Retirement

10 places on retirees' must-see list for travel

10 top 'bucket list' trips

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Bucket-list trips in retirement don't have to be budget busters.

Retirees are the biggest spenders when it comes to leisure travel, with retired boomers spending an average $3,700 per year. For members of the silent generation it's $3,400, according to a new report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

It's not just ticking places off a must-visit list. Many people are also weaving in adventure travel, educational tours and memory-making with their grandkids, said Lorna Sabia, the firm's head of retirement and personal wealth solutions.

Just make sure travel fits in with your other retirement goals, she said. In the report, two-thirds of retirees said they haven't budgeted for travel, yet it's an important consideration, especially if you're hoping to foot the bill for family or take an extended trip.

Retirees have a few financial factors working in their favor beyond senior-specific travel deals. Cheaper fuel prices and a strong dollar have made visiting many hot spots more affordable this year, said Patrick Surry, chief data scientist for Hopper.com.

"Date flexibility is key as well," he said, which means retirees can take advantage of more deals.

These 10 destinations — five domestic, five international — topped retirees' must-visit lists.

— By CNBC's Kelli B. Grant
Posted 12 May 2016

Hawaii

Warren Bolster | Getty Images

Popularity in BofAML survey: 1

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 4.8 percent

Hopper.com "good deal" price: $643 to Honolulu; $564 Kahului

(Note: Fares vary by date and airport pairing. "Good deal" price notes average originating in states other than the destination for domestic trips, and U.S. origination for international trips.)

Italy

Florence, Italy.
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Popularity in survey: 1

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 0.8 percent

"Good deal" price: $993 to Rome, $775 to Milan or $992 to Venice

New York

A man sits outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Michelle Bennett| Getty Images

Popularity in survey: 2

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 9.1 percent

"Good deal" price: $228 through LaGuardia Airport; $282 through Kennedy International

Australia

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Popularity in survey: 2

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 17.1 percent

"Good deal" price: $1,148 to Sydney; $1,192 to Melbourne

California

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Popularity in survey: 3

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 8.9 percent

"Good deal" price: $257 to Los Angeles; $291 to San Francisco or San Diego


England

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Popularity in survey: 3

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 7.6 percent

"Good deal" price: $1,002 through London's Heathrow Airport; $837 through Gatwick Airport

Alaska

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Popularity in survey: 4

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: up 8.3 percent

"Good deal" price: $490 to Anchorage; $530 to Fairbanks

Ireland

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Popularity in survey: 4

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 10.7 percent

"Good deal" price: $747 to Dublin; $853 to Cork

Florida

Ignacio Ayestaran | Getty Images

Popularity in survey: 5

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 9.7 percent

"Good deal" price: $212 to Orlando; $243 to Tampa and $193 to Fort Lauderdale

France

Paul Viant | Getty Images

Popularity in survey: 5

Change in average round-trip airfare, year over year: down 5.1 percent

"Good deal" price: $955 through Charles de Gaulle Airport; $885 through Paris Orly Airport