The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced a new partnership with Google Wallet on Wednesday. Travelers can now use Google Wallet to opt into TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, a program that allows you to breeze through security checkpoints without any physical government ID or paper boarding pass.

Your TSA PreCheck membership fast-tracks you through the wait line (and shortens the screening process), but you still need to stop and show ID at a security checkpoint before you can go to the screening area. Touchless ID uses facial recognition technology, not a security agent and physical ID, so you can go through a faster-moving line and get through the checkpoint more quickly.

With the new Google Wallet partnership, all of that becomes a little bit more seamless than it already is. If you're a TSA PreCheck member who's already used Touchless ID, you might be wondering how this is any different from your current experience. Here's what you need to know.

What Google Wallet changes about TSA PreCheck Touchless ID

TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is available at 65 airports nationwide. But, until now, you had to opt into the service through a participating airline.

That meant enrolling in a frequent flyer program (provided the airline you're flying with is eligible for Touchless ID), manually adding your passport details to that frequent flyer account, and then opting into TSA PreCheck Touchless ID.

That's easy enough if you've done it before with your typical airline, but what about when you're not flying with your regular airline, or if you forget to check ahead of time? Do you need to be enrolled in the frequent flyer program of every participating airline you fly with and then set up Touchless ID with each one individually? Not anymore.

The new Google Wallet integration simplifies the process. If you're flying on any of the 100 airlines participating in the program (and you have TSA PreCheck), you can opt into Touchless ID just once through Google Wallet and use it every time you fly, with any airline, without joining 100 frequent flyer programs.

How to set up TSA PreCheck Touchless ID in Google Wallet

First, you need to enroll in TSA PreCheck if you haven't already done so. Many travel rewards cards offer statement credits that effectively make the program free to you. So, if you're on the fence about whether or not enrolling is worth it and you have one of those travel credit cards, there's no question. It's free to you so any time saved at the airport is a bonus.

Next, you need to add your passport to Google Wallet.

On the day of your flight, here's what your Touchless ID process will look like:

• Check in for your flight online. After you've finished checking in, save your boarding pass to your Google Wallet.
• Opt into Touchless ID. When viewing your boarding pass in your Google Wallet, you should see a "get started" button if you're eligible for this program. Tap it and follow the prompts.
• Look for the TSA badge on your pass. After agreeing to share your digital ID and boarding pass with the TSA, you should see a little TSA PreCheck Touchless ID badge on your boarding pass. This indicates that you've finished the process and you're good to go.

That's all there is to it. You just opt into the program after checking in and you can now skip the hassle of digging around in your bag for your wallet when you reach the TSA checkpoint. Instead, you'll just scan your boarding pass, do the facial recognition process and move on to the security screening.

What else to know about Google Wallet and Touchless ID

Google Wallet is available to Android phone users. If you have an iPhone, there is no Google Wallet app available.

Understandably, some people have security concerns about the use of facial recognition technology. You do have to opt in for Touchless ID, and TSA says: "Images are not used for law enforcement, surveillance, nor shared with other entities. Your photo and personal data are deleted within 24-hours of your scheduled flight departure."

On privacy concerns, Google says your information is shared with the TSA only after you opt in and authenticate. The company adds that digital IDs in the Wallet "are always encrypted and stored directly on your phone."

The Google Wallet Touchless ID option is "rolling out over the coming weeks," according to Google.

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The soaring cost of jet fuel has caused many airlines to raise prices, making the cost of your summer trip more expensive than ever.

At a time when all your other costs are going up, you might be straining to make your usual travel plans fit your budget.

Instead of canceling their summer vacation plans altogether, travelers are trying everything to offset or avoid fuel surcharges. That includes such things as swapping destinations for one of the cheapest countries to visit, opting for a slight downgrade in your hotel to save money or even shortening the overall length of their trip.

If you're a traveler who's accustomed to traveling in luxury, some sacrifices might feel like a bridge too far. But downgrading from business to economy or taking advantage of a better point-redemption rate by grabbing that awards deal for basic economy tickets is an easy way to lower the cost of your trip without giving up your vacation.

Whether you've never flown economy or it's your go-to but you're just tired of the little annoyances that come with it, here are a few things you can do to make the experience feel a little more luxurious.

1. Pack TSA-friendly snacks and hydration boosters

Not only are you unlikely to have many complimentary food or drink choices available in economy, even the options available for purchase might seem limited compared with business class. There is a workaround.

The TSA allows travelers to bring solid food items such as candy, sandwiches and snacks through security. Pack a few Ziploc bags of your favorite things to munch on instead of limiting yourself to the peanuts or pretzels available for free on board.

You can also bring an empty reusable water bottle through security and fill it at a water station before boarding. To make the experience feel a little more elevated, pack a few electrolyte packets, drink enhancers or flavored hydration mixes to add to your water. Not only can this help you stay hydrated in the dry cabin air, but it also gives you a refreshing beverage without paying airport prices.

Pair your favorite snacks with a customized drink, and you'll have a more enjoyable in-flight experience that feels a little more luxurious, even if you're flying economy. You'll hardly miss business class (except, perhaps, for the lie-flat seats).

Check the full TSA guidelines on food and alcohol on the agency's website.

2. Make your own amenities kit

One of the little details that makes flying business class that much more luxurious is the amenities kit that's often waiting for you on board. Typically filled with lip balm, moisturizer and other skincare and wellness products from high-end brands, these kits add a little bit of self-care to your long haul flight.

You won't find an amenities kit waiting for you in economy. But you can easily pack your own — and even customize it to your own preferences.

What exactly should you pack? It's all up to you, but here are a few ideas:

• Cushy socks for a shorter flight or compression socks for a longer flight.
• Hydrating sheet masks or eye patches to give yourself a minispa day on board.
• Your favorite moisturizing lip balm.
• A travel-size bottle of hand cream.
• A moisturizing face cream to protect your skin from dry air.
• A silk sleep mask to make sleeping on a plane a little easier.
• A compact pouch to hold everything.

3. Travel pillows and blankets can make for a cushier experience

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when even those of us in economy would get complimentary pillows and blankets on board. That's becoming a rarer occurrence. But that doesn't mean you have to freeze or debate between using your coat as a pillow or a blanket.

Even if you're trying to pack light for the trip, you can find some surprisingly compact options to bring a pillow and blanket on your next flight.

• For pillows, look for foldable or packable options such as a memory foam pillow from Cushion Lab. It rolls up small enough to fit in your carry-on, then unfurls into a plush, supportive pillow to use on the plane.
• For a cheaper pillow option, go for a traditional neck pillow and either wear it around your neck as you board or loop it around the handle of your carry-on.
• Complete the set with a cover such as a Brookstone travel blanket that comes in a pouch with a luggage strap so it can slide over your carry-on luggage handles without taking up space in your bag.

4. Bring noise-cancelling headphones for your own silent retreat

Whether it's the baby crying three rows down or the passenger who thinks everyone wants to hear the action movie they're watching, there are a lot of noises to contend with on a plane. But you can retreat to your own happy place by slipping on a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to shut out the sounds around you.

Unlike standard ear plugs, these not only muffle the sound but use technology to actively cancel out noise in your environment. Connect the headphones to your phone and listen to your favorite relaxation playlist to complete the experience.

5. Get an airline card that comes with priority boarding

One of the most annoying parts of flying basic economy is that you'll usually end up having to check your bag at the gate. The service is often free if you do, but for those of us who've had our baggage lost three times too many (me) or just don't like the extra hassle of waiting at baggage claim, it's not ideal.

One of my favorite workarounds for this is having an airline credit card. Simply by having one of the Delta Skymiles American Express cards, I automatically get zone 5 boarding on Delta flights, even when I'm flying on a basic economy ticket. Since this is the first main economy zone to board the aircraft, there's always bin space available when I board.

6. Book the exit row or upgrade to premium economy

Many airlines charge a bit extra for exit row seats, but not so much that it'll blow your budget. If legroom is a priority for you, consider paying a few extra bucks for one of these seats, as it will typically come with a little extra legroom.

If exit row seats aren't available, check out the price for an upgrade to premium economy. Most airlines have begun adding this class to their aircraft. Along with a little extra legroom, the perks also often include an expanded menu of complimentary food and beverages. You might be able to skip the DIY cocktails and snacks.

Premium economy tickets are, of course, more expensive than basic economy, but they're still a lot cheaper than business class. It's a more reasonable splurge to squeeze into your summer travel budget.

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This summer, travelers are bracing for more than just the usual heat waves and hurricanes wreaking havoc with their vacation plans. The conflict between the U.S. and Iran has rippled through airline operations across the Middle East and significantly disrupted the global oil market, with scarcer and more expensive jet fuel prompting airlines to charge more and slash schedules at a time of peak demand. A recent survey from Global Rescue, which sells travel insurance and emergency-evacuation services, found that 85% of Americans are now worried that global conflicts may delay or disrupt their travels.

Those concerns come amid a packed U.S. events calendar this summer, including FIFA World Cup games in 11 cities this June and July, and America250 celebrations across the country — events expected to draw millions of tourists. "Lots of moving parts is an understatement," says aviation consultant Robert Mann.

Planning to fly this summer? To protect your wallet, your trip and your sanity, travel pros suggest these steps.

Keep an eye out for deals.

Domestic airfares are about 18% higher than a year ago, and international flights are up 7.5%, says Katy Nastro, a travel expert at the flight-deals platform Going. On top of that, some airlines — primarily overseas carriers — have imposed or hiked fuel surcharges that can add more than $200 to an economy-class ticket, and most U.S.-based airlines have increased checked-bag fees.

The best way to keep those costs down? Stay loose about when and where you fly, if possible. “Flexibility is going to be your superpower,” Nastro says. As a rule of thumb, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Sundays and Mondays are most expensive, Nastro says.

Also sign up for deal alerts from price-tracking apps such as Skyscanner, Hopper, Kayak and Google Flights. Nastro says it's possible to find prices as low as half off typical fares — though the deepest discounts tend to be in the Southeast or Caribbean, where hurricanes can throw a wrench into summer travel plans.

Shorten your wait time.

Even without a repeat of this spring's nightmare scenario of four- and five-hour wait times, airport security may be a bottleneck this summer. “TSA is a fixed-capacity system, and when you have peak demand, you're going to have delays,” Mann says.

To avoid them, sign up for a service such as TSA PreCheck or CLEAR+, which let vetted travelers go through an expedited security protocol. Crowdsourced reports from travelers this spring indicate that PreCheck's dedicated security lanes did often move faster when TSA agents were not being paid.

CLEAR+, run by a private service that verifies travelers' identities using a fingerprint or a facial scan, lets travelers skip to the front of the regular or PreCheck security line. It costs $209 a year, which includes PreCheck, while PreCheck alone typically costs $76.75 for five years.

PreCheck can also be combined with Global Entry, which gives international travelers expedited passage through U.S. Customs for $120. Some travel loyalty programs and credit card issuers offer discounts or reimbursements for membership.

Book direct.

To save money on spiraling jet-fuel costs, some airlines have begun canceling flights. Your best bet? “Try to book directly with the airline,” Nastro says, because rebooking after a delay or cancellation is easier without a middleman involved.

Also download your airline's app and enable notifications for flight updates. “Right now, travelers have to be their own best advocate, and that starts with staying on top of their reservation,” says Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group.

If you're flying overseas, Harteveldt also recommends upgrading your mobile phone plan to cover your destination; an hours-long hold time to rebook a flight will be even more painful if you incur long-distance charges.

Be the early bird.

To avoid flight delays and related expenses, be first out of the gate. “Target an early morning flight, and fly nonstop when possible” to avoid the chance of missing a connection, Nastro says. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day, and afternoon thunderstorms — even hundreds of miles away — can snarl schedules.

“Just because it doesn't happen on your route doesn't mean it can't impact your route,” says Scott Fleming, president of Aon Affinity's Travel Practice, a travel insurance provider.

Early flights are also less likely to be full, which can be helpful if you're jockeying for overhead bin space, trying to avoid higher checked-bag fees.

Consider travel insurance.

Travel insurance can be a good investment, especially for long or multifaceted itineraries such as overseas trips, Fleming says. But these policies don't cover every contingency. Common reasons to cancel a trip that typically do qualify include a serious illness or injury befalling you, a traveling companion or a family member; severe weather or natural disasters; and terrorist attacks that occur within a certain time and distance of your trip.

Delays or disruptions due to the conflict in Iran, however, might not make the cut. “For the most part, acts of war are excluded,” Fleming says. Preexisting conditions, medical or geopolitical, typically aren't covered either.

Cancel-for-any-reason policies offer more flexibility — you can just change your mind about the trip, for instance — but there are caveats. You typically have to purchase coverage shortly after booking your travel; payouts can be capped at 50% or 75% of your cost; and reimbursement may come as a credit toward a future trip rather than cash back.

These policies also cost more — typically 9% to 15% of the trip expense, compared with 6% to 10% for standard coverage, Fleming says. But given the higher-than-average possibility of some development disrupting your travel this summer, the extra protection may be worth it.

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Airport lounges are the best places to spend your layover or kill that extra time you have after breezing through airport security with TSA PreCheck and Clear. While the cushy seating, complimentary food and open bars are all designed to help guests relax before their flights, there is such a thing as being a little too comfortable in an airport lounge.

Some of the unspoken rules of an airport lounge are common sense, but others might not be so obvious to everyone. There are certain mistakes you might make that are a dead giveaway that this is your first visit. If you're planning to kick back in an airport lounge ahead of your next trip, take this short quiz to find out if you know how to behave inside one.

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Everyone knows the best way to be treated right when you fly is to have status with an airline's loyalty program. With that distinction alone, the clouds clear: You get access to a dedicated customer service phone line, free seat upgrades and checked bags, and sometimes even access to airport lounges and other perks.

There are many ways to attain status. First and foremost, you can get an airline-branded credit card that automatically gets you in the club. The other option is simply to fly and spend enough with an airline that you qualify for status. If you're someone who travels regularly for work, that's a fairly easy step to take, but for people who only fly a handful of times a year, it might be harder to reach that.

If you are someone who travels "sparingly" (compared to a business traveler, that is) and you want to attain airline status, you need to make sure you're getting credit for as many miles as possible. And that's where my little "trick" comes in handy.

How to get credit for every flight you take

In truth, it's not really a trick as much as it is being informed and taking action when you fly. Basically, most airlines are part of "alliances" with each other, and those alliances allow you to share miles between them. But in order to make use of that, you have to pick your flights carefully — and make sure you get credit afterwards.

First, you'll want to decide which major airline is the one you are targeting to get status on. This airline is usually the one that flies the most out of the airport near you, or flies to the destination you travel to the most, if you have multiple airport options. Let's call it your "home base airline."

Whenever you book a big trip, you should aim to book it on that home base airline. But let's say you're traveling a route that airline doesn't have. That's when you check the alliance.

See which alliance your home base airline is part of. Then, see which other airlines are in that alliance. Now, you can see if one of those airlines flies the route you need.

If it does, you're in luck. When you book that flight, there is sometimes an option to add your loyalty number. If there is, type in your loyalty number from your home base airline, and you'll earn points from this flight, even though it was a different airline.

But let's say that option doesn't exist or you forget to fill it in. Don't worry, there's still hope, and this is the little "trick" to help you out. After you take the flight, check your home base airline profile and see if you got credit for it. If you didn't, you can request they find your "missing miles."

File for United missing miles here; American Airlines here; for Delta, go here, and click on "Request Mileage Credit."

You'll need to log in to your account and then fill in the required information. Usually, that's information like your ticket number, so try to remember to hold onto your boarding pass or confirmation somewhere.

Each airline works a little differently in terms of when credit arrives and what information they need, so follow the directions on the site. Provided your request is approved, you'll get credit for that flight, which can help you get closer to attaining status with your home base airline.

How this worked for me

So, what does this look like in practice?

United is my home base airline as I prefer to fly out of Newark, which is a United hub. United is a member of the Star Alliance, which I like because it has a lot of regional airlines.

Typically when I take an international trip, I'll fly out of Newark with United, and then use regional airlines on the Star Alliance to get around if I'm location-hopping. And that's how I managed to earn Premier Silver status in 2024.

In January, I flew on a United ticket to New Zealand for my honeymoon. Air New Zealand is in the Star Alliance, so I flew with them when I traveled within New Zealand and between Australia. I was able to include my United mileage number on my Air New Zealand bookings and, after I got home, checked that I was credited on the path toward status with those flights.

In May, I had another international trip with a few destinations. I flew out to Greece on a United flight, then flew from Athens to an island on Aegean — a member of the Star Alliance. I used Aegean again to get to Dublin for a wedding, before flying on Swiss, another Star Alliance member, to get to Paris to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday, before flying home. (And yes, I needed a vacation from that vacation after all those flights.)

I logged every single one of those shorter flights and requested the missing miles when some of them didn't show up in my United account. This required a lot of concentration. To request the miles, I sometimes needed minute details down to my seat number and fare class, but ultimately I did get credit for each leg.

Between those big trips and a couple other domestic ones, I rightfully earned my Silver status that year — but it would not have happened without making use of the alliance flights and my vigilance to ensure those flights were counted.

Know your airline alliances

My key message here is to be aware of airline alliances and make use of them. With that, here are the major airline alliances, as of May 2026.

I am breaking them down by region, as that can be helpful to decide which alliance is most useful to you. If you're planning a big trip to Asia, for example, you may want to know which alliance has the most Asian airlines to accrue more points for your trip, and maybe that determines your home base target airline for the year. For me, that's another reason why United is my home base — the Star Alliance includes Aegean and ITA Airways, and as my big trips typically involve visiting family in Italy and Greece, this works out for me.

Star Alliance:

• North American airlines: United, Air Canada
• European airlines: Aegean, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, ITA Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines
• Asian airlines: Air China, Air India, ANA, Asiana Airlines, EVA Air, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways
• Central and South American airlines: Avianca, Copa Airlines
• African airlines: EgyptAir, Ethiopian, South African Airways
• Oceania airlines: Air New Zealand

SkyTeam:

• North American airlines: Delta, Aeromexico
• European airlines: AirEuropa, Air France, KLM, SAS, TAROM, Virgin Atlantic
• Asian airlines: China Airlines, China Eastern, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines, Xiamen Air
• Central and South American airlines: Aerolineas Argentinas
• African airlines: Kenya Airways
• Middle Eastern airlines: Middle East Airlines (MEA), Saudia

OneWorld:

• North American airlines: Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, American
• European airlines: British Airways, Finnair, Iberia
• Asian airlines: Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines
• African airlines: Royal Air Maroc
• Oceania airlines: Fiji Airways, Qantas
• Middle Eastern airlines: Oman Air, Qatar, Royal Jordanian

Accruing air miles is a strategic game that takes a sometimes ridiculous amount of effort, but it's all worth it for a year of free extra legroom.

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By the time May ends, many parents feel completely drained. Between school concerts, field trips, sports banquets, graduation celebrations, spirit weeks and summer planning, late spring can feel just as hectic and expensive as the holiday season.

That's why the term Maycember has struck a chord with so many parents online. Much like December, May often brings a nonstop stream of obligations, emotional labor and unexpected expenses that leave families exhausted before summer even begins.

After months of managing schedules, coordinating activities and taking care of everyone else, many parents enter summer running on empty. But the season can also offer an opportunity to shift some of that focus inward and make time for their own well-being.

Why parents feel financially and emotionally depleted by late May

For many families, May brings a steady stream of expenses that seem to arrive all at once. Teacher appreciation gifts, yearbook orders, team banquets, graduation celebrations, camp deposits, summer wardrobes and vacation planning can quickly strain the budget.

At the same time, parents often carry an invisible mental load behind the scenes. They're coordinating schedules, tracking deadlines, arranging childcare and helping their children navigate the emotions that come with the end of the school year and the start of summer.

By the time the final school bell rings, many parents aren't heading into summer feeling refreshed. They're heading into it already exhausted.

There's also an emotional contradiction that comes with this season. Summer is supposed to feel relaxing and carefree, yet many parents immediately shift into planning activities, creating memorable experiences and keeping kids engaged. Rather than slowing down, the work often takes on a different form.

Splurging doesn't have to mean irresponsible spending

Treating yourself after Maycember doesn't have to mean blowing your budget or abandoning your financial goals.

Thoughtful splurges can sometimes improve your quality of life, reduce stress and help you reclaim some of the time and energy you've spent caring for everyone else during a demanding season.

The most worthwhile purchases aren't always luxury items. Often, they're the conveniences, experiences and small upgrades that make daily life easier, more enjoyable or a little less overwhelming.

Here are a few ways parents can treat themselves this summer after making it through Maycember.

1. Outsource your stress

One of the biggest sources of burnout for parents is the endless stream of small tasks that seem to multiply during busy seasons.

Summer can be a good time to give yourself a little breathing room by outsourcing some of those responsibilities. For some families, that might mean paying for grocery delivery once a week, scheduling a regular takeout night or signing up for a car wash membership so cleaning the car doesn't become another weekend obligation.

Even hiring someone to mow the lawn once or twice during a particularly hectic stretch can provide a sense of relief.

"One of the best investments we've made during the summer is hiring a landscaper to handle mowing and weed control," says Carla Ayers, Personal Finance Editor at Kiplinger.com. "Outsourcing that task gives us one less thing to worry about and helps us avoid the stress of coming home to an overgrown yard."

Larger splurges might include a monthly house cleaner, a laundry service or a mother's helper or babysitter for a few hours each week so you can work, rest or enjoy some uninterrupted quiet time.

The value of these purchases goes beyond convenience. They can help reduce mental load and free up time for the things that matter most. For many parents, buying back a few hours of their week feels far more rewarding than buying more stuff.

2. Upgrade your summer mornings

Summer mornings often feel different. There’s usually a little more daylight, a slightly slower pace and more opportunities to enjoy quiet moments before the day gets busy. Instead of rushing through mornings, some parents might want to create a small ritual they look forward to.

That could be as simple as trying a fancy cold brew setup at home, buying better coffee creamer, picking up pastries from a local bakery once a week or replacing the chipped coffee mug you’ve been using for years. Others might enjoy sitting outside for 15 minutes with a journal, book or playlist before everyone else wakes up.

For bigger upgrades, parents might consider investing in an espresso machine, upgrading patio furniture or creating a small outdoor retreat space in the backyard with comfortable seating and lighting.

Sometimes a small change to the start of your day can improve your mood far more than a major purchase.

3. Take the solo afternoon you keep postponing

Many parents struggle to justify spending time or money on themselves. But after a demanding school year, a few uninterrupted hours can feel refreshing.

That might mean browsing a bookstore at your own pace, lingering in a coffee shop without interruptions, catching a matinee movie or enjoying lunch at a favorite restaurant. The activity itself matters less than having the freedom to spend a few hours doing something you enjoy.

Others might opt for a more intentional form of self-care, such as a massage, spa treatment or wellness day. Some even book a solo hotel stay nearby to enjoy uninterrupted sleep, quiet and a chance to recharge.

4. Spend money on convenience this summer

Summer schedules can become surprisingly chaotic with camps, sports, vacations and constantly shifting routines. During especially busy seasons, convenience can be a worthwhile investment rather than an unnecessary luxury.

Small upgrades such as buying precut produce, keeping extra freezer meals on hand, using grocery pickup or occasionally ordering delivery can make daily life run more smoothly.

Families with packed calendars may also benefit from meal kit subscriptions such as Marley Spoon, HelloFresh or Home Chef, which can simplify dinner planning and reduce the number of last-minute trips to the grocery store. Others might find value in prepared meal services or temporary cleaning help during the busiest weeks of summer.

Convenience spending is often criticized in budgeting conversations, but there's a difference between mindless spending and intentionally paying for support during demanding seasons of life. If a purchase helps reduce stress, prevent family conflicts or ease exhaustion, it might deliver more value than its price tag suggests.

5. Buy something that makes summer easier

Sometimes the best splurges are the practical purchases that make everyday life more comfortable all season long. That might mean investing in supportive walking shoes, upgrading your water bottle, buying a beach tote that fits everything or picking up a portable fan for long afternoons at outdoor sports events.

For parents spending hours on their feet at tournaments, amusement parks, festivals and family outings, comfortable footwear can be a worthwhile investment. Tom's Guide highlighted several popular options, including Hoka Skyward Laceless, OOFOS OOmg+ recovery shoes and Skechers Slip-ins Max Cushioning, all designed to provide comfort and support during long days of walking.

Other quality-of-life upgrades might include a pool membership, patio furniture, an outdoor speaker system or a high-end cooler for road trips, picnics and park days. Some parents are also investing in fitness trackers or e-bikes to make movement more enjoyable and encourage healthy habits throughout the summer.

The best summer splurges aren't always the most exciting purchases. Often, they're the ones that make everyday activities easier, more comfortable and a little more enjoyable.

6. Book the small trip instead of waiting for the perfect vacation

Not every family can afford an elaborate summer vacation, especially after the financial demands of spring activities and rising travel costs.

That doesn't mean summer has to feel disappointing. Instead of waiting for the "perfect" trip, many families choose smaller, lower-pressure getaways. A weekend at a nearby lake, a scenic road trip, a one-night hotel stay or a day trip to a neighboring town can create meaningful memories without requiring months of planning or a hefty price tag.

Families looking to splurge a bit more might consider renting a cabin at a state park, booking a nearby resort stay or planning a short regional getaway that doesn't require expensive flights. Shorter trips can often be less stressful, more affordable and easier to enjoy than highly planned vacations packed with activities and rigid itineraries.

"Patience and flexibility are your best friends when traveling with children," says Sean Jackson, personal finance writer for Kiplinger.com.

"Keep your schedule open enough to account for naps, unexpected delays and the occasional mishap. Pack plenty of snacks and cleaning wipes, and if you have younger children, it can help to have someone sit in the back seat with them during longer drives. We've taken multiple trips with our daughter and found that the more flexible you are, the smoother the experience tends to be and the more likely everyone is to enjoy the trip."

7. Create one adults-only summer ritual

Summer often revolves around children's schedules and activities, but parents benefit from having traditions of their own as well. That could be something as simple as a Friday takeout night after the kids go to bed, backyard gatherings with neighbors or evening walks accompanied by a favorite podcast or playlist.

Others might choose bigger splurges, such as creating a backyard firepit area, purchasing tickets to an outdoor concert series or investing in a date-night membership that encourages regular time together.

Having a recurring adults-only ritual can provide a welcome break from the logistics of family life and create something to look forward to throughout the summer.

8. Give yourself permission to stop optimizing everything

Many parents spend the summer trying to make every moment count by planning educational outings, organizing activities, scheduling camps and creating the "perfect" summer experience.

But constantly optimizing family life can be exhausting. Sometimes the most valuable summer splurge isn't something you buy. It's giving yourself permission to do less.

That might mean picking up a store-bought dessert instead of baking from scratch, skipping an event that feels more stressful than enjoyable, letting the kids entertain themselves for an afternoon or relying on simple meals more often.

After the chaos of Maycember, many parents head into summer already feeling stretched thin financially, mentally and emotionally. While it’s easy to focus every dollar and every ounce of energy on everyone else, summer can also be an opportunity to make life a little easier and more enjoyable for yourself, too.

Whether it’s paying for convenience, simplifying your schedule or finally taking a break you’ve been postponing, intentional splurges don’t have to derail your finances. Sometimes, the right purchase is the one that gives you more rest, more time or a little more peace during a busy season of life.

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Finding the sweet spot between a high-end travel experience and a smart budget is all about knowing how the travel industry prices its products. Do you know which days to fly, or how to leverage your background as a homeowner for free global lodging?

Take our quick travel quiz below to test your booking IQ and pick up a few expert strategies for your next adventure.

Don't worry if you miss an answer; you can follow the links below the quiz to brush up on your knowledge.

More on travel from the Kiplinger team:

• 9 Ways To Save on Your Next Luxury Trip
• The 12 Travel Tips Every Retiree Needs to Know
• The 10 Best Splurge Destinations for Retirees in 2026
• 5 Side Gigs That Let You Travel the World in Retirement
• The 10 Most Valuable Vacation Destinations for Retirees in 2026
• Flying After 65? These Are the 11 Best Travel Hacks for Active Retirees

Say you've lived in a lovely community for decades. You own your home, you have a great circle of friends and family not too far away. Then you retire — and blow it all up.

You sell and give away everything. The house, the cars, the furniture, most of your clothes and the items collected over a lifetime. And hit the road in Peru. South Korea. Romania.

That's what Judy Hoctor, 61, and her husband, Kevin, 64, did in November 2022. They retired from their jobs in San Francisco. Kevin worked for Apple and Judy for a cybersecurity start-up. At first they thought they might work remotely, but that wasn't viable. Retiring in San Francisco and also traveling was just too expensive.

“Pretty quickly we realized that it would be easier to just leave everything behind, not have responsibilities, like a house and a mortgage,” Judy Hoctor says. And rather than decide what to sell and what to keep, “we just said it will be easier to leave everything behind and live out of a suitcase and a backpack. We were looking for a different way of living.”

Retirees choosing to live their retirement traveling in an RV or camper is not a new phenomenon. Full-time retirement on cruise ships has also become a popular option for some. And to be sure, for some older folks, like those portrayed in the 2020 movie Nomadland, living on the road, moving from RV site to RV site, searching for temporary jobs, is a life necessity, not a lifestyle choice.

It is difficult to find statistics on this group, but, anecdotally at least, more retirees like the Hoctors are opting for a DIY global nomadic life. That usually consists of moving every few weeks or months with no established home base.

These nomads learn from each other and from social media groups of like-minded souls about health plans, virtual mailboxes, choosing a hairdresser and joining meet-ups.

It's not for everybody. But those who have lasted on the road for years often embrace the lifestyle with evangelical zeal.

Choosing to go

For Debbie Campbell, 70, and her husband, Michael, 80, it was their daughter who initially came up with the idea of spending their retirement moving from Airbnb to Airbnb and country to country.

She lived in France. They had lived in Seattle for decades.

“We thought that was crazy. Had she looked in our checkbook?” Debbie Campbell says. But “the idea kind of just stuck. We were looking for another adventure, and Michael started doing some budgets and spreadsheets, and we thought, ‘We can't do this. We can't do this. And then wait a minute, yes, we can.'”

So they sold or gave away everything except for some items stashed in a storage space and took off in July 2013.

“We were boatless, carless, homeless and we just went,” Campbell says. “We returned every year for the holidays, just after Thanksgiving through the New Year, and then we took off again.” They ended their 12-year travel marathon in 2025 after visiting 95 countries and now rent a place in Seattle.

“When we left, we were not aware of others who were doing what we intended to do — no websites or books that laid out what being a ‘senior nomad' in 2013 looked like,” she says. “During the decade, as the media coverage increased, we were contacted at first by people with lots of ‘how to' questions. Then we started hearing from people who told us, ‘We did what you did.'”

The Campbells themselves are partially responsible for that media coverage. Debbie ran an advertising agency and Michael was a sports promoter, so both were savvy about the media. Debbie began a blog about their travels when they first started. When The New York Times wrote about the couple and their travels, they received more than 250 inquiries through that blog.

Now they have a website, SeniorNomads.com; their public Facebook page, Senior Nomads, has more than 10,000 followers and they have a private page with about 20,000 followers. At one point, they reached out to Airbnb about their travels and became informal ambassadors, even interning at their San Francisco headquarters for three months in exchange for housing. In 2016 they published a book, Your Keys, Our Home, about their experience staying in Airbnbs worldwide.

Most who choose the nomadic life have always loved traveling, but there's a point that tips them from part-time to full-time travelers. For Heidi Sickles, 65, it was after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in her last year working as a human resource manager.

The illness “opened my eyes — time is short,” Sickles says. “And then the kids were out, and it just seemed like the right time to sell the house and start traveling.”

She and her husband Kevin, 65, sold their home in Mamaroneck, N.Y. in 2024 and began their travels.

It was the pandemic that spurred the Hoctors to rethink their priorities. “It was a feeling this is not how we want to spend our life,” Judy says. “The more we worked, the more our jobs wanted us to work.”

Is a nomadic retirement for you?

It takes a certain type of person to be on the move, constantly dealing with new cultures and languages, with the inevitable mishaps — because there will be missed trains, visa mix-ups and the occasional dud Airbnb where nothing works.

There was the time Michael Campbell was pickpocketed in Saigon. And the next day the couple accidentally left their backpacks — including Debbie's phone — in a cab. They managed to track it using the Find my Phone app and happily recovered the items.

And when traveling on a tight budget, every mistake can feel costly. The Hoctors accidentally double-booked flights from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro. They caught the problem within 24 hours, but the carrier refused to refund the $522.

The ideal nomad retiree is someone who is both able to plan and be flexible, who is eager for new experiences and meeting different people, but can also enjoy their own company for stretches of time.

“You need to take an introspective look to see who you are and what will work for you and what will not work for you,” says Manisha Santosh Parulekar, a doctor of geriatric medicine. “You are exposed to various languages. You’re exposed to new people, cultures. So that is stimulating for your brain and mind. And you are active when you’re traveling, so it is good for your physical health as well. But if you have not planned well, and if you don’t travel in a coordinated format, things can get complicated, and it can actually add more stress.”

One thing it doesn’t take, experienced nomads say, is a lot of money.

The Hoctors, for example, set a budget of $5,000 a month; on one video on their YouTube channel, they break down their 2024 costs and estimate they spent about $63,000. Like the Campbells, they have monetized their travels to some degree; besides the YouTube channel, they have a website, FindingGinaMarie.com.

The income from their video views, affiliate links and membership fees came to around $36,000 last year, Hoctor says.

The Campbells don’t make their spending public but say their goal was to average about $90 a night for lodging. Travel days are expensive, Campbell says. Like many others, they settle down in one place for several months each year — for them, it’s winter in Mexico.

One way to cut out the cost of accommodation: house-sit or pet-sit. Trusted Housesitters is one popular global site where people exchange pet-sitting for housing. Annual membership for pet-sitters starts at $129.

For many, the joy of traveling is not to replicate the lifestyle they had at home but rather to shed it.

That was the case for Sandra Rosenau, 53, and her husband Paul Ryken, 60, of Sydney, Australia. Tired of their corporate lives and looking for a change, they winnowed down all their possessions to a safety deposit box and left Sydney in 2016 with one backpack each. They spend about $40,000 annually and write about living a simple lifestyle on the road on their website MinimalistJourneys.com.

Healthcare when you global nomad

Healthcare is one overarching concern for those traveling in their later years. Regular Medicare can’t be used overseas; some Medicare Advantage plans will cover treatment — typically only emergencies — in foreign countries.

One option is to purchase global health insurance, which is different from travel insurance. The best known companies for such insurance include Allianz, AXA, Cigna and IMG; some plans also cover pre-existing and chronic illness.

The Hoctors chose a Cigna Global Health mid-level plan. It cost $5,781 annually for both of them for $1 million coverage outside the U.S. and includes a $3,000 deductible.

They most likely will also sign up for Medicare when they reach 65, to avoid late penalties if they don’t — even though they don’t plan to settle back in the U.S.

Planning ahead is key to a healthy experience, Parulekar, the doctor, says: “Are you on top of your prevention and screening? Are you up to date with all your vaccinations?” she says. Plan in a systematic and timely manner, so that when you do get [to your destination], you are able to enjoy the true potential of that place, rather than then getting sick.”

That said, many nomads rave about the healthcare they receive locally.

“Good healthcare exists everywhere, not just in the U.S., and it’s cheaper,” Hoctor says. “Kevin had a hernia repair surgery when we were in Serbia, and we’ve also had medical health checkups in Thailand, glasses in Japan, dental appointments everywhere. We’ve felt very comfortable and gotten excellent care at meaningfully cheaper prices than the U.S.”

Sickles says she schedules her doctors’ appointments in New York in one-or-two-day blocks when returning to the area but has found medical care over seas for relatively minor problems to be exemplary. And since Medicare doesn’t cover dental care, the Sickles now have all their dental work done in Mexico, where they go annually for some longer-term stays.

“We’ve found the dentists in Mexico to be first rate, using modern techniques and equipment and the cost is about one-fourth to one-fifth of what we typically paid in the States,” she says.

Taxes and other logistics

Nomads are still required to pay federal taxes on Social Security, investments and other income and state taxes depending on the state they live in.

Some, like the Sickles, who don’t own property and aren’t working, chose to “move” to a state that doesn’t charge income tax and declare that as their tax domicile — in their case South Dakota. They were required to show proof that they spent one night in the state before they could apply for their drivers’ licenses and register their cars.

And how about the rare but important pieces of real mail? One way is through a virtual mailbox, which is a digital mail service with a real street address. Numerous companies offer services such as forwarding or storing hard copies of mail, shredding, digitally scanning the outside of all mail for the traveler to see it online and then the contents if requested. The cost is typically $120-$200 annually, sometimes with additional fees.

The downsides of a nomad retirement

While the Instagram photos and travelogues make the nomad life look like non-stop fun — and even the hiccups become humorous anecdotes — the lifestyle requires trade-offs. For Sickles it’s missing everything from a monthly book group to weekend getaways with the tight group of friends she developed over 31 years in Mamaroneck.

“That’s probably the hardest,” she says. One way they’ve addressed that is to stay for six weeks every year in the same area of Mexico and invite friends to cycle in and out. Her mother-in-law also joins them there.

One potential nomad asked in a Reddit forum about the difficulties of everyday life, especially if traveling solo.

“I think the main challenge aside from logistics is going to be boredom,” says one respondent, who also runs a website, bonusnachos.com, on the topic. “Hanging out in foreign cities where you don’t speak the language makes it hard to make friends. You really need to figure out how you’re going to entertain yourself.”

For some, the people they meet on the road — other nomads or locals — become a community of its own. And technology makes it fairly easy to stay in touch with family and friends. But the pull remains.

For the Campbells, one of the tradeoffs of living a 12-year-long adventure was being away from their six grandchildren for long periods of time — although the three that live in France they saw more frequently than they would have had they stayed in Seattle.

“That was really hard, because we were gone during a chunk of their growing up,” Campbell says. One of the reasons they decided to end their wandering life— besides the feeling that they had essentially done all they wanted to do—was to be close to their four-year-old grandson, the youngest.

“He’s kind of the pin in the map for me right now,” she says. But the couple has no regrets. “We knew that by traveling, we were giving up some time with grandchildren while they were growing up, but we felt like we were role models for our adult children and for our grandchildren,” Michael Campbell says. “That in retirement, one doesn’t just have to sit in a rocking chair on their porch.”

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, our popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. Subscribe for retirement advice that's right on the money.

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Locations in five countries in Europe are offering financial incentives to new residents meeting specific qualifications, according to a report from InternationalLiving.com. The countries — including Italy, Spain, Greece, Ireland and Portugal — have available grants, subsidized housing or long-term tax incentives that can meaningfully reduce the cost of relocating abroad when paired with the right visa.

“For retirees, these incentives can meaningfully reduce the upfront cost of starting a new life overseas,” says Jennifer Stevens, executive editor of International Living. “Whether it's a tax break in Italy or Greece, a housing refurbishment grant in Ireland, or relocation support in Portugal, these programs can help stretch retirement savings further.”

But, as the report makes clear: Make sure you understand the details before moving. Because there's always a catch.

Report author Ted Baumann says, “One of the most important details to consider is that in many cases, it's not actually the country offering an incentive — it's a small town or a region of a country. And while the incentive may suit you well, keep in mind you'd still need to qualify for residency with that country's federal government.”

1. Italy

Italy is known for €1 home schemes. Usually located in rural or shrinking towns, these schemes typically offer dilapidated houses for as low as €1 if the buyer fixes them up within a fixed timeframe and puts down a deposit to guarantee the work is completed. Some towns also offer rent or energy subsidies to newcomers. “If you can combine this with a pathway to residency and you don't mind living in a rural area, this can be a great option,” Baumann says.

Some regions offer larger incentives: Trentino has granted up to €100,000 toward the purchase and renovation of a home, provided the recipient lives in it. The town of Radicondoli, south of Florence, offers grants and subsidies with a requirement that new residents live there for at least 10 years.

Italy's most significant nationwide incentive is tax-based. “If you settle in specific southern municipalities and regions, Italy will give you a 7% flat tax concession that lasts 10 years,” Baumann says. With top marginal tax rates exceeding 40%, he notes, “this is a hefty incentive.”

Read more: Retire in Italy for Culture and Beauty & Want to Move to Italy? What to Consider Financially

2. Spain

Spain offers financial incentives through rural municipalities. These can include cash grants, free or discounted land, and other benefits — but they come with strings attached.

“You need to be listed on the municipal register as a resident and taxpayer and promise to make it your main home for a minimum period,” Baumann explains.

Examples include the town of Ponga in Asturias in Spain's northwest, which offers about €3,000 to new residents, and the Extremadura region in the central-west, next to Portugal, which provides relocating digital nomads with grants of up to €15,000.

Spain's most powerful incentive is also tax-related. Baumann points to “Beckham's Law,” a special expat tax strategy that offers a flat rate on certain employment income, along with exemptions on some foreign-source income.

Read more: Retire in Spain for Rich Culture, Cuisine and Coastal Bliss

3. Ireland

Ireland's incentive programs are tied to housing restoration rather than relocation cash. The national government offers grants of up to €70,000 to refurbish vacant or derelict houses. On offshore islands, that amount can rise to €84,000.

“The catch is that you must refurbish it to live in as your principal residence or make it available to rent,” Baumann says. “And you must own it in your own name.”

As with similar programs elsewhere, he adds, “This isn't cash for your own pocket; it's money that must be used to restore property.”

Read more: Retire in Ireland for Lush, Green Landscapes and Bustling Cities

4. Greece

Some small islands have offered housing, land and monthly stipends to attract residents and essential workers. “The most famous is Antikythera, which will give you a house and a plot of land as well as €500 per month for up to five years,” Baumann says.

Greece also offers a significant tax incentive: “a 7% flat tax rate for up to 15 years for new residents,” Baumann says, calling it a major draw given Greece's high marginal tax rates.

Read more: Retire in Greece for Relaxed Living With a Cinematic Backdrop & Can You Afford Retirement in Greece? 3 Tax Benefits Make It Possible

5. Portugal

Under the government-backed Emprego Interior Mais program, eligible applicants can receive a grant of up to €6,000 to help cover moving and other costs associated with relocating to the countryside. Households may also qualify for an additional 20% per dependent who joins the move.

“If you're a foreigner, you first need to have residency, which in this case would mean the D8 digital nomad visa — having a job is a prerequisite for the relocation grant,” says Baumann. “The D8 requires an income of around €3,500 a month.”

Read more: Where to Retire: Living in Portugal as a US Retiree & Want to Move to Portugal? What to Consider Financially

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, our popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. Subscribe for retirement advice that's right on the money.

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The flames of a crackling fire pit cast a warm glow on your family's faces. Your newest grandchild drifts off to sleep, snuggled in his aunt's arms while his parents begin to doze beside them.

Nearby, your oldest grandchild roasts marshmallows to a perfect golden brown — just as you taught her to minutes ago — and she gleefully runs up to you to offer a taste. You recline into your seat next to your spouse, who is gazing up at the clear night sky.

The moon is full, the stars are bright, and everything is just right. You're on the perfect trip.

Meaningful shared experiences with adult children and their families are valuable to many grandparents. In fact, 49% of baby boomers and 40% of those older than 80 would rather spend money on the family trip of a lifetime than leave an inheritance to their children, according to 2025 data from Booking.com. And when it comes to funding these trips, about 80% of boomers are happy to pay for their kids and grandkids in order to travel together.

"The opportunity to spend time together in this busy phase of life for our adult children and their families is well worth the money," says Ramin Hashemi, a Kiplinger reader in Sarasota, Fla., whose vacations have included a visit to Puerto Rico as well as a cruise to celebrate a family member's milestone birthday.

Parents in the thick of their childrearing years are also eager to go on trips that bring together generations. Nearly 60% of parents want to start new family traditions centered around vacations with grandparents, and about 75% of parents are excited by the idea of multigenerational vacations, according to a 2024 study of North American families by Beaches Resorts.

While multigenerational trips present the potential for family members of all ages to spend quality time together, they come with some special considerations. For example, to accommodate young children, older adults or those with disabilities, activities and lodging may need to be stroller- and wheelchair-accessible, or you may need to limit activities to meet the energy levels of everyone in the group.

Lodging may need to have certain amenities, such as accessible entrances, a kitchen, a bathtub, an elevator, or beds of a certain size and height. Air conditioning may be nonnegotiable in hot destinations. Easy access to medical care and pharmacies may be crucial when traveling with infants, young children and some adults.

Additionally, the bigger your group, the more preferences and needs you'll have to bear in mind. The core challenge of multigenerational family travel is managing opinions, "because everybody has one," says Kirsten Maxwell, founder of Kids Are A Trip, a travel website inspiring families to explore the world.

We've gathered advice on how to plan a trip that suits the tastes and needs of each traveler and fosters more bonding and joy than tension and exhaustion.

Strategies for success.

Communication is key as you organize your vacation. To get started, gather the family you'd like to travel with for a joint video call, allowing everyone the chance to offer their ideas and suggestions.

"You have to get everybody on the same page," Maxwell says. That initial conversation should include establishing who pays for what and, if costs will be shared, how much everyone is willing to pay.

This call is also prime time to discuss ideal travel dates, collecting preferences for the start date and how long the trip will last, as well as to create a short list of destinations that interest the group. Gather expectations for lodging as well as the amenities family members may need, and discuss preferences for activities: Is the group seeking a slew of options for active adventures and sports, a focus on relaxing and unwinding together, or something in between?

And before hanging up, consider assigning responsibilities and setting deadlines to establish a clear path forward, Maxwell says. You might decide to settle on a destination by a certain date and lodging by another date not long afterward, for example.

As you're choosing activities and excursions, having honest conversations about each traveler's abilities will go a long way, says Jennifer Pharr Davis, adventurer, speaker and author of Families on Foot. Families should discuss "what the maximum output for the least fit or able member of the family looks like," she says.

On a hiking trip, for example, if one person can manage no more than two miles a day, the entire schedule should reflect that. For a cruise, the itinerary matters as much as the ship's amenities.

At some European ports, for instance, cobblestone streets can be challenging for travelers using walkers or wheelchairs, even if the ship itself is fully accessible, says Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of cruise-review site Cruise Critic.

To avoid overtiring the group, a good rule of thumb is to limit planned activities to one per day. You might arrange an optional event, such as a boat ride or a cooking class. Or try scheduling a daily "choose your own adventure" time. At a national park, some family members can rest while others hike.

Later, everyone regroups for an evening ranger program, suggests Pharr Davis. When you book tours, opting for private excursions may be most comfortable if, say, you want to make sure that young children in your group don't disrupt others or that the length of the tour is appropriate for everyone.

Splitting the costs.

If you intend to pay for most or all of each family member's expenses, be clear about which ones you plan to cover and which, if any, you won't. For example, if you want to pay for lodging, activities and meals but let your adult children and their families cover their own transportation, communicate this early.

If family members will share the costs, discuss not only how you'd like to divide them up but also how you will keep track of those expenses. You can use an app such as Splitwise, which helps groups record and split shared costs, or document expenses in a shared spreadsheet. Peer-to-peer payment apps, such as Zelle or Venmo, are useful for sending money to one another.

With some types of trips, divvying up the costs is simple. While smaller families usually book cruise cabins individually, larger groups (typically using eight or more cabins) can connect with the cruise line's group-services department for discounts and coordination, says McDaniel.

Road Scholar, a nonprofit organization that provides educational travel and learning adventures, offers three-generation trips for grandparents, their children and their grandchildren in which each traveler can enroll and pay individually, says Kelsey Knoedler Perri, director of public relations for Road Scholar.

Trips that stand out.

Although many types of vacations can be a good fit for multiple generations, some are especially well suited to groups of varying ages, abilities and budgets. "The easiest options are going to be cruises and all-inclusive resorts," says Maxwell.

These vacations allow you to pay a fixed price up front for your accommodations and most meals, and they usually provide a broad range of amenities and activities. If an outdoor adventure is more to your family's liking, consider visiting national parks, which are affordable and family-friendly, too. Below, you'll find ideas for journeys in all of those categories.

Cruises

Besides ease of budgeting and planning, cruises can also be attractive to families for their flexibility with lodging. "There are a lot of cabin types," says McDaniel. "Grandparents might invest in a suite, and parents might choose something more cost-effective."

Kids' clubs (onboard child-care and activity areas) are standard on major cruise lines. Luxury cruise lines are less likely to host kids' clubs, but they can offer a more refined, inclusive experience. The staff-to-passenger ratio is often higher, providing passengers closer attention and better service, and spacious suites allow families to relax together without feeling cramped.

Sometimes luxury lines offer seasonal programs with kid-friendly itineraries and personal babysitting services, rather than a crowded playroom. These typically take place in the summer for families with school-age children.

Disney Fantasy

The itinerary for a five-night Bahamian cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy features stops at Nassau and both of Disney's private island destinations, Castaway Cay and the new Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. The “Pixar Day at Sea” includes character encounters, deck parties and a Toy Story–themed "Hey Howdy Breakfast."

Kids can enjoy immersive youth clubs while adults have access to exclusive retreats, such as the Quiet Cove Pool and fine dining at onboard restaurants Palo or Remy. Recently, for a February 12, 2027, departure from Florida's Port Canaveral, prices started at about $3,927 per two people.

Regent Seven Seas Grandeur

On this luxury ship, you can expect opulent surroundings, highly attentive service and excellent dining. A 12-night, round-trip cruise from London, scheduled for a June 6, 2026, departure, features stops through northern France and Spain. Starting at $13,749 per person, the all-inclusive fare covers shore excursions, specialty dining, beverages and gratuities.

Because this is a summer sailing, the Club Mariner Youth Program is available, offering supervised, age-appropriate activities for guests ages 5 to 17.

Resorts

Booking a stay at an all-inclusive property can keep your planning to a minimum and eliminate decision fatigue about where to eat. Often-times, these resorts provide activities and excursions for families in some of their packages — and like cruises, they may have kids' clubs that offer child care. Many resorts have villas or other multi-bedroom lodging options available.

When you think of an all-inclusive resort, a beachfront property in the Caribbean probably comes to mind. But such resorts come in other flavors, too — including the ones that follow.

Mohonk Mountain House

This Hudson Valley retreat, situated near New York's Catskill Mountains, offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, boating, golf and yoga, and gourmet meals are included in its all-inclusive rates.

The award-winning spa provides adults the opportunity to relax and unwind, and for entertainment, the resort hosts live music and other performances. Nightly rates for two adults start at about $1,050, covering three daily meals, gratuities and most recreational activities.

Call and ask about the Kids Stay & Eat Free promotion, which lets one child between ages 4 and 12 stay free per paying adult.

This deal is typically available during Presidents Day weekend, spring break and some midweek summer dates. Children age 3 and younger stay free year-round.

Brush Creek Ranch

Brush Creek, in southern Wyoming, incorporates comfort and ease into an authentic dude-ranch experience. Children ages 4 to 9 can participate in the "Li'l Wranglers" program, which offers daily activities such as horseback riding, fishing, archery, hiking, arts and crafts, and baking classes.

Adults can try goat yoga, fly-fishing and shooting sports. The ranch also offers culinary experiences such as cheese- and pasta-making classes. Skiing and snowmobiling are available during winter months.

Families can stay in expansive cabin residences that accommodate large groups, with summer rates typically starting at about $1,500 to $2,100 per adult and $750 to $1,000 per child, per night (kids younger than 3 stay free).

All stays include gourmet meals, premium spirits and two guided activities daily.

National parks

Visiting a U.S. national park requires some strategic planning, but you don't have to be an elite athlete to see the best sights at major parks. Many popular parks have easily accessible scenic overlooks — often reachable even by car — with stunning views, and some parks provide flat wooden boardwalks that are great for both strollers and wheelchairs.

Adults 62 and older qualify to buy the Senior Annual Pass, which provides access to all national parks for $20 per year, or the Senior Lifetime Pass, which requires a one-time fee of $80 and covers entrance fees for the rest of their lives. Otherwise, the entrance fee for popular national parks is as much as $35 per private vehicle for seven days of access.

With an America the Beautiful Pass, you can enter all national parks for one year for $80. Those who are not U.S. residents must now pay a surcharge of $100 per person at 11 of the most popular parks, including Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Zion, unless they purchase the new Non-Resident Annual Pass for $250.

For park lodging and camping, book as soon as reservation windows open, and have a Plan B and Plan C ready, says Pharr Davis. Most campground reservations open about six months in advance, though some high-demand parks release sites up to a year ahead.

Bryce Canyon National Park

During a visit to Bryce Canyon, you might start your day with an early-morning hike, before the crowds show up, followed by a group lunch and a scenic afternoon drive.

Consider visiting overlooks that require only a short walk, such as Inspiration Point and Rainbow Point, or take this time for afternoon rest. In the evening, try out a ranger program — an educational activity led by park staff — or enjoy entertainment such as the nearby Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo at Ruby's Inn.

Campsites are typically about $30 per night for RVs or tents. Pricing for the Lodge at Bryce Canyon, the only in-park lodging, varies depending on the season, with rates starting at about $300 per night for a room with two queen beds or one king bed, or $370 per night for guest suites with one king bed and a sleeper sofa.

Yellowstone National Park

Family-friendly hikes and scenic drives are plentiful at Yellowstone. Drive through Lamar Valley to spot bison and wolves in the springtime. Shorter walking paths include the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail, which offers a panoramic view of Yellowstone's largest hot spring, and the Artist Paintpots Trail, featuring colorful mudpots.

Campsites typically cost between $20 and $45 per night for standard sites, while the nightly rate for Fishing Bridge RV Park, including full hookups for electricity, water and sewer, is approximately $94.

In-park lodge rooms generally range from $200 to $500 per night, although basic cabins start at about $135, and premium suites at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel may reach more than $700.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

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When you grow up in northern New Jersey as I did, you get used to the frivolous frustration of the "New York" sports teams that actually play in New Jersey. Now, that confusing twist of geography is going global, as the World Cup comes to the Meadowlands.

FIFA announced that eight matches for the 2026 World Cup, including the final, will be taking place at the "New York/New Jersey Stadium." To be clear, they're referring to MetLife Stadium, which is solidly in New Jersey.

MetLife Stadium sits in the middle of a complex braid of highways in East Rutherford. The best way to get there is via public transportation, and no, you cannot walk to the stadium. Understandably, many people going to the World Cup in New Jersey have concluded that they should stay in New York City, as you can take the train or an official shuttle to MetLife.

I'm not opposed to the idea of staying in New York City, but if you'd rather spend your time between matches relaxing with your family or "working-from-home," there are plenty of good locales in New Jersey. You also have more options than in New York City: New Jersey relaxed restrictions on short-term rentals, while New York City has not, so you can safely find an Airbnb or VRBO in the Garden State for the whole family or friend group.

With that in mind, here are several options for places to stay in New Jersey for the World Cup. I've selected these based on ease of travel to MetLife, but more so for your comfort and entertainment when you step away from the loud and massive crowds. These aren't the closest options to the Meadowlands.

I've split my selections into two categories: The Shore and The Suburbs. If you're looking for the beach, check out my picks for The Shore, but if you want a homier time, see The Suburbs.

How to get to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey

First, a quick rundown of how to get to MetLife. The New York New Jersey World Cup 2026 website explains that there will be no parking on match days, so you can't drive to the stadium. You can't walk, either.

Instead, you have the options of NJ Transit (train), rideshare and private transportation drop-offs, or the Official New York New Jersey Stadium Shuttle, which is doing pick-ups at three locations in Manhattan and one in New Jersey.

You need to pre-book tickets for the shuttle, and you have to buy NJ Transit tickets in advance. There has been controversy about the cost of NJ Transit tickets for the World Cup: Round-trip tickets from any rail station to the stadium for match day travel cost $98 per person.

On NJ Transit, you'll need to take the train to Secaucus (New Jersey's major train hub) or Hoboken, then transfer to get directly to the stadium. It will likely be a bit of a hassle, but follow the crowds and lean into the spirit of it all. You should also download the NJ Transit app; be aware it sometimes doesn't let you sign in if you're not currently in the geographic region.

Official travel guidance is still somewhat in flux (the NJ Transit price just changed last week, for example), so pay close attention to your own logistics.

The locations I'm selecting are near an NJ Transit station or the shuttle pick-up at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in Nutley, or are closer to the stadium itself. Let's look at places to stay.

The Shore

1. Long Branch

There's lots to love in Long Branch, including the clean beach, wide boardwalk and — an important point — many places to stay and a New Jersey Transit station half a mile from the ocean. Because of the convenience of that train station, Long Branch is a top destination for both New Jerseyans and New Yorkers looking for a day at the beach, and that makes it a great place for the World Cup.

If you don't want to find an Airbnb, the massive Ocean Place Resort & Spa is a 20-minute walk from the Long Branch train station.

• Train time to Secaucus: one hour, 15 to 30 minutes
• Driving time to MetLife (with no traffic): one hour, 30 minutes

2. Asbury Park

Go ahead, live out your Bruce Springsteen, rockstar dreams and stay in Asbury Park. Like Long Branch, there's an accessible train station here, and in Asbury, you can look more for bed and breakfasts and inns, including in nearby Ocean Grove.

Asbury Park is further south down the shore than Long Branch, but it comes with more entertainment, including, of course, the famous Stone Pony, which hosts Summer Stage, a series of concerts outside. Be aware, though: It's only standing-room, general admission tickets for Summer Stage.

• Train time to Secaucus: one hour, 45 minutes
• Driving time to MetLife (with no traffic): one hour, 20 minutes

3. Belmar

Two stops further on the train line to Belmar. Belmar is where you want to go to enjoy a more glamorous, comfortable and relaxing time on the shore. This is a place to look for historic inns and vacation home rentals.

While you'll be competing with New Jersey families for rentals, the school year in the state wraps up closer to the end of June, so you'll have less competition for the early rounds of the World Cup.

• Train time to Secaucus: Just under two hours
• Driving time to MetLife (with no traffic): one hour, 20 minutes

The Suburbs

1. Edgewater

As the name suggests, Edgewater is on the Hudson River, south of the George Washington Bridge and directly across the river from Harlem in Manhattan. Why Edgewater?

First, it's (usually) a quick drive to MetLife, so you could arrange for a drop-off. That proximity is why one New York City Council member proposed adding a ferry line from Harlem to Edgewater for the World Cup. Although that idea hasn't materialized into reality, ferry service will be boosted for the World Cup, which brings me to my second reason to stay in Edgewater:

You can take the ferry from Edgewater to Manhattan, so if you want to see New York City without paying New York hotel prices, this is an option, but you can also drive north and enjoy the parks and overlooks in Fort Lee and Englewood Cliffs. Third, there are waterfront apartments in Edgewater, some of which have access to a pool.

Staying in Hoboken or Jersey City would make getting to MetLife easier via public transportation, but Edgewater, West New York and North Bergen will likely get you slightly further from the crowds, with options to travel elsewhere on non-gamedays.

• Train time to Secaucus: n/a; you could drive about 20 minutes to the Teterboro station, then take a 15-minute train to Secaucus
• Driving time to MetLife (with no traffic): 20 minutes

2. Montclair

Montclair has a reputation as the place to go for young families and retirees alike, and for good reason: It's a charming, walkable town with plenty of public transportation. There are multiple NJ Transit stops in the area, which get you to Secaucus quickly, and it's also (usually) a quick drive to MetLife.

Montclair has some great World Cup counterprogramming for non-gamedays, including the Montclair Art Museum and the Van Vleck House & Gardens. The town also has a nice food and music scene.

If you're coming to the World Cup with your family, including young kids, this is a good place to look for lodging. Montclair is also something of a college town, so beyond Airbnb and VRBOs, there are hotel options, including The George, which was founded by makeup icon Bobbi Brown and her husband.

• Train time to Secaucus: 30 to 45 minutes
• Driving time to MetLife (with no traffic): 25 minutes
• Additional option: From Montclair, you could take the Official Stadium Shuttle from Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in nearby Nutley

3. Alpine

Pop quiz: When Novak Djokovic comes to compete at the U.S. Open in New York, where does he stay? If you guessed a fancy Midtown hotel, you're wrong.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner reportedly stays out in Alpine, the riverfront New Jersey town north of the George Washington Bridge. Why? Alpine homes have certain amenities, such as, for example, multiple tennis courts with different surfaces in the backyard. Alpine regularly makes the lists of most expensive ZIP codes, with homes spread out across large, private lots.

If you want to stay in a luxurious home for the World Cup, look at Alpine. Don't expect it to come cheap: One five-bedroom home is listed on Airbnb at about $35,000 for seven nights.

If you were to stay in Alpine, your closest NJ Transit station is Oradell, which is 15 to 20 minutes away by car.

• Train time to Secaucus: 30 minutes from Oradell station
• Driving time to MetLife (with no traffic): 30 minutes

World Cup dates

Here are the dates of the matches taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey:

• June 13: Brazil vs Morocco
• June 16: France vs Senegal
• June 22: Norway vs Senegal
• June 25: Ecuador vs Germany
• June 27: Panama vs England
• June 30: Round of 32
• July 5: Round of 16
• July 19: Final

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Oh, Italy. I miss you! It's been almost three years since our family vacation there. Like many people, I was awed by the beauty and simple details that make life there so remarkable: the culture, food, music and style. I would love to return soon, but with airfare so expensive and inflation in Italy spiking, it's just not happening. I may even have to wait a few years until I'm retired to go back for the long soak in Italian culture I crave.

Honestly, I'd like to be fluent in Italian for my next trip, dressed as stylishly as any Milanese woman as I sample tiramisu in a piazza. While that may be a high bar, I have found very affordable — even free — ways to enjoy Italian food and culture, as well as tricks for practicing the language, all without leaving home. These tips will also make my next venture there more fun.

Whether you've already been to Italy or are just dreaming about it, here are my tricks for feeling like you're living la bella vita at home.

Start the day with cappuccino

Yes, you could go out and spend a fortune on a fancy espresso machine, with all of its breakable parts and hulking mass on your counter. Or, you could brew good, strong espresso using your current method and top it with foamy milk. I've had the Aerolatte Handheld Milk Frother ($29.95 at Williams Sonoma) for years. It's simple, battery-operated and works like a charm.

Treat yourself to some real Italian ingredients

Most European goods have been subject to a 10% or 15% tariff during President Donald Trump's second term, which has, in turn, increased prices for some Italian imports. Still, you can find good shelf-stable products online and likely many at your local grocery store. If you have access to a farmer's market, buying fresh produce in season is the best first step to cooking Italian.

The basis for most Italian cooking is cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil (often called EVOO). You may have heard about rampant olive oil fraud a few years ago, when manufacturers blended old oil with fresh, or lied about its origin. Some of these issues have improved, but you can avoid this trap by buying oil certified in North America or the EU under PDO/PGI designations. In general, look for oil sold in a dark glass bottle, with a harvest date no more than two years old and a single country of origin.

Wirecutter's taste test of different olive oils can help you learn how to sample oil (spoiler alert: The test found Whole Foods 365 California Small Batch olive oil to be the tastiest). Costco also has a good selection of affordable Italian EVOOs.

If you're serious about olive oil, try getting to know the different kinds of olives, just as you would pay attention to the variety of grapes that make up fine wine.

For a deep dive into the culinary traditions of different regions, I highly recommend the TV series, Tucci in Italy. The veteran actor and gourmand devotes each episode to a different ingredient, dish or food tradition.

For a deep dive into Italian wines and food zones, you can plan to visit farms via agriturismo on your next trip.

Don't forget the gelato!

Adherents to the Mediterranean Diet will be delighted to know that gelato can be an occasional treat. The true Italian version is healthier than ice cream, with less fat and fewer calories, and is often made with local fruit and nuts for flavor. Just don't top it with candy bars.

I'm lucky enough to live in a town with multiple gelato shops. If your area is sadly without them, you could try all-natural versions from the grocery store. A good option is Gelato Boy, with its emphasis on fresh ingredients and wide availability.

Listen to some Italian opera

I prefer little bites of opera as opposed to an almost four-hour-long production of The Marriage of Figaro. Italy understands this sentiment and has organized frequent hour-long "greatest hits" performances in historic churches and other venues throughout the country. Even my uninitiated husband and kids loved these performances, and I highly recommend them for your next trip.

Your kitchen may not be a 16th-century church, but you can still enjoy listening to opera while cooking a fabulous Italian dinner. Put on an apron, uncork some wine and experiment with Spotify or YouTube playlists for Italian opera classics, and you'll enjoy some of the greats: Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Andrea Bocelli, Jessye Norman and more.

Brush up on your Italian — or start learning from scratch

There are so many fun ways to start learning or improving your Italian. As someone who taught college-level Spanish, I have a leg up in terms of vocabulary and comprehension, but Italian is different enough that I knew I needed to start as a complete newbie.

If learning a foreign language just isn't your thing, some generations of Apple AirPods offer a translation feature. That means you can ask your iPhone to "listen" to an Italian speaker and hear spontaneous translation in English.

Apps

For beginners, there are gamified apps that ask you to speak, type and listen in a foreign language. I can attest to how addictive Duolingo can be; I have a 1,200+ day "streak," meaning I have played the app pretty faithfully every day for the past three years. Duolingo offers a free Italian course and more elaborate paid courses, called Super (about $13/month) and Max (about $30/month). I have tried both and recommend the Super level. The AI functions in Max are clunky and not worth the price, in my opinion. The free version is a great way to sample the app, but frustrating if you intend to stick with it.

Podcasts

I also think that listening to podcasts while you're taking a walk, cooking or doing chores is a fabulous way to get a language in your head. Postcards from Italy is a charming conversational podcast that breaks down vocabulary, phrases and Italian traditions. It is a free podcast, but you can elect to pay for additional access.

TV and Film

Who says learning a language has to be dry? Check out Italian shows on Netflix, like the dramedy "My Family," which is likened to "This Is Us." Set the language to Italian and add English subtitles if needed. Or on Amazon Prime, watch "My Brilliant Friend." Most streaming services will carry classic Italian films such as La Dolce Vita. And if you need a reason to rewatch Life is Beautiful, remember the delight of Roberto Benigni accepting the Best Foreign Language Film award from Sophia Loren at the 1999 Oscars. Other titles to explore: Il Postino, Cinema Paradiso (in Italian and Sicilian) and of course, almost anything by Fellini.

Embrace Italian style

You don't have to go to Milan Fashion Week to look fabulous. One of the best ways to embrace the style is to wear vintage scarves and take time to learn how to tie them. In general, Italian style for both men and women centers on classic neutrals, smart layering and accessories galore.

Oh, the tiramisu ... and Airbnb Experiences

If you have Italian relatives who will open their home and give you a sense of how regular folks live, consider yourself lucky. The rest of us have to make do with friends of friends or even Airbnb. Yes, we all have a bit of a love-hate relationship with vacation home rental companies like Vrbo and Airbnb; they drive up real estate prices for locals, but they also provide (often) more affordable accommodations for families.

One way to support the local economy and get a more authentic meal is to book an Airbnb Experience. Some friends of ours had raved about the funky tours or excellent meals they had abroad, so we decided to give it a try. We booked a lunch with a charming Italian couple in Rome. Over a five-course meal in their apartment, we learned that they enjoyed playing music — as do we. Before we knew it, they brought out two guitars, a mandolin, and a violin, and we had a lovely time eating tiramisu and playing music together. Priceless.

While it's far better to be in Italy for this kind of experience, Airbnb does offer pasta-making or similar experiences in the U.S. In some cases, a chef will come to your home to prepare an Italian meal.

If you can't hire a "nonna" (Italian grandmother) to come cook for you, try venturing to a "Little Italy" if there's one near you. While many are on the East Coast, you'll still find great Italian (or Italian-American) food in places like Cleveland, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and of course, Chicago.

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Airport security in the U.S. might be heading toward a noticeable shift that could change how travelers move through checkpoints in the years ahead.

The Transportation Security Administration’s new “TSA Gold+” initiative is expanding the government’s existing use of private contractors at airport security checkpoints, reviving a long-running debate about whether airport screening should remain primarily a federal function or operate more like a public-private partnership.

For travelers, the biggest question is simple: Will this make flying easier or more confusing? The answer might be a little of both. Here’s what you need to know about TSA Gold+ and how it could impact your airport experience and air travel in the U.S. as a whole.

What is TSA Gold+? Why is it different?

TSA Gold+ is an expansion of the existing Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which already allows some airports to use private security contractors instead of federal TSA employees while still operating under TSA oversight.

Today, roughly 20 U.S. airports participate in the program, including major airports such as San Francisco International Airport and Kansas City International Airport. Under the current structure, private contractors handle passenger screening while following TSA rules, procedures and federal security standards.

But Gold+ goes further. According to TSA materials and industry reports, the initiative would allow private operators to play a larger role, not just in staffing checkpoints, but also in deploying screening technology, maintaining equipment and managing parts of checkpoint operations. TSA would still regulate security standards and oversee compliance.

Supporters say the goal is to modernize airport screening faster than the federal budget process typically allows.

The program is being framed as a way to accelerate technology upgrades, improve traveler throughput and reduce the operational disruptions airports experienced during recent government funding crises and staffing shortages.

Why TSA is pushing the program now

The timing is not accidental. Air travel demand continues to climb, and airports are preparing for major global events and heavier passenger volumes in the next several years, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

At the same time, the TSA has faced repeated staffing pressures during federal funding disputes and shutdown threats. Recent disruptions left some airports dealing with multi-hour security waits and significant pressure on employees after TSA officers worked without pay. The Trump administration’s proposed budget also includes broader efforts to expand privatized screening at certain airports while cutting thousands of TSA positions.

From the TSA’s perspective, Gold+ is partly about resiliency. By shifting more operational responsibility to private contractors, airports might be able to continue functioning more smoothly during future government shutdowns or staffing disruptions. Some supporters also argue that private operators could move faster when introducing new screening systems or checkpoint layouts.

Could travelers notice changes this summer?

Probably, though not everywhere. There has not yet been a nationwide rollout of TSA Gold+, but airports across the country have reportedly been briefed on the initiative, and some are exploring participation.

If additional airports adopt the program, travelers could begin seeing differences in how checkpoints operate from one airport to another.

Some airports might introduce faster-moving screening lanes, updated scanners or redesigned checkpoint layouts. Boston Logan International Airport, for example, is already testing a remote screening system that allows some passengers to clear security before arriving at the airport terminal.

But the tradeoff could be a less standardized experience. One of the defining features of the TSA since its creation after September 11 attacks has been consistency. Travelers generally know what to expect at checkpoints nationwide, even if the experience is not always pleasant.

A broader privatized model could create more airport-specific systems, staffing approaches and traveler experiences. Some airports might feel more efficient and modern, while others could feel disjointed or inconsistent, especially during the transition period.

Why critics are concerned about privatization

The strongest criticism centers on one issue: profit motives. Some critics worry that introducing more private-sector incentives into airport security could create pressure to reduce labor costs or prioritize efficiency metrics over security quality. Labor groups and some aviation experts have also raised concerns about workforce turnover, training consistency and accountability.

On Reddit and aviation forums, some travelers have questioned whether airport security could eventually become more tiered, with wealthier airports receiving better staffing and technology while smaller airports lag behind. Others worry that security could become less uniform nationwide. Even some airlines have expressed caution about making privatized screening mandatory at smaller airports.

Still, supporters point to countries in Europe that already use private airport screening contractors successfully, along with U.S. airports that have participated in the SPP for years without major disruptions. Ultimately, the debate is less about whether privatized airport screening can work and more about how broadly it should expand in the U.S.

What travelers should pay attention to

For now, most travelers are unlikely to notice immediate dramatic changes.

TSA Gold+ doesn’t replace TSA PreCheck, CLEAR or standard TSA screening rules. Travelers would still go through federally regulated security procedures even if private contractors are handling operations locally.

What might change over time is the overall airport experience. Some airports could see shorter lines, newer scanners and more customized checkpoint operations. Others could experience a period of adjustment as airports and contractors implement different systems and staffing models.

The biggest thing travelers should watch is consistency. If TSA Gold+ rolls out more widely, travelers might start noticing that the airport security experience varies more from one airport to the next instead of feeling primarily the same everywhere.

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If booking a flight lately feels more expensive and more confusing, that’s because it is.

Airfare prices are rising again, driven largely by higher jet fuel costs tied to geopolitical tensions, including the war in Iran. At the same time, airlines are leaning more heavily on dynamic pricing systems that adjust fares in real time based on demand, competition and even browsing behavior.

As a result, there are fewer predictable "sweet spots" for booking and more sudden price swings that can leave travelers second guessing whether to buy now or wait.

If you're planning summer or fall trips, the key question isn't just where to go. You'll also want to get strategic about when to book and how to avoid overpaying. Here are some tips to help.

How much more travelers are paying for flights

Airfare hasn't increased evenly across the board, but the trend is clear: Prices are trending higher, especially for peak travel periods and international routes.

Jet fuel prices surged from about $85 to $90 per barrel to as high as $150 to $200 per barrel in recent weeks, creating significant financial pressure across the airline industry, according to Reuters.

Domestic fares have seen moderate increases in many markets, while international flights, particularly long-haul routes, are seeing sharper spikes due to higher fuel consumption and constrained capacity. Flights to Europe and parts of Asia have been especially volatile, with prices fluctuating week to week.

Some routes are being hit harder than others. Flights from major hub cities might remain relatively competitive due to airline competition, while smaller regional airports often see steeper increases due to limited flight options and reduced seat inventory.

Another factor is that airlines have become more strategic about limiting discounted seats. That means travelers are less likely to stumble on the ultra-low fares that were more common even a year or two ago.

Why airfare prices are increasing

Several forces are converging to push ticket prices higher and keep them unpredictable.

Rising fuel costs are feeding directly into fares

Jet fuel is one of the largest operating expenses for airlines, often accounting for 20% to 30% of total costs. When oil prices climb, especially amid geopolitical tensions involving Iran and other key energy-producing regions, airlines typically pass at least some of those costs on to consumers.

What makes this cycle different is the speed. Fuel prices have been fluctuating quickly, and airlines are responding faster than they used to, adjusting fares in near real time rather than waiting weeks or months.

Dynamic pricing

Airlines have long used demand-based pricing, but newer algorithms are far more aggressive and responsive. Prices can now shift multiple times per day based on booking patterns, seat availability, competitor pricing, even seasonal demand signals.

This means travelers are less likely to see stable pricing trends. A flight that looks reasonably priced in the morning could jump significantly by evening if demand ticks up.

Strong demand (despite higher prices)

Even with inflation affecting household budgets, travel demand hasn't slowed as much as expected. Many people are still prioritizing vacations, experiences and visiting family, particularly during peak seasons such as summer and holidays. This sustained demand gives airlines less incentive to discount fares, especially when flights are already filling up.

Tighter seat inventory

Airlines are still operating with tighter capacity in some markets compared with prepandemic levels. That includes fewer routes, reduced flight frequency and, in some cases, staffing or aircraft limitations. Fewer available seats naturally push prices higher, particularly on popular routes or during high-demand windows.

Airlines are managing inventory more strategically

Another subtle shift is that airlines are holding back the lowest fare classes for a shorter period or releasing fewer discounted seats altogether. In other words, the "cheap seats" sell out faster, leaving more travelers choosing from higher-priced options.

7 best ways to save money on airfare right now

Even in a rising price environment, there are still ways to keep costs under control, but it requires a more proactive and flexible approach than in the past. Here are some things smart travelers are doing in an attempt to cut costs.

1. Book earlier, but still monitor prices

The traditional advice to book flights six to eight weeks in advance doesn't always hold up in today's market. For many routes, especially international trips, booking several months ahead can help you avoid last-minute price spikes tied to demand and fuel costs.

That said, it's still worth tracking prices after you book. Some airlines now offer fare credits if prices drop, and third-party tools can alert you to potential rebooking opportunities.

2. Be flexible with timing (even by a day or two)

Small adjustments to your itinerary can lead to meaningful savings. Flying midweek, particularly Tuesday or Wednesday, is often cheaper than weekend travel. Early morning or late-night flights can also come with lower fares.

If your schedule allows, shifting your trip by even one day in either direction can sometimes reduce costs significantly.

3. Use fare alerts and price-tracking tools consistently

Platforms such as Google Flights, Hopper and Skyscanner allow you to monitor routes and receive notifications when prices change. These tools are especially useful in an unpredictable market for travel, since it helps you spot dips rather than guessing when to book.

4. Check multiple airports and routing options

Flying out of or into a nearby airport can sometimes lead to lower fares. For example, choosing a secondary airport within driving distance might open cheaper routes or better airline competition.

Consider flights with layovers instead of nonstop service; it can reduce costs, particularly on long-haul trips.

5. Leverage points, miles and credit card perks

With cash prices rising, travel rewards can stretch further. If you've accumulated points through a travel credit card or loyalty program, this might be an ideal time to redeem them, especially for expensive routes where cash fares are inflated.

Some cards also offer travel credits, companion fares or built-in trip protections that can offset overall costs.

6. Watch for bundled fees and compare total cost

Base fares don't always tell the full story. Budget airlines may appear cheaper upfront but charge for carry-on bags, seat selection and other add-ons. Before booking, compare the total cost across airlines, including fees, to avoid surprises.

7. Consider shoulder seasons and off-peak travel

If your plans are flexible, traveling just before or after peak season can deliver better value. Early fall and late spring often offer a balance of good weather and lower demand, which can translate into lower airfare.

Should travelers book now or wait?

This is where many travelers are getting stuck, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer. If fuel prices continue rising or geopolitical tensions escalate, airfare could increase further. In that case, waiting could mean paying more later.

On the other hand, prices can still fluctuate, and occasional dips do happen.

As a general guideline, for:

• Domestic flights. Aim to book one to three months in advance
• International flights. Aim for two to six months ahead

If you find a fare that fits your budget and travel plans, it might be worth locking it in, especially if the airline offers free changes or credits.

A good rule of thumb is that if a fare is within your historical expectations (or slightly above), it’s often safer to book than gamble on future drops.

Are budget airlines still the cheapest option?

Budget airlines can still offer lower base fares, but the gap isn't always as wide as it seems. Many discount carriers charge additional fees for carry-on bags, seat selection and even printing boarding passes. Once those costs are added in, the total price can rival or even exceed traditional airlines.

Some budget airlines have reduced routes or frequency as well, which limits availability and flexibility. That said, they can still be a good option for short trips or travelers who can pack light and avoid add-ons.

How travelers can stay ahead of rising airfare prices

Airfare pricing is likely to remain unpredictable in the near term. Between fuel costs, global uncertainty and evolving airline strategies, travelers should expect continued fluctuating prices and options.

The good news is that you don't need perfect timing to save money. If you plan ahead, stay flexible and use the right tools, you can still find reasonable fares even in a rising market. Because in today’s environment, waiting for the "perfect deal" might be the most expensive move of all.

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Ever arrive at a beach town only to realize you forgot your prescription sunglasses or high-SPF sunblock? It can be frustrating and expensive.

According to packing data from Radical Storage, the average traveler forgets two essential items per trip, resulting in about $53 in immediate replacement costs.*

Some replacements are a total loss, but did you know that you can turn others into a tax advantage?

By leveraging your health savings account (HSA), you can repurchase forgotten essentials using pre-tax dollars — effectively giving yourself a 25-30% "tax discount" on vacation necessities (when combined with FICA savings).

Here are the most commonly forgotten travel items that are HSA-eligible and the strict IRS rules you need to know to possibly claim them.

*Radical Storage is a global luggage storage service that surveyed 1,511 Americans regarding their packing habits and the items they most commonly forget.

IRS Rules for HSA purchases in 2026

Before we dive into our list, let's cover the 2026 IRS rules for a purchase to be considered "HSA-qualified."

The expense must be primarily for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of a specific health condition for you, your spouse, or your tax dependents. Otherwise, you may owe penalties and taxes on non-qualified purchases.

Here's a handy guide to help you figure out if your purchase could be HSA-eligible:

• Check the "HSA store." Before you head to the register, use your HSA provider's mobile app. Many now let you scan a product's barcode to confirm eligibility. You can also browse pre-vetted items at the HSA Store or Amazon's HSA/FSA shop.
• Identify items requiring an LMN. Some travel aids, like high-grade compression socks or specialized orthopedic pillows, may require a letter of medical necessity (LMN) from your doctor to qualify. This letter details why the purchase is medically necessary for your or your spouse's/dependent's condition.
• Keep digital backups. Although your HSA debit card may be accepted at major pharmacies, the IRS requires proof of the item purchased, not just the total spent. Snap a photo of your receipt immediately and save it in your digital files.

Travel Essentials

1. Broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 15+)

Sun protection is one of the most frequent casualties of rushed packing, with 18.3% of travelers leaving it behind. But if you have to buy a replacement bottle at a pricey resort gift shop, your HSA has you covered.

• The IRS rule: The sunscreen must offer broad-spectrum protection and have an SPF rating of 15 or higher.

What about bug spray? Standard insect repellent is a "general health" item and is not HSA-eligible. However, if you buy a sunscreen that includes built-in bug spray, the entire purchase may become eligible, provided the primary purpose is qualified sun protection.

2. Prescription shades

According to the Radical Storage data, 17.6% of travelers forget their sunglasses when packing for a trip. And when you're planning outdoor fun, your eyes may need more than a $5 pair of gas station shades. Fortunately, replacing your prescription sunglasses might qualify for HSA eligibility.

• The IRS rule: Fashion shades and traditional, "beach shop" sunglasses don't qualify. You need prescription sunglasses designed to correct vision and protect against UV rays.

Beyond the frames, contact lens supplies and lubricating eye drops typically qualify for HSA eligibility. This includes travel-sized solutions, replacement cases, extra lenses, and over-the-counter (OTC) drops for dry "airplane eyes."

3. OTC medications

It may not come as a surprise that people often forget painkillers while traveling, with 13.7% of travelers reporting leaving home without their trusted bottle of OTC meds; many more medicinal remedies qualify for HSA spending, though.

• The IRS rule: No prescription is needed. You can purchase Advil, acetaminophen, and other pre-packaged OTC remedies to treat pain relief. Cold/flu medications are also generally included, as are motion sickness pills and antacids.

Not explicitly listed in the survey are personal care products, like tampons, pads, and acne treatments, which are HSA-eligible. This is thanks to the CARES Act, which permanently expanded the list of "qualified medical expenses" to include menstrual care and OTC medications without a doctor's prescription.

4. First aid kits

Unfortunately, 12.8% of travelers report leaving behind a first aid kit, which can be a crucial travel essential in case of emergency. Fortunately, these kits are often eligible for HSA spending.

• The IRS rule: Everything from premade first-aid kits and individual components (like bandages, gauze, and antibiotic creams) is eligible. Still, special non-medical carrying cases for the kit may not be covered.

5. Medicated moisturizers and aloe vera

The data shows that 10.9% of travelers forget to pack their daily moisturizer. If your skin takes a beating from the sun, wind, or airplane air, your replacement lotion might qualify for tax-free HSA funds, provided it meets IRS regulations.

• The IRS rule: Standard cosmetics and regular beauty lotions do not qualify. To use your HSA, the moisturizer must contain a specific medicated ingredient designed to treat a medical condition, such as severe sunburn, eczema, or dermatitis.

6. SPF Cosmetics and lip balms

Vanity kits are easily left behind, with 10.3% of travelers forgetting their makeup. Even though standard foundation or lip gloss is considered a personal care expense, your sun protective makeup may be HSA-eligible.

• The IRS rule: Lip balms, foundations, and skin tints qualify for HSA reimbursement only if they are explicitly labeled SPF 15 or higher, offer broad-spectrum protection, and primarily serve to prevent sunburn.

The survey did not mention allergy medications, yet the local environment on vacation can trigger new reactions. Thus, if you find yourself sniffling and suffering, know that most OTC antihistamines and nasal sprays are generally fully eligible.

7. Prescription meds

About 9.8% of travelers have been there: they got to their destination only to realize they forgot their meds. When you need to make a surprise run to a foreign pharmacy, here are the HSA eligibility rules governing prescription meds.

• The IRS rule: Always eligible, including "rush" refills. However, nutritional supplements, vitamins, and toiletries are merely for maintaining general health and are not considered qualified.

8. Underwear (that's medically necessary)

Only 9.6% of travelers forget their underwear while traveling, according to data from Radical Storage. Certain repurchases might be eligible for your HSA funds. (So no, your standard boxers don't count!).

• The IRS rule: Specialized "adaptive clothing" can be HSA-approved if it serves a medically necessary purpose, like a pumping bra, certain postpartum care products, etc. But general hygiene items are not eligible.

9. Specialized swimwear

Swimwear is often left in the dresser drawer, with 9.3% of travelers reporting forgetting bathing suits or similar wear at home. Though swim trunks might not qualify for HSA eligibility, you may be able to use tax-free funds on prescription swimwear.

• The IRS rule: Items for specialized wear, like prescription goggles or masks with corrective lenses, may qualify if they are used to treat a condition. Otherwise, an LMN may be necessary for other types of bathing suits.

11. Sneakers and sandals to treat a condition

Footwear like flip-flops and tennis shoes is often forgotten at home, with travelers reporting forgetting to pack these essentials 7.4% to 8% of the time. Though if you meet specific requirements, you might be able to repurchase them with HSA funds.

• The IRS rule: Shoes must directly help manage or improve a medical issue. Common examples include orthotic inserts, gel pads, and orthopedic footwear, though they may require an LMN.

What about accessories? Long flights can take a toll on the body, leading many travelers to invest in biometric trackers. In 2026, popular medical devices like the Oura Ring and certain smart watches may be HSA-eligible if they have an LMN from your doctor stating the specific condition the device monitors and/or treats.

Yet if you're using your HSA for a high-end medical device, many experts recommend paying out of pocket, then obtaining your LMN and submitting the receipt for reimbursement. This may help ensure your purchase meets IRS rules before linking the item to your HSA account.

Don't forget your passport

Approximately 6.3% of travelers report forgetting their passport, which is a major headache — but no, the replacement fees are not HSA-eligible (despite the blow to your mental health). However, your medical care in a foreign country is often covered by your HSA funds.

• The IRS rule: Passports aren't eligible for HSA spending. Instead, hospital and urgent care for legal, non-elective procedures and standard dental work abroad are often qualified tax-free expenses.

Prescription drugs may also qualify if they are consumed abroad (importing them back to the U.S. generally makes them ineligible). The drug must also be legal in both the country you bought it and back home in the U.S.

Also, many U.S.-based HSA debit cards won't work at international locations. Thus, you might want to pay with a travel credit card, keep the itemized receipt, and then reimburse yourself through your HSA portal once you're back on American soil.

Bottom line: Pack ahead

Although no one likes to realize they left their travel essentials behind, a forgotten bag doesn't have to mean a total financial drain.

By utilizing your HSA for these 2026 often-forgotten items, you can potentially get a discount on repurchased items. So pack carefully, keep a record, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a tax-advantaged suitcase, no matter what you forget.

Happy trails!

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional tax or financial advice. Tax laws are subject to change and vary by individual circumstances. Consult with a qualified tax professional regarding your specific situation.

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Your short-haul flights with Delta Air Lines are about to change. The airline recently announced it would discontinue complimentary drinks and snacks on 450 short-haul flights, starting May 19.

What constitutes a short-haul flight? According to Delta, it's any route less than 349 miles. This affects some of the country's busiest routes, such as New York to Boston, Charlotte to Atlanta and Los Angeles to San Francisco. The change applies to all Delta Main and Delta Comfort+ passengers. First-class passengers won't be affected.

This comes at a time when air travel is facing challenges due to rising jet fuel costs, which are forcing airlines to cut back on freebies. Delta announced they're making the change to streamline in-flight operations, where crew members have a narrow window to complete the snack and beverage service before descent.

How does this policy compare to other airlines?

This isn't the first airline to restrict services for shorter flights. American and Southwest Airlines start beverage and snack service for flights 251 miles or more. United Airlines offers snacks and drinks on flights over 300 miles, making Delta's new policy among the strictest of the major airlines for snack offerings.

This is on the cusp of Delta raising checked bag prices to help offset higher fuel costs due to the war in Iran. For domestic and short-haul international flights moving forward, here's the new fee structure:

• First bag: $45, was $35
• Second bag: $55, was $45
• Third bag: $200, was $150

It isn't all doom and gloom. While Delta won't offer snacks and drinks on shorter flights, it's expanding its snack and beverage service to over 600 more flights.

Delta announced it would upgrade service on these flights from its limited beverage service, which included water, coffee or tea, to full beverage service with complimentary snacks. This is good news at a time when the airline is facing its share of reliability issues.

Delta facing staffing shortages

The beginning of May has not been a friendly time for Delta. The airline has had to cancel around 500 flights, significantly more than its competitors.

The reason? In a memo obtained by Business Insider from Ryan Gumm, Delta's senior vice president of flight operations, he noted that pilots were not taking extra flights aside from their regular schedules. The memo also noted that acceptance rates have dropped from 37% to 2%.

This trend won't go away overnight either. In a recent earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said the airline's recovery and reliability are not up to par. And that these challenges could stay throughout the summer months, even with a focus on hiring more pilots.

With all this in mind, if you plan to fly with Delta this summer, here are a few things that can make your trip run more smoothly:

• Monitor your flights: Download the Delta app and enable app notifications; use third-party trackers like Flighty or Flight Aware, as they can provide quicker flight notifications than airlines
• Pack for delays: Keep essentials like chargers and prescription meds in your carry-on
• Be prepared to rebook: If your flight is cancelled, use Delta's app to rebook, as it's usually much quicker than waiting in long customer service lines
• In-flight comfort: Pack essentials to make your air travel more comfortable, and don't forget snacks and drinks on shorter flights

Overall, Delta's decision not to provide snacks and drinks on short-haul flights is bound to ruffle some feathers. But at the same time, I take shorter flights pretty regularly, and attending to everyone's needs while serving a full flight in a 30 to 40-minute window can be daunting for flight attendants. It can also make cleaning in between flights more time-consuming, which can impact future flights.

The best piece of advice is to plan for all contingencies. That way, if the worst-case scenario happens, you have back up plans to turn to.

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When Spirit Airlines declared bankruptcy in August of last year, travelers already began to suspect that the budget carrier might not be long for this world. After a prolonged restructuring process and a failed attempt at securing a $500 million government bailout, Spirit Airlines officially announced that it would cease operations altogether on May 2.

The news has been met with conflicting reactions among flyers. The airline didn't exactly have a stellar reputation for customer service. The unbundled fares often left passengers feeling like the low prices were a bait and switch as they ended up paying more by the time they add in seat fees, carry-on luggage fees, booking fees, boarding pass fees and the list keeps going.

But even if you avoided flying Spirit like the plague, the disappearance of a major budget carrier could still impact your wallet. Here's a look at the ripple effect the Spirit Airlines shutdown is likely to have on air travel and how your flight booking strategy needs to change in a world with one less budget carrier.

The ripple effect of the Spirit Airlines shutdown

Even if you've never stepped foot on a Spirit airplane, the airline's existence has probably benefited you indirectly. Before the carrier ceased operations, budget airlines accounted for 14.5% of the U.S. market, according to the Association of Value Airlines (AVA). The group representing budget carriers says that this growing market share has helped put downward pressure on ticket prices over the past decade, falling from an average of $124 for a one-way ticket in 2000 to $54 for a one-way ticket in 2024 (for the lowest cost ticket options).

While the actual price ends up being higher when you factor in all the add-on fees, those dirt cheap prices forced major players like Delta and American Airlines to create basic economy fares to compete with these discount airlines in the mid-2010s.

Those basic economy fares are pretty bare bones, but they're useful for travelers who want to customize their experience. You can pick and choose your add-ons and upgrades while still flying the airline you prefer.

With the loss of Spirit airlines, that's one less competitor pushing the price of basic economy fares down. While airlines might not abandon the ticket class altogether, the deals you find there might not be as good as what you're used to if they're not competing with a strong discount airline market.

Travelers are already seeing higher flight costs due to rising jet fuel prices

While Spirit Airlines had long been struggling and was already bankrupt before the Iran conflict began, the airline cited the sudden rise in fuel prices in response to rising oil prices as a major reason that it couldn't move forward with its original restructuring plans.

In its statement announcing the wind-down of operations, the company said, "the recent material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit’s financial outlook."

The cost of jet fuel has doubled since the war began, jumping from around $100 per barrel in February to over $200 by the end of March, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Though costs were starting to fall in April, they're ticking back up in May.

For most carriers, the cost of jet fuel alone accounts for up to 30% of the company's operating costs. So, when fuel prices double, margins get thinner. To compensate, airlines can raise prices or cut capacity (such as dropping less profitable routes or grounding less fuel efficient aircraft).

Delta, for example, said in a recent earnings call that it would cut capacity by 3.5%, primarily by postponing the capacity growth it had planned for the quarter. Delta, United and other major carriers have also hiked baggage fees in an effort to offset rising jet fuel costs. On an earnings call in April, United CEO Scott Kirby said the airline might also hike ticket prices as much as 20%.

With news like that, travelers of all airlines are likely looking at higher travel costs. And one less budget carrier in the mix means there will be less downward pressure to bring these prices back down even after jet fuel costs start falling.

Can other budget carriers keep the price pressure on airfare?

The end of Spirit isn't the end of affordable airlines just yet. Other budget carriers like Frontier and Allegiant are still flying. But with rising jet fuel costs, how long can they keep prices down?

Last month, the AVA asked for a $2.5 billion relief package to offset the sudden spike in fuel costs. But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he didn't think it was necessary at a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Saturday.

Without federal relief, budget carriers will likely be forced to either take on debt or turn to the same capacity cuts and price hikes that major carriers are already using. Allegiant, for example, expects to cut capacity by 6.5% to compensate for higher fuel prices.

As of December 2025, Frontier still hadn't returned to profitability. Passengers may learn more about how the Spirit rival plans to deal with rising costs when it releases its first-quarter financial results tomorrow.

While there aren't any rumors of other budget carriers closing, travelers should probably brace for higher ticket prices even among the most affordable airlines as we head into a summer of soaring jet fuel prices.

How your travel booking strategy needs to change in 2026

This summer, air travel is going to get more expensive as airlines fly fewer routes and raise prices to offset jet fuel costs. So, if you've got any trips planned in the coming months, here are a few ways you can adapt your strategy to keep costs as low as possible:

• Book changeable fares and keep tabs on prices. Aside from basic economy tickets, most fares allow you to make changes for free. So, even if you don't like the price you see right now, go ahead and book it anyway (while doublechecking that the ticket allows for free changes). This ensures that today's price is the highest you'll ever pay, but allows you to keep checking in on prices in the lead up to your actual departure date. When you find a better deal, change your flight and you can pocket the difference.
• Avoid add-on fees. With most airlines raising their baggage fees, now is the time to hone your packing strategy to avoid needing to check a bag. Triple-check the baggage restrictions on your preferred airline to make sure your carry-on and personal item comply. Check for airline credit cards or loyalty programs that come with free checked bags as a perk. Consolidate your belongings into one checked bag if you're flying with your partner. If you can't avoid a checked bag fee, look for other fees (like premium seat selection or economy upgrades) that you can skip instead.
• Find your savings elsewhere. If you can't find airfare prices you like for your next trip, make up the cost difference by saving elsewhere. That might mean smaller tweaks like downgrading the hotel room you planned to book or bigger changes like choosing to visit a cheaper country this summer or shortening the length of your trip.
• Push your trip to the off-season. If you haven't booked yet, consider postponing your trip until fall or early winter. Off-season pricing tends to be lower for both airfare and hotels so if you have flexibility here, the savings could be huge. If you're still craving a summer getaway, opt for a domestic destination during the peak season.

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Discover these 9 historic places with your grandkids this year to celebrate America's 250th birthday. Whether you visit on July 4, 2026, or explore in the months before or after the 'Semiquincentennial," the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence offers a rare opportunity to build lasting memories at the places where our country's history began.

These trips can also help turn old, dusty history lessons into hands-on adventures. Best of all, many of these iconic sites (and we’ve only listed a few) are rolling out world-class experiences.

Here are 9 standout destinations that make history fun, accessible and — best of all — unforgettable.

Why America’s 250th is more than just fireworks

America’s 250th birthday isn’t just about dates on a calendar or old documents. It’s about people, places and the millions of stories that make up our nation. It’s about how a group of colonies came together in 1776 to declare their independence, and how that single courageous moment in time set the course for the country we know and love today.

The celebration also offers a chance to learn more about how the United States began, how it grew, and how it has changed over time.

1. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

Carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dakota, the 60-foot faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln tell the story of the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country.

For the 250th celebration: This year, Mount Rushmore will host special events on July 2 and 4 to commemorate Independence Day and the 250th anniversary of the United States, including military concerts with no reservations or tickets required. On July 3, tickets are required for the day’s festivities, which include a fireworks display.

However, because they anticipate large crowds, access for the event on July 3 is entirely dependent on a federal lottery system, which closed on April 12 and was managed through Recreation.gov. That means unless you reserved a ticket before the deadline, you can no longer attend the July 3rd festivities. The park will open for ticket holders at 1 pm. That said, you can still enjoy the park before or after the 250th celebration on July 3.

For the best value: Visit in May or September, when hotel rates can drop by 20% to 30%. There are typically fewer crowds, and temperatures stay in the 60s and 70s. The site is free to enter (you’ll pay a small fee to park), and no long hikes are required. Combine it with a drive through Custer State Park for wildlife spotting that the grandkids will love.

2. Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg marks the Civil War’s turning point and is the site of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Be sure to visit the Museum and Visitor Center, where you'll find resources and information to help you and your grandkids learn about the battlefield.

For the 250th celebration: Gettysburg will feature major battle reenactments (July 3–5) and special Independence Day events. Parking is on-site and dining is available in the visitor center. Tour costs vary.

For the best value: Visit in April–May or September–October for lower hotel rates and fewer crowds. Roaming the battlefield is free. But a self-guided auto tour costs about $43 for adults (with senior discounts). The Visitor Center also offers senior pricing. Grandkids will enjoy the interactive exhibits at “Children of Gettysburg 1863.”

3. Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia

America’s birthplace, Independence Hall, is where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and signed. It’s the central point for understanding America’s roots and offers a great opportunity for conversations about the beginnings of our country with your grandkids.

For the 250th celebration: Philadelphia’s “52 Weeks of Firsts” and year-long celebrations in 2026 include parades, block parties, and special exhibits. Most sites, like Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, are free or low-cost for seniors and children. From 9:00 am to 9:50 am, no tickets are required. However, from 10:40 am to 4:20 pm, March–December and holiday weekends, timed-entry tickets are required for ranger-guided tours. A $1 per ticket processing fee applies, according to Recreation.gov. Tickets are not required on July 1st, July 2nd, July 3rd, July 4th, or July 14th. But expect large crowds.

For the best value: Visit in the spring or fall for comfortable temperatures and better pricing on nearby hotels and dining. The area is walkable with plenty of benches, and costumed interpreters make history interactive and fun with hands-on stations for the grandkids. Independence Hall opens at 9:00 am.

4. The Freedom Trail, Boston, Massachusetts

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile red-brick path that connects 16 Revolutionary sites — from the USS Constitution tall ship to Bunker Hill — bringing the fight for independence to life through stories of historic heroes like Paul Revere.

For the 250th celebration: Boston’s 2026 festivities include reenactments, tall ships, and special guided tours. The Trail itself is mostly free to walk. Costumed-guide walking tours run about $17 for each adult (with a $2 senior discount and $8 for children ages 6–12; free for kids under 6). Other tour tickets vary.

For the best value: Visit in late spring or early fall for savings on lodging and shorter lines. Don’t miss the Paul Revere House or the Bunker Hill Monument for lasting memories and good discussion.

5. Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital city, will be a centerpiece of America 250, with the National Mall serving as the hub of the 250th.

For the 250th celebration: Expect patriotic concerts and large-scale anniversary celebrations throughout 2026, including a special Independence Day fireworks display along with performances and ceremonies at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Smithsonian museums.

The Great American State Fair, a 16-day national exposition, will be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and run from June 25 to July 10, 2026. The fair is free and open to the public (advance registration encouraged), with a kickoff celebration on June 24 headlined by President Trump.

On July 4th, a special fireworks display called Salute to America will take place on the National Mall. The event is free and open to the public. Advance tickets are strongly encouraged and parking will be limited.

The original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights remain on permanent display in the National Archives Rotunda in D.C. with free daily admission, 10 am to 5:30 pm. Visitors are strongly encouraged to reserve a free general admission or timed-entry ticket in advance online.

Also, the Smithsonian Institution is marking America’s 250th anniversary with its “Our Shared Future: 250” initiative. Most Smithsonian museums are free, but some popular ones or special exhibits use timed-entry passes (free or low-cost) to manage crowds, especially during the 250th celebration. Visit: https://www.si.edu/visit for info.

For the best value: The best times to visit are April–May and September–October. These months offer moderate crowds, mild weather, and often the best prices on hotels and airfare. Andrew Latham, Certified Financial Planner, passes on this idea: “Going to D.C. is the obvious choice for a reason. The Smithsonian allows you to take all the grandchildren to 21 museums without paying a dime, which means you can put your cash toward food and hotels without blowing your budget on tourist traps.”

6. San Antonio, Texas

Other than just a great place to visit, at the heart of San Antonio stands The Alamo, a long-standing symbol of the Texas Revolution and a vital part of America's history.

For the 250th celebration: Visitors can explore the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, with special events including living history demonstrations, guided tours, and programs that connect Texas history to the story of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

For the best value: The best time to visit the Alamo is in the off-season (late fall and winter), when there are fewer crowds and discounted tickets (reservations for Alamo tours are required). Parking is off-site, but buses run throughout the day.

7. Statue of Liberty, New York, New York

Sitting proudly on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City, the Statue of Liberty is the iconic symbol of freedom, democracy, and hope.

For the 250th celebration: The Statue of Liberty will host several commemorative events, including lighting displays, guided tours, and educational programs for adults and children. The National Park Service strongly encourages you to purchase ferry tickets in advance of the day you plan to visit. Tickets should be purchased through Statue City Cruises, the only ferry service that brings visitors to Liberty and Ellis Islands.

For the best value: Visit during late fall and winter. Although the weather can be cooler during these months, you will run into fewer visitors and shorter lines. Hotels and dining are also often less expensive.

8. Yorktown and Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

These historic sites transform the Revolutionary era into a living classroom so that you and your grandkids can walk where Washington, Jefferson and Lafayette once did. During the 250th celebration, you'll witness reenactments and artillery demonstrations, explore tall ships, and participate in hands-on activities that bring the fight for independence to life.

Yorktown celebrates the Revolution on July 4th with a parade, concert, Declaration of Independence reading, and river fireworks. The American Revolution Museum hosts the Give Me Liberty exhibition, Liberty Celebration with artillery demos and October Victory programs with living history.

Colonial Williamsburg offers immersive events, including the July 4 PBS-broadcast America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together, along with music, performances, a drone show and fireworks.

Yorktown events, including Sail Yorktown on July 4, are mostly free. Museum programs require standard admission ($15 – 18 adults; discounts for children and seniors). You can buy tickets at jyfmuseums.org or on-site.

Colonial Williamsburg’s 250th events and daily activities need Historic Area passes (about $40 for adults). Multi-day passes are your best value; discounts for kids. July 4 event is free. Book Williamsburg tickets ahead at colonialwilliamsburg.org.

For the best value: Visit Yorktown or Colonial Williamsburg in late spring or early fall to enjoy fewer crowds, shorter lines at attractions and museums, and significantly lower hotel and food prices compared to peak summer and the July 4th week. These shoulder seasons still offer exciting 250th exhibits, while making the trip more affordable and relaxed.

9. Charleston, South Carolina

The city of Charleston, a major Southern port and battleground, played a pivotal role in the American Revolution.

Key 250th highlights include events at Fort Moultrie, site of the 1776 Patriot victory, with living history, reenactments and interpretive programs. The city offers a relaxed pace with beautiful waterfront walks along the historic Battery, horse-drawn carriage tours that are easy for grandparents and engaging for the grandkids, and great southern dining.

Expect special exhibits, parades, and patriotic programming throughout 2026, especially around June – July. Many events are free or low-cost; check charleston-sc.gov or sc250.com for details.

For the best value: Visit in late spring or early fall to avoid peak summer crowds and the July 4th heat. You'll also enjoy shorter lines at Fort Moultrie and the Battery, and find better rates on hotels, carriage tours and dining out. These shoulder seasons still offer a lineup of special events, exhibits, reenactments, tours and activities specifically planned for America’s 250th, while offering a more relaxed, affordable experience for you and the grandkids.

Other major national highlights for 2026

Expect a mix of big spectacles and local celebrations:

• July 3–5, 2026 “Moments That Unite a Nation”: Celebrations include the first-ever Times Square Ball Drop on July 3 to kick off the Fourth, massive block parties, concerts, and synchronized events across all 50 states, D.C., and territories.
• Disneyland is celebrating America’s 250th with “Disney Celebrates America.” Kicking off on Veterans Day 2025 and continuing through the July 4, 2026 weekend.
• America’s Block Party: Nationwide neighborhood gatherings, potlucks, and viewing parties so you can watch celebrations happening.
• The Great American Road Trip: This partnership with the Department of Transportation encourages people to drive across the country and visit famous sites in honor of the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66.
• A time capsule: A capsule containing items from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five territories is scheduled to be buried in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026. It won't be dug up until the country’s 500th anniversary.

Quick tips for these (and all) trips

• Check America250.org and individual national park sites for exact 2026 event calendars.
• Plan ahead. Why? Because America 250 will mark one of the most significant travel years in U.S. history. Planning ahead helps secure accommodations, tours, and tickets to the most anticipated events and celebrations.
• Grab an America the Beautiful Senior Pass ($20 annual or $80 lifetime) for free or discounted access to many national parks.
• Pack layers, comfortable walking shoes, water, and snacks — plus a journal or digital way for grandkids to record their own “trail” memories.

Celebrate with the grandkids

Although there were only 13 original states, all 50 states are planning 250th celebrations and offering both you and your grandkids a chance to experience the places and stories that shaped our nation. These places can turn those long drives into adventures, with plenty of ice cream stops and “wow” moments. Your grandkids will remember the history and the time they spend with you, long after the 250th celebrations are over. For updates, visit https://freedom250.org/celebration often.

More on America's 250th Birthday

• America is Turning 250 — But We Didn't Get Serious About Saving for Retirement Until 50 Years Ago
• America's Cost of Living at 200 vs 250: How Affordable is American Life Now?
• America at 250: The 3 Economic Headaches That Haven't Changed Since 1976
• How Has Retirement Changed in the Last 50 Years? Take Our Quiz
• Financial Advice From America's Founding Fathers
• Which Presidents Are on the Social Security Payroll?

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1. Explore Charleston, South Carolina

The first time I visited Charleston, almost 20 years ago, I was struck by a feeling of ease. I strolled along the Battery, past magnificent old mansions along the water, and down drowsy King Street. I popped into a restaurant for oysters and crab bisque.

When I returned this year, the southern city had transformed into something even lovelier than before, owing in large part to the influx of cash as one of the U.S.'s 15 fastest-growing cities, according to Rocket Mortgage. Today, there are gleaming Gucci and Louis Vuitton boutiques on King Street, but the city's essence of elegance and warmth remains.

In recent years, Charleston has also become one of the country's leading travel destinations, with a record $14 billion in tourist revenues in 2024, up 7.1% from the previous year. There is no better time to visit this sun-drenched, sophisticated city than springtime.

"Azaleas and wisteria are out in full force by the middle of the month, magnolias have begun their blooming season, and lush private gardens are peeking out behind walls and fences in the historic district and other leafy neighborhoods," says part-time Charleston resident Nancy Novogrod, former editor of Travel + Leisure magazine, who now runs a luxury travel consultancy, Culturati Travel Design.

She adds that spring is the time to relax on benches and chairs in the American Garden on lower King Street, a gift to the city from Ben Navarro, developer of the new five-star Cooper Hotel. Charleston's spring festival season includes the Spoleto Festival USA, which this year runs from May 23 to June 8.

By summer, temperatures and humidity spike, and the hurricane season arrives in August. The last catastrophic one was Hugo in 1989, but the city is prone to flooding from heavy rains and storm surges.

Among the crop of new hotels, two properties stand out. The Pinch and sister property the Nickel are both owned by Method Co., a design-forward hotel and development company with properties in Philadelphia, Tampa, Austin and elsewhere.

Each hotel embodies different aspects of the swiftly changing — but never changing — Charleston. The Pinch is tucked away on a side street downtown, right off of King Street, and the hidden cobblestone arrival area epitomizes discretion. With gaslights and palm trees, it gives a moody 19th-century ambience, but inside it is another story. The airy lobby contains furniture made of travertine, leather, Mongolian lamb and rattan, in warm, contemporary harmony.

Immediately, I felt I had found my Charleston home. My suite exuded a lived-in glamour, with pretty wallpaper, herringbone wood floors and a gorgeous full-size kitchen with a farmhouse sink. Adjacent to the hotel is the Michelin-recommended Lowland, offering southern-influenced fine dining like steak with grits, fresh oysters and a signature celery salad. It's quintessentially Charleston — arty, authentic, stylish and delicious. King rooms start at $519/day, with a reduced rate option for stays of a week or more. Prices go down in June.

The Nickel is located on King Street and exemplifies a Europe-meets-Charleston aesthetic and ambiance. The balcony of my room overlooked a central courtyard with a fountain and wrought iron railings. I felt like I was in Barcelona or Bari. Inside, I sensed a meticulously curated design and décor, from the potted palm in the lobby to the marble drinks tables in Bar Daniel, to the Moroccan zellige tiles on the bathroom floors.

Best of all is a rooftop restaurant, Rosemary Rose, with stellar views of what is sometimes referred to as the Holy City. Check the website to sign up for Insider Perks, which include credits, upgraded rooms, and special rates. Rooms start at $460 per night, with a better deal for stays of a week or more.

2. Walk the wilds in Scotland

Of all the trips I have taken in the last years, the most poetically beautiful and emotionally restorative was a walking trip around the Orkney Islands, a windswept archipelago off the northeastern tip of Scotland, for my husband's 65th birthday.

The near-perfect tour was organized by Wilderness Scotland. Springtime is the beginning of walking season in rocky, cinematic Orkney, and the air and extraordinary northern light have an almost clinical healing power. So, it must be said, does the local whisky. The islands have several distilleries, notably Highland Park in Kirkwall, near my sweet hotel, the Lynnfield, on Orkney's main and largest island

It would be difficult to imagine a more seamless trip: Wilderness Scotland took care of every day's itinerary, all ferry and museum tickets, all logistics and every meal, with plenty of downtime. And newsflash: Orkney has a thriving food scene, and the fresh fish and tasty local lamb were superb. In short, I did not have to lift a finger, only to dress in layers, show up at breakfast, and climb into the van with my guide and my hiking partners to drive (or take a small ferry) to that day's trailhead. My preferred bag lunch was a classically British cheese and pickle sandwich with chips, and I devoured it with well-earned hunger.

Each day brought a new wonder in one of the islands: The Standing Stones of Stenness, Skara Brae and geological marvels such as the Old Man of Hoy and the Yesnaby cliffs. We hiked two to eight miles a day, exploring Orkney's impressive archaeological landscape, running from the Neolithic era through the Bronze Age, the Iron Age through Norse through medieval ages — all compressed into these islands. We returned to the hotel blissfully tired and fulfilled.

We were lucky with cool, clear weather, with an occasional spritz of rain and one brief drenching. Orkney can be fickle, even in early summer, so layers and rain gear, including waterproof trousers, are crucial to keep in your backpack.

Wilderness Scotland leads trips throughout the country, with varying degrees of difficulty. Orkney prices start at $4,128 per person, and I am already saving for the 70th birthday walk.

3. Experience the multifaceted beauty of Jaipur, India

I adore India, and my favorite place in this vast, richly layered country is the pink city of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Last spring, my trip there was organized by Scott Dunn, which specializes in luxury personalized travel. After a night in Delhi, I headed south by car, along the sleek new Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. After about five hours, I arrived in Jaipur, where I rode past vendors selling marigolds and mangoes, and around a bottleneck of elephants — some daubed in bright paint — making their way back from ferrying tourists around Amber Fort, a palace and citadel, and one of Jaipur's most iconic landmarks. There are others that are instantly recognizable, such as the honeycombfaçaded, pale-pink Wind Palace.

Jaipur had its share of scientific triumphs to visit, too: The astronomical observatory Jantar Mantar, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an ahead-of-its-time water catchment system at Nahargarh Fort. The city also has a living legacy rooted in the vision of its founder, Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II, who established 36 artisan guilds. Today, Jaipur remains India's capital of fine jewelry, textiles, carpets and other crafts, and therefore its shopping capital, too. Jaipur is surprisingly accessible for those with mobility issues, but driving through the city center from one site to another can be slow. Congestion is dense; traffic can feel treacherous.

Among the most remarkable hotels is Raffles Jaipur, one of the city's newest luxury properties and a worthy descendant of the Singapore original, defined by its signature service. It was conceived as a zenana — a queen's palace — with intimate and intricate interior spaces. Raffles felt like a private residence, although a spectacularly appointed one.

Every surface bore the hand of a Rajasthani artisan, all in an atmosphere of rich blues, butter yellows and dusty pinks. There were hand-carved ceilings, shimmering mirrored mosaics, delicate jaali lattice windows, and inlay floors fashioned with local marble. Its heart is a soaring three-story atrium, flanked with palm trees, and topped with a glass roof. At the hotel's restaurant, Arkaa, I feasted on lamb curry, garlic naan and the Rajasthani dish Dal Baati Churma — lentils, wheat rolls and cracked grains sweetened with jaggery, a natural sweetener concentrated from sugarcane juice.

Rooms this spring start at $550/night, with special rates for longer stays, as well as discounted second rooms for families.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, our popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. Subscribe for retirement advice that's right on the money.

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Question: We're 57 years old with $7 million saved. We want to take a two-year career break and spend $800k traveling the world until we're 59, then return to work and retire at 65. We each had a parent die in their 60s, so this period in our lives feels like it may be our best chance for such an adventure. Are we crazy?

Answer: Once you've accumulated a certain amount of wealth, you may be inclined to start spending some of that money on lifelong goals, like travel. And it's easy to argue that with $7 million in savings, you've more than earned the right to an extended trip spanning two years.

But what if you're only 57 years old? You may not be ready to end your career. Moreover, you may want to take your dream trip soon, especially if you've seen a parent pass away in their 60s.

In that scenario, an extended sabbatical could be a potential solution. And if you've run the numbers, you may be looking at spending $800,000 over two years before returning to the labor force for roughly another half-decade to close out your career.

It's a move that carries some risk. But if you plan accordingly, you may be able to pull it off.

It's not just a pipe dream, but you need a plan

For many people, taking a two-year career break with an $800,000 price tag may not be possible. With $7 million saved, it could be your reality.

While $800,000 is a lot of money, you're keeping close to 90% of your portfolio untouched. And you're also leaving yourself with a substantial sum of money left over.

Steven Schiff, CFP and Managing Director at Fortuna Wealth, says, "Honestly, you’re not crazy at all. With $7 million saved, you’ve built a substantial nest egg that can support a once-in-a-lifetime experience like this."

That said, you do need to plan carefully. Cynthia Pruemm, founder and CEO of SIS Financial Group, says it's important to understand where the money will come from to fund your sabbatical, given your age.

"Since you are 57 years young, you will not be able to take a distribution out of your IRA or 401(k) accounts without paying the 10% penalty," Pruemm explains. "With a Roth IRA, you can withdraw contributions at any time. However, you can't withdraw capital gains before age 59.5 and until the account has been opened for at least five years."

Pruemm says that if you're planning to fund your experience from a taxable account, you'll need to be prepared for short- or long-term capital gain taxes on withdrawals.

The best option in her book? Pay the $800,000 out of a cash account.

Schiff also says that if you're going to move forward with your plans, preparation is key.

"Ensure that your investments are positioned properly, your estate plan is up to date, and you have the right insurance coverage in place," he says.

Make sure you've mapped out your post-sabbatical steps

The risk in taking an extended $800,000 sabbatical isn't necessarily the large withdrawal and two years of forgone earnings. Rather, it's what happens when your travels are over.

Getting back into the workforce isn't a given, Pruemm cautions. And while $6.2 million is a lot of money to retire on if necessary, you'll need to factor in early retirement costs like health insurance. You'll also need a backup plan in case the market crashes during your sabbatical or shortly after, since you may not be able to go back to work right away or at all.

"It would be wise for them to sit down with a financial adviser to put together a retirement plan and have different scenarios figured out before their sabbatical," Pruemm says. "Yes, they will have a lot of money left if they do not join the workforce again. But what happens if there's another dot.com bubble or financial crisis? What happens if their health takes a turn for the worse?"

Of course, you may find after a two-year sabbatical that you don't have the desire to go back to work. And Schiff says with the amount of wealth you've accumulated, you may not have to.

"But prior to making that decision, please consult a financial adviser about your individual situation," he suggests.

Protect your assets during your travels

Setting yourself up with the right investments could make a two-year, $800,000 sabbatical a less risky endeavor. Pruemm recommends hiring a financial adviser to manage the portfolio while on sabbatical to add some security and peace of mind.

If you'd rather manage your assets yourself, Pruemm says, "I would recommend putting all investable assets in high-yield principal-protected investments if they’re not able to keep an eye on them while on sabbatical."

But all told, your plan to escape the grind for two years and see the places you've always dreamed of is doable, provided you understand the risks and set up your retire-at-65 retirement plan in advance. And if so, Schiff recommends using the wealth you've built to meet a lifelong goal.

He also has one piece of non-financial advice.

"Take plenty of photos and make the most of your journey around the world," he says.

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Retirement brings the gift of time and freedom. If you're planning a getaway, 2026 is a great time to swap large, crowded cruise ships for intimate, boutique yacht cruises. These small vessels typically carry fewer than 300 guests. For context, a mega-ship carries 3,000 to 6,800 passengers. Boutique yachts also deliver big luxury with spacious suites, exceptional service, gourmet dining and the freedom to slip into secluded harbors and coves that larger ships can't reach.

For retirees, the advantages are clear: Shorter distances to walk while on board, disembarking in minutes rather than hours, minimal crowds, and a sophisticated, adults-oriented atmosphere make these voyages ideal. You won't find casinos, loud nightclubs, arcades, or massive buffets; instead, you'll find calm and quiet relaxation and the chance to unwind in style.

As the Founder & CEO at PrettyFluent, Erik Chan explains that seasoned travelers are starting to trade the endless lines and crowded ports of mega-cruises for the quiet elegance of boutique yachts. And it makes perfect sense. But why the shift? He points out three reasons.

Personalized luxury: A higher crew-to-guest ratio means personal, tailored service.

Unique access: Smaller yachts can dock in secluded coves and historic city centers that massive ships can't reach.

True value: The all-inclusive options eliminate hidden fees and constant upselling, offering financial peace of mind.

"Retirement travel should be an investment in quality and authentic connection," Chan said. "After all, time is a retiree's most valuable asset. How they spend it matters."

Here are some of the top boutique yacht and small-ship luxury cruises worth considering for 2026.

1. SeaDream Yacht Club

SeaDream Yacht Club has twin yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II. Each carries just 112 guests and both have earned high marks as being among the world's best small cruise ships. The ships offer retirees open-seating dining, fine wines, beach club setups in hidden coves and a casual yet luxurious vibe. There is no dress code, and no formal nights required.

Why retirees love it: The personalized service, laid-back atmosphere and the ability to anchor in tiny Caribbean or Mediterranean bays. These Caribbean voyages emphasize relaxed island-hopping, water sports and a wellness focus.

Standout 2026 options: Caribbean itineraries from San Juan and similar gateways, plus Mediterranean and transatlantic crossings. Fares often include most beverages, gratuities and water toys for the adventurous retiree. Fares start at $5,359 USD.

2. Windstar Cruises

Windstar's fleet of luxury yachts and tall ships accommodates between 150 and 350 guests, offering an intimate experience for retirees. New ships, the Star Seeker and Star Explorer, expand options with modern amenities while keeping the community-oriented charm.

Why retirees love it: These yachts offer access to small ports like the Caribbean's Windward Islands and Europe's hidden harbors, which larger ships cannot reach. They also offer excellent dining and a mature crowd. By limiting children under eight on several of its itineraries, the cruise line maintains a peaceful environment tailored for adult relaxation.

Standout 2026 options: Caribbean "Surf & Sunsets" routes from San Juan, new European itineraries and Greek Isles voyages. Look for three- to seven-night "Quick Getaways" if you prefer a shorter cruise. Journey from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Seward, Alaska, on the Star Seeker for as little as $8,337 USD.

3. Seabourn

Seabourn's all-inclusive, ultra-luxury ships accommodate around 450–600 guests. The ships are meant to feel like private clubs, with all-suite accommodations, Michelin-inspired dining and complimentary premium spirits and fine wines. You'll also find curated voyages to all seven continents.

Why retirees love it: Spacious decks for intimate gatherings, wellness programs, enrichment lectures and great service. Many of Seabourn's itineraries also include overnight stays in secluded ports for deeper cultural immersion.

Standout 2026 options: Caribbean voyages that explore less-visited islands, plus Mediterranean and Northern Europe routes. Seabourn frequently ranks high on "splurge" lists for retirees seeking pampering. Take a 15-Day Bay of Biscay: Spain & France Explorer cruise for as little as $7,000 USD.

4. Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

The Ritz-Carlton collection of yachts brings its service to the seas with super-yacht-style vessels. These boutique ships offer 150 to 225 residential-style suites, multiple fine-dining venues and exclusive experiences.

Why retirees love it: This line of boutique yachts combines the luxury of a hotel with the comfort of a yacht, perfect for those who appreciate high-end amenities without the enormous size of traditional cruise lines. As a bonus, guests can also earn and redeem points, receive Elite Night Credit and more with Marriott Bonvoy.

Standout 2026 options: Mediterranean, Caribbean, and other warm-water itineraries. Ritz-Carlton yachts are frequently listed among the top splurge cruises for seniors. Set sail for 15 nights from Tokyo to Whittier on the Gulf of Alaska for as little as $9,700 USD.

5. Emerald Cruises

Emerald's yachts, like the Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara, cater to around 100–128 guests and feature innovative suite designs, including marina platforms for direct sea access and sky bars. Emerald specializes in destinations such as the Adriatic, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

Why retirees love it: Smaller yachts mean more personal attention and fewer crowds. The fleet of river-cruising Star-Ships and ocean-going luxury yachts provides great experiences for adventurous retirees. Emerald Cruises' Loyalty Club members gain access to exclusive offers and savings.

Standout 2026 options: Cruise the Caribbean or venture to the breathtaking Seychelles and Indian Ocean. Explore the coasts of the Mediterranean and Adriatic. Check out the beaches of the Virgin Islands for as little as $4,500.

Other note-worthy boutique yacht cruises include:

• Ponant: French-inspired explorer yachts visit places like Greenland, Antarctica and the Caribbean.
• Silversea: All-inclusive suites and butler service on intimate ships to Asia, Australia, Europe and more.
• Scenic or UnCruise: Yachts built for nature lovers seeking Alaska, the Galápagos and other faraway destinations.
• Sail Croatia: A small-ship cruising and private yacht charter company that offers adventurers the chance to explore Croatia’s breathtaking coastline.

What makes boutique yachts so inviting?

There are dozens of reasons why retirees may prefer boutique yachts over large cruise lines. Here are just a few.

• Accessibility: Smaller ships can usually dock closer to town centers. While on board, retirees have shorter distances to walk, which can make getting around easier.
• Personalized experiences: Higher staff-to-traveler ratios mean tailored experiences, from dietary needs to excursion times.
• Exclusivity: Fewer passengers create a club-like atmosphere, which can be ideal for making close connections with fellow travelers.
• Value for luxury: Many yachts are all-inclusive or near-all-inclusive, meaning drinks, meals, excursions and gratuities are included in one price, making it easier to budget for your trip.
• Health and wellness focus: Spas, light activities and enrichment programs support an active, yet relaxed retirement lifestyle.

Even paradise has trade-offs: what to know before booking a boutique yacht cruise

"Although boutique yacht cruises have fewer guests and more personalized service, one thing to note is that the itineraries for these sailings are often remote and exotic," says Jason R. Margulies, Partner & Maritime Attorney at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman P.A.

"That may be a draw, but for many people in this age bracket, being in faraway, hard-to-access locations can also be a concern," he says.

That's because retirees may be more likely than their younger counterparts to need medical care. "On a smaller yacht, the medical facilities and medical personnel are scaled to fit the ship size, making them far more limited than those found on larger ships," Marguilies adds. In fact, most health insurance, including Medicare, doesn't cover medical costs while at sea. That's why it is advisable to get travel insurance, just in case.

Marguilies also points out that cruise ticket contracts are packed with clauses that heavily favor the cruise line and can significantly limit your legal rights in case of injury or death while at sea. "While you can't change the contract, reading it carefully and consulting an experienced maritime attorney beforehand can help you know your options and be better prepared."

Tips for retirees booking a yacht cruise in 2026

• Book early if possible. You’ll get first pick of the best cabins and suites, and you might even save some money. Many lines offer early-bird deals or special senior discounts.
• Think about traveling in the shoulder seasons. During these times, there are usually fewer crowds and better prices.
• Look for all-inclusive packages. Most include flights, transfers, and travel insurance. These options make planning much simpler.
• Check out themed sailings. Whether it’s a wellness cruise, a wine-focused trip, or one with cultural enrichment, these can make your vacation feel even more special and personal.

Small ships, big luxury

Whether you're celebrating retirement, craving a stress-free break from your day-to-day routine or simply seeking a romantic getaway, boutique yacht cruises offer small ships and big luxury. Sip champagne on a private deck in the Caribbean or wander the ancient ruins in the Mediterranean with just a handful of companions. It's easy to see why the experiences aboard one of these small ships are redefining luxury travel for so many retirees.

Ready to set sail?

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Summer road trip season is picking up — and so are fuel prices. Ongoing global supply concerns, including tensions around key routes like the Strait of Hormuz, are starting to push gas prices higher in many parts of the U.S., just as travel demand ramps up.

At the same time, rental companies are expanding their electric vehicle (EV) fleets, often pricing them competitively with traditional gas cars. That’s prompting a simple question for travelers: Could renting an EV actually save you money this summer?

The answer depends on more than just gas prices.

The simple cost comparison: EV vs. gas rental

When comparing an EV rental to a traditional gas-powered car, it helps to break costs into three main buckets:

1. Rental price per day

Daily rental rates for EVs can range widely depending on the market, but it’s not uncommon to see compact or midsize EVs priced between $40 and $90 per day. In some cases, EVs are discounted to encourage adoption, making them comparable to or slightly cheaper than standard gas vehicles in the same class.

2. Fuel vs. electricity

• Gas car: The average U.S. gas price has hovered between roughly $3.25 and $4.00 per gallon in recent years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. For a vehicle getting 25 to 30 MPG, that translates to about $0.11 to $0.16 per mile in fuel costs.

• EV: Charging costs vary much more depending on where you plug in.
  • Home or hotel charging: around $0.10 to $0.20 per kWh
  • Public Level 2 chargers: about $0.20 to $0.30 per kWh
  • DC fast chargers: often $0.30 to $0.60 per kWh or more, according to EVChargingStations.com

For many EVs that average 3 to 4 miles per kWh, that works out to roughly $0.08 to $0.20 per mile. This means EV charging can be cheaper than gas, but fast charging can narrow or eliminate that advantage.

3. Fees and extras

This is where costs can surprise travelers. For gas vehicles, refueling service fees can range from $5 to $10 plus the cost of fuel, or significantly higher per-gallon rates if you prepay or return the tank empty, according to Avis.

With EVs, some rental companies charge a low battery fee of $20 to $35 if the vehicle is returned below a required charge level. Idle fees at public chargers (if you leave the car plugged in after charging completes) can run $0.40 to $1.00 per minute, depending on the network.

Fast charging session minimums or connection fees can add a few extra dollars per stop. These additional costs can add $10 to $50+ to a trip if you’re not planning carefully.

So while EVs often have lower "fuel" costs on paper, fees and charging choices can significantly affect the total.

When an EV rental may be cheaper

There are a few scenarios where EV rentals can clearly come out ahead:

Short-to-medium trips

If you're driving predictable distances like airport runs, local sightseeing or a weekend trip under 300 miles, you can often minimize charging stops and avoid higher fast-charging costs altogether.

Urban or well-equipped areas

Cities with several charging networks make it easier to find lower-cost charging options and avoid premium-priced stations.

Free or included charging

Some hotels, vacation rentals and even parking garages offer complimentary Level 2 charging. That can reduce your "fuel" cost to nearly zero for overnight stays, which is one of the biggest advantages EV renters can take advantage of.

Higher gas price environments

In areas where gas prices spike during peak travel season, EVs can offer more predictable and sometimes even lower energy costs.

Lower daily rental promotions

Rental companies are still working to move EV inventory, which means you may find promotional pricing that undercuts comparable gas vehicles. This is especially true for weekday or off-peak bookings.

Less stop-and-go cost penalty

EVs are particularly efficient in city driving, where regenerative braking helps recapture energy. That means frequent stops and slower speeds (which are common in vacation destinations) can actually improve efficiency rather than reduce it.

When a gas car may still cost less

While EVs can offer real savings in the right situation, they’re not always the most cost-effective or practical choice for every trip. In fact, for many traditional summer road trips, a gas-powered rental can still come out ahead once you factor in time, infrastructure and charging costs.

The key difference is predictability. With a gas car, most travelers already know what to expect: quick fill-ups, widely available stations and relatively consistent pricing along major routes. With an EV, costs and convenience can vary much more depending on where you are and how you travel.

Here are a few scenarios where a gas car may still be more affordable.

Long-distance highway driving

EVs tend to be less efficient at sustained highway speeds, which means you may burn through battery range faster than expected. That can lead to more frequent charging stops, and if those stops rely on higher-cost fast chargers, your per-mile cost can climb closer to (or even match) gas.

Areas with limited or unreliable charging infrastructure

If you're traveling through rural areas or regions with fewer public chargers, you may need to go out of your way to find a working station. That can add both time and mileage to your trip, increasing overall costs.

Situations where fast charging is required

Fast charging is convenient, but it often comes at a premium price. Rates at some DC fast chargers can approach $0.50 per kWh or more, which can make the cost per mile comparable to driving a gas vehicle, especially if fuel prices are moderate.

Tight travel schedules where time matters

Even under ideal conditions, charging takes longer than filling up a gas tank. A fast charge can take 20 to 40 minutes, while slower chargers can take several hours. If you're on a packed schedule, those charging stops can add friction and reduce flexibility. For many travelers, time matters just as much as cost.

What it's like if you've never driven an EV

Driving an EV is often described as smooth, quiet and in many ways, simpler than a gas car. But the planning is different. Instead of quickly pulling into a gas station, you’ll likely need to map out charging stops ahead of time.

You should also download apps for different charging networks if needed. With an EV rental, it’s also important to pay attention to charger speeds and availability. Not all chargers are created equal, and availability can vary depending on location and time of day.

Example: A 300-mile weekend trip

Let’s break down a simple, real-world scenario to see how the costs compare.

In this case, the EV could be cheaper, or about the same, depending on charging costs.

How to decide before you book

Before choosing between an EV and a gas car, ask yourself:

• How far am I driving?
• Where will I charge?
• Is charging free or convenient at my hotel?
• What’s the rental price difference?

If your trip is mostly in a city or an area with easy charging, like at your hotel or nearby, an EV can often save you money, especially with shorter driving distances. If you’re planning a long road trip, traveling through areas with limited charging or on a tight schedule, a gas-powered car is usually the simpler and similarly priced option.

In general, EVs work best for shorter, well-planned trips, while gas vehicles are often better for longer, convenience-focused travel.

What matters most when choosing a rental car

EV rentals can save you money, but not automatically. Gas prices are only one part of the equation. Charging access, travel distance and your schedule all play a major role in the total cost.

For summer travelers, the smartest move isn't only choosing the cheapest daily rate. You'll also need to look at the full picture before you book to determine the most cost-effective and comfortable solution for your needs.

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Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes peak driving season as Americans plan vacations, road trips and family get-togethers. But between the impact of the Iran war on gas prices and the post-pandemic jump in car maintenance and repair costs, hitting the road will be a lot more expensive this year.

“Drivers are currently facing all-time high automotive costs,” says Duane “Doc” Watson, technical trainer at Bosch Automotive Aftermarket in Cocoa, Florida.

Since early January, when gas nationally averaged $2.81 a gallon — the lowest price since 2021 — the cost of filling up at the pump has surged more than 40%, to $4.15 on average in mid-April, for a gallon of regular, and it topped $5 a gallon in a few states, including California and Washington. “If the situation with the Strait of Hormuz continues, prices could be even more elevated by summer,” says Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

Another headache for motorists: The bill for car repairs and maintenance has also soared, climbing 48.8% over the past five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That makes it the second-largest jump in consumer prices of any category except car insurance, which, of course, is yet one more pain point for drivers.

Still, while planning an affordable road trip has gotten more challenging, there are strategies you can use to lessen the burden, from taking advantage of apps, programs and services that lower gas costs to employing driving techniques that improve fuel efficiency — a tactic that the Department of Energy estimates can save you more than $1.50 a gallon when you fill up.

Here’s how to put yourself back in the driver’s seat when it comes to car costs.

1. Use apps to save on fuel

With prices at the pump varying widely even within the same town, it pays to shop around. Apps such as AAA Mobile and GasBuddy allow you to compare gas prices along your route so you can fill up where fuel is cheapest. Navigation tools such as Waze or Google Maps also include gas-station price info by location and can help you avoid traffic and choose more efficient routes, which saves on time and fuel as well.

When you fill up matters too. According to a recent GasBuddy analysis, Sunday is typically the cheapest day of the week to fill your tank in most states, followed by Monday, while prices are usually highest midweek, especially on Wednesdays.

2. Make the most of loyalty and rewards programs

Popular gas station chains such as BP, Shell and Exxon offer free loyalty programs that can save you about 3 to 10 cents per gallon simply for being a member. And while paying in cash typically shaves the price of gas by 5 to 10 cents a gallon, you may be able to save even more with a credit card that offers generous rewards on gas purchases.

Rewards cards that offer a category-high 5% cash back on gas include the AAA Travel Advantage Visa Signature, which also offers 3% back on grocery store, restaurant and travel purchases and 1% on everything else; Citi Custom Cash, which offers 5% back on whichever of 10 categories — including gas stations — that you spend the most each month, 4% on hotels and other travel booked through Citi, and 1% on everything else; and Costco Anywhere Visa, which offers 5% off on gas purchased from Costco, 4% on gas bought elsewhere, 3% on restaurants and eligible travel, 2% on Costco purchases, and 1% on everything else (you must have a Costco membership, starting at $65 yearly, to use this card).

3. Improve your driving game

Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration and hard braking, which all waste fuel. While that advice might sound basic, the savings add up. The Department of Energy estimates these behaviors can improve fuel efficiency by up to 40%.

Also helpful: Plan trips to avoid rush hour traffic. Your vehicle burns extra fuel when it sits idling in congestion.

4. Declutter your car

The heavier your vehicle, the worse its fuel efficiency. The more luggage and gear you carry, the more fuel your car will use.

Bulky accessories such as roof racks or bicycle racks also reduce efficiency by adding weight and increasing air resistance. Cargo on the roof is especially costly, reducing fuel economy by the equivalent of up to 65 cents per gallon on highway driving, according to the Department of Energy.

5. Plan ahead for EV charging

Electric vehicles avoid gasoline costs, but drivers still need to plan where and when to charge. Rates can vary widely by location and time of day.

Apps such as ChargePoint or PlugShare can help drivers find nearby stations and compare prices. Try to avoid charging during peak driving hours, when electricity is more expensive. Charging during off-peak hours from late at night to early morning reduces costs.

6. Be proactive with maintenance

Investing a little time and money in routine maintenance can help you avoid unexpected and expensive hiccups, such as a breakdown or tow.

Key moves as you prepare for an upcoming road trip: Make sure to change the oil in the vehicle, if you’re coming up on the 5,000- to 10,000-mile mark; a $65 oil change can prevent thousands in engine damage later. Check the tire pressure since proper inflation improves handling, fuel efficiency and tire life. And make sure to test your battery before a long trip as well.

“Summer heat can strain batteries weakened during the winter,” says Watson, who notes that many auto shops will check battery health for free.

7. Shop around to save on repairs

If something breaks in your vehicle, first check whether the issue is covered under your initial warranty. If not, shop around local garages for quotes. Having a trusted mechanic is valuable, but it still pays to compare prices.

“It’s very useful to have an ongoing relationship with a repair shop,” says Sean Tucker, managing editor for Kelley Blue Book. “My secret is that I keep two and shop them against each other.”

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

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The Iran war has already triggered soaring gas prices, with drivers paying an average of over $4.14 per gallon. But gasoline isn't the only fuel that's gotten more expensive since the conflict started.

As oil prices keep climbing, so does the cost of jet fuel. Since March 6, the price of jet fuel has surged nearly 33%, hitting $209 per barrel by April 3, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). That's an even sharper spike than drivers are seeing at the pump, where the cost per gallon has risen roughly 21% in the same time period.

With United paying more to fill its tanks, it's looking for ways to offset those costs. For travelers, that means higher fees. Starting today, the cost per checked bag will go up to $45 for United passengers, a $10 increase over previous fees.

United Airlines isn't the only airline to increase fees because of fuel costs

The $10 fee hike United customers will see comes as the Iran war continues to push oil prices higher, raising the prices of jet fuel in turn. It's not the only airline to hike fees citing the higher costs of fueling planes.

Earlier this month, JetBlue announced that checked bag fees would be going up as much as $9 per bag. And Delta will tack an extra $10 onto its own checked bag fees, too.

While the idea of paying more to check a bag is unwelcome news for customers already being squeezed at the gas pump and the grocery store, this may actually be a better option. By raising fees on optional services, airlines hope to keep base fares more competitive.

How to avoid checked bag fees

Whether you're flying United, JetBlue, Delta or any other airline, honing your strategy to avoid rising baggage fees is more important than ever. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can avoid paying for a checked bag altogether. Here are a few of your best options:

• Travel with a carry-on only. The most straightforward way to avoid a checked bag fee is to avoid having to check a bag in the first place. Get refillable travel-size bottles to hold your hygiene products without having to bring full-size bottles. Coordinate your wardrobe so you can mix and match a few simple pieces for multiple outfits. Get a spacious weekender bag to serve as your "personal item" where you can pack any overflow that doesn't fit in your carry-on luggage.
• Join a mileage club. Most airlines have mileage clubs that allow you to earn points and perks for flying. While you won't instantly get free checked bag perks with any of them, joining now can open up some options for you. One is to chase airline status until you qualify for a membership tier that does come with free baggage perks. Another is to pair your membership with an airline credit card that offers free checked bags right away.
• Get an airline credit card. Many airline credit cards will offer at least one free checked bag to cardholders. Of course, many of these cards also come with annual fees. If you don't fly often, eating the cost of a baggage fee now might be cheaper than paying for a card with an annual fee. But even passengers who only fly a couple of times a year may be able to earn that fee back from saved checked bag fees after two or three flights, depending on the card you choose. If you go this route, compare the checked bag perks as well as the other perks that you would actually use between a couple of cards. Then calculate how often you would have to fly and use those perks to make the annual fee worth it.
• Book a higher class if you have a lot of bags. Upgrading from economy to business to save money might sound counterintuitive, but if you're flying with a lot of baggage, it can actually work out in your favor. Premium fares tend to come with more generous checked bag perks. So, before eating the cost of add-on fees, just peak at the cost of upgrading your fare and compare the price difference to the amount you'd be paying in baggage fees. If it's the same or less, you might as well enjoy a more luxurious flight if you're spending the money anyway.
• Factor in all fees when comparing airline fares. Spirit or Frontier often look like the cheapest option when shopping airfares online. But sometimes, when you add on the carry-on fees, seat selection fees and all the other not-so-optional add-ons, the price can end up being even higher than a major airline. Before you ditch United because of the higher checked bag fees, compare the fare price (baggage fees included) to the all-in pricing of competitors. Even if you can't avoid the fee, it might still end up being the most cost effective option.

Airfare has always been sensitive to fuel costs, and this is a reminder that those shifts can show up in ways that are less obvious than ticket prices. As airlines look for ways to manage rising expenses, fees are likely to remain in focus.

For travelers, a little planning can go a long way. Understanding how airlines price add-ons, and choosing the right strategy for how you fly, can help you keep more of your money.

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Oil markets are reacting quickly to the Iran conflict, but consumers tend to feel the impact more gradually. According to the International Energy Agency, the conflict has created a significant disruption in global oil supply.

After recent remarks from President Donald Trump suggesting the disruption could extend for weeks, concerns about supply have intensified. The Strait of Hormuz — a key global shipping route for oil — has seen limited access, pushing crude prices higher and lifting costs for fuel-related goods.

Because pricing moves through multiple stages before reaching consumers, there’s often a delay before higher oil prices fully show up in your budget. That timing matters: as summer travel demand increases, those costs are likely to build rather than fade.

Why the impact hasn't fully hit your wallet yet

You may have noticed you're paying more to fill up your car or heat your home, but the full impact of rising oil prices has not reached your wallet yet.

That is because oil pricing does not move all at once. According to the American Petroleum Institute, prices flow through several stages, from crude oil to refining, then shipping and finally retail. Crude prices can change daily based on supply, demand and geopolitical events, but it takes time for those increases to filter through the system.

In other words, what you are seeing now may only be the early stages of a broader price shift.

That delay creates a small but important window to act. Knowing that higher costs tend to build over time, not hit all at once, gives you a chance to make a few strategic moves before summer demand pushes prices even higher.

Where you may see prices rise first this summer

As fuel demand rises this summer, prices are likely to follow. Seasonal shifts in travel and consumption typically push costs higher, especially for:

• Gas stations and road trips
• Airfare and travel packages
• Delivery, shipping and service fees
• Groceries and seasonal goods

You can prepare for and avoid some of the greatest impacts of these price hikes by preparing now.

1. Book summer travel before fuel costs rise further

Since airlines adjust pricing based on fuel costs, flight prices tend to rise as summer approaches. If you are planning a trip, booking early may help you avoid some of those peak increases.

When booking in advance, look for flexible fares that allow you to change or cancel your flight if needed. These options can help you avoid steep fees and often provide a credit for future travel. While flexible fares may cost more upfront, they can offer added peace of mind if your plans change.

Price tracking tools can also help you time your purchase. Platforms like Google Flights and Skyscanner make it easier to compare fares across airlines and monitor price changes, so you know when to book.

2. Compare travel options beyond flying

Before you book a flight, compare all of your travel options. Higher summer demand, combined with rising fuel costs, can put additional pressure on airfare.

Consider alternatives such as a train or road trip, and compare total costs to find the option that works best for your budget. "Instead of flying, I planned a birding trip by rail and turned the journey into part of the experience," says Carla Ayers, eCommerce and Personal Finance Editor at Kiplinger.com. "I will use rewards points for a rental car when I arrive, which helps offset costs, and I get to enjoy the scenery along the way."

Planning ahead becomes more important when prices are elevated. Map out your route and itinerary in advance, and book lodging early so you have a clear picture of your total costs. Be sure to factor in meals, snacks and other expenses, and track your spending as you go to stay on budget.

If you are driving, small efficiency adjustments can help reduce fuel costs. Removing unnecessary items from your trunk or taking off a roof rack can improve fuel efficiency and lower what you spend at the pump.

3. Plan for higher gas costs during peak driving season

Higher gas prices are inevitable during peak driving season, and they’ll impact your summer plans. As fuel prices climb, the impact extends beyond the pump. Transportation, shipping and packaging costs all tend to increase, and those changes gradually make their way into the prices you pay for everyday goods.

Because these costs filter through the system over time, the biggest increases often show up weeks later, not overnight.

Consider how frequently purchased items, such as groceries and household staples, may be affected and plan accordingly. Buying shelf-stable goods in advance or stocking up on items you regularly use can help you avoid paying higher prices later as costs continue to rise.

4. Watch for rising delivery and convenience fees

Fuel surcharges often show up indirectly through higher delivery and convenience fees. Many service-based businesses pass these costs on to customers, and they can add up quickly.

To limit the impact, look for ways to reduce how often you rely on delivery. Consolidating purchases or placing fewer, larger orders can help. You might also consider picking up food orders instead of using delivery services.

You can also offset some fuel costs at the pump by using store loyalty discounts or cash back credit cards.

5. Time large purchases before prices adjust

Furniture, appliances and other shipped goods are likely to become more expensive if oil prices continue to rise. If you are planning to make a large purchase this summer, buying sooner rather than later may help you avoid those increases.

This may also be a good time to top off your home heating oil, if your budget allows. Prices could remain elevated later in the season when many households begin preparing for fall.

Retailers often adjust prices as new inventory arrives, so purchasing seasonal items now may help you lock in lower costs. If a purchase is already on your list, timing it strategically can make a difference.

Why diesel is the signal to watch

You're probably watching gas prices at the pump, but diesel is often the more important signal. Diesel fuels trucks, rail and much of the supply chain, so changes in diesel prices tend to show up more in the cost of goods and services.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average for regular gas is about $4.09 per gallon, while diesel has climbed to roughly $5.53. A year ago, those prices were closer to $3.26 for regular and $3.64 for diesel, highlighting how quickly fuel costs have escalated.

That gap matters. Diesel prices tend to rise faster during supply disruptions, and those increases are often passed through to consumers in the form of higher shipping, food and retail costs. In many cases, a sustained rise in diesel is an early signal that broader price increases are still working their way through the economy.

Rising oil prices and summer demand can amplify costs

Rising oil prices are already taking effect, but their full impact is often delayed. As summer drives higher demand for travel and energy, those costs are likely to build gradually rather than all at once. That means the price increases you are seeing now may only be the beginning.

Making small, early decisions can help offset those rising costs. Planning ahead, adjusting spending habits and timing key purchases can all make a difference as prices continue to move higher.

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• You Might Already Qualify for a Second Passport but the Cost May Surprise You

For Americans considering dual citizenship, a second passport might already be within reach.

A growing number of countries, including Canada, are expanding citizenship by descent rules, opening the door for people with family ties to claim citizenship they might not have realized they had.

But qualifying is only the first step. Proving eligibility and deciding whether it is worth the time, cost and paperwork can be far more complicated than many expect.

Why more Americans are looking into citizenship by descent

Americans are exploring dual citizenship with countries such as Canada for several reasons. Interest in mobility and remote work has grown, especially since the post 2020 expansion of flexible work options.

The rise of the digital nomad lifestyle has encouraged individuals and families to seek a better work-life balance while experiencing new cultures. Dual citizenship can support that flexibility by offering potential tax advantages and greater long-term mobility.

Global uncertainty is also contributing to the growing interest in citizenship by descent. Many Americans aren't planning to leave the country right away, but securing a second citizenship can create future flexibility if their circumstances change. Economic volatility, geopolitical tensions and shifting national policies are prompting some to explore options that provide an additional layer of stability.

At the same time, policy changes are expanding who qualifies. In Canada, for example, the government introduced Bill C 3 on June 5, 2025, which updated the country’s citizenship by descent rules. Previously limited to the first generation born outside of Canada, the law now allows some second generation or later individuals to qualify, depending on their family history.

As eligibility broadens, the idea of hidden citizenship is gaining traction. More Americans are taking a closer look at their ancestry to determine whether they might already have a path to dual citizenship.

Who qualifies for citizenship by descent

Citizenship by descent allows individuals to claim citizenship based on family ties rather than where they were born. In many cases, people with a parent or grandparent who was a citizen of a country might qualify. Some countries extend that eligibility even further, allowing claims through a great-grandparent.

Rules vary by country. Canada historically limited citizenship by descent to the first generation born outside the country, but recent changes have expanded eligibility in some cases to second-generation applicants or beyond.

Italy generally allows citizenship through parents and grandparents, while Ireland extends eligibility to parents and grandparents and, in certain cases, to great-grandparents.

How to find out if you qualify for citizenship by descent

To check if you’re eligible for citizenship, start with your family tree. You need to be able to trace your tree back to a parent, grandparent or possibly a great-grandparent who was a citizen of the country in question.

You’ll also need proof of the entire lineage. Documents such as birth certificates, naturalization records and marriage records will be key in proving that you qualify for dual citizenship.

Providing citizenship by descent can be challenging, especially if you’re working with a complex family tree. In some cases, an immigration lawyer or service can help you navigate the process. These professionals can help with the preparation of a routine citizenship application, but they can also be invaluable in helping you appeal if your initial application was denied.

The biggest hurdles most people underestimate

Even if you believe you qualify for citizenship by descent, the process isn't always straightforward. There are several hurdles that people often underestimate:

• Documentation gaps. Finding the records needed to prove your lineage can be a challenge. Missing records can cause your application to be denied, so you’ll need to spend the time and money to find those documents before applying.
• Processing timelines. Citizenship processing timelines can take months or years. In Canada, for example, current timelines are around 13 months, though delays can extend that window.
• Legal nuances. Eligibility can depend on when and how your ancestors emigrated. Each country has its own rules, and factors such as an ancestor’s citizenship status or legal history might affect your application.
• Costs. Expenses can add up quickly. The Government of Canada charges a $653 citizenship application fee. You may also need to budget for legal help, document retrieval and certified translations.

What a second passport gives you

A second passport is not free, and the process can take time, but for many Americans, the added flexibility and access that come with dual citizenship can justify the cost:

• Ability to live and work abroad. Dual citizenship gives you the flexibility to live and work in another country. Many people take advantage of expanded job opportunities and the ability to experience a different culture.
• Access to health care and education systems. Citizenship can provide access to public healthcare and education systems in another country. In some cases, this can lead to meaningful savings, such as lower costs for major medical procedures or tuition.
• Travel flexibility. Dual citizens often benefit from easier entry into each country, with fewer restrictions and shorter processing times. It can also make long-term stays or retirement abroad more practical.
• Potential tax considerations. In some situations, dual citizenship can provide the option to live in a jurisdiction with a more favorable tax structure, depending on your financial situation and how you file.

The downsides to consider before applying

Before you apply, consider whether the potential downsides of dual citizenship fit your situation.

• Tax implications. Filing taxes can become more complicated as a dual citizen. Foreign tax credits and exclusions might help prevent double taxation, but mistakes or missed requirements could leave you paying more than expected.
• Residency requirements. Some countries require citizens to spend a certain amount of time in the country before they can access full rights or maintain certain benefits. That can reduce the flexibility some applicants expect.
• Ongoing obligations. Dual citizenship can come with responsibilities in both countries, such as military service, reporting requirements or other legal obligations. It's important to understand those rules before applying.
• Emotional and time investment. Claiming citizenship by descent can be a long and sometimes frustrating process. Gathering records, resolving questions and waiting on a decision can take a real toll, so it's worth considering whether the payoff justifies the effort.

Is it worth it? How to decide

Becoming a dual citizen is often most beneficial for frequent travelers and those who plan to spend extended time in another country in the coming years. Remote workers might also benefit from the added flexibility, as can individuals or couples considering retirement abroad.

For those who don't expect to relocate or actively use those benefits, dual citizenship might offer less value. It is best viewed as a strategic asset rather than a novelty, so consider how it fits into your long-term plans before deciding if it is the right choice.

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For a long time, the goal of retirement planning felt pretty straightforward: Save diligently, spend carefully and leave something meaningful behind for your kids.

But that script is starting to change. More retirees are rethinking what they want their money to do for them. Instead of holding back for the sake of a larger inheritance, they're choosing to spend more on experiences now, especially travel. You might have heard the phrase "SKI," short for "Spending Kids' Inheritance," pop up in conversations or headlines.

At first glance, it can sound a little extreme. But for many, it's less about spending recklessly and more about being intentional, recognizing that health, time and energy are not guaranteed forever. The question is not just how much you'll leave anymore. It's how you want to live along the way, and how your financial plan can support both.

What is the SKI rule — and why is it gaining traction now?

At its core, SKI, or Spending Kids’ Inheritance, is about flipping the usual order of priorities. Instead of focusing first on what you'll leave, the idea is to think about how you want to use your money while you're here to enjoy it.

For many retirees, that shows up most clearly in travel: Booking the big trip, saying yes to experiences and not putting everything off for someday.

Right now, the timing makes sense. People are living longer, but not necessarily healthier for longer. There's also more uncertainty around future health care costs and long-term care. Add in the perspective shift many people had after the pandemic, and it's no surprise more retirees are asking: What am I waiting for?

That doesn't mean abandoning financial discipline. It simply means being more intentional about when your money is meant to be used.

Why retirees are choosing experiences over inheritance

For a lot of people, this shift comes down to one simple realization: Money can be saved indefinitely, but time can't. Experiences, especially travel, offer something different than material purchases. They create memories, strengthen relationships and often feel more meaningful over time.

A kitchen upgrade or a new car might bring convenience, but a family trip tends to stay with you in a different way. There is also an emotional benefit to seeing your money at work in real time. Instead of leaving a larger inheritance they'll never witness, some retirees would rather enjoy their resources now or share those experiences with their children and grandchildren.

In many cases, it is not about choosing one above the other. It's about finding a balance that aligns with your values.

How much are Americans spending on travel?

Travel is no longer just an occasional splurge; it's become a major part of how Americans choose to spend their money. On a broad level, total U.S. travel spending was projected to reach about $1.35 trillion last year, showing just how significant travel has become in the overall economy.

Zoom in to the household level, and the numbers are just as telling. One recent estimate found that Americans expect to spend around $10,600 on trips and vacations in 2025.

That marks a noticeable shift from just a few years ago and reflects changing priorities. For many households, travel is no longer an occasional expense. It's becoming a core lifestyle category, competing directly with home upgrades, cars and other big-ticket purchases.

That's what makes the SKI trend so relevant. When people are willing to allocate this much of their budget toward experiences, it signals something deeper: a growing belief that the value of money isn't just in what you keep, but in how you use it.

The financial trade-off: Travel now vs leaving wealth later

Every decision to spend more now comes with a trade-off.

Money used for travel today won't be available later, whether that's for your own needs or for your heirs. That's why it's important to zoom out and look at how these choices fit into your overall plan.

A few areas to keep in mind:

• Your long-term financial security. You'll want to make sure increased travel spending doesn't put pressure on your ability to cover essential expenses later, especially if markets are unpredictable.
• Health care and long-term care costs. These can be some of the largest and most uncertain expenses in retirement. Building in a buffer here is key.
• Your legacy goals. If leaving money is important to you, it's worth being clear about what that number looks like so you can plan around it.

How to adopt a smart SKI strategy

If you like the idea of prioritizing experiences but still want to stay financially grounded, a few simple strategies can help.

Set a baseline for what you want to keep. Think about the minimum amount you'd like to preserve, whether that's for your own peace of mind or for your heirs, and plan your spending around that.

Build travel into your budget. Rather than treating trips as occasional splurges, factor them into your retirement plan so you can spend confidently.

Focus on what matters most. Not every trip has to be over-the-top. Prioritize the ones that feel meaningful or time-sensitive.

Be mindful of timing. Early retirement is often when you have the most energy and flexibility. It can make sense to plan bigger or more active trips during this window.

Consider giving along the way. Sometimes, smaller financial gifts or shared experiences during your lifetime can have a bigger impact than a larger inheritance later.

When SKI can go too far

As with any trend, it's possible to take things too far. Spending aggressively without a clear plan can create challenges down the line, especially if unexpected expenses come up or if investment returns don't meet expectations.

Some common risks include:

• Running through savings too quickly
• Underestimating healthcare or long-term care costs
• Letting lifestyle upgrades quietly increase overall spending

A well-executed SKI approach should give you more freedom and confidence while being mindful of these risks and making sure there's financial margin to fall back on should you need it.

It’s about balance, not extremes

The SKI approach might not be a fit for everyone, but it's worth considering if you're prioritizing travel and experiences during your retirement years. A thoughtful financial plan can make room for both enjoying your life now and leaving a legacy for loved ones.

That might mean taking the trip, funding a family vacation or simply giving yourself permission to enjoy what you've worked hard to build, while still protecting your long-term needs. In the end, it's not just about what you leave behind. It's about making sure your money supports the kind of life and legacy you want.

Ready to plan your next family vacation? Use the tool below to explore and compare some of today's top savings account offers:

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If you're a ride-share driver, delivery person or other gig worker, a simple smartwatch habit could land you in hot water during a tax audit. That's because fitness app users who track business miles might not be aware of the in-app limitations.

For instance, many free versions of distance-tracking apps cap the number of trips you can take, forcing you to record them later. But if you aren't logging your miles correctly at the time of the trip, the IRS can disallow your entire deduction under the contemporaneous record rule.

At the 2026 IRS business mileage rate of 72.5 cents per mile, those trips through Uber, DoorDash, real estate clients, and supply stores can quickly add up to a significant tax deduction.

By incorrectly recording miles, you could be leaving some serious cash on the table — or worse, raising an IRS audit red flag if you include inaccurate trips on your return.

Don't wait until tax season to discover your smartwatch logs are insufficient. Before you file your 2026 return, ensure your tracking meets these non-negotiable IRS standards.

IRS mileage rate and log requirements for 2026

The 2026 IRS mileage rate of 72.5 cents per mile has strict requirements for what constitutes a valid business mileage log. You must meet four specific data points for every single trip to be eligible for a deduction:

1. The date of the trip
2. The destination (address or city)
3. The business purpose (e.g., picking up an order for a delivery)
4. The total mileage logged

Additionally, to help support your claim to an IRS mileage deduction, you must follow these specific requirements:

• "Contemporaneous" logs. You must create your record at or near the time of your trip. ("Estimating" a log from memory or bank statements later is a major red flag for the IRS.)
• No commuting. Remember that driving from your home to your primary workplace (and back) is considered a personal expense and is not deductible. (For this reason, a Reddit user drives to a "central place in town" before starting their route.)
• Odometer readings. You should record your vehicle's odometer reading on January 1 and December 31 each year to establish the total distance driven for the year.

GPS 'dead zones', data gaps and bad reports — oh my!

Though many mileage apps offer "one-tap" tracking from a smartwatch, users should exercise caution when using them (pun intended). Not all convenient features meet the IRS's rigorous standards for a business expense deduction. For instance, GPS-based apps can:

• Lack specific "why" details. If you fail to categorize a trip in the app with a specific business purpose (e.g., dropped off a customer at 123 Main St.), the IRS might disallow the deduction.
• Have no exportable audit reports. Some free or "lite" versions of apps track distance but don't generate reports that might be helpful during an IRS audit. Paid versions of apps such as MileIQ or Stride are popular because they build these logs, but you must ensure you're using a version that exports full data.
• Experience technical "dead zones." GPS relies on satellite signals. In "concrete jungles" with high-rise buildings or rural dead zones, your smartwatch might lose the signal, resulting in inaccurate distance measurements or missed trips entirely.

To mitigate the risk of data gaps, look for mileage apps that offer offline functionality. Apps such as Timeero continue to track GPS coordinates even in "dead zones," syncing the data once your connection is restored.

Beyond live tracking, maintaining redundant digital backups of your logs is a critical — yet often overlooked — step. In the event of a smartwatch malfunction or a lost device, these backups can significantly bolster your contemporaneous records during an IRS inquiry.

Building an 'audit-proof' backup

GPS tracking is a powerful tool, but it shouldn't be your only line of defense in substantiating your IRS mileage deduction. Consider these two backup methods to supplement your smartwatch capabilities:

• The odometer snapshot. In addition to your mileage app, snap a photo of your odometer on January 1 and December 31. This helps ensure you aren't reporting business miles that exceed the number of possible miles in a given year.
• The "analog" backup. Although it feels old-fashioned, a simple notebook in your glovebox is still an IRS-sanctioned way to track mileage. If your smartwatch dies or hits a GPS "dead zone," a quick pen-and-paper entry ensures your contemporaneous log remains unbroken.

However, it's important to note that odometers can be inaccurate, as well, especially if you have worn tires, incorrect tire pressure or nonstandard tire sizes. Having two methods of recording each business trip promotes a complete record of your mileage.

The bottom line? Your smartwatch is a great tool, but like all tools, it can have flaws. If you use your watch to drive professionally and for personal fitness, the burden is on you to prove which specific miles were strictly for business. If your watch breaks, you might be out of luck.

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Summer vacation season is approaching, and because I'm a big believer in investing in experiences over things, I'm here to tell you to take that dream vacation — or all the dream vacations.

I see many clients struggle to enjoy their trips and be in the moment. The guilt is real, and so are the worries about paying for a beach rental, a couples' cruise or a family excursion abroad.

You don't have to feel uneasy. Here are nine tips for a guilt-free vacation.

1. Have a dedicated vacation fund

This seems super obvious but not everyone earmarks a vacation fund. In addition to being a big proponent of experiences, I'm a big fan of having individual buckets for different purposes — vacations being one example.

When you intentionally set aside money for that year's travel expenses, you know what you can afford and aren't worrying about every meal or adventure when you're supposed to be enjoying the moment.

2. Include travel in your financial plan

A vacation shouldn't feel like a rogue expense. It deserves to be a line item in your budget and financial plan.

When we build comprehensive financial plans, we don't account just for retirement, taxes and college savings. We account for life. If travel is important to you, it belongs in your annual spending plan. When it's baked in, you get joy, not guilt.

3. Define your 'dream vacation'

You might see others taking luxury cruises or all-inclusive vacations and the fear of missing out (FOMO) is real. But your dream trip doesn't have to mean first-class airfare and five-star resorts.

Consider "Comparison is the thief of joy," a quote that's often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt.

Define what "dream vacation" means to you. It could be experiencing a new country, driving out West in an RV, renting a beach house with extended family or friends from college — or whatever your dream is.

Your dream might be to hire a travel planner to do all the work, or maybe you're your own travel planner.

Clarify what matters most — adventure, rest, connection, convenience — and plan accordingly. Spend intentionally on what matters most, and trim what doesn't.

4. Use your points and perks strategically

If you're going to spend anyway, be smart about it.

Credit card points, airline miles and hotel rewards can meaningfully reduce out-of-pocket costs — if you're paying balances in full and not carrying interest. A well-managed rewards strategy can turn everyday spending into future experiences.

Not sure how your reward card stacks up? Do some online research, because there's no shortage of information and comparison tools out there, or ask your friends for recommendations. This is an area where people love to compare notes.

5. Preserve your investment

Vacations are expensive. Illness, storms or unexpected cancellations can make them even more so.

Consider travel insurance, especially for international trips or cruises.

Make sure your passport is valid well beyond your return date — and know that different countries have different requirements for this.

Check on protections your credit card companies might offer — on rental cars, for example — and notify them before you travel to avoid declined transactions.

A little preparation can prevent financial and logistical headaches.

6. Update your documents before you leave

If you don't have a will, powers of attorney or updated beneficiaries, get those in order before you travel, especially if you leave children behind (good for you — and no guilt — if you are, because not every vacation needs to be a whole family affair).

You want to make sure that whoever is taking care of your children is prepared for the unexpected, including injury or illness.

Leave your health insurance information and get a notarized document that authorizes your children's caregivers or other trusted adults to make medical decisions in your absence.

This is often called a Child Medical Consent form. Check if your bank offers free notary services.

Peace of mind is priceless. When your documents are in order and you know the kids are going to be all right, you can relax guilt-free.

7. Plan the splurge ahead of time

Part of what creates vacation guilt is surprise spending.

Before you go, decide and agree with your travel crew on what you're splurging. A special dinner? A private excursion? A spa day? A private cooking class? When you've pre-approved the splurge in your budget, you can enjoy it fully.

8. Automate your financial recovery

If you use a credit card for convenience or rewards, create a plan to pay it off quickly — immediately would be ideal.

You could set up an automatic transfer from your vacation fund to your credit card the week you return. That way, the balance ends when the trip does, with no lingering reminder on your statement.

9. Give yourself permission

You work hard. You save. You plan.

Money is a tool. If your financial house is in order — emergency fund funded, retirement contributions on track, insurance in place to protect your assets, debt under control — then travel isn't irresponsible. It's aligned with your values.

Sometimes the most important financial move isn't cutting back to avoid guilt. It's allowing yourself to enjoy — experience, even — what you've thoughtfully and diligently built.

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This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA.

Question: We want to treat our adult children and grandchildren to a 10-day cruise to Greece, where I'm from. Our daughter said yes, but our son’s career is at a peak and he can't escape. I want to make things fair, but I can't reschedule. Should I send him a check?

Answer: It's not a given that you'll have more wiggle room in your budget in retirement than during your working years. But if you built a large nest egg and have modest expenses, you may have the ability to cover the cost of shared family experiences, including travel with your grown kids and grandchildren.

Plus, if you have retirement accounts that are subject to required minimum distributions, there's perhaps no better way to make good use of those forced withdrawals than to treat your extended family to an amazing trip. That could mean embarking on a 10-day cruise to your home country of Greece, where you can introduce your loved one to the sites and culture you grew up with.

Multi-generational trips are becoming more popular these days, with 71% of grandparents having taken one recently and 57% of grandparents anticipating one in the future, according to a joint study published by NYU. And while they do need to be carefully planned, they can also be extremely rewarding — more so than traveling with just a spouse or partner.

But what if your generous offer to take your adult children and grandchildren on a 10-day cruise to Greece doesn't work for everyone? It may be that your daughter has a flexible schedule, but your son is too busy at work to get away for that long.

In an effort to make things fair, you may be inclined to send your son a check to make up for the fact that he can't attend. But your efforts to even things out may end up causing more problems than intended.

You're better off doing something more meaningful

As a parent, it's natural to want to treat your kids equally. Often, family conflict arises when one sibling feels the other is favored in terms of time, love, or money.

If you're treating one of your children and their kids to a 10-day cruise, there's an obvious cost involved. And you may feel that the "fair" thing to do is to send your son, who can't attend, a check roughly equivalent to what you're spending on your daughter's participation. But Eric Croak, CPF and President at Croak Capital, advises against that.

"While I completely understand the knee-jerk emotion behind wanting to send a check to even things out, I think it can create an awkward precedent going forward," he says. "If you put a price tag on an experience, every vacation, holiday, or family gathering from here on out may suddenly become something that needs to be cash-out refunded for the child or children who can’t make it. And that expectation can be hard to undo."

A better approach, says Croak, may be to decouple the experience from any kind of monetary gift. After all, you're presenting both of your children with the same opportunity. It's not your fault that your son can't attend and your daughter can.

That said, Croak thinks it's not a bad idea to try to do something nice for your son in light of his inability to go on the trip. But in that case, make it a standalone gift or gesture.

"Contributing toward something just for him — perhaps a Roth IRA contribution, a large purchase he’s talked about making, or even a smaller trip that he can take with his family whenever he’d like — could end up feeling really intentional and special," he says.

Croak says that if you go this route, the amount of the gift doesn't need to match the cost of the cruise.

"In fact, trying to exactly match that dollar amount may do more harm than good," he insists.

Focus on the relationship more than the trip

It's unfortunate that your son can't get away from work to participate in a memorable family experience. But sending him a check for the equivalent of what you would've spent may not be a well-received consolation prize, says Amy Bishop, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and owner at Springs Therapy.

"Doing so says that the value of the trip is the monetary investment, as opposed to the real gift of leisure time with family and a cultural trip to the parent’s homeland," she says.

Bishop, like Croak, recommends asking if there's something that would be equally meaningful to your son as the proposed trip. It may not be money he wants, but rather, your time. That could mean helping with child care during the year or over the summer, or simply taking a scheduled trip with you at a different time that better fits his schedule.

Your family should also think of ways to let your son know he is missed during the cruise. You (or the grandkids) could make a short video for him, call him frequently or make cards to send to him when you land. Since you are from Greece, make sure to send him stories and pictures from the trip that relate to your family history.

"I have heard despondent sentiments from clients I've worked with, such as 'my parents loved me with money, not time together or emotional support,'" Bishop explains. "Though it is kind to be intentional about balance, it's important for these parents to recognize that money by itself does not help relationships."

Croak agrees and says validating your son's feelings about having to miss out on the experience is important for your relationship.

"In the grand scheme of things, the money is the easy part," he says. "The relationship is what’s important. And as long as you both understand each other’s intentions moving forward, I doubt resentment will develop."

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"Food tourism is the act of traveling for a taste of place in order to gain a deeper sense of place," decrees the World Food Travel Association. And by all accounts, culinary vacations — aka "foodcations" — are booming in popularity. Leisure Group Traveler says that food quality is a "key factor" accounting for 60% to 80% of travel decisions — so why not go straight to the savory source for wine and food tastings, lectures, seminars, private parties, and cooking demos? Designated food weekends and tours abound around the U.S.

More than 40 years old and still going strong, the Aspen Classic has enjoyed the longest legacy among national multiday culinary events. From New York to California, many have followed in its wake. For the last 15 or so years, food photos on social media (i.e., food porn) have only fed the interest in cuisine-influenced travel.

Brett Friedman is the founder and CEO of Agency 21 Consulting (aka a21), and he’s a key player in this exalted space: A21 is the production company behind the esteemed Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, overseeing the event’s programming, operations, partnerships and overall guest experience.

A21 also produces other major food festivals, such as the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and the New York City Wine & Food Festival, making it one of the premier producers of large-scale culinary experiences.

We spoke with Friedman and other experts and handpicked five of the tastiest and most acclaimed gastronomic experiences in the U.S.

1. Aspen Food and Wine Classic

The takeaway: "The granddaddy of all food and wine events is the Aspen Classic," Friedman says. Now in its 43rd year, the 2026 edition includes Tyler Florence and Nancy Silverton. Luxury travel advisor Becca Hensley recalls: "One year I went, and my favorite Texas chef from Houston was there: Chris Shepherd. He’s an all-star. The chefs are Michelin-starred, James Beard nominees, and rising talents." Hensley notes that Bobby Flay will return this year.

When it's happening: June 19–21, 2026

How to get there: Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is located three miles from the center of the city. Flights go to several cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, and Denver. (Check schedules; some routes are seasonal.)

Where to stay: "Stay at The Little Nell or Hotel Jerome to see and be seen," Hensley advises. Hotel Jerome is a member of the Auberge Collection — a brand founded in the culinary capital of Napa Valley, Calif.

Beyond food and wine: Though established as a ski destination nearly 100 years ago and now one of Colorado’s toniest winter vacation retreats, Aspen offers plenty to do in summer. Activities include hiking one of the many trails around the Roaring Fork Valley, as well as rafting, kayaking, biking, mountain climbing and fly-fishing.

Want to be up in the air? Try paragliding and hot-air ballooning.

2. Sonoma Food Tour: Walking Food, Wine & History Tour

The takeaway: It’s little surprise that Sonoma came up with one of the most highly regarded culinary tours in the country. Sonoma Valley and adjacent Napa Valley are arguably among the most justifiably prestigious gastronomic and viticultural capitals in the U.S. Francis Ford Coppola Winery and Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery are standouts.

In addition to fine wines, the Sonoma food tour includes artisanal cheeses, chocolates, locally made olive oils and balsamic vinegars. The weekend three-hour-a-day tours are limited to 10 people.

When it's happening: Every Thursday through Saturday in 2026.

How to get there: The quickest route from San Francisco takes little more than an hour, but it’s more fun to drive north along the coast (explore Stinson Beach and Bolinas), even if it takes longer. Both routes are accessible via the eyepopping Golden Gate Bridge. Rent a convertible.

Where to stay: The uber-lux Montage brand, founded at the incomparable Laguna Beach, Calif., destination, enjoys a sister hotel in Healdsburg, CA, the center of Sonoma Valley. More intimate accommodations can be found at the Gaige House Inn in Glen Ellen.

Beyond food and wine: Breathtaking hiking trails can be explored at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. The Sonoma Coast State Park offers sunbathing, birdwatching, kayaking and horseback riding.

For the literary-minded, check out Jack London State Historic Park, which contains the White Fang author’s cottage and other historic buildings. (See the 1982 Diane Keaton film Shoot the Moon to get a sense of the site).

3. Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival

The takeaway: Now in its 19th year, this five-day marathon of 50 events, now held at New York's Seaport, lands during one of Manhattan’s most seasonable months, making it the ultimate time to taste the best of the city. A dinner hosted by Daniel Boulud is sold out, but you can still grab a ticket for dinners hosted by Eric Ripert and José Andrés.

When it's happening: October 14–18, 2026

How to get there: In addition to JFK, you can fly into LaGuardia Airport or Newark Airport; both have experienced substantial upgrades, including enhanced and varied food offerings.

Where to stay: Iconic yet discreet, the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park has a boutique feel even though it’s a flagship of a major global luxury brand. This reporter once walked into the lobby lounge to see Billy Joel seated at the piano, performing "New York State of Mind." You can walk a few blocks to the entrance of The Plaza, where Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford made their final teary goodbyes in The Way We Were (1973).

Beyond food and wine: Central Park is right at your doorstep: You can rent a bike, hire a horse-drawn carriage, take a run, navigate the lake in a rental boat (with oars), or cab it up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which ranks as the most encyclopedic museum in the country.

4. Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

The takeaway: This one-of-a-kind oceanfront gathering typically occurs in mid-winter. This is your best shot at beautiful weather in South Florida.

The 25-year-old, four-day event features appearances and cooking demos by Food Network personalities — and more than 500 renowned and rising chefs from Miami and around the world. Events are located in South Beach, the renowned Art Deco section of Miami Beach (and Greater Miami).

When it's happening: This year, it was held on February 19-22, 2026. The next edition will be held February 25-28, 2027.

How to get there: Miami International Airport is blissfully close to South Beach (as fast as 25 minutes, depending on time of day — try to avoid morning and afternoon rush hours, though). During festival weeks, the MacArthur Causeway connecting Miami proper to South Beach can be slow going.

Where to stay: South Beach’s National Hotel, even though it dates from 1939, is still something of a hidden treasure. It’s serene because it’s adults-only. The hotel’s chill pool bar and restaurant serve up high-quality healthy dishes, and the atmosphere is tropical nirvana. The National’s skinny, sui generis swimming pool is legendary for its beauty, low-key extravagance and 200-foot length. An adjacent, smaller, square pool attracts the well-behaved cocktail crowd.

Beyond food and wine: Miami Beach, located on a barrier island, is not a neighborhood of Miami, as some assume. It’s a distinct city. South Beach, a southerly area contained within Miami Beach, is one of the greatest architectural and historic districts in the world. It boasts over 800 historic buildings, most of them human-scale (one to four stories).

Once you get off the three commercial streets closest to the beach (the water and sand quality are incomparable for an urban beach), you’ll find a quiet, residential area stocked with art deco, Mediterranean Revival and Miami Modernism (MiMo) apartment and condo buildings in vibrant colors. The neighborhood is flat, so you can walk or bike ride almost anywhere.

Meridian Avenue is shaded by a canopy of oak trees and is easily one of the most enchanting streets in the state. Pedestrian Lincoln Road Mall is full of boutiques and restaurants, though save your Neapolitan pizza cravings for top-rated La Leggenda, just a few blocks away.

5. Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival

The takeaway: Boasting arguably the most breathtaking backdrop to any culinary event, the coastal location of the upcoming 15-year-old Pebble Beach Food & Wine is a premier selling point — that, and the celebrity chefs it recruits.

On tap for this year: Kaoru Chang, Michael Chang, Marcus Glocker, and Rocco DiSpirito. "The intimate moments, such as our seminars and curated dinners, are best in class," Friedman says, "and I cannot emphasize enough how dynamic and diverse the culinary talent is this year."

When it's happening: April 9–12, 2026

How to get there: After landing, it takes more than two hours to drive south from SFO to Pebble Beach Resorts, the crown jewel of the Monterey Peninsula. Monterey Regional Airport also offers flights up and down the California Coast, as well as to and from Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix.

Where to stay: The celeb-filled Lodge at Pebble Beach and Inn at Spanish Bay are two of the most revered beachfront resort hotels in the state. The boutique Casa Palmero (only 24 rooms and suites) is a good choice for privacy and discretion.

Beyond food and wine: Pebble Beach boasts some of the most prestigious and scenic golf courses in the world, including Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, and the Links at Spanish Bay. Nearby, be sure to explore the ultra-charming Carmel-by-the-Sea, with its wide, sandy cove. The self-guided 17-Mile Drive (from the lovely, often overlooked Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach) offers gorgeous views of the Lone Cypress, Spanish Bay, and stately mansions. Car enthusiasts will note the heavy presence of Lexus vehicles on the road and at the hotels. Lexus is a legacy partner of PBFW and of Pebble Beach Resorts, Friedman noted.

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Thanks to the war in Iran, gas prices are soaring, with the cost per gallon for premium fuel topping $5 in some places. Even a gallon of regular gas will set you back $3.98, per the national average, according to AAA.

Retirees and snowbirds heading back north or across the country are in for a bit of shellshock at the pump. The price of a gallon of gas might be $1 or more higher than what they paid a mere month ago.

"It's very remarkably unpredictable as to what the next chapter will be," in regards to the price of oil, said Patrick De Haan, a petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. "Until the Strait of Hormuz is open for free navigation, we will see oil prices impacted."

While gas prices are out of your control, there are ways retirees and snowbirds can save the next time they fill up.

Read: Who Controls Gas Prices in the U.S.?

9 ways to save on gasoline

1. Slow down. Driving slowly is tough when you're on open roads and ready to get home. But fuel economy peaks around 50 mph for most vehicles, so the faster you go, the more fuel you burn.

Reducing your speed by 5 to 10 mph improves your fuel economy and extends the distance between fill-ups. "When you drive, set the cruise control for 63 or 65. You are going to do 15% to 20% better miles per tank," said De Haan. If you're retired, you likely aren't in a rush, so slow down.

2. Stop idling. Idle hands are more than the work of the devil, it can also cost you at the pump. According to AAA, an idling car consumes one-quarter to one-half a gallon of fuel per hour. A warm engine only uses about 10 seconds' worth of fuel to restart.

When you can, shut off the engine if you'll be idling for more than a minute, according to AAA. Some new cars have a built-in feature that automatically shuts off the engine when the car has been idle for a moment.

3. Keep it smooth. Avoid hard acceleration and braking, which reduces the fuel efficiency of your vehicle, particularly if it's older. Consumer Reports tested an older Toyota Camry and found hard braking and acceleration reduced mileage efficiency by 2 to 3 mpg. Avoiding that will save money and extend the life of your vehicle.

4. Maintain your tire pressure. Driving on tires that are underinflated takes more effort to move the car. Keeping tire pressure at the level in your driver's manual can save you money at the pump. You can improve gas mileage by as much as 3%, according to the Department of Energy.

5. Don't sweat it. Running the air conditioner wastes gas, which is why it's better to open windows in mild weather. Doing that can save you one to four miles per gallon, according to Consumer Reports. If it's hot outside, do not forgo the A.C. if it means you'll be uncomfortable and distracted while driving.

6 Keep it light. At highway speeds, almost half your engine's power goes to overcoming aerodynamic drag from things such as a roof rack or cargo carriers. If you lighten the load before you start your trip, you can save at the pump.

7. Go for the cheaper fuel. Your vehicle might like premium gasoline, but if it doesn't need it, skip it. You'll pay 15% to 20% more for it, and it won't mean a significant improvement in performance or fuel economy.

8. Shop around to save. Shopping around is a key way to save on gas since prices change drastically from one station to the next. It's not a stretch to see a 10% price discrepancy between two gas stations on the same street.

Several mobile apps and websites help you compare prices and map out the best gas stations for your drive home. GasBuddy lets you plan your route, calculate your total trip cost and find the cheapest fuel stops along the way.

Meanwhile, AAA's TripTik Travel Planner lets you view real-time prices, locate member discounts and find approved auto repair shops. Other apps to check out include Upside, Waze, Google Maps and Gas Guru.

9. Let loyalty reward you. There are several fuel reward programs available at gas stations. These programs give you money off each gallon, as well as access to flash sales and points for in-store purchases.

Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's also have fuel programs that can save as much as 30 cents a gallon. To access them, you must be a member, which requires an upfront cost, but it might be worth it if you live near a club and fill up frequently.

Embrace change to save

Nobody knows where oil prices are headed, but one thing is for sure: Consumers are feeling the brunt of it. Following these tips can save you money whether you're heading home from a winter in the sun or are gearing up for a spring road trip.

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Planning a trip can be stressful, but when it's across the country to visit six colleges in Southern California in five days, it can be downright daunting.

It's especially tricky when one college is in Beverly Hills, and the other is in San Diego. Add the fact that we want to layer some sightseeing, picturesque sunsets and a hike to the Hollywood sign, and you can see why I was feeling overwhelmed at the sheer thought of it all.

The easy part (kind of) was booking all the college tours. I based the visits on the colleges' availability. (That's one reason why it's a good idea to book your tours early.) Only after this step could I plan an itinerary in a city that I'm not too familiar with.

Can I make it to both California State University, Dominguez Hills, and California State University, Long Beach in one day? Should San Diego State and UC Irvine be on the same day? What about traffic? Will I get stuck in LA's notorious rush hour and miss a tour completely? Where should we stay to minimize drive time? Is it one, two, or three hotels?

All of those questions were whirling through my head and, not surprisingly, leading to procrastination. "I'd rather not think about it" was my default mode when it came to this college tour trip. But as the days passed by, I knew I couldn't put it off anymore. Instead of doing all the time-consuming research on my own or enlisting a travel agent, I decided to give AI a whirl.

With all the talk about how AI can improve pretty much every aspect of our lives, why couldn't it help plan this trip? My ex-husband wasn't so convinced. But I was on a mission to save time and make this as painless as possible, and I put my fate in the virtual hands of AI, namely ChatGPT.

How I used AI to plan our trip

Admittedly, I'm not an expert when it comes to using ChatGPT or any other AI tool. Sure, I've asked it to help me fix a bad hair dye job or to figure out the best place to park at a nearby mall, but for traversing Southern California? This was new territory for me. Who knew it would be so easy?

The first question I had for ChatGPT was where we should stay to be central to everything and reduce driving time. I was open to staying in up to three hotels if it meant we could avoid hours in traffic.

Writing an AI prompt:

I knew that asking a question of AI is a bit different than asking one in a search engine like Google. Instead, I wrote a "prompt" that provided as much detail as possible in plain language, treating ChatGPT like a travel agent. (You can even tell ChatGPT, "Be my personal travel agent.") I entered the colleges we planned to visit in order, along with the times of each tour and asked ChatGPT to find a central location for us to stay.

Remember that you can edit your prompt for clarity. You should always check an AI's work, and you can ask an AI agent like ChatGPT to tell you if it needs more information.

Here's the itinerary I gave ChatGPT:

Day 1: Arrive at Los Angeles Airport at 10:30 a.m.

Visit California State University Dominguez Hills, 1:00 p.m.

Day 2: Visit California State University, Fullerton, 10:00 a.m.

Visit California State University, Long Beach, 3:30 p.m.

Day 3: Visit UC Irvine, 2:00 p.m.

Day 4: Visit San Diego State University, 1:30 p.m.

Day 5: Hike to Hollywood Sign 8:30 a.m.

Visit California State University Northridge–self-guided tour 1:00 p.m.

Fly home from LAX 9:30 p.m. (Be at the airport around 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., depending on airport traffic.)

The results

ChatGPT said Long Beach would be the perfect central location for our whirlwind of a visit, to make it even less driving, suggested we stay in Long Beach for the first two nights, then head over to either Irvine, Costa Mesa or Newport Beach for the third night, and finish our stay in Beverly Hills for the remaining two nights. According to ChatGPT, doing that:

-Minimizes hotel changes
-Is the smoothest driving schedule
-Gives us a relaxing Saturday in LA
-Only includes one long drive from San Diego back to LA, which it said can be scenic.

Scenic?!? My daughter, like most teenagers, is all about the Instagram pics, and I thought it would be a great idea to drive back up to LA along the Pacific Coast. So I asked ChatGPT if that is doable after visiting San Diego State, given our tour ends at 3:30, which I assume, if it's anything like New York, is when LA traffic starts.

To my surprise and delight, ChatGPT not only gave me an estimate of how long that would take — 3.5 to 4.5 hours, depending on stops — but an exact place to see the sunset: Laguna Beach.

We would have to leave right after the tour, but that would give us a nice scenic drive and plenty of places for my daughter to get her social media-ready pictures. If we didn't feel like driving up the coast, ChatGPT gave us a faster option on the freeway that cut about an hour off the drive time.

Not only did ChatGPT lay out the best way to visit all these colleges, but it also broke it down into driving details, including the time it will take between each college, recommended hotel stays (I found my own), and the scenic drive option.

While I didn't rely on AI to help me select my hotels in each location or to find a hiking tour to the Hollywood sign, it was able to do in seconds what would have taken me hours and likely a lot of hand-wringing and hair-pulling to figure out.

The verdict: AI to the rescue

My college tour trip is still a few weeks away, but I am happy to say that I was right (and my ex-husband was wrong)!

AI can be a great planning tool, and while I didn't use it to choose hotels based on my preferences or decide when we want to stop, it proved to be a super helpful, time-saving tool that I plan to use again.

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Question: We retired last year at 67 with $3.1 million and get $5,000 a month in Social Security.

My husband insists on working two days a week to keep his mind busy (and he secretly loves the challenge). But his side gig is interfering with the travel plans I want to make for us. We're not getting any younger. Help!

Answer: As of 2022, the most recent year for which data is available, the average retirement savings balance among 67-year-olds was about $609,000, per the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, the average Social Security retirement benefit today is $2,076.41.

If you retired at 67 with $3.1 million in savings and a $5,000 monthly Social Security benefit, you probably have considerably more financial resources than many of your same-age peers. But that doesn't mean you're ready to say goodbye to earning an income.

It might be that your husband wants to work two days a week to keep his mind sharp and have a way to structure his time. There's nothing wrong with that in theory.

But if it's interrupting your travel plans, you might need to negotiate a new arrangement. The key is to do so in a way that acknowledges your spouse's need for work and doesn't minimize the importance of having that job as an anchor.

It's important to align on goals

When you and your spouse aren't on the same page, it can cause tension, no matter the situation. The good news is that in this scenario, you don't have the burden of financial stress to worry about. This gives you the opportunity to have an honest conversation about the real purpose your husband's job serves and the wiggle room there might be in his schedule.

"With a $3.1 million portfolio and $5,000 a month in Social Security, this couple is sitting on a very solid foundation," says Andrew Izyumov, CFA, CEO and co-founder at investment platform 8FIGURES. "If we assume a standard 4% withdrawal rate, they’re looking at around $184,000 in gross annual income. In this context, the income from a two-day-a-week job is basically a rounding error."

However, Izyumov continues, due to your financial circumstances, your husband is probably well aware that his job isn't needed to generate cash flow. Rather, the purpose is to provide structure and mental stimulation. A good way to address the conflict is to acknowledge his need and see if you can align on goals.

Your goal, for example, might be to travel. But the driving force behind that vision might be to keep busy yourself and avoid growing restless in the absence of a job.

With some digging and open conversations, you and your spouse might realize that you do, in fact, have similar goals. From there, it's a matter of figuring out how to make things work for both of you.

Figure out a reasonable compromise

When you're fairly new to retirement, which is still the case even if you ended your careers last year, it's common for spouses to have different expectations, says Joseph Patrick Roop, president at Belmont Capital.

"One spouse may see retirement as a time for travel and freedom, while the other still wants structure, purpose, or mental stimulation," he says. "Neither perspective is wrong, but they do need to align."

One thing Roop suggests is to see if your husband can schedule work intentionally so you both end up getting what you want.

"For example, the husband could continue working two days a week but block off extended travel periods during the year, perhaps several multiweek trips," Roop says. "That allows him to keep the mental engagement he enjoys while still preserving the flexibility retirement is supposed to provide."

Izyumov agrees that there's probably room for more flexibility. Your husband might, for example, be able to move to a consultancy model where he works intensely for three weeks, then takes six weeks off, Izyumov suggests.

Izyumov says, "We’re in the age of AI and remote connectivity. If he’s keeping his mind busy, can he do that from a villa in Italy just as easily as an office?"

Remember why you saved so well in the first place

Your husband's desire to work might stem from a desire to keep busy and less so from fear of running out of money.

Still, Izyumov says it's important to remind your spouse why you hustled to build the nest egg you did. He suggests saying something such as, "We’ve spent our lives building this $3.1 million fund. The goal of this fund was to buy us total freedom. Right now, your $500-a-week hobby is devaluing our primary asset — our remaining healthy years."

Roop agrees.

"Time is our most valuable asset," he says. "This year, I have watched two lovely clients pass away at age 69. They did not plan for that. It was not in the brochure. That is not financial planning. That is heartbreaking."

While there's no need to start planning your early demise, it could help to remind your husband that you don't know how many healthy years you have left. That, combined with very strong financials, could sway him to adopt a more flexible approach to work that doesn't interfere with the travel plans you've always dreamed of.

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• We've Reached Our $5 Million Retirement Savings Goal, but at 66, My Husband Still Doesn't Feel Ready.
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Fresh food, warm sun, and a relaxed community culture: What's not to love about Greece? Yet the birthplace of the Olympic Games has more than just lifestyle perks — U.S. retirees can benefit financially, too.

For instance, Greek property tax bills, even in more desirable areas, rarely rise above $1,000 per year. Coupled with low costs on basics like groceries and utilities, the average American retiree may save up to 36% annually with a move from the U.S. to Greece.

Plus, the Golden Visa program allows high-net-worth individuals to pay a lower tax rate on income, regardless of how much they earn. This could help some transfer more wealth to their heirs.

Sound interesting? Well, pack your bags and prepare for takeoff to this Mediterranean destination.

*Note: All euro to USD conversions were conducted in March 2026.

Greece retirement visa in 2026

If you're seeking retirement in Greece, there are a couple of residency options.

Firstly, the Financial Independent Person (FIP) permit is ideal for retirees who prefer their capital to be liquid and use their monthly pension or 401(k) distributions.

Greece FIP requirements:

• A consistent passive income of €3,500 per month (€4,200 for couples).
• You must reside in Greece for at least 183 days per year.
• You're considered a Greek tax resident, so you may be subject to Greek taxes on your worldwide income (but there's a special tax regime for expats, more on that later).
• Renewal happens every three years.

But if you're seeking a Greece retirement visa, the Golden Visa is a program designed for investors who want maximum flexibility in where they live and can afford a hefty up-front payment.

Greece Golden Visa requirements:

• Requires no monthly income, but instead a real estate investment typically ranging from €400,000 to €800,000, depending on the region (prime spots like Athens or Santorini sit at the higher threshold, according to one consulting company).
• There is no minimum stay to gain this visa.
• You're not considered a Greek tax resident (unless you stay more than 183 days), so you're likely only subject to taxes on Greek income. There's also an additional tax benefit (more on that later).
• Renewal happens every five years.

The Greek Golden Visa and FIP require a clean criminal record and private health insurance. Once approved, both allow you to travel to 29 countries, like France, Italy, and Spain, to name a few.

Cost of living in Greece 2026

Retirement in Greece can offer a significantly lower cost of living than in the U.S.. Data from International Living suggests a budget-savvy expat can live comfortably in Greece for only $2,500 a month. How does that compare to where you currently live?

Here's a breakdown of a few items you may find cheaper in Greece vs. nationally in the U.S..

Note: The table is based on March 2026 data from the online research company Numbeo.

However, several goods in Greece may be more expensive than their American counterparts. For instance:

• While groceries are generally cheaper than in the U.S., Greece can have higher prices on certain items, like milk (63.6%), bananas (26.8%), and local cheese (7.8%).
• The price per liter of gasoline is 136.4% higher in Greece than in the U.S., potentially causing higher taxi fares and Sunday drives.

…but your actual cost savings will depend on your specific Greek destination and your current U.S. baseline — so be sure to do your research on both before booking your flight.

Tax Considerations for a Move to Greece

1. Flat income tax in Greece is more favorable than the regular rate

Although many retirees dread the annual tax season in the U.S., those relocating to Greece may find significant tax relief.

Foreign retirees can qualify for a 7% flat income tax rate on foreign-sourced income, including IRA distributions, Social Security benefits, and interest.

Yet the 7% flat tax is only available to those who establish tax residency in Greece (so if you're a Golden Visa holder, you'll need to transfer your residency to qualify).

To see the benefits of this regime, consider a single filer retiree with $48,000 (or €41,327) in taxable income.*

As this simplified example shows, retirees transferring their tax residence to Greece may qualify for significant tax savings compared to the federal income tax they pay in the U.S.. This advantage may become more pronounced as income rises and higher U.S. marginal rates take effect.

However, the 7% flat income tax only applies to the first 15 years of residency. After that period, income is taxed according to standard Greek brackets (ranging from 9% to 44%).

Alternatively, Golden Visa investors can elect a "lump-sum" tax regime, paying a flat €100,000 annually (plus €20,000 per family member) to cap their total liability on foreign-sourced income. This benefit, which is also limited to 15 years, may provide a tax shield for high-net-worth individuals with large, global portfolios.

Note: State income taxes may still apply in your first years of retiring to Greece. Consult a qualified tax professional when necessary.

2. The yearly property tax in Greece is low, and inheritance taxes are not bad

Does a cozy bungalow in the Mediterranean sound like a faraway dream? Now it doesn't have to be. Annual property taxes in Greece can be quite cheap compared to those in the U.S.

The average Greek property tax bill on a 1,076-square-foot home ranges from €300 to €400. This is significantly lower than the $1,889 average U.S. property tax bill, according to the Tax Foundation.

Greece also provides partial and full property tax exemptions based on income, insurance status, and property size, per the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Economy and Finance.

One notable incentive offers a 20% discount on annual property taxes for homes with a taxable value up to €500,000 that are insured against fire, earthquakes, and floods. Do you get a discount on your property taxes now for paying home insurance?

Plus, passing on your Greek home may be affordable, tax-wise, too.

While Greece levies an inheritance tax on Greek real estate, for close spouses, children, grandchildren, and parents, the rates are relatively low:

• 0% on the first €150,000
• 1% for €150,001 to €300,000
• 5% for €300,001 to €600,000
• 10% for amounts over €600,000

The inheritance tax rates for other relatives and non-relatives range from 5% to 40% for properties valued over €6,000. But Greek inheritance taxes do not apply to your U.S.-based holdings (so anything you leave to heirs in the U.S. typically remains tax-free in Greece, unless you're a Greek national).

3. Greece taxes U.S. income: But the IRS may help you

For many U.S. expats, a primary concern of living abroad is the complexity of dual tax filing. Fortunately, the U.S.-Greece Income Tax Treaty alleviates some of that burden.

Under the current treaty, U.S. retirees can access key protections:

• Withholding caps. Reduced withholding rates on dividends, interest, and royalties (typically capped at 15%).
• No double-taxation. Provisions that prevent double taxation on income, including Social Security benefits and private pensions (though Roth IRA distributions may still be subject to Greek tax).

To further lower your federal income tax bill, the IRS offers the foreign tax credit (FTC). This tax break allows for a dollar-for-dollar credit on taxes paid to the Greek government, applicable to almost all forms of foreign income.

So, continuing our earlier example, let's see how this credit might help lower your U.S. federal income tax bill.

*Note: Whether you can claim the entire FTC may depend on your total income and other factors. The IRS limits the credit to the lesser of the actual foreign taxes paid or the U.S. tax liability attributable to that foreign income.

As you can see from this simplified example, U.S. retirees may significantly reduce (or even eliminate) their U.S. federal income tax liability by utilizing the FTC.

Should you move to Greece in retirement?

Although a Greek retirement offers some financial advantages, it may also present unique challenges. For instance, residents may frequently find government offices confusing or overwhelming, which can turn routine paperwork into a significant chore.

And even though English is common in tourist areas, using essential services like banking and government administration often requires knowing Greek.

Ultimately, if you can navigate the hurdles of a new culture and its distinct opportunities, the Mediterranean lifestyle might be an ideal fit. Otherwise, if you're looking for somewhere still warm but stateside, you might try finding a cheap place in Florida to live.

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If you've got a United Airlines flight coming up soon, don't forget to pack your headphones in your carry-on bag. The major airline recently updated its contract of carriage to require passengers listening to music, movies or any other kind of media to wear headphones while doing so. Violating the new policy could get you temporarily or permanently banned from flying United.

For most travelers, the new rule will be a welcome change as you'll no longer have to hear the competing sounds of different passengers' music, cartoons and other entertainment while trying to relax on your flight.

But if you find yourself at your gate with no headphones in tow, are you doomed to fly in silence or else risk being kicked off the plane? Here's what travelers should know about the new United policy.

What is United Airline's new headphone policy?

United Airlines new policy, as of February 27, says passengers who listen to media without headphones can be temporarily or permanently banned from flying on their airline. Specifically, the updated contract of carriage now includes "Passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content" under its list of reasons for refusal of transport.

In the same section, the contract includes a ban on "voice or video calls after the aircraft doors have closed, while taxiing in preparation for takeoff, or while airborne." The aim of the rules seems to be to preserve the peace for your fellow passengers on board.

The move makes official what has already been considered proper airplane etiquette. Wearing headphones allows all passengers to be able to enjoy their preferred form of in-flight entertainment without disturbing others. Instead of being common courtesy, United has now made it a legally binding term that you agree to when you buy a ticket.

How to get a refund if you're kicked off of a United flight

If you weren't aware of the new policy and maybe don't fly often enough to know the unspoken rules of flying, you might find yourself getting in trouble with a United flight attendant.

If you are removed from a flight for violating the new headphone rule (or any other terms in the contract of carriage), you have options. According to the contract of carriage, "A passenger who is removed or refused transportation in accordance with this rule may be eligible for a refund upon request."

So, if you're caught in this situation, immediately contact United Airline's customer service or talk to an attendant at the gate to request a refund. You'll be refunded only for the unused portions of your flight. So if you're kicked off during a layover, you'll get a refund for the second leg (and return flight) of the trip, but not the flight that got you to your layover airport.

You might also be subject to cancellation fees and if you purchased a nonrefundable ticket, you might be out of luck. But it's always worth making the request anyway to find out what your options are.

Tips for using headphones on an airplane

Whether you forgot to pack a pair or you have a wireless set you're not sure will work on the plane, there are lots of ways to tune into your favorite in-flight playlist or that TV show you planned to binge on board. Here are a few tips:

• Bluetooth headphones should work just fine. Just tap airplane mode on your phone first and then toggle on Bluetooth. But bring a cable as a backup or make absolutely sure your wireless headphones are fully charged before you get to the airport so you don't find yourself with dead earbuds halfway through your flight.
• United Airlines may provide free headphones, but they'll likely come with an AUX cable. Many modern devices don't have that port anymore so you might not be able to use the free headphones with your own phone. But you can still connect it to the seatback screen to watch the shows or movies available there.
• Consider having a pair of travel-only headphones, specifically a cheap pair that won't hurt you too much if you lose them.
• Over-ear headphones are nicer for blocking out the noises of the aircraft but earbuds take up less space in your bag. For me, I choose based on the length of the flight. For roughly five hours or longer, I'm bringing my big noise-cancelling headphones. For shorter flights, I'm making do with earbuds.

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For travelers who enjoy their own company, taking a solo vacation has a timeless appeal. You can go where you want, when you want, without accommodating a companion’s schedule and interests. And since the pandemic, solo travel’s popularity has reached new heights, says Alexandria Sanchez, consumer marketing manager for G Adventures, a small-group adventure-travel company.

When travel came to a halt during the COVID-19 shutdown, many people realized how important traveling was to them. Once they were able to start taking trips again, they were eager to get going — even if that meant doing it on their own.

Solo travel should keep growing for years to come. Its estimated global market value was nearly $500 billion in 2024, and that figure is expected to double by 2030, according to Grand View Research, a market research and consulting firm. "People are starting to realize that they don’t want to wait for somebody to be available. It’s now or never," says Wendy Marley, a travel advisor for AAA Northeast.

The majority of people who travel solo — 62% — are baby boomers, and more than two-thirds of those who travel alone are women, according to the 2025 Virtuoso Global Luxury Traveler Report, which reflects preferences and trends among clients of more than 2,200 luxury travel advisers in Virtuoso’s network. Solo travel is especially popular among women 45 and older.

"Many are at an inflection point in their lives. They are looking for a fresh start on a new chapter, a new perspective, or context after a major change in their personal lives," says Jeannie Ralston, founder of NextTribe, a tour operator that organizes group tours for older women traveling alone.

A variety of destinations and experiences appeal to solo travelers, but they lean toward places where they will feel safe and that have a strong transportation infrastructure. The top destinations are Italy, France, Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom, according to the Virtuoso report.

"Ease of transportation and safety make places like Italy, Spain and Portugal ideal for solo travelers," says Marley. Many Asian countries fit the bill, too — and they’re affordable. "Asia offers incredible value — four‑ or five‑star hotels for the price of a three‑star in Europe," says Sarah Lang, luxury travel adviser for Pique Travel Design in San Francisco.

Thinking of embarking on your own solo journey? We have guidance here on how to design a trip that prioritizes your comfort and security, along with suggestions of top experiences and destinations.

Gain peace of mind.

Safety is a chief concern for solo travelers as they navigate new places without a trusted travel companion. For that reason, it may make sense to invest more than you otherwise would in certain aspects of your trip. "Think about where it makes sense to spend more so you feel comfortable, instead of stressed and anxious," says Lang.

Buying travel insurance, for one, is often a good choice. "Travel insurance is especially important if you’re on your own in another country," says Marley. A comprehensive travel insurance plan will include medical coverage; reimbursement if you have to cut a trip short due to illness, injury or a family emergency back home; 24/7 assistance in case of other emergency situations, such as a lost passport; help finding doctors and emergency transportation; and coverage for essentials and accommodations in the event of flight delays or lost luggage.

You can compare travel insurance plans on websites such as SquareMouth.com and InsureMyTrip.com. These plans are typically priced at about 4% to 10% of the cost of your trip.

Some of the best travel credit cards provide trip insurance as well, although it may not be as robust as what you would get with a stand-alone policy.

Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795 annual fee) and Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95) provide benefits including trip cancellation and interruption coverage and trip delay reimbursement for unexpected hotel stays, meals and essential expenses. Several other premium travel cards, including the Platinum Card from American Express ($895) and Capital One Venture X ($395), offer similar protections, such as reimbursement for lost or delayed baggage and emergency assistance services.

Reliable transportation is also a worthwhile investment for your solo trip. Try to arrive at your destination during daylight hours, when possible, and choose direct routes over complicated transfers, especially in unfamiliar areas.

Hotel-arranged transfers are usually reliable, or use a well-known rideshare app such as Uber. BlaBlaCar in Europe is another safe choice, typically offering shared shuttle rides between cities. It provides a women-only option, too, allowing travelers to ride exclusively with female drivers and co-passengers.

By going on guided tours of sites and cities on your trip, you benefit from local expertise, the company of other travelers and an added layer of safety. You can book tours through companies such as Viator.com, ToursByLocals and Airbnb Experiences. Before you sign up for a tour, check recent reviews from other travelers, and don’t rely only on star ratings. Look for positive comments regarding communication, punctuality and safety awareness.

Although you may spend a little extra on measures that help ensure your safety, you can opt to save money in other ways. One idea is to skip the upscale lodging and book budget-friendly accommodations instead.

"You don’t have to spend a lot on a hotel. Put your money into experiences," says Ralston. Redeeming credit card rewards points or miles for travel reservations can also take the edge off your costs. And consider going on your trip during an off-peak season for tourists. Not only are prices often lower during these periods, but you’ll avoid big crowds, too.

Trips with companionship.

Traveling solo doesn’t mean you have to be truly alone. Some tour companies design trips for solo travelers who seek a built-in community without sacrificing their independence. "You don’t have to be alone when you’re traveling — unless you want to be," Lang says.

You can find small-group trips to destinations all over the world, created with solo travelers in mind, from tour operators such as Intrepid Travel, G Adventures , Road Scholar, Overseas Adventure Travel, and Go Ahead Tours, to name a few. And some organize tours for specific types of solo travelers. Road Scholar, for example, hosts trips for older adults, and NextTribe focuses on women age 45 and older. Tour group FTLO Travel arranges trips for solo travelers in their twenties and thirties.

Below, we’ve highlighted trips — many of them from the above-mentioned tour operators — in five categories that may be especially attractive for solo ventures.

Set out on an adventure.

Adventure trips suit many solo travelers, calling on their independence, self-reliance and courage, opening the opportunity for self-growth, and offering the chance to truly unplug from daily life. "Solo travelers lean heavily toward adventure travel — especially women," Lang says. Guided adventure trips offer valuable safety measures and ease the logistics.

G Adventures offers a 15-day trek to Nepal’s Everest Base Camp, the starting point for climbing to Mt. Everest’s summit. Even without scaling to the top of the mountain, travelers enjoy a challenging trek and unparalleled natural scenery.

The trip, which starts at about $1,200 per person in a small group of solo travelers, includes an English-speaking local guide, all necessary permits, porters (people who carry gear for you), lodging (two hotel stays and 12 nights in teahouse lodges) and transportation between destinations, including internal flights that take place during the trip; you pay separately for your flights from and to home.

For a European excursion into the mountains, G Adventures offers a trek of Mont Blanc, the iconic peak in the French Alps, for solo travelers. On the 10‑day small‑group hiking trip through France, Italy and Switzerland, a professionally trained and certified guide leads a journey along the Mont Blanc routes. The trip includes nine breakfasts, five dinners, group transport, and stays in hotels and mountain refuges (basic lodging, typically with bunk beds and shared bathrooms). Pricing starts at $2,249 for 2026 tours.

If an adventure that blends Arctic thrills with cultural experiences sounds up your alley, check out FTLO Travel’s eight-day small-group trip to Lapland, a region that stretches across Finland, Norway and Sweden.

At $6,599, the journey includes seven nights in shared accommodations (upgrades to private rooms are available), meals, and activities such as dog sledding, snowmobiling, reindeer encounters and sauna sessions. Guided tours of local towns and the world’s northernmost brewery are part of the package, too, and you’ll have multiple chances to see the northern lights.

Go on a health and wellness journey.

From peaceful walking tours to full-blown retreats, wellness trips can take a variety of forms. "Many people travel solo after a life milestone—they’re looking for a reset," says Sanchez. If you’d like to go on a retreat, you can search among a range of options at BookRetreats.com.

The possibilities include retreats designed for those experiencing grief from the loss of a loved one, those recently divorced or separated from their partner, and even those who are newly retired from specific professions. Many travelers are drawn to the joy, connection and satisfaction that wellness retreats can elicit. "These trips really can change how you see the world," Ralston says.

Resorts devoted to wellness are forging a strong presence, too. At Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, an all-inclusive wellness resort, guests enjoy experiences such as spa treatments, yoga and fitness classes, aromatherapy, and more. For the "All You Can Spa" package, which lets you indulge in unlimited spa services during your stay, nightly rates start about $1,500 per guest.

Some independent yoga studios organize retreats for their patrons, traveling to far-flung destinations and offering lodging, meals, yoga classes and tours.

The Madeira Cultural Yoga Retreat, hosted by the Washington, D.C.–based studio Mimi Rieger Yoga, for example, offers an eight‑day, seven‑night immersive wellness and cultural experience at the historic Reid’s Palace in Madeira, Portugal. Travelers enjoy daily yoga, meditation and mindfulness sessions alongside curated meals, two excursions (a sunrise hike and a catamaran cruise) and access to hotel amenities such as pools and spa services.

Pricing starts at about $4,800 per person for shared accommodation or $5,800 for single occupancy.

Take a guided tour.

Guided tours have come a long way in recent years. "Tours today aren’t 80 people following a guide with a flag," Marley says. Modern tours offer curated experiences, often in small groups and with the flexibility to opt in or out of certain parts of the tour if you wish. And for those interested in true cultural immersion, traveling in a small group can make all the difference. "Small groups allow for cultural immersion you can’t always get on your own," Marley says.

NextTribe recently offered a 12-night trip to Marrakesh, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert in Morocco for a small group of solo women travelers (up to 13 people) for $4,899. The trip includes 12 nights of accommodations, daily breakfasts and dinners, 10 lunches, all transfers and transport (besides your airfare from and to home), an English-speaking guide, and entrance fees to monuments and activities.

Another small-group journey for women from NextTribe: the seven-night "Spring Insider Guide Through Paris Neighborhoods," during which an experienced local guide leads an exploration through Paris’s diverse districts. The trip includes accommodations and most meals. Double occupancy pricing for this trip is about $5,399, and single-room pricing is about $6,899.

"Ireland for Solo Travelers," from Go Ahead Tours, is an eight‑day guided tour tailored to solo adventurers, letting you explore Ireland’s highlights with a group of 15 to 28 fellow travelers while visiting places such as Dublin, the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, Galway Bay and the Cliffs of Moher.

The tour includes six nights in private hotel rooms, six breakfasts, three dinners with beer or wine, a beer tasting, four sightseeing tours, expert guides, and private deluxe motorcoach transportation. If you prefer a longer trip, you can add a 10‑day Dublin extension.

Pricing varies by departure and season, often starting between $3,400 and $3,900.

Focus on the cuisine.

From shared meals to cooking classes to market tours, culinary experiences can bring a solo venture to life, allowing individuals to forge bonds with other travelers and locals alike. Shared meals are a central part of many guided trips designed for solo travelers, such as those offered by G Adventures.

"Day one always includes a shared dinner — food brings people together immediately," Sanchez says. Some tour companies, including NextTribe, may arrange dinners and other experiences hosted by locals, too. "Meeting locals in their homes is what makes travel truly enriching," says Ralston.

G Adventures recently offered an eight-day group trip for solo travelers around Sicily, from Catania to Palermo. At $2,249, the trip includes a cooking class in Catania, guided tours, seven nights in hotels (with the option to pay an additional $379 for your own room; otherwise, travelers typically share rooms), nine meals, and transportation throughout the duration of the trip. You can also add on a street-food and market tour of Palermo, Sicily’s capital, for $68.

Embark on an educational expedition.

Have a passion for learning? You can join other solo travelers on a tour that allows you to delve into the history of a particular region, immerse yourself in the language and culture, or study its environment and engage in a conservation project.

For example, Road Scholar, which focuses on educational programming, recently offered a nine-day group journey to Costa Rica, during which you can study nature alongside other solo travelers, explore volcanic terrain and tropical gardens, meet residents in local communities, and learn more about Costa Rica’s culture and history.

At $2,849, the trip includes eight nights of accommodations, 22 meals (eight breakfasts, six lunches and eight dinners), five expert-led lectures and 11 guided field trips.

Road Scholar also recently offered a journey to Bhutan for solo travelers, who join to explore the region’s museums, temples and natural wonders, as well as the country’s traditions and local life.

The Bhutan program includes 14 nights of accommodations, 41 meals (14 breakfasts, 13 lunches and 14 dinners), four expert-led lectures, and 24 guided field trips that provide deep cultural and historical context. Two in-country flights are included, along with the support of an experienced group leader throughout the trip.

Sidestep the single supplement.

One pesky feature that may come with traveling alone is the single supplement — an extra fee solo travelers pay for hotel rooms, cruise cabins or tours. Travel vendors charge the fee when a service is designed with the expectation that two people will use it, such as a double-occupancy room.

As a solo traveler, you may end up paying the full rate for two or face a surcharge on the price for one to cover lost revenue from a second guest. For example, a group tour priced at $2,200 per person may offer a private-room option for an additional $300 to $500 total for the trip, depending on the destination and length. On cruises or luxury tours, single supplements can be higher, sometimes adding 50% or more to the base fare.

You may be able to avoid the fee. Before you book a tour, cruise or other accommodations, ask the vendor about discounts for solo travelers, which may get you access to unpublished deals — especially with smaller operators. And some travel companies offer cabins for single travelers, waive the supplement or provide other special discounts.

Adventure-travel company G Adventures, for example, doesn’t charge a single supplement on its "Solo-ish" trips — group trips for those traveling on their own, says Alexandria Sanchez, consumer marketing manager for G Adventures.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

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Question: We're 78, retired, and want to use our 2026 RMD to treat our two children, spouses and six grandkids to a weeklong vacation. We're mobile but don't have the same energy as the younger folks (no matter how much coffee we drink). How should we approach this?

Answer: For people with money in a traditional retirement savings plan, required minimum distributions (RMDs) can be a blessing and a curse. While RMDs can inevitably produce a sizable tax bill, they can also serve as an opportunity to splurge on experiences about which you otherwise wouldn't dream.

If you're 78 with a mandatory RMD coming your way this year, you have a choice. You could grumble about having to take that withdrawal and pay the IRS its share, or you could use the money to treat your grown children, their spouses and your grandchildren to a week-long family vacation.

At 78, the return on investment of an experience such as a family vacation is likely higher than any "thing" you could treat yourself to with those RMD funds.

Planning a trip like that, however, might be easier said than done. Even if you don't have mobility issues at 78, you might not have the same energy level as the younger generations with whom you plan to travel. Since you might shell out some serious cash for a vacation, look into travel insurance. If you're traveling abroad, you should also consider travel health insurance.

Here are some tips for pulling off a memorable vacation that everyone enjoys.

Focus on activities that don't split the family

If your goal is to bond and enjoy new experiences together, it's important to make sure you plan activities that you can all do together. Paul Whitten, founder, CEO, and historian at Nashville Adventures, says you need to be honest with yourself about what activities you can handle, and focus on those that offer family time that feels unified.

"Grandparents want to be involved, not sitting on a bench watching the younger folks have all the fun," Whitten explains. "That usually means leaning toward slower, guided experiences."

Whitten suggests focusing on activities such as walking tours, museum visits, boat rides, scenic neighborhoods and slower-paced outings.

"Amusement parks and high-energy attractions often split the group fast and alienate older people," Whitten says. "Older folks love watching the grandchildren smile, but they do not want to be alienated from the group."

Carve out time for everyone to have their own space

While you don't want your main activities to force your family to split up, Whitten says it's also a good idea to give yourself and your family members a little space here and there during your travels.

"The best trips intentionally build in a bit of separation," he says. After a day of sightseeing, your grown kids may want a night out on the town, while you may prefer a jazz club or a quiet dinner. There's no reason not to allow for that.

Give yourselves easy access to different activities

Since it's a good idea to build in some solo activities during a family trip, another strategy for making things go smoothly is to choose the right lodging setup, says Casey Halloran, CEO and co-founder at Costa Rican Vacations.

"Private villa rentals, small resorts and destination properties that bundle on-site activities work really well here," Halloran explains. "They give families shared gathering space but still allow guests to branch off and do their own thing."

A setup like this could, for example, allow the grandkids to splash in the pool for an hour before dinner while the adults relax or get a massage.

Build in some downtime

You might be eager to explore a new destination with your kids and grandkids. But Halloran says it's also important to build some downtime into your itinerary.

"Older travelers often underestimate how exhausting constant packing, transfers and early excursions can be," he says.

In Halloran's experience, multigenerational trips often work best when they're designed around big, shared moments coupled with sufficient unstructured downtime, whether it's lounging by the pool or taking longer lunches.

Set clear financial expectations

You might be looking to foot the bill for a multi-generational family trip. Your RMD might be enough to cover all of it, or you might only be in a position to pay for the big-ticket items, such as airfare and lodging, but you expect your grown kids to pay for meals and certain activities.

It's important to communicate this to your family up front, says Halloran. Setting the tone early can prevent awkwardness later.

Whitten says that if you're on a budget, it pays to take advantage of local resources.

"Almost every tourist city has a visitors bureau or tourism chamber with discounts posted online," he says. "Use walking tours instead of expensive trolley tours. Book museums with senior discounts ahead of time. And, my favorite thing, don’t overlook parks."

Start your planning early

Multigenerational trips can, in many cases, require significant planning. The sooner you get the ball rolling, says Halloran, the smoother things might run.

"My number one tip is to start planning early," he says. "It takes time to plan a wonderful, thoughtful multigenerational trip, but it's worth it."

Planning early also helps ensure that everyone involved can get away without too much hassle.

Your grown kids might have busy periods at work. Your grandkids might have limited school breaks. Providing plenty of notice could allow your kids and grandchildren to get away with clear heads, while giving you time to map out a memorable experience.

Better yet, delegate. Identify your most "type A" adult child and ask him or her to be the principal planner. You can lean on this person for logistics wh,ile you provide an overall vision for the vacation.

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Saren Eyre Loosli and her extended family are getting excited, and getting ready, for their four-day July reunion at Loosli’s parents’ Utah lake house. They expect to see 54 family members, ranging in age from six months to 80. "The kids sleep on the floor or out on the deck or on the lawn in tents,” said Loosli, founder and director of the Power of Families online community. “It’s not necessarily the most comfortable four days, but it’s worth it."

If you’d like to hold a family reunion, here are ten key questions to answer and advice on how to make the get-together memorable, fun, affordable and ways to avoid rookie mistakes.

1. When should I start planning a family reunion?

"We usually say people should start planning 12 to 18 months in advance," said Edith Wagner, editor of the digital Reunions Magazine. The National Family Reunion Institute site has a timeline recommending what to do and when to do it.

If you want to hold a reunion soon and haven’t started planning, Wagner suggests organizing a stripped-down version. This might mean a gathering at a family member’s house with a picnic or a campsite at a campground (rental cost: about $300 to $1,000).

Create a family reunion social media thread, Facebook group or private website where guests can stay up to date on news about the event.

2. When should I hold a family reunion?

Summer is generally best when kids are out of school. "You just have to make sure there are no weddings, graduations, major birthdays or vacations planned then," said Wagner. Offer family members a few dates to choose from, maybe through an online Doodle poll.

Family reunions often last three or four days — typically Friday through Sunday or Monday. Often, reunions begin with a meet-and-greet on Friday. Group activities begin Saturday morning and afternoon, followed by a banquet or catered dinner. There are more activities on Sunday, with departures on Sunday or Monday.

3. Who should host the family reunion?

You’ll be the quarterback and then assign family members as committee chairs to manage financial aspects, location, food and activities. "Planning a reunion is too much for just one person to do," said Loosli.

The reunion planner needs to connect with committee chairs regularly to ensure the work gets done. "Last summer, I got a call from somebody who had to call off the reunion because the person who was going to get the hotel never called any," Wagner said.

4. Where should the family reunion take place?

If the reunion won’t be at a family member’s home that guests can travel to easily, look for a location near a big city. You’ll get proximity to airports, train stations and highways and avoid city hotels’ steep lodging and parking costs.

Many hotels have swimming pools, which kids enjoy. And “a hotel meeting room lets people set up displays with pictures of their ancestors,” said Wagner.

Wagner also suggests considering a ranch or a farm because "all the activities are there."

Alternatively, guests can stay at VRBOs or Airbnbs. Those are challenging for holding big-group meetings, though.

5. How much will a family reunion cost?

That’s a decision the guests should agree on, factoring in costs for lodging, food, and activities as well as family members’ finances and travel expenses.

If some invited guests think they can’t afford to attend, they can tell the reunion chair confidentially to see if there’s a way to defray their costs. "My parents have always said to our family members, ‘If you’re in a tough spot financially, don’t hesitate to let us know," said Loosli. "There’s never any talk of who got help and who didn’t."

To keep costs down, many reunions hold fundraisers such as raffles, family cookbooks or cooking contests. The reunion host might agree to pay $500 or so to cover small expenses like family t-shirts or hats.

Hotels often require a down payment for a block of rooms, which may be negotiable. Book 25 or more rooms and you might get a free meeting room. But, Wagner said, don’t lock in the number of rooms until you know how many family members will be coming. Otherwise, you’ll get stuck paying for ones you won’t need.

The finance committee chair will collect any required upfront payments and get those expenses paid.

6. What about food for a family reunion?

Some families prefer to hold all meals at the hotel or nearby restaurants. Others cook meals together and share the cost of ingredients. At some reunions, guests are responsible for their own breakfasts.

Reunions at hotels require special meal planning. "If you will have a banquet, you’ll need to decide if it’s going to be a buffet or seated and served," said Wagner. "If family members want to bring their own food, you have to make sure the hotel will let them."

Reunions at family farms sometimes set up stands for food, beer, soda, and ice cream and let attendees pay for what they purchase.

If your family hails from a particular country or area of the U.S., consider weaving your culinary traditions into your meal planning.

7. What activities should I plan for a family reunion?

That depends on what family members want. During the day, reunions typically include fun, outdoor activities. Nights are often for group dinners, parties, games, cooking contests and— later in the evening — adult discussions. Often, a reunion host speaks about the family genealogy at one of the dinners.

To nail down specifics, the activities chair might hold a Zoom call or create a multiple-choice poll for guests to select from.

Some reunions have creative activities. Loosli’s holds a playlist bonfire event where family members hear their relatives’ favorite songs of the year. It also has a talent show. "That’s fun because people can participate in their own way," said Loosli. The optional Fear Factor game lets grandkids try to eat unusual foods like seaweed, with a $15 grand-prize winner.

8. How much free time should there be at the family reunion?

Free time is important. “That’s where people often connect in informal ways that can be extremely meaningful,” said Loosli.

Look for ways to build in time for golf, shopping, and catching up.

"Golfers in the family will be very happy if they get to play golf," said Wagner. "If there’s a mall close by, there are going to be people happy to hear about that, too."

9. What about photos, videos and documenting the reunion?

Showing guests family pictures and home movies can be fun, especially nostalgic ones. "The best reunions happen when old family photos guide the conversation," said Mitch Goldstone, who runs the ScanMyPhotos site.

Ask guests to send their favorite family images and videos in advance. If you get prints, slides, VHS tapes or DVDs, hire a professional to digitize them. Expect to pay about $50 for 250 photos and about $30 per VHS tape.

Then, create a curated slideshow or film, with music, to show at the reunion. Try to include funny photos. “The goofy and silly ones are the ones that get the tears and the laughs,” said Goldstone.

Be sure guests take plenty of reunion photos as well. "After our reunions, we create a Google album where everyone submits the favorite photo they took," said Loosli. "Then, my sister’s present to our parents is a nice book containing the best pictures."

10. What if I need planning help?

Professional party planners can help you hold and run a family reunion. Other sources for tips:

Reunions Magazine: This site offers expert advice, photos and stories from reunion planners celebrating their events. You can submit your own reunion reflections and memories to Wagner at editor@reunionsmag.com.

The National Family Reunion Institute: This site offers suggestions for planning and hosting reunions, particularly for African-American families. On March 28, the group will have a free virtual family reunion workshop for reunion planners.

For general help and research on genealogy, try free sites such as Find a Grave, the U.S. Census and Geneanet.

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A splurge cruise is going to mean different things to different people, obviously. Let’s start with the landscape, er, seascape.

Traditionally, January is "wave season" for the cruise industry, when bookings and incentives peak. Lots of desirable cruises are already sold out, so get busy.

In terms of a high-end experience, cruise lines have tended to fall into one of three categories, though the lines are sometimes blurry: value, premium, and luxury. A recent shift is the increased use of "ultra-luxury." Naturally, luxury and ultra-luxury cruises are the priciest, and also typically offer the smallest ships with the least number of staterooms — and high staff-to-guest ratios.

It should be noted that, for some cruisers, having a dozen or more dining venues means "luxury." The downside of that criterion is that it requires a large ship carrying thousands of guests, which means longer lines to board and get off the ship. (Never say "boat.") It also means more ship architecture, so views of the sea can be limited by the infrastructure of restaurants, shops, casinos and theaters.

Not so with a ship that contains a few hundred guests. If you want to feel like you’re a VIP on an Italian yacht, develop a rapport with the staff, and see water on three sides (when on the bow or the stern), go smaller and more expensive. Being on a ship with 150 cabins (300 guests) is a completely different experience from cruising on a ship with 1,500 cabins (3,000 guests). It’s about privacy and intimacy as well as fine décor finishes and stellar cuisine.

That said, here are some of the top cruise lines and itineraries to splurge on.

1. Seabourn

Of Carnival Corp.’s roster of cruise lines (which includes Princess and Holland America), Seabourn has long been the gold standard for those seeking an Italian yacht-like voyage.

Several Seabourn ships were constructed at the renowned Fincantieri shipyard, based in Trieste, Italy, while the newest vessels — including the sister ships Venture (2022) and Pursuit (2023) — came from Italy’s T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa.

Seabourn Pursuit, an ultra-luxury expedition ship, accommodates just 264 guests. For those seeking sun and fun in the South Pacific, Pursuit is offering an April itinerary from French Polynesia to Fiji: the 11-Day Polynesia & Melanesia: Island Cultures & Coral Coasts. Veranda Suites start from around $10,000, while a Panorama Penthouse Suite commands more than $14,000.

But if 11 days doesn’t sound splashy enough, you can always stay aboard: the 27-Day Polynesia, Melanesia & Indonesia Explorer cruise (French Polynesia to Darwin, Australia) starts at more than $17,000 per person, based on double occupancy.

2. Oceania Cruises

You’ve likely heard from friends about this lux cruise line (it’s under the umbrella of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings), primarily because its gastronomy gets top marks. Oceania Sonata will be the first vessel in a brand-new class of ships (the Sonata class).

Set to debut in August 2027, it will be a floating home for 1,390 guests. In the meantime, consider the new Allura, which debuted in 2025 and can accommodate 1,200 guests. Dining options include: The Grand Dining Room, Polo Grill, Tuscan and French restaurants and the pan-Asian Red Ginger dining room.

Priced at $9,849 per guest, Oceania offers a 21-day Mediterranean cruise in July that departs from Trieste, Italy, and concludes in Athens. Ports along the way are stellar and include the gorgeous island of Hvar, Croatia; Istanbul (featuring an overnight stay so you can take in the sights, shops and people-watching at Taksim Square); and the Greek islands of Crete, Rhodes, Santorini, and Mykonos.

3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The Grandeur is the newest Seven Seas ship — the brand is also owned by Norwegian — and can accommodate 744 guests, and every suite boasts a balcony. The brand, formerly known as Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, made a big splash when Norwegian took ownership in 2014.

The Seven Seas Suite, which falls in the middle of the pack of the ship’s cabin categories, sprawls over 800 square feet. It features a customizable in-suite minibar replenished daily with the guests’ preferences, and if you book this suite, you get priority access to online shore excursion reservations.

A Northern European August itinerary begins in Stockholm and ends in Oslo, with overnight stops in Berlin, Copenhagen and Oslo. One must request pricing from the line’s website.

4. Viking

In 2020, "Viking Cruises" was renamed simply "Viking" to signal its new luxury profile. The company began in Russia in 1997 as a river cruise line; now its ships ply the waters of oceans and rivers and offer expedition cruises.

The vessels accommodate up to nearly 1,000 guests. In late November, the Viking Neptune is offering a 15-day, six-country itinerary (starting from around $5,500 — the lowest-priced staterooms are sold out, but keep this benchmark in mind for the future), from Lisbon to Rome, and includes the ports of Seville, Mallorca and Valencia, Spain; Monte Carlo; Livorno, Italy (convenient to Florence and Pisa); Tangier, Morocco; Marseille, France; and an overnight in Barcelona.

The Penthouse Veranda category (around $12,000) still has availability.

If river cruises are your thing, Viking has a 12-day Nile River itinerary in May, starting at $7,500. The pyramids and other antiquity sites in Cairo and Luxor must be seen to be believed. Required reading/watching: Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile; the most recent film adaptation (starring Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer and Annette Bening) was released in 2022.

5. Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

The current iteration of the Ritz-Carlton hospitality brand dates from 1983, though its lineage can be traced back more than a century to the legendary Swiss hotelier César Ritz, who christened Ritz hotels in Paris and London. It’s safe to say that no cruise line enjoys the prestigious name recognition of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

In 2022, the line’s first vessel, the Evrima, set sail from Barcelona. Two additional ships were delivered in 2024 and 2025. The latest ship, Luminaria, will sail from Hong Kong to Tokyo in March; fares are from $22,700 (Terrace Suite) for 12 nights.

Guests will be treated to culinary stylings of Chef Paul Lau Ping Lui of Michelin-starred Tin Lung Heen at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong; and Chef Janice Wong, the brilliant chocolatier behind 2am : dessertbar, which offers refined sweets in Singapore and within the W Hotel Sydney. With 226 suites, the brand refers to the Luminaria as a super-yacht, thus coining a new category in the cruise ship lexicon.

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Question: My wife and I retired at 70 with $4.3 million. I want to travel, but she feels guilty spending "our grandkids' inheritance." I love my grandchildren to pieces, but I feel like the time to travel and have fun is now. Help!

Answer: Baby boomers only had an average 401(k) balance of $249,300 in 2025, according to Fidelity. If you retired at 70 with $4.3 million saved, you may have a lot more financial flexibility in retirement than many of your peers.

But just because you've saved $4.3 million doesn't mean you and your spouse both feel comfortable living it up. While you may be set on using a good chunk of that money to travel the world, your wife may be harboring feelings of guilt about spending money that could serve as an inheritance for your grandchildren. It's not an uncommon scenario. Here's how to handle it.

You don't necessarily have to choose

It's not unusual for spouses to disagree on how to spend their money. But with $4.3 million to work with, there may not be a need for much debate.

"The good news is that this couple may not have to choose between traveling now and leaving a legacy for their grandchildren, " says Ben Howarth, financial adviser at Barnum Financial Group.

As Howarth explains, there are strategies couples can use to allocate their retirement savings toward different goals, from annuities to life insurance policies. And those goals don't have to conflict. Rather, they can complement one another.

JoePat Roop, president at Belmont Capital Advisors, agrees. A situation like this, he says, "usually has far more to do with mindset than math."

"Many people view their life savings as one large bucket of money," Roop explains. But there's no reason you can't split your savings into different buckets and allocate each to a different goal.

A well-thought-out plan could reduce feelings of guilt

It can be tricky to think flexibly about how to spend your retirement savings when you're stuck in a certain mindset. But that could easily lead to feelings of guilt in the context of spending that really aren't warranted.

"Once savings start to feel like the children’s money or the grandchildren’s inheritance, spending can feel irresponsible, even when the entire purpose of saving was to support retirement," Roop explains. "That shift in thinking can quietly turn a very successful retirement into a restrictive one."

Roop says that in this situation, there's no reason the numbers can't support both the wife and husband's goal.

"A couple retiring at age 70 with 4.3 million dollars is not in a fragile position," he insists. A portfolio that size, Roop explains, could reasonably support about $130,000 to $170,000 per year, depending on the withdrawal rate used. And that's without outside income sources like Social Security or pensions.

That's why this couple, and anyone else in a similar situation, can benefit from a well-thought-out financial plan.

"When these types of conflicts arise, working with a financial adviser is often the best course of action," Howarth insists. "An adviser can present options, run different scenarios, and help provide the clarity and confidence needed to enjoy the money you worked so hard to earn."

Roop agrees. An adviser could help this couple create a clear separation, he explains, so that a portion of their $4.3 million in savings is allocated specifically for an inheritance, leaving the rest free to spend.

"If inheritance is the concern, designate a specific amount as a legacy fund," Roop says. "Invest it conservatively, document the intent, and mentally set it aside. Once that boundary is clear, the remaining assets can be viewed honestly for what they are — money intended to support the couple’s own retirement lifestyle."

Recognize that time isn't unlimited

While it's certainly important to come to a mutual agreement on how to spend retirement savings, in this situation, travel shouldn't necessarily be delayed while the finer points are ironed out.

As Roop points out, "Another important reality at age 70 is that time has become the limited resource, not money. Delaying travel or experiences in the name of safety often means those plans never come to fruition."

An additional point to consider, says Roop, is that your grandchildren may truly want you to travel and enjoy your money, and that doing so could help them avoid feelings of guilt if a large inheritance ends up coming their way.

"Most children and grandchildren do not want a larger inheritance if it comes at the expense of watching their parents or grandparents live smaller than they should," Roop insists. "What they usually want is to see them secure, fulfilled, and enjoying the life they spent decades building."

It may not hurt to sit down with your grandchildren to set some expectations and have open discussions about your plans for your money. You may find that doing so helps you enjoy traveling to the fullest without letting underlying feelings of guilt hold you back in any way.

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It’s all very well to pop down to the club for a game and a catch-up with friends, but for real golf fans, there’s little more exciting than exploring a trip to somewhere new and very different. The research, the organizing, the anticipation are all part of the package.

If you’re thinking of booking a golf vacation in 2026, consider these four brilliant and very different golfing destinations.

Each resort is perfect on its own but has plenty of other courses, visitor attractions and nearby activities to make it a worthwhile trip.

1. BOULDERS RESORT & SPA, Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale is an oasis of golf in the Sonoran Desert that's home to an incredible variety of fascinating and very different golf experiences.

Towards its northern reaches, Boulders Resort & Spa is blessed with two remarkable courses. Each was designed by Jay Morrish, an architect who worked with some of the industry’s greatest, including Robert Trent Jones and Jack Nicklaus. While the North is kept for members and their guests, the South is arguably more thrilling and creates a beautiful safari through the rocks that's open to all.

Benefitting from full bunker and greens renovations in recent times, the course runs through some prime real estate that is largely so far from the playing lines and so well screened by nature that you would hardly know it was there.

What you very much do get to see are the amazing rock formations that give the resort its name and the course its unique character. They're beautiful to behold and breathtaking in their stature.

The star of the show is the brilliant par-5 fifth with its split fairway, which plays to a green towered over by Boulder Pile, but there’s actually endless invention, intrigue and fun all the way.

Coupled with excellent accommodation, fine dining, the spa and other sport and recreation activities, this is a brilliant place to stay. While it can and does get super-hot in the height of summer, it’s still playable, though clearly a lot more comfortable the rest of the year.

Greens fees range from $289 to $329 per person, including cart. Full details, including golf-inclusive packages, are available at www.theboulders.com.

2. ROYAL PORTRUSH, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has three world-class links, with plenty of golfing enthusiasts rating the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush as the best in Ireland. It was originally designed by the godfather of golf course design, Harry Colt, and the links received a major upgrade prior to hosting the 2019 Open Championship.

So successful was the event, that it was awarded an early return last summer when world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler cruised to a 4-shot win en route to claiming his fourth Major.

This more recent work included the creation of two excellent new holes, the par-5 seventh and the two-shotter that follows, out in the dunes. These replaced a less remarkable finishing pair, resulting in a course that has no weaknesses. It’s a masterpiece in strategic design with the additional benefit of being an absolute picture.

Two of the many highlights are the dogleg 5th, which is played over the dunes and down to the beach, and the perfectly named par-3 16th, Calamity Corner. Luck out with a day of gentle breezes and it’s even possible to score well.

The second course here, the Valley, has been significantly improved and now is one of the best in the country. With the recent opening of the Rosses, a luxurious eight-room property overlooking the fourth fairway of the Dunluce, Royal Portrush has cemented its place as one of the finest clubs in the UK and Ireland.

Playing this historic Open Championship venue in 2026 will cost $550, with the excellent Valley Course less than half that. See www.royalportrushgolfclub.com for full details, including accommodation. Oh, and the other two top-class links are at Royal County Down, a two-hour drive, and Portstewart, just 10 minutes away along the coast.

3. FANCOURT ESTATE, Western Cape, South Africa

There are not one but three fine courses at Fancourt, a superb golf hotel midway along the Garden Route, which runs along South Africa’s spectacular southern coastline. The Montagu and Outeniqua designs are both extremely good and rank among the best in the country, but it is Gary Player’s remarkable links that attracts keen golfers from far and wide.

This is one of the most unlikely but brilliant transformations you'll find anywhere — a wild and rugged, modern, inland links that runs over very natural-looking marshland but is still different from anything you will have played before.

You could never guess that it has been created over a plot of land that, before its opening in 2000, was an airfield. With five par 5s and four varied short holes, there is variety and drama all the way. The course hosted the 2003 Presidents Cup, the only time that this prestigious event resulted in a tie.

Slightly less demanding, but arguably prettier, the Montagu is the oldest of the three courses, opening for play in 1990. It's enormous fun, has plenty of water, and is guaranteed to keep a smile on your face. It's been regularly upgraded and improved in recent years, and as the Outeniqua, it's kept in excellent shape.

Other than scoring an invite from a member, the only way to play the sensational Links course is to book a three-night package, which includes Fancourt’s two other very beautiful courses. This is strongly recommended. A visit to www.fancourt.co.za shows the options available for this friendly and all-encompassing experience.

4. REAL VALDERRAMA, Costa del Sol, Spain

While one of the most expensive courses in Europe, Real Valderrama also deservedly and consistently tops the continental course rankings. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1974, for many years it hosted the Volvo Masters, a flagship European Tour event. It has hosted other top-level events, such as the Spanish Open, and, most importantly, the dramatic 1997 Ryder Cup. The course was granted royal status — hence the ‘Real’ in its name — in 2014.

The fairways are lined with trees, many of them cork oak, and the immaculate greens are unusually small. The bunkers are deep and filled with a coarse, grainy sand that is uniform throughout.

Perhaps the most memorable holes are the two par fives at the fourth and 17th. The former is played on a beautifully sited and elevated green that is surrounded by rocks, waterfalls and a pond.

Just as dramatic, the penultimate hole has had a huge influence one way or the other on many important tournaments. It works its way from left to right, to a green that is protected by a dangerous, shaved slope. Anything not quite long enough will roll back into the water.

By limiting access, the course is almost never busy, and this both enhances the visitor experience while keeping the course in immaculate condition. Visitors are welcome from Monday to Thursday from noon to 1 p.m., and the course is open all year with the standard greens fee approximately $640 plus the requirement of one forecaddie per group at $70 plus tip. Full details are available at www.valderrama.com.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, our popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. Subscribe for retirement advice that's right on the money.

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More than 200,000 family reunions take place in the U.S. each year, according to research by GroupTravel.org, a website that helps people book group rates for hotels, airfare and more. Families who attend reunions enjoy a renewed connection with loved ones they already know and a chance to meet more-distant relatives.

A reunion can also inspire guests to learn about their family history. "It's a great opportunity for people to have fun, get to know each other and create the kind of memories that they’re going to talk about for years," says Suzanne Vargus Holloman, co-director of the Family Reunion Institute.

Most families hold reunions in the summer, over the course of about three days. That tends to offer them enough time to reconnect while also keeping the costs associated with hosting the reunion manageable. Especially for a multi-day event, a family reunion requires careful planning, well in advance, with intentional organization, realistic budgeting and clear communication. Use our guide to structure a family reunion that’s memorable, meaningful and fun.

Getting started with family reunion plans

Planning a reunion is a multistep project, and it's often too much for one person to tackle unassisted. To ease the load, pull together a core team of organizers among your family members, and reach out to them well ahead of the date you are thinking of holding the event.

Ideally, you'll begin 18 to 24 months in advance — especially if it's your family's first time hosting a reunion — to avoid rushing and allow you time to deal with inevitable bumps in the road, says Vargus Holloman.

Before you settle on roles for each member of the planning committee or make any assumptions about how the reunion should go, you might first survey your extended family to get their thoughts on preferred dates, locations, activities and budget comfort levels. Try using an online tool such as SurveyMonkey or Doodle.

Consider including younger family members in early planning conversations, too. For example, you could set up a Zoom call for teens and young adults to gather ideas and build early engagement, says Vargus Holloman.

As your vision takes shape, assemble a planning committee to support it, designating a chair who oversees all the planning as well as heads of several subcommittees. How you choose to divide up the work will depend on how many hands you have on deck as well as the scope of your reunion.

These are some of the subcommittees you may want to include:

• Activities and Events: Builds the schedule of events, ensuring options for all ages in attendance. (See the box below for more on the types of activities you may want to include.)
• Communications: Manages an e-mail list and perhaps a reunion website or a group on Facebook for communication within the extended family. Even after the reunion is over, these communication channels are often a way for family members to keep in touch and share news and updates with one another — and you can reuse them for future reunion coordination, says Vargus Holloman.
• Budget and Finance: Creates the budget and tracks expenses. Additionally, the budget committee can manage payments and negotiations with venues and vendors. Or assign those tasks to a separate venue-coordination committee.
• Family History: Researches the family's lineage, ensuring that the guest list includes everyone on the chosen branches of your family tree. They might also work with the activities subcommittee to develop programming inspired by your family's history.

If you don't have enough family volunteers to assemble a full team, you might consider hiring a professional event planner to help fill the gaps. Or, if you are putting together a large reunion, with upward of 200 guests, a professional may be best equipped to handle the job.

An event planner often charges a set price for a specific set of services, ranging from about $1,000 for limited or basic help to $10,000 or more for comprehensive planning.

For a more affordable alternative, consider enlisting a day-of event coordinator, who can help free up family organizers to participate in and enjoy the reunion. Some higher-end venues may include a coordinator in their services.

Typically, a day-of coordinator charges from about $800 to $3,000. The costs will depend on your location and the size and complexity of your event, as well as your coordinator’s experience and qualifications.

Funding the family reunion fun

Establishing a clear budget is key to the success of your family reunion. Start by asking yourself three questions: How many guests will you invite? How many days will it last? What cost level is comfortable for most attendees?

Limiting the size of your guest list is the primary way to keep your expenses under control. A picnic with fewer than 50 family members in a single afternoon, for example, will incur significantly lower costs than a weekend-long gathering with 150 relatives. And as you address the third question, keep in mind that a reunion spread over several days may be more costly than a one-day event for guests who have to book accommodations.

Then consider other factors that will affect your costs, including the type of venue you'll use (more on that below). Parks and community centers are among the most affordable options. Food and beverages will also likely account for a large portion of your budget.

Mixing in a few potluck-style gatherings among any catered or restaurant meals can trim your expenses. You might also consider relying on volunteer talent for entertainment, photography or decorations.

Dividing and tracking the expenses

You'll also need to sort out who's footing the bills. Is one person paying for the whole event, or will a few family members contribute? To further spread out the costs, you could ask all guests to pay a flat fee to attend. Or take a pay-as-you-go approach for activities.

You might, for example, offer options such as zip lining, bowling, a boat ride, a restaurant brunch and a catered dinner, asking each household to pay a fee for each activity they choose to participate in. You could use this approach for swag or souvenirs, too, e-mailing guests in advance to take orders for T-shirts, tote bags or other items.

If you're collecting money from relatives, invite them to help create the budget. Make your spending plans transparent from the outset so they know where their money is going and there are no surprises. A good way to do that is to set up a shared spreadsheet, such as with Google Sheets. "Tracking expenses carefully is a must," says Alvin Carlos, a certified financial planner based in Washington, D.C.

In your shared spreadsheet, list all expected costs — from food to lodging to T-shirts to decorations — and then fill in actual spending as it happens, says Carlos. "That way, everyone can see where the money's going, and no one feels left in the dark," he says.

As you estimate the costs, leave some cushion in your budget. It's wise to add 10% or more for unexpected expenses. "Most people underestimate how much things cost," says Carlos. It may be worth establishing a dedicated emergency fund.

Check the spreadsheet frequently. That way, you can act promptly if expenses are pushing the limits of your budget. Think about how you'll handle overspending before it happens; you may want to scale back on a particular activity, for instance, if you see that the costs to do it are adding up quickly.

On the flip side, you'll want to decide what to do with any leftover funds; you might save them for a future reunion or donate them to a predetermined cause.

Choosing the date and place

When you set the date for your family reunion, consider that school breaks and major holidays tend to coincide with peak travel periods and drive up travel costs.

Holding the reunion during an off-peak period, such as the fall shoulder season (mid-September to early November) or in late January through early March can keep travel expenses down. This may limit who can attend, particularly families with school-age children. But it's worth asking your relatives what might work for them before you settle on a date; you may be surprised by their flexibility. After you've polled your family members, pick a date that works with as many guests' schedules as possible.

As you narrow down a location, try to match it to your family's size, budget and interests. For a more casual event, ideas include a public park, community center, beach or lodge at a state park. While they may require a little bit more do-it-yourself work and expose you to weather risks, destinations such as these tend to be affordable and offer decent availability (although some sought-after sites may have high fees or long wait-lists).

Many campgrounds also offer reasonable pricing, as well as accommodations and a selection of family-friendly activities. For instance, Sandy Pines Campground in Kennebunkport, Maine, has a variety of lodging types, including traditional tent sites, "glamp" tents, RV sites and cottages, with prices ranging from about $75 to $250 per night. Amenities include lawn games, a "Kids' Kamp" with a playground and children's games, bike and boat rentals, and a heated saltwater pool.

If you prefer a more formal setting, you can opt for a resort, a hotel with a banquet room, or a retreat center. These venues may be more convenient and offer attractive amenities, although they come with a higher price tag.

The historic Adolphus Hotel, in Dallas, recently listed prices starting at about $175 per person for reception and catering packages; venue packages ranged from $5,000 to as much as $100,000. (With a venue package, you're typically charged a flat fee to use the event space, rather than by the guest, and it may include tables, chairs, linens, and food and drinks.)

For a casual venue, you can usually book six to 12 months out. But you'll want to make your reservation earlier than 12 months out for popular parks or campgrounds during peak seasons. For resorts and other venues that are more formal, it's best to book at least 12 to 18 months in advance to get your desired dates. And be aware that there will be competition for summer weekends; the longer you wait to book, the fewer dates may be available.

Look for price breaks as you compare venues. Sometimes, residents of a given locality get a discount. In St. Johns County, Fla., for instance, residents who reserve a beach pavilion at the Promenade at Pier Park enjoy a discount of $100, paying a daily rate of $250 plus tax instead of $350.

Sometimes, hotels and resorts bundle services together, waiving event-space rental fees if you book a certain number of rooms or reserve other spaces on the property.

Tackling the guest list

Composing the guest list may require a little research — or a lot, depending on how far you go on the family tree. If you prefer to host a small and intimate reunion, you might invite one branch, rather than the full extended family. Regardless of your approach, clarify which ancestor's or relative's lineage you're tracing.

Compiling a complete and inclusive guest list is important. After all, a reunion is designed to bring family together, and ensuring that you invite everyone from the selected lineage avoids hurt feelings. "Leaving out a branch — accidentally or otherwise — can create long-term problems," says Vargus Holloman.

Vargus Holloman recommends leaning on expert resources to research lineage. For example, you might try Genealogy Quick Start. Its YouTube channel features videos with guidance on how to effectively use major genealogy tools such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, as well as databases and archives, including census records and immigration or naturalization records.

If you've designated a family-history research committee, they can compile notes on your family's lineage, interview elders and even create a preliminary family tree. They may want to contact representatives of each branch of the family to confirm names and spellings as well as updated mailing and e-mail addresses.

Activities that make your event meaningful

As you put together a schedule of events and activities, keep in mind that a healthy mix of structured and unstructured time gives guests a chance to both feel engaged and relax together. For example, while children are doing a scavenger hunt, craft stations or field games, adults could enjoy a coffee or cocktail hour or take a break to explore the location before a more structured event that everyone attends later.

Think about ways that you can celebrate and honor your family's unique history. Presenting a slideshow of family photos stretching back over the years, for instance, may prompt guests to reminisce about memories together and learn about the family members who preceded them. (To gather photos, you could send an e-mail to guests in advance of the reunion with a request for contributions.)

The slideshow can run on a loop at an event, or you can designate a time for everyone to watch at once. Another idea: Create a photo wall, perhaps including photographs of milestones such as births, graduations and marriages. Consider leveraging free or low-cost tech tools for your visuals. Canva, for example, can be useful for composing photo boards.

To preserve your family's stories for future generations, consider asking guests to share an oral history, offering a quiet space where you can conduct and record interviews with them.

Start conversations with prompts to get them talking: What was the world like when you were growing up? How would you describe your parents and grandparents? What are your strongest memories of them? What advice would you give to someone in the family who's just starting out in life? StoryCorps offers an app that can help you record and archive oral histories so they can last for years to come.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

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Moving abroad, or even to a quieter town far from a major city, isn’t cheap. But in some parts of the world, local governments are willing to help pick up part of the tab.

Facing shrinking populations, labor shortages and aging residents, certain countries and small communities now offer cash grants, housing incentives and startup funding to attract new people.

These programs aren’t about paying people to vacation overseas. They’re long-term bets on newcomers who can help stabilize local economies, start businesses or simply keep small towns alive. Here’s how these relocation incentives work, and who they really make sense for.

Why some places will pay you to move

Many rural towns and smaller regions are losing residents as younger people head to cities for work. Others are struggling to attract skilled workers or entrepreneurs.

Rather than letting schools, businesses and infrastructure slowly disappear, local governments are offering financial incentives to encourage people to settle down.

Remote work has accelerated this trend. With more people able to work from anywhere, smaller communities see an opportunity to compete for talent, and they’re using cash, housing subsidies and tax perks to do it.

Who these incentives actually work for

Relocation incentives tend to work best for people with flexible income and a willingness to commit long-term. That includes:

• Remote workers who don’t need a local employer
• Entrepreneurs and startup founders
• Retirees or semi-retirees with independent income
• Families willing to relocate for work and live outside major metro areas

These programs generally aren’t a good fit for people looking to move short-term or anyone expecting a no-strings-attached payout.

Chile: Startup funding for entrepreneurs and innovators

Chile has one of the best-known relocation incentives for founders through its Start-Up Chile program.

Rather than focusing on geography alone, this initiative targets entrepreneurs with scalable business ideas. Selected applicants receive equity-free government funding, mentorship, a temporary visa and access to Chile’s startup ecosystem.

Grant amounts vary by program track, but funding can reach tens of thousands of dollars. In return, founders are expected to live in Chile for a set period and actively build their business there. It’s not passive income but for the right entrepreneur, it can significantly reduce early startup costs.

Ireland: Grants to restore vacant island homes

Ireland’s Our Living Islands initiative focuses on bringing new life to its smaller offshore islands.

The program offers generous renovation grants to people who buy and restore vacant or derelict homes on participating islands. Depending on the property, grants can reach tens of thousands of euros, helping offset renovation and relocation expenses.

There are strings attached. Buyers must meet residency requirements, follow strict renovation timelines and cover costs not included in the grant, such as planning fees, utilities and ongoing maintenance.

Still, for buyers willing to commit, the financial support can make an otherwise expensive restoration possible.

Italy: Cash incentives and €1 homes

Italy’s rural revival efforts have drawn global attention, especially the famous €1 home programs.

In many small towns, buyers can purchase abandoned homes for a symbolic price, provided they agree to renovate within a set time frame. Some regions also offer cash grants to new residents who relocate and stay for several years.

The catch is that renovation costs, property taxes and long-term maintenance are the buyer’s responsibility. These programs can be affordable entry points into Italian real estate, but they’re best suited for buyers with renovation experience, or at least realistic expectations.

For newcomers, understanding zoning rules, renovation permits and contractor logistics can be challenging, which is why guides on how to navigate renovating and relocating in Italy can help clarify what’s involved before committing.

Japan: Subsidies for rural relocation

Japan faces one of the world’s most dramatic population declines, especially outside major cities. To counter this, many municipalities offer relocation stipends, housing assistance and living subsidies.

The government and local authorities have developed a Regional Revitalization strategy, which includes financial incentives, housing support and community-integration programs designed to make rural living more attractive and economically viable. Some programs include structured community roles that may come with financial support and living stipends while participants contribute to tourism, agriculture, marketing, local services or other community needs.

In some communities, relocation incentives may also include subsidized housing, renovation assistance or support for starting a local business. Eligibility can extend to foreign residents who secure the appropriate visa, depending on the municipality.

Spain: Village bonuses for families and remote workers

Several rural Spanish villages offer modest relocation bonuses, sometimes with additional payments for children. These programs are typically run by local governments hoping to stabilize schools and services. Proof of income or employment is often required, along with a multi-year residency commitment.

Living costs are generally lower than in Madrid or Barcelona, but services can be limited, making these programs a better fit for people comfortable with slower-paced, rural living.

Prospective movers should also understand Spain’s visa and residency rules before relocating; resources outlining the immigration process to Spain can help explain key requirements and timelines.

Switzerland: Small-town cash incentives

A handful of Swiss towns have experimented with direct cash incentives to attract residents. One well-known example is Albinen, which has offered relocation payments to younger newcomers who buy property and commit to living there long-term.

The incentives can add up, especially for families, but Switzerland’s high cost of living quickly offsets the upfront cash. Housing, healthcare and taxes remain expensive, making this option best for higher-income households.

What these relocation incentives really cover (and what they don’t)

Relocation incentives vary widely in how they’re paid. Here’s what you should know:

Upfront cash vs. reimbursements: Some programs provide direct cash grants, while others reimburse expenses after you’ve met residency or renovation milestones.

Taxes on incentives: In many countries, relocation incentives may be taxable, meaning you could owe income or local taxes on the benefit. Prospective movers should consult a tax professional to avoid unexpected tax liabilities.

Excluded costs: Most programs do not cover routine relocation expenses such as visa fees, healthcare premiums, transportation, schooling costs, or long-term housing maintenance.

Financial checklist before relocating internationally

Considering a relocation incentive? Here are a few financial steps to take before you commit:

1. Perform a cost of living analysis: Compare housing, utilities, groceries and transportation in your prospective destination using global cost calculators.

2. Account for currency risk and banking access: Understand how exchange rates will affect your income and access to banking services abroad.

3. Healthcare and insurance: Research public healthcare eligibility or international health insurance options. Many countries require private coverage for new residents.

4. Understand tax residency rules: Your tax obligations can change significantly when you relocate, both at home and abroad.

Countries that pay you to move aren’t handing out free money. They’re offering incentives in exchange for long-term commitment. For the right person, especially remote workers, entrepreneurs or retirees, these programs can make a big move more affordable. But success depends on understanding the fine print before you pack your bags.

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Once the holiday glow wears off, winter can feel long. The calendar fills up again, daylight disappears too early and the next “real” vacation feels far off.

You may not need a full week away to reset, though. Sometimes, a small break is enough to lift your mood and give you something to look forward to.

That’s where microvacations come in. These short, intentional getaways, often just a long weekend, can provide many of the same mental and emotional benefits as longer trips, without the cost or planning stress. And right in the middle of winter, that can make a noticeable difference.

What exactly is a microvacation?

A microvacation usually lasts one to four days. It doesn’t require long flights, complicated itineraries or a big chunk of time off work. Instead, it’s about stepping away from your normal routine, even briefly.

That might mean driving a few hours to a nearby town, booking a one-night stay at a hotel close to home or spending a long weekend focused on rest and enjoyment. The point isn’t how far you go. It’s the mental shift that comes from doing something different on purpose.

Why short getaways actually help

Medical experts say that even short breaks from daily stress can be good for your health. According to the Cleveland Clinic, time away from work and routine stressors can help lower cortisol levels, improve mood and sharpen focus.

Other health experts, including those at the Mayo Clinic, note that stepping out of your usual environment (even briefly) can help reset your brain. Getting outside, changing scenery or simply slowing down gives your mind a break from constant stimulation.

You don’t need a plane ticket to experience this. A well-planned long weekend can still help you come back feeling clearer and more refreshed.

Choosing your motivation style

One of the best parts of microvacations is how flexible they are. You can shape them around what you actually need right now: rest, connection, fun or simply a change of scenery.

A weekend road trip is often the easiest option, especially if you live near small towns, scenic areas or beaches. A nearby city stay can be perfect if you’re craving good food, museums or live entertainment without committing to long travel days.

Nature-focused getaways, like cabins, national parks or lakeside towns, can be especially refreshing if you want quiet time to unplug. Others prefer themed escapes, such as a food-and-wine weekend, a spa stay or an arts-focused trip built around galleries, shows or festivals.

Microvacations don’t always have to revolve around a destination, either. Visiting friends or relatives who live out of town can be just as restorative. A short weekend trip to see a sibling in another state for a birthday, or a long weekend spent catching up with a close friend who lives a few hours away, can provide both a mental break and a meaningful connection.

Because you’re stepping out of your normal environment and routines, the time away can still feel like a true getaway, even if you’re sleeping in a guest room instead of a hotel.

For many people, these kinds of trips are easier to plan, less expensive and emotionally rewarding. They offer a reminder that a microvacation doesn’t have to look like a postcard to do its job. It just has to give you space to reset.

Practical ways to plan without stress

Because microvacations are short, a little planning goes a long way.

Start by choosing your dates and setting a realistic budget. Having something officially scheduled, even a two-day trip, can make it feel more exciting and easier to protect on your calendar.

Pack lightly. Short trips don’t need overthinking, and traveling with less can make the experience feel calmer from the start.

When planning activities, aim for a mix of structure and flexibility. Pick one or two things you really want to do, then leave room for rest. Trying to squeeze too much into a short trip can make it feel rushed instead of restorative.

Most importantly, plan for downtime. Sleeping in, lingering over meals or taking a slow walk often ends up being the most refreshing part.

Making it feel like a real break

Microvacations work best when you actually unplug.

Before you leave, let coworkers know when you’ll be unavailable and who to contact if something urgent comes up. Turning off work email and notifications, even temporarily, can make a big difference in how relaxed you feel.

The same goes for home life. Setting expectations with family or friends helps protect the time so it doesn’t turn into “working from somewhere else.”

Budget-friendly ways to make it happen

Microvacations don’t have to be expensive.

Look for places within driving distance that you’ve never quite gotten around to visiting. Many areas have charming towns, parks or attractions that feel new without the added cost of airfare.

Traveling off-peak, such as midweek stays or slower seasons, can bring lower prices and fewer crowds. Last-minute hotel deals can also work well if your schedule is flexible.

Free or low-cost activities can round out your plans, too. Parks, walking tours, local markets, free museum days and scenic neighborhoods can provide plenty to do without stretching your budget.

Coming back without losing the benefits

How you return from a microvacation matters almost as much as the trip itself.

If you can, ease back into your routine instead of jumping straight into a packed schedule. A lighter first day back can help the calm last a little longer.

It also helps to plan the next break sooner rather than later. Knowing you have another microvacation on the horizon (even a small one) can make the rest of winter feel much more manageable.

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At a certain point in one's life — involving financial security, luxurious tastes and the nearing of retirement age — avid travelers might want to choose vacation destinations with an eye toward relocation.

You might be serious about the possibility, or it might just be a back-of-mind fantasy. But such trips could be life-changing.

"When retirees are in 'splurge mode,' I encourage them to be strategic about it: Choose a blow-out trip in a place you could actually imagine living one day, then just enjoy it as a holiday," counsels Federica Grazi, founder and managing director of Mitos Relocation Solutions, which focuses on retirement in Greece.

"If the idea of staying longer keeps nudging you while you're having your morning coffee or evening drink, that's a powerful data point before you ever open a spreadsheet about taxes, visa or cost of living."

Grazi says that a luxury stay is not about replicating your future retirement abroad; it's about removing friction so you can really feel the country. "Great service, beautiful surroundings and no day-to-day stress give you a clear emotional signal: Do I feel at home here, or not?"

However, she says, "The real risk with ultra-luxury is that you become too disconnected from the country you're trying to 'test'. If your goal is to explore a place as a potential retirement destination, the sweet spot is luxury that's deeply rooted in the local territory — local food, local culture, local people — with five-star comfort layered on top."

Here are some splurge experiences (both city hotels and self-contained resorts) that could turn into something more permanent.

1. Rome, Italy

The ivy-covered Hotel Raphaël might not be the costliest place to stay in Rome's historic center, but its location, to the west of Piazza Navona, is incomparable.

It's lovely, private and exclusive; to most travelers, it's a hidden treasure (check out the rooftop bar), but within walking distance to the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. Ristorante Santa Lucia, featured prominently in the film Eat, Pray, Love, is just steps away.

Price: When Romans flood back home after the boiling heat of summer, expect prices to spike to more than $600/night in September at Hotel Raphaël.

Accessibility: Taxis can be difficult to flag down in the Eternal City, but the hotel's staff will hook you up in no time.

Health care: Hospitals in Rome are top-rated.

Safety: Rome is generally safe, but keep an eye out for pickpockets. Secure your valuables.

2. Antigua, Caribbean

"In Antigua, the standout experience is Jumby Bay — a private island that has long been a favorite of high-profile guests for its exclusivity, arriving by private jet and private ferry," says Joe Rice, head of citizenship programs at Global Citizen Solutions.

"For a paired experience, you can take a boat to Barbuda for a day at Nobu. From November to April, which is peak yacht season, rent a yacht in Barbuda for a few days on the water. Many travelers use local concierge services, such as CaribLife, to organize their time there." Real estate options on Jumby Bay are expansive and diverse.

Price: A Jumby Bay cottage is $3,000-plus in high season

Accessibility: Buggies and boats will take you anywhere you want to go.

Health care: To seek medical care on the main island of Antigua, expats obtain travel insurance to access the private system.

Safety: Security is ultra-high on this private island.

3. Madeira, Portugal

"Madeira is a favorite among affluent Portuguese families, especially over New Year's Eve when the fireworks light up the entire bay," enthuses Patricia Casaburi, CEO of Global Citizen Solutions. "It's a beautiful and comfortable escape with mild weather all year and a relaxed pace, making it ideal for retirees looking for somewhere easy yet with impressive landscapes."

Price: Reid's Palace, A Belmond Hotel, an institution set on a seaside rock outcropping, offers rooms starting at around $850 during high season.

Accessibility: It's probably best to rent a car for comfort and freedom to explore, but buses and taxis are available.

Health care: The island's Hospital Particular da Madeira is your best bet.

Safety: Rated extremely safe.

4. French Riviera

"Swimmers and epicureans will swoon over the Belle Epoque Four Seasons Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, situated on a hill that overlooks the Mediterranean on the French Riviera," says luxury travel adviser Becca Hensley.

"Do laps in the oceanside pool where Picasso, Paul McCartney and Elton John — among others — jumped in, then eat a well-deserved dinner at Michelin-starred Le Cap. The property encompasses some 17 acres of gardens and epitomizes classic French glitz."

Price: More than $3,000 per night is a typical high-season rate, but you might be able to snag a $2,000 room in October, at the end of the season. Note that the hotel is closed for winter refurbishment until March 6, 2026

Accessibility: The French Riviera has all the conveniences of a highly developed area. There is ample train service on the coast and deeper into France.

Health care: High-quality service, with a public option for residents and private insurance for better service.

Safety: The Riviera is generally safe, but as in all touristed areas, take precautions against pickpockets.

5. Vienna, Austria

"For holiday stays for those with a sweet tooth, check into Vienna's Hotel Sacher," Hensley recommends. "Located next to the historic Vienna State Opera House on the renowned shopping street Kärntner Strasse, the lavish hotel is famous for its decadent chocolate Sacher Torte.

Don't miss the Albertina Museum — and in season, enjoy the plethora of holiday markets located near the hotel."

Price: Though the bare-bones rate might start at around $600, once spring hits, expect room rates of around $1,200. Prices can drop to around $700 in the summer, as people seek out beach destinations.

Accessibility: You name it in this walkable city: apps, buses, trams, trains, bike rentals.

Health Care: Vienna has all the hospital options of any major city in a highly developed country.

Safety: Vienna is an extremely safe city in which to visit and live.

6. French Polynesia

To hole up inside an overwater villa at The Four Seasons Bora Bora is to experience nirvana, and if you never want to leave the property, a small number of private homes is available for purchase ($5 million is a typical asking price).

Price: Per night, a $2,500 price tag is typical.

Accessibility: You can walk or request a golf cart ride all over this sprawling property. It takes roughly 45 minutes to fly to Tahiti (and a short ferry ride to nearby Moorea), where you should rent a car or hire a driver to see the sights.

Health care: Hospitals are located in Tahiti, French Polynesia's main island and at the gateway to its international airport.

Safety: Not an issue at one of the world's top private island resorts. Crime is low in Tahiti's capital of Papeete.

7. Athens, Greece

"For city lovers, a splurge stay in central Athens or on the Athenian Riviera — for example at a grande dame hotel near Syntagma or at the Four Seasons Astir Palace in Glyfada — lets you test a very different retirement model: museums, concerts, excellent health care and an international airport within easy reach, plus the islands just a ferry ride away," Grazi says.

Price: At the start of the swim season in April, rooms at the Four Seasons fetch starting prices at $930 and higher.

Accessibility: The metro, buses and taxis are all readily available, and the city has made strides to make major landmarks more accessible.

Health care: Athens has a plethora of high-quality hospitals, and Greece in general offers high-quality care. Health care is free or heavily subsidized, even for expats.

Safety: Violent crime is low in this generally safe capital.

8. Paphos, Cyprus

"In Cyprus, I'd send a retiree considering Paphos to somewhere like Anassa for their money-is-no-object trip," Grazi advises. "You get a very soft landing: Mediterranean views, strong spa and wellness offerings, and easy day trips to the harbor, archaeological sites and nearby villages.

"If that combination of sea, climate and scale feels right, it's worth exploring what a more everyday version of life there could look like."

Price: Starting in high season in the spring, expect pricing of $600-plus per night at Anassa.

Accessibility: Though there is a bus system, most visitors opt for taxis and car rentals.

Health care: Cyprus boasts high-quality health care in a range of hospitals throughout the island.

Safety: Low crime rate and generally safe.

9. Fiji

The lush InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa provides a soft landing in this far-flung South Pacific archipelago. It's located south of the major city of Nadi and is encircled by lovely beaches. Once you're at the resort, everything is there, from the spa to water sports to golf.

Price: Fiji's dry season, from May to October, is the best time to visit, with rates ranging from $500 to $600 a night.

Accessibility: The hotel offers complimentary self-parking. A car is a good way to discover the island.

Health care: Nadi's Pacific Specialist Healthcare is highly regarded. International health insurance is recommended.

Safety: Fiji is a safe place; just take normal precautions with valuables.

10. Costa Rica

The one Latin American country that should be on every pre-retiree's list is the land of "pura vida" (pure life).

The still relatively undeveloped Papagayo Peninsula, on the country's west side (Atlantic coast), features top-tier hotel brands such as Andaz and Four Seasons. Water sports are plentiful, and inland trips to waterfalls and hot springs are readily available.

Price: Rates at the Andaz and the Four Seasons land at around $2,000 a night, give or take.

Accessibility: Cars are a necessity if you live off the peninsula (note that Papagayo offers increasingly interesting real estate options, with residents allowed access to the exquisite beach club). If you're visiting, you can make do with hotel transport, but if you are moved to snap up a property, a car is a good idea.

Health care: Esteemed hospitals, both public and private, are in the capital of San José. The health care system is so respected that San José is known for its medical tourism.

Safety: Papagayo Peninsula is well-guarded and extremely safe; the country is also considered safe (outside some dicey areas in San José).

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If you're planning to visit a U.S. national park this year, be prepared to wait in longer lines and bring documentation proving you're a U.S. citizen. If you're a non-U.S. citizen visiting, bring your patience and $100.

The Trump administration announced that, starting January 1, international visitors and other non-U.S. residents age 16 and older must pay a $100 surcharge in addition to regular entrance fees at 11 of the country’s most popular national parks.

As a result, the policy has created a logjam for national park staff, who must use their limited resources to verify each visitor’s residency status and collect the fee from visitors who do not qualify for the resident rate.

Here's a breakdown of why there's a new fee for nonresidents, the 11 parks impacted and the fallout from the fee implementation.

Why is the fee going into place? Which parks does it impact?

President Donald Trump’s executive order calls for nonresidents ages 16 and older to pay $100 apiece to visit national parks.

The executive order directs that these fees be used "to improve the infrastructure of, or otherwise enhance enjoyment of or access to, America’s federal recreational areas," according to the National Park Service.

This fee will apply to the following 11 national parks:

• Acadia National Park (Maine)
• Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
• Everglades National Park (Florida)
• Glacier National Park (Montana)
• Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
• Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
• Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
• Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (California)
• Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
• Yosemite National Park (California)
• Zion National Park (Utah)

To be fair, the park service has a massive backlog of deferred maintenance totaling in the billions. Their aim is to use these funds to repair roads, bridges, buildings and utilities.

How to prepare before visiting a national park

When you visit one of these national parks, you'll need to supply information showing you qualify for the resident rate. Acceptable documents include a U.S. passport, your driver's license, a state ID or a Permanent Resident Card (green card).

If you're a non-resident, you can pay the $100 fee at the time you visit or purchase the America the Beautiful Annual Pass for $250, which covers visits to all 11 national parks for the year. The pass is only $80 for Americans. You'll still need to bring a photo ID each time you visit a park.

The fee has prompted backlash from visitors and a lawsuit

The National Park Service is already understaffed, with the Trump administration shrinking its workforce by a quarter in an effort to shrink the size of the federal government. As such, the parks you visit will likely be short-staffed, prompting longer wait times to enter. One staffer told The Guardian this new fee will "alienate visitors for decades."

The fee rollout has also prompted a lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity. One claim challenges Trump’s order to place his image on the America the Beautiful annual pass instead of the contest-winning photo of Glacier National Park.

The lawsuit argues this violates the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 because the image was not selected through a public contest and was not taken on federal land.

The lawsuit also alleges the fee changes were rushed and unlawful, arguing that federal rules do not allow parks to set different entrance fees based on residency or visitor status. If successful, the suit seeks to block the fee increase and reverse the policy.

The takeaway on the new fee implementation

The $100 fee on nonresidents visiting national parks is intended to raise money to support park infrastructure, so not all of the burden falls on U.S. taxpayers.

If you plan to visit a national park this year, bring proof of residency and your patience, as longer wait times are likely. Still, the stunning views at these parks make the extra wait worthwhile.

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Everybody (rightfully) looks forward to booking a vacation, especially in the dreary days of winter. But the ever-present issue with travel is that, well, it costs a lot of money. Between picking out flights, shelling out for hotels and selecting special destination experiences, the vacation tab starts out high and only continues to climb.

That's where the new "buy now, pay later" options have been coming in handy for many travelers. But does it make sense to use buy now, pay later as a way to afford your vacation?

While there are certainly upsides, there is a lot you need to consider before you press "yes" on "BNPL."

What is buy now, pay later?

Buy now, pay later programs are exactly what they sound like: They give you the option of buying something – whether it’s a clothing item, a piece of furniture, or yes, even a flight — without handing over the full price at this exact moment. Instead, you opt into a payment plan, which may require you to pay in four biweekly installments, pay monthly over a set period of time, or pay the full price at a specific selected date in the future, among other options.

Popular services like Klarna, Afterpay, Flex Pay and Affirm are dedicated to this method and pop up on most websites as a payment choice, and even PayPal has started offering buy now, pay later options come checkout time.

The pros of using buy now, pay later to finance your vacation

The obvious benefit of using BNPL is that you can essentially purchase what you want, even if you don't have the funds for it right now. This can be particularly enticing for travel.

Airfare can rise dramatically, hotels run out of rooms and experiences are booked up as your departure date approaches. Plus, there may be a sale or a special vacation package being offered you need to take advantage of now. You may also be on a saving schedule where you'll have the budget ready to spend on the trip – at the time of the trip itself, not months before it starts.

Another benefit? Unlike credit cards, most (but not all) BNPL services are zero-interest, provided you make on-time payments, of course. Otherwise, most of them will start charging interest on your missed payments.

The cons of using buy now, pay later

Although it's easy to see why BNPL makes sense at first glance, the reality is it's usually not a smart financial decision, especially when it comes to vacations. After all, while we wish vacations were a necessity, the reality is that they're not.

If you can’t pay for it now, it's simply not a wise move to book a trip: You're essentially just kicking the can down the road, accumulating more and more debt that you can't say for sure you'll pay off on time.

In fact, Brady Wright, a Certified Financial Planner with Golden Road Advisors, strongly warns against using BNPL for any purpose, citing the hidden potential fees associated with this kind of service and describing it as "the latest iteration of the same psychological trick credit card companies have been using for decades: 'Get what you want now, worry about it later.'"

"Retailers partner with BNPL companies because they can show you a price tag that's 75% smaller upfront while dangling phrases like 'interest-free' in front of you — and that gets consumers to spend significantly more," he explained.

It's not just about you buying more than you were planning on, either, he warned. It's also about making a profit off any potential lapses on your part.

"BNPL companies are banking on the fact that a percentage of users will miss payments, at which point they can charge substantial fees or interest rates. Miss a payment, and you're hit with compounding interest that can quickly spiral," Wright said.

So, should you use buy now, pay later for your vacation?

While there are situations where it may make financial sense to set up a Klarna plan for a trip (where you know for sure you're going to pay it off the following week and want to take advantage of a travel deal, for example), those occurrences are rare.

In general, if you need to depend on a BNPL plan to book a vacation, it's probably not a good idea to go now. While it may seem like a temporary godsend, these plans add up quickly and can plunge you into a vicious cycle, especially if you miss a payment and the service decides to charge you interest on your remaining balance. We all deserve a vacation, but no amount of relaxing on a trip makes up for the eventual stress that future financial issues will bring you.

"Whether it's credit cards or BNPL, you need to recognize that both forms of debt allow others to profit at the expense of your ability to build wealth and achieve your long-term financial goals," Wright emphasized.

And keep an eye out if your child mentions using BNPL to go on vacation with you or if they're planning a trip on their own: BNPL purchases are the reason behind 28% of total unsecured consumer debt for borrowers aged 18 to 24, according to the Consumer Finance Bureau. Make sure to warn them of the dangers these kind of services pose to their overall financial well-being, and explain what you both need to do in order to have a successful trip:

Work on slowly setting aside money for your travels. Use this Bankrate tool to find the quickest ways to achieve this:

Next, draw up a budget and timeline if needed so you're able to afford it when it comes time to book. Your trip will be happier and more relaxing if it's already paid off by the time you arrive at your destination.

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The first time an editor assigned me to a cruise, I sniffed. "I'm an adventurer! I don't like to be told where to be and when, and least of all, with a bunch of strangers."

I was astonished to be proven wrong, and to learn what, in 2026, an estimated 21 million U.S. travelers already know.

A cruise, especially a luxury one, is one of the most efficient, stress-free ways to see the world. I loved unpacking my bags only once, and delighted in the coffee bar 20 steps from my suite. Above all, I reveled in the silence of the open sea.

I became a true convert when I experienced an expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, one of the Seabourn cruise line's stunning purpose-built vessels. Expedition cruises are among the fastest-growing trends in travel. According to 2025's State of the Cruising Industry Report, the number of passengers on these highly immersive, customized sailings increased 22% from 2023 to 2024.

The Venture and its sister ship, Seabourn Pursuit, were designed to deliver small numbers of guests to remote places that are unreachable by larger ships and do it in high luxury.

On the bow deck one morning, looking for dolphins in the waters off Brazil, a new friend explained, "Expedition travel is a whole new way to see the world. We've been waiting a long time for this."

Seabourn Venture is furnished with 24 Zodiacs — the rigid inflatable boats made famous by ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau — for viewing wildlife and exploring glaciers or narrow fjords. There are kayaks, too, which I paddled through a tributary of the Amazon River filled with clusters of giant water lilies.

Built to accommodate 264 passengers and a 120-person crew, the elegant, 558-foot ship was designed for maximum comfort. But these days, people also crave rich cultural experiences, with a learning component that satisfies a discerning traveler's curiosity. For me, the onboard expedition team was the transformational aspect of my voyage.

On my cruise up the Amazon and along Brazil's coastline were 23 experts in fields ranging from naturalists and cultural historians to marine biologists and ornithologists. Among the experts were two submarine pilots of the ship's two Dutch-built custom subs for exploration. They all offered lectures onboard, or shared knowledge on shore during excursions, and made the voyage fascinating and meaningful.

Winter expedition itineraries start at about $9,700, for a sail along Brazil and Argentina to the Falkland Islands, and range from 11 to 34 days, with cruises to Chilean fjords, the Pitcairn Islands and many to Antarctica. The rest of the year, expedition ships sail the remainder of the globe — Seabourn Venture alone, to 107 destinations across 23 countries. All (delicious) meals, alcohol, tipping and some excursions are included.

My personal wish is to book passage on the upcoming Arctic-to-Antarctica voyage, a.k.a. the Pole to Pole: Grand Expedition. It's something I might have only dreamed of, but now, incredibly, is possible.

Explore Grenada

Six Senses La Sagesse, a 71-room hotel on Grenada, the southern Caribbean island, opened in 2024, as the IHG Hotels & Resorts luxury brand's first property in the Western Hemisphere. Along with its focus on high-end wellness and sustainability, the company plants roots in locations that have cultural authenticity and a strong sense of heritage.

Natural beauty is also a priority, and much of La Sagesse was built on a headland above the Atlantic, with hypnotic views of the waves. The property includes a lagoon, flushed by seawater and ringed by mangroves, which promote biodiversity and create a shield from erosion. The landscape manager oversaw a major rewilding of the area, including more than 10,000 new plantings, all species native to the Caribbean region.

The 38-acre island resort is dense with lush tropical greenery — coconut palms, trumpet flowers, wild ginger, coastal vines and fragrant jasmine. There are two small beaches on the property, offering plenty of water sports—snorkeling, paddleboarding and kayaking.

But La Sagesse is surprising in a hugely appealing way: It's less a sandy beach resort than a place for deep connection to the natural surroundings, for privacy and intimacy, and of course, for exceptional food at three in-house restaurants: Callaloo; SeaFire; and Panquai. The two picture-perfect pools are where I'll find repose in my winter fever dreams; either that, or in the spa and wellness center.

What I found most exceptional about La Sagesse, besides my bright, chic room with its own plunge pool, was to be immersed in the uniqueness of Grenada itself. My host and driver, 24-year-old Emron King, led me on a hike to a waterfall, stopping to pick a ripe cacao pod and crunch cinnamon leaves in my hand.

Grenada, known as the Spice Island, is one of the world's largest producers of nutmeg, cloves, ginger and turmeric. It also produces top-quality chocolate, and Emron took us to a bean-to-bar production facility. I picked up a dozen bars to carry home, as well as spice packets from the market.

To me, La Sagesse is the getaway from the getaway, a glamorous but relaxed resort on a lesser-traveled, sunny island full of cultural heritage. Rooms start at $700, and if you book your trip before December 31 for travel before December 31, 2026, you might benefit from the Grenada Grand Edition offer, which includes a $1,000 resort credit. You'll hardly believe the warmth of your welcome, from the mostly Grenadian staff.

California dreaming

There are many reasons to travel domestically, but the most compelling one for me is our national parks. They are a reminder of our country's vastness, geological diversity and sublime natural beauty.

California's Joshua Tree National Park is barely an hour from the mid-century snazz of Palm Springs, and its charming airport. It's hard to conjure a more salubrious respite, and one that better clears the cobwebs from the brain, than a winter trip to the park on the edge of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts.

Joshua Tree is larger than Rhode Island, and its Suessian landscape of those titular trees and rounded, granite monoliths provide vistas that steal the breath at every lookout. There are countless trails for wandering or scrambling onto weather-softened boulder piles.

Stone Adventures can craft an outdoor experience, including hiking and rock climbing. In winter, layers rule: Down jackets in the morning, tee-shirts in the afternoon and crisp, crackling sunshine over the mesmerizing scenery.

In the past, luxury accommodations were rare near Joshua Tree. No longer. Hotel Wren opened in 2025, just off the main drag in Twentynine Palms, a few miles from the north entrance of the park.

The 12-room boutique hotel is a reverently and stylishly restored 1940s roadside motel, with a center courtyard around a heated pool. Every detail presents a carefully considered design still-life: a mocha leather corner chair, linen curtains rippling over original casement windows, an in-room kitchen with earth-toned Japanese porcelain and a brick fireplace in the lobby. Rooms start at $299, but offers pop up occasionally.

The Wren seems to exist in a juniper-scented cloud, where the hospitality is easy and attentive. My experience there was both wildly comfortable and warmly comforting, as if it was not a hotel, but my own private desert hideaway

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, our popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. Subscribe for retirement advice that's right on the money.

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Question: I'm 73, retired, and dreading winter, but I can't afford to be a snowbird. Help!

Answer: If you find yourself getting a little down as winter approaches, you're not alone. A good 41% of Americans say their mood declines in the winter, according to a new poll from the American Psychiatric Association. Alongside that, 27% report feeling depressed, while 28% say they feel fatigued.

If you're retired, winter can be an especially difficult and isolating time. And for many retirees, the solution is adopting a snowbird lifestyle, where you own a second home in a warmer climate or rent one during the winter months to escape the cold.

But what if money is tight in retirement, and the snowbird lifestyle doesn't fit into your budget?

The average retirement savings for Americans ages 65 to 74 was $609,230 in 2022. While that figure is a bit dated, it shows that the average older American isn't necessarily rolling in money, even with Social Security factored in.

If you're a 73-year-old retiree who's absolutely dreading winter, you're apt to be in good company. But if you can't afford to escape your colder climate for months at a time, you may be wondering how you're going to get through the upcoming season. Here are some tips for managing winter and maintaining a healthy outlook until spring rolls around.

Look at short getaways that help you recharge

You may not be able to afford a three-month visit to Florida. But Hope Albu, CFP and Senior Financial Planner at UMB Bank, says you may be able to swing one or two shorter getaways that give you a break from the cold.

"Start by setting up and periodically reviewing your budget to see what travel options are available to you for the winter months," Albu says. "You can also work with a financial planner to build a smart spending plan that will incorporate your goal of escaping the colder climate."

Albu says planning for a few short getaways could be a good solution to your problem.

"These mini-vacations can help you recharge during the winter … and may provide you with activities that you enjoy without the enormous price tag," she says.

Albu also suggests seeing if it's possible to stay with friends or family in warmer climates.

"This option would allow you to cut down on some expenses," she explains.

Address the root of the problem

It's easy to adopt an "I don't like winter" attitude. But Brian Seymour, II, CEO and founder of Prosperitage Wealth, suggests addressing the root of the problem to come up with solutions.

"When retirees tell me they’re dreading winter," he says, "I always start with the real question. What part of winter is actually worrying you? Is it the cold? The isolation? Limited mobility? Once we’re able to identify the root issue, the solutions usually cost far less than a snowbird lifestyle."

If, for example, you find that winter feels isolating, you could try exploring more options for local meetups or clubs. Or if the issue is that driving feels unsafe, Seymour says you can try to make room in your budget for transportation help, such as using rideshares.

Don't make assumptions about what you can afford

A vacation home or months-long rental may not be something you can swing. But that doesn't mean you can't afford other options that make winter more tolerable.

"My therapist always tells me to test your assumption,'' Seymour says. "Before you assume you can’t afford to escape winter in any form, it helps to revisit the numbers with fresh eyes."

Many retirees, he says, are surprised to learn they can build a low-cost winter strategy simply by planning ahead.

"A small winter 'sinking fund' [a fund set aside for a specific purpose], something as small as $25 to $100 a month, creates room in the budget for things that genuinely improve quality of life," Seymour insists. These could include a short hotel stay during an ice storm or help around the house.

"The goal is to build a winter routine that keeps you warm, connected, and emotionally well," he insists. "That’s possible on almost any budget.

Plan your escape strategically

You may have more options for escaping the cold if you plan ahead carefully.

"Off-season rentals, home swaps, visiting friends or family, or joining a senior travel group can all give you the warmth and social connection you crave without the year-round financial demands of a second home," Seymour insists. If you're willing to get creative and do your research, you may find that you're able to escape to a warmer climate more easily.

Consider traveling during shoulder season, flying to smaller airports and other money-saving travel tips for retirees.

Albu agrees and suggests finding different off-the-beaten-path locations and times to travel.

"Some airlines offer deeply discounted fares at various points in the year," she says. A travel rewards or cash back card could help pay for some or all of your airfare. And if you're willing to look outside of popular destinations like Florida or the Caribbean, you may find that you're able to get a much-needed break from winter without straining your finances.

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