The Golden Years, Gone Global

Three senior couples, three travel styles, endless inspiration for the golden years of travel.

Words by Rhonda Bannister

In an age when travel often feels like a race – more selfies than soul – a quieter movement is underway. Across airports and train platforms, senior couples are setting out to rediscover the world on their own terms. We spoke to three couples who’ve made travel a defining part of their later years. For these couples, travel has evolved into a shared ritual that marks the seasons of their lives. Gone are the itineraries crammed with must-sees. Instead, their journeys revolve around meaningful moments: long lunches by the sea, laughter in small village squares, a glass of wine at sunset with someone who has seen you at every age.

Their stories reveal that adventure doesn’t fade with time, it simply changes shape.

Paulene & Trevor, Donna & Mike, and Barbara & Brian offer unique perspectives on adventure, planning, and the joys of growing older while still exploring. What unites these couples is less about the destinations and more about the journey together. Each story reminds us that travel is as much about connection, trust, and shared discovery as it is about landscapes and cuisine. Whether it’s walking ancient pilgrim routes, savouring sunsets over the Aegean, or cruising the world’s oceans, these couples prove that age is no barrier to adventure. Their journeys encourage us to explore boldly, plan thoughtfully, and, above all, cherish the moments – small and large -that make a lifetime of travel unforgettable.

The Long Wanderers

A life of slow journeys, shared decisions, and unexpected friendships.

For many couples, retirement means slowing down. For Paulene and Trevor, it meant opening the door wide to the world. “We’re two seniors addicted to travel,” Paulene laughs. “And retirement has given us the freedom to indulge that addiction fully.”

Their adventure together began long before their passports filled with stamps. Both working demanding careers – Paulene in social work, Trevor in construction – they squeezed in what trips they could between raising a family and managing busy lives. But it was their 2007 “gap year” working in England that changed everything. “That really cemented our desire to make travel a major part of our future,” she says.

“We used to dash from place to place. Now we slow down, stay longer, and truly absorb a destination.”

Since retiring in 2012, the couple have travelled extensively, often for months at a time. They now focus on slow travel, which helps them feel more relaxed and truly connected to each place. “We used to dash from one location to another – the more the better,” says Trevor. “Now we stay a week or more, and really absorb a place.” Winter in Europe has also become a favourite: “Fewer people, good accommodation, upgrades everywhere, and snow – for Australians, snow is still exciting!”

“We’re two seniors addicted to travel – retirement gave us the freedom to indulge that addiction.”

Their travels have strengthened their relationship in unexpected ways. “We work as a team,” says Paulene. “I handle bookings, he researches destinations, and we trust each other completely. It’s incredibly bonding to plan adventures together and to relive them later.”

They’ve travelled everywhere from Hawaii to Hiroshima, Brittany to the Caribbean, and recently Saudi Arabia, but two pilgrim walks on the Camino remain the experiences that touched them most deeply.

“The first one was 800 kilometres across Northern Spain, from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela. The second one took us across 400 kilometres of France, from Le Puy-en-Velay to Cahors. That slow journeying – meeting up with people from around the world, the endless stunning scenery, the village food and wines, being befriended by locals, the silence and peace, and the fascinating conversations and people we met on the way. And above all, the incredible sense of accomplishment!. It was life-changing”, Paulene says. Those friendships endure today, spanning India, Oregon, and beyond.

“Walking the Camino changed our lives – the friendships, the silence, the sense of accomplishment.”

Not every journey has been smooth. A 2020 house swap in Germany was cut short as COVID-19 erupted globally. “It was stressful and sad,” Paulene recalls. “But we got home safely and later returned to finish what we began.”

Favourite places? Grindelwald in Switzerland,“beyond belief.”

Future destinations? “We don’t have a list,” Paulene says. “We’re listening to our ageing bodies and looking closer to home: Korea, Japan, Malaysia… maybe more of Australia.”

Their advice for other couples planning to travel in Europe is grounded in hard-earned wisdom: “Purchase anti-theft bags and don’t wear expensive jewellery – we were robbed twice in Paris very recently and had no idea how they did it. Always tell your bank and Smartraveller.gov.au where you are going and our best advice is to research well and book early for any special events or showings you want to see – everything books our incredibly fast even in the shoulder seasons.”

Love, Laughter & Greek Island Summers

Two storytellers, two passports, and a shared instinct for adventure.

For Mike and Donna, travel has always been central to who they are as individuals and as a couple. Mike enjoyed a long career as a journalist covering everything from politics to motoring, but his great love was always travel. Donna built a successful PR agency representing some of the biggest names in tourism and hospitality. Put the two together, and it’s no surprise their life became one long, unfolding itinerary.

They’ve been travelling together for more than two decades and realised early on that their shared love for travel created a deep bond. “We discovered we loved travel and that we seemed to do it well together,” says Mike.

Their journeys haven’t always been smooth. They’ve road-tripped across Greece, Italy, France and Ireland, facing anxious moments and mishaps, always with Donna navigating. “There were tense exchanges, colourful language, full and frank character assessments,” Mike says with a grin. “But the trick is simple: never leave home without your sense of humour.”

They’ve learned they travel best as a duo. Group tours confirmed that while others enjoy them, they prefer choosing their own pace. “We recently did a small-ship 14-day cruise and loved it,” says Donna, “and we can see more of those in our future.”

“The trick to travelling together? Never leave home without your sense of humour.”

Most of the time, they plan everything themselves. Mike dreams up the destination, Donna executes the strategy with precision – airfares, accommodation, transfers, the lot. “She’s the organising genius,” he says. “I throw in the big idea, she joins the dots.” Their experience shows the importance of meticulous planning and flexibility when things go awry.

Those ideas have taken them around the world: from Ireland to India, from Portugal to Peru, from the Caribbean to Croatia. But their hearts belong to the Greek Islands. “We love swimming in the Mediterranean, the seafood, the laid-back pace,” Donna says. Their roll-call of favourites is impressive – Crete, Paros, Sifnos, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Spetses, Corfu and the big names, Santorini and Mykonos. They often stay three to four weeks at a time, settling into island life the way others sink into a favourite armchair.

Not all memories are idyllic. Their most stressful moment came in South America at the end of a lengthy sojourn culminating in Machu Picchu as COVID-19 began sweeping the globe.

After being rushed out of the hotel in Cusco by their guide, chaos followed: “We got to the airport where mayhem ruled with people trying to get through the gates and being held back by armed guards. We flew from Cusco to Lima and then to Santiago but our Lima flight was late pushing back. In Santiago we ran to board our flight to Australia but the cabin crew literally slammed the door in our faces. We missed the flight and went back to the airport the next morning where staff refused to honour our Qantas code-share tickets unless we paid A$28,000! Our phones were lighting up with DFAT and Qantas warnings urging all Australians to return home as soon as possible as the borders were closing. We paid up and made it home days before hotel quarantine began, says Mike. Six months later, after a long battle, the airline refunded the money”. Mike says that on a travel stress scale, this rated a 9 out of 10!

But the hard moments pale beside the magic says Mike: “The surreal otherworldliness of the Antarctic remains a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Australian explorer Douglas Mawson described the Antarctic as being “possessed by a rapturous wonder – the rare thrill of unreality” and we couldn’t improve on this description. A safari in Botswana comes a close second followed by the Machu Picchu site in Peru”.

Still, Greece remains their soul place. “Dinner overlooking the Santorini caldera as the sun set – we still talk about that evening,” Donna says.

Next year? France, simply because they feel like it. After that, Sicily. And after that? “Wherever the wind blows”.

Mike and Donna’s advice for other couples thinking of travelling extensively in their golden years is delightfully straightforward:

“Don’t put it off. Do it while you can and don’t die wondering.”

“Greece remains a sentimental favourite. Dinner overlooking the Santorini caldera is a memory we still treasure.”

A Slow Boat to Happiness

Thirty cruises and counting means travelling the world in comfort and style for this couple.

Barbara and Brian relocated their family from Wales to Australia in the early 80s and say they have never looked back. Brian worked as a carpenter with Barbara switching careers from hairdressing to sales and marketing, where she found her niche with a media company and stayed for 15 years until retirement. Bringing up two sons didn’t leave much time for travel, except for trips home to see family. Still, after early retirement and a move from the city to a quiet coastal village, they wanted to discover more of the world together, and say that cruising has fulfilled their thirst for exploration and experiences.

When Barbara and Brian boarded their very first cruise back in 1999, it was purely curiosity that drew them aboard. “The Virgo was advertised as a brand-new ship on her maiden voyage,” Barb recalls with a smile. “That was what triggered our interest – we thought, why not try something new like cruising?”

More than three decades later, the couple, now in their early eighties, have sailed on more than thirty cruises, from Asia to Africa, the Mediterranean to the Middle East, and they still speak of life at sea with the same sparkle in their eyes as on that first voyage.

“ You unpack once and see the world.”

“We’ve seen plenty of changes,” says Brian. “Some for the better, some small things you’d only notice if you’d been cruising as long as we have. Food choices, for instance. Costs have gone up everywhere, so we notice a reduction in what’s on offer, but in saying that, you’d never go hungry on a ship.”

Having sailed on every size vessel, their hearts belong to the smaller ships. “Lines like Azamara and Oceania are our favourites,” says Barb. “They only hold around 700 guests, and the crew remember you from years ago. It feels personal, almost like family.” This personal touch makes cruising feel warm and welcoming, especially for seniors seeking comfort.

So why keep cruising after all these years? “Because we love it,” they answer in unison. “You unpack once and see the world.” For them, the beauty lies in the little luxuries; beds made while you’re at breakfast, fresh towels folded just so, the choice each evening between a show, a quiet cocktail, or a chapter from a library book.

“Lines like Azamara and Oceania are our favourites – it feels personal, almost like family.”

Their most memorable journeys? “Petra and Jerusalem were extraordinary,” says Barb. Petra is one of the seven wonders of the world, an experience everyone should tick off their bucket list. It’s hard to describe the feeling when you discover the secrets of Petra. The intriguing story of how it was built, the long journey down through the mountain of rocks – you don’t know what you are about to discover around the next corner. Awesome! We also loved Jerusalem on the same cruise. Walking the same path Jesus walked with the cross was so spiritual! Doesn’t matter your faith – it was another very special moment and a fabulous memory”.

 “Africa too says Brian. Cape Town and Table Mountain – awesome; the safaris and the animals, along with the unique aroma of the African bush, are unforgettable in their own way. We’d go back in a heartbeat.”

Friendships have been a true treasure of their travels, creating lifelong bonds that bring warmth and a sense of belonging. “We’ve made friends all over the world, some from our very first cruise in 1999,” Barb says. “We’ve visited them, and they’ve come to stay with us in Australia.”

 “Every voyage still feels like the first.”

After all these voyages, what’s the best moment of all? “Standing together on deck, watching the horizon, never gets old. We’ve watched the world drift by from so many decks,” says Barbara, smiling. “And somehow, every voyage still feels like the first.”

Barb’s advice for other senior couples thinking of traveling more? “Do as much as you can while you’re healthy and mobile. Consider travel insurance that covers medical needs, and choose cruises with onboard medical facilities. Whether it’s an ocean or river cruise, a small group land tour, or a luxury train journey, don’t procrastinate – book it now. We never know how many more golden years we have left, so make the most of them”.