Thorn Tree travel forum

Favorite Senior Discounts

There is a post below about starting a branch about discounts for seniors. And the response was that this is it. So, I thought I'd start a thread. What are the best discounts or other special things out there for seniors and what is the age requirement, and what are other restrictions?

My favorite, although I don't qualify yet, is the US National Park Service Golden Age pass. A one-time fee of $10 gets you free admission to all the national parks for the rest of your life, as well as things like camping discounts in some locations. Sometimes the admission fee is for the car, so one senior can get a whole carload in for free.

In Panama, I received a 15% discount on a pair of glasses because I was 59. I thought it was strange when I was asked my age, but will now happily volunteer it to any Panamanian who asks.

I went to movies in Singapore for a big discount.... more »

Merry Xmas to all

I have relocated in China. As much as I love China, living in housing communities soon becomes very boring. I decided to leave Yangshou after 3 years....its so easy to live there as so many people speak English. Western food available everywhere. Going to the Bank & PO is a non event. Not so in other places.

However I decided it was time for a new challenge. I chose to live in Dafen Painting village, Shenzhen. One of my ex students lives here so he has been roped into helping me get settled.....Finding accommodation was tricky...we walked for 3 hours up & down lanes & alleys reading notices stuck up on doorways. I refused to live up past the 3rd floor so that took care of many offers. Finally we found a ground floor apartment...very small,very Chinese, but OK for me. It will stop me being tempted to buy "stuff".:) The front room will be used as a classroom & I live in the back roo... more »

long weekened at stockholm

Hi everybody,
I have decided to spend a weekend somewhere ''fantastic'' instead of sitting and itching on the sofa. I might be impolite to say that but spending the whole 48 hours doing nothing but watching tv and reading is a spreading sickness of all older travelers, you get stuck in and become lazier; change your preferences and live completely lost weekends. This time no; I will be the host to my wife and walk/window-shop/xmass shop/dine/enjoy good music/watch dance in beatifull and fantastic Stockholm! and thats where you Stockholmers come into the picture! I have booked Electra (at royal opera), Ek, Laguan & Baryshnikov(at Dancenhus) but I have 3 Nights to dine 3 full days to walk around needing great ideas. As it is in my home town the best places known by locals only. Can yu help me to organize fantastic weekend for us,the 60 years oldies, feeling 40. Do you recomend any plac... more »

Dharamsala -anyone been lately?

Have any of you been to Dharamsala? if so, which mode of travel did you take from Delhi? And any observations/advice about anything to do with your trip there?Thanks. I'm going there in a few weeks time.

senior descounts in Paris

Hello,
Are there any discounts for senior travelers (not from the EU) at Paris – museums, public transport and so on?
Thanks.

Volunteer Schemes Abroad for 'Older' Travellers

Been trying to post this message a few times but doesnt seem to be working so apologies if its a repeat... Here goes...

My mum, 50 odd , wants to do a volunteer scheme abroad - keen on Carribean, Asia and South / Latin America - she wants to go for about a month + , solo, and ideally use her teaching skills. shes struggling to find a company that do ones for older volunteers as she doesnt want to end up with a load of 18 year olds

Any ideas?

Thanks

S x

new to this forum....

greetings,

I am new here, trying to figure out where to correspond with like minded travelers. I am transitioning into retirement, so I will have time to travel that I didn't have during the last 40 years although since I travel solo (that is, on overseas trips, dog stays home!) as my wife is not a traveler, getting motivated to travel is a big hurdle. I wonder if any other solo travelers struggle with that same problem?

my dog and i

Egidir and Konya - Turkey

Last fall we travelled about Turkey – one of our many ‘treats’ was visiting Egidir -
http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/egirdir an exceptionally lovely and very Turkish town on an immense fresh water lake. Egidir together with Isparta (small town nearby) are both training areas for the Turkish special forces commandos ....... however, their training ground is back in the hills and at the far end of the lake and we were never disturbed.

Even before we drove down from the mountains and entered this superbly lovely area, we were firmly reminded that we could not take photos when travelling down to Egidir ...... to not even try to sneak a pic here and there – on the bus or no. Apparently last year a passenger had ignored this warning and had taken a picture - with the result that force members arrived to stop the bus and insisted on getting on and checking everyone’s gear.

I... more »