about us

Hi! We’re Barry and Helen, and welcome to our corner of the web. We’re here to share our travel adventures and tips with other folks aged 50 and up who are ready to hit the road and see the world.

We’re a couple of Brits now living on the gorgeous Mornington Peninsula, just an hour outside Melbourne, Australia. Together, we’ve explored over 45 countries and have our sights set on hitting many more in the future.

We were both lucky to grow up in the beautiful university city of Oxford. I come from a print and publishing background but have spent most of my career in tourism and transport. Helen used to run her own successful catering business and now makes stunning sea glass jewellery.

My travel story kicked off in the 1980s, inspired by the classic Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. Back then, it was all about exciting, exotic adventures.

And funny enough, I ended up working on that very guidebook in Melbourne years later!

Helen’s travel journey began around the same time when she was a chalet host in Italy and Switzerland.

it used to be sO easy

Remember when booking a holiday was a breeze? You’d head down to the local travel agency leaving with half a tonne of Swedish pine tucked under your arm of various colourful brochures. Feeling slightly heady from the fumes of the print and the prospect of a week or two of sea, sun and sangria, one would stagger home to study the options.

Then along came the internet, globalisation and Covid, and everything changed.

But here’s the thing: travel doesn’t have to be a hassle. With a bit of planning and some good advice, you can still dive into this crazy, amazing world and discover it’s wonders.

online vs travel agency

The $64,000 question. Should I book my flight/hotel/holiday online or through a travel agent? If you’re lucky enough to have a local travel agency that you trust, then great, many have years of experience and may be able to help you with a tailor made holiday. But if you’re planning a more adventurous trip then you will probably want to plan it yourself. It’s part of the fun, piecing it all together.

We find that skyscanner.com are great for flights and booking.com for hotels, both are highly rated, reliable and with competitive prices. One tip is to always check the actual airline or hotel website you intend to use as they may offer a better price.

start exploring

Lately, we’ve been lucky enough to check out some amazing spots. We’ve had our fair share of successes and a few bumps along the way, but every place we’ve visited has given us stories and tips we’re excited to share with you.

So, whether you’re into trains, planes, or automobiles, hiking trips, island hopping, cruises, road trips, weekend getaways, wine tours, cultural adventures, or coach tours, we’ve got something for everyone.

stress-free travel

Here’s my top tip for stress-free travel: pack light! Stick to a sturdy suitcase and try to keep it under 20kgs. If you’ve got an early flight, see if there’s an airport hotel nearby or a good one a few miles away. Also, make sure your passport is up to date and that you’ve got all the necessary visas. Check with your credit card company to make sure you can use your card abroad. Don’t forget to sort out things at home like canceling milk delivery (those were the days), redirecting your mail, and letting the kids know you’ll be away for a while!

That long haul flight

We normally try to build in a stopover when we have a long haul flight; but many may have time constraints or can’t face the effort of collecting luggage, going through passport checkpoints, getting to the hotel etc, only to go through it again a day or two later.

We always go for aisle seating, sitting across from each other, one has this feeling of space, and you can get out of your seat quickly and easily. You only have someone on one side of you and you will find that you are disturbed less than you might expect.

Drink plenty of water and enjoy alcohol in moderation. Bring your own pillow, use noise-canceling headphones. Stretch those weary bones, walk around the cabin (where else can you walk 500km in 10 mins). Don’t forget your toiletries and toothbrush, have a freshen up and change of clothes, use moisturiser and deodorant regularly, use eye drops and wear compression socks. Most importantly travel with the right attitude, be positive, be patient, remember that the journey is part of the experience.

the responsible traveller

In today’s world, with all the focus on global issues and sustainability, you might wonder if it’s even okay to travel. What kind of impact does your trip have on the environment? Well, air travel makes up about 2-3% of global CO2 emissions, which is less than the 10% from road traffic. So, it’s not as bad as it might seem. Plus, there are lots of ways to offset your carbon footprint.

Try to use public transport, bike, or walk whenever you can. And ditch the single-use plastics—there are great reusable bottles out there. Opt for locally sourced food and wine, and buy gifts and souvenirs made by local artisans to keep your impact as low as possible.

get involved

We would love to hear your travel stories and favourite spots! Whether you’ve just had a perfect weekend in the Cotswolds, marvelled at the sight of Machu Picchu, tackled the Camino de Santiago, had an epic adventure on the Silk Route, we want to know all about it.

Maybe you’ve just returned from an amazing train adventure, a wonderful walking holiday, breathtaking cycling route, a relaxing cruise, or a safari, cultural activity, or a peaceful resort, we want to hear from you.

Tell us what went well, what didn’t, and any cool hotels, restaurants, wineries you discovered.

Just send us an email with a few photos (which means you grant permission to use) and your story. The more details, the better! It’s great if you’ve been somewhere recently so the info is current. We’ll make sure everything’s accurate and keep it updated.

Disclaimer - from time to time on this site there may be links (normally in bold) to external sites who may reward us for our efforts, generally the only reward we will receive is the knowledge that hopefully we have inspired you to get out into the big wide world and start exploring.