Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For more information, call Gay/
Lesbian Visitor Information, St.
Olavs Plass 2, N-0165 Oslo ( & 22-
11-05-09 ). An English-speaking rep-
resentative will give you up-to-date
information on gay and lesbian life in
Oslo and let you know which clubs
are currently in vogue.
The International Gay and Les-
bian Travel Association (IGLTA)
( & 800/448-8550 or 954/776-2626;
www.iglta.org) is the trade association
for the gay and lesbian travel industry,
and offers an online directory of gay-
and lesbian-friendly travel businesses;
go to their website and click on
“Members.”
Many agencies offer tours and
travel itineraries specifically for gay
and lesbian travelers. Above and
Beyond Tours ( & 800/397-2681;
www.abovebeyondtours.com) is the
exclusive gay and lesbian tour operator
for United Airlines. Now, Voyager
( & 800/255-6951; www.nowvoyager.
com) is a well-known San Francisco-
based gay-owned and -operated travel
service. Olivia Cruises & Resorts
( & 800/631-6277 or 510/655-0364;
www.olivia.com) charters entire
resorts and ships for exclusive lesbian
vacations and offers smaller group
experiences for both gay and lesbian
travelers.
The following travel guides are
available at most travel bookstores and
gay and lesbian bookstores, or you can
order them from Giovanni's Room
bookstore, 1145 Pine St., Philadel-
phia, PA 19107 ( & 215/923-2960;
www.giovannisroom.com): From-
mer's Gay & Lesbian Europe, an
excellent travel resource, although it
doesn't target Norway specifically;
Out and About ( & 800/929-2268;
www.outandabout.com), which offers
guidebooks and a newsletter ($20/yr.;
10 issues) packed with solid informa-
tion on the global gay and lesbian
scene; Spartacus International Gay
Guide
www.spartacusworld.com/gayguide)
and Odysseus: The International
Gay Travel Planner (Odysseus
Enterprises Ltd.), both good, annual
English-language guidebooks focused
on gay men; the Damron guides
(www.damron.com), with separate,
annual books for gay men and les-
bians; and Gay Travel A to Z: The
World of Gay & Lesbian Travel
Options at Your Fingertips, by Mar-
ianne Ferrari (Ferrari International,
Box 35575, Phoenix, AZ 85069), a
very good gay and lesbian guidebook
series.
SENIOR TRAVEL
Mention the fact that you're a senior
when you first make your travel reser-
vations. All major airlines and many
Norwegian hotels offer discounts for
seniors. In Norway people over age 67
are entitled to 50% off the price of
first- and second-class train tickets.
Ask for the discount at the ticket
office.
Members of AARP (formerly
known as the American Association of
Retired Persons), 601 E St. NW,
Washington, DC 20049 ( & 888/
687-2277; www.aarp.org), get dis-
counts on hotels, airfares, and car
rentals. AARP offers members a wide
range of benefits, including AARP:
The Magazine and a monthly newslet-
ter. Anyone 50 or over can join.
Many reliable agencies and organi-
zations target the 50-plus market.
Elderhostel ( & 877/426-8056;
www.elderhostel.org) arranges study
programs for those age 55 or over (and
a spouse or companion of any age) in
the U.S. and in more than 80 coun-
tries around the world, including Nor-
way. Most courses last 2 to 4 weeks
abroad, and many include airfare,
accommodations in university dormi-
tories or modest inns, meals, and
tuition. ElderTreks ( & 800/741-
7956; www.eldertreks.com) offers
(Bruno Gmünder Verlag;
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