Since we’ve both retired, we’ve started taking more long (for us) international trips. So, I thought it’d be fun to summarize a few tips about things we’ve done to get the most out of the experiences. By way of context, our financial situation is such that we can afford to spend more than what we used to when we were younger and were taking our kids with us1
In no particular order…
- Fly business class. The extra room (and service) significantly reduces the stress of flying. You may even find it possible to sleep relatively comfortably2!
- Not all business classes are the same. In particular, as of 2025, United and Delta are far superior to everything else (which is one of the reasons they account for a majority of the US airline industry’s profits; turns out we aren’t the only baby boomers willing to spend more money for comfort).
- Cargo pants (and shorts!) are very helpful. When you’re clearly a stranger in a strange land you get marked more readily as potential prey by, among others, pick pockets3. Having pockets on the front of your pants or shorts you can seal (I prefer Velcro, for convenience) provides peace of mind.
- Keep your passport with you (those Velcro pockets come in handy for this). There’s an argument that doing so puts you at risk of losing the one piece of documentation you need to re-enter the US. But, for me, that’s precisely the reason I want to have it in my possession at all times.
- Learn how to use a translation app on your cell phone. Granted, enough people speak enough English to get by most places. But there are times…
- Make sure your cell phone has access in whatever countries you’re traveling in. And think hard about whether you want to get by with data-only SIMs or want a full voice-and-data package (which are harder to find). Yes, you can make voice calls (e.g., via WiFi calling, WhatsApp, etc.) when all you have is a data connection to the local network. But it’s a more involved process that can trip up many people who are otherwise comfortable using their cell phones4.
- Make sure any US phone numbers in your phone that you want to be able to call while traveling include the US’ international dialing prefix. Which is +15.
- Comfortable shoes/sneakers are an absolute must, particularly if, like us, you prefer to explore on foot.
- If you’re on traditional Medicare, remember to purchase medical insurance for your trip. Traditional Medicare does not operate outside the US.
I call it “solving problems by throwing money at them. ↩
Barbara does. I operate on the assumption that if I fall asleep the plane may fall out of the sky, so… ↩
I nearly lost my wallet to a group of pick pockets on a crowded subway in Rome; I only got it back because I noticed the loss right away, mentioned it to Barbara, who was standing near me, and don’t carry my cash in my wallet…so the pick pockets, on a signal from their leader, dropped it on the floor. ↩
When we’ve traveled to Europe, we buy virtual voice-and-data SIMs from Orange, a French telecom company. Their products are affordable and easy to set up…although I haven’t been able to figure out how to set the voicemail prompts to English. No matter: when traveling, Barbara & I just want to be able to talk to each other if, say, we’ve gotten separated in a museum or an outdoor marketplace. ↩
Which shows it pays to be the place where telephones were invented. ↩
