Tips and Ideas for Senior Travelers

Seems like we can never have enough good tips for saving time, effort and for being safe on any trip that we take.  The more I read, the more I find out that seniors all over the country take heed when traveling to insure their own safety and security.

I continue to find ideas that can help to avoid hassles in your travels. This blog deals with communication in a situation where you have no idea how to speak the language.

“POINT IT”: Simple But Effective

I had one of these ‘flip up the pages’ booklet years back, but never used it abroad. Instead I used it in my language classes to build vocabulary and proper language expressions. I am referring to a small flip booklet that has only pictures in it like a toothbrush, a bathroom, a cup of coffee, etc.

In China, Vietnam, Egypt…name the country, they work well. They are simply a traveler’s picture dictionary that focuses on those items that you are most likely to want to obtain or a service that you will be needing. Sold in many travel stores, these small laminated booklets may resemble children’s primers rather than travel tools for senior travelers, but they prove themselves to be invaluable.

They provide a means to communicate without speaking or learning to read another language, say Arabic or Chinese.  You may be fluent in four languages yet find yourself “off the beaten track” where you can’t communicate. “Point it”, with 1300 items to which you can indicate, is the answer.

All you need is a good finger for pointing and a smile. Oh yes, thank you in their language works very well too. I discovered that Amazon carries “POINT IT”.  Amazon also carries these picture books and are quite inexpensive.

Cell Phone Apps Aid Senior Travelers

I have also discovered an app for my iPhone that comes in very handy. It is simply called TRANSLATOR.  You select English and one other language, type in what you want translated and Bingo..there it is spelled out on the screen and best yet, you hear it as well.

Senior travelers can simply put the cell phone to the cabbie’s ear to get to the hotel, the airport, the train station or a good restaurant.  Another very impressive app is from TripAdvisor. Input the city and you have a list of hotels, restaurants, Things to do, and flights to that city.

GuidePal is an app that takes you to a city with a Welcome, Know the City, See & Do, Eat & Drink, Nightlife and Shopping.  Forget that little guide book, just don’t forget your charger for your cell phone. Everything you might need is there, including maps.

That little charger… My daughter bought a charger that works everywhere in the world  and has seven different plugs on it. Just be sure that it has the adapter that fits your phone or appliance. jeb