‘Baby boomers are the new backpackers’ – how to find the best deals as an older traveller

With more time to travel off-peak, take advantage of lower fares and make the most of last-minute deals, older travellers have never had more opportunity to see the world

Ken Andrew and wife Mairead in Thailand this month

Ken Andrew

A newly retired friend recently WhatsApped me from the airport where he was enjoying a breakfast beer with his wife. “We’re exhausted from looking after our hyperactive grandson,” he said. “But sod that for retirement — we’re off travelling around Vietnam for a month.”

They’re not the only ones eschewing the prospect of spending their latter years as dotage daycarers. Research shows that the Baby Boomer generation appear to be heading abroad more than ever before, with many favouring independent travel to more exotic destinations for longer periods.