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New one trendDubbed ‘Micro-retirement‘, emerging for those who are not willing to wait that long until traditional retirement TravelAllows individuals to take significant time off while remaining employed.
A study by Explore Worldwide, surveying 2,000 UK residents, found that a period of one to three months is ideal.
It revealed that nearly a third (29 percent) are considering such a break, with nearly half (48 percent) planning to dedicate this time to travel.
“Among the middle and later life age groups, millennium There is a 75 percent ‘probability’, Gen X 38 per cent, and boomers 42 per cent,” explains Michael Edwards, MD, Explore Worldwide.
“Taking a micro-retirement is about stepping back, resetting and reinventing yourself. It’s a chance to get away from daily hassles and immerse yourself in new places – offering a fresh perspective that no office routine can provide.”
While it may be more common for younger generations to take a career break to travel (usually before having children), taking a break in midlife or later has some clear benefits, including the potential for better financial stability, says Edwards, adding, “Many people are in a far better position to travel than when they were younger.”
“As we live and work longer, retirement can feel so far away that ‘why should I wait?’ None of us know what the future will hold and for many retirees it may be too late to take the kind of traveling we feel like doing.
“Middle life is also a time of change, and as older children fly the nest, we find we have more time and income to spend on ourselves.”
Also, when your health is at its peak, adventure travel can be advisable from the health point of view in case of any health related problems.
Plus, Edwards says, “midlife pressures like aging parents, potential relationship breakdown, and burnout from work make a micro-retirement the perfect antidote to reevaluate and recharge.”
Research also showed that of those who took a sabbatical, 84 percent felt a positive return and 96 percent reported a new sense of purpose.
So how do you decide what type of long trip is right for you?
“There are so many factors to consider when choosing the perfect trip: time constraints, energy levels, and interests (to name a few),” says Edwards. The travel company has launched a smart new tool on its website that helps match searchers to their perfect micro-retirement journey, asking users to input their age, job situation, and stress level before suggesting the best time and continent.
Inspiration for that pre-retirement trip
travel silk Road Route through ‘Five Stans’ – 21 days
Still largely undiscovered by many British tourists, the ‘Five Stans’ of Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – offer the chance to visit the ancient Silk Road (a network of ancient trade routes used from the 2nd century BC to the mid-15th century). To really see it all you need a long trip and this three-week expedition offers a fast-paced way to see this region of the world with its diverse, wild landscapes of fertile valleys and desert plains, nomadic traditions and Soviet history.
The journey is a mix of rail, road and internal flights, taking in the Fan Mountains of western Tajikistan and the architecture of the ‘Seven Lakes’, Kiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, as well as sleeping in a traditional yurt at the foot of ‘The Pearl of Kyrgyzstan’ Lake Issyk Kul, which never freezes due to its high salt content.
how to Book: Explore Worldwide (explore.co.uk) offers 21-day tours, Five stages of the Silk Road From £5,195
Road Trip in the Patagonian Wilderness – 60 Days
If you want to extend your micro-retirement by two months, the southern part chile And argentina Offers a unique off-road adventure. Pura Aventura has recently launched a new itinerary designed for travelers who want an extended land adventure crossing Chile and Argentina, including the stunning Lake District, the bird-rich Osorno Volcano, the iconic Torres del Paine and Ruta 40 – a 3,200-mile highway in Argentina that runs parallel to the Andes Mountains with dramatic scenery.
Activities may include hiking, kayaking and horseback riding. It ends with an expedition cruise to Cape Horn – the southernmost headland on Hornos Island in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile – and includes stays in exclusive hotels, home-cooked meals, wine tasting, puma spotting, canyoning, rafting, nightlife in Buenos Aires and learning about the rural gaucho lifestyle.
how to Book: Pura Aventura’s Parks Passage: The Ultimate Patagonia Trip includes 59 nights accommodation, transport, most meals and guided activities, from £23,950 per sharing. visit pura-aventura.com Or call 01273 676712.
Tour of 15 countries – 110 nights
The popularity of longer voyages is increasing and some travelers see cruises not only as a vacation, but also as a way to live differently for a while. Celebrity Cruises has launched a ‘Grand Voyage’ for 2026 on a newly renovated Celebrity Solstice ship (with capacity for 2,852 passengers) so you can spend the last three months of the year at sea. The journey stops at 58 destinations in 15 countries – the United States, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Taiwan, China and Canada – that is, in four hemispheres.
It’s made up of nine different sailings, which can also be booked individually, but the 3.5-month adventure once again offers a unique way to see much of the world, hassle-free, without the need to pack and move. There’s also adults-only space on board and a lawn club, with 65 days ashore and eight nights in port (in locations including Phuket in Thailand, Halong Bay in Vietnam and Auckland in New Zealand).
how to Book: all inclusive great trip (www.celebritycruises.com, 0344 493 2043) sailing from 13 September to 31 December 2026, prices from £11,109pp.