Poole: The Specialists With Tours for Seniors

Many retirees belong to senior citizen organizations, fraternal organizations (Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, Elks), religious groups or profession-oriented groups, such as those for retired teachers. Members of such groups are among the most active travelers but in many cases lack the expertise to organize and conduct satisfactory group tours.

Here in Southern California, Poole Tours has been performing these services for more than a dozen years for organizations of mature travelers and cities through their parks and recreation departments. Lakewood, Torrance and Long Beach are among Poole’s city clients.

Pre-Tour Briefings

Company representatives from Poole will appear before senior groups to provide pre-tour briefings, with ample supplemental printed matter. Poole uses Greyhound motor coaches equipped with restrooms and air conditioning for their land tours. Driving time is limited to a maximum of 250 miles a day so that travelers can be in their hotels between 3 and 4 p.m., allowing time for shopping, naps or nearby sightseeing on foot. Smoking is not permitted on the buses, but frequent stops are made.

Superior-rated hotels are engaged for most trips, including Sheraton, Hilton and Best Western. Hotel names, locations and phone numbers are provided for prospective tour members before any trip. Meals are not included on most Poole Tours as this policy allows the traveler more freedom of choice for dining and eliminates sharing the necessary cost markups for group meals by those who may not enjoy large meals.

An example of the type of tour offered is a 17-day Expo 86 package that begins in Los Angeles and goes north through the San Francisco Bay Area, Oregon and Washington to Victoria and Vancouver with overnight stops and sightseeing along the way.

Scenic Western Canada

After several days in Vancouver to enjoy Expo, the group tours scenic British Columbia, Banff, Lake Louise and the Canadian Rockies, then returns via Yellowstone National Park, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. The price for this tour is $1,299 per person. Three such Expo tours are available this year, departing July 6, Aug. 22 and Sept. 20.

Other trips for this summer and fall include Aug. 10 for 29 days, Alaska via motor coach and cruise ship, $2,195 per person; Sept. 9 for 16 days, Great Lakes Holiday, $1,695 per person; Sept. 29 for 18 days, New England Fall Foliage tour including round-trip air Los Angeles to Boston, $1,969 per person. Additional tours include Australia and New Zealand, Hawaii, plus cruises.

For details, representatives of senior groups may write to Poole Tours, P.O. Box 990, Temple City 91780.

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There’s good news for mature travelers who wish to travel in Canada by air or rail. Both provide substantial discounts for travel anywhere within Canada’s national borders. The Canadian rail system, called Via Rail Canada Inc. offers a Via Ambassador card that gives anyone over the age of 60 a one-third discount off regular coach travel, prices for which are usually quoted in U.S. dollars.

With the favorable rate of exchange for the U.S. dollar, rail travel in Canada becomes an attractive proposition. Via discounts do not apply to meals on board trains, but the one-third reduction also applies at all Canadian Holiday Inns patronized in conjunction with rail travel.

Tours Described

For an application for a Via Ambassador discount card, write to Via Rail Ambassador Card, 1200 St. Amour, Ville St. Laurent, Que., Canada H4S 1J2. A free copy of the Via Rail 36-page color brochure, which describes more than a dozen tours, includes several that originate in Vancouver, site of Expo 86. To obtain a copy of the brochure, phone (800) 665-0200.

Air Canada also offers discounts for senior citizens over age 65 on flights within Canada. Proof of age may be a birth certificate, passport, Medicare card or other legal document. A driver’s license does not qualify. Some complicated limitations relate to the part of Canada to be visited, duration of the trip and other factors.

Therefore, it is advisable to consult a travel agent, most of whom have been briefed on the regulations on reduced travel on Air Canada. Air Canada reservation agents are also experts on the facts of reduced air fares for seniors. For information, phone (800) 422-6232.