For many, gap year travel is all about the young. Older generations all too often see their only role as financial sponsor for their offspring's adventures. However, this is far from the case, and today the Golden Gap Year is growing in popularity. First emerging as a concept in 2022–23, and also called the Grey gap year or Silver gap year, it is broadly similar in principle to the extended breaks taken by younger generations.

A survey of 2,000 people over the age of fifty was carried out for Emirates. Yes, of course this is likely to be biased, but it found that 67% were keen to take an extended trip overseas. The travel company Intrepid has reported that bookings for those over sixty years old have increased significantly, and in the UK press several articles have reported huge increases in older people heading off for a year or more.

Who Is Taking the Golden Gap Year?

Extended adventures have undeniably become more popular among older adults. These include empty nesters — couples who have just become independent of their kids — wealthy early retirees, and those with flexible pensions. Add to that an increasing trend for remote working, permitting those with newfound independence to work from exotic locations abroad.

Then, among the older solo travellers, are those who have lost partners and are benefiting from life insurance or pension pay-outs, or those who have become divorced — either resulting in homelessness on one side, or benefiting from substantial settlements if they are more fortunate. Longer and healthier lives have also benefited many of us.

Your sixties are, for most people, the single best decade in which to go for an extended adventure. This might sound strange, but the case for this argument is far stronger than most people realise.

Why Go?

The motives for escaping the rat race are as diverse as the travellers themselves. A new chapter. A feeling that they missed out when they were young. Nostalgia for places they visited before. A journey to fulfil a lifetime's dream.

Many choose camper vans, some cycle across Europe, others take European road trips packing a tent in the boot of their car. Although money is needed, and most Golden Gap Year travellers don't rough it, many really aren't that wealthy. People from all backgrounds seem to be moving towards one last adventure — or even several last adventures.

There is one uniting factor, however. Time is limited, particularly among the sandwich generation attempting to balance the care of their parents as well as their own children. Here, timing is essential — but surely we have a lifetime of experience which should help us to do this. Before coming to a decision, perhaps it's best to consider some of the obstacles.

Potential Issues to Consider

Travel insurance — it really isn't the problem it once was as we get older. As ever, check out our travel insurance guide, shop around, and be upfront about any pre-existing conditions. Do bear in mind that insurance costs do go up as you age.

General health — be honest with yourself regarding your abilities, levels of stoicism, and stamina. Take digital copies of your prescriptions, and find out in advance how to access healthcare (emergency or otherwise) in your destination of choice.

National Insurance contribution gaps — ensure that you have worked enough qualifying years to receive a full state pension before taking long breaks. Otherwise, consider buying extra years at gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions.

Pensions — for those dependent on flexible pensions, extended travel might deplete retirement funds.

Property management — for those who own a house, this can be a practical consideration.

Identity and burnout — losing the identity of a job, particularly one that attracted respect and a good income, can be disorientating. Strangely, it can worsen physical and mental fatigue, leading to a form of burnout when travelling in new places for long periods.

Brexit and European visas — since Brexit, visa limits apply in Europe. In many cases you can now only spend ninety days in every one hundred and eighty in Europe. There are ways around this, but put simply, any break over three months in Europe will now take planning.

Working visas — the long working visas available to young people or students aren't usually given to older people, certainly not after retirement age.

Re-entry stress — this may affect many, especially if you stepped away from a career. As you get older there will always be the worry about finding employment on your return. This is likely to be far more intense than the similar feelings a twenty-one-year-old might experience.

The Case for Going

The period between sixty-two and seventy-two represents, for many people, the point of maximum disposable income, while fitness and strength aren't far from their peak. Many people no longer feel defined by what they used to do or what they used to be, and getting away for a long adventure can be extremely liberating. The older you become, the less inclined you are to make decisions based on what other people think. The social pressure to be sensible and not to rock the boat dissolves. Moreover, experience and self-knowledge accumulated over decades means you make better decisions.

Reading other websites would have you believe that adventure travel may be physically challenging in your sixties. It is true that at sixty I can't run as far or as fast as I did when I was twenty-one. However, I can still run a lot further and a lot faster than most twenty-one-year-olds. All things being equal, a fit sixty-something should still be able to run a 10K race, cycle fifty miles or more in one go, do fifty press-ups, or plank for a couple of minutes. Of course, that's if they want to. If you can't, then the best time to work on it is right now.

Medically and biologically, the difference between sixty-two and seventy-two years old is often modest. However, the difference between seventy-two and eighty-two can be dramatic. Tragically, many of my friends didn't live to see eighty-two — so this window doesn't last indefinitely. That's not because the opportunity will disappear overnight, but because the conditions are unlikely to get any better.

The Golden Gap Year isn't the last chance, but the best chance. While there is no upper limit to taking a gap year, there is good evidence not to wait too long. Health changes can be sudden and unpredictable, however much we don't want to think about it. Travel insurance can rise very sharply after seventy, eventually becoming almost unobtainable, and energy levels tend to fall, however fit you stay.

A Message to the Parents

So, a message to any parents visiting our website — perhaps because you'd like the necessary information to keep your precious offspring safe. Maybe think a little out of the box. Rather than investing in your kids, leave them house-sitting while you take the adventure of a lifetime.

If and when you see a gap that might work for you, grasp it. Without stating the obvious, it might be your last chance.

Further Reading

For more information and inspiration, explore the broadsheets, visit thisisdecades.com or travelsphere.co.uk, and for inspiration read Die With Zero by Bill Perkins.