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Retirement may mean leaving behind the 9-to-5, but it doesn’t mean having to abandon travel, too.
In fact, as the world’s population of 65 year olds is forecast to reach 1.5 billion by 2050, research shows that seniors don’t disregard their travel bucket lists with at least 65% seeing travel as the perfect way to enjoy later life, according to a study by Booking.com.
For those with more time on their hands to explore the world, some destinations are more suited than others – and that’s where Firebird Tours latest findings from the Where Being 60 Beats Being 20: The Best Countries for Retirees in 2026 survey come in.
With the mature voyager in mind, the Swiss-based travel specialists analysed 100 countries across the globe and assessed them across seven categories: the over-65 population density, availability of senior discounts, walkability, healthcare, safety, and age-rewarding cultural experiences.
Europe is clearly doing something right – claiming eight of the top 10 best countries in the ranking, while 18 feature in the top 25.
Which are the best countries for retirees?
Crowned the best place for retirees to travel to, thanks to its museum discounts, public transport discounts, and a walkability score of five, Japan ranks as number one.
Firebird Tours also found the east Asian nation to have the highest instance of people aged 65 or over at 29.5% – as such, “Japan doesn’t just have the world’s oldest population – it’s built a society around it,” the travel specialists said.
“The result is a destination that rewards older travellers at every turn. Entry to the Tokyo National Museum, one of the most visited in Asia, is free for over 70s year-round,” it added.
However, the remaining four countries in the top five all hail from Europe: Germany ranked second, Spain third, Slovenia fourth and Switzerland rounding off the top five.
Germany leads Europe with 23.7% of its population aged 65 or over. It also offers up to 70% senior discount on public transport through the BahnCar scheme that visitors can also benefit from. The country is also home to 54 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 336 Michelin-starred restaurants for mature travellers to immerse themselves in local culture and cuisine.
In Spain, the capital Madrid earned a perfect walkability score and the country’s healthcare ranks 15th in the world. Mature travellers are also treated to a 50% discount at the Prado Museum, alongside there also being 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to explore. However, one of the downsides is that Spain’s senior transport discount is reserved for residents only.
According to Firebird Tours, Slovenia’s entry was “the result nobody predicted – and the most interesting story in the index,” beating countries like Switzerland, France and Italy. Despite being low-profile as a travel destination in English-language media, it ranks third on the Global Peace Index – making it one of the safest countries to visit. Mature travellers are also treated to a 50% EU visitor-accessible senior transport discount and almost 27% museum discount at the country’s National Museum of Contemporary History.
Switzerland made the ranking thanks to its 50% discount on public transport for visitors through the GA TravelCard. For older travellers with a sweet tooth, The Lindt Chocolate Museum in Zurich offers a discount for seniors year-round and the country’s perfect walkability score means all those choco-calories can easily be walked off.
When it comes to the top countries for transport discounts for visitors, Firebird’s top eight ranking is almost exclusively dominated by European countries. The only exception was Canada in seventh place.
While France ranked 24 overall in the study, the country leads in the most Michelin-backed restaurants at 641 eateries for travellers to choose from.
The overall ranking
- 1. Japan
- 2. Germany
- 3. Spain
- 4. Slovenia
- 5. Switzerland
- 6. Austria
- 7. Denmark
- 8= Finland
- 8= The Netherlands
- 10. Canada
- 11. Italy
- 12. Czechia
- 13= Hungary
- 13= Croatia
- 15= Poland
- 15= Australia
- 17= Portugal
- 17= Belgium
- 19. Greece
- 20. The United States
- 21. Bulgaria
- 22. Thailand
- 23. Sweden
- 24. France
- 25= Singapore
- 25= South Korea
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