Trips Travel Experts Say Are Perfect for Empty Nesters
Many retirees wonder what they will do once they are done working and the kids are out of the house. Travel + Leisure recently asked travel advisors where they would send people once their kids were grown. Their answers include everything from Italy and England to Antarctica, Mongolia, and Bhutan.
Some of these are trips people may have skipped when they had school schedules to work around or had to pay for several plane tickets instead of two. Others are simply places where it is easier to take your time when you aren’t trying to find something the kids will want to do too.
Simone Amorico, CEO and cofounder of Access Italy, told the outlet that empty nesters shouldn’t feel like they need to fill every minute of a trip. He recommended places like Tuscany, with time for small wineries, long lunches, a cooking class, and little towns along the way.
The list isn’t only for couples either. Several of the advisors recommended trips that also work for people traveling alone, and there is even an option for anyone who loves to bring their dog along on their adventures.
Italy, England and Japan All Made the List
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Along with Tuscany, Amorico suggested Florence and Rome for solo travelers. His advice was to mix in some private experiences while still leaving opportunities to meet people.
England was another pick, but travel advisor Ellen LeCompte recommended seeing more than London and the Cotswolds. She pointed to Richmond-upon-Thames and Cornwall, where visitors can spend time along the coast or get around by train, boat, bike or on foot.
Cornwall’s tourism office says the area has around 300 miles of coastline. Nearly half of the South West Coast Path also runs through Cornwall, so it’s a place where you could easily spend a few days without a packed schedule.
Japan is on the list too. Mary Cropper of Black Tomato recommended three or four nights in Tokyo, followed by a night or two at a ryokan in Hakone and then time in Kyoto. Her Kyoto suggestions included a tea ceremony, cooking class and a rickshaw ride through the bamboo groves.
An African safari was another recommendation. Karin Jones of Artisans of Safari had recently returned from a 60-day trip through Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa with her husband, Bill. She told Travel + Leisure that when their children were still home, she took longer work trips to Africa while he stayed home with the kids. Now they can go together.
Antarctica, Mongolia and Bhutan Take More Planning
Antarctica is probably one of the harder trips on the list to fit around a school calendar. Travel advisor Erin Correia said expedition cruises are typically 10 to 13 days, plus the time it takes to get to and from Ushuaia, Argentina.
Correia generally recommends ships carrying around 200 people or fewer. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators groups ships into several categories. Vessels carrying 13 to 200 passengers and those carrying 201 to 500 passengers can make landings, while ships with more than 500 passengers cannot.
Mongolia is another place that requires some extra time. Tyler Branco recommended a 10- to 14-day trip split between the Gobi Desert and the steppe. He said it is the type of trip couples often put off while their children are young.
Then there is Bhutan. Caroline Labbé recommended hiking to Tiger’s Nest and staying at places such as Amankora or Six Senses. A few extra costs to know about before booking: Bhutan‘s tourism department says U.S. visitors need a visa with a $40 application fee, and adults currently pay a $100-per-night Sustainable Development Fee.
There Are Easier Options Too
One of the 10 suggestions is actually pet-friendly travel. The list includes Newport Beach and Monterey in California, along with several places in Florida.
The Sanctuary Beach Resort near Monterey has a Sandy Paws program for guests bringing their dogs. In Florida, Jupiter Dog Beach gives dogs a 2.5-mile section of beach where they can play and swim off-leash from sunrise to sunset.
Travelers looking for something a little fancier could take the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Eleanor Hardy recommended spending a few days in Paris and then taking the train overnight to Venice. Belmond is still offering the one-night Paris-to-Venice route in 2026.
The last recommendation was a wellness trip. Amy Zebala suggested Wildflower Farms or Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, while Travel + Leisure also pointed to Sensei Lānaʻi in Hawaii.
