travel bargains

National Parks Senior Pass Fees Rise Aug. 28

Published August 21, 2017 | By Clark Norton

Everglades National Park

No more almost-free senior lunch at U.S. National Parks: The price of a lifetime America the Beautiful Senior Pass rises sharply from $10 to $80 on August 28, 2017.

The Senior Pass, available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents age 62 and above, has cost just $10 since 1994, making it one of the great travel bargains in the world.

At $80, it will still be a good deal, just not the steal it is now. If you already have one of the $10 passes, it will be honored for your lifetime.

Senior Passes provide access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by six federal agencies:

National Park Service
US Fish & Wildlife Service
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
US Forest Service
US Army Corps of Engineers

Senior Pass Benefits

The Grand Canyon

The passes cover entrance and day-use recreation fees… Continue reading →

Best Bargain for Seniors? National Park Pass

Published June 29, 2016 | By Clark Norton

The lifetime Senior Pass for national ;parks and recreation areas is just $10.

One of the best perks for turning 62 — if you’re a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident — is the “Senior Pass” that allows those aged 62 and over to enter any of the U.S. national parks, monuments, and recreation areas for all of ten bucks. Let me repeat that. That’s a “ten” with one zero.

And that’s not all, fellow baby boomers! The pass is good for life. It never expires until you do (and if you never expire, so much the better!).

And wait, there’s more! You can get your pass as you drive into many of those same parks and recreation areas. Just ask the attendant at the gate, show some proof of age (driver’s license is good), and you can usually get your pass on the spot. For $10.

Those under 62… Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, Baby boomer travel, Budget travel, California, Family travel, Guidebooks, Hiking, National Parks, Wildlife | Tagged bargain travel, Senior travel bargain, travel bargains, U.S. National P:arks, U.S. National Park Service Centennial, U.S. National Parks Lifetime Senior Pass | Leave a comment

Eurail Pass Still a Bargain With Good Planning

Published May 27, 2016 | By Clark Norton

You can now reach Budapest by Eurail pass. The Hungarian Parliament Building, illuminated at night. Photo by Clark Norton

Ah, the early ’70s — the halcyon days when I and countless other baby boomers explored Europe (or at least Western Europe) with our trusty Eurail passes, which offered virtually unlimited travel on Western European railways for periods up to three months.

And as I recall, I paid the grand sum of $300 for a three-month pass — and that was for first-class seating.

True, I was usually one of the scruffiest riders in first class at that time — I often used to sleep on the trains to save money, since my budget was the proverbial $5 a day — but in exchange for sharing a compartment mostly with staid businessmen and properly dressed ladies, I had comfortable seating and hardly ever had to stand out or even sleep… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Europe, trains | Tagged Eurail, Eurail pass, Europe by rail, European trains, Rail Europe, travel bargains | Leave a comment

Bargain Travel: U.S. Dollars Go Further in Europe

Published March 4, 2015 | By Clark Norton

The famous walking area of Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain: get more bang for your bucks. Photo by Dennis Cox/WorldViews

I just returned last night from a week in Europe (more about that in subsequent posts) and found my euros going much further than on my previous trips there.

And I don’t mean going further out of my pocket, but into my pocket. Spain, which I left yesterday morning, was dirt cheap. My wallet was still stuffed with euro notes when I flew out.

A year ago, one U.S. dollar would get you about .73 euros to spend when traveling in Europe. Looked at another way, Americans would have to ante up 1.364 U.S. dollars to get one euro in exchange.

So for every admission or food item or souvenir costing 3 euros, Americans would have to pay the equivalent of $4.

Now, as of this writing, one U.S. dollar… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Countries, Europe | Tagged dollars, euros, Spain, travel bargains | Leave a comment

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.