Many Austrian hotels offer discounts for seniors. Mention the fact that you're a senior when you make your travel reservations.
Members of AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons), 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049 (tel. 888/687-2277; www.aarp.org), get discounts on hotels, airfares, 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 organizations target the 50-plus market. Elderhostel (tel. 877/426-8056; www.elderhostel.org) arranges study programs for those ages 55 and older (and a spouse or companion of any age) in the U.S. and in more than 80 countries around the world, including Austria. Most courses last 2 to 4 weeks and many include airfare, accommodations in university dormitories or modest inns, meals, and tuition. ElderTreks (tel. 800/741-7956; www.eldertreks.com) offers small-group tours to off-the-beaten-path or adventure-travel locations, restricted to travelers 50 and older. INTRAV (tel. 800/456-8100; www.intrav.com) is a high-end tour operator that caters to the mature, discerning traveler (not specifically seniors), with trips around the world that include guided safaris, polar expeditions, private-jet adventures, and small-boat cruises down jungle rivers.
Recommended publications offering travel resources and discounts for seniors include: the quarterly magazine Travel 50 & Beyond (www.travel50andbeyond.com); Travel Unlimited: Uncommon Adventures for the Mature Traveler (Avalon); 101 Tips for Mature Travelers, available from Grand Circle Travel (tel. 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), by Joann Rattner Heilman.
Austria Travel Experiences
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Austria
Today we are set for Austria as we board the bus for a painstaking 7 hrs trip. The scenery was beautiful with all the high mountains.We... Continue reading »
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1st day in Austria
So it turns out we weren't able to see any castles in Germany. We were only there for 2 nights, and the first night we were just fo... Continue reading »
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Wine Story
Austria's local wine is Gruner Veltliner -- a light, crisp white wine. Jim opened a bottle for our birthday dinner earlier this y... Continue reading »
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Soggy Austria
We arrived into Austria at the tail end of their flood of the century! Since a weeklong bike trek along the Danube River was part of our... Continue reading »
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Goat Farming in Austria
The WWOOF farm we are working on now is terrific. We are in the mountains of Upper Austria near Czech Republic. The farmhouse is an old... Continue reading »
