At this point, I can hear readers saying that this all sounds very exotic and expensive. The good news is that, despite the rise in the pensionable age, discounts for entry to museums and galleries and for ferry, coach and rail travel still kick in at 60 across most of Europe. 

Eurail only offers a 10 per cent discount on its European rail rovers, but individual countries are more generous, offering discounts of up to 50 per cent in Germany, France, Italy and Spain if you buy an annual rail pass for £25-£50 (£5 in Spain). And DFDS ­Ferries offers a 20 per cent discount on Channel crossings. It’s also worth ­contacting hotels and B&Bs directly, instead of using an online travel agent, as there are often discounts for longer stays, especially out of high season. And Airbnb often has rooms to rent for less than the price of a meal out.

Another way to see the world on a budget is to include voluntary work in the mix, especially if you have spent your career in a related field. The British charity Voluntary Service Overseas (020 8780 7500; vsointernational.org) says that 40 per cent of its volunteers are now in their 50s or 60s.

Teaching English abroad is another way to help fund your travels and experience a country in more depth. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Tefl) courses are increasingly popular with early retirees. The basic course takes 120 hours of intensive study and costs about £300 with Tefl (01349 800600; tefl.org). Its accredited qualification is accepted by government organisations, charities and private schools in most countries around the world. You can work for a month or a year, and you’ll get a real sense of fulfilment in knowing that you are giving people a hand up rather than a handout.

By Gill Charlton

Trips to take in your 60s

Enjoy a luxury break in Vienna

The joy of travelling at an older age is that you can indulge your passions with a focus that your younger self – constrained by children or the youthful need for giddy excitement – could never manage. There may be an element of this type of thinking to the opera ­holidays to Vienna offered by Pettitts Travel (01892 515966; pettitts.co.uk). These four-day breaks combine a luxury hotel in the heart of the Austrian capital – a base from which to visit the likes of the enormous Hofburg palace and St Stephen’s Cathedral – with tickets for a performance at the Vienna State Opera. From £590 per person, including flights and transfers.

Covid rules

Proof of full vaccination and either proof of booster or negative PCR not more than 72 hours old. Unvaccinated travellers without proof of recovery cannot enter.