How to travel with an experienced eye

While many people fondly recall their first trip overseas — when they hoisted their heavy backpack onto overhead bins on trains or tucked into bed in a noisy youth hostel — things change a bit as we age.

Local travelers and tour experts say travel can still be an amazing experience even if mobility issues or lower energy levels enter the picture.

They offer their sound advice on how to pre plan to make a trip with older family members or friends memorable.

Midpeninsula travel agent Brenda Campos, who creates lots of trips for older adults, said cruises are a very nice option for them.

“The first thing that comes to mind are river cruises, whether Europe or the U.S.,” Campos said. “They will have choices of excursions at different stops, and some will be easy for mobility issues and some are definitely more active.”

Mid-size cruise ships (rather than large ones) can be great for seniors, as they generally offer lots of options depending on activity and interest level. “Overall,” Campos said, “I think anyone should travel when they have the ability and passion to do it. I have had clients as old as 99 traveling.”

If you book a group tour, it’s important to look at the “pace” of the tour, Campos said. Many will give a rating of how active it is.

“This is why a good travel advisor can help. They should ask a lot of questions and be honest about the trip.”

If seniors travel on their own, Campos recommends not changing hotels every day nor necessarily driving themselves. Having a guide, she said, “takes all the stress away and worry away. And you have someone looking after you.”

Travel insurance, Campos said, is highly recommended for older travelers. Medicare Supplement Insurance, sometimes nicknamed Medigap, can cover expenses outside of the U.S. such as hospitalization and commercial air travel back home.

The AARP offers myriad discounts for seniors as well as advice on insurance and on how to make travel easier. One idea to help older adults enjoy their trips, according to AARP’s Cheryl Maguire, is to duplicate routines that you have at home. For example, have breakfast at your hotel each morning so that you can take any medications you need.

Atherton resident Joan Lambert and her husband, Mark Silverman, travel frequently with Mark’s parents, who are in their early 80s. When Lambert and Silverman bring their three young adult children along as well, the older and younger generations often separate for Broadway shows or museums, meeting for a meal before or after. Or, Lambert said, “We can pick an area to walk around where those who want a break can sit in a cafe.”

“Another thing we have done is to hire a guide with a car, which makes it easier to sightsee with a group including people of all ages,” she said. They have also booked experiences or tours that all ages can enjoy like a food tour in a Paris neighborhood or a float trip on a river in Wyoming.

Michelle Rosengaus organizes excursions for older members of the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center (OFJCC) in Palo Alto.

“I am always on the lookout for interesting opportunities in the Bay Area,” including the San Francisco Symphony’s matinee series as well as cultural exhibits at local museums. She also organizes an annual three-day trip to the Carmel Bach Festival.

Rosengaus rents 56-passenger charter buses because they have a very smooth ride, easy step access, “kneeling” capability for easy boarding and exiting, and on-board restrooms. She plans only daytime excursions so that seniors don’t have to drive home at night (after they return by bus) and also tries to avoid rush-hour traffic.

“I only choose venues that have easy access for the seniors. The bus needs to be able to drop off passengers close to the entrance,” she said. “The area the venue is located in has to be safe. I also look for venues in areas with good local emergency services in case I have a medical emergency in the group.”

She recently led a group to the Marine Mammal Center, with time for lunch in downtown Sausalito. Broadway shows playing in San Francisco have included Fiddler on the Roof, Moulin Rouge and Ain’t Too Proud. The group visited the Diego Rivera exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Beethoven and Steinbeck centers in the south bay. In July, the group will attend the Carmel Jazz Festival, staying two nights at the Cypress Inn.

Palo Alto resident Marty Simmons, who is 82, prefers traveling alone. Her main rules are to “carry only what you can carry,” and “don’t depend on your phone. You still have to write things down. Find out how to get from the airport to town before you get there.”

In May, Simmons traveled to Tokyo and found Japan one of the most senior-friendly countries she has been to. If you look puzzled, someone will help. And, she said, “All the escalators work.”

By now, Simmons said, “I have seen too many sights. Almost every place does look like the postcard.”

Instead, the most important thing about travel for her now is “meeting people in coffee shops.”