BootsnAll Travel Community

Question:
At 44, I usually only cross paths with backpackers 10-20 years younger. But, as this forum indicates, I'm not alone. So, I'm just curious what age ranges are represented here. I've put it in a poll format, so the more demure can answer without giving away their age.

So if you are an independent traveler/backpacker (no prepackaged tour/all inclusive resort types please) please share your imput.

Choices:
30s
40s
50s
60s
70s

 

I haven't done much independant travel (yet!) but I met people of all ages on the road last year.

I met a woman in her 70's travelling alone while in Scotland. She was from Mexico and decided to see the world.

I hooked up with two Australian women in Whitby and again in York who were my age (30's) and they were touring all of Britain. Also in York there was a woman in her 60's who was backpacking Europe. There was also a strange woman who claimed to be a cultural anthropologist and was touring England to do research. She didn't leave the York Hostel for the entire time I was there. Very odd. She was in her 50's and American.

In London I hung out with mostly older people. A pediatritian from Chile and I hit it off. There was also a woman from Germany who slept nude. She was really wierd.

quote:

Originally posted by Viaggero:
At 44, I usually only cross paths with backpackers 10-20 years younger.

Same here -- I'm 42.

However, I've found that the less visited the place, the more folks I meet who are close to my age. In West Africa, Laos north of Luang Prabang, and off-the-beaten-path India, the *majority* of travelers I met ranged in age from late 30's to 60's.

48.....it's only a number. As long as I can keep doing what I want to do, it doesn't really matter.

Hi,
I am 56 and retired as of the first of the year. Although I am reluctant to stay at hostels by myself (afraid of getting the odd look as in whats the old guy doing here) have stayed in them as part of a couple of Irish Rover backpacking tours in Ireland. I was surprised to see that I was not the oldest on the tour and after an afternoon on the bus and a night at the pub we were all great friends. I am heading to Dublin onFeb 28 until Mar 25 and haven't made any plans yet. Hope to use it as a jumping off point to Scotland and maybe Belgium and the Netherlands. Right now I am working my way home in the aftermath of the NYC Bootsnall Blizzard party of 06. I'll blame that for not planning my next trip very well.
The retirement thing came up kind of quick. But so far it has been great.

I hit the big 5-0 this year, but after voting, the survey shows "0" results for "50".

Looks like I'm the second 50's vote.

We will be empty nesters in June 2008.
Mom and I were thinking of getting a hippyvan and driving from Wisconsin to the southern tip of South America or a RWT adventure. We still have time to deside...

Where have all the 50's people gone?
Must all be at Club Med...
In 04'I camped at 18,740 ft. with my son on top of Kilimanjaro...no room service there...

Chow

quote:

Originally posted by BillGlo:
I hit the big 5-0 this year, but after voting, the survey shows "0" results for "50".

I think you are reading the graph incorrectly. The zero applies to the 60s not the 50s

Yea, 0 is the 60's...I went to Art School, never could read graphs.

Thanks for the correction...

quote:

Where have all the 50's people gone?

I'll be joining y'all in 3 years. Do I get my AARP card then?

why do people so worry about their age hm..

quote:

Originally posted by ohdear:
why do people so worry about their age hm..

I did the opposite. I just don't care about my age...and was fine with that until some friends started planning a birthday party for me (me having not even noticed that my b-day was in the works) and then asking how old I am going to be. I guess it's kinda' pathetic that I had to look at my own drivers' license to find out. Doh! It's not THAT bad, I know the "decade" at least

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Ohdear:
why do people so worry about their age hm..
--------------------------------------------------------------

I couldn't agree more, Ohdear. Age is merely a state of mind. My mirror might say xyz years but inside I'm 22-25 years.

Travelled on an "organised" bus tour once and vowed never to do that again. Most of the other travellers were around my age or older, and they were the MOST BORING and OPINIONATED people I'd ever met. Give me 20 year olds any time. That being said, since then I've backpacked it, stayed in hostels, shared dorms only- it's much cheaper and loved it. Except for the odd one or two everyone I've met has been great.

Exceptions... Like the 50 something year old in Perth, who pulled the curtain open ( my head was right under the window) because she wanted to read. Time? 7.15 AM IN THE MORNING!!!!! I pulled it closed said I wanted to sleep. She got REAL pissed off because "It's quarter past seven" . My God is that all? She ranted it was too early to get up yet and what was she going to do for the next hour. Mind you, she was fully dressed and sitting up on the top bunk opposite me. Silly old fool should have had her own
"private" room.

Seriously though, I can relate to much younger people very easily, probably because I've kids aged between 32 and 16- Oopsies-daisies, sorry "baby" turned 17 on the 8th. and am used to mixing with younger people. Strangely enough, I find it easier to hook up with fellas and have a great time more so than females. I put that down to my 1st child being a girl- the other 4 are boys.


Have a nice day, Whistler.


If you can keep a sense of humour and see the funny side of life, you will never be old. SMC.

I'm tripping out on age because of all the changes...

The maturity,the immaturity...

That's one thing I like about travel - you have a common passion with other people that tends to transcend the age barrier (other things can do that too - when I went to law school at the age of 48, most of my friends were 15-20 years younger than me).

The problem a lot of people have is that they stay within the same socio-economic "circle" and never break free. I have some friends - mostly married and living in the suburbs - who could never conceive of the idea of having a friend who is decades younger than them...

33 checking in here...and although i often wish i could have taken these trips when i was younger, i dont think i would have appreciated some things as much...and always remember everyone...PARTY SMARTER, NOT HARDER...

I voted, then it said that to proceed I had to log on. I did, and it came up with the voting form again. I didnt know if the vote had counted, and I voted again. So did I vote once or twice?

Why do people worry about age? Not really sure.

The whole turning thirty thing did not really bother me. The 'wrong side of thirty and fast approaching 40' thing is starting to catch my attention however.

Not sure if that is in a good way or a bad way but it has started a health kick.

I always remember my Nan telling me a story of when she went to the doctor. It made me laugh. It was a new doctor and surgery and he asked for her date of birth. Nan had to think about it for awhile before replying

"You know dear this is a bit embarrassing but I've been lying about my age for so long I actually don't remember."

She was serious too. She told me if you want to seriously lie about your age and get away with it you had to change the year accordingly to match!

It is a different age I guess.

I am 63 and my wife is 60. We haven't been home for one full month since retiring from teaching last June ['06]; one month we weren't home at all. Now we can travel anytime, for as long as the trip needs. We have travel-camped in all states and provinces of US and Canada. Teachers don't make alot of $$ but we do have alot of unemployed free time.
Since the kids have grown, we have been filling passport pages. We needed to get new ones since the other had no more pages. We got to do an RTW in summer of 05: Paris, Dubai, Mauritius, Singapore, Hong Kong, and back to Boston. One 18 kg carry-on back pack each. They are not losing my luggage again. Lost some going to Inner Mongolia a few years back. It took a week for the bags to catch up to me.
Off again on mid May to CR.