Portugal has a way of getting under your skin. The light, the coastline, the historic towns where life still unfolds at a human pace. People linger over coffee. Neighbors stop to chat. You watch that and think: I could get used to this! And, then you have to get on a plane and go home. But, did you know retired Americans can move to Portugal?

Travel Hacks In Retirement

You certainly do not have to be retired, or even be thinking about retirement, to take advantage of good travel and life hacks. We’ve done a lot of “hacks” research over the years; some of which work for us, some not so much. As we transitioned into retirement we knew we’d need to find a way to make travel (and life) affordable. In this post we’re going to talk about some of our well-used travel and life hacks in retirement, and how we make it all work for us.

I published this post in 2020, five years after having traveled through Iran for three weeks. As I sat and read through it this morning, I was heartbroken to realize we are (as a world) right back where we were in 2020. It’s staggering, actually. With that being said I am republishing this post today.

We just spent the better part of today (January 2026) shoveling snow. I love the snow, I find it magical and actually quite good exercise when one has to shovel for hours. Snow always reminds me of Paris. We spent three weeks in Paris, in another month of January many years ago, and once again I’m thinking of our winter visit to Sacre Coeur.  And, yes, Paris is fabulous under a blanket of snow. Enjoy this walk down memory lane.

Edinburgh. Is there anyone who doesn’t instantly recognize the name? It’s a city with a rich history of kings, queens, castles, stunning landscapes and infamous festivals. What more could you want in a travel destination? It’s one of those cities that captures the imagination. So much so that for a city with a population of 500K+ it averages nearly four million visitors per year. We were fortunate to be two of those four million.

Glasgow, Scotland. After spending10 days traveling through rural Scotland and experiencing the extraordinary landscapes and historical sites, stepping off the train in Glasgow was quite a shock to the senses. It was definitely a “we’re not in Kansas anymore” moment.

The Lake District is not actually in Scotland, but our visit to the region was a continuation of our Scotland travels. A national park, in Cumbria northwest England, the Lake District is just a stones throw across the border from Scotland. Our travel group was based in Penrith for four nights while we explored the region.

Xi’an, one of the oldest cities in China, served as the nation’s capital for several dynasties. It is renowned for its rich history, vibrant culture, and numerous historical sites. As the starting point of the Silk Road and home to the famous Terracotta Army, Xi’an offers a unique blend of ancient and modern attractions. Here are the top 10 things to do in Xi’an, providing a comprehensive guide to explore this fascinating city.

Scotland: Peebles & the Hydro Hotel. After two fascinating days in Stirling, our tour group moved on to Peebles. Again, we had no idea what to expect as we’d never heard of Peebles. A charming small town with a population of about 9,000, Peebles proved to be a lovely base for the next three nights of our tour.

Scotland: How to Spend Two Days in Stirling. Truth be told we’d never heard of Stirling, or for that matter most of the places we visited before or after. When it came to Scotland, we were complete newbies. It was our 20th country, Scotland, and while we’ve seen spectacular places around the world, the landscape of Scotland defied imagination.