Best Senior Travel Websites and Resources

A peaceful vacation perfect for seniors on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini, with houses and terraces with views of the Meditterean.

Travel with a Challenge is a top global travel resource, updated monthly, that speaks directly to the senior traveler through richly illustrated feature articles and fast-breaking travel news around the following alternative travel themes: ecological, educational, cultural, historical, spiritual, pilgrimmage, and volunteer vacations worldwide. The interesting web magazine, whose host is our Senior Travel Editor Alison Gardner, attracts a worldwide audience.

Road Scholar is a great place to begin or to continue your adventures in lifelong learning, and is the top not-for-profit organization for active seniors who wish to travel abroad or within the U.S. Road Scholar, founded in 1975, offers a huge range of senior tours ranging from small to large in size — combining educational, cultural, and adventure travel.

Rick Steves' Europe, host site of the first columnist for Transitions Abroad magazine, is carefully managed by a respectful and respected American ambassador to Europe. Rick is also famous for the expertise that has produced a series of books, including, Europe Through the Back Door, country guides, city guides, podcasts, forums, the acclaimed PBS video series, and much more. Check out his website for many senior-friendly tours with a European emphasis and advice useful for anyone who wishes to travel down fascinating routes.

Stride Travel is a search engine for senior tours, meaning it allows easy searches across over 700 tour companies. They present discounted options you should find of interest, most with reviews by people who have actually taken the trips.

JourneyWoman.com offers articles and resources for woman travelers, including many tours and articles geard to adventurous women over 50.

AARP: Travel provides a very wide variety of commercial discounts for American seniors who wish to travel, live, or retire at home and abroad. AARP provides many destination guides, articles, resources, and other benefits.

Walking the World offers senior travel walks for people beginning at the youthful age of 50. Adventure travel walks are a great way to experience the world, not as a passive observer, but as an active participant. And walking, more than any other type of activity, allows you to experience firsthand not only a country’s majestic natural areas, but its rich and varied human cultures as well. With Walking The World, you’ll be walking through small villages, meeting the local people, and sampling some of the world’s finest food and drink.

Hiking or even bird-watching is a relaxing way to travel at any age, alone or as part of small group tour.

Adventures Abroad Senior Tours offers small-group tours for "mature" travelers (those 50+) around the world. The focus is on cultural travel, adventure travel, and traveling off-the-beaten-path. Meet, eat, dine, and converse with locals rather than staying in more conventional tourist locations. Be guided by experts in the destinations they help you exlore.

Over50AndOverseas is an informative and resource-intensive website for those who are mature or senior in age, may have retired, and wish to volunteer overseas in order to make a difference. The site is hosted by a very active volunteer ever since he participated in the Peace Corps in 1991. John Dwyer is very kind and is our contributing editor on Senior Volunteer Service Abroad.

Smarter Travel: Senior Travel offers articles encourageing ideas for older Americans to travel both domestically and abroad. While much of its focus is very commercial, there are many tempting deals, especially in discounted transportation. The articles and guides include travel tips and ideas for destinations for seniors, making this a practical information source.

Trip Advisor Senior Travel Forum is active and offers answers to many common travel-related questions, with many of the locations covered and reviews made by senior travelers.

Overseas Adventure Travels specializes in small group tours for seniors to destinations around the world. The organization, based in Boston, Mass., offers to "take you off the beaten path so you can participate in everyday life in your destination," allowing opportunities for as much cultural interaction as possible with the local culture as you explore. The site also offers a travel forum for seniors.

International Living offers information for seniors who wish to travel, move and live abroad. Much of the content does require a subscription.