Specialty Travel Resources
Seniors/Family
An advocacy group for the over-50 set, AARP (888-687-2277, has travel-specific information on its site; AARP the Magazine, which has a travel section with a free online presence ( is included in the $12.50 annual membership fee. The editors of the magazine also suggest the following resources, most of which are also appropriate for multigenerational travel:
* The AARP Passport program through Travelocity (888-291-1757, allows members to arrange discounted travel through the all-purpose booking site.
· For those planning a destination family reunion, Groople (888-447-6675, is an online agency that specializes in group travel. The Group Cruise Wizard also gives the option of having everybody select and pay for his or her stateroom online, so one person doesn't get stuck with bill.
* IgoUgo.com ( is a user-driven site where you can post questions, get tips from locals and connect with travelers whose interests mirror yours.
* If you're more interested in bathrooms than bargains, the editors suggest checking out TheBathroomDiaries.com ( which rates more than 9,000 public restrooms worldwide.
Among other resources we found:
* Elderhostel (800-454-5768, is a nonprofit group that runs education-focused, all-inclusive "learning adventures" in more than 90 countries for travelers 55 and over. The associated Road Scholar program (800-466-7762, is also learning-focused; its trips are a bit higher-end.
* The Family Travel Network (703-905-9858, is a Web site that offers family-focused vacation ideas, resources, budget tips and deals.
* Hostelling International (301-495-1240, membership is free for those under 18, $28 for those 18 to 54 and $18 annually for those 55 and older. Many hostels offer doubles or family rooms (you may still sleep in bunkbeds but at least the whole room is yours).
Single/Solo Travel
For more than 15 years, Canadian Diane Redfern has published the bimonthly Connecting: Solo Travel News, an electronic publication with information she's gathered on trips for single and solo travelers, in conjunction with her site, Connecting: Solo Travel Network (604-886-9099, The site offers info on single-friendly trips; enhanced membership ($30 a year) includes an additional database and the newsletter. Redfern also recommends the following resources:
* Solo travelers of the same sex room together -- and avoid the single supplement -- on tours through Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door (425-608-4217,
* TravelAloneandLoveIt.com ( run by longtime flight attendant Sharon Wingler, includes a helpful Q&A column and links to other solo-travel sites and the Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory (
* Those both single and attached can sign up for a trip buddy through Travel Chums (212-787-2621, The free membership provides an info database, notification when someone else with similar travel criteria joins and access to subject-specific message boards. For $95 annually, you can post photos and send messages to other members.
* 2insteadof1 ( The travel companion site's catchphrase may be cheesy ("twosome instead of lonesome"), but the impressive Quickfinder feature lets you search member postings by travel date, destination and activities.