NeoPatrick

Well, of course, there are those who are unable to walk -- that I understand. But to consider two hours of walking per day in Paris (most people spend more time than that walking within the Louvre or D'Orsay alone), worthy of a "Yikes", really threw me. I would suspect that the vast majority of travelers walk at least 2 hours a day in most cities they visit. No?

Kristinelaine

I would have to agree with NeoPatrick. We walk for hours in cities in Europe --much more than I could even imagine walking at home -- but it is so interesting and you have to see all these places and you don't necessarily always want to be paying for transportation. I also understand that two hours would be alot for anyone in less than pretty good health. So far we (at 64 and 65) can still do alot of walking. It is tiring, but worth it. Another advantage is that you usually truly see more when you walk, because you are not zipping right by places.

NeoPatrick

By the way OAT (Overseas Adventure Tours) are for people over 50 -- often much over. They describe many of their trips as being up to 5 hours per day of "strenuous activity". So a two hour walk in Paris seems like nothing by comparison.

FainaAgain

Cool down, everybody! "walking up to 2 hours" doesn't mean it's the total for the day. It means a city walk for up to 2 hours with a guide, rather fast walkers in Europe those guides are

Visiting museums and being on your own is not "walking" in their books!

I would think the itinerary is like this: after breakfast a 2 hours city tour, then back to hotel for lunch, then off to see a museum at your own pace, back to the hotel for dinner, an evening activity like watching a movie.

Dave_in_Paris

The "yikes" comes from a pretty spry 64-year-old who mounts seven floors of a Paris apartment building (without an elevator) with just a little discreet panting. I suspect I could keep up two hours per day, and I agree it's great to enjoy Paris by foot. But really, for a program for seniors, that's a bit much.

Jed

Two hours walking or standing is 'a bit much' for some seniors, and many would not sign up for those. But as a senior, on several 'senior' tours, that and more can be handled by many of us.

On one walking trip, there was an 81 year old lady who led the pack. Everybody is different.

GSteed

Elderhostel! Very good programs. They started out as educational weeks but changed to activity weeks. The prices are less than similar ones. The participants are always 'well educated'. Few participants seem, to be interested in gourmet restaurants. Often they are scheduled at the beginning or end of season and the price is lower than during the high season. You need to read the catalog..They have great 'safe' adventure outings plus trips back stage.
I doubt that any do-it-your-self tourist can match an Elderhostel trip. Many book tours/trips back to back thus cutting travel costs.

degas

Thanks for all the feedback. I've been away and unable to respond. Just back from my first ever cruise - quite an experience. Buying bigger pants today.

lynnejoel1015

My brother and I are trying to encourage my widowed 62 year old mother to travel.

NeoPatrick, she lives in suburban Chicago and NEVER walks far anywhere. She could NOT handle two hours' walking per day, unfortunately. As another poster said, not everyone is spry. (My mom has painful bunions on her foot and doesn't want to get the surgery b/c it's supposedly painful.)

Kristinelaine

To lynnejoel... I am surprised that you think your mother could enjoy traveling when (apparently) she cannot walk without pain. I love travel, but think I might have to give it up under those circumstances. Perhaps this is a case of "mother knows best".

NeoPatrick

Elderhostel programs are given one of 6 levels of "fitness" or "activity level". The most basic one includes being able to handle your own luggage, carry your own buffet tray, and climb a flight of stairs. The entire program is NOT suitable for anyone for whom those three things are an issue. They have no programs for those in wheelchairs or need walkers for assistance, for example. The Second Level is similar but also states "walk up several flights of stairs", stand for one hour, and get on and off a motorcoach easily. The Third level includes the above, plus being able to walk "up to two miles over uneven surfaces". That one eliminates a lot of people. The other three levels require more fitness than that!

So don't be fooled by the term "elderhostel". The program is NOT geared for the elderly with any mobility problems. Even the learning programs they have that are held at universities, often require walking some pretty good distances from the dorms or other accomodations to the meeting spaces.

Luisah

"I would think the itinerary is like this: after breakfast a 2 hours city tour, then back to hotel for lunch, then off to see a museum at your own pace, back to the hotel for dinner, an evening activity like watching a movie."

It's more like: breakfast, lecture, city tour, lunch, field trip to museum or by coach to point of interest in area. The "city tours" are often of cities in the area (Marseille, Agignon, Rousillon, Les Baux) and could include steep hills and stairs. Lunch could be at a restaurant in one of the above cities or on the way. There are several lectures during a trip.

There is little free time and the museum visits are guided tours and ofen require standing in one place for quite a while (more uncomfortable for me than walking).

The "Elderhostel" name is misleading. As NeoPatrick wrote, the tours are not geared to people with mobility problems. Some level of fitness is necessary for even the lower levels.

There was a wide range of age and fitness level on the two EH trips that I took. Minimum age is 55, but spouses or friends could be significantly younger. Some in 60s and 70s could be quite fit and some not.

Dave_in_Paris

So far, no one has identified themselves as a veteran of the "third level" Paris Elderhostel program. One would think there were some survivors.

FainaAgain

Hey, Degas, are you going to post a cruise report? I'd love to read the virgin experience, as my very first voyage will be next month.

tower

Everyone: Here is our next Elderhostel..note that I am conducting the tour of L.A. as I have for many years. It's great fun...but this will give those of you who are unfamiliar with the program some idea as to what it is. Normally, I lecture at four sessions during the regular year's programs.
Stu T.


SCHEDULE 118th ROSE PARADE
“OUR GOOD NATURE”
HOLIDAY INN/WOODLAND HILLS-DECEMBER 28, 2006-JANUARY 2, 2007
Group B

Welcome to our ELDERHOSTEL week! We anticipate a stimulating week together as we participate in the Tournament of Roses celebration. Class and dining assignments are on the schedule. Your coordinator will announce any changes of location or schedule.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2006
3:30-5:00 Registration in Topanga Room
5:30 Orientation in Winnetka Room
6:00-7:00 Dinner buffet at hotel, Winnetka Room
7:15 Crossing Points: Getting to know your fellow hostelers, Winnetka Room
FRIDAY DECEMBER 29
6:00-7:00 Breakfast buffet at hotel, Mulholland Room
7:00 Coach departs hotel for Phoenix Decorating Company at Rosemont Pavilion,
700 Seco St., Pasadena
8:00-4:00 Work on float in whatever capacity needed. Wear name tags, warm layered old clothes and sturdy shoes, no open shoes. Cameras and small fanny packs are permitted but Phoenix Decorating Company is not responsible for belongings.
12:00-12:30 Lunch provided by local Kiwanis group
4:15 Coach departs Rosemont Pavilion for hotel.
6:00-7:00 Dinner buffet at hotel, Winnetka Room
SATURDAY DECEMBER 30
7:45-8:15 Breakfast buffet at hotel, Mulholland Room
8:50 Announcements, Winnetka Room
9:00-9:30 Video: “Here Comes the Band” How high school bands get to the Rose Parade. (30 min)
9:30 Break (coffee and tea)
10:00-11:00 Rose Queen: Before and After Guest Speaker: Julie King, 1988 Rose Queen
11:15-12:15 Lunch buffet at hotel, Mulholland Room
12:45 Coach departs hotel for Bandfest
Recommend early arrival to Bandfest since seats not assigned. Suggest seats on north side of stadium.
2:00-4:30 Attend Bandfest at Pasadena City College Stadium, corner of Del Mar Blvd and Hill Ave. Bandfest features performances by award winning marching bands.
After Bandfest return to coach for return trip to hotel.
6:00-7:00 Dinner buffet at hotel, Winnetka Room
7:15 Video: “The Making of Rose Parade 2006” (45min) Winnetka Room
SUNDAY DECEMBER 31
6:45-7:45 Breakfast buffet at hotel, Mulholland Room
9:00-10:00 Presentation by ???????, a member of the Tournament of Roses Association, who will talk about the enormous process of putting together the Tournament of Roses. Winnetka Room

SUN 10:30-4:30

Coach departs hotel for narrated bus tour of Los Angeles area with Stuart Tower.
Enjoy lunch on your own at one of the restaurants at the historic Farmers Market
7:00 New Year’s buffet dinner, Winnetka Room
Dessert and music following dinner, Winnetka Room
9:00 Happy New Year (Eastern Time Zone)




MONDAY JANUARY 1, 2007
5:00-6:00 Breakfast buffet at hotel, Winnetka Room
6:00 Coach departs hotel for Tournament of Roses Parade.
Seats at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd Dress in warm layers
8:00 Colorado Boulevard closes
8:50 Parade arrives at our viewing site
After parade return to coach parking lot at 1353 E Green St for return trip to hotel.
12:30 Lunch buffet at hotel, Winnetka Room
Free afternoon to explore area on your own, take a nap or watch Rose Bowl game
Public transportation available to downtown LA. See group leader or front desk for details
Games and cards available in Topanga Room
3:30 Cookies and hot beverages in Topanga Room
6:00-7:00 Dinner at hotel, Winnetka Room
7:15 Closing Program Winnetka Room
TUESDAY JANUARY 2
6:00-6:45 Breakfast buffet at hotel, Winnetka Room
7:00 Coach departs hotel for Pasadena
7:45-10:15 Post Parade Float Viewing along Sierra Madre and Washington Blvds, walk among the floats for an up-close look.
10:30 Coach departs Pasadena for hotel
11:15 Upon return to hotel, finish packing and checkout before noon

Checkout is any time before noon. Please leave your evaluations and nametags in the basket provided at front desk. (We recycle!)

Albert Einstein recalled his visit to the tournament as “…one of the most delightful days I have experienced”.


Elderhostel Ventura P.O. Box 1645, Ventura, CA 93002 (805) 648-6342 phone/(805) 648-7504 fax


Hotel: Holiday Inn Woodland Hills
21101 Ventura Blvd.
Woodland Hills CA 91364
818-883-6110

Coordinator(s): Peg Steel

Luisah

Dave,

I survived a 3 Level in Provence. It wasn't really strenuous but there were stairs and hills that gave some problems. The city walk was leisurely but standing in one place for a long time in a museum got to me.

There may be a lot of travel by metro in the Paris tour so that could be difficult for folks who have problems with stairs.

Dave_in_Paris

Thanks Luisa. Glad it was not too trying. My second-hand information about Paris Elderhostel is that participants were transported to some sites and left on their own to get back. The upside, I guess, is that one's own devices could include a cab.

Margo

I feel compelled to jump on this thread in defense of Elderhostel. I have taken 8 trips with them and have NEVER been driven to a destination and left to get back on my own. Now that doesn't mean that some people haven't requested to stay longer at a site and return themselves back to the hotel.

Since 2002, I have taken two trips to France with Elderhostel. The local Host was Experiment France who did a wonderful job arranging the program in France. One trip was to Bordeaux and Sarlat and the other one (through the Pyrenees) started in St. Jean de Luz through Pau, Toulouse, Carcassone, and ending in Montpellier.

Other trips were:
A classical music trip that went to Germany/Austria. (Berlin, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna)

Two weeks in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

A trip to San Diego down through the Baja California to Los Cabos with whale watching included.

A trip to West Texas and then a drive into Mexico to take a train trip through the Copper Canyon.

A 5 week trip to New Zealand and
Australia going into the outback and Ayers Rock on the Ghan Train.

And finally last January to Southern Africa, Zambia, Botwana, and Namibia.

This years trips include;
Costa Rica next month

England and Scotland in May

and in July, taking my grand daughter on a Intergenerational tour to
Sedona and then a raft trip down the Colorado (daytrip) in the Grand Canyon.

I am in my mid 60s and have not ever had a too strenuous trip, though I'll admit that climbing up into the land rover in Botswana to go on game drives was a bit of a feat but then the 70 somethings made it just fine as well. One only needs a sense of adventure and an open mind to different cultures to do an Elderhostel trip.

Hotels are in the midrange and almost all meals are included (meals are NOT in tourist restaurants but often in small local places or even catered in gardens. There are no optional tours because everything is included which might make the price seem a bit higher than other trips. But just think of it, if you add the price of several meals on your own and several optional trips onto other tour trips then you can see that the cost will rise.

So there it is--Cheers for my favorite tour company.
Margo

Dave_in_Paris

Hi Margo,

That's why I'm hoping someone who has done the Paris Elderhostel program will step forward. One of our two friends who did, a pretty competent professional woman in her early 80s, reported the one-way transportation.

Luisah

"One only needs a sense of adventure and an open mind to different cultures to do an Elderhostel trip."
This is true to a point, but participants must be able to meet the criteria levels (1-6) and in Paris that includes the stairs in the metro.

Dave,
It's possible that EH provided a morning tour of an area and gave the participants the option of going back to the hotel with them, or staying on their own.
The tour I took of Provence we had a morning tour of Aix and given a bus ticket to get back to the hotel. In Rome they told us where the bus stop and metro stop was and gave us the option of exploring on our own or going back to the hotel on the bus that brought us to the Borghese.

If you look at the Elderhostel.org site you will see that there is an independent tour of Paris where almost all meals are "on your own" and most transportation as well.