5 of the Best Travel Destinations for Seniors

North to Alaska – The best way to see this starkly beautiful country is by cruise ship. Alaska is a land of rugged mountains, shimmering glaciers and pristine wilderness and what better way to take it all in than from the balcony of your cabin, aboard one of the majestic liners that cruise the Inland Passage.

From Vancouver on Canada’s west coast, seniors can cruise the Inside Passage to Port Hardy and then on north to Prince Rupert via a circuitous maze of icy channels and fjords. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to see humpback whales, sea otters, porpoises and seals and even Kermode bears on Princess Royal Island. Many cruises also offer optional side trips such as glacier tours, scenic helicopter flights and whale watching tours.Towns you’ll visit include Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Sitka, where you can get a real taste of Alaskan culture, which is a mix of Native American and Russian influences, set against a backdrop of gold rush saloons and oil booms.

The French connection – Pack a corkscrew for this destination, because France is the home of fine wine and good food. It’s the ideal destination for seniors wanting to improve their palate while enjoying a taste of the good life. Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace are France’s most renowned wine growing areas and a tour of these regions will soon reveal why French wines are considered the best in the world. In Bordeaux, you can choose from five different wine routes, including the Châteaux Road (the famous Médoc region) and the Graves Road (home of Sauternes) and visit the World Heritage listed city of Bordeaux, with its stunning eighteenth-century palaces and picturesque avenues. During the summer, you can also take a two-hour wine course at the famous Bordeaux Wine School (L’Ecole du Vin).

Burgundy is renowned for its pinot noir reds and whites made from chardonnay grapes. This region also offers five different wine routes and on some, such as the Route des Grands Crus, you can leave the car behind and walk, cycle or even travel above the vineyards in a hot air balloon. Places of interest to visit in Burgundy include the beautiful city of Beaune and in particular, its historic hospital, which includes a museum with buildings dating from the late fifteenth century.

Bordered by the Vosges Mountains to the west and the Rhine River to the east, Alsace is the home of some of France’s most celebrated Alsatian wines, including Riesling, pinot blanc and pinot gris. The Alsatian Wine Route is a must for wine lovers. It meanders through little villages filled with half-timbered buildings, quaint little shops and numerous restaurants. It’s an idyllic way to sample the local produce and enjoy the beautiful French countryside.

Classic Italian – Italy is one of the world’s most spectacular holiday destinations, with its ancient cities, classic works of art and breathtaking natural scenery and it’s a great destination for seniors with a thirst for all things cultural.

Italy boasts some magnificent medieval and renaissance castles, including Avio Castle in the Trento region, Sermoneta Castle in Southern Lazio, and the massive fortress of “Il Castello” in L’Aquila. Any Italian holiday should naturally include a visit to some of the landmark sites; the eternal city of Rome, with its magnificent Colosseum and Sistine Chapel, the Basilica and the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, or the Leaning Tower of Pisa and La Scala opera house in Milan.

Another of Italy’s attractions is its delicious food. It’s the home of pizza, pasta, ice cream and great coffee, so make sure you sample them all while you’re there. Rome’s Trastavere food district is a good place to start your Italian culinary journey.

The best time to visit Italy is from March to May or September to October, as the crowds and the queues are smaller at these times. The weather is also better. Avoid Italy in August, as it is simply too hot.

Seniors down under – If you’ve never been to Australia, you owe it to yourself to visit at least once in your life and if you live in Australia, you owe it to yourself to see all the incredible sights that are right on your doorstep. No holiday down under would be complete without a visit to the landmarks for which Australia is famous: the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Great Barrier Reef.

In Western Australia, you should visit Rottnest Island, and the Margaret River wine region in South Australia, the camel races and Henley on Todd Regatta in Alice Springs, and in Victoria, check out the nightly penguin parade at Phillip Island. Tasmania offers ghost tours through the ruins of the Port Arthur penal colony, New South Wales has the delights of Sydney by the sea and the magnificent Blue Mountains, and in Canberra, you can visit the seat of governments past and present; the old and new parliament houses.

North in Queensland, you can go diving on pristine coral reefs and in the Northern Territory, visit Kakadu National Park and take a boat ride up the spectacular Katherine Gorge. Every state in Australia has something unique to offer, so try to see as much of this spectacular country as you can.

Viva Las Vegas – If you’ve never been to Vegas, you don’t know what you’re missing! It’s the only city that needs its own dam to run the millions of lights that never go out. Vegas is renowned for its 24-hour casinos that line the famous Strip and its nightly shows featuring all the big names in entertainment. It’s a city that never sleeps and it has a strange fantasyland feel to it, as though you could look behind the facades and see the props holding them up.

Every senior should visit Vegas at least once. If you’re not a gambler, there are still plenty of other things to do, including great shopping, spectacular shows and lots of activities for seniors, with social clubs for everything from karaoke and computers to books and ballroom dancing. There are also parks, art galleries and museums to explore and as well as slot machines, the casinos have a lot of excellent shops and restaurants where you can while away the day.