4 Travel Tips for Empty Nesters

You’ve waved goodbye and shed some tears—now it’s time to revel in your newfound independence! As an empty nester, you can leave behind the days of kid-centric vacations and start ticking places off your personal bucket list.

With these tips, you can travel the world without feeling guilty about being away and return with plenty of stories to share with your family the next time everyone's under one roof.

1. Plan around your kids' absences

If your college-aged kids won't be home until winter break or summer vacation, plan your trip sometime in the middle of their fall or spring semester. You won't have to worry about missing an opportunity for family time; they'll be too busy with midterms to come home and catch up anyway. Let them focus on tests and essays while you live it up a continent away.

2. Create an Instagram account

Chances are high that your kids use Instagram. The photo-sharing social network is popular among the younger demographic and is a great way for your kids to follow along on your adventures abroad through the images you share. Create an account to easily upload pictures as you go. Make sure to follow your kids’ accounts too (if they’ll let you!).

3. Don't be afraid to be adventurous

In the past, did you forsake truly exotic destinations for vacation spots that were a little more practical? Now that you don't have to worry about bringing your kids along, you can focus entirely on what you want from your vacation. Wherever your adventurous spirit takes you, if it's beyond the reach of your smartphone, enroll in an international phone plan so you can stay in touch with family from anywhere in the world.

4. Try a new kind of family travel

Traveling with your now-adult children can be a completely different experience from your family vacations of past years. Your kids are more independent now, and you can treat travel with them more like travel with friends. You’re no longer responsible for entertaining them and they’re fully capable of keeping themselves safe, so you can focus on enjoying time together in destinations that interest the whole family.

Ready to go?

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