Anyone else finding travel harder the older you get?

I'm nearly 57 and running 5km several times a week. No, you shouldn't be achy and exhausted.

HRT really helped me with joint achiness especially in the mornings etc - almost immediately too. I only knew to try it because my older sister found it helped her too.

Worth a trial?

Btw my GP has said the HRT is really important for more than just menopause symptoms - it helps avoid osteopoena, helps with cardiovascular risk and dementia. Really worth doing the research and don't be fobbed off by your GP if they don't have a good reason not too give it to you?

Do you mind me asking how you manage getting on and off the cruise ships, and do the tours at each destination? It always look like there is actually a lot of walking on a cruise.

I’m the opposite!
im a similar age, perimeno and finding the symptoms to be utter torture, I travel a lot for work, at least weekly and I bloody love it!!

I do only have a little wheelie case or a back pack and have packing down to a fine art.

I love getting my steps in, up & down stairs, on and off trains/ planes. It’s great fun!

It's the airports that are the worst part of travel these days.
Security guys shouting at you.
Airplane staff shouting at you if your carry on is and inch too big.
Having to make sure your phone is charged all the time. The stress of it possibly dying as your boarding pass is on there.

And I agree, why the airports so bloody big. It feels like you are walking for absolute miles from one end to the other.

Yes! I just went to Spain. Getting through the long queues at the airport us horrendous.

The weather in Spain was horrendous. It wasn't a holiday.

I got more relaxation at home.

I think it's the airports that are so bad these days. I can't be dealing with them. The endless queues.

The different rules in the different airports.

The last time I went through an airport he shouted at me for not having one liquid in my my plastic bag of liquids. I'd forgot one.

The next time I went to a different airport , I took every liquid out carefully and put it in a plastic bag. The guy there shouted at me for doing that!!he said "dont take your liquids out!".

The security guys are very aggressive. It's all so stressful

I'm your age and can't see what the issue is with airports, I find them fine but I do find flights boring and can't ever sleep, not looking forward to going to Australia though I have promised to go. I do try to ensure that we aren't sightseeing all day and busy all evening now, I like a 2-3 hour pool lounge between sightseeing and dinner now in my 5 star hotel but I've just agreed to go backpacking for 6 months . Must be crazy

I'm a bit younger (but in the joyful throes of peri) and really enjoy long haul travel since I started making the flight, or train or ship part of the holiday experience. In practice this means making everything as easy and comfortable as possible - business class flights on airlines with sensible travel times. The business class gives me space - I don't like people, lounge access - did I mention I don't like people and a private lie flat bed - I hate sleeping next to a stranger.

And pre book transfers to the hotel, so that there is someone waiting for you and you don’t have the hassle of finding the taxi rank and queuing up.

I'm a bit younger (but in the joyful throes of peri) and really enjoy long haul travel since I started making the flight, or train or ship part of the holiday experience. In practice this means making everything as easy and comfortable as possible - business class flights on airlines with sensible travel times. The business class gives me space - I don't like people, lounge access - did I mention I don't like people and a private lie flat bed - I hate sleeping next to a stranger.

I pack sensibly, accepting I can give things a wash in a sink if needed, and check my case . Hell my last long haul flight I used airportr to collect my bag from my home the night before and the next time I saw it was luggage carousel at JFK, bliss. I only carry on a small bag with the basics I need for the flight and a spare pair of knickers in case my baggage is delayed. I also enjoy the complimentary champagne.

Basically, I throw money into my comfort now the kids are grown.

Well I am in my 60s and don’t recognise this!
Am going to travel as much as possibly in my ‘retirement’ which will be next year. Have four ski trips and a cruise booked and intend to drive alone for two months in the summer driving around Europe. Do quite a few ‘extreme day trips’ currently.

Oh gosh , yes , check as much as possible into the hold ( as soon as possible ! )
why carry it around , let someone else deal with it

I am not, but then I have Eurostar as an option (so less use of airports), and never give Mr O'Leary a penny of my money. Though I can imagine that anyone whose only reasonable option to visit relatives is flying, things have not got better.

That's why I'm so glad I did so much in my 20s and early 30s!

I think it's a myth that hold luggage takes longer.

It’s definitely one of those things that varies.

The last two arrivals I’ve done (one into one of the LHR terminals, the other into somewhere in Europe) the checked bags arrived after maybe a 5 -10 minute wait at the belt.

Agree about checking luggage in the hold. It sure saves the stress of worrying will there be room overhead (near your seat) for the carry on bag. You can board last if you want! And hulking them around is a pain also. Bags are nearly always on the belt by the time I've got through passport control anyway.

I’m 64 , we have a big trip planned for February, we will be travelling from Heathrow ( flew from there last year , and was amazed at how big and busy it is ) but then our local airport is Cardiff , which is the complete opposite

We will be staying the night before at an airport hotel , travelling from our home by train ( we don’t want to pay for 30 nights parking , as well as the trip ) and the night we get back , as our flight is due at 6-15 pm

Im not looking forward to the long flights , we have 7 hours followed by 9 hours , we’re going to Bali , I’ve heard of the horrors of Bali belly 🤢 so hope not to get that

To prepare … I’m losing a bit of weight , started couch to 5 k , we go for a walk everyday , we’ll be buying new light luggage ,I already have a nice backpack for my book , AirPods , flight documents etc

Cant wait !

Same here, I carry medication and devices. The rest goes in the hold.
I think it's a myth that hold luggage takes longer. On my three trips this year the luggage has been waiting for us once we got through passport control. So many people carting hulking great suitcases onto the plane slows everything down.

Me too unless it’s a very short trip and I have very little in my bag. On a recent trip I checked in my carry on bag (it was free) so I just had a handbag to carry. The baggage was already on the carousel when we got through immigration. I’ve rarely waited very long for baggage.

Some people find it harder as they get older and some don’t.
I’m 65 and I love travelling.I’d go anywhere anytime if I had the time and money! Other family members of a similar age struggle more but weren’t as keen as me to start with. I think they’ve entered a “can I really be bothered” phase and I definitely haven’t.

I think it’s partly a mindset. My parents had very little money and travel wasn’t a thing. When I finally earned enough to have holidays it felt like a wonderful new world. I love everything about it, even getting to the airport! I see the whole thing as an adventure that gets me out of the daily routine. I don’t even mind too much when things don’t go very smoothly. I haven’t found it harder as I get older - I still get excited about it.

As PPs have advised, travel light and use compact wheeled luggage. And if you don’t know where to go or what to do at an airport, ask the staff! There will be plenty of people around who can help and will be happy to.

I buck the current trend for carry on and put as much in the hold as possible and just carry my valuables and things I need for the flight through the airport. In my experience most of the time luggage arrives pretty quickly so unless you are travelling for an urgent business meeting there is really no need to gain a few minutes by dashing through the baggage hall.

Realised that my post makes me sound a bit condescending and as if I’m really fit… I am neither!
One thing I cannot deal with in older age is early flights (I’m classing early as anything before late morning) because I cannot sleep properly the night before - I get weirdly anxious about missing the flight and wake up all night long. Poor sleep in middle age definitely screws me up so I try to book later flights if I can.

I'm menopausal and found that being fit makes MASSIVELY more difference now than it used to. For the past year I've been weight training, doing yoga and foot strength exercises. It's made a huge difference to all my aches and pains, my planter fasciitis has completely gone and my balance improved. Physically I feel significantly better at 52 than I did at 49. I regularly walk about 9 miles and it's fine.

Not interested in long haul travel sounds exhausting.

I’m the same age as you, just got back from a long haul trip (via Heathrow) and can’t wait to plan another! Unless you are elderly/disabled/ill I don’t think it should be such a struggle?

I’m sometimes tired/have jet lag more than I used to, but I pack a LOT more into my trips these days, so think that’s probably to be expected. (I pack a lot in now because age has made me realise I might not get chance to return 😆). In terms of aches and pains, I’m a bit stiffer than I used to be so always do a few simple yoga stretches when I get up, which usually sorts me out.

I’m a bit surprised by some of the comments re walking at the airport - it’s really not that far to walk if you have no health issues.

@menopausalminnie1 I had horrendously sore joints going through the menopause (49 when periods stopped) especially my knees. Never been on HRT (don't go to docs at all🙈). I am overweight and have to admit thought was getting osteoarthritis and would be stuck with it but all resolved by itself. I'm past retirement age now but can still put in a full bank shift in A &E although admit to getting much more tired and need a day to recover afterwards.