Travel tips for seniors

Travel is fun, eye-opening but also strenuous at times. A little pre-planning and research however goes a long way in making it comfortable. We bring you senior-friendly travel tips, culled from industry experts and much travelled seniors. 

Bangaram Island, Lakshadweep. Pic: Silvertalkies

Travel is fun but it can also be strenuous for most of us, especially if it involves packed itineraries, lengthy rides or long hours of flying. These days, travel isn’t restricted to the younger lot. Seniors are not just traveling to visit children and relatives living in other states or countries but also exploring India and the world on their own. We spoke to some travel savvy seniors and professionals from the travel industry to bring you some tips.

Deciding an itinerary

Choose a terrain that suits your health too. Pic: Silvertalkies

If you are travelling for leisure, whether in India or abroad, choose an itinerary that takes into account factors like the destination’s climate, terrain, accessibility, safety factors and most importantly, your own mobility and health, say industry experts and senior travelers. E.g., if you have respiratory issues or breathlessness, perhaps places like Ladakh or Kailash-Mansarovar are best left out of the plan, advises Jiwan Prakash, 68, an ardent mountain lover from Lucknow, adding that there are several other places that could fit in.

Pallavi Shah, 70, of the travel service called Our Personal Guest, advises getting yourself the services of a good travel agent, who is savvy enough to figure out your needs and requirements or doing thorough research, especially if you are travelling for leisure. Ms Shah herself has travelled all over despite severe health issues. “If mobility is an issue or you are on a wheelchair, cruises make a great option,” she suggests. “There’s enough action going on within the ship to keep you engaged even if you avoid the shore excursions, although, while sightseeing, you can be wheeled off the cruise ship. Also in case of mobility issues, all good cruise lines are mandated to have handicap cabins,” she adds. Ms Shah recommends that while designing an itinerary, you need to take into account the extent of mobility requirement, whether you choose to do your own planning or outsource it. “Look for resorts or hotels that are largely on flat land. It’s important to know the terrain and your capacity, the kind of help you have and your expectations,” she mentions.

Do your own research to get the best out of your holiday. Pic: Silvertalkies

Research, research, research. Says seasoned traveler Indrajit Chatterjee, 64, says you need to take your health into account when deciding whether your itinerary should include group travel as a slower pace can slow down the entire group. Bhavna Mehta, 66, prefers destinations that have ample scope for Indian food due to her food preferences. “I’m a Jain and though most of my relatives prefer group tours, me and my husband like to travel on our own, whether in India or abroad. One of the first things I research is the kind of food available and vegetarian restaurants.” If food is an issue, Mrs. Mehta packs some dry edible items and goes on a largely fruit based diet while on the move. “It’s best to be prepared while travelling at our age,” is the motto she follows.

In other words, keep personal preferences, health and your physical capacity in mind when chalking out your travel plan. One great tip from industry experts is to ask for special offers and assistance for seniors from airlines, hotels and cruise lines. “Indians often hesitate before asking but in my experience assistance is often provided in genuine cases. In some cases you may need to pay a fee while some are free. I’d suggest seniors to ask,” says Mala S, who works for a travel agency.

Mrs Mehta seconds this. “I had food specially prepared for us without onion-garlic in a small restaurant in Arunachal Pradesh, where the cuisine is largely non vegetarian. Not just airlines, usually regular people also comply to requests if asked nicely,” she feels.

Packing

Pack light, comes the unanimous reply from travel savvy seniors. Kolkata’s Jaya Mukherji, 69, regularly visits her three children spread across Mumbai, Manipal and Singapore and says not packing double of everything saves a lot of trouble. “Plus most things are available now everywhere, so you can buy if needed.” However medicines are what everyone advises to pack in copious quantities. “Take emergency and as well essential medicines, especially those special branded drugs which you may not get easily,” suggests Hyderabad’s Dr Padmanabha Vyasamoorthy, who does a fair bit of domestic travel. Mr Chatterjee suggests that you start packing at least seven days earlier, especially if it’s an international trip and buy a weighing scale/luggage scale, available online at stores like http://stores.ebay.in

Here are some packing tips we collated from all our senior experts.

• Prepare a checklist before packing things lest you forget anything important
• Take spare pair of spectacles if you wear them regularly.
• Take emergency and as well essential medicines, especially special drugs that you may not get easily.
• Pack your medicines in your carry on/hand luggage so that even if your baggage is lost, you aren’t left waiting for medication.
• If going somewhere for long, carry meds with prescriptions for six months and more.
• Find out how the weather will be at your destination and pack accordingly. You may be a lifelong sari and sandal wearer but if the weather and itinerary demands it, pack walking shoes, leggings, etc., even though you’d never wear it back home.
• Airports and planes can get chilly as do AC coaches on trains, so keep a jacket or light sweater handy.
• Pack ID cards, medical Insurance details, physician’s number, allergy details if any, etc. In special cases, carry doctor’s report, especially if you’ve had surgery or an ailment recently.
• Pack a few disposable cups, plates and spoons. Helps in sharing food and water, especially if you are on a tour.
• Keep an umbrella or parka handy.
• Pack a foldable walking stick if you need to use one occasionally
• Comfortable shoes are a must
• It can sometimes be difficult to identify your suitcase in a sea of similar blacks. Put some identifying marks on your luggage, like a bright sash, ribbon or tag.
• Take any medical gadgets that you may need on a regular basis, like Blood Sugar Monitor, hearing aid, etc.

Things to remember

Even if you have you have travelled to the same destination several times, there is still a chance of forgetting things behind. Here are some useful guidelines that people we spoke to shared with us:

• Ensure credit and debit card details are available in case of loss/theft.
• Keep cash spread in two or three places and not just in one purse.
• Avoid traveller’s cheques as they are slowly becoming obsolete.
• Carry info of contacts at your destination location. Leave similar info for family to reach you.
• Mobile can be lost or stolen so keep essential phone numbers handy in writing somewhere with you.
• Verify ticket, date, time and airport or station of departure way in advance to avoid last minute problems.
• Book or call a taxi from reliable vendors and ensure they’re on time by checking up earlier. It saves you from last minute tensions. It’s easier to book yourself a Meru Cab if you live in a metro than to rely on your US based son’s childhood friend to send his driver across to take you to the airport, even if the time is unearthly.
• Travel can be boring at times. Keep some music or books or Sudoku/crossword handy to divert your mind.

International travel

Many seniors across India cross the oceans to visit their children living overseas. Several seniors are now also going on overseas tours, whether as part of a tour group or on their own. Unless your family is based in Asia, international travel to Europe, Australia, UK or US involves long haul flights and could be stressful for those who aren’t prepared. One of the first things our travel savvy seniors and industry experts recommend is to ask for wheelchair assistance at the airport as it gets you help at immigration and several other check points that could be daunting for first time travellers. Also remember that most international airports have quite some distance from the security check to the boarding gate, making it difficult for those who are not able to walk properly. If you are uncomfortable with the wheelchair idea, most airports also have an electric cart to ferry passengers from gate to gate and you could avail that service. Follow Ms Mala’s ask and you shall receive tip above. “There’s no shame in asking. The first time I travelled abroad was Singapore seven years ago and though I was jittery inside, I managed everything simply because I asked around constantly,” says Mrs Mukherji. “Many people our age find it difficult to read signage at airports, so I think it’s best to ask.”

Laminated card with all your details. Pic courtesy: Indrajit Chatterjee

Mr Chatterjee prefers local hotels and travel operators when he is travelling overseas as he feels they offer a more relaxed pace of travel. He also advises picking up a local guide in countries with a language problem. Also recommended is writing down all your details (from passport number to destination address, flight number, telephone numbers, etc.,) in a piece of paper. Mr Chatterjee and Ms Shah advise getting it laminated and keeping it on your person. It saves you time while filling in forms and the hassle of taking out your passport or boarding pass every time. “You only need to produce the actual passport during check in and immigration, so if you have a document with all the info handy, it takes less time to fill up your form,” says Ms Shah. It also minimizes the chances of losing your passport. Mr Chatterjee advises that you research baggage and transit rules and whether you need to transfer from one terminal to another in case of different connections. Recommendations also come for making several copies of your passport, keeping few with yourself and also leaving some with your loved ones.

Ms Shah suggests keeping documents in a sling bag across the body as they are easily accessible.

Ramma Basappa of Marco Polo Travels Bangalore, recommends asking for the aisle seat. “Exit rows typically have more legroom. I would also suggest choosing seating close to the washroom; ask elders to carry one piece of hand luggage, drink lots of water in the flight, etc.” All experts suggest walking up and down the aisle a few times if you are on a long haul flight. When it comes to travel insurance for elders, Ms Basappa mentions that pre-existing ailments are not covered and people post 60 need to get a medical checkup done to certify good health. There are different kinds of insurance, like Gold Plan, Silver Plan, etc, depending on the amount of coverage you want. Mr Chatterjee goes in for cashless comprehensive insurance covering actuals from a US based company as he feels it is more efficient.

Industry professionals feel that it is easier for many seniors, especially those travelling overseas for the first time to outsource travel planning to a professional travel agent as Visa and documentation and even searching for the best airfare is often cumbersome and children are not always free to help. Mr. Chatterjee suggests keeping currency of different countries if you are travelling to several places. “Keep phone number of any contacts in those countries and currency. If you need to call, have loose change handy,” he says, adding further, “carry enough dollars in case you get stranded by flight delays or cancellations. See if the country of transit needs a temporary visa from beforehand.”

The Last Word

“Old age is meant for activity because I don’t have to worry about holidays or work,” says the super-active Jaya Mukherji, who is planning her Mumbai trip. She plans to visit the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad this year. Would it prove to be a tough task considering she has knee pain often? “I’ll give it a try, if I can’t climb up or walk that much, the others will go ahead and I’ll wait or hire a doli (a chair carried by four men). I wouldn’t know unless I go, would I?” she retorts, proving that it’s the spirit that matters the most when it comes to travel. The rest of the details can be arranged later.

Here’s a list of travel websites to check out

E-Ticketing: http://www.makemytrip.com/ http://www.cleartrip.com/ http://www.expedia.co.in/

Hotels: http://www.hotels.com/ http://www.booking.com/

Travel info and reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.in/  http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Silvertalkies spoke to several seniors and industry experts for this article, all of whom provided useful information and guidance that went into the article. While we’ve been able to quote some of them, here are the people whom we’d like to thank:

Ms Pallavi Shah, Our Personal Guest

Ms Ramma Basappa www.marcopolotravelsindia.com

Mr Indrajit Chatterjee

Mr Padmanabha Vyasamoorthy

Mrs Bhavna Mehta

Mrs Jaya Mukherji

Mr Jiwan Prakash

— By Reshmi Chakraborty