Senior travellers should make sure they wear really comfortable shoes, avoid extreme weather, and do their homework before going on a tour.
That’s the advice of Langley retiree and frequent traveller Maria (who asked her last name be omitted), who recently returned from a seven-country tour that included Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary.
“You need really good footwear,” Maria told the Langley Advance Times. “You must invest in good, thick, padded footwear, otherwise, you will be sorry – and good, thick socks.”
Check to ensure a tour doesn’t cram too much into a day, she further cautioned.
“Take a look and make sure that you’re not going to be ending up exhausted at the end of the day.”
And avoid bad weather.
“I don’t like travelling in the winter, and I don’t like travelling in the summer, because depending on where you are, it’s too hot.”
A government of Canada site for older travellers agrees, (https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/older-travellers), noting seniors are generally at less risk of altitude sickness, but have a higher risk of non-exercise-related heat stroke, and decreased ability to tolerate cold temperature.
It also advises doing some research in advance, pointing prospective travellers to the Canadian Travel Advice and Advisories page to find out about local safety and security conditions, and areas to avoid, local laws and culture, possible health hazards and health restrictions, and other important information.
Tour companies that cater to older travellers are adjusting schedules to make their experiences less “frenetic,” said Lise Hines, the owner of Langley-based Chew On This Tasty Tours, who estimates a majority of the people who go on her company’s budget-friendly culinary adventures are 45 or older.
“We have hosted groups who are all in their 70s,” Hines told the Langley Advance Times.
“The walking tours that we have, its always kind of flat, accessible to many abilities, and its always punctuated by nice stops to sit and luxuriate. “
For example, a Chew On This web page post about their “Local Flavour” tour of Fort Langley estimates it will cover about 1.7 kilometres, or “2,371 steps.”
While the number of seniors planning to travel fell during the pandemic, it is rising again.
A recent study conducted by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) found roughly half of all seniors surveyed reported a desire to return to normal leisure travel in 2024, compared to just eight per cent in 2023, and the same percentage ranked travel and vacation as their number one priority for discretionary income.
More Living 60+ Magazine articles can be found online at https://www.langleyadvancetimes.com/e-editions.
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