We have traveled to every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Chances are we’ve either been to where you want to go or we know people who have been there. So go ahead and fire away with your travel questions. Best beaches in Brazil? Where to eat in Singapore? What to see in one week in New Zealand? Where to find a diamond in South Africa, a tanzanite in Tanzania, or a citrine in Brazil? If we don’t have an answer, we will do the research and find one.
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Best place to travel for seniors who have not traveled out of the US.
I suspect that this will turn into a much longer post rather than just a response. For seniors traveling for the first trip outside the USA we highly recommend using a concept known as home base. Choose one or two locations to base your vacation from.
Best Place to Travel for Seniors Recommendation Criteria:
A location where English is easily understood by the locals.
Drive on the right hand side of the road. No need to scare the daylights out of your passengers or the other drivers on the road.
Our Choice
Our primary choice is:
Brugge, Belgium. This walled canal lined medieval city can easily hold your attention for a full three to four days. In the 1600’s it was called the Venice of the North. The canal picture you see above was taken in Brugge. Good food, good sights, and highly walk-able. Nearby day trip options and most importantly some of the best chocolate in the world.
Honorable Mentions:
England – More expensive to get there and stay there than Brugge but just as delightful. London can be a bit much, but the Cotswolds are totally adorable for trekking and general wondering around. Bath is worth a couple of days and Stoke-on-Trent is Bone China heaven. You will need to drive outside of London so gear up for the left hand side driving reeducation. Food is well…English. Think bar food and you’ve got it.
Ireland – I have never seen so many variations of green as I have in Ireland. It’s a little harder to home base here as you have longer distances between sights but it can be done. Skip the Blarney stone and focus on drives like the Ring of Kerry or the Cliffs of Moher. It is easy to spend three days in Dublin where you do not want to miss the Book of Kells at Trinity College. They drive on the left hand side here and the roads are naaaarrrrrroooooowwww. Food is same as England. The big upside to Ireland is a very short flight from NYC or Philly.
Singapore – If Europe doesn’t float your boat how about Asia? Everyone here is an ex-pat so English is a piece of cake as well as an official language. As an English protectorate until 1963 it is a melting point of APAC (Asia Pacific). From the colonial sections of town that hosts the famed Raffles Hotel or the ultra modern Bayfront area Singapore is full of variety. Chinatown stands the red-and-gold Buddha’s Tooth Relic Temple, Little India offers colorful souvenirs and Arab Street is lined with fabric shops. And don’t forget the National Orchid Garden in the Singapore Botanic Gardens with 60,000 orchid plants . They have a fine Metro and bus system to get you around. And the food is well pretty much awesome. The major downside it is it takes for ever and a day to get there and back.
Hopefully this is won’t be your first and only trip outside of the US. We believe in a philosophy of “We will be back” when we travel. That way if we miss something we have the opportunity to return some time in the future. And of course if you are traveling outside the US take a look at our Travel Shop and Gear for products to make traveling easier. These are not only products that we recommend but that we use on a each and every trip we take. “If it is in our bag, it should be in yours“
And one more thing. If you want to have an truly amazing time at a discounted price we highly recommend Brugge during the Thanksgiving holiday. The weather is acceptable. The crowds are low and the atmosphere is awesome with Christmas Markets and decorations. Just leave a few days before and return a few days after the Thanksgiving break. Add a few days in Brussels and your Christmas shopping will be done.
Where’s the best place to travel during the winter holidays?