Affordable Travel Advice for Seniors
If you’re a senior who loves to travel, it doesn’t really have to cost you an arm and a leg. These days, there are lots of airlines, attractions, hotels and resorts that offer various incentives for seniors who wish travel affordably. In order to find deals on travel you will need to do a little research first.
Travel discounts are sometimes hard to find so senior travelers would be wise to make a plan well in advance. The Encyclopedia of Cheap Travel is an excellent source of helpful information.
First, plan your trip and decide how much you want to spend. Many seniors don’t have unlimited funds, so plan your trip budget and then keep a day-to-day record of what you are spending so you won’t go overboard. Plan out the amount of travel you want while you’re still healthy and can enjoy your travels.
Here are a few ways you can plan out travel and save money too. There are some senior discounts that begin at age fifty, but the majority of start from the ages of sixty to through sixty-five. Always be certain to ask what senior discounts are available when you travel. Remember, you don’t have to be embarrassed by telling your age and showing your AARP and AAA membership cards. Many restaurants, hotels, vacation packages, car rentals and cruises offer senior discounts that are not advertised but always available to seniors.
Some airlines offer senior discounts too, but some have been forced to eliminate or cut back on those programs due to the current economic downturn. Nevertheless, it can’t hurt to ask so be sure to check when you travel.
When you travel, be aware that several well-known domestic and international hotel chains offer senior discount programs. The most generous programs are located at the Starwood hotels, which include Sheraton and Westin hotels. There are often 40% discounts available through a program at the Hilton hotels, but these require a membership fee of fifty-five dollars annually.
Travel sites including Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, and Expedia are similar to many travel agencies. They provide services and they charge for these services. You an also locate bargains though travel websites such that work in conjunction with the major airlines. You may find a fare that is cheaper if you write to the hotel or airline through their website. Remember too that making your own reservations just may be the best idea; travel sites may not offer refunds, if a hotel reservation is canceled. Nevertheless, some hotel sites on the Internet will let you cancel your reservation seventy-two hours before your scheduled arrival time.
You can obtain excellent travel discounts if you travel in group tours. Group tours, alumni associations, retirement travel groups and church travel groups can all save you a lot of money and you will also get to socialize with other seniors.
You may want to save money when you travel by swapping homes with other people that are traveling. There are a quite a few programs that will let you swap homes with another person and this eliminates your costs for lodging. A company called The Home Exchange Network, has thousands of home exchange listings in various countries. You might just want to take this route.