Jim Laabs spent most of his working life on the road. As a former regional sales director, the 72-year-old Midwest retiree logged countless miles traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada. When retirement finally arrived in 2022, Laabs and his partner planned to continue their travels at a more leisurely pace, dreaming of becoming snowbirds in the sun-drenched states of Southern California or Arizona.
Reality has proven far less accommodating.
“We’re going to live our life, and if we can make it work financially to do a week or two of cold weather to get out of the area, then we’ll do that,” said Laabs. Despite what he describes as a “comfortable, but not exorbitant” retirement fund and Social Security benefits double the national average, travel “would be one of the first things to go” if their budget tightened further.
The couple’s experience mirrors a growing trend among retirees and those approaching retirement age who find their travel aspirations colliding with economic realities. Many are downscaling plans or abandoning them altogether as costs continue to rise.
When Laabs first tested retirement in 2022, he and his partner spent approximately $5,000 on a 28-day stay at a two-bedroom home near Huntington Beach. This year, despite downgrading to a one-bedroom suite in Phoenix for just nine days, they still spent $3,100 — a striking example of how inflation has eroded purchasing power for travel.
For Patty Sorell, a 62-year-old former small business owner from Boston, retirement represented her chance to finally explore. After years of running her balloon shop with little time off, Sorell invested in an RV for domestic trips while planning international adventures for her full retirement.
“I knew I wanted travel to be part of my life plan,” said Sorell. “Something that happens when you own your own business is you hustle all the time, and when a job comes along, you take it because you don’t know when the next job is going to come along.”
More than a year into retirement, Sorell finds her expectations tempered by market realities. Her “fun money” earmarked for travel remains tied up in increasingly volatile investments. “That’s the stuff I want to make sure doesn’t dip or crash, and that’s what makes me nervous right now,” Sorell explained, referring to stock market fluctuations triggered by changing U.S. policy on tariffs and geopolitical tensions.
Financial advisors like Jake Falcon, founder of Falcon Wealth Advisors, suggest that retirees should avoid keeping short-term funds in the stock market due to volatility. For those still determined to travel, he recommends exploring less conventional destinations.
Some retirees have embraced radical solutions. Jeff and Sandra Mayernik, both former real estate professionals who retired in their early 60s, sold everything they owned to travel full-time on approximately $40,000 annually.
“There are 100 countries where we can stay 90 days at a time, so let’s go see them,” said Jeff Mayernik, 61. The couple now selects destinations based primarily on affordability, skipping expensive locations like Italy in favor of more budget-friendly alternatives such as Albania.
For those still in their working years, the outlook appears increasingly uncertain. Suki Eleuterio and her partner, both in their 40s, have long dreamed of island-hopping in the Caribbean and experiencing Europe in their 60s. But rising costs, increasing debt, and doubts about Social Security’s future have pushed their expected retirement age further away.
“Will we just be forced to keep working and working to pay off all the bills?” Eleuterio wondered. This uncertainty has led them to reconsider their timing. “It makes me think about, maybe, we should travel now a little bit, and get some of those things checked off our bucket list now, even if we do it with kids.”
This sentiment reflects a fundamental shift in thinking for many Americans facing retirement in an era of economic unpredictability. As Eleuterio put it: “What if it’s actually about living your life now versus living your life later?”
According to an AARP survey of Americans 50 and older who expressed interest in leisure travel this year, about 70% planned trips in 2025. However, respondents indicated they weren’t expecting to increase their travel spending over 2024 levels, with cost cited as the most common barrier.
For retirees who manage to continue traveling, many have found creative solutions by monetizing their experiences. Kari Lemay, 58, recently left her corporate marketing position to travel with her 70-year-old retired partner, Bill. They now fund their adventures through a combination of savings, investments, and income from their travel blog.
William Gogolak, assistant professor of finance at Carnegie Mellon University, emphasizes that maintaining some income during retirement is crucial for those who wish to travel extensively. He advises people in their 40s and 50s to identify aspects of their careers that could translate into consulting work later in life.
As retirement demographics shift and financial pressures mount, many Americans are being forced to reassess not just how they’ll travel in retirement, but whether they can afford to pursue those dreams at all.