshing.😊
I read a comment that they don't care for the music. I was so surprised. I'm a new listener and that's one of the things I especially love are your music choices. Goes to show you absolutely cannot please everybody (please don't change! 😂).
That is so true that you can’t please everyone. Thanks for the comment. We are always trying to learn and make better content. Thanks for following along. ❤️ John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
YES!!! Totally agree that more expensive doesn't mean more fun. Theme parks are a rip off. Getting out in nature, exploring, and spending time with family is most rewarding ;-)
Moving your healthcare "home country" to Colombia or similar, is a terrific move. Check-in once or twice a year and get bloodwork done there rather than the USA. Very smart idea.
I have found your videos to be very informative. I traveled by land in the UK and France in the summers of 2017 and 2018 using public transportation and a few cabs and Uber rides. I also used a backpack that carried all I had with me. I would do the same if I took another land journey. Scotland and the UK were unseasonably warm in Summer 2018, so I sent some clothing back home that I knew I would never need for the rest of my trip. The rest of the story is that both years, I got to and from the UK on the Cunard Queen Mary 2; no jet lag, and the port agent in Southampton stored my larger suitcase with my informal and formal attire that I would only wear on the ship. As I'm not a fan of flying, I will do the same when I resume overseas travel next year.
Everyone we know, when they travel they let out three meals a day. When we travel we go to grocery stores and have picnic style meals. If the hotel has a microwave, that's a plus but the local baked goods, cheeses, fruits, etc make healthy meals for very low cost. And there is always a park nearby for a relaxing, scenic picnic.
Have been watching your videos, I’m just 26 but you inspire me so much. I have learned a lot. And I appreciate the value and time it takes for your videos. That’s pretty cool you are able to put together great edits! Tech can be challenging! #subbed
Great Videos !! Great advice !! My wife and I anchored in Prague last year, and by having now permanent residency with full Medical Insurance in Schengen zone, we plan to explore all of Europe for next 3 years ! We try to eat where locals eat, or buy food at local Farmers markets, and stay away from Tourist traps. Your advice to stay debt free, IS the key to travel freedom !
You have made an exciting video channel. Thank you for being so brave! I am 64 and recently started a new life without my wife. Your positive energy comes through, which is essential when chasing your dreams. I am from London (England) and am looking at venturing out of my comfort zone to discover our world more intimately. You are an inspiration, and I appreciate your courage to follow your instincts against the norm.
Thanks for the kind words and glad you are enjoying our channel. Many blessings and safe travels in your new life. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
We are retired seniors who like to travel. Two tips for saving in America: Join either a North American Reciprocal Museum Association institution (find any museum with a low membership price) or the American Horticultural Society. About $75 annual for a couple. Free admissions across the country.
Great Video! my husband and I sold everything and traveled in our 5th wheel for 2 years went to 21 states 5 countries and then covid happened and so we bought another house and I wish we didn't, we miss traveling full time but we are thinking about living aboard soon. We are headed out to travel through Eastern Europe in a couple days, I am so excited to get out and see the world. Best wishes to you both!!
Thanks. We spent 3 months in the Balkans last year. We went to every country. Some great bargains in places like Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. Go to Lake Bled in Slovenia if you can. We did a video there. Safe travels, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
Wonderful video! I’m mid 40’s and my husband is close to 50. We’re planning our retirement in the next 2-3 years. We are debt free but for our home which we will be selling and have our savings and retirement money in place. We also have the other tidbits in place (healthcare, etc.) I’ve been looking into the perfect travel credit card and best perks. I like that, cheap is good but free is better! 😊 All in all, we are never promised tomorrow- so we are getting into it without fear! Thanks for sharing! Wonderful information!
Seniors talking about senior stuff. You're a trailblazer. You guys look great. My story is somehow the same except that i veered away from fancy lights (unlike a moth) since i was young, so even with no support, we paid off our house in our 30s. We were then able to tag along our kids to a month long vacation evrywhere including Europe. We are still working and have more years left, yet we paid off our future retirement house in Mexico. So we never deviated from our rich and frugal lifestyle.
Of all the tips you gave, which all were wonderful, the best in my opinion was to become debt free. I think it would literally shock people when they realize just how much of their monthly expenditures is for purchases from months or years prior, or how much they are actually paying in interest. I retired early at age 62 and started some traveling, and the main thing that helped me was becoming debt free, other than my mortgage, before retirement and living on a budget. I am comfortably living and traveling on half the income I had before retirement from work and debt. I also love the tip about using public transportation. Many cities in Europe will have passes you can purchase for unlimited travel on any of the various forms of public transportation. Also, cities such as Prague, allow free travel for seniors. I believe they set the age at 65, but also offer discounted pricing for between 60 and 65. Whenever I stay long-term in a location and have a kitchen available, I always visit the local market and pick up supplies for breakfast and lunches. On most days, I will only eat out once per day, with some of the eating out being at street vendors for a meal costing $7 or $8, or less. You don't have to dine at 5-star restaurants in order to enjoy your journey. Also, if you have the opportunity, find out where the locals like to eat. They're not going to pay the tourist prices for meals. As far as medical insurance is concerned, I go with a company called IMG that costs me about $10 per day for 100% coverage and zero deductible, as my current insurance does not cover international travels. Since I'm not traveling full time, but only about 3 times a year, it's very convenient and cost-effective for me. I do need to change my current airline credit card over to one of the travel cards that does allow me into the airport lounges. One other perk with the lounges, if you have a long layover, some of the lounges have shower facilities, and it's a good place to get refreshed if you're in the middle of a multi-day journey to your next destination. I love the motto, "Cheap is good, but free is better."
Thanks and glad you enjoyed our tips. We have been using the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and we really like the overall travel benefits. Hope you can follow along on our journey and enjoy our channel. Safe travels, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Hello you guys! Thank you for the tips. I'll be starting my traveling journey this year. I'm in my 30's and I've decided, why wait until I'm in my 40's or 50's to begin my journey of traveling the world. Life is very short and fragile. Especially with everything that is going on in the world today. So I'm just here to enjoy it and live it the best way I can.
I love this video - full of great tips and it’s so clear that you’re a great partnership. I second the point you made about enjoying visiting grocery stores - you find out so much about the local culture through those stores. Wishing you all the best in your travels.
My experience of airbnb has been: people putting those artificial stink stinks in oil (diffuser reeds?) which rendered me, an asthmatic, unable to breath within seconds (its a common thing for people with breathing issues). There is a reason that hotels do not use these! Also another airbnb was a bedroom in someone's house but no only was there no lock on the bedroom door but there was no closure so the door couldn't close properly unless you used the provided weighted door stopper (the type you use when you want to prop open a door) and even then the door didn't close fully.
Thanks for this series. Only just found it but plan to work my way thru. I think a lot of ppl out there are interested in hearing from ppl who've had lots of real life experience
@@RetirementTravelers like the look of your website but interestingly the link doesn't load to my Google browser and when I tried to search for it on Google I could only find your Instagram account. Not sure what that's about (I was trying to bookmark it in Google so I can circle back to it when I have more time)
@@susie9893 Thanks. Not quite sure about the search. We just tried it and TH-cam, website, Instagram and LinkedIn show up. 🤔. Thanks for letting us know and safe travels. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
❤ living the GREAT life! Part of what I teach my clients is to let go of what's not in resonance, to expand in ways you never thought possible. So it's great to hear this from folks who completely let go! 🎉 I don't see you going back to FL(to live) but that farmhouse or something similar definitely has your names written on it. All the best. Aneela
Thanks. This is a great life. We don't know what the future holds, but we are enjoying the journey. Many blessings to you, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks Joe. Our vlogs give us memories of our travels and we think the “how to” video will enable us to share the things we’ve learned along the way. John and Bev
I have been searching for fellow over 50s travel content creators and somehow you guys never showed up in my search results. As a travel couple still in the pre-retirement stage, your tips might help me convince my wife to leave work sooner rather than later. Like you, we are "value" travellers, so I totally agree with your money-saving ideas and the sensible approach to balancing more and less expensive countries in your travel plans. Now I am off to watch more of your content!
We're glad you found us! We LOVE traveling full-time. Even if you don't do it forever, it's a great reset after retirement. It's given us a whole new perspective! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
This was filled with great tips! Thanks so much John and Bev! We live in NJ and those state taxes are definitely killing us financially!😭 but our only child, our daughter will be graduating HS next year and we will definitely be making moves!
Thanks. We certainly understand your situation. Congrats on your daughter’s graduation and good luck with any moves. Florida has worked well for us and saved a bunch of money the last 6 years. John and Bev
Thank you guys!! Im in my early fifties and I love to travel and hike!! I agree with you too in everything you said....Thanks for sharing your experiences!! I loved the video!!
Thanks so much. Enjoy your time traveling and hiking. Hope you like our channel and can follow along on our journey. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
My husband and I like doing our own mini food tours. It really makes the trip fun. A great way to get an idea of the local flavor if you do this your first day in a location. Our goal is to retire by the time we are 59 (10 years away). 55 would be ideal. I am following you now for inspiration.
Glad you are enjoying the mini-food tours and best of luck with your early retirement plans. We are cheering for you. Hope you are enjoying our channel and website to give you additional inspiration. Many blessings for 2024, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for the feedback. This was an older video and we have learned some things since we filmed this one. Safe travels, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Great video and we really love the idea of your “how to” series. We are sure it will help us and others who imagine having a retirement life like yours someday. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos.
Thanks. We hope you enjoy the ‘how to” series and continue along with our travel vlog. We do hope to inspire people of all ages to live their best lives and have no regrets. John and Bev
Thank you for your points. My husband and I plan to start slow travel in a couple of years. We are simplifying and getting rid of stuff now in anticipation. 😊
New to your channel, and HIGHLY enjoying all the valuable info and your presentation style! I hadn’t noticed music until now, but in this one it’s pretty distracting. But it could be just me! lol Now off to find the other ones in this how-to series! 🎉
Mini-food tours are fun! Thanks for the feedback on the music. We are always learning and trying to improve. Appreciate the feedback in a constructive manner. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Hey, great video! We also retired at 55 and now living on our boat full-time. We agree totally with your recommendations. One thing we found difficult is cell phones and data plans. The issue being staying connected to your bank account and other online secure services. But issues like 2 factor authentication (2FA) become a nuisance if you stay in a country for several months and therefore have to use a local cell. Not sure this is an issue for US cell plan holders but for Canadian travellers, staying outside Canada for months at a time is a pain as our data plans are unbelievably expensive when remote, hence using a local cell. We also use a 3rd party data plan (basically an eSIM for your phone). Would love to hear how you handle cell/data while travelling. We just bought Starlink for the boat so that will help but it does not completely resolve 2FA. Just subscribed and watched 2nd video. Great content. Enjoy your travels!
Wow! Boat life really intrigues us. We've talked about it and would love to know how you do it and how you manage. We'd like to consider it in a few years, but we have so much to learn in order to make it happen. We did a video recently on our cell phone plan. Here it is. th-cam.com/video/mHx1wRMLJ-4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=mptwvYFKqQUWiSw8 We use a VPN for our phones and computers so we can do two-factor authorization. We have no problem. Thanks for watching! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers Hi John & Bev, thanks for your quick reply. Watched the video and see that I am on the right path to solving my issues. We use Surfshark for our vpn and I have airalo on my ipad. Works fine as my phone is on AT&T for data while in the US. I’ll have to run a few 2FA tests while still in the US……. Have you heard of Gone with the Wynns on TH-cam. They RV’d like you and switched cold turkey to liveabord sailing. They made beautiful videos of their sailing travels. But I would not recommend you do like them! Instead, consider buying a smaller sailboat and dock it somewhere cheap like Northern Florida or southern Chesapeake Bay and use it as your US home base. In the summer, you can take it sailing building up to overnighting at anchor etc. If you like it, then can upgrade to something much better. If you don’t like it, then you can sell close to what you paid. And before doing that, maybe you know people who have a sailboat and just try out an afternoon sail. Some people fall in love with sailing that way. Others never step foot on a boat again. If our paths cross, we”ll be happy to take you guys out sailing. If you want to chat with us about sailing life, we could always do a zoom or conference call. We have been sailing full-time for about 14 months now and plan to continue for likely another 2 years but we may continue for another 5-10 years…we’ll see. We are actually thinking to do like you for 6 months per year and live on the boat for the other 6 months. But that’s just us dreaming up travelling…outside the box. Cheers Ced & Kiki, Montreal, Canada SV Seaside
We have a similar "side hustle" LOL, with the same results (so far). Great tips and advice. We also do the bulk of our food intake when traveling in the form of home cooked meals and reserve the eating out to "local cuisine" usually from places recommended by locals.
Thanks. Sounds like we have the same philosophy on cooking and eating out. Hang in there with your side hustle 😉, do it for the long term and enjoy the journey. Safe travels, John and Bev
John and Bev, Y’all have definitely got your act together! So proud of you guys! I’m too much of a homebody to do what you’re doing but so glad you’re living your dream!! Judy
Thanks so much. We feel so blessed to be able to live out our dream by experiencing the world! Hope all is well. Sending our love from afar. John and Bev
Our house was paid off and we moved into a home in another state for half the price. We paid off all our debts. Our kids have their own lives and have jobs that pay well. When I finally reached the age for social security, I put my social security aside into a fund for travel, so that it keeps the cost under control.
Hi Guys - I have only just (as in the last few days) found your vlog. I know sometimes it must be a pain, but I have found it very informative, so thanks for taking the time. We (my wife and I) both enjoy travel, and your tips and advice is "gold" so please keep it up. Thanks and regards from New Zealand
Thanks so much and we are glad you found our channel. We really do need some positive reinforcement at times, so thank you. Hope you can follow along on our journey. John and Bev
Love your new Retirement School videos. Very informative. Bev, in one of your videos about traveling light you mentioned not having the ability to carry and lift your own backpack coupled with your travel style. It was a hard pill for me to swallow so to speak but spot on. You got my attention, girlfriend.
Hi John & Bev, I've only recently discovered your channel. I'm not wanting to become a full time traveller but a few months a year is our aim, I thought this video was very good and I have picked up some tip already, I'll watch with interest at more of your vlogs. Good health and safe travels. PhilL.
Hello, we are really enjoying your videos. Our way of traveling cheaply in our retirement is by pet/housesitting. We did England all last winter, and this coming winter we hope to do Spain and Portugal. We have a comfortable place to stay, and a dog to walk and discover the area around the house. We often get put on the owners car insurance too. In between sits, we will go into AirBnB’s. Love your videos, but the music is very off putting in our opinion. We don’t want to hear music, we want to hear what you are saying! 🙂
Could you share any info on how to get started on the house/pet sitting? We house sat for 7wks in Jan Feb this year but we kind of fell into the opportunity by meeting a couple who were looking for someone to do this.
My kids convinced me to stop using Airbnb. Areas with housing shortages and numbers of unhoused having housing allocated to short term rentals contributes to housing problems.
Since the time that we made this video, we have stopped using Airbnb. Several viewers have mentioned to us about the housing shortages, so thanks for sharing. Here is a link to our video. th-cam.com/video/x_E9IlUGTKA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1whYx6ujjO3ezfWQ Safe travels, John and Bev
We have a series of videos we did called Travel School. Here’s the link for the playlist. th-cam.com/play/PLMTIzrGVkaEH6LDCm0JJaZtC2G1Bie5Pb.html&si=1Bg7mOcfJAqYPbVF Enjoy and Happy Journeys! John & Bev
My husband allowed me to take a taxi once on our travels. I broke my foot right before going to Japan. We had a long day of site seeing and I was tired so this once I took a taxi back to the hotel. Lol we prefer public transportation too! Thanks for sharing! Priority Pass also has some $ benefits at some airport restaurants. That Airbnb looks fabulous!
Thanks. Public transportation is usually great. We also have Priority Pass and used it many times. Safe travels and thanks for following along. John and Bev
You guys are perfect couple for the show "Amazing Race". It will be great to travel on the show and possibly win the prize! I would be cheering you guys on!
Thanks for the tips. Its funny, but we also retired at 55 here in Florida after buying our dream home, but we are currently travel mostly within the US, but we have 2 overseas trips we take each year after football season. As Retired Veteran, i'm able to Fly Space A to both Europe and Asia so it saves on our overall cost, since we are no longer needing to pay the Flight cost. I doubt we will end up traveling full time as we spend half a year back and forth to Miami (Season Tickets to the Miami Dolphins) and our Grandkids who live up in Virgina, but all your recommendations are spot on. I look forward to looking at more of your videos too.
Thanks and glad you enjoyed the tips. Sounds like a great deal for your world travel adventures and there is plenty to see in the USA. We spent 2 years touring the country in an Airstream and loved it. Safe travels! John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
I have just discovered your channel. Sharing it with my husband. You two are amazing. I have been leaning and researching decluttering etc and your videos are very helpful. We are avid cruisers. We take month long trips and love it. We are late starters moving in your direction. But we still own a house. Can see using many of your suggestions. This is only the second one of your videos that I watch. I can identify so much with your experiences. We are travelers too. Not to your extent yet. We confess loving to be pampered by cruising. Keep your videos coming. Thank you.
So glad you found our channel and thanks for following along. We cruise a few times a year to see some new places, get transportation and just enjoy a different experience. Safe travels and happy cruising. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Great add on to your travel videos and I love the idea of doing your own food tour. Sometimes the planning of these things is as much fun as the doing.
Hello, I really enjoy you guys. It’s nice to hear that the way you guys do things is similar to my way except I usually stay a month at a time. I have been free for 3 years now traveling around the world and it might be difficult to go back to the old way. Thanks you guys and have a fun life.
Soooo cool to watch the two of you and all your great adwises 🎉 tips and tricks. It's wonderful to know, that it is actually possible to do, what you're doing. Thank you for sharing :-)
Just found your channel and LOVE the content! I'm a financial planner and you have such GREAT tips for people! And I'm planning to retire early too and want my guy to travel as efficiently as you both!! Well done!
Thanks and so glad you found our channel. Be sure to check out our website as well. Good luck with the retirement planning process and happy travels! John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
Just found you! Great tips. I eat one meal a day too. I'm trying to do as much frugal travel as possible. It is possible! Views, exercise and fresh air from hikes certainly are one of the best free activities.
Thanks so much and glad you found it helpful. We will be adding much more content to our website, so be sure to subscribe to the newsletter. Safe travels and have a great 2023. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
Thanks for the video - it sounds like you guys are having fun! A question for you: Did you evaluate the various travel credit card options? Which one did you choose and why? Thanks!
I'm hoping to do something similar, but with a twist. My wife is from Bulgaria, and I hope to retire there after our kids our out of school. We can live very cheaply there, and spend a few months out of the year travelling around Europe. If you haven't been to Bulgaria yet, I can give you many pointers.
Thanks. We spent 3 weeks in Bulgaria last year and loved it. Veliko-Tarnovo, Plovdiv, and Sofia. We even saw a show at the Roman amphitheater in Plovdiv. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Another fascinating video. Having just watched your video on what you stopped staying at AirBnb, I feel you should annotate this video somehow and link it to that video. Suggestions: (1) You talk about "off-season" travel. I think "off-tourist-destination" travel is under-rated. For example, instead of Santorini and Mykonos, how about Mylos and Tinos? Bologna and Siena instead of Milan and Florence. (2) Sometime it is worth spending money on a guide to really enhance the visit. At the archaeological site of Akrotiri at the end of the island of Santorini, I hired a PhD archaeologist to walk me through the excavation. In Rome I hired an art historian to do a walking tour of the city and a second tour of the Vatican Museums. (3) A Switzerland specific tip: Switzerland is crazy expensive. Eating out in a restaurant is always expensive. In almost all bakeries and larger supermarkets, you can buy a wide variety of either ready to eat or simple heat and serve meals at very good prices. -Resident in Basel, Switzerland
Hi John and Bev,new to your channel Heard about you on Sound retirement podcast.I like what I’m hearing.I know it’s personal but if we in your audience had a better understanding of the budget concerns ,it would be helpful.Thank you and happy travels
Thank you for your comment. We appreciate where you are coming from in wanting to know our budget, but travel has so much variability. Given that, we try to balance our high-cost countries with our low-cost countries. Our accommodations are the most expensive item, as we can eat reasonably and cook in the Airbnb. We have been in Italy and Greece, as of late, mixing some higher with lower, but we are heading into the Balkans, where the costs for rooms are much lower. It isn’t hard to figure out a budget if you are dedicated to full time travel. My suggestion is to just start playing around with destinations and price out a trip. We travel via public transportation and rarely rent a car, as this can be as much or more than accommodations. Certainly, we would not be able to afford this lifestyle if we tried to keep a home in the USA. Overall, we have found full time travel much more affordable than we thought. John and Bev
Let us know in the comments below if you have suggestions for additional videos in our “How To” series. We plan to do these in addition to our weekly travel vlog. Thanks so much, John and Bev
I want to know what you pack in your bags!
@magentaottertravels We plan to do some packing videos as part of our how to series
@Retirement Travelers ... A question for you re: health insurance. Since you're traveling mostly outside the U.S. this year, how are you handling health insurance coverage? I assume you one through one of the traveler insurance providers and don't have a plan under the ACA, because they only cover treatment in the U.S. My wife and I have a couple more years to retirement, so we're trying to plan ahead. We'd like to travel the world as well, but may need to be in the U.S. a few months out of the year.
@@golfaddict9 I think splitting up your travels and spending periods of time back in the US is really helpful for a lot of reasons👍
My prospective budget is $1900 a month for home in USA.
If I divest myself and sell it all, and move home base to Colombia or similar, that saves $1400 a month.
So if SSA is all and nest egg is only $50k or similar, then travel full time can be done.
Even with $900/mo SSA payment.
"Retirement isn’t an end goal, but a journey best secured by careful and consistent investments."
Well said! Retirement is the reward of disciplined investing over the long term, not just a destination.
Well said! My adviser guided me through retirement planning, ensuring my investments were strategically positioned for long-term rewards.
That's a great point! Finding a reliable financial adviser would be essential for me to ensure my retirement plans are well-structured.
My CFA NICOLE ANASTASIA PLUMLEE a renowned figure in her line of work. I recommend researching her credentials further.
I searched for her full name online, found her page, and sent an email to schedule a meeting. Hopefully, she responds soon. Thank you
Thank you for the video. We have traveled to 95 countries and most of your ten points are well aligned with our actions taken. We are now close to 70 and have slowed down due to the COVID-19, but we have begun to travel again. This year, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and next year to Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, and Turkey. The world is too big not to travel. Keep on traveling!
We really loved this comment!! Your life of travel is amazing, but still circling the globe at nearly 70 is truly inspirational. Safe travels and stay in touch. John and Bev
@@RetirementTravelers One thing I might add to your list would be converting your home (or part there of) into a rental property for a passive income. We converted our home into a couple of rental properties when we moved to Rwanda in Africa for a ministry and they have provided passive income. And their values have also gone up so that we have gained from both income and appreciation. Any asset that does not produce cash flow is a liability to me.
Thanks. We sold our home and nearly all possessions, so that is not possible for us. We agree with you about assets and cash flow. John and Bev
@@jongheum what happens if u have issues with the rental property?
We used property management services.
Thanks Bev and John. Unfortunately my husband and I worked till 65 and 69. My husband felt like he could only take a week off at vacation, so it was the beach or the beach! To do what you have done, requires both spouses to want the same thing. I would have loved to travel, my husband felt travel was work. After our retirement, we began going to Europe for a month. We stayed in VRBO's, took public transportation, planned our free walking tours or followed tours others recommended and had wonderful times. Covid came and travel came to a halt. We've been on several cruises and for us they are a good substitute for the more rigorous travel by land. Our ages make that type of travel more difficult (76 and 79). Now my husband has been diagnosed with a debilitating nerve condition and travel is a big question mark! Kudos to you!!! Enjoy every day and make lots of memories! You didn't wait...waiting can change everything.
Just go by yourself. Love solo travel. Then you're both fulfilled.
Thanks. So sorry to hear about your husband's health condition. Wishing him better health and hopefully more travels.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Sending you a big hug Jody. ❤
It's not the same. I am a 65 year old woman, on my own for almost 20 years. I have done some amazing solo trips and still want to,but it would be nice to have supportive and caring company , someone to make decisions with.there are remote places I don't feel I could to myself. I've been in some pretty tight spots and had to figure them out all by myself, which I did, but still- not as enjoyable . No woman friend I could imagine going anywhere with. so Johan an dBev are so fortunate to be together and on the same page. Best to them!@@LisaSoulLevelHealing
With all of the travel videos I watch, I can't imagine why TH-cam hasn't suggested yours until today, but I've now watched 3 of your videos! You two are so easy to watch and learn from. My husband and I are both retired teachers, but still teaching. That is our biggest obstacle right now to traveling more, since school calendars don't make for the best pockets of budget travel. We travel about 3 times a year, and picking up tips from travelers like you help quite a bit. I hope your channel grows quickly!
We don’t know either, we’ve worked hard to improve our craft. Maybe we just had a few lessons to learn before we got that proverbial push from TH-cam. Thanks for your compliment. It meant a lot! Happy trails and thanks for giving of yourselves by teaching children. John and Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
I agree. Just found this chanel and love it! It is so interesting and helpful. THanks for the tips!! I'll be watching more of your videos for sure.
Yes, same here! Been watching travel vids since before covid and just now discovered these folks. Better late than never, as they say.
Being Canadian, I don't have to worry about the cost of healthcare! Anyways, good tips guys! We just came back from a 3.5 months trip with our 3 kids. To save money, you basically have to live in a way that you earn more than you spend. For us, it's : no big home renovation, one car, almost no restaurant, cheap activities like camping and hiking, not buying too many new clothes, dropping cable TV, make sure you have the cell phone package you really need, only buying stuff when we have the money, etc.
Sounds like you have some great things in place. Well done. Hope you enjoy our videos on retirement, downsizing and travel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We waited until 71. I worked full time, through serious medical issues until 71( husband retired at 65). We are doing it, but starting younger is the way to go!
Thanks and best of luck with your travels.
Many blessings going forward,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Foreign grocery stores and hardware stores are wonderful. I agree 100% that visiting those is a great cultural education and experience.
We enjoy all aspects of learning and embracing other cultures. It is one of the most enjoyable things about travel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great tips. We are also travelling full-time in our 50s. We RV around Canada and the USA right now. We agree with you that avoiding a lot of restaurants and choosing free activities often makes a huge cost savings!
We loved our time visiting all the national parks in the lower 48. So glad we did that before we left for global travel, as it showed us that we have such a beautiful country. We knew it, but seeing it was another matter. Thanks for the comment! John & Bev
I love the lounges. Also, you can choose a flight that might be cheaper, but has a long stopover, because you hangout in the lounges.
We will do that as well. It works out well. Safe travels. John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We've been retired for a year and a half at 66ish. We live in an in-law suite inside our son's home, with his wonderful wife, and our two grandchildren. No debt, just a cellphone bill, super healthy. We've been doing typical travel, tours, river cruises, etc, but recently came upon the idea of flex-patting, or staying a month or two somewhere, moving somewhere else or returning to home base for a bit. We are going to pursue this with gusto in 2024. I'll miss getting those Viking River Cruise catalogs every day ;) All the best!
We did a video on flex-patting last year and think it is a great idea. Enjoy your travels and hope you have an amazing 2024.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hello, my girlfriend just told me about you guys. We are planning our retirement, (55&56)… we have to start scaling back expenses now so that when we do retire we no longer have that baggage….for now we are taking short road trips and cruises… new subscribers…❤
Tell your girlfriend we said "Thanks". 😊 Good luck with your retirement planning and scaling back. You might enjoy this video we just did called a Life without stuff.
th-cam.com/video/v-kCNCMvchc/w-d-xo.html
John and Bev
@@RetirementTravelers will do thanks..
Thanks for sharing your tips! I was thinking you were going to list John's side hustles as drone pilot, break dancing, and selling white paint!! 🤑 I really enjoy reading your tips on how you are able to make full time travel work logistically and financially.
We would definitely go broke if those were John's side hustles. 🤣 Glad you enjoyed the tips.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great stuff. That Airbnb in Greece, wow.
Your life of slow, full time world travel is where my wife and I intend to be in a few years. Im always looking to hear the experiences of those already doing it. The technical, nuts and bolts stuff is my main interest. I love it with full time travelers do periodic budget breakdowns. I’d love to see you guys discuss monthly expenses, budget targets and actuals.
Thanks for sharing as much as you have already!
Thanks. We are working on some more how-to videos and cost videos. Thanks for following along. John and Bev
Another great video Bev & John!! Love all the tips and strategies you use to make full time travel doable. I wish my husband were open to the "downsizing" part of the plan but living in the SF Bay Area, downsizing doesn't always mean that it will be less expensive. I want you to know that I appreciate all the work that goes in to filming and editing your videos. I truly look forward to watching and living vicariously thru you and your experiences!! With time, the money will roll in for you (I hope!)!! You make everything seem so fun and easy. We travel too and I know it isn't easy, but it is fun, and so worth it!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Continued safe travels to you both!
Such a wonderful comment!! You can’t imagine how much comments like this help us to continue to move forward. There is a lot of work that goes into our channel, but we love what we are doing. We hope to inspire people to travel and live their best lives regardless of age. Thanks again for following along and the kind comment. Many blessings, John and Bev
@@RetirementTravelers - Oh, and yes please to the "How To" series!
Hi 👋 Bev and John,
My wife and I have been traveling for the last fifteen years and have been to over fifty countries.
Traveling keeps us young and has kept our love fresh. The moment we get home we start planning for our new adventures for the following year. The both of you are living a fun life; enjoy every moment of it.
Thanks so much for reaching out. Perhaps our travel journeys will cross paths someday. We are loving this adventure and cherish the time together.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
I love the background music! Thank you!!
Thanks.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I'm very excited about a "how to" series. I spent 5 years traveling the world by teaching English. I'd take a new job in a different country every 6 months, on average. I also did inexpensive travel--hiking like the Appalachian Trail and the Camino in Spain. Just bought a travel van and hope to see more of the USA for the next couple years. I really need to work on a side hustle, though.
Thanks so much. It sounds like you’ve had some wonderful adventures. Good luck in your van and hope you can follow along on our journey around the world.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
John & Bev, you two are delightful! Thank you so much. I especially liked how you said not to be so cheap that you don’t have any fun. I completely agree. Your attitude is so refreshing.😊
Thanks so much! We hope you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Congratulations on taking the plunge and making it happen! It's so evident you love each other and the life you've created. Keep it up!!
Thanks for the kind words and hope you can follow along on our journey.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I read a comment that they don't care for the music. I was so surprised. I'm a new listener and that's one of the things I especially love are your music choices. Goes to show you absolutely cannot please everybody (please don't change! 😂).
That is so true that you can’t please everyone. Thanks for the comment. We are always trying to learn and make better content. Thanks for following along. ❤️
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
YES!!! Totally agree that more expensive doesn't mean more fun. Theme parks are a rip off. Getting out in nature, exploring, and spending time with family is most rewarding ;-)
We think we have finally learned our lesson! It is also fun to create your own fun.
Moving your healthcare "home country" to Colombia or similar, is a terrific move.
Check-in once or twice a year and get bloodwork done there rather than the USA.
Very smart idea.
Thanks. We’ve been pleased so far.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I have found your videos to be very informative. I traveled by land in the UK and France in the summers of 2017 and 2018 using public transportation and a few cabs and Uber rides. I also used a backpack that carried all I had with me. I would do the same if I took another land journey. Scotland and the UK were unseasonably warm in Summer 2018, so I sent some clothing back home that I knew I would never need for the rest of my trip. The rest of the story is that both years, I got to and from the UK on the Cunard Queen Mary 2; no jet lag, and the port agent in Southampton stored my larger suitcase with my informal and formal attire that I would only wear on the ship. As I'm not a fan of flying, I will do the same when I resume overseas travel next year.
Thanks. Enjoyed your story. Thanks for sharing.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Everyone we know, when they travel they let out three meals a day. When we travel we go to grocery stores and have picnic style meals. If the hotel has a microwave, that's a plus but the local baked goods, cheeses, fruits, etc make healthy meals for very low cost. And there is always a park nearby for a relaxing, scenic picnic.
Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Have been watching your videos, I’m just 26 but you inspire me so much. I have learned a lot. And I appreciate the value and time it takes for your videos. That’s pretty cool you are able to put together great edits! Tech can be challenging! #subbed
Thanks and that's great. Thanks for subbing and following along.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great Videos !! Great advice !! My wife and I anchored in Prague last year, and by having now permanent residency with full Medical Insurance in Schengen zone, we plan to explore all of Europe for next 3 years ! We try to eat where locals eat, or buy food at local Farmers markets, and stay away from Tourist traps. Your advice to stay debt free, IS the key to travel freedom !
Thanks. Glad you are enjoying our videos. Sounds like a you have a great plan. Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Public transport causes random, serendipitous encounters with people and places.
We have met many interesting people on public transportation! John and Bev
You have made an exciting video channel. Thank you for being so brave! I am 64 and recently started a new life without my wife. Your positive energy comes through, which is essential when chasing your dreams. I am from London (England) and am looking at venturing out of my comfort zone to discover our world more intimately. You are an inspiration, and I appreciate your courage to follow your instincts against the norm.
Thanks for the kind words and glad you are enjoying our channel. Many blessings and safe travels in your new life.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Very practical relatable and doable. Love what your doing.
Thanks. So glad you are enjoying our channel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
We are retired seniors who like to travel. Two tips for saving in America: Join either a North American Reciprocal Museum Association institution (find any museum with a low membership price) or the American Horticultural Society. About $75 annual for a couple. Free admissions across the country.
Thanks so much for sharing. Great tips.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great Video! my husband and I sold everything and traveled in our 5th wheel for 2 years went to 21 states 5 countries and then covid happened and so we bought another house and I wish we didn't, we miss traveling full time but we are thinking about living aboard soon. We are headed out to travel through Eastern Europe in a couple days, I am so excited to get out and see the world. Best wishes to you both!!
Thanks. We spent 3 months in the Balkans last year. We went to every country. Some great bargains in places like Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. Go to Lake Bled in Slovenia if you can. We did a video there.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
We traveled Australia and like you we balanced cheap with times where we needed to pay
Thanks for sharing.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Some great ideas here. I like the idea of balancing high and low cost countries and taking advantage of off-season prices.
Thanks so much. It has worked well for us so far. Shoulder season is a great time to travel. John and Bev
Great meeting you in the Hotel Dubrovnik restaurant this morning! Look forward to following your adventures!
Thanks and it was a pleasure meeting you as well. Enjoy your travels and glad you are following along. John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Wonderful video! I’m mid 40’s and my husband is close to 50. We’re planning our retirement in the next 2-3 years. We are debt free but for our home which we will be selling and have our savings and retirement money in place. We also have the other tidbits in place (healthcare, etc.) I’ve been looking into the perfect travel credit card and best perks. I like that, cheap is good but free is better! 😊 All in all, we are never promised tomorrow- so we are getting into it without fear! Thanks for sharing! Wonderful information!
Thanks. So glad you enjoyed it.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Seniors talking about senior stuff. You're a trailblazer. You guys look great. My story is somehow the same except that i veered away from fancy lights (unlike a moth) since i was young, so even with no support, we paid off our house in our 30s. We were then able to tag along our kids to a month long vacation evrywhere including Europe. We are still working and have more years left, yet we paid off our future retirement house in Mexico. So we never deviated from our rich and frugal lifestyle.
Nice job and hope you can follow along on our journey around the world.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Of all the tips you gave, which all were wonderful, the best in my opinion was to become debt free. I think it would literally shock people when they realize just how much of their monthly expenditures is for purchases from months or years prior, or how much they are actually paying in interest. I retired early at age 62 and started some traveling, and the main thing that helped me was becoming debt free, other than my mortgage, before retirement and living on a budget. I am comfortably living and traveling on half the income I had before retirement from work and debt.
I also love the tip about using public transportation. Many cities in Europe will have passes you can purchase for unlimited travel on any of the various forms of public transportation. Also, cities such as Prague, allow free travel for seniors. I believe they set the age at 65, but also offer discounted pricing for between 60 and 65. Whenever I stay long-term in a location and have a kitchen available, I always visit the local market and pick up supplies for breakfast and lunches. On most days, I will only eat out once per day, with some of the eating out being at street vendors for a meal costing $7 or $8, or less. You don't have to dine at 5-star restaurants in order to enjoy your journey. Also, if you have the opportunity, find out where the locals like to eat. They're not going to pay the tourist prices for meals.
As far as medical insurance is concerned, I go with a company called IMG that costs me about $10 per day for 100% coverage and zero deductible, as my current insurance does not cover international travels. Since I'm not traveling full time, but only about 3 times a year, it's very convenient and cost-effective for me.
I do need to change my current airline credit card over to one of the travel cards that does allow me into the airport lounges. One other perk with the lounges, if you have a long layover, some of the lounges have shower facilities, and it's a good place to get refreshed if you're in the middle of a multi-day journey to your next destination.
I love the motto, "Cheap is good, but free is better."
Thanks and glad you enjoyed our tips. We have been using the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and we really like the overall travel benefits. Hope you can follow along on our journey and enjoy our channel.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great video. You are an inspiration to get out there and see it, do, experience it. Thank you!
Honesty is your biggest asset
Thanks for the kind words.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Hello you guys! Thank you for the tips. I'll be starting my traveling journey this year. I'm in my 30's and I've decided, why wait until I'm in my 40's or 50's to begin my journey of traveling the world. Life is very short and fragile. Especially with everything that is going on in the world today. So I'm just here to enjoy it and live it the best way I can.
Great plan and good luck with your travels. Hope you can get inspiration and ideas from our world travels.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers Thank you so much! And most definitely!
¡Gran Trabajo, guys! 🎉😊😊😊😊😊
Thanks.
John and Bev
I love this video - full of great tips and it’s so clear that you’re a great partnership. I second the point you made about enjoying visiting grocery stores - you find out so much about the local culture through those stores. Wishing you all the best in your travels.
Thanks. it is fun to experience things like grocery stores, laundromats, barber shops, etc
John and Bev
ttps://retirementtravelers.com
My experience of airbnb has been: people putting those artificial stink stinks in oil (diffuser reeds?) which rendered me, an asthmatic, unable to breath within seconds (its a common thing for people with breathing issues). There is a reason that hotels do not use these! Also another airbnb was a bedroom in someone's house but no only was there no lock on the bedroom door but there was no closure so the door couldn't close properly unless you used the provided weighted door stopper (the type you use when you want to prop open a door) and even then the door didn't close fully.
We have experienced the artificial diffusers as well. Usually not good.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for this series. Only just found it but plan to work my way thru.
I think a lot of ppl out there are interested in hearing from ppl who've had lots of real life experience
Thanks. Glad you are enjoying our videos. We plan to also provide a lot of content on our website.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers like the look of your website but interestingly the link doesn't load to my Google browser and when I tried to search for it on Google I could only find your Instagram account. Not sure what that's about
(I was trying to bookmark it in Google so I can circle back to it when I have more time)
@@susie9893 Thanks. Not quite sure about the search. We just tried it and TH-cam, website, Instagram and LinkedIn show up. 🤔. Thanks for letting us know and safe travels.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Great video!!
I'm a retired expat from the US living in Thailand five years. We do a lot of traveling.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
❤ living the GREAT life! Part of what I teach my clients is to let go of what's not in resonance, to expand in ways you never thought possible. So it's great to hear this from folks who completely let go! 🎉
I don't see you going back to FL(to live) but that farmhouse or something similar definitely has your names written on it. All the best. Aneela
Thanks. This is a great life. We don't know what the future holds, but we are enjoying the journey.
Many blessings to you,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks, looks like you guys have a blast...if one day you find yourself in Brittany France don't hesitate , I'll give you great adresses...
Sounds good. Thanks and yes we are having a blast.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I think your best video. Top 5 and top 10 videos are very popular. I love to learn lessons and this was very informative. Well done.
Thanks Joe. Our vlogs give us memories of our travels and we think the “how to” video will enable us to share the things we’ve learned along the way. John and Bev
Great videos! Both of you have fabulous 'stage presence'.
Thanks so much! Glad you are enjoying our channel.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I love the idea of a “How to”series!! Looking forward for it and absolutely love getting to see your travel experiences. Safe travels!!
Thanks so much for following along. John and Bev
I have been searching for fellow over 50s travel content creators and somehow you guys never showed up in my search results. As a travel couple still in the pre-retirement stage, your tips might help me convince my wife to leave work sooner rather than later. Like you, we are "value" travellers, so I totally agree with your money-saving ideas and the sensible approach to balancing more and less expensive countries in your travel plans. Now I am off to watch more of your content!
We're glad you found us! We LOVE traveling full-time. Even if you don't do it forever, it's a great reset after retirement. It's given us a whole new perspective! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
This was filled with great tips! Thanks so much John and Bev! We live in NJ and those state taxes are definitely killing us financially!😭 but our only child, our daughter will be graduating HS next year and we will definitely be making moves!
Thanks. We certainly understand your situation. Congrats on your daughter’s graduation and good luck with any moves. Florida has worked well for us and saved a bunch of money the last 6 years. John and Bev
I found your channel first via your “stopped Airbnb” video. :) just wondering do you miss cooking staying in hotels?
You guys are so fun to watch :)
Great video! LOTS of good advice that I’ve utilized while traveling!!
Thanks. Enjoy your traveling and hope you can follow along on our journey around the world.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
Having recently found your channel, I'll say your lifestyle is inspiring while your ethos is down to earth. Thankyou.
Thanks for the kind words.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you guys!! Im in my early fifties and I love to travel and hike!! I agree with you too in everything you said....Thanks for sharing your experiences!! I loved the video!!
Thanks so much. Enjoy your time traveling and hiking. Hope you like our channel and can follow along on our journey.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
My husband and I like doing our own mini food tours. It really makes the trip fun. A great way to get an idea of the local flavor if you do this your first day in a location.
Our goal is to retire by the time we are 59 (10 years away). 55 would be ideal. I am following you now for inspiration.
Glad you are enjoying the mini-food tours and best of luck with your early retirement plans. We are cheering for you. Hope you are enjoying our channel and website to give you additional inspiration.
Many blessings for 2024,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
PLEASE LOWER THE BACKGROUND MUSIC VOLUME. THANKS❤
Thanks for the feedback. This was an older video and we have learned some things since we filmed this one.
Safe travels,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Bravo and congrats on celebrating life with traveling and sharing your wonderful experiences
Thanks so much. We hope to inspire and encourage others to travel.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great video and we really love the idea of your “how to” series. We are sure it will help us and others who imagine having a retirement life like yours someday. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos.
Thanks. We hope you enjoy the ‘how to” series and continue along with our travel vlog. We do hope to inspire people of all ages to live their best lives and have no regrets. John and Bev
Thank you for your points. My husband and I plan to start slow travel in a couple of years. We are simplifying and getting rid of stuff now in anticipation. 😊
You can do it! Great job on simplifying and hope you have some amazing travels.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
New to your channel, and HIGHLY enjoying all the valuable info and your presentation style! I hadn’t noticed music until now, but in this one it’s pretty distracting. But it could be just me! lol Now off to find the other ones in this how-to series! 🎉
Thanks for following along and thanks for the feedback. We continue to learn as we go! Hope you enjoy our videos.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
I like the mini food tour idea. The background music is a little distracting. Maybe it can just be turned down a bit. Great video! Thank you!
Mini-food tours are fun! Thanks for the feedback on the music. We are always learning and trying to improve. Appreciate the feedback in a constructive manner.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!!! My partner and I have just begun doing this and have already incorporated many of the things you describe. Thank you!!
That's great. So glad you find it helpful. Safe travels and hope you can follow along on our journey.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I carry a small rice cooker. Cheap hot meals in a hotel room.
That's a new one for us. Thanks for sharing.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hey, great video! We also retired at 55 and now living on our boat full-time. We agree totally with your recommendations. One thing we found difficult is cell phones and data plans. The issue being staying connected to your bank account and other online secure services. But issues like 2 factor authentication (2FA) become a nuisance if you stay in a country for several months and therefore have to use a local cell. Not sure this is an issue for US cell plan holders but for Canadian travellers, staying outside Canada for months at a time is a pain as our data plans are unbelievably expensive when remote, hence using a local cell. We also use a 3rd party data plan (basically an eSIM for your phone). Would love to hear how you handle cell/data while travelling. We just bought Starlink for the boat so that will help but it does not completely resolve 2FA. Just subscribed and watched 2nd video. Great content. Enjoy your travels!
Wow! Boat life really intrigues us. We've talked about it and would love to know how you do it and how you manage. We'd like to consider it in a few years, but we have so much to learn in order to make it happen. We did a video recently on our cell phone plan. Here it is. th-cam.com/video/mHx1wRMLJ-4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=mptwvYFKqQUWiSw8 We use a VPN for our phones and computers so we can do two-factor authorization. We have no problem. Thanks for watching! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers Hi John & Bev, thanks for your quick reply. Watched the video and see that I am on the right path to solving my issues. We use Surfshark for our vpn and I have airalo on my ipad. Works fine as my phone is on AT&T for data while in the US. I’ll have to run a few 2FA tests while still in the US……. Have you heard of Gone with the Wynns on TH-cam. They RV’d like you and switched cold turkey to liveabord sailing. They made beautiful videos of their sailing travels. But I would not recommend you do like them! Instead, consider buying a smaller sailboat and dock it somewhere cheap like Northern Florida or southern Chesapeake Bay and use it as your US home base. In the summer, you can take it sailing building up to overnighting at anchor etc. If you like it, then can upgrade to something much better. If you don’t like it, then you can sell close to what you paid. And before doing that, maybe you know people who have a sailboat and just try out an afternoon sail. Some people fall in love with sailing that way. Others never step foot on a boat again. If our paths cross, we”ll be happy to take you guys out sailing. If you want to chat with us about sailing life, we could always do a zoom or conference call. We have been sailing full-time for about 14 months now and plan to continue for likely another 2 years but we may continue for another 5-10 years…we’ll see. We are actually thinking to do like you for 6 months per year and live on the boat for the other 6 months. But that’s just us dreaming up travelling…outside the box. Cheers Ced & Kiki, Montreal, Canada SV Seaside
Helpful reminder on doing the food tour ourselves. Thanks, look forward to the how to series!😀
Thanks. Glad you are enjoying the videos! John and Bev
Love this!! My husband wouldn’t be in board with this, due to his love of farm life, but I may do so with a friend!!!
Thanks. Hope you can follow along on our journey around the world and get ideas for your own world travels.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
We're planning on traveling in our retirement, so we look forward to these videos. Keep the tips coming!
Thanks and best of luck with all your retirement travels. Hope you can follow along on our journey.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
I'm much more excited now to be able to travel the world for cheap after watching your video. Thanks and best wishes on your travels.
You can do it! Best of luck and safe travels.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
We have a similar "side hustle" LOL, with the same results (so far). Great tips and advice. We also do the bulk of our food intake when traveling in the form of home cooked meals and reserve the eating out to "local cuisine" usually from places recommended by locals.
Thanks. Sounds like we have the same philosophy on cooking and eating out. Hang in there with your side hustle 😉, do it for the long term and enjoy the journey. Safe travels, John and Bev
You are an inspiration to your viewers no skipping ads to support you guys...
Thanks so much. So glad you are enjoying our channel.
Safe travels and many blessings,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
John and Bev,
Y’all have definitely got your act together! So proud of you guys! I’m too much of a homebody to do what you’re doing but so glad you’re living your dream!!
Judy
Thanks so much. We feel so blessed to be able to live out our dream by experiencing the world! Hope all is well. Sending our love from afar. John and Bev
Our house was paid off and we moved into a home in another state for half the price. We paid off all our debts. Our kids have their own lives and have jobs that pay well. When I finally reached the age for social security, I put my social security aside into a fund for travel, so that it keeps the cost under control.
Well done. Congrats and enjoy your travels.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hi Guys - I have only just (as in the last few days) found your vlog. I know sometimes it must be a pain, but I have found it very informative, so thanks for taking the time. We (my wife and I) both enjoy travel, and your tips and advice is "gold" so please keep it up. Thanks and regards from New Zealand
Thanks so much and we are glad you found our channel. We really do need some positive reinforcement at times, so thank you. Hope you can follow along on our journey. John and Bev
Love your new Retirement School videos. Very informative. Bev, in one of your videos about traveling light you mentioned not having the ability to carry and lift your own backpack coupled with your travel style. It was a hard pill for me to swallow so to speak but spot on. You got my attention, girlfriend.
Glad you are enjoying our new Travel School series. Thanks for following along with us.
Happy trails,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hi John & Bev, I've only recently discovered your channel. I'm not wanting to become a full time traveller but a few months a year is our aim, I thought this video was very good and I have picked up some tip already, I'll watch with interest at more of your vlogs. Good health and safe travels. PhilL.
Thanks. So glad you found our channel.
Safe travels.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Thank you. Lots of food for thought and action.Happy travels.
Thanks so much. Hope you can follow our journey and safe travels to you.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Hello, we are really enjoying your videos. Our way of traveling cheaply in our retirement is by pet/housesitting. We did England all last winter, and this coming winter we hope to do Spain and Portugal. We have a comfortable place to stay, and a dog to walk and discover the area around the house. We often get put on the owners car insurance too. In between sits, we will go into AirBnB’s. Love your videos, but the music is very off putting in our opinion. We don’t want to hear music, we want to hear what you are saying! 🙂
Thanks for the feedback.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Could you share any info on how to get started on the house/pet sitting? We house sat for 7wks in Jan Feb this year but we kind of fell into the opportunity by meeting a couple who were looking for someone to do this.
My kids convinced me to stop using Airbnb. Areas with housing shortages and numbers of unhoused having housing allocated to short term rentals contributes to housing problems.
Since the time that we made this video, we have stopped using Airbnb. Several viewers have mentioned to us about the housing shortages, so thanks for sharing. Here is a link to our video.
th-cam.com/video/x_E9IlUGTKA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1whYx6ujjO3ezfWQ
Safe travels,
John and Bev
Love your videos! Love the HOW TO SERIES. Maybe add to your series list of jobs to supplement your travels.
Thanks so much. Great idea and we will add that to our list of future videos. John and Bev
We're planning to start doing part-time traveling in 2 years. We're gathering all the information. Thanks for your advice!
We have a series of videos we did called Travel School. Here’s the link for the playlist. th-cam.com/play/PLMTIzrGVkaEH6LDCm0JJaZtC2G1Bie5Pb.html&si=1Bg7mOcfJAqYPbVF Enjoy and Happy Journeys! John & Bev
My husband allowed me to take a taxi once on our travels. I broke my foot right before going to Japan. We had a long day of site seeing and I was tired so this once I took a taxi back to the hotel. Lol we prefer public transportation too! Thanks for sharing! Priority Pass also has some $ benefits at some airport restaurants. That Airbnb looks fabulous!
Thanks. Public transportation is usually great. We also have Priority Pass and used it many times. Safe travels and thanks for following along. John and Bev
You guys are perfect couple for the show "Amazing Race". It will be great to travel on the show and possibly win the prize! I would be cheering you guys on!
We’d love to do Amazing Race! Our kids have been after us to apply. What a hoot that would be!!!🤩 John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
Thanks for the tips. Its funny, but we also retired at 55 here in Florida after buying our dream home, but we are currently travel mostly within the US, but we have 2 overseas trips we take each year after football season. As Retired Veteran, i'm able to Fly Space A to both Europe and Asia so it saves on our overall cost, since we are no longer needing to pay the Flight cost. I doubt we will end up traveling full time as we spend half a year back and forth to Miami (Season Tickets to the Miami Dolphins) and our Grandkids who live up in Virgina, but all your recommendations are spot on. I look forward to looking at more of your videos too.
Thanks and glad you enjoyed the tips. Sounds like a great deal for your world travel adventures and there is plenty to see in the USA. We spent 2 years touring the country in an Airstream and loved it. Safe travels!
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I also have season tickets...to the Washington Nationals, so future trips will be before and after baseball season!
I have just discovered your channel. Sharing it with my husband. You two are amazing. I have been leaning and researching decluttering etc and your videos are very helpful. We are avid cruisers. We take month long trips and love it. We are late starters moving in your direction. But we still own a house. Can see using many of your suggestions. This is only the second one of your videos that I watch. I can identify so much with your experiences. We are travelers too. Not to your extent yet. We confess loving to be pampered by cruising. Keep your videos coming. Thank you.
So glad you found our channel and thanks for following along. We cruise a few times a year to see some new places, get transportation and just enjoy a different experience. Safe travels and happy cruising.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great add on to your travel videos and I love the idea of doing your own food tour. Sometimes the planning of these things is as much fun as the doing.
Thanks. We hope you enjoy them. We love doing our own food tours!! Safe travels, John and Bev
Hello,
I really enjoy you guys. It’s nice to hear that the way you guys do things is similar to my way except I usually stay a month at a time.
I have been free for 3 years now traveling around the world and it might be difficult to go back to the old way.
Thanks you guys and have a fun life.
Thanks for following along with us and hope you have wonderful travels.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Soooo cool to watch the two of you and all your great adwises 🎉 tips and tricks.
It's wonderful to know, that it is actually possible to do, what you're doing.
Thank you for sharing :-)
Thanks so much for watching and following along.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Watch cooking shows like Anthony bourdain, and eat at places he went to eat. Worked really well for me in Lisbon.
Thanks. Great advice! John and Bev
Just found your channel and LOVE the content! I'm a financial planner and you have such GREAT tips for people! And I'm planning to retire early too and want my guy to travel as efficiently as you both!! Well done!
Thanks and so glad you found our channel. Be sure to check out our website as well. Good luck with the retirement planning process and happy travels!
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Just found you! Great tips. I eat one meal a day too. I'm trying to do as much frugal travel as possible. It is possible! Views, exercise and fresh air from hikes certainly are one of the best free activities.
Thanks so much and glad you found it helpful. We will be adding much more content to our website, so be sure to subscribe to the newsletter. Safe travels and have a great 2023.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
Thanks for the video - it sounds like you guys are having fun! A question for you: Did you evaluate the various travel credit card options? Which one did you choose and why? Thanks!
Chase Sapphire Reserve has worked great for us.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I loved hearing your story of how you prepared for this lifestyle. Thanks for sharing. 🌸
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed and hope you can follow along on our journey.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You guys are adorable. Living INTENTIONALLY at its finest. God bless you both in your journey and adventures! New subscriber! 😊
Thanks so much and hope you can follow along on our journey. Many blessings and good health to you.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I'm hoping to do something similar, but with a twist. My wife is from Bulgaria, and I hope to retire there after our kids our out of school. We can live very cheaply there, and spend a few months out of the year travelling around Europe. If you haven't been to Bulgaria yet, I can give you many pointers.
Thanks. We spent 3 weeks in Bulgaria last year and loved it. Veliko-Tarnovo, Plovdiv, and Sofia. We even saw a show at the Roman amphitheater in Plovdiv.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great tips thank you
Wonderful information, we look forward for more shows 🙋🏼
Thanks and that's great. Hope you enjoy.
John and Bev
Hi Bev and John. Love your tips and tricks. I'm curious on which travel credit card(s) should I get? Thanks.
We use the Chase Sapphire Reserve and have been very pleased. Lots of different good travel benefits.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Another fascinating video. Having just watched your video on what you stopped staying at AirBnb, I feel you should annotate this video somehow and link it to that video. Suggestions: (1) You talk about "off-season" travel. I think "off-tourist-destination" travel is under-rated. For example, instead of Santorini and Mykonos, how about Mylos and Tinos? Bologna and Siena instead of Milan and Florence. (2) Sometime it is worth spending money on a guide to really enhance the visit. At the archaeological site of Akrotiri at the end of the island of Santorini, I hired a PhD archaeologist to walk me through the excavation. In Rome I hired an art historian to do a walking tour of the city and a second tour of the Vatican Museums. (3) A Switzerland specific tip: Switzerland is crazy expensive. Eating out in a restaurant is always expensive. In almost all bakeries and larger supermarkets, you can buy a wide variety of either ready to eat or simple heat and serve meals at very good prices. -Resident in Basel, Switzerland
Thanks for the tips and we will certainly do that when we visit Switzerland.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Hi John and Bev,new to your channel Heard about you on Sound retirement podcast.I like what I’m hearing.I know it’s personal but if we in your audience had a better understanding of the budget concerns ,it would be helpful.Thank you and happy travels
Thank you for your comment. We appreciate where you are coming from in wanting to know our budget, but travel has so much variability. Given that, we try to balance our high-cost countries with our low-cost countries. Our accommodations are the most expensive item, as we can eat reasonably and cook in the Airbnb. We have been in Italy and Greece, as of late, mixing some higher with lower, but we are heading into the Balkans, where the costs for rooms are much lower. It isn’t hard to figure out a budget if you are dedicated to full time travel. My suggestion is to just start playing around with destinations and price out a trip. We travel via public transportation and rarely rent a car, as this can be as much or more than accommodations. Certainly, we would not be able to afford this lifestyle if we tried to keep a home in the USA. Overall, we have found full time travel much more affordable than we thought. John and Bev