Should young people travel more while they're still young?

[Anna00002]

Or save money?

Travel. I am in my 40s and have terrible disabilities caused by chronic autoimmune issues. I really wish I’d travelled more when I was younger and healthier. But then I guess not everyone is interested in travelling.

Depends what their long term goals are. If their goal is a mortgage or getting married and having a family, better save when young, travel when a little older. If not, go for it!

Many "elderly" people or late middle aged people are sprightly enough to travel still these days. I knew a couple who were well into their 80s when they stopped travelling. I think they started 20 years before then. They went everywhere! Before that they were working and raising their kids.

I suspect a lot of young people don't have the funds these days, even those who aren't tied to mortgage commitments or paying off weddings at all. That said, working while traveling more likely an option when younger.

Depends what you mean by "travel more". There's a balance between spending and saving, which is personal to everyone.

Travel.
I travelled a lot in my 20s and 30s and studies abroad. I still managed to get a house, kids and a career. Now in my 50s my time to travel is almost non existent. My siblings have never travelled. They don’t have anything I don’t also have - except for memories of things they’ve experienced in other countries - they have nothing of this. (And to be honest my sister is as closed minded and ill-informed about other countries as it’s possible to be - spouting all sorts of xenophobic nonsense).
Travel enriches your life beyond measure. It’s harder when you get older

It depends on many factors. What lifestyle they want, what they already have in terms of money, what career they want, do they want a family and when. Traveling can be a great opportunity but I don’t think someone can go traveling instead of focusing on their career in their 20s and then expect to jump straight into buying a house and having a well established well paid career in their early 30s.

Travel - because the real 'experiences' come from hoofing around on the cheap, getting to know local people, crossing continents by bus and train. It is much, much easier to do while you're young - I last did it at 41 and was really pushing my limits!

This doesn't cost so much that you can't save as well.

Instagram travel - nah. Too expensive and your horizons don't get expanded. If you need reliability, comfort and great internet with your suntan, you're better off taking two package holidays a year and saving for your picture-perfect home.

We travelled. But it was important to us to travel. We did long days, adventurous
activities & it was fab. I think everyone has to make their own choices in what's important.

If we'd waited until 40's it wouldn't have happened, at least not to the same extent. Unwell parents (not even elderly yet), SEN DC, career pressures, etc. Just trying to find the time to go is impossible.

I think it's time to recognise that travelling is no longer environmentally sustainable. No need to be insular and ignorant of other cultures in a country like UK though. Just look around and be open to meeting and learning from all sorts of people right here.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, you can travel more cheaply when you’re young, staying in youth hostels etc but it doesn’t mean you have to spend all your money on travel.

Thankfully younger people are more concerned about the environmental impact of international travel now, so it’s not just financial concerns.

Travel - I spent my 20's and early 30's travelling and still wish I'd done more. It's a cliche but it really is food for the soul.

I'm a better person and a better parent now in my early 40's having had those experiences.

Travel, travel, travel! I will never stop encouraging this as I think it's so important. I don't mean a package holiday to Santa Ponsa but going to other countries & meeting people who live & work/ study there. My dc is 19 & is immensely fortunate to have been to a lot of places & at times for anything up to 3 months (our work has allowed a lot of travel).& I think she has absolutely benefitted from that.

As someone who studied abroad for a year (not a language degree) and worked abroad for almost a decade, I world say "travel" but point out that (at least in some cases) you can do both - it doesn't have to be either/or.

Make the most of opportunities that present themselves and be open to taking a chance on any opportunity that presents itself.

Now in my mid 50's and about to take a "year out" (for the first time) and travel.

I would never recommend anyone allows their twenties to be held hostage by ‘saving for a deposit’, whether that involves living with your parents, or trudging along in a joyless but well-paying job.

Well there are compromises surely? You don’t have to dedicate your entire 20’s to travelling. The thought of leaving uni or school and just saving is so depressing. You have your whole life to be a wage slave.

Ideally a balance
I think it’s hard nowadays

Any young people I know who have done/are doing proper ‘travelling’ are privileged and being supported significantly by parents in one way or another.

Both. You don't have to travel like crazy for 5 years or anything so it's good to do a bit of both, just like older people do, if they can.
Travelling never has to stop.
You can travel in the UK too. Amazing places to see.

Travel. I'd hoped to spend more of my life overseas but I'll health has put paid to that. I do however have lots of great memories to look back on from when I was well enough to travel outside the UK. As someone else said though there are fabulous places to travel in the UK and that's mostly where the last few years have taken me.

100 percent travel. Working life is long. Dont rush into. A year or 2 out to see the world. Fabulous

I did both. I got an international job in my 20s. It played havoc with my relationships but I managed both travel and a mortgage,

Travel!! Your twenties are for having fun and living life. A few months in SE Asia or wherever is really not that expensive and opens their minds to a whole other world of people and lifestyles. I’d be gutted if my kids chose work and money over more meaningful experiences at that age - plenty of time for being a proper grown up once you hit 30!

Definitely but then my daughter spent a year abroad teaching and now just done a year at uni abroad and travelled around it. So important to see the real parts of a country.

Travel definitely. I missed out in my twenties due to having my son at 18 and was always jealous of my mates going off to lovely places. Now I’m in my 40s, I’ve got more money and time and am re-living my youth! Went abroad 3 times last year and twice this year.

Absolutely travel if you can and want to. My two best holidays were inter railing round Europe with a backpack and a list of places I wanted to see, and a road trip round California, Nevada and Arizona. Both were staying in hostels or sleeping on trains. I couldn't rough it like that any more! Both are full of treasured memories and one made me go to nightschool and get an extra GCSE in German.

Surely with the whole of your 20s you can do both? I started a pension in my 20s and started paying NI, but I worked OS for eight years between the ages of 19 and 35. That allowed me to work, save and travel, all in one go. So if you're savvy it doesn't have to be either/or. Anyone can take a year out too, or take a few months between jobs to go travelling. That's particularly possible if you have a job that allows you to take short contracts that pay well.