Senior Vacations and Travel – Part I

See New York For Less…
New York City offers discounts to seniors with discounts to enjoy the city. Visit the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty for less if you are a senior. New York City’s public transportation fares are half price for adults 65 and older with identification. You can even get discounts to some theater tickets, restaurants and hotel accommodations. For information about your travels to NYC contact NYC & Company, 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019; 212-484-1200; www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=165.

Save If You Take The Train Overseas…
The train may be the way to travel as you take in all of the sights of Europe. Discounts for seniors are available for some of the ticket combinations. When you purchase your tickets remember to ask if there is a savings that you are eligible for.

Ride A Rollercoaster For Free…
Some of the nation’s top amusement parks offer seniors discounts on daily admissions. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom offers adults 55 and older discount tickets and adults 65 and older FREE admission. Most of the other Six Flag Parks offer senior discounts. These are not the only parks offering senior discounts, so make sure that you ask.

Retired Military Save Big On Vacations in Hawaii and Disney…
Military Retires are eligible for many discounts throughout the world. Shades of Green Resort is a military-owned resort within Walt Disney World. Shades of Green provides all of the benefits of staying at a Disney Hotel including transportation and a nine-hole golf course. They even offer discount on tickets to the parks. The Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii is a resort on 72 tropical acres on the beach at Waikiki. Room rates are determined by pay grade of retired personnel. For information on these and other resorts contact Military Advantage, Inc., 799 Market Street, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA 94103-2045; 415-820-3434; www.military.com/Travel

Discounted Air Travel For Retired Military Personnel and Their Families…
Space Available Flight (sometimes called Space A or Military Hops), provides retirees and their families a unique travel opportunity. Space A offers eligible passengers the privilege of filling unused seats on DoD-owned or controlled aircraft. For additional information, contact Military Advantage, Inc., 799 Market Street, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA 94103-2045; 415-820-3434; www.military.com/Travel

Spend Your Vacation as a Moose Crossing Guard at Old Faithful…
The Volunteers-In-Parks volunteers donated 4.5 million hours of their time to national parks in 2003 - what a great way to spend your vacation time. If you are interested, you can help in a variety of ways and must contact each park to find out about available opportunities. http://nps.gov/volunteer/

International Volunteers-In-Parks Program offers opportunities to individuals from all over the world. Call 202-354-1807 for information on the International Program.

Natural Resource Laureate Program is a new program that hosts science-based professionals in the national parks. The program matches volunteers possessing proven science backgrounds with parks needing specific natural resource expertise. Call 540-788-3274 or check the web site at www.nature.nps.gov/partnerships/laureateprogram.htm for additional information.

Learning Vacations For Seniors…
Interhostel learning vacations are sponsored by the University of New Hampshire Continuing Education in cooperation with many other institutes of higher education throughout the world. The program is open to adults 50 years and older. The programs include lectures, excursions and other activities to provide an in-depth look at the country. If you love to travel with your grandchildren then check out Familyhostel. Familyhostel offers programs for children (8-15), parents and grandparents. So get your family together and go make memories.

Cruise For Less…
You can get special perks like free use of a bathrobe while onboard or money off each onboard cabin. AARP members can access a variety of benefits by booking through them. You can also contact the cruise line directly and ask if they offer any benefits or discounts for seniors.

Discounts on Car Rentals…
You never should pay full-price for car rentals and there are deals aplenty if you keep your eyes open. AAA and AARP membership will save you a few bucks, as will many other membership programs. Car rental agencies also often offer discounts to senior citizens (check what age they consider “senior”). Many times, if you book your flight and rental car at the same time, you can get a discount rate, plus get miles added to your frequent flier program. The free brochure, Renting a Car: What Everyone Should Know, outlines some points to consider and questions to ask when you reserve a rental car. Learn how to choose a rental car company and understand the terms they use for insurance and charges. For your copy, contact Public Reference, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580; 202-326-2222, 877-FTC-HELP; or online at www.ftc.gov

Travel Tips For Older Americans…
What do you do if you lose your passport or have a health emergency? Is it safe to travel to a particular country? What about your medications? Travel Tips for Older Americans explains all this and more, and can be viewed for free online at http://travel.state.gov. Get Out of the House and Into the Woods…
If you prefer saving spotted owls and counting woodchucks to playing bridge with the girls, you can be a volunteer with the Forest Service and be a nature hike leader or help with fascinating research. For a list of national forests nearest you, contact U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0003; 202-205-8333; www.fs.fed.us

Travel and Learn…
If you want to learn and explore close to home or half way around the world, Elderhostel can help. Elderhostel is a non-profit organization that provides learning adventures for people 55 years of age and older throughout the world. They offer over 10,000 programs a year in more than 90 countries. You can receive a catalog by mail or view the catalog on their web site. Contact: Elderhostel, 11 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA 02111-1746; 877-426-8056; www.elderhostel.org.

Tons of Travel Options…
Are you interested in travel, learning about new photography techniques, golf, tennis or cooking? This web site lists thousands of learning and travel programs. Sponsors list their educational programs on this site and you can be search in a variety of ways and find just the right program for you! ShawGuides, Inc., P.O. Box 231295, New York, NY 10023; 212-799-6464; www.shawguides.com.

Cheaper Car Rentals…
All car rental chains offer senior discounts, but again AARP or AAA membership may be required. The amount of discount varies from location to location, but usually is 10%. Payless Car Rentals offers the “Nifty, Fifty” program which offers up to 5% off their rates. Thrifty offers seniors up to 5% on US bookings. It is important to remember to ask any car rental agency if they offer discounts for seniors.

5-15% Off When You Travel…
For those that prefer to leave the driving to others, two other discount programs include AMTRAK and Greyhound. AMTRAK offer 15% off any fare available to those 62 and older (800-USA-RAIL). Greyhound bus has a 5% discount for people 55 and over (800-229-8425). Greyhound also offers the Student Advantage Discount Card that can save students 15% on walk-up fares and more. The card costs $20 per year.

Low Rates and Free Nights at Hotels…
Almost all major hotel chains offer senior discounts of 10-30% off the cost of rooms. Some require that you belong to AARP or AAA or other organization, so it is best to call ahead and ask. Three hotel chains Ramada, Hilton and, and Red Roof Inns offer special deals to guests who frequent their hotels. Ramada’s TripRewards Program is free to join and you can redeem your points for hotel stays and other prizes (800-367-8747). Hilton Senior Hotels program charges $55 ($40 annual renewal fee), and seniors receive up to $50 off rooms and discounts at hotel restaurants (800-548-8690). Red Roof Inns offers the Redicard for their guests. The program is free to join and members can receive many benefits including: free nights, member only reservations, and more (800-733-7663).

Discounts on Airline Tickets if You’re Are a Senior…
Most airlines offer discounts to seniors amounting to as much as 10%. What happens though is that some of the airlines’ special offers may be exempt from the discount. It is best to see what the lowest available rate is and then inquire about the senior discount. In many instances, the airline only requires that one person meet the age requirements for the discount, so your companion can receive the lower rate as well. Contact the specific airline or check with AARP for discounts currently available.

Free (Or Cheap) Hunting and Fishing Licenses…
Practically every state has a special license rate for seniors. States such as Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas and others do not require that people 65 and older carry fishing and hunting licenses. Other states offer seniors, on average, half off the cost of licenses. These rules change so you will need to contact each state to receive specific details and discounts.

50% Off Camping…
Almost all states offer discounts to seniors at state parks. Entrance fees are usually waived for seniors, or states like Illinois offer 50% off camping fees. Eighteen states have no residency requirements to receive the discount, so if you are planning a cross- country camping trip, contact the state Parks Department to find out about eligibility criteria. For those wanting to camp in the National Forest, the Golden Age Passport is available to those 62 and over. For $10 you receive free lifetime admission to the parks, plus 50% off camping and many other services. The Passport is available at all National Parks, online at www.nationalparks.org or by calling 888-GOPARKS.

Travel Tours for Seniors…
There are a number of travel tours companies that are dedicated to seniors. Check them out to see what they may have to offer:

• Senior Women’s Travel: If you are 50 years old or older and you love to travel, check out Senior Women’s Travel. They offer a variety of tours including Travel-By-the Book Literary Tours and New York Lifestyle Tours. Contact them at Senior Women’s Travel, Mary Ann Zimmerman, 136 E 56th Street, New York, NY 10022; 212-838-4740; www.poshnosh.com.
• Walking the World: Adventure travel is not just for the young. If you are 50 or better, Walking the World gets you out of the bus and into the countries you travel. Tours are ranked on degree of strenuous walking required. So get your walking shoes on and see the world. Contact them at Walking the World, P.O. Box 1186, Fort Collins, CO 80522-1186; 800-340-9255; www.walkingtheworld.com.
• 50Plus Expeditions: 50plus Expeditions offers active, tours that frequently are off-the-beaten-path. For additional information contact 50plus Expeditions, 40 Brisbane Road, Toronto, Ontario M3J2J8, Canada; 866-318-5050; www.50plusexpeditions.com.
• Eldertreks: Eldertreks is an adventure travel company dedicated to people 50 years old and older. They offer tours in over 60 countries that focus on adventure, culture and nature. In you are interested, contact them at Eldertracks; 800-741-7956; www.eldertreks.com
• Gold Circle Travel offers mature travelers value, pricing choices and new discoveries through their vacation packages. They offer packages throughout the world on land or water. For trip information contact Gold Circle Corporation, 347 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210; 800-321-2835; www.gct.com
• CIE Tours has been providing tour for 73 years to Britain and Ireland. Seniors will be smiling when they ask for the “55 & Smiling” discount. Selected tours offer $55 off per person for travelers 55 years old and older. For information contact CIE Tour International, Inc., 10 Park Place, Suite 510, P.O. Box 1965, Morristown, NJ 07962-1965; 800-CIE-TOUR, 973-2992-0463; www.cietours.com
• Globos Vacations and Cosmos Vacations are both a part of the AARP Passport Program that gives AARP members travel discounts. You can save $25-100 per person on selected itineraries. Globus provides options from independent travel to escorted tours throughout the world. For additional information contact Globus, 5301 South Federal Circle, Littleton, CO 80123; 866-755-8581; www.globusjourneys.com, www.cosmosvacations.com.

New Lesko Website…
… We’ve recently updated our website with a fresh, new look. We hope you like what you see and will return frequently for updated grant information and specials as well as our regular products. You will also find back editions of this newsletter in case you missed one… Visit us at www.lesko.com

Want a Home-Based Business That’s Easy and Inexpensive to Start?
… I’m looking for partners who want to make money and have some fun… Become a distributor of Lesko books and start your own business while helping others! Since my products are advertised on national TV, selling my books can be one of the easiest and most profitable businesses you could consider. For information on my home business kit see www.howtogetagrant.com/grdistributorship1.