Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
airlines except America West have can-
celed their senior discount and
coupon book programs, many hotels
still offer discounts for seniors.
Seniors—often called “pensioners”
in Australia—from other countries
don't always qualify for the discounted
entry prices to tours, attractions, and
events that Australian seniors enjoy,
but mostly they do. Always inquire
about discounts when booking hotels,
flights, and train or bus tickets. The
best ID to bring is something that
shows your date of birth or something
that marks you as an “official” senior,
like a membership card from AARP.
Members of
AARP
(formerly
known as the American Association of
Retired Persons), 601 E St. NW,
Washington, DC 20049 (
&
800/
424-3410
or 202/434-2277; www.
aarp.org), get discounts on hotels, air-
fares, and car rentals. AARP offers
members a wide range of benefits,
including
AARP: The Magazine
and a
monthly newsletter. Anyone over 50
can join.
Many reliable agencies and organi-
zations target the 50-plus market.
Elderhostel
(
&
877/426-8056;
www.
elderhostel.org) arranges study pro-
grams for those 55 and over (and a
spouse or companion of any age) in
the U.S. and in more than 80 coun-
tries around the world. Most interna-
tional courses last 2 to 4 weeks, and
many include airfare, accommoda-
tions in university dormitories or
modest inns, meals, and tuition.
ElderTreks
(
&
800/741-7956;
www.
eldertreks.com) offers small-group
tours to off-the-beaten-path or adven-
ture-travel locations, restricted to trav-
elers 50 and older.
Recommended publications offer-
ing travel resources and discounts for
seniors include: the quarterly maga-
zine
Travel 50 & Beyond
(www.travel
50andbeyond.com);
Travel Unlim-
ited: Uncommon Adventures for the
Mature Traveler
(Avalon);
101 Tips
for Mature Travelers,
available from
Grand Circle Travel (
&
800/221-
2610
or 617/350-7500; www.gct.
com);
The 50+ Traveler's Guidebook
(St. Martin's Press); and
Unbelievably
Good Deals and Great Adventures
That You Absolutely Can't Get
Unless You're Over 50
(McGraw
Hill).
FAMILY TRAVEL
If you have enough trouble getting
your kids out of the house in the
morning, dragging them thousands of
miles away may seem like an insur-
mountable challenge. But family
travel can be immensely rewarding,
giving you new ways of seeing the
world through smaller pairs of eyes.
Australians travel widely with their
own kids, so facilities for families,
including family passes to attractions,
are common.
A great accommodations option for
families is Australia's huge stock of
serviced or unserviced apartments.
Often less expensive than a hotel
room, they offer a living room, a
kitchen, a bathroom or two, and the
privacy of a separate bedroom for
adults. “Tips on Accommodations,”
later in this chapter, has details on the
major apartment chains. Most Aus-
tralian hotels will arrange babysitting
given a day's notice.
International airlines and domestic
airlines in Australia charge 67% of the
adult fare for kids under 12. Most
charge 10% for infants under 2 not
occupying a seat. Australian transport
companies, attractions, and tour oper-
ators typically charge half price for
kids under 12 or 14 years.
Many Australian resorts have “kids
clubs” with extensive programs
designed for under 12s and in some
cases teenagers. The French-owned
Accor chain of hotels and resorts,
which is Australia's largest chain, has
kids' clubs, kids' menus designed by a
