Senior Travel Introduction

We here at Groople.com are upfront about our biases: we believe wholeheartedly that group travel is a joy. And perhaps no group is as adventurous and inquisitive as seniors when it comes to hitting the road. It’s not just because many seniors have ample free-time to explore new places, although that certainly helps. No, seniors just get travel, understanding that it enriches their lives at a deep level. Here are just a few reasons seniors use Groople.com to see the country and the world:

• To keep on learning. Whether it’s to take a class to learn how to cook delicious Italian meals or a chance to tour New York’s best museums and galleries, seniors embrace the notion of lifelong learning. Group travel gives you and your family and friends the opportunity to pursue an interest that has obsessed you for decades, or one that hadn’t occurred to you until yesterday.
• To give back. With the wisdom of age and valuable life experiences, seniors understand better than most the importance of donating their skills and knowledge to the less fortunate around the nation and the world. That sage insight has lead to a spike in volunteer vacations, an ideal hybrid that allows seniors to indulge their dual passion for altruism and travel.
• To bond with family. Ever wanted to see Mount Rushmore through the eyes of your grandkids? Or maybe attend an All-Star game? Use Groople.com to help you arrange a multi-generational trip to a special destination or event; it’ll be a journey everyone will remember the rest of their lives.

Great Seniors Vacation Destinations:

Activity. If you’d like to plan your trip around a specific activity that you love to do, here are some categories to get you started, all of which you can find regionally.

1. Tour a historical site
2. Golf at a resort
3. Walk on nature trails, go bird watching
4. Wine tasting
5. Gambling

Cultural trip. Of course you can also do group trips with people with similar cultural interests as you. There are many wonderful options for trips centered around these specific interests or hobbies.

1. Music – Memphis, Tennessee
2. Art – Santa Barbara, California
3. Cooking – Santa Fe, New Mexico
4. Literature – Steinbeck’s Salinas and Monterey, California
   Twain’s Hannibal, Missouri, and Hartford, Connecticut
   Faulkner’s Oxford, Mississippi
5. Theatre – New York City

Historical Big Cities

1. Boston
2. Chicago
3. New York
4. Philadelphia
5. Washington D.C.

Historical Small Cities

1. Charleston, South Carolina
2. Savannah, Georgia
3. Key West, Florida
4. Portsmouth, New Hampshire
5. Williamsburg, Virginia

Must-see places in the United States.

1. Grand Canyon
2. Yosemite
3. Niagara Falls
4. Alaska
5. Mount Rushmore

Plan Your Trip:

Listen, seniors, you’ve earned the privilege to explore new and exotic places with your friends and family, and Groople.com can make planning your big or small trip a snap. As a start, try these steps:

• Create a Groopvine page. There, you will be able to communicate with your travel companions; set up polls to decide on hotels, transportation and meals; share information about your destination; and even share pictures once you return.
• Find a hotel. Groople will help you find a hotel within your price range featuring all the amenities you’ll want, whether you’re traveling on a budget and seeking out low-price accommodations or splurging on a luxury getaway. Groople can find the best group rates and will enable everyone in your group to pay separately.
• Decide on your itinerary. Communicate via Groopvine to make plans ahead of time for museums you want to visit, classes you want to take or restaurants you’d like to try.

Tips for Planning your Seniors Group Trip:

Seventy may be the new sixty, and sixty may be the new fifty, but when it comes to senior group travel there are a number of issues to keep in mind, including:

• The ability to take advantage of the best deals. If you have the kind of flexible schedule people who work 9 to 5 can only dream about, take full advantage of it. Groople will be able to get you and your travel companions the very best deal on hotels, but remember that if you travel in off-peak times—like April, May, September and October—you’ll miss the crowds and be more likely to get even better deals.
• Consider insurance issues. Travel insurance is something that many people dismiss. But for seniors traveling overseas, particularly those who have health issues, it can be well worth the cost, especially if the policy you pick up includes evacuation insurance, which covers the cost of getting you to good medical care in the case of an emergency.
• Take your medicine. Another important thing to remember if you’re traveling overseas (and also within the U.S.) is to have a full supply of any medications you take. If you travel on a plane, keep a few days worth in your carry-on baggage in case your checked bag is lost. It can be difficult to fill prescriptions in a foreign country, so try to bring what you need or make arrangements ahead of time to get what you need.