Anyone else finding travel harder the older you get?

[menopausalminnie1]

Just back from a long haul trip. Had a wonderful time, but really struggled with some aspects of the trip. For context, I'm 55, menopausal, and I ache A LOT.

We had to go from Heathrow, which is HUGE. I found the sheer amount of walking required to be quite difficult, as my back kills me, and I was lugging a heavy suitcase and a backpack. Don't get me wrong, I did manage it, but it felt exhausting.

We also struggled a bit with the self check in pods and trying to figure out where on earth to drop our bags after that. Nothing seemed to be well signposted or obvious.

On a day to day basis, I feel quite young, but on this trip I felt a bit concerned about whether we were going to manage long haul travel 10 years from now, which is a worry, as we plan to travel a lot in retirement.

Anyone else?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 !

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 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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 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

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

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.

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!

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.

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?

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

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

Geometry.

It’s down to the number of aircraft that need accommodating at one time (potentially close to 100 plus at some really big airports) and then the fact you need maybe a minimum 75-100 metres between the centre line of each gate - it adds up to big distances.

Best you can do from a passenger POV is subdivide into multiple terminals and then hopefully put in lots of moving walkways or similar to reduce the effort needed to move around.

Are you generally very unfit? I am only a couple of years younger than you and I have very recently done massive long haul flights and then a very active holiday and was absolutely fine.

I was always quite good at packing light but now I'm 55 I pack as little as possible, and wear layers. If I need to I'll buy something while I'm out there or wash my stuff, but mostly I find I don't need to. I'd still check in a bag rather than haul a big carryon around the airport. I'm also much keener on going by train (obviously not long haul). If I'm flying I'll spend money on things like a parking space near departures. I feel like travelling costs a fortune anyway so if I can afford that I'll make it easier on myself.

Do you do weights training at all, or at least body circuit stuff like bridging and planking? Makes a huge difference.

I'm mid 50's and I get sweaty (thyroid) and out of breath (asthma) walking up the hill from the airport car park to the departure hall dragging a suitcase in the summer but no aching, and I walk fast.

However it does take me maybe 3 days to recover from the journey and a couple of hours time difference.

I figure when I retire I will be able to take my time more and don't have to squeeze holidays into one or two weeks and rush back to work.

I do book extra leg room though as I need it and take creature comforts with me, flight socks, hand cream, noise cancelling headphones, neck pillow if it's an airline without an adjustable head rest. And I travel light, usually a medium case and small handbag, or a cabin case and a backpack

I'd check into HRT and take up yoga or pilates to keep your joints flexible.

I can use a rollator to get off the ship in ports. I book a wheelchair to actually board and disembark. I can usually manage 'easy' tours. My dh shoves my backside up on to the coaches and I use a stick to stagger around.