Where are the Best Travel Deals For Seniors?
June 22, 2008 – 12:50 pmBest Travel Deals for Seniors
The key to finding the best travel deals for seniors is to ask travel providers if they offer a senior discount. You may find that the best travel deals for seniors in the transportation, lodging, entertainment, meal and beverage categories are yours for the asking.
Senior discounts become available at different ages, so don’t be surprised if you don’t receive full discounts. Some discounts are available at the age of 55, or 59, or 62.
Sacramento Lifetime Light Rail Pass
One of the best travel deals for seniors is a free, lifetime light rail pass for those who live in or near Sacramento, California. Seniors age 75 or better need only apply for the pass at the transit office – conveniently located near the light rail station – to receive a lifetime photo ID and Lifetime Pass.
With a free lifetime pass, seniors can travel more than 30 miles of light rail tracks, or they can ride any of the city’s buses free. Surely this is one of the best local transportation travel deals for seniors on the west coast!
National Park Service Golden Age Passport
Seniors age 62 and better can get free lifetime entry to all national parks, monuments, recreation areas and national wildlife refuges with the National Park Service Golden Age Passport. For one low $10 processing fee, seniors get all these benefits, plus a 50 percent discount on federal use fees for services and facilities.
Go By Train with Amtrak Senior Discounts
Amtrak offers 15% discounts to seniors who go by train, making a train trip one of the best travel deals for seniors. Train travel can be relaxing, as seniors experience some of the benefits of air travel – like sitting back and letting someone else do the driving – without the stress of going through an airport security check.
Train schedules are always estimates, because passenger trains yield to commercial trains on the railroads. If you are traveling to a specific event, like a wedding, be sure to allow at least 24 hours’ leeway and more if possible, between Amtrak’s estimated time of arrival and the time of your special event.
Go Greyhound and Leave the Driving To Them
Greyhound bus lines also offer 15% discounts to seniors. Bus travel can be fun, especially if you travel with a companion. Buses go to more small towns and off-the-beaten-track destinations than you will find along railroad lines. After all these years, bus travel is still one of the best travel deals available for seniors.
