Super-seniors set the pace

My husband, Bob, and I are in our 80s, and when we travel we like to go a little more slowly and stay longer in each place. We’d rather cook our own meals and eat less than what restaurants generally serve.

I like to have an apartment wherever we go. We use Untours (Media, PA; 888/868-6871), which offers apartments in lots of overseas locations and sometimes includes a car with the rental. In every Untour apartment, there is some food stocked when you arrive, such as bread, milk, butter, eggs and cheese.

Our last Untour trip, in 2010, was one of the greatest. We picked up a car in Frankfurt, Germany, and drove a couple of hundred miles to Sommersdorf Castle in Bavaria. Our hosts were the local baron and baroness, and our accommodations were a large apartment in the castle, where we stayed for two weeks. There was a lot to see in the countryside nearby. We returned the car in Munich.

In general, we recommend traveling in the off-season, if possible.

Take a few snacks along on the plane. Granola bars, peanut butter and crackers or a few slices of raisin bread will fill you up without being overly sweet. And, of course, drink plenty of water.

For a 30-day Untour trip to Switzerland, we’ve rented a 2-bedroom apartment in the village of Lungern with glorious lake and mountain views. A 30-day train pass is included in the “tour” price.

In the middle of our month there, we plan to take the train to the Basel/Mulhouse airport, where we’ll pick up a rental car to use during a 3-day B&B stay. We plan to visit old Untour friends and take a tour of the lovely Alsace wine road.

VELMA WALWORTH
Salem, OR