Road Scholar. Smart Trips For Smart People.

By Marilyn Machlowitz

I was an unlikely participant in a Road Scholar trip. I had never taken a cruise or an escorted group vacation. I was the person who sweated and plotted every step of a trip—from which museums were open on which days to which hotels had the best combo of great TripAdvisor reviews and central locations.

Then I found Road Scholar, a nonprofit headquartered in Boston, that offers trips—called learning adventures—in all fifty states and one hundred and fifty countries, for adults fifty and over.

I worried that Road Scholar might be filled with dreary meals in hotel meeting rooms and waiting for people to finish shopping before being herded to another location. Yet I was curious. Maybe it would be relaxing to have someone else worry about the details, order the tickets, and plan the itinerary. Maybe my parents were on to something when they took dozens of trips with Road Scholar’s predecessor organization, Elderhostel. Elderhostel began in 1975 and used dormitory housing. The name change occurred in 2010 and, rest assured, Road Scholar now houses guests in hotels.

My husband and I embarked upon our first learning adventure: five nights in Los Angeles (LA) devoted to art collectors and their eponymous museums. We arranged our own flights and arrived at the designated hotel, Westin Bonaventure in downtown LA. We met our fellow participants and enjoyed a delicious dinner at a nearby restaurant. We spoke with interesting tablemates from all over the country.

The next morning, we went to the breakfast buffet in the hotel’s dining room and listened to a fantastic lecture about J. Paul Getty, Henry E. Huntington, Norton Simon and Eli Broad. We then boarded a waiting bus to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where we had about four hours to explore on our own or to take docent tours, grab lunch—and to wander off to the three-year-old Academy Museum of Motion Pictures next door or the 90-year-old Farmers Market nearby. And there was lots more.

Would we go on another trip with Road Scholar? Absolutely! In fact, we’re already enrolled in one. I recommend Road Scholar wholeheartedly!

What to Know Before Your First Road Scholar Trip.

• How can I find out about all the destinations offered? Read here.

• Where can I go with Road Scholar? Almost anywhere. For example:

  • One trip is called A Look at Life in Havana (5 days, from $1,999).

  • Another is called The Best of the Galapagos and Peru (18 days, from $7,999).

My suggestion is to test the waters first with a shorter trip: 4-8 days.

• What does from $1,999 mean? Are there lots of extra charges? Actually not. Some seasons are more expensive than others. Road Scholar is all inclusive: no tipping, no extra charges for museums. (Alcohol and some meals are on your own.)

• Is airfare included in those prices? No, but Road Scholar can arrange airfare on nearly all international programs and some US programs.

• What if I want to skip a dinner or a lecture? No problem. Of course, you might want to see a local friend, try a special restaurant or see a performance. Just let your group leader know.

• Can I go on my own? Absolutely! Our group of 26 had six women traveling solo, six women traveling as pairs of friends, and fourteen people traveling with partners (heterosexual and same sex).

• I’m vegan. What about me? Meals were geared toward almost everyone: gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian.

• I use a cane. Can I go? We had two people using canes and one using hiking sticks. Each trip offers detailed information about the activity level.

• Will I have free time? Absolutely.!

• Go! And have fun!

Marilyn lives in New York and travels everywhere.