{"id":246,"date":"2019-11-05T01:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-11-05T06:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/?p=246"},"modified":"2019-11-07T13:13:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T18:13:00","slug":"alternative-senior-travel-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/travel\/alternative-senior-travel-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Alternative Senior Travel Options"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you daydream about kicking your feet up oceanside in the Caribbean or exploring the quaint cobblestone streets of Italy? Would you like to tour America\u2019s National Parks from coast to coast or do you imagine yourself bustling through Hong Kong or Tokyo? Traveling, for many, is one of the greatest thrills in life. It\u2019s an adventure at best, a reprieve at the least, a memory worth making and a life worth living every time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The problem for many, however, is that travel is intimidating. How will I book my plane tickets, find the right lodging? What if I don\u2019t know the language? What if I get lost? The fears can be many and can even prevent some people from traveling. Still, overcoming these fears doesn\u2019t have to be hard if you know where to look.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are quite a few travel agencies, publications, websites and business world wide \u2013 too many to mention in fact \u2013 that cater to travelers over 50. These places, businesses, organizations make it a point to make your time traveling as easy and enjoyable as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are our top five Travel Guides for our best alternative senior travel options for 2017. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve spent your life working and now it\u2019s time to have some fun! Bon Voyage!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 \u2013 Rick Steves<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are considering a trip to Europe by far and away Rick Steves \u2013 everything Rick Steves \u2013 is your best bet for guides and tips. Rick Steves has a fun travel show that airs on PBS and you can <\/span>watch some episodes<\/span><\/a> and videos by visiting his <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>. Additionally he has just recently been featured in the popular publication <\/span>Active Over 50<\/span><\/a> where he talks about the traveling for seniors specifically. You can also check out his <\/span>Savvy Senior Travers article here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to all of these great Rick Steves resources, his travel books are invaluable once you\u2019ve determined your destination. He offers travel guides for every European country and the books are updated every two years. Rick personally spends 100 days out of the year travelling throughout Europe and writing his guides. He has great tips on food, lodging, attractions and simply the logistics of travel. A wonderful place to start with the <\/span>Rick Steves books<\/span><\/a> is with <\/span>Europe Through the Backdoor<\/span><\/a>, which will give you great insight into Rick\u2019s valuable travel philosophy.  He even offers tours! <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 \u2013 Senior Travel Guides<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re interested in visiting other places besides Europe, try visiting <\/span>Senior Travel Guides<\/span><\/a>, a fun, interactive website that offers great ideas and suggestions of places to visit worldwide. The website isn\u2019t the best for gaining specific or general travel tips, it does however make destination suggestions that are uniquely appealing for seniors.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, their blog features articles like<\/span> Gaming havens in the USA besides Las Vegas<\/span><\/a> or<\/span> Interesting places to visit on Hawaii\u2019s Big Island<\/span><\/a>. The website aims to share hot travel destinations specifically for seniors while highlighting the destination’s\u2019 top attractions like monuments and museums or cultural highlights like the orchestra or local festivals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 \u2013 The Independent Traveler<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Independent Traveler is a great, all-inclusive website that caters to travelers of all ages, however, it has a <\/span>thorough research section specifically written for seniors<\/span><\/a>. The resource has four sections: Senior Deals and Tips, Sightseeing Itineraries, Traveling with Family, and Health Issues.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interesting topic, and one that many seniors may worry over, are <\/span>health issues<\/span><\/a> while traveling. In particular any disabled travelers will appreciate the article on Disabled Travel, which outlines travelers rights through the Americans with Disabilities Act and arranges a comprehensive list of tips and resources available to travelers today. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 \u2013 Cruise Critic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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If you are interested in cruises, which come with oh-so-many fun benefits, check out <\/span>Cruise Critic<\/span><\/a>. Cruises are a fun alternative to travel because they are quick to book and easy to manage \u2013 the one-stop-shop of travel options. When you book a cruise you plan to be taken to your destinations in style.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cruise Critic does a great job of highlighting the best of the best: the best deals, the best cruise lines, the best destinations; whether you want to explore the Caribbean or sail past the Greek Isles. Their guide, <\/span>Best Cruises for Seniors<\/span><\/a>, you\u2019ll find particularly helpful where they outline a step-by-step guide to booking your cruise. The article has great pointers like suggesting travelers explore the cruise lines enrichment programs and itinerary choices.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 \u2013 AARP<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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As a trusted source for seniors, AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons is always a great place to start if you just are not sure. Their resources are many and seemingly endless and this holds true for their travel tips as well.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the <\/span>AARP travel website<\/span><\/a> you can explore their destination guides, discover local getaways, or use their trip finder to help you find and book your dream vacation. Additionally they have a blog that explores solely travel <\/span>articles and tips<\/span><\/a> where you can get advice from one of the most trusted national organizations in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you daydream about kicking your feet up oceanside in the Caribbean or exploring the quaint cobblestone streets of Italy? Would you like to tour … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1699,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlineseniorcenter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}