Senior Travel Reviews

Senior Travel Opportunity – Have You Heard Of Elderhostel?

January 31, 2010 – 4:57 am

A terrific senior travel opportunity and vacation is with Elderhostel. It is a program designed especially for seniors that combines opportunities to travel, learn new things, have fun, and enjoy once in a lifetime experiences.

What is Elderhostel?

Lots of different companies offer Elderhostel services, but the most traditional and reputable ones are based on a non-profit approach. A great example of this can be found at www.elderhostel.com, the comprehensive web site of the leading Elderhostel provider. The idea of Elderhostel is really very simple; programs and activities are put together for adults age 55 and older that allow them to combine vacation, travel, and learning in an interesting and cost effective way.

Elderhostel programs are much like organized tours, but with an important difference. In Elderhostel programs you will have opportunities that you may not have if you’re just a vacation tourist. For example, you could participate in a program at a local university that allows you to study literature with a faculty member in small groups where you get personal attention and access to their expertise. Throughout the program you would also have opportunities to interact with other participants, explore that area you’re visiting, and stay in locations where you’re not just a visitor but a welcome guest.

Elderhostel Choices

You can literally find thousands of choices in Elderhostel programs. They range from two or three day programs to some as long as three weeks or more. You can search for an Elderhostel program by continent, by country, by topics of interest, by activity level, by date, and many other categories. Let’s take a look at some examples of the variety and scope of the Elderhostel programs available:

Ultimate opera – This program takes you to New York City where you will enjoy opera performances by leading opera stars, plus get a chance for a behind the scenes look at Lincoln Center and what it takes to put on an opera. You’ll also get a chance to sit down with opera experts and performers to talk about all aspects of opera music, composition, and the like.

Adventure Cruise

There are a number of these programs that take you to your choice of many different cruise destinations. You can go to the tropics and learn about the plants, animals, history, and geology of the place you visit. Or, you can travel some of the world’s most famous Rivers to experience the heritage, culture, and unique communities that flourish along the river banks.

Food and Wine

These are among the most popular and interesting programs because you can combine learning about specific areas, countries, and cultures with the pleasure of experiencing some of the best food and wine available in those places. Your activities might include special sessions with a winemaker, a hands-on lesson from a chef, or an opportunity to see fresh ingredients as they are grown and harvested.

Sports Activities – Tailored To Suit Your Needs

Hundreds of different Elderhostel programs are focused on sports activities. From golf, to cycling, to hiking, to water sports, and beyond, you can participate in a sport while also on a learning adventure. You don’t have to be an expert at a sport, though, because programs are tailored for the needs of many different skill levels.

Requirements for Elderhostel

The requirements for participating in an Elderhostel program are not very complicated. They are for the senior traveler that is at least 55 years of age and have an interest in exploring the world around you. Some programs require you to have a certain level of physical fitness, but the majority of them can accommodate nearly anyone with a physical limitation.

Elderhostel programs are great for senior traveling, whether you are single, going as a couple, or going as a small group. Activities and accommodations offer enough options to meet your needs whether you are traveling alone or with others. Plus, as you participate in the program you’ll be interacting with other seniors who have similar interests and a desire for adventure. Many people leave an Elderhostel program having made new friends and friendships with others from all over the world.

Tags: Elderhostel, Elderhostel Program, Senior Travel, Senior Travel Vacation

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5 Ways To Enjoy A Senior Travel Vacation

January 30, 2010 – 1:33 pm

For a senior vacation, for those who love to travel and explore, there are plenty of choices for adventures of all kinds. Even if you are not all that interested in travel and adventure, you can still have a great time taking a vacation that’s specially designed for your interests and your needs.

• Take An Organized Senior Travel Tour

An organized tour group is one of the best options for senior travelers, especially those who have not done a great deal of travel on their own or who are reluctant to visit a foreign country without a reputable guide. Organized tours are plentiful and they can be found for practically any destination you can imagine.

There are specialty tours to specific countries, for specific age groups, and for specific interests. For instance, you might want to take a wine tour through Italy, or a historic landmark tour through Great Britain. Another possibility is a seniors travel cruise to a destination location or an old fashioned trip across the Atlantic Ocean.

Look for tour operators that are experienced and reputable, and be sure you understand all of the details about what is and is not included in the price of the tour. You can also get a group of people together for a tour and sometimes be able to get a discount on the price depending on the number of people who go.

• Explore Your Family Heritage

It’s fun to take a vacation that explores your family heritage. Visit the hometown where your parents grew up, or experience the culture in the country where your grandparents were born. Find someplace to stay in the area you want to explore and spend some time looking around for landmarks or places you remember from family stories.

Visit the elementary school your parents attended, go to the library and look for a copy of the newspaper from the day your parents were born, or walk along the street where your parents lived when they were children. It’s a great way to have an enjoyable vacation while getting in touch with a part of your family history.

• Explore Your Local Community

We can live in a place for our entire lives and yet never get around to visiting the local attractions or places of interest. Why not plan a vacation devoted to exploring your local community? Make a list of attractions and locations you haven’t explored and then map out an itinerary that takes you to the ones you select.

Approach this process as if you were truly a first time senior traveler or visitor to the area, even going so far as to stay in a local hotel and eat all your meals in local restaurants. You just might be surprised at how much your community has to offer, and at the great fun you have exploring in your own community back yard.

• Visit a Neighboring State

Visiting a neighboring state is a great way to enjoy a senior travel vacation without having to travel extremely long distances. Do some research about a neighboring state and pick out a few interesting place you’d like to explore. Perhaps there is a state park or national park, or some historic areas you’ll want to see. Get your hands on a travel guidebook for that state and browse through the information in there as well.

Map out a route through the state that takes you to areas you’ve not been before, or to places you’ve visited in the past and want to see once again. Be sure to allow plenty of time for exploring and relaxing along the way.

• Start Driving and Watch Out For Adventure

This idea is for the adventurous senior travelers who are willing to be spontaneous and see where the road takes them. You shouldn’t just wander around, of course, but instead of putting together a detailed itinerary opt for choosing a general destination and then take the less crowded highways and scenic routes to get there. Stop for historic landmarks, take a break to take pictures, have a picnic in a community park, or have lunch at a local drive in.

Your goal is to explore places you’ve not seen before, and to do so at a pace that is unplanned and unscripted. Talk to the local residents when you stop somewhere for the night and get to know them a little bit better. Ask if there are any attractions or activities unique to the area that they might recommend. If you choose this kind of vacation, be sure to take along a notebook or a journal to capture thoughts and impressions of your big senior travel adventure.

Tags: Senior Travel, Senior Travel Destination, Senior Travel Tours, Senior Travelers

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