carol - Trips & Travels of Grandma

Companionship Socialization with like-minded adults Financially beneficial Meet companions Members who think like you Organised for you Make forever friendships Content What is a Travel ClubKnow Your Own Wants and Desires before you joinHow do I find a Senior Travel Club?What do Travel Clubs Organize for you?Be careful of Travel Club ScammersWhat are the Benefits of a Travel ClubDon’t get mixed up with Travel Clubs and large Vacation Clubs or Time-Share What is a Travel Club If you have had that passion to travel for years and are over 50, and do not want to travel alone, joining a Travel Club can be very beneficial. It is wise to look for a club in your area. Belonging to a travel club is a form of adventure travel. If you just love hiking or want to start hiking, cycling travel clubs, or want to belong to a travel birders club, these can be done with others with a similar mindset. Read these articles to start your inspiration. One of my favourites is chasing waterfalls and beaches. Clubs take care of your travel needs but listen and be considerate of everyone's personal desires. Often there is an annual membership which is not high. Sometimes the club gets together once a month or every two months, to have a socializing time or to plan the next adventure. “There is an unspoken bond you create with the friends you travel with.” Kristen Sarah Know Your Own Wants and Desires before you join Everyone has different passions, interests and desires regarding where they would like to travel to, so be prepared to be flexible to your needs. Listen to others in the club, their ideas may be wonderful and enchanting. Consider the drive behind the travel club as there is no point in joining a Travel Club that only wants to do hiking and you would rather do cruises, so be selective. How do I find a Senior Travel Club? Two very good places to start to find a Senior Travel Group or group are Facebook or Meetup.com. Ladies Travel Club will assist you to find other like-minded travellers. One can start one's own Travel Club, but it is initially wise to go with a club where the leader has already travelled extensively and knows the how whats and whens. Your church or other associations you belong to may already have their own Travel Clubs. Make some enquiries! What do Travel Clubs Organize for you? Great if you are a senior and really do not know where you should go on vacation and you do not want to travel solo. The club will organize the length of the trip and also the destination, being extra helpful when you do not know which accommodation to choose so they do this for you, including organising the air tickets, transport and daily activities. If you would only like to travel with other women, these clubs can be found. This is what they are about. “Our purpose is to be the best online community and travel resource designed to help women share experiences, be inspired and connect with friends and travel buddies both online and in the real world.” They believe in being a community for women, so they go beyond just organizing travel. Be careful of Travel Club Scammers Scammers try to fraudulently swindle you out of your money. Being seniors they regard you as easy targets. They will often email you, or speak to you telephonically, telling you that you have either won something or if you book today you will get your hotel or air tickets for free. Huge discounts are promised if you pay large membership fees upfront. Their imagination of what they offer is very wide, but remember, nothing today is for free. Don’t get hooked on their very convincing word power of emotions. As I have said, they have been doing this for years and they know how to hook seniors in. Never give your credit card details or any other form of payment. What are the Benefits of a Travel Club “One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are.” Edith Wharton The true benefit of a Travel Club for seniors is that you get to know the people you are travelling with. You meet prior to your journey, chat about similar interests, form remarkable friendships and have a chance to get rid of that awkwardness of a new company before you go on the trip. Senior group travel provides the social benefit of retirement. It is also far safer to travel in a group. You are able to watch each other “back”. Bookings have two benefits. Being of retirement age can give you discounts, and booking as a group also has an added benefit and discounts. As you are all of mature age, you can book out of the high-peak season, so this also has the added benefit of discounts. Eating meals at a hotel or in a dining hall is never favourable when you travel solo. It gives you an added boldness to sit down with members of the club and share a bottle of wine together or order what others recommend. Chit-chat can be very relaxing and special. Shared laughter signifies to ourselves and others that we have a similar worldview, working as a social glue. Share laughter with others, soon you will encounter feelings of more positive emotions. You go to bed still smiling. This true form of happiness is free. Did you know that laughter increases T-cells and salivary immunoglobulin A. These are immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, and the more we have of these we can fight infections faster and have an increased resistance to disease. Going sightseeing together is very advantageous. Often when I am doing the tourist bit and being alone, if I see something that is mind-blowing, I don’t have someone to share that moment with me. Captivating occurrences need to be spoken about immediately, so the moment is not lost forever. Having photos taken by someone else in the group so you can be in the photograph. Giving your camera to a stranger to take a photo of you with a gorgeous backdrop is not the safest thing to do nowadays, wherever you are. I am inclined to forget things when I go out and I know many of my friends have the same issue. We have a CHECK system in place, which we do regularly. I ask her and she asks me. Do you have your mobile? Check Do you have your passport? Check Do you have your credit card and money? Check Do you have your lunchtime medication? Check Have you put on sunblock? Check Do you have a sunhat or raincoat? Check Don’t get mixed up with Travel Clubs and large Vacation Clubs or Time-Share Vacation Club - this can be expensive and does not guarantee that you will be travelling with a group. You purchase or pay upfront a large sum of money and gain points to travel to various different destinations annually that are associated with that Vacation club. You pay annual fees and it ties you in financially. Time Share - A large payment is made upfront and you purchase your week each year at designated destinations. You also pay annual maintenance fees. This does not include group travel but limits where you can go. It also ties you down to a huge commitment. As we mature into adventurous, wandering seniors, we most certainly do not want more restrictions, expenses and ties. Do you belong to a travel club? What benefits have you had from being a member? Share your experiences in the comments section so others can benefit from your experiences or suggestions. “Life is like a camera: you focus on what is important, capture the good times, develop from the negative and if things do not work out, take another shot.” Unknown