For many older people, their dreams of travelling in retirement get put on hold.  Limited budgets, caregiving, mobility restrictions, or simply being too busy can easily interfere with travel plans and dreams. Luckily, technology makes it possible to travel around the world without leaving home – no passports, no language issues, no flight delays!  

Over the last few years, Senior Planet has teamed up with Discover Live to bring live tours from places like Buenos Aires, Paris, and Delhi – all through Zoom!  

What to Expect 

When you attend a tour, you’ll join a large and lively group of fellow travelers. A Senior Planet trainer and the Discover Live team will kick off by sharing where the tour will take place and what tech we’ll be exploring after the tour concludes (more on that later!). The tour guide then takes over, and you’ll follow their camera as they walk around the tour destination in real time.  

Exploring Stonegate Street in York, England 

Local knowledge 

Each tour guide is local and brings their own flair to the program. They share historical facts, what it’s like to live there, and the popular food, drinks, and activities from the region. Both the guides and the Discover Live team also answer questions in the chat – though sometimes the group is so big they can’t get to everyone! 

“Discover Live is on a mission to make world travel accessible to all.  We have been taking Senior Planet members on LIVE, virtual tours for over 3 years!,” says Tricia Norton, Cofounder & Chief Marketing Officer at Discover Live. “We make it easy for people to explore their ancestry, take pre-travel planning tours and learn new cultures. Participation keeps growing as does the list of destinations we cover.” 

The Tech Angle

The tours last an hour – but stick around! After each tour, a Senior Planet trainer demonstrates a technology tool related to travel. This could be virtual museum tours (like Lisbon’s Fado Museum), apps that can help you while you’re traveling (like the DeepL translation app), or apps that can help you plan a trip (like Google Gemini).  

When and where is the next tour?  

The tours typically occur on the first and last Wednesday of every month from 11am – 12:15pm ET. Next up is Heidelberg, Germany!  

For the full list of upcoming programs, visit https://seniorplanet.org/travel  

On that same page, you can also find recordings of past tours. But be sure to watch them soon! Each recording is only available for a limited time. 

Your Turn 

What locations are on your bucket list? Share in the comments below and we might just visit those places on an upcoming tour! 

Deirdre Lee serves as Director of Virtual Program Experiences for Senior Planet from AARP (formerly managing the organization’s licensing program). Based in Denver, she oversees Senior Planet’s online programs as well as the free hotline for tech or Senior Planet questions (available at 888-713-3495).