Unique Ways to Travel in Retirement

Who hasn’t thought of traveling in retirement?  Anyone can pack their bags and take off for planned or even unplanned destinations but, what if you want something more bold and daring?

Exciting examples of ways to live a “traveling retirement” are found in a Forbes.com article titled “The Most Bizarre and Unusual Retirement Lifestyles”  by Halah Touryalai.

“Cut the recreational vehicle from the picture and travel around the country in an 18-wheeler instead. Believe it or not, more and more retirees are signing up for truck driving classes. Meg Green, a fee-only planner in Miami, Florida says the idea of getting paid to haul goods on long distance trips is appealing to some retirees looking to stay productive during retirement. “You couldn’t pay me $100,000 to do that but some boomers like the idea of seeing the country and getting paid for it,” says Green.

Image via Wikipedia

Fred Hiebert who runs United Transportation Driver Training in Manitoba, Canada says an increasing number of retirees are signing up for his class. The appeal? “They get to travel and don’t have people in their way. They get to see the countryside, sit back and enjoy it without anyone bothering them,” Hiebert says. The majority of retirees getting truck-driving lessons in Hiebert’s classes are men, but about 40% of those men are accompanied on their long-haul trips by their retired wives.

And get this: Retiree truck drivers are in demand. Hiebert says the companies he ships goods to are requesting his more “mature” drivers. “The industry has lost many of its seasoned drivers and the companies are calling me saying ‘Hey, you’re doing a great job with the 18 and 20-year-olds but they are harder on the equipment.’ They love the retirees who are more mature and have more work experience,” Hiebert adds.”

Another lifestyle suggestion, quoted from the same Forbes.com article, may pique your interest if you’d like to work, retire AND travel all at the same time.

“Some retirees never really retire at all and continue to work well into their golden years. But there’s a difference this time around. “The pressure is off so it can be much more fun,” D’Angelo says.

Image via Wikipedia

Retirees are mixing work with retirement through so-called “workamping,” or working and camping. Workampers live in RVs while working in recreational areas such as parks, campgrounds, amusement parks or resorts in exchange for wages and a free campsite in which to park their mobile homes. Workamping is a term coined by a website of the same name that matches RVers with employers around the country. More than half of all Workampers work to supplement their retirement income and travel while doing so.”

Any thoughts?  Would either of these lifestyles appeal to you?