Test travel waters via motorcoach, river cruise

Travel can be relaxing, inspiring and/or educational. It’s something many people look forward to when they retire, but a senior travel consultant stresses that travel is important for people of all ages.

“Don’t wait to travel. If you can’t afford a big trip, do the smaller trips on your list,” says Linda Sommer, who operates Senior Travel Consultants with her husband, Art. “All too often we hear that people have waited to travel until after they’ve retired, and then they have a health issue come up that prevents them from doing the things they’ve envisioned,”

For seniors who haven’t traveled a lot, Art Sommer suggests making an honest evaluation of physical abilities. For instance, if one has difficulty doing steps, then taking a trip where going up and down steps is part of the normal activities may not be a good option.

He says most tour companies or cruise lines provide a general idea of activity level for various tour options, but cautions that their idea of moderate or strenuous activity may be different than yours.

“If you have any doubts, you can call the tour company or have your travel agent do so,” he advises.

For those who like to cruise, consider a river cruise on the Mississippi, a paddle wheeler on the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington, or a cruise on the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.

For those who would like travel with an international flair, cruises on the Nile in Egypt are also becoming popular again, while another option may be a four- or five-day cruise on the Zambezi River in Africa.

Linda Sommer advises travelers to work with a reputable tour company — one that you may have heard about from friends or that has been in the business for a number of years. For those new to travel, the couple suggest starting out with a single-day or a short multi-day motorcoach tour.

Bob Neff, general manager of Bob Neff Tours Inc., agrees that shorter one- or two-day tours are a good way to start for seniors who are new to motorcoach travel. Today’s motorcoaches are more comfortable than coaches were 15 to 20 years ago, he says, offering comfortable seats and big windows.

Plus motorcoach travel is less stressful, Neff adds.

“All you have to do is pack, board the coach, relax and enjoy. A good tour package will have as many nights as possible at the same hotel, so you don’t have to pack and unpack as often. Sometimes it’s not possible, so we try to spend at least two nights at one hotel,” he says. “We also have experienced tour directors. If you have a fun tour director who’s knowledgeable about the area you’ll have fun, too.”

For people who may be considering similar tours from different companies and evaluating pricing, he suggests comparing hotel accommodations and the number of meals that are included in the tour package.

“People generally like hotels that have a three diamond or more rating from AAA,” Neff says.

Peak times for senior travel are in the spring (when flowers are blooming) and the fall (when leaves are changing).

“In the last couple of years, motorcoach travel has been on the rise. There are a lot of nice, new attractions,” Neff says. “It’s also a nice way for people who are retired or nearing retirement to see things — you come back refreshed and relaxed since you don’t have to do the planning or driving.”

He notes that popular motorcoach tour destinations include The Ark Encounter and The Creation Museum in Kentucky; Yellowstone National Park, Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and Fort Worth, Dallas and San Antonio, Texas.

Linda Sommer notes that multi-generational trips, like a cruise or trip to Disney World, are also popular for seniors, their children and grandchildren.

“It’s an opportunity to share and experience with family,” she says. “Cruises and Disney are popular destinations since there’s something for family members of all ages to enjoy.”

For seniors traveling alone, single rates are available for group tours and cruises. Some river cruise companies offer single rooms, Sommer says.

“If you’re outgoing, you won’t have an issue as a single traveler,” she says. “People are often very friendly and will include a single as part of their group.”