Retirement is a wonderful time that finally allows you to have the time you have hitherto lacked to devote yourself to your hobbies and passions, but also to satisfy old desires, sometimes neglected in favor of your professional activity. One of them, for example, can be a certain thirst for adventure and discovery. However, for the first time, we finally have the time – but also for the happiest among us, the budget! — to devote himself to them. What is sometimes lacking, however, is the physical capacity and energy to play daredevil explorers. Because yes, after a certain age, our adventurous fiber can be somewhat blunted, between health concerns, reduced endurance or even a slightly reduced capacity for recovery. This is without mentioning other constraints that may be related to health problems, such as the need to take medication regularly, or inopportune memory lapses. In short, when you are 60 and over, if the desire to travel is still there, for many it requires a minimum of comfort. And precisely, that's why there are formulas adapted to this public (seniors or not for that matter) let's say a little more... cozy.
These formulas are organized trips. Whether it's cruises abroad or less ambitious formulas, such as trips in motorhomes or hiking excursions in France (or elsewhere, of course), via themed trips (which range from culinary discovery to sporting activities), there is something for all tastes and profiles. So, whether your form is declining or whether you are on the contrary a very dynamic sexagenarian, whether you are single, in a couple or with friends, whether you want to laze around or explore unknown lands… you should find something to suit you. Nevertheless, if these formulas promise a certain lightness of spirit once you arrive at your destination, you still have to ask yourself the right questions before embarking on these adventures, otherwise you risk becoming disillusioned. Here are some tips to keep in mind before going on an organized trip.
Some people have a tendency to not know how to let go of the reins. On an organized trip, however, you will have to resolve it. You are no longer in charge of the agenda, the menu, or anything else. In short, if you are the type to worry as soon as you let go of control, this type of excursion may not be for you. These are best suited to people who can enjoy being guided.
This goes hand in hand with the last point, but these types of stays leave minimal room for improvisation. To take a simple example, if you take part in a stay that lets you visit several tourist sites, there is no question of hanging around or returning to a place that took your breath away:impossible to return to swim in the small creek that has so much afternoon if it was only on the morning program.
If the prices for this type of travel are so competitive, it is because they are based on the economies of scale offered by large groups of people - which, of course, assumes that they accept the constraints imposed by the group. Starting with a certain lack of maneuverability. In other words, if you consider yourself a lone wolf, these excursions may not be for you. Here, pack spirit prevails.
This is sort of the price to pay for someone else to organize your vacation:you will not always do everything you want. Certain regions considered risky are deliberately excluded from the offer, as are certain types of activities that are not suitable for large groups.
To tell the truth, rather than seeing this as lowering its requirements, it is rather a question of adapting them to the proposed offer. This is conjoined with the two previous points:if you embrace this loss in the ability to improvise and instead enjoy simply letting yourself go, there is ultimately no reason to see this as a "loss". Similarly, these lowered requirements do not have much reason to be seen as such, since they simply correspond to the types of services offered by the organized trip you have chosen.
If the principle of the organized trip assumes the inclusion of many costs and activities, it must still be kept in mind that not all of them are included. So remember to check before you leave – and especially before signing without having read the small lines – which are included or not. Transport, catering and residence are the most common, but you may however have to spend more on site for certain additional services, or for the consumption of alcohol for example. Tips are generally not included either and may, depending on the destination, be expected from you. So a little reminder:"all-inclusive" very rarely means "all-inclusive".
Who says organized trip does not necessarily mean gold deal. If the prices offered by these are generally more attractive than for the same activities carried out alone - since the organization in a group allows you to obtain reductions - and can easily reduce by two the cost of your stay, you must keep in mind bear in mind that, like everywhere else, tourists — especially if they are seniors, judged to be more naive — are also often seen as walking wallets just waiting to be robbed. If the prices are attractive, they may for example correspond to a period when tourism is not the most pleasant in your country of destination (rainy season, high humidity or unbearable drought, abundance of insects, and so on). ). These are details that it is better to look into so as not to be disillusioned once you arrive on site. Which goes along with our next point…
Yes, it seems counter-instinctive, but it actually makes perfect sense:accepting to let go of the reins should not mean throwing oneself naively into the lion's mouth. If the trip itself is organized, it's up to you to organize yourself in advance so that you can calmly put your toes in a fan on D-Day! Do your research online, seek out reviews of your providers, or better yet, build your network by word of mouth, always safest whether it's vacation recommendations or otherwise. On this subject, favor offers in low season, which are abundant for seniors! If the trip is based on a guide, the more experienced the guide, the more reassuring the trip will be for you. It may sound like a no-brainer, but pack your suitcase accordingly, even for a destination where the weather is supposed to be good.
In this regard, another essential pillar of your organized trip is the choice of travel insurance that is adapted to both your age and your state of health. Make sure that this is included in your package, and preferably that it is generous. You will travel more serenely knowing that you are taken care of in the event of cancellation, change of plan, or even repatriation or a health problem!
It may seem obvious, but who says organized trip implies a certain loss in the attention paid to your person. What you gain in budget and organization, you lose in meeting your individual needs. However, for some people with disabilities or other, this can present a real problem. Make sure before you commit that this program will be well suited to your personal situation. If this can close a few doors for you, rest assured, because the diversified and often senior-oriented offer means that there is a wide range of excursions perfectly suited to the elderly or people with reduced mobility. For some, there is even a whole range of treatments and therapeutic activities for these people!
Organized trips allow these people to access destinations where they would have had a hard time organizing a trip on their own. There is therefore no need to worry about your situation, simply check that the organized travel offer that interests you is indeed adapted to it.
