| You are currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and that there are some features you can't use or read. We are an active community of worldwide senior members participating in chat, politics, travel, health, blogging, graphics, computer issues & help, book club, literature & poetry, finance discussions, recipe exchange and much more. Also, as a member you will be able to access member only sections, many features, send personal messages, make new friends, etc. Registration is simple, fast and completely free. Why not register today and become a part of the group. Registration button at the very top left of the page. Thank you for stopping by. Join our community! In case of difficulty, email worldwideseniors.org@gmail.com. If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
| How to travel as we age | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Feb 17 2010, 05:53 AM (592 Views) | |
| Deleted User | Feb 17 2010, 05:53 AM Post #1 |
|
Deleted User
|
Thanx for starting this topic, Alan. John and I have just returned from a cruise. We loved New Zealand and Australia, but hated the regimentation of the cruise and the tours we took while on it. When we were younger, we used to take the cheapest charter flight to a destination we wanted to see, making hotel reservations only for the first and last nights, rent a car (if we would be moving from city to city, but often just took trains) and just wander for the two or 3 weeks of our vacation, packing and repacking each time the desire to move on struck us, carrying our heavy suitcases up long flights of stairs at B&Bs. Between us, we used to be reasonably proficient in 6 languages, so if visiting a museum, we could often take whatever "tour" was being given when we got there without having to wait for an English language tour. We physically can no longer handle moving all that luggage, which has increased in size and weight just as we have angry054 and we are no longer fluent enough to take on the spot tours in other languages. I can remember vignettes, so to speak, from villages in rural Spain and Turkey that happened 40 years ago, usually involving interaction with locals, but I can't even recall from a previous big ship cruise 4 years ago actually being in Norway as it all went by too fast. In Demark, I can clearly remember DH and I chucking tours, and after walking to a botanical garden that wasn't on any tour, stopping by a cafe and having a delightful conversation with a young couple from Syria on their honeymoon that were sitting at the next table. I remember almost 40 years ago, learning that the Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup while we were in Madrid, and dancing and singing in the Plaza de Mayor at 3 am with a mixed crowd of Americans and Spainards we met in the bars. I guess what I am trying to explain is how much we loathe tours because IMHO, the best part of travel is interacting with the people you meet under "ordinary" circumstances, and now that we have many of the infirmities of age, we no longer see a way to allow that to occur. Tours keep you pretty much away from any locals, and I hate having to be back on the bus by 1 pm, etc. and then there are my chemical sensitivities..... We simply are not interested in any more "If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium" type holidays. We'd rather stay home. So - any thoughts on the best way to travel for people like us? |
|
|
| Timetrvlr | Feb 17 2010, 07:00 AM Post #2 |
|
Member
|
Good post Begete! You've expressed the complaint many of us have. Have you tried touring by car? It allows you to set your schedule, your itinerary and deviate from it when you wish. You may have to hire a car and driver but that is an opportunity in itself. Also, pay a bit more on the airlines and get out of "cattle class". At our ages, comfort is very important. |
![]() |
|
| agate | Feb 18 2010, 05:14 AM Post #3 |
|
Right on Begete. On our trip to Costa Rica last Feb we had booked a room for the first two nights then rented a car and winged it for two weeks. As you say it is fun touring & meeting the locals. One biggy for us is to travel light..one small suit case..thats it biggrin 04 A few times we did hire a car & driver and got to see & hear about things you would not have seen on a organised tour. Also the meals where wonderful when the driver took us to places where the locals ate...yummy. |
![]() |
|
| Deleted User | Feb 18 2010, 05:45 AM Post #4 |
|
Deleted User
|
How did you manage with only one small suitcase each, Agate? DH each took one big checked bag and one carry on suitcase with us on the cruise and I did or had done 7 loads of laundry!! I guess I would meet the locals in every town - at the laundromat!! :) |
|
|
| agate | Feb 18 2010, 05:53 PM Post #5 |
|
One small suitcase which we carried on the plane with us. Small size shampoos & such..most bought there. Clothing that is easy to wear & wash & dry. 2 pairs shorts, 2 slacks, swimsuit, 1 dress, several tops & one light sweater. Underwear, socks, sandels & runners Thats it biggrin 04 |
![]() |
|
| heatseeker | Apr 1 2010, 09:38 PM Post #6 |
Veteran Member
|
Years ago, I read Ann Tyler's The Accidental Tourist, about a guy who writes travel guide for people who have to travel but hate it. His guides advised people how to recreate their home environment, so as to avoid any of the inconvenience and trauma of actually experiencing anything new. At the time I thought it was hilarious, but have come to a new appreciation of at least part of the guide writer's point of view. ohmy 03 My wife and I travel a fair bit, but we now try to book an apartment at our destination, rather than a hotel room. We're eager for new experiences, but less eager to adjust to the schedules of hotels, or, for that matter, the dining hours of the country where we're staying, and to spend a lot of time in very cramped quarters. An apartment allows us to stretch out, to have that all important first cup of coffee how we want it and when we want it, and to dine when it pleases us. In some respects an apartment allows us to experience a lot more of the place we're visiting, taking us into greengrocers, fishmongers and others places we wouldn't venture if staying in a hotel, and interacting with people about what's fresh and seasonal, and what's best to avoid. Of course, we still dine out a fair bit, but if we're away for weeks or months, even the best restaurants can pall, and it's great to have the option of dining in. |
![]() |
|
| Deleted User | Apr 2 2010, 05:36 AM Post #7 |
|
Deleted User
|
You know, Heat, that is a great idea - renting an apartment and then if you wish, doing day tours from your central location. Is there a web site you have used for that purpose? |
|
|
| heatseeker | Apr 2 2010, 07:17 AM Post #8 |
Veteran Member
|
I don't think there's one website that covers everywhere. We have used ByT Argentina four times for Buenos Aires rentals, and have been quite happy with the results. If you haven't been to BA, BTW, it's a great city, and wonderful base for exploring Argentina and Uruguay. With its green grocers, small shops, etc. it kind of reminds me of Canada decades ago, except with vastly, vastly better wine. biggrin 04 The prices also remind me of Canada decades ago. ohmy 03 Apartment prices are kind of all over the map, depending on size, location, amenities. I think the most we've paid is about $2,000 US a month for a fully furnished two bedroom, two bathroom place, extremely trendy, with free wifi and just about every mod con you could imagine. It was in an old complex built around an enclosed, gated courtyard. You walked out the front door and steps away was a fresh pasta place, a very good wine store, several green grocers, butcher shops, and places selling excellent pizza, other places selling wonderful steak, all at laughable prices. That compares well with hotel rates. |
![]() |
|
| Deleted User | Apr 2 2010, 07:48 AM Post #9 |
|
Deleted User
|
Heat - you are really a mind reader as Buenes Aires is our next stop!! For $2,000 per month, do you get air conditioning? as we would try to go January or February 2011 and this year, a friend here who is a Buenes Aires native told me her mother hadn't left her apartment in 3 weeks because of the entreme heat. Do you speak Spanish? Can you get around OK with either no or very rusty Spanish? |
|
|
| erka | Apr 2 2010, 07:51 AM Post #10 |
|
Gold Star Member
|
I have never been on a tour so can't say definitely that I don't like them. We do house exchanges - USA many times but also New Zealand and Australia. We get to live like the "natives" - get to know the neighbours, shop keepers and see the sites that we want to see. In New Zealand, my spouse got an "out of country" membership at a 36 hole golf course and he was there almost every day. Great for me - I was able to do a lot of walking/hiking. A few years ago, we had a couple from New Zealand stay with us and they each had only a carry-on for their 6 weeks trip. She had a sarong - used it for the beach/dressing gown and for going to the opera!! I think they both had 2 paris of "Tilley" type pants where the legs zipped off for shorts. |
![]() |
|
| heatseeker | Apr 2 2010, 08:20 AM Post #11 |
Veteran Member
|
Heat - you are really a mind reader as Buenes Aires is our next stop!! For $2,000 per month, do you get air conditioning? as we would try to go January or February 2011 and this year, a friend here who is a Buenes Aires native told me her mother hadn't left her apartment in 3 weeks because of the entreme heat. Do you speak Spanish? Can you get around OK with either no or very rusty Spanish? Every place we rented had air con. We tend to go in March, when it cools off a little, but on our last trip it hit 40 celsius one day, which was really, truly oppressive. We stayed in San Telmo, which is an older, kind of bohemian area, sometimes called BA's Greenwich Village, but you may want to check out some other places, including Palermo, which is a little more modern, with tons of trendy shops, bars and restaurants. Cabs are amazingly cheap. You can get most places for about $5, and if you are going long, long distances, the subway is exellent and costs about 35 cents. My Spanish is extremely rudimentary, but you can get by reasonably well with none at all. Most stuff you buy will be denominated in pesos, but some higher end shops display prices in US dollars, and for all apartments you pay in US dollars in advance when you arrive, plus a large deposit. I've never had any difficulty with the deposit. BA has one of the world's great opera houses, which was closed for a few years for extensive renovations, but I think it was due to reopen this year. Be sure to see an opera or concert. It's an amazing experience. As you can tell, BA is one of my favourite cities. But it is a very large, very crowded city, so you have to be comfortable with that. I will warn you, though, that most sidewalks are covered with dog crap. Everyone has a dog, and no one cleans up after them. I remember Manhattan being much the same when I lived there for a while back in the bad old Seventies. Edited by heatseeker, Apr 2 2010, 08:21 AM.
|
![]() |
|
| Kahu | Apr 2 2010, 09:22 PM Post #12 |
|
Are you able to fly? Or is the medication thing only a problem if you become allergic to it? |
![]() |
|
| Kahu | Apr 2 2010, 09:31 PM Post #13 |
|
We're planning a Mediterranean cruise, relying heavily on Begete's advice and experiences Sept 23 - Oct 24 2010 .... HollandAmerica Line Noordam We did get a very good deal on the cruise cost and air travel ....... this will be probably the only time we'll ever be able to afford such a journey. It will give us both a taste of some places we have never been to .... Croatia, Greece, Greek Islands, Turkey, Sicily, Tunisia and Spain. |
![]() |
|
| Deleted User | Apr 3 2010, 03:47 AM Post #14 |
|
Deleted User
|
Kahu - we spent nearly two weeks driving around Sicily on our own, months in Spain during several trips driving around on our own, and John lived in Turkey for two years and we have spent a lot of time there. John also toured Greece and the Greek Islands extensively. But we cannot help with Croatia and Tunisia. You haven't asked any questions!! What would you like to know? |
|
|
| Kahu | Apr 3 2010, 08:47 PM Post #15 |
|
I've never been there ..... so I don't really know what to expect. We'll be there for such a short time in each port of call, I'm really just expecting to get a taste of those exotic locations. We'll be relying on your practical suggestions, we've never cruised before and I can honestly say we're not very good at being regimented ..... but in this case, because we'll probably never ever have the opportunity, we'll make each post a winning post! Dubrovnik I have a very superficial idea of what to expect .... Croatians .... Dalmatians as they were once known emigrated in family groups to NZ from the then Austro-Hungarian Empire .... they intermarried with Maori from the far north Kauri fields and began vineyards and a wine making industry when the gum market folded. The 2nd NZEDF, as part of the British 8th Army took Trieste, and defended it against Marshal Josip Broz Tito partisan army ..... many in the 28th Maori Battalion claimed relationships with partisans ... held Trieste and that part of the Dalmatian coast including Dubrovnik through the end of WWII through 1946 until US Forces relieved them .... and the international border was redrawn to include Trieste as part of Italy. Turkey ..... we have a connection with Gallipoli, remember the southern Wellington coast and renaming the landmark as Kemal Attaturk headland in return for the Turks renaming the bay as ANZAC Cove? ...... we're going to Kusadasi (ancient Ephesus) ..... greek antiquities etc The Greek Islands ...Ned & Katina These people were my boyhood neighbours and we grew up with their sons. Crete, Cios, and Corfu are all islands with an historical NZ involvement .... as are Tunisia, and Libya. I've never been to Spain before so two days there is a bit of a bonus. All in all ..... I suppose its a bit like your tour of NZ ..... you only get a taste. Edited by Kahu, Apr 3 2010, 08:54 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · General · Next Topic » |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2






5:46 AM Jul 14