By Albert C. Pacciorini
Staff writer

For men and women over age 50, travel ranks among the top recreational activities and seniors travel more frequently and stay on vacation longer than any other age group.

With the number of seniors growing every year, according to the Census Bureau, many senior Catholics are finding that vacations with like-minded people can be rewarding, educational and fun.

“We have a lot of active seniors who are traveling,” said Maureen Dinnocenzo, owner of Above & Beyond Travel in Arnold.

Tours of the Holy Land and other religious sites worldwide are popular.

Fr. Mario DiCicco

Franciscan Father Mario DiCicco, president and rector of the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, has been leading tours worldwide for 34 years.

He’ll lead tours of the Holy Land in May and September. Other future tours include Egypt and Turkey, Asia and South America.

“On a tour you see everything,” DiCicco said. “There is so much to see and do.”

The longer the tour, the more expensive it becomes. For those who want extra time for sightseeing, DiCicco advised going on the tour and then planning to stay afterward. You’ll have to worry about taxi and other trasportation fares and meals, he advised. It can get to be expensive.

“There’s always danger no matter where you go,” he said. “We don’t want people to have accidents. I’ve had people 80, 90-years old on trips.”

In the Holy Land, there’s a lot of up and down; if you have trouble with rough terrain, have an oxygen tank or a difficult time walking, some people may have trouble keeping up.

“I take time and make sure everyone is caught up, and I always double check to count the people on the tour,” DiCicco said. “You have to depend on your guide and agent to take care of their people.”

“Many seniors able to walk find it exciting to go to these places,” he said.

Both DiCicco and Dinnocenzo caution travelers to check out the tour agent. The cheapest tour may not be the best. “Value,” Dinnocenzo advised. “You get what you pay for.”

A good way for seniors to travel is a cruise, Dinnocenzo said.

“The beauty of cruising for seniors,” she said, “is that they can see the world and not worry about packing or unpacking several times. Whether you go for three days or 24 days, you don’t have to repack. All your meals are included. The rooms are cleaned; you don’t have to clean up after yourself.”

If you don’t want to go on the tour, there’s plenty to do on the ship. Tour operators also organize trivia games in advance of a tour, so travelers can learn about where they’re going.

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