In a strangely specific accolade, Melbourne has been named as the top travel city in the world for retirees, with Sydney coming in a close second and Brisbane landing in sixth place. 

So what makes these Aussie cities so appealing for the golden oldies? Is it an abundance of soft foods? A glut of gentle inclines and early bird specials? Nope, as it turns out the retirees of 2024 are a fun-loving bunch and want a piece of the action.

Travel insurance website Paying Too Much looked at a selection of popular cities from around the world and compared them on a number of factors that are especially relevant to travellers over the age of 60, to come up with the final rankings of the best destinations. 

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Factors like the number of high-quality hotels and their average cost in off-peak periods (ie, not the school holidays), the quality of healthcare available, the number of tours in the cities that run in off-peak seasons, walking trails and whether there are lots of things to do. 

With a significant 17 percent of Melbourne’s population being 65 and older, the city offers a prime atmosphere for people who enjoy similar pastimes. The ageing population may be a nightmare for our future but at least tourism is thriving.

Melbourne also boasts the most hotels rated three stars and above in the study, totalling 1,389 overall, ranging from water-view suites to modern rooms. Even better, these rooms are reasonably priced compared to the other cities in our study, with an average week-long stay costing around $1,630. 

Here’s how other cities around the globe fared:

1. Melbourne, Australia
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands
4. Berlin, Germany
5. Auckland, New Zealand
6. Brisbane, Australia
7. Helsinki, Finland
8. Oslo, Norway
9. Munich, Germany 
10. Singapore

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