You did it! You've reached the age where you're (hopefully) at or near retirement. Your kids have moved out or, at the very least, are in their mid-20s and can take care of themselves. Now it's time to get out there and do some stuff for yourself.
What is a Travel Club?
A travel club is basically what it says in the name—a tour group, most often geared towards, but not exclusively to, those who have retired from work. It takes the pressure out of planning activities and arrangements, gets you moving, and gives you a great opportunity to make new friends.
What do they do?
There are all kinds of activities—and activity levels—involved with a travel club. You can become part of a group that's active and invigorating, or you can sit back, relax, and be a tourist. It's really up to you. Ask yourself some questions about the kind of travel you want to be doing. If you prefer cruises, hiking, or museums, it won't be too hard to find a group of like-minded people to spend some time with, but you don't want to get yourself involved in a group that isn't going to do anything you care about. Also, carefully consider your budget, as well as how much rigid scheduling versus free exploring you want.
Where can I find them?
There are some groups that operate on a national level. Road Scholar—which used to be Elderhostel—runs educational groups around the country. AARP offers travel packages that might be relevant. And if you can get a group together on your own, sites like Groople help you plan a group excursion. Most travel groups, however, are locally-run. Searching the internet for travel groups in your town is a good way to find local clubs you can join. You can also check social network sites like Facebook and Meetup or even senior activity centers.
What do I need to know beforehand?
Before you join, ask questions about how long a tour stays in one place. Ask how far abroad they usually travel—there are groups who explore their home state as well as groups centered around international travel. Ask about the regularity of the trips and any costs involved. You may also want to seek out cancellation policies, in case you need to reschedule a trip for a later date for any reason.
What all is involved?
At a minimum, paying for the tour and showing up, but again, every group is different. Some groups may run out of churches, museums, or other larger organizations. Those groups may meet pretty regularly between tours to talk about the common interests beyond travel that hold the group together. Beyond that, there's not much. The whole point of joining a travel club is to make everything as simple as possible.
