Baby Boomer Travel Trends: Connection, Experience & Luxury on a Fixed Income

Baby boomers are continually proving that age is a state of mind. They fully intend on living life to the fullest and doing it on their own terms.

Born between 1946 and 1964, the “gray tsunami” generation that defined itself by breaking convention is now redefining the art of travel. Rather than slowing down, they’re hitting the road in search of more: more experiences and more time with the people who matter most to them.

So what does 2026 travel look like in your “golden years”?

Baby Boomer Travel Trends in 2026

Immersing yourself in travel sounds fantastic, but it does come with a price tag. The cost of travel, like many other things, has been increasing with each passing year.

AARP surveys travelers aged 50 and older annually about their plans for the upcoming year, including some of the barriers to travel they expect to face. Cost was the biggest reason people planned to reduce or avoid travel in both 2024 (51% of respondents) and 2025 (45%).

Survey respondents also said they expected to spend more than $6,800 on travel in 2025. Millennials, by contrast, averaged about $4,000 per trip in 2025.

This mirrors what we see at Seven Corners. Customers in the baby boomer generation habitually spend more on travel insurance than other generations in part because higher trip costs mean higher premiums for trip protection plans.

If these two things — avoiding travel because it’s expensive and yet embracing luxury travel — seems contradictory, they are. But what we see in baby boomer travel trends is a story of two extremes.

Those who can afford luxury continue to travel and are comfortable paying more to do so. Those who are on a more fixed income, however, are being more frugal. Travelers in this group are pulling back on the frequency or extravagance of their trips or forgoing them altogether.

How to travel on a fixed income

A good budget is a valuable tool for any traveler. Try these money tips for traveling in retirement.

• Stay flexible on your travel dates. Unless you’re traveling for a specific event, it pays to not lock yourself in. By being flexible, you can adjust your itinerary to travel on the cheapest days.
• Travel in the off-season or shoulder season. Peak season tends to come with peak prices. By visiting a destination when there are fewer people, you’ll save money on accommodations, flights, and more.
• Take advantage of credit card rewards and perks. If you can get free air miles just by getting the groceries you were going to buy anyway, use them for that exciting getaway. Make sure you can pay off your bill every month, though. Interest rates on these cards tend to be more than you’re getting in perks and rewards, meaning they aren’t worth the perceived savings if you can’t maintain a zero balance.
• Sign up for loyalty programs. Just read the fine print before you do. Not all loyalty programs are the same, and you might not want to get saddled with an annual fee later. Nor do you want to find out that there are so many rules and blackout dates that you can’t actually use your perks. But when you find a good program, you might be able to rack up free transportation, meals, or rooms.
• Beware hidden fees. Before you book anything, read the details of the contract. The last thing you want is to get hit with a higher bill than expected at check-out. You can’t always avoid the fees, but you can plan for them. And sometimes, you have a better chance of having those fees waived if you ask before you travel rather than after.
• Ask for discounts. Many places, from airlines to restaurants to museums, offer cheaper rates for seniors, AAA members, veterans, or travelers with disabilities (and a companion).  
• Prioritize free activities. Strolling through a park, people watching, or “window” shopping at a farmer’s market don’t cost a thing. That’s money that stays in your pocket or that can be put toward a splurge activity later in your trip. Plus, it forces you to slow down a bit and really soak up the experience.
• Choose your destination wisely. When traveling internationally, opt for countries with a favorable exchange rate. And consider that some places are simply more expensive than others, no matter the currency. Would you rather spend a week in Paris or two weeks in a more budget-friendly region of France where you could maybe take the train in to see the Louvre one day and still save money?
• Plan early. The sooner you start mapping out your itinerary, the sooner you can start looking for good deals.
• Find a buddy. Single supplements can add cost to your trip. If you usually travel alone, ask a friend to come with you and share the costs. If no one is feeling adventurous, book a tour. More and more companies are catering to the solo traveler.

Earn money while traveling

Consider ways to make money on the road if you’re concerned about bankrolling your travels.

• Become a digital nomad. This is a great move if you’re semi-retired. Offer your expertise as a consultant or freelancer. You have a lifetime of experience built up — use it.
• Become a guide. Amtrak hires volunteers to serve as guides on some of its trains to help passengers learn more about the sites they pass through. As a volunteer, you don’t get a salary, but the cost of your train journey is covered. Other tour companies and volunteer organizations might also hire guides and group organizers.
• House or pet sit. This is ideal if you want to immerse yourself in a single location for a longer stretch of time. Register with a company like MindMyHouse or TrustedHousesitters, and you can stay at someone’s home to look after their house or pets while they’re traveling themselves. Again, you won’t get paid for your duties, but you also don’t have any lodging expenses at your destination. It’s one of our favorite ways to travel for “free."

Travel Trend #3: Connecting with Family & Making Friends While Traveling

Family vacations never go out of style, but they do start to look different when baby boomers take the lead on planning. What we’ll likely see in 2026 is more baby boomer parents taking their adult children with them when they travel.

Explore Worldwide is calling this Family Adventures 2.0. “With many young adults with their 20s still living in their parents or returning home after university, and often unable to fund big trips independently, parents in their 50s and 60s are inviting their grown-up children along on adventures,” writes the tour company.

Hilton’s 2026 travel trends study found that 53% of adults traveling with their kids say that at least one of those kids is of adult age. What’s more, 44% of those parents surveyed said that they were paying for the entire trip, even if their kids were adults themselves.

The point to focus on here is that baby boomers see travel as key to connecting with loved ones. Cost takes a back seat to spending quality time together.

Baby boomers who aren’t vacationing with their families still seek community when they travel. In a nod to social wellness, older travelers are leaning into those immersive experiences that put them face-to-face with other people.

Homestays, culture-based classes, and themed tours that connect them with other travelers who have similar interests make it easier for them to make friends on the road. For those who travel to combat loneliness and isolation, that’s often more important than the destination itself.

Best Baby Boomer Travel Destinations

The best vacation destination for seniors is going to depend on the type of experience you’re seeking and the budget you have.

• Oregon’s Highway 101: For road trip warriors and retirees living the RV life, there are many domestic travel destinations worth exploring, starting with this stretch of the Oregon coast. Beaches, seafood joints, and state parks dot the route. RoverPass has some helpful tips for seniors to get started RVing.
• Mammoth Cave National Park: We picked this park in Kentucky as one of the best national parks for seniors in part because of its ease of accessibility. Visiting U.S. national parks is a budget-friendly way to explore the many unique landscapes the country has to offer. Seniors can even get a lifetime pass for all national parks at a very low rate.
• Costa Rica: This Latin American country has a strong expat community, so if you’re wondering about the best countries to retire to, Costa Rica is a good place to start. It’s relatively inexpensive, especially by U.S. standards, with plenty of natural beauty to explore or simply sit and relax in.
• Sicily, Italy: Warm weather, a leisurely pace, and boat loads of history — all good reasons to visit Sicily. Just off the toe of Italy’s boot, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. That means you get beaches galore and some gorgeous coastal towns, along with history and architecture.
• Charleston, South Carolina: Consider this Southern gem for a multigenerational getaway. Charm and hospitality meet luxury here. For history buffs of any age (or kids who love a good airplane), include Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum and the USS Yorktown on your itinerary. Slow everything down with some good shrimp and pimento cheese grits seaside.

Best Travel Insurance for Seniors

The best trips for seniors offer a wide range of activity (and inactivity), so the best travel insurance for seniors should offer a wide range of benefits. Look for plans with trip cancellation, lost baggage protection, medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, and more. Especially if you choose to go overseas, you need to safeguard your health while traveling.

Seven Corners Trip Protection plans offer benefits for trip cancellation, interruption, and delay. They also provide medical coverage for illnesses and injuries that occur during your trip. Most Seven Corners plans have coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Cancel for Any Reason coverage, an optional benefit you may be able to add to your Trip Protection plan, became increasingly popular during the COVID pandemic. That popularity remains high because of the increased flexibility it offers travelers, including baby boomers, during uncertain times.

Seniors who travel frequently should also consider Seven Corners Trip Protection Annual Multi-Trip. It includes many of the same benefits you want in a trip protection plan with the advantage of only needing to purchase coverage one time.

With our annual travel insurance, one plan offers protection for as many trips as you take during the course of that year. Whether your trips are planned well in advance or spontaneously, regardless of whether you travel two times or 20, Seven Corners Trip Protection Annual Multi-Trip has you covered.

Contact us for a quote and to learn more about our travel insurance options.