Many hotels and tourist spots have special facilities for seniors and often at an discounted prices.  Older people should always be alert to their surroundings, first because they don’t know the place and may not have any knowledge of its culture if traveling overseas, and second, seniors can be vulnerable and seen as an easy mark for thieves.  Also when booking a hotel ask about whether the shower is in the bath, that can make a big difference if you have mobility problems or if you are like me and afraid of falling in a slippery bath.

Seniors should make sure they carry all the appropriate documents they needed just in case a problem may occur like identity cards, passports, visas and a driving license. Make sure to make photocopies of these entire documents and keep it on a safe place. Ensure that all your documents are valid and as much as possible take out the original documents.

Choose if you want to travel by train, bus, ship or plane. It’s better to use airplanes if the destination is far and time is short.  Also vacation travel with friends or in a group is perfect. Organized groups for seniors are often more slow paced and perfect for your needs and is a safe way to travel.

Before the trip, get a thorough physical checkup.  When going on your vacation travel it's good to  know you are healthy and fit to avoid being on a trip to all the hospitals where you’re going.  Get vaccinations if needed.  Don’t forget to bring your medicines with you and make sure to include your prescriptions. This also applies to your glasses as well and I like to take a spare pair if I have one.

It’s better to prepared everything you needed on a vacation travel ahead of time to avoid unnecessary stress and regret later.

Hawaiian Airlines is not like your usual domestic airline that merely offers budget flights with meager service.  It provides topnotch service that can match even the best airlines in the world.  It has only limited destinations in the US and flies also to some Pacific Island destinations, Australia and the Philippines.

Travelers can also take advantage of their mileage promotion through their frequent flyer program where you earn points you can redeem as plane tickets.

I was surprised with the service on Hawaiian.  Their staff are always courteous and helpful, reminiscent of how most Hawaiian people are.  From the front desk staff to on-flight staff the customer service is excellent.  The food is not bad either for airline food.

The price though is what gets most people to book with Hawaiian Airlines.  They offer flights at reasonable prices and compare very favorable against the major airlines.  The only negative is the in-flight entertainment.  I didn't like having to pay for a dig-e Player to be able to watch movies.

I did a long haul flight of 10 hours with Hawaiian Airlines and I would definitely fly with them again.  Their price, service, food and the plane itself were excellent.

These are long trips and it gets quite uncomfortable and difficult to sleep without a good travel pillow.  The airline travel pillows are only just better than having none at all.  I'm not a good sleeper anytime unless I am in my own bed so getting a sleep aid like a comfy pillow for traveling is a great benefit to me.  If I cant get at least a couple of hours sleep on a long journey then I feel like a zombie when I arrive.

There are a lot of travel pillows out there now including ones made from memory foam, filled with buckwheat or are light and inflatable.  You can use them also as a foot rest if you need to to relieve the pressure on your legs.  The best one for you is entirely a personal matter so you may have to buy more than one before you get the RIGHT travel pillow for you but choose one with good neck support.  Most will fold up and will fit in your suitcase or travel bag without taking up too much room.

Traveling is meant to be fun so take that travel pillow so you can arrive ready to explore and not ready to collapse.

Update:  I still find my inflatable U shaped travel pillow to be the best travel accessory I take on the plane.  I have now been using it for a few years and still take it along with me on any plane flight I take.  I can use it to relieve my neck fatigue or even deflate it a bit and use it to support my back.  I can also use it under my feet to elevate my legs and use it as a pillow to get some sleep on long trips.  You can even sit on it if you want to elevate yourself off the seat or use it to rest your best against.  So many uses that its a 'must take' item for my cabin bag.

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The travel handbag I chose has slash proof panels on the bottom and the front.  The best feature though is that it has separate compartments for the digital camera with a Velcro strap to secure it, another for my cell phone, and a separate outside side pocket for an umbrella and water bottle as well as other zippered compartments.  I also like the feature of a clip that can secure the main zipper.

The other ‘must have’ for that trip was to take one handbag that would go from day use, traveling around all day, to be smart enough to take it out with me in the evening.  This travel handbag also fulfilled that need.  I chose a dark color (dark taupe) so that it coordinated with my outfits but there are 4 colors available.  The lining on that one is blue so that I can see more easily what I am looking for in the bag.

my travel handbag

What was it?  Well it is a handbag from Pacsafe.  Have a look at it yourself at the link below from Magellan's which have a great range.

Pacsafe Citysafe 200 Shoulder Bag

This is the best travel handbag I have every traveled with and so I took it on subsequent trips to Asia and New Zealand and I am still using it since I came home as it is a good size for all the extra stuff I carry on a day to basis as well.  If you need a smaller version they have the Citysafe Handbag or the larger Totesafe so you should find one that is right for you.

This is my own experience with choosing the perfect travel handbag, but remember the points I mentioned in my last post and I am sure you will find one just perfect for your travel needs and just think of it as the best travel insurance you can have.

• Do your homework and plan ahead

• Book your hotels in safe areas of town

• Ask the hotel for their business card in case you get lost

• Write your room number down somewhere but not on the hotel’s card

• Check that there are restaurants near your hotel

• Dress down and don’t wear a lot of jewelery or expensive clothes

• Talk to people, especially other solo travelers, you may be able to meet up to eat or do some excursion together

• Pay attention to what’s going on around you

• Keep your packing light because when you solo travel you will be the one carrying it

• Try not to walk around at night if possible

• Keep a diary so you can remember what you did and how you felt at the time

• Carry your passport and other important documents in a concealed neck pouch or put them in the hotel room safe

• Participate in activities – this especially applies to singles cruises

• If you get lonely, go and do something for yourself, like retail therapy or get your hair or nails done

• Book an excursion that includes a meal preferably at night so that is one less meal you have to arrange

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help

There are advantages to solo travel so remember these tips for solo travel and enjoy the freedom it gives you.

Some of the common reasons people  give for not liking cruising is that it is boring, but really that's not true.  It's all about what you want to do on board.  Again here people differ as some like to participate in all the activities, others just want to sit in the sun, read and relax while others like me, do a combination of these things but I must admit overall I just do my own thing and relax and read.

Another myth people have is that if you don't like to party and drink then you won't fit in with the others on board.  In reality most cruises consist of a wide range of people including singles, couples, families and groups traveling together.  These people are from all age groups and definitely they aren't all party people.

Some cruise destinations such as Alaska and Australia/New Zealand do attract an older group whereas the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera has a younger group overall.

Don't let others opinions influence you too much.  You don't know what you are missing out on unless you experience something first hand.  Cruising is great in so many ways, so find out for yourself.

Find Cruise Deals on 100s of Sites with KAYAK.com and Save on Your Next Cruise

1. Take a small travel clock so that you can  set an alarm you know will go off when it should.  If you have ever missed a flight or a day trip because you didn't wake up early enough or you didn't get the hotel 'wake up call' then you will see this tip as very important indeed.
2. Take plug adapters if necessary.  This can be important when traveling overseas but these days they are getting better at supplying these.  When in doubt though, take one.
3. Rolling clothes is a good way to stop clothes wrinkling in your suitcase.
4. Have a copy of your hotel reservations ready when checking in.  There have been times that they couldn't initially find my booking until I produced the confirmation or receipt.  Funny how easily they find it then
5. Lock your suitcase when leaving it in the room.  You can use the room safe but there are limits to what you can fit in there.  As a general rule I find it easier to just lock the suitcase anyway.
6. Put a collapsed overnight bag/cabin bag in the bottom of your suitcase so you have an extra bag for purchases on your way home.  This has saved me many a time and is useful if you find one of your suitcases is overweight.
7. Always keep receipts of purchases when paying by credit card.  This includes the hotel bill and any purchases at the restaurant or gift shop.
8. Take a travel clothesline to dry clothes in the bathroom.  You can then take less clothes and more room for souvenirs

Follow these hotel visitor travel tips for a stress free time away.  Check the eBay listings for deals on travel accessories.

I'm not someone who is just out there to make a buck and who doesn't care that your holiday may be ruined by their advice.  I am a fellow vacation traveler. Saving money where possible for traveling is something I'm very serious about.  If I can save today it means I can travel tomorrow. I like staying in all types of hotels as long as they provide good value, are clean and safe.   What I mean is, that I like quality hotels and that doesn't always mean how much you pay.

I love cruising and have traveled alone, on single cruises, with my partner and also in a group.  See my page on cruising for more information on my trips so far (page in progress).  Cruising is a very relaxing vacation and I hope you get to love it as much as I do.  Even if you have never thought of cruising before, read my experiences and it may change your mind.

I love luggage and travel accessories (I am a typical woman). What you take with you can make or break an otherwise well planned vacation.
I have lots of vacation travel tips and ways to stay healthy and travel safely, and also for making and managing my money so I can keep on traveling for years to come.

I am not a so called 'expert advisor' or 'guru', but a real person who loves traveling, has been researching travel and health issues on the internet for over 16 years and who now wants to share this knowledge with you to offer you honest, personal and unbiased travel information. I know, I can hear you say, "suddenly everyone is a critic", and you may well think how can I help you when we all have different expectations? Why should you listen to me?  Who is she anyway?  You can get more information about me from my About Me page and make up your own mind.

Vacation travel is my passion and I hope you can save some time, money and avoid some travel disasters from reading Angeltraveler.