If you’re in your 50s, you might find yourself feeling a bit envious of your children’s gap year adventures and wondering, “Why should they have all the fun?” I’ve watched my daughter spend her student vacations traveling with friends around Asia and South America, while my son already has three overseas trips planned for this summer.

But I’ve also noticed a growing trend among travelers over 50 to plan more adventurous or longer trips than we might have considered in the past. Why shouldn’t we enjoy exciting activities like climbing a via ferrata, hiking in the Dolomites, or snorkeling with seals and whale watching as I’ve done on my recent trips? Even cruises, once seen as the domain of older travelers, are now incorporating more active offerings into their programs. For example, I went cycling and rafting during a cruise down the Danube.

There’s also the question of how to fund your travels and get the best value for your money so you can see and do more of the things you enjoy. If your children are leaving home and you’re facing an empty nest, you likely have more time and disposable income than you did when your family was growing up.

Not everyone has the cash to splurge, and even if you do, you might still want to make your resources go a little further. With this in mind, I’ve come up with a few ideas on how to fund your travels as a 50+ traveler, including some money-saving tips.

If you’re booking a holiday package, it’s fairly straightforward to work out the price tag. But if you want to travel independently or visit a few different locations, there’s a bit more to consider. When planning a new trip, I first use booking sites to research the general costs, especially of flights and accommodation, as these are usually the big-ticket items.

Next, I consider how much I’d need per day for general living expenses such as food and activities. Of course, this will vary based on your lifestyle, depending on whether you’re used to living on a budget or if you enjoy your little luxuries. Think about how much you would generally spend in the UK – or wherever you live – and then consider whether the cost of living in the places you’re visiting will be more or less expensive.

For example, I’ve found that Scandinavia and Canada are generally a bit more expensive than the UK, whereas Eastern Europe, Portugal, and Greece are generally cheaper. Thinking about an overall budget will help you work out what’s achievable with the money you have to spend on your travels.

If you’re lucky enough to have a high level of disposable income, saving may not be a necessity. But if you need to save up for those big-ticket travel items, here are a few ideas:

Accommodation is one of the big costs when you travel, so it’s worth looking at how you can get the best value. Here are a few tips:

Like accommodation, flights and transport are another big outlay for any trip, but there are a few ways to save costs here as well:

There are plenty of ways to keep costs manageable while you are traveling. Here are a few of my tips:

Even if you want to make your travel budget go as far as possible, there are some things you shouldn’t skimp on, in my opinion.

For those of you itching to take that long trip – trekking in Machu Picchu, exploring India’s Golden Triangle, and island hopping in Greece – this can be your reality, too. Aviva is here to help you seize your retirement, making trip planning simple and putting you in control of your adventure.