Retirement perks: Why term-time travel tops our teachers’ wish lists

In retirement At retirement

As a teacher, you’ve probably had lots of comments over the years about how lovely it must be to get all the school holidays off. While school holidays might be a nice to have, they’re also often the most expensive and busy time of year to book a trip.

If the realities of travelling during the school holidays have put you off booking a break to your dream travel destination, your retirement is the time to do something about it.

In fact, booking a holiday during term-time is something that many of our Specialist Financial Advisers report to be the thing that soon-to-be-retired teachers are most excited about.

Find cheaper travel and accommodation

You’ll know from experience that travelling during the school holidays can be expensive. In fact, research from The Independent in 2024 found that one holiday outside of term time to Geneva, cost as much as 16 times more than the same holiday in term-time.

This example was based on a family of four flying from Heathrow, but a holiday in the UK can still cost a pretty penny. A popular holiday village chain in the UK and Ireland, for example, was reported to cost a thousand pounds more during the school half term holidays.

If you’re enjoying your retirement or soon will be, now is the time to make the most of the savings to be had through term-time travel.

Enjoy quieter hotels

Busy, noisy hotels do not make for the most relaxing escape. Especially when you’ve paid more than any other time of the year to be there.

Holidaying as a retiree in term-time means you can opt for quieter periods of the year, with more choice over accommodation options that usually get booked up quickly come the main summer season.

Choosing to stay in destinations towards the end of the season boasts many benefits, including cheaper rooms, more room options, more space to yourself at the hotel and less of a rush to the breakfast buffet. You may also have more facilities to yourself, such as in-house spas, gyms and restaurants.

So, no more getting up at 7am to secure a sunbed.

Skip the crowds

Obviously, it’s unlikely that anywhere worth travelling to will be completely deserted at any point. However, exploring at times outside of the school holidays will usually be less busy than when students are off.

Bigger attractions may often also have additional activities you can take part in, like guided talks or the opportunity to explore special rooms or areas. In the school holidays, these types of add-ons can fill up very quickly.

You may also be able to claim cheaper tickets for attractions as a retiree. It’s always advisable to check the attraction’s website prior to arrival for early bird tickets and other offers.

The ability to book ahead

While school holidays generally follow the same pattern most years, there are sometimes some small deviations that can catch you off guard. And if you taught in a college or university, there may have been more fluctuations with exactly when you could take time off.

As a retiree, you no longer need to concern yourself with waiting for confirmation of school holiday dates. The world is your oyster (as is your calendar) and you can finally take advantage of the ability to book ahead.

There are of course, pros and cons to booking early, rather than a month or so before.

By booking early you’ll usually have much more choice over hotels and room type. Not to mention, having more time to pay the cost off, depending on the type of deal you go for.

You’ll also usually find much better flight prices and a wider selection of seating options for plane journeys. Last minute deals can often provide great accommodation prices, but the sting will usually be in finding flights and the cost of them.

Ready to start planning?

If you’re dreaming of a retirement filled with travelling the world, it’s important to first spend some time making sure you’ve got the right retirement plan in place.

Retirement planning can help make sure you’re able to fund the retirement you want. Whether you want to travel abroad, buy a place in the country or help your children to realise their dreams.

A Specialist Financial Adviser from Wesleyan Financial Services can help you to plan your finances so that your money continues to work for you. This could be discussing how to invest your tax-free lump sum or deciding on the right time to retire based on your current benefits and the type of retirement you want. Charges may apply.