Many retirees share this big dream: traveling the globe, exploring and lingering in each location, unhampered by the two-week vacation limitation that comes with most jobs.

Financial Planning

Global travel, as most tourists know, requires a lot of planning. Even more so than for a one-time vacation, financial planning is critical to preparing for a longer-term or even open-ended period of travel. In order to ensure adequate income to cover their expenses, some retirees consider a reverse mortgage. This financial product allows retirees to access equity in their home without having to sell it. For those considering reverse mortgages, comparing reverse mortgage quotes and lenders can be a first step toward maintaining financial stability while also funding leisure trips to romantic and exotic locales.

Health Emergency Planning

Smart travelers prepare for an upcoming trip with more than just their itineraries. While few people like to contemplate a potential illness or medical emergency, many travelers do purchase travel insurance. Check with your current health insurance company to determine the level of coverage available when you are away from home, whether in other parts of the US or around the globe.

Top Hospitals around the Globe

An additional safe step, particularly for travelers with ongoing medical issues, is to read about hospitals in your destination region. Forbes magazine recently teamed with HTH Worldwide, a company that provides overseas health care coverage, to evaluate the level of care in hospitals around the world.

The ranking lists top hospitals for excellent medical care. Sick travelers in Asia, for example, would do well to be evacuated to Thailand, Singapore, or Hong Kong if they need care, though Sydney, Australia, also offers top care.

For travelers in Central or South America, the Centro Medico ABC facility in Mexico City is among the best in the world, along with the Hospital Punta Pacifica in Panama City, which is affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

The Forbes article suggests that tourists in the Middle East or Africa should be evacuated to Europe, where hospitals such as The London Clinic and others offer superb care.