Cyber-Seniors Find Plenty of Online Opportunities

As more seniors connect to the Internet--nearly 50% of people older than 50 are computer savvy, according to surveys--more Web sites are catering to them.

There’s no substitute for a knowledgeable travel agent who has your interests at heart, but you can explore travel destinations all over the world, then discuss them with your agent. In any case, surfing the Web can provide a virtual travel experience even if you’re not planning to go anywhere soon.

Here are some sites to visit that can help in trip planning:

* General information: https://www.seniors.com. This site offers an array of info for seniors. Click on “Travel” for some tips, including how to steer your way through the Web maze.

Also check https://www.seniorsurfers.org. It provides general information on travel, lifestyles, care-giving and health advice.

For inspiration and handy travel links, https://www.grandmabetty.com. Grandma Betty’s Web site lists 1,500 information resources for “active seniors.” Click on “Travel” for resources ranging from fishing in Alaska to apartment hotels in France. Grandma Betty took the plunge into cyberspace two years ago when she lost her job at 68. Visit her site for inspiration and handy travel links.

* Tours: Try https://www.collettetours.com for a selection of escorted and independent tours. Example: “Spectacular Scandinavia,” a 12-day escorted tour priced from $1,799, double, in September and from $1,899 in July and August.

Also check https://www.sagaholidays.com. It offers worldwide escorted tours for mature travelers, many with a strong educational component. Some examples: a 14-night national parks tour, from $1,799; a 16-night escorted coach tour of South Africa. For learning programs, click on “Road Scholar” or “Smithsonian Odyssey” tours, led by Smithsonian scholars.

For a half century, Maupintour, https://www.maupintour.com, has been offering upscale, all-inclusive escorted vacations. Departures are for Oberammergau Passion Play tours (Germany and Austria), Mexico’s Copper Canyon, Australia and New Zealand and lots more. Also click on “MaupinTrek” for soft adventure tours, and “MaupinWaterways” for independent river hotel barge and small ship cruises.

Vantage Deluxe World Travel, https://www.vantagetravel.com, offers a choice of 75 leisurely paced vacations for mature people. “Traveller’s Choice” itineraries, limited to 25 or less, include Australia, New Zealand and Fiji; European cities or the Alps by rail; Italy, Portugal and Spain; and the Rocky Mountains.

There’s also Corliss, https://www.corlisstours.com, which features “Stay-Put Tours.” They are not age restricted but are great for seniors because visitors stay in one hub city and pack and unpack only once. Corliss provides motor coach day trips around the area. The Web site lists a choice of 24 cities, including San Francisco, San Antonio, New York and Myrtle Beach, S.C. An eight-day Washington, D.C., Stay-Put Tour in October costs $1,599 per person, double.

* AARP, https://www.aarp.org. Information on everything from Social Security to “Great Getaways.” One suggestion: College towns (Boston; Berkeley; Madison, Wis.; Oxford, Miss.) offer great theater, music and sporting events at affordable prices. AARP membership discounts are available at some resorts, hotels and cruises.

* Elderhostel, https://www.elderhostel.org. Affordable educational experiences for the over-55 group are at sites in the U.S., Canada and 80 other countries. Browse the online catalogs for programs and destinations that match your interests. Average cost for a five-night program is $430, with meals and lodging (transportation is extra).

* ElderTreks: https://www.eldertreks.com. Adventure tours for travelers over 50 include walking, boating, biking and hiking. Groups are limited to 16. A 17-day Burma tour starts at $2,990.

* Hiking tours: https://www.walkingtheworld.com. It features hiking tours for healthy over-50s in Europe, Asia, Central and South America, New Zealand and the U.S. Example: a moderate hike in Washington state, 10 miles daily, July 29 to Aug. 7; land cost, $2,395.

* Study: https://www.learn.unh.edu/interhostel. A University of New Hampshire study program for the 50-plus crowd has spread to the rest of the world. Domestic and international programs include meals, accommodations and excursions. Appealing to leaf-peepers: “Autumn in New Hampshire,” Oct. 1 to 6, $745.

* Women: https://www.poshnosh.com. The Web site for Senior Women’s Travel has programs designed for age 50-plus women who want to eliminate many of the annoyances of single travel. Most tours are exclusively for women, but “Exploring Languedoc: The South of France You Don’t Know,” Sept. 11 to 18, is also open to couples of all ages.

* Gardens: https://www.ahs.org. The American Horticultural Society’s tours are not exclusively for seniors, but garden tours are especially popular with the 50-plus crowd. Click on “Travel Study Program” for a schedule of visits to private and public gardens here and abroad, accompanied by well-known horticulturists. Tours range from the Gardens of Nantucket July 11 to 16 to the Gardens of Barbados Nov. 8 to 12.

*

Christopher Reynolds is on assignment.