It isn’t just young people who have the travel bug – many older individuals also want to hit the road and explore the world. Unfortunately, many seniors are by themselves in their later years, which can make travel much trickier. Are there any available senior-friendly travel groups where interested seniors can find someone to explore the world with?
If you’re a senior and want help finding someone to travel with, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to dive into some of the best senior-friendly travel groups, from smaller companies online to more established selections. Seniors should never have to head out on trips solo if they don’t want to.
Top Senior-Friendly Travel Groups
There are plenty of groups focused on providing partners for trips for seniors over 60. Five stand out in particular, providing simple access that anyone will be able to manage. Let’s dive into these options.
Country Walkers
Walking is one of the best things you can do for your health, helping with weight loss, blood pressure, and more. If you’re looking for single travel groups and you’re able to walk, one of the best ways to explore the world is to see it on the trail. Country Walkers is the solution for seniors who want to travel while walking and need somewhere to join a group.
Country Walkers started back in 1979, picking itself up from a barn in Vermont. They began offering tours in the Green Mountains and soon expanded to more countries. With Country Walkers, you get a personal tour guide in a small group setting. It won’t be hard to find people to go on an adventure with one of the world’s leaders in adventures on the beaten path.
Need the help of a mobility aid to walk? Check out this article about the different types of mobility aids available.
Senior Travel Buddies
Traveling with a friend isn’t just comforting – it also has health benefits. Making friends will decrease loneliness and even reduce the risk of depression and heart disease. For those who want to stay away from the tour group buddy route, a simple solution is the popular website Senior Travel Buddies.
Senior Travel Buddies works to match people over fifty with traveling companions. Their goal is to:
- Match seniors with like-minded companions
- Help seniors remain young through travel
- Allow those in their older years to do something they love
- Travel in a preferred style
Senior Travel Buddies offers a simple process for joining. Seniors register for the site, wait for the registration to be processed, then look through various trips shown by other members and even post their trip ideas. From there, they can pick the best buddy and trip for their travel dreams.
Road Scholar
Road Scholar is another place to look when considering solo travel groups. Their program is targeted to older adults, offering an experience to provide education and adventures that don’t push anyone beyond their comfort zone. It’s easy to join one of these groups as a solo traveler without feeling like you stand out.
With Road Scholar, you get to travel with a solid group and eat, explore, and learn around the world. They even have a specific section on their website dedicated to solo travelers, offering tips and the most popular destinations for solo Road Scholars to ensure you’re in a group where you can make friends along the way.
MeetUp
MeetUp is a social media platform that allows a way for users to create events and post about them, gathering a group. It turns out that this platform is also great for putting together senior trips for those who need people to travel with. They have an entire section on their site devoted to senior travel.
There are tons of available groups. You’ll find international travelers, female travelers, purposeful travelers – you name it, you can find it. It’s easy to connect with like-minded seniors here to form the trip of your dreams.
Related: 10 Online Security Tips for Seniors
Travel Companies
Finally, we recommend going through travel companies to find out if they offer ways to connect with other seniors for a travel experience. For example, various AAA vacation packages might provide an opportunity to join a group while you explore the world. Speak with a representative to see what your options are for your endeavor.
OAT travel is another good option. They’re generally targeted at retirees, so you should be able to connect with someone who will help you locate a group to join for better connection during your travels. These companies are large and should have plenty of options for seniors on the go.
Related: The 11 Best Travel Companies for Seniors
Benefits of Traveling In a Group
When looking at tours for singles over 50 and seeking a travel group, it’s encouraging to note that there are plenty of benefits to be found in deciding to travel with friends instead of hitting the road alone. It’s worth the additional effort to find someone to go with.
Here are a few of the health benefits of traveling in a group:
- Strong personal relationships and meet new friends
- Less personal conflict
- Less danger from problems of conditions like dementia
- Better mental activity
These are just a few of the things you can enjoy in a group travel setting.
Those who have meaningful relationships tend to experience these benefits, and there’s nowhere better to bond with people than on a trip to a foreign country or even another state. It’s about more than having fun with someone new – it’s for the sake of your health, too.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there are plenty of options for finding a travel partner as a senior. From travel companies like AAA to groups like Road Scholar, there are ample platforms on the market that exist to help everyone – including seniors. Traveling in a group offers tons of benefits, such as
Whether you’re looking to check out a place for the first time or striving to go back to somewhere you’ve been a million times before, senior-friendly travel groups exist to make the process much easier for any traveler. There’s no reason why world exploration has to end once you hit your golden years of life.
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