Ever wondered what tops peoples’ travel bucket lists?

Have you been sticking your money away and planning for the experience of a lifetime? If so, it seems you’re not alone. We’ve done a bit of research into bucket lists and frankly now we’ve seen the ideas, we want to ditch everything and hit the road too.

Though spending time with friends and family is still the number one priority for people over 50, travelling is close to their heart, and seen as much more important to them than it is to the younger generation – and their travel bucket lists are not for the faint-hearted!

Our research turns on its head the idea that over the age of 50 people are less optimistic and unwilling to spend their money on new experiences

New research from Post Office Money has found that one in four over-50s expect to tick something off that bucket list in the next few months, with the over 70s proving to be the most optimistic about this, aiming to complete these within the next few months. Go seniors!

And if you’ve got younger relatives counting the days til you pop off, you’d better give them some warning. Turns out Baby Boomers are most likely to fund their experiences by taking advantage of their hard-earned savings – spending kids’ inheritances! This also does indicate that the older generation are far more likely to put their money into a ‘bucket list nest egg’ which they can draw upon to realise their dreams though.

Top 14 Bucket List Destinations

1. See the Northern Lights
2. Travel on the Orient Express
3. Travel to Australia
4. See all seven Wonders of the World
5. Cruise in the Caribbean
6. Drive Route 66 in the USA
7. Visit the Galapagos
8. Take the bullet train through Japan
9. Go on safari in Africa
10. Visit the big cities in the USA (e.g. New York, Las Vegas, etc)
11. Hike the Great Wall of China
12. Travel India
13. Hike the Inca trail in Peru
14. Volunteer and travel in a developing country

Owen Woodley, managing director at Post Office Money said, “Our research turns on its head the idea that over the age of 50 people are less optimistic and unwilling to spend their money on new experiences. When it comes to achieving their bucket-list goals baby boomers are carefully saving towards special experiences, having had less opportunity to travel while they were younger. It seems those who fall into the over 50s bracket are making up for lost time and planning ‘bucket list’ activities in order to have a memorable experience.”

Damn straight! Are you headed anywhere exciting? We’d love to hear in the comments below