Grandparent Excursions Take Off

Grandtravel, which originated the concept of grandparent and grandchildren travel five years ago, will offer 15 special trips in 1991, including, for the first time, the Soviet Union, Galapagos Islands and New England.

The 15-day Soviet Union tour, set like all tours to coincide with school vacations, includes not only the historic sites of Moscow and Leningrad, but visits to Helsinki and Lapland in Finland plus Copenhagen and Legoland, a children’s favorite, in Denmark.

The fascinating Galapagos Islands will be visited during a weeklong August cruise on the 34-passenger Isabela II, following a week in Ecuador that includes Quito, trips to Indian markets in the Andes and the Cotopaxi volcano.

Because air travel, meals and special arrangements for children and grandparents are included in the price, tours are fairly expensive. The Soviet Union costs $4,580 for adults, $4,250 for children, while the Galapagos is $4,450 for adults and $4,190 for children.

Less expensive is a series of 10-day tours of the Western states. One such tour, The Grandest Canyons, will visit the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion national parks, as well as Phoenix and Las Vegas. Cost is $2,285 per adult or child. There are several summer departures.

Other Western tours include American Indian country, the California Coast, and Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons to Mt. Rushmore.

One nice feature of Grandtravel’s tours is that each tour usually has two departures--one for adults with children 7 to 11 and another for children 12 to 17. Pre-departure counseling is available from Grandtravel to help grandparents and their grandchildren understand each other’s needs.

All trips are designed so that both adults and children have time to be together, as well as with people of their own age.

And Grandtravel planners have worked with educational specialists so that each itinerary can enhance school social studies programs.

For more information, contact Grandtravel, 6900 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 706, Chevy Chase, Me. 20815, (800) 247-7651.