When and Where to Travel With Elderly Parents
Whether your parents require facilities for senior independent living or stay at home, retirement life can quickly get boring with all the free time available. Although a regular daily schedule of hobbies and community activities can help keep them busy, adding a change to the routine energizes and adds new life to their retirement years. A vacation is one of the best ways to fight boredom, bringing newness and excitement to otherwise ordinary days.
However, with many tourist attractions and venues worldwide, how can you identify when and where to travel with elderly parents? Below is a list of popular and quality sites that you can visit with your parents:
Williamsburg
You should find a destination with several historical sites when thinking of where to travel with elderly parents. Williamsburg is home to multiple historical venues, such as an 18th-century American recreation at Colonia Williamsburg and Jamestown Settlement. Your parents can take a tour around the Governor’s Palace and view the security fences and architecture from the 18th to 20th centuries. Additionally, your parents can ride the Jamestown to Scotland ferry and enjoy scenic views of the James River.
When to Visit: January to March
Miami Beach
If your family loves entertainment, Miami Beach is a suitable choice for your needs. Aside from pleasant sunny days, you can find remarkable beaches with stylish hotels to match with convenient access to recreational facilities. Your parents can also get adventurous via different water sports such as jet boating and snorkeling. Miami Beach restaurants offer local and international menus to deliver a wholesome experience. The popular Florida city also hosts art galleries where you can enjoy relaxing days, appreciating unique art exhibits.
When to Visit: March to May
Santa Fe
Santa Fe in New Mexico provides a family-friendly option where your parents can experience different artworks, from old to contemporary. You can tour the local museums to learn more about indoor culture, enhancing your convenience when dealing with wet conditions. The Santa Fe Opera presents opportunities to watch quality performances, while various nature preserves and parks support outdoor exploration. Furthermore, you can contact a cleaning company from the city center to work on your vehicle while your parents stroll on Canyon Road, passing more than 100 shops on the way.
When to Visit: September to November
St. Augustine
Augustine features brick streets that give it an Old-European charm, making it an ideal choice when looking for where to travel with elderly parents. Some of the earliest American settlers lived here, offering an interesting glimpse into ancient history. You can also visit centuries-old buildings, hidden courtyards, horse-drawn carriages and take a boat tour along St. Augustine’s waterways to deliver a memorable cultural yet educative experience. Besides tourist attractions, the town is home to numerous dentist clinics where your parents can stop by to upgrade their dentures.
When to Visit: Spring months
Montreal
With a past tracing back to the 16th century, you can take your folks to numerous museums and take in different art pieces. You can learn about the Canadian city’s past as a missionary settlement and fur-trading center in several historic buildings. In addition, you can view stunning architecture by touring Saint Joseph Oratory and Notre-Dame Basilica. If your parents prefer to enjoy wonderful nature, you can take them to La Fontaine Park to cycle through quaint streets bordered by leafy trees and historical venues.
When to Visit: March to May
Jasper National Park
Jasper National Park has remarkable scenes and trails that lead to glistening waterfalls. The venue features The Rocky Mountains, which you can climb with your folks to different viewpoints, taking beautiful and memorable photos of snowcapped peaks. You can also reach scenic lakes surrounded by green and lush forests, making it a wonderful destination for nature lovers. Being a World Heritage Site since 1984, you can find different outdoor events to explore, including seeing local wildlife and visiting the arts and crafts markets. You can begin your travel plans to this park by having an orthopedic visit to ensure your parents are in excellent shape for this outdoor adventure.
When to Visit: March to May, and September to November
Masai Mara
Africa is a popular selection when considering where to travel with elderly parents, with the continent offering numerous vacation opportunities. Masai Mara in Kenya presents an ideal option, where you can appreciate the wonderful fauna and flora. This National Reserve has beautiful landscapes with remarkable vistas and abundant wildlife. You can take daily game drives to uncover the Mara and meet animals like elephants and lions. In addition, you can enjoy an adventurous exploration of the open Savanna on foot or hot air balloons while taking in the fresh air with limitless horizon views. You can opt to experience a thrilling horseback safari and gallop past giraffes and zebras. Notably, a Masai Mara tour between July and October allows you to see the world-famous Great Migration as millions of herbivores cross the Serengeti and Mara ecosystems.
When to Visit: Late June to Late October
Rome
Rome traces its history over 28 centuries, making it one of the oldest cities in the world with ancient structures still in existence. You can walk along ancient streets and drop by different landmarks to learn about that region’s interesting past. Some sites you can tour include the Colosseum, The Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain, with the Colosseum dating its history to AD 72. Rome is also home to Vatican City, where you can reach St. Peter’s Square, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Palace, and gardens. Besides, you can take your parents to look at one of the city’s majestic churches at Santa Maria Maggiore. A walk around Borghese Gallery and Gardens offers two museums with quality exhibitions from the 15th to 19th centuries, including mosaics, paintings, and sculptures.
When to Visit: October to April
Santorini
Santorini provides access to the well-known Oria and Fira regions, where you can get scenic sunset views and visit attractions like the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. Fira, Santorini’s capital, has numerous cafés, restaurants, jewelers, and shops in many of its buildings, increasing your convenience when touring and shopping. You can visit the neighboring Akrotiri archaeological site where a 16-century BC volcanic eruption buried the ancient Minoan settlement of the area. This island also enables you to visit Thira, a town with an active volcano that adds to the region’s dramatic landscapes, giving you a thrilling option when searching for where to travel with elderly parents. You can also look at the foundations of early Byzantine and Roman buildings around ancient Thira or take a tour around the Museum of Prehistoric Thira for historical lessons. Santorini has several cozy hotels with heating and cooling services to offer comfortable resting places after a long day exploring the exciting island.
When to Visit: April to May, and September to October
Juneau
You can select Juneau as your tourist destination when finding where to travel with elderly parents. The Alaska capital allows you to visit nearby attractions such as Tracy Arm Fjord, where you can charter a ride for a guided cruise. The ride lets you view impressive views with glaciers, waterfalls flowing over vertical rock walls, and trees growing on the rocks at unusual angles. You can also encounter wildlife such as moose, black bears, deer, and brown bears. Juneau also leads you to go to the famous Mendenhall Glacier in the downtown area. The site has a visitor center on the lakeshore, where you can enjoy a 180-degree view of the attraction. Your parents can also appreciate relaxing outings to Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure, featuring landscaped botanical gardens and observation points overlooking Gastineau Channel, Chilkat Mountains, and Mendenhall Valley.
When to Visit: May to August
Schwangau
When researching where to travel with elderly parents, Germany offers various family-friendly sites. Schwangau is among such destinations, with the region hosting different historical venues such as Neuschwanstein Castle. You can reach this 19th-century castle by bus or car to enhance your convenience when using public transportation. Hohenschwangau Castle is another site you can visit with your folks, allowing you to view quality 19th-century architecture with an opulent interior. You can take high-quality pictures of the scenic landscape that includes lush forests and a lake. Schwangau also offers convenient access to Tegelberg, a mountain incorporated with trails and a cable car, enabling you to reach the peak for beautiful vistas of the neighboring Alpsee Lake.
When to Visit: August, September, and February
Berlin
The capital of Germany is another popular choice for traveling with seniors, offering quality attractions like Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This venue has numerous significant museums, such as the Old Museum, displaying royal treasures like crown jewels. You can also get the New Museum, which exhibits classical antiquities and Papyrus collections from the Egyptian Museum. Aside from these, you can tour the city’s most iconic landmark, The Brandenburg Gate, with the 16-meter tall monument symbolizing peace and unity. A trip to The Berlin Wall Memorial and German Historical Museum allows your parents to appreciate German history comfortably, since the venues provide guided tours, with some available in English.
When to Visit: May to September
Wicklow
Ireland is among the popular recommendations when searching for where to travel with elderly parents. Wicklow County enables you to tour the Wicklow Mountains National Park and stroll around the little villages such as Avoca before relaxing in their cozy cafés. The park also offers different recreational opportunities, including camping, hiking, and picnicking sites for added fun. You can also go to Glendalough, among the country’s popular free venues, and see monastic settlement ruins from the 10th to 12th centuries. Taking your parents to the upper lake at the site also delivers quality views of natural scenery and wildlife. The upper lake also has picnic tables to enhance your convenience when you bring your lunch. If you do not have a packed lunch, you can comfortably access the restaurant at the Glendalough Hotel near the monastic settlement.
When to Visit: June to August
What to Consider Before Choosing the Travel Destination
Looking at the list above, you have a wide array of exciting destinations from which to choose. Even so, it is essential to consider some factors before making your final pick to ensure a comfortable and convenient experience for your seniors. Here are some elements to examine when looking for where to travel with elderly parents:
Access to Amenities
Verify the different hotels available to ensure they have accessible features such as ramps, elevators, and bathroom countertops that a disabled senior can safely reach.
Language Barriers
Consider the language of your destination and make plans to facilitate communication, from purchasing a dictionary to coordinating with your hotel for a local translator guide.
Access to Medical Care
You want to have medical care readily accessible in emergencies, and you can contact your doctor in advance. If your trip is international, you can research destinations with good medical care and assisted living facilities.
Insurance Plans
Ensure you know the insurance requirements of different regions to get maximum coverage for you and your parents’ needs. In addition, you can look at auto insurance if you plan to rent and drive a car during your tour. Find reliable rental offices with quality operations, such as car cleaning and bed bug removal services for a comfortable and hygienic experience.
Convenient Transportation Systems
When considering where to travel with elderly parents, you want to pick areas with public transportation systems that seniors can easily access and navigate. This convenience will also enhance your parents’ convenience when they embark on future voyages without you.
Now that you have various ideas about when and where to travel with elderly parents, you can begin planning the perfect getaway. Remember to involve your parents in all stages of the organization to help them learn what vacations involve. In doing so, you can enable them to know what to expect and do for future voyages since they will most likely make similar travels a regular in their retirement years.