Great Fall Getaways for Retirees

Hotel prices may be on the rise, but one demographic that shouldn’t be dissuaded from traveling is retirees.

“A retiree’s greatest asset is time and flexibility,” Lisa Fantino, travel consultant with Wanderlust Women Travel tells MainStreet. She points out that senior citizens are primed to take advantage of the off-peak rates offered by both airlines and hotels.

“Those who can travel during the week between Tuesdays and Thursdays can get great deals,” Fantino says. Those who want to work a weekend into their vacation plans can save by returning or departing in the middle of a working man’s week, though there are deep discounts available on peak travel times, too. Seniors just have to be willing to look for them.

“Oftentimes, these deals are only available online for a 24-hour time period,” Fantino says.

As this may put the non-computer savvy senior at a disadvantage, Fantino says that those interested in saving should consider aligning themselves with a travel consultant. While the deals industry experts find typically outweigh the costs of using their agency, Fantino says that the real benefit they offer to non-Web users is minimizing the frustration they may feel  when researching on their own.  

Of course, sometimes all you need is a point in the right direction. To help seniors plan their getaways, MainStreet put together a list of places where reasonable travel accommodations are being offered this fall. We’ve included some current vacation deals as well.

Seasonal Getaways

The trick to seasonal travel is to book early. That means that if you want to visit the countryside over the Thanksgiving holiday, you shouldn’t wait to book until Nov. 23.