- A variety of vacation tours are available for today's active single seniors.a perfect senior tourist image by Pierrette Guertin from Fotolia.com
Far from being a time to settle into a sedentary lifestyle, senior citizenhood has become an opportunity to see the world and meet new people. Active travelers 60 and older have plenty of tours to choose from, ranging from relaxing cruises to educational expeditions and challenging treks in exotic places. Many such companies take travelers as young as 50, and all encourage singles to participate. - Road Scholar is the new name for Elderhostel, a not-for-profit company founded in 1975 that specializes in educational travel. The organization began as a way to enable older Americans to enjoy learn about a wide variety of subjects while staying in comfortable, inexpensive lodgings. Road Scholar also seeks to create travel experiences with access to places that participants could not arrange to visit on their own. The organization works with universities, museums and other institutions around the world to offer more than 9,500 programs at 2,000 locations in nearly 100 countries. Tours last from three to 12 days. Road Scholar welcomes single participants and can match people with roommates or provide private rooms.
- AARP, the largest membership organization for people over 50, has a Travel Center on its website that provides information about a wide variety of travel opportunities, with trips booked through Expedia. Choices include fully escorted tours, independent travel and small-ship cruises. Travelers might visit the Bordeaux region of France or the Galapagos Islands; tour Europe by train; or book a stay at a beach resort. A guided Hong Kong trip includes three nights at a hotel, a private car and driver, four meals and a tour of the city's highlights.
- ElderTreks arranges tours in exotic places for travelers over 50. It offers off-the-beaten-path adventures by land and sea in more than 100 countries. Trips include the Amazon rainforest, African safaris and tours of the ruins of ancient Greece. Tours are designed by activity level, starting with "easy," which might include a one-mile walk, to "challenging" hikes of eight to 10 hours. ElderTrek guarantees a maximum of 16 people in each group, and says the small group size allows more spontaneity in the schedule -- such as including visits to local restaurants and homes and using small vehicles--as well as opportunities to form friendships with fellow travelers.
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