My wife and I are both in our 60s. What is the best travel deal for seniors? Have you found special deals for seniors? Any special problems?
Here's one that I have recently learned about: Some car rentals are barred for persons 70+. So, this is a disadvantage for seniors.
What kind of deals are you looking for? Reduced train or plane fares? Special room rates? If you are interested in tours, there is a company called Senior Discovery Tours with tours especially tailored for seniors. Air fare, hotels, etc. even medical insurance is included in their tour prices. By the way, I believe Hertz has no upper age limit on its car rentals, so don’t despair.
I When I tried to rent with Hertz in England they would not rent to me because I was over 75.
How many active posters are seniors? A new booklet by the owner of the Travel Forum? Supplement travel guides?
Best travel deal for seniors -- many young Europeans were raised to give bus seats to older people (Or maybe I just remind them of their Nana.)
Other than that, it never hurts to ASK -- some places have discounts for seniors from that country, or EU, or everybody. Others only discount for under-18 and students.
As to what I am looking for, I am open to whatever people come up with. This is one of those open-ended items that are occasionally posted on this forum.
in which country? Europe is not one place all the same - there are nearly 30 countries all of which are different to one degree or another, especially in deals.
We've been visiting Europe for years as seniors and haven't come across much in the way of "deals" aimed specifically at seniors. There may or may not be a small discount on admission prices for museums or similar sights ( called concessions in the UK). Sometimes these are only for EU citizens. I've never seen these for hotels or flights. Some railway systems may have a senior discount, but these usually require you to buy a senior card, which might necessitate a A LOT of travel in that country just to break even. And sometimes you need to be a citizen. Haven't seen any seniors discounts at restaurants. Cruises MAY have a small seniors discount for certain sailings. And as previously mentioned, there is the Seniors Discovery Tours company.
The only problems we've encountered in our travels are those directly related to our aging- we just don't have the energy to go nonstop all day like we did in our youth. OTOH, we've learned to embrace the concept of leisurely breaks during the day, and the concept of La Dolce Far Niente.
British Airways is offering a small discount to AARP members, for bookings through January.
https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/offers/partners/aarp-member-benefits
The Club World discount used to be $400, so the offer is not as good as it used to be.
In Spain persons over 60 can get a Tarjeta Dorada for €6. The discount tiers are explained here:
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/tarifas/tarjeta_dorada.html
For U.K. Rail travel, one can get a Senior Railcard for £30, entitling one to 30% off most fares. However, two people can get the same discounts with a single Two Together Railcard (also £30), somthat is our choice.
In most EU countries the concession price on admission to museums and other attractions is generally for EU citizens. However, in the U.K. There does not appear to be such a restriction and we have been able to take advantage of those.
There may be Hotel chains in Europe that offer Senior discounts, but I cannot name one.
Edit: it occurred to me that Best Western might offer Senior rates in Europe, so I checked a random hotel in Barcelona. They do offer a discount of around 10% for AAA/CAA members, Best Western Rewards members, and Senior Iberia, which they say is good for "anyone over age 55" throughout Spain and Portugal.
Use the "see more rates" to check.
Off peak TER trains in France give a 25% discount. If you are spending any time in France, you can get a Senior + Railcard for 60 EUR and get discounts on all trains, and a few other things, like discounts in the restaurant/bar car. It is good for 1 year.
http://www.sncf.com/en/discounts/seniors
Following up with search in other countries. No Senior rates at Best Westerns I checked in Amsterdam or Frankfurt. The Madrid hotel,offers a AAA rate but no Senior Iberia rate. In Milan, the hotel I checked does offer a "European Senior" discount rate and it is not limited to EU citizens. It is offered to North Americans over 65, and AARP members over 55 ( must show the card).
Hertz UK does not have a corporate upper age limit for rentals; it would be a bit odd if they did as they are the car hire partner of Saga, one of the main companies targeting services to older people. That is not to say individual franchises might; they do ask on their booking engine if you are over 70 but this could also be insurance related. It is different though in Ireland where limits of 75 are commonplace.
"Some car rentals are barred for persons 70+. So, this is a disadvantage for seniors."
A disadvantage for some, but not all. It's a blessing for those whose waning driving skills might cause them - or some other motorist - a serious injury. Everyone's skills weaken in new environments with unfamiliar signage and different driving practices, btw.
Will you be in Germany? Tickets on the national railway system allow you to take your grandchildren for free. Some local transit authorities, like the VRM in the Koblenz region, with its month-long pass for €68,, have special train/bus deals for seniors.
But sometimes the best deals are for everyone - and free. Some German towns (Berchtesgaden, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and numerous Black Forest Villages come to mind) offer all guests who book there, regardless of age, completely free train and/or bus travel through the use of visitors cards (which you pick up either from the tourist office or your hosts, depending on the town.)
Senior rail travel discounts vary by country and may require purchase of a senior discount card. See some western European offers summarized and linked here (we need to make an edit there - France rail passes no longer offer senior discounts since joining Eurail last year).
However, deep discounts for advance purchase on the longer and faster train rides can be the better deals.
As each railway, city transit, museum, and other entities in Europe get better-run and better-translated-to-English web sites, that's where the most detailed info resides. Simply asking about discounts as you go is probably your easiest plan. Learn to say or recognize the word for senior in the next places you'll travel.
