Make your travel dreams come true

Many people have a dream trip, like staying in a castle in Ireland or exploring the Galapagos Islands. Others want to visit the Italian mountain-top village where their grandparents were born.

This is known as bucket-list travel, because it’s on a list of things to do before you die, or “kick the bucket.”

As leisure travel has rebounded to surpass pre-pandemic levels, so have bucket-list trips. In the past eight months, 50,000 people created a wish list on Road Scholar’s website, up nearly 40% to a total of 180,000 people, said Kelsey Knoedler Perri, spokeswoman for the Boston-based company that offers educational tours to age 50-plus travelers.

Bucket-list travelers tend to be over 50 because that’s when many people have more time and money, but they’re getting younger, travel experts said.

“People are retiring earlier or opening up time to travel in their mid-40s,” said Maggie Knutson, a travel agent for Travel Leaders Market Square in Woodbury. “And many people in their mid- and late-50s are in good shape and want to be able to hike, bike and walk around on cobblestone streets and see as much as they can.”

To reflect those trends, “wish list” or “life list” are replacing the term “bucket list.” Whatever they’re called, such lists can help people identify and prioritize what’s important in their life. And checking off items on your list may reduce stress, enhance life satisfaction, and create or reinforce bonds with family and friends.

Still, the complexity of planning a bucket-list trip can overwhelm many people.

“It’s the start that stops most people,” said Jim Bendt, co-owner of Pique Travel Design in Excelsior, which provides customized trips. “It doesn’t need to be a big, daunting task.”

We asked some travel experts and Minnesota travelers to share their experiences and tips on how to plan a bucket list that increases the chances of turning dream travel into reality.

Let creative juices flow

Consider your interests, historic landmarks you want to see and activities you want to do. Think swimming with manatees in Florida or walking the Great Wall of China. Add who you might want to travel with. Talk to friends, family and neighbors for inspiration. Do research by reading travel books, blogs and websites. Some travel sites, including Backroads and Road Scholar, let you filter searches by activity, price, season and more.

Pique Travel Design created a consulting tool (with a free online component) called Wanderlist to brainstorm travel three to five years out, similar to what a financial adviser does with money, Bendt said.

For traveler Mary O’Sullivan of Mankato, research is part of the fun.

“I watch YouTube videos of people’s trips, read guidebooks and Google ideas,” she said. O’Sullivan, 70, recently visited the Canadian Rockies and Southwestern national parks with her husband, Malcolm, 79.

Identify your purpose

“One of the first questions we ask is ‘What is the intention of this trip?‘” Bendt said. Understanding your motivations helps determine what type of trip you want, he added.

The top reasons people take bucket-list trips include spending time with family and friends, relaxation and adventure, according to an AARP Travel Trends report. And more people plan international travel this year .

“Do you just want to hang out, or learn things?” said Karen Karnowski, a St. Louis Park resident who works for Target Corp. Her bucket list is all about history. In November, the 64-year-old took her first bucket-list trip to Egypt with friend Jane Balster, 59, of Bloomington, which had been a childhood fascination for both of them.

Write it down

Research shows that writing down your goals enhances your chances of achieving them. A Facebook poll by Road Scholar found that 29% of 50-plus travelers have a written bucket list.

Gail Ivers, 66, a retiree and widow who lives near Cold Spring, Minn., writes down her travel ideas on a small square of paper. She has 21 destinations and counting, and she keeps her list on the coffee table for easy access.

“I tend to forget if I don’t write it down,” she said. Most of Ivers’ list is country names, but sometimes she adds a specific activity like “Mongolia—sleep in yurt.” Over six years, she has checked off Antarctica, Bhutan, and Petra, Jordan.

Prioritize

People often structure their travel wish lists around destinations, such as visiting all seven continents, but others base lists on their interests, like hiking, wildlife or art, travel experts said.

Ivers’ bucket list reflects her focus on taking the road less traveled and wildlife viewing. She also uses a star system to prioritize her list, putting zero to three stars next to her destinations.

Karnowski has an international bucket list based partly on the ease of getting somewhere, such as Italy, but she also has a U.S. bucket list that focuses on nature in Alaska and California.

Prioritizing your list in some way can help you focus on a more manageable number of places, Road Scholar’s Knoedler Perri said.

Consider accessibility

AARP’s report found 17% of travelers age 50-plus need accommodations for a disability or health condition. Three quarters of them have mobility problems.

“We always recommend frontloading more active trips because you never know,” Bendt said.

Try to match your abilities and travel style with the terrain and activity level of destinations on your list. Does a city have steep hills? Does the hotel have an elevator? Ask if resorts and cruises are open to wheelchairs and walkers.

Last year in Bhutan, Ivers hiked to the 10,000-foot Tiger’s Nest Monastery and to the top of 12,000-foot Potala Palace. Other people in her group couldn’t complete the climbs.

“I want to do this while I’m still part of the group that can make it all the way to the top,” she said. Physical difficulty isn’t a problem now, “but I think about aging and what trips are going to be easier and harder.”

Budget and save

Dream trips tend to be more expensive ($15,000 and up per person) and longer (15 to 20 days or more), Knutson said.

People may be willing to splurge on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but they will still have to plan and save for it. And although inflation has moderated, some travel costs like lodging and transportation are still high.

“Start with a budget,” Knoedler Perri said. “Think about how much savings you have access to for travel or how much discretionary income you are able to save each month or year.”

Scour travel sites for an idea of what your dream trip will cost. Plan ahead and start committing funds toward a trip. If you’re retired, you may want to withdraw your savings or investments at certain times.

Set a timeline

A budget will help you determine a timeline to plan how many trips you can take over a certain period of time.

Bendt recommends planning a bucket-list trip at least a year ahead to get the best rates, accommodations and guides. More complex travel, like an African safari, may take 18 to 24 months of advance planning, he said. Single accommodations for solo travelers often sell out quickly on group tours.

Be flexible about when you travel.

A safari is a popular bucket-list trip, with most people going during the summer. Consider alternative seasons when the prices and crowds are lower, advised Jim Roane, 63, owner of Roane Travel Design in Excelsior, which specializes in African adventure tours. He likes the green season of December to March, when it may rain but in short bursts. And in Tanzania, the wildebeest migration is year-round, he added.

Adapt

Your travel bucket list will change as you and the world change. Some countries may move off your list temporarily for geopolitical reasons as others move up.

O’Sullivan’s list doesn’t always align with her husband’s. “A safari was not on my husband’s radar [but] it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl,” she said. So, last year she joined a group tour on an African safari.

After being diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2021, Balster has accelerated her dream trips — places that take longer to reach, require more stamina or may not have easy access to health care. She has crossed off three of her top destinations: Egypt, South Africa and Easter Island.

“My travels have taken on a new twist … doing what I can while I can,” Balster said. “I want to hit every continent.”