is age a barrier
 

Hubby and I are over 70. We are going to France next year. I wonder if any of you know other senior travelers. We are traveling independently. Several relatives feel it will be "too much" for us. Comments.

OK..!! 72 and 77!

It all depends on your health and physical status. If you are fit and adventurous, you should have no problem. Just plan out a realistic itinerary and don't rush yourselves (advice good for any age!). What do they mean by too much?
I do active vacations (multisport) and have met people in their 70's and older who were able to keep and sometimes even surpass me (I'm in my 30's).

Forgot to add, I really admire those travelers and hope that I will continue to be as adventurous (and healthy) when I am their age.

Trade your relatives in for younger models as fast as you can.

If you were cycling through NWP, across the Karakoram, from Pindi to Kashghar, some of my more risk-averse neighbours might share your relatives' bizarre neuroses. But most would regard it as what sensible people do for an interesting holiday.

But all of us would share the concern you must feel for these weird relations. I'm impressed you've put up with them for so long.

Travel as long as you can...it will keep you young. The man who inspired me to plan our first family trip to Italy independently is 73 and his wife is 72, and they have taken a trip to Italy every year for the past 7 years!!!

The trick is slow down, spend maybe a week in 2 different areas. Arrange day-tours from there. don't go hopping around from hotel to hotel...it's tiring. On-line and using guidebooks you can get the name of many delightful licensed guides who will take you on a private day-tour in their car, and you will really enjoy meeting and talking with a licensed guide who lives in France.

I haven't been to France yet but my friend, who is 73 and has been to Italy 7 times, loves Paris.

Also very important is choose your hotel carefully...make sure it's nice and centrally located, near nice places to walk to, near public transportation (taxis or buses), near interesting neighborhoods and restaurants.

Research, research, research. We had a great trip to Italy because I researched details such as museum hours, I even researched when is the least crowded time to visit museums. All the research really paid off. Plus I found the research to be exciting and enjoyable in itself!

Loisco, another thought for you...you will be 72 and 77 years old in France...but you're the same age in your home!!! Tell your friends you're not going to get any younger by staying home.

I say if you're still young enough to enjoy a trip to France, then you're young enough to go!

Ask yourself about those "relatives" who are telling you it is "too much"?

WHEN was the last time THEY went anywhere across the state line (and I am not talking about a casino on the gulf or a has-been country singer theatre in the Ozarks).

Ignore them totally..what do THEY know about your own inclinations and abilities? They're probably jealous but make SURE you take lots of pictures because THEY will be the first ones in line to see them when you return.

Loisco, by all means if you are healthy and your husband is as well and willing to travel, by all means then go. I am 22 years younger than you. I hope that I will still have the health and funds to travel at your age. I am so happy for you and your husband. Bon voyage to you two!

I'm 66 and my husband 78. (Just). We've found as we get older we plan ahead more and like our creature comforts more..but otherwise we continue on. We "did" Egypt four years ago, etc. AND we have LOTS of friends our vintage who are still very much on the go. Tell you relatives to go fry ice. (A childhood taunt that just popped into my head-:)

Ioisco, I believe you asked about whether or not to check luggage (your husband did not want to and you did)?
And after some of us answered your post you said that you two would check your luggage in. Now that is a good start.

First question. Have you been to France or Europe before or is this your first trip? Not that it matters that much but I was wondering if you were use to traveling in France or at least Europe. Are you from the USA for example. If not, where do you reside? Have you flown from your area to Europe before? And if so how long ago? And how did you handle the flight?

For sure I know lots of senior travelers. Think senior travelers are the most energetic people I know.

Do you or your husband have any health problems? If so, have you spoken with your Doctor regarding this trip? If so, and your Doctor feels there is no problem than I would say there is no problem as far as anyone can tell.

Have you considered buying travel/medical insurance? This would probably be a good idea. One website you might want to check out is www.insuremytrip.com.

My dear, I agree with all the other posters who have given you advice.

There are always relatives or friends in my opinion who are always ready to tell one why "something" should not be done.

Only you and your dear husband know what works for the two of you. I am sure your relatives mean well but it is the two of you that truly knows what you desire and what you feel up to.

My very best to you, and have fun planning your trip.

My mother was well into her 80's before she had to stop traveling abroad. If she couldn't find a friend to go with her, she would go by herself.

I totally agree with Grandmere's post! My 79-year-old mom just returned from a trip to Tuscany, and is already planning a theatre trip to London in the spring. If you're in decent health, go and enjoy yourselves, and leave your fussy relatives behind!!

..go for it! and tell your relatives to "get a life". My mother is slowing down (she just turned 84..though she still has kids in her 40's)but last year did a trip on the rivers of europe-3 weeks! This year she only plans a 1 week cruise getaway .Literally until the last 3 years we (her children) had trouble keeping track of her. I would have to post her whereabouts on the fridge. I think she thinks we should "get a life" and she maybe right...In all seriousness, I think she has been able to do this because she carefully plans and has an excellent travel agent. She sometimes goes on group tours but if she does she makes sure the hotels are central and that there are at least 2 nights in anyone hotel. She loves cruises because she doesnt have to pack and unpack. She always gets travel insurance; vital at any age but even more so as one mellows. Have a great time and set an example for your kids.

Health can be a barrier, but even then, you can work around it. I have arthritis in both knees; I have to stop often, and I can't climb a mountain anymore. I refuse to let it stop me! I plan on traveling just as long as I possibly can (I'm only 66, after all), and there's so many places I want to see yet.

A friend of mine who is 73 is on a plane on her way to Israel as I type this...another good friend who is 81 is planning to (maybe) meet us in Venice in May...she was just in Italy last spring and a man tried to steal her wallet whereupon she started hitting him with her walking cane as the crowd around them cheered her on and he "begged for mercey". Last time she visited me in Seattle and we were doing the town together, I insisted she bring her walking cane for protection!

Besides health, I think attitude has so much to do with it. Have a great trip!
(We'll all cheer you on and help you with the planning here!)

Thanks all of you for the encouraging words. We are fairly fit. Walked our dogs for years..and when we can, go to fitness center.Our first trips to Europe were about 25 years ago.

Someone mentioned health insurance?...tell me more?..

We took the MIL to London for her 70th birthday, then two years later to Paris. The London trip was her first outside the US, we had to coach her thru getting passport.

We assumed we would be sightseeing a few hours a day and resting the rest . . no way! . . Bless her little heart, she was so excited about see somany new things that she was going full blast . . bad knee and all!

Medicare will be of no use in Europe, but them most of it has socialized medicine and relatively inexpensive health care. We did visit a Dr. in Paris when she developed a cold and he did not even charge us!

She is 75 now and we are planning a trip to Rome with her this spring . .

Rich

Medicare does not generally cover health care outside of US. Any number of travel insurance companies can provide coverage for health care, but also for trip cancellation, medical evacuation, etc. These are issues any traveler, regardless of age should consider and decide whether to purchase or not. Some Medicare supplements purchased separately will provide health coverage outside US, but many will not. None that I know of provide medical evacuation - and obviously not trip cancellation, etc.

Since this is a travel board, I believe you suspected you would not find anyone to say you were too old to travel. I urge you not to take these posts back to the relatives to use for ammunition against their arguments. If you are old enough to travel, then you are old enough to make your own decisions, smile, and send them a nice postcard from France.

(I head to London in a few months with my 14 year old daughter and 76 year old mother)

You should definitely get travel insurance. Most medical plans in the US do not cover health problems when you are abroad. Check out www.insuremytrip.com

That phrase "go fry ice" is priceless, I can't wait to share it with my mum, who in her mid 70's took off for Australia on her own, then joined up with a girlfriend to tool around New Zealand. Relatives, shmelatives, go to France and dance!

Loisco:
As several posters mentioned, Medicare will not cover you outside the US. Your supplemental private insurance may give you some coverage but you must apply for reimbursement after the fact and may not provide complete reimbursement.

Travel insurance is very good for helping you find medical help if you need it and for reimbursement for any services needed. It also will pay for medical evacuation and should something happen during the trip, reimbursement for trip cancellation/interruption.

I do take out travel insurance (Travelguard) because of the type of vacations I take (and I have been injured). You can search this forum for good information on various travel insurance providers.

Loisco, it sounds like your husband is very energetic and so full of life. My husband is much younger than yours but doesnt have the joie de vivre that yours seems to have. I had to dip into savings to persuade him that he wont need to spend much when we go to England in March. Do go and enjoy yourselves. Best regards, Praline.

loisco, thank goodnss I have no living relatives telling me what to do. I'm 71, husband 70 (but older in not trying out new things)We go every year to France. Have been to Italy, England, Scotland, Whales, Mexico and a few Islands but return to France where we drive coast to coast to visit friends we have made there. We are in good health excpet for my fingers deformed by arthritis and right arm patially paralyzed due to Erbs. I still went to Europe with my arm in a cast after a bicycle accident when I was hit and run.
I still bike, ice skate. I never did drive but my husband does. No tours for us, we like serindipity. We like last minute change of plans. We don't buy birthday and Christmas presents for eachother so we can each choose a special place to stay for a night or two in France.

Hi lois,

As noted, medicare will not pay for service outside the US.

Check with your insurance company as to what they will cover abroad. You might need or wish to purchase short-term coverage.

Also look into http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/me...p/benefits.asp

Basic membership gives you 100k worth of evacuation insurance (not medical coverage- but just to get you home) for diving or non-diving accidents or injuries from anywhere 50 miles from your home or farther. The family membership is $44.

No, you are not alone. My in-laws were always keen to travel. When they got into their 70s, they were finally sufficiently free of professional obligations to do so (though my FIL continued to lecture and supervise doctoral students until age 79!!)

But septuagenarians do not travel in quite the same way as the young do. You already know that.

Pace yourself, research the logistics, yadda, yadda.

I hope you have a great time.

Loisco--My traveling days may be over. Each time I have gone to Europe I felt I had aged 2-3 years upon my return. I am not beyond the life expectancy for an American of my sex. I do not regret going, but I do believe it wore me out and aged me quicker. Traveling is extreme stressful and exhausting. Also, the time changes confuse me more now that I am older. I just get adjusted to the change about the time I return. As a result I suffered several weeks of insomnia upon my return. Then there was the fiasco with my husband on the last trip. He became dizzy while on a gondola. We had to rush him to the hospital. It was terrifying. I colds not understand a word of what the nurses or doctors were saying. I was left in the waiting room for hours. After I found out it was not a major illness, I was relieved. But then came the financial and bureaucratic horrors (and yes we had that so called travelers insurance, which was near useless). Don't even ask about the nightmare in attempting to get him medications at the pharmacy. A lot of young people put a tremendous amount of pressure on us to go beyond our limits. I think many of them are on this board. They are mostly well meaning. But perhaps due to a need to avoid confronting their own aging, they underestimate the difficulties we encounter. They need to see us as more energetic or say we look that way so that they can feel better about their future. For many of us it is not as easy as mind over body. Only you and your husband can decide. Don't let others hold your back or push you with false claims that you can ride a marathon at 70! I am not saying not to go, but please accept the realty. And I ask the other posters on here, younger and maybe a bit in denial, to do the same for these good people.

loisco, I think you can safely assume that the post above mine, Aunt Nell, is a tongue-in-cheek parody. Be amused by it, but don't take it seriously.

My own parents are both 72 years old and they travel like maniacs. I have to book them months ahead if I want to see them. They travel to Europe every year--independently, as you want to do. They have no problems because they prepare, prepare, prepare. My mother works the internet and my father makes my mother walk. (They go to Italy, so that's vital.) Are they in good shape? Well, my father is. But he's also pretty deaf. My mother? Well, she's plump and thinks more about exercising than actually doing it (though she has joined a gymn and seems a little more serious about getting fit lately, hooray!).

Do they travel successfully? You bet they do. They don't travel as fast as my husband and I do; they acknowledge and celebrate their age and gauge their expectations accordingly. They spend less time gallavanting and more time savoring. And I can tell you first hand that they never come home from a trip without a host of adventures to tell.

So will you.

I want to thank all of you for your replies. You've given me lots of encouragement. I guess tho I will have to cut our itinery down from all the stops I had in it. (we are doing France next Fall) It's so hard to decide when you read about France.Everything looks great. But I am the same way with a restaurant menu too...I want it ALL.

My parents made their most recent trip to Europe at the age of 82 - totally independent travel, too. The only difficult part is getting a company to rent them a car. They've taken the last two years off to do some remodeling of their house (which is equally astounding in its own way), but I fully expect they'll be back in Europe before too long.

Poor aunt Nell, so old for being so young, she can only post five times here.

Decide on the area of France you want to see, and read up on it. The less driving you do the more relaxed you'll be for a first visit. Remember we are all here to help if you have questions.

loisco, why don't you post your proposed itinerary here? There are many Fodorites here who love France. We'd all be glad to help you out with suggestions and advice.

My sweet Mother in law, decided after her husband died, to go visit her brother. She flew, at the age of 79 to Argentina, alone. A couple of years later, she flew to Isreal. Alone.
She was not in the greatest of shape, a little out of shape, but she had the stamina and an adventurous spirit and she had a glorious time!
Sometimes I think that when people worry about a person doing something,
it is just because they love you and worry about you, even if you were in your 20's, those relatives might think of reasons why you should not do this or that.
72 and 77, Sheesh! you are just getting warmed up!! :D
I look forward to reading about your travel plans and then your trip reports~

Loisco, Please go on your trip. Yes, maybe you will get tired and maybe not understand every word you hear. This was true for me on my trip to Spain in October. But I wouldn't have missed my room with a balcony overlooking Madrid for anything. Life is for living.

Scarlett, you just reminded me. My MIL at age 77 went to Isreal also. Even have a photo of her sitting on a camel (probably one of those tourist photos but precious nontheless). And than she and a friend toured Europe for 2 months.
And she came home in great shape.

Over 70 is last year's over 60 -- if you know what I mean. People are staying vigorous for longer and longer, and it's true that you'll both be 72 or 77 either here or there. My MIL went with her offspring to Ireland when she was over 80. She needed help now and then and pacing was important; but it was unquestionably the trip of her lifetime. EVERYONE should still have the trip of their lifetime ahead of them to look forward to, even at 77.

True, you have to be good to yourself about not hurrying, not letting yourself be encumbered with too much luggage, not trying to consume the whole of Paris in one day. Oh yes, then there are the little tricks about good shoes, medications and copies of prescriptions, etc. But people 10 yrs. younger than you or more have to deal with the same thing. Esp. if you have a few extra Euros to pay people to help you with things that are a bit much, go for it.

soccr, over 70 doesn't mean we can't do what Anyone else can. We don't think of ourselves limited. All people differ in their age cycles. Some of us are luckier than others. Serendipity is not for anyone who has travelling problems whether young or old. I resent the classification. We are all travellers. Age has nothing to do with it unless we consider childrn as the exception.

OOPS, sorry soccr, not you! My post was directed at Aunt Nell who isn't our pal :) sorry!

If your health is good go. Nothing will happen there that wouldn't happen here. Don't plan too much. Take it day by day. My Mom is 78 and I wish she was able to go with me to London and ROme in January. She has always went with us on vacations until recently. Her health has really deteriated in the last two years. None of us know what each day will bring no matter what our age is. Don't let life pass you by.

Age can oftentimes be a frame of mind. Approach every day positively (and thankfully), and it may amaze you what you can do.

The ageless baseballer, Satchel Page, advised, "Never look back, someone may be gaining on you". And the irascible golfer, Tommy Bolt, now in his mid-80's, said, "I may age a little bit---but I ain't never gettin' OLD".

So buckle up, pack a bag, and hit the trail.

Cheers,

Jinx Hoover