Senior Vacations in Europe

Most European vacations begin in London with a tour of the capital cities. European tours are a favorite of senior travelers .

Seniors no longer want to sit at home and grow old or go visit nearby relatives for their vacation. Today, seniors are rapidly making up a large segment of the tourism industry. While most seniors have been to California or Florida, many have never crossed the Atlantic. Going to Europe is different and just as much fun as any place in North America. For seniors who like to travel to Europe, a little homework is required. There are many great countries in Europe and each has its own distinct language, people, culture, and traditions.  Now is the time to take a senior vacation to Europe.

With the current recession, almost every country in Europe has now become an affordable destination for seniors, special discounts and deals are available for all tourists and especially discounts on seniors tours.  There are many countries in Europe worth visiting but one should decide beforehand where they would like to go.  There is so much to see when you decide you want to tour Europe.  Taking one of the many senior tours available is a good decision because a senior travel package will give you a good cross section of European cities and activities.

The first thing seniors searching travel options should do is browse the web and get an idea about Europe. Next is to talk to a travel agent or program that caters to senior vacations only.  Find out what companies are offering European bus tours .  Or perhaps you d like to travel by train? There are many deals for seniors available at this time of the year and the itinerary needs to be specific for the mature traveler. Many types of tours to Europe including sight seeing, hiking, biking mountain climbing, going to the vineyards or staying-put vacation where one rests and enjoys peace. Some tours to Europe including spending time in cities like London or Paris, in a plush resort and being spoilt rotten.

Seniors can also swap houses which can make a European vacation very cheap. There are many companies that specialize in arranging house swaps as a means of affordable vacations. However, be careful about signing any agreements. Have an attorney review the forms before you sign any papers.

Once you decide your destination of travel, you need to decide if you want to go alone or in tour group. If you decide to go with a tour group for your senior vacation, you have no hassles and the entire trip is arranged by the travel agent. Everything from your transport to the airport, airfare, hotels, driver, and local guides is prearranged. All you need is to show up for the flight. The biggest advantage of flying with a senior travel tour group is that it is convenient and cheap. Large tour group operators deal with many customers and get large discounts that are passed on to consumers. Further, going with a tour group means you also get access to unusual and or popular sites with ease. For example, going to the Vatican museum in Rome alone will mean waiting in a line for hours/days. Guided tour groups have their own Vatican museum access times via different doors. Going with tour groups also means not having to deal with language problems or what to wear for dinner or not knowing where to go. Further tour groups provide education and new ways to see other cultures. Finally, tour groups are one way to meet other people of your own age group and develop some type of social interaction.

The disadvantages of going with senior tour groups to Europe is that since all the itineraries are prearranged, you have little choice in the matter. If you are an independent traveler, who are selective and picky, then group tours may not be right for you. Many tour groups jam up itineraries so that you see a lot in a short period of time. This way there is little time for spontaneous sightseeing, going shopping or even visiting a local friend. The other negative about senior travel tours is that most itineraries are detailed and involve a lot of traveling, walking, climbing, and hiking. Therefore, if you have health concerns, you may not be able to keep up. The final point about going with tour groups is that everything is scheduled on a particular time. regardless of many factors. Therefore, if you want to sleep in one day, or are exhausted, you have very little control of where you want to go or when you want to go. If your hotel does not live upto your expectations, then you are stuck.

Therefore, before you jump for your senior vacation to Europe, sit down, and ask your self what you want, where you would like to go, and what you want do when you get there. The better prepared you are, the more enjoyable will be your trip. Call a travel agent and discus any issues you may have and then you can see Europe the way you want.

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