Golden Age Coming to Los Angeles

There’s more good news for mature travelers who prefer personalized, easygoing travel at moderate cost.

A travel club that has been operating out of Northern California more than 17 years is branching out and will open offices in the Los Angeles area in 1987. Golden Age Travelers already serves patrons in more than 40 Southern California communities, which make up most of Los Angeles County.

That is important because one of the features of GAT is its Home Transportation Service (HomeTrans), which provides service from your home to the airport or pier when taking a trip. HomeTrans service is provided at no cost in most communities.

Besides HomeTrans, membership in GAT includes roommate matching on trips, pre-cruise briefings where you meet your cruise director and cruise companions, private cocktail parties, the monthly GAT Newsletter and other benefits.

Tour escorts on cruises are almost always seniors, usually couples, and are personable and experienced.

Every Continent

GAT offers a vast selection of cruises on various well-known lines including Royal Viking, Princess, Sitmar and Holland American to ports in Europe, Mexico, South America, the Orient, Panama and the Caribbean. Land travel includes every continent and almost every country in the world. Substantial discounts are offered on most GAT programs.

Another popular GAT feature is the mini-tour, a daylong trip or perhaps an overnighter by bus or train to Reno, Las Vegas or to historic cities in California. On occasion there is a steamboat trip up the Sacramento River to Stockton from San Francisco. Mini-tours are added each month.

Prices for all Golden Age Tours are very competitive and all trips are designed for the enjoyment of the mature traveler over 50. GAT boasts a membership of more than 7,000 seniors. For free membership information and a copy of the current travel-filled newsletter, write to GAT, Dept. KV, 1520 Union St., San Francisco 94123. For faster action call the toll-free number, (800) 258-8880.

‘Hong Kong Holiday’

For mature travelers with Hong Kong on their minds, here’s a trip that could prove interesting. While it is offered to the general public, it comes at such a good price that it’s worth considering.

An outfit called China Express is making it very easy to get to the Orient at low cost and, once there, to move about at your own pace. For example, China Express offers a package called “Hong Kong Holiday.” It includes round-trip air fare to Hong Kong from several Western U.S. cities via San Francisco on Korean Airlines for only $799.

It includes first-class hotel accommodations for five nights in one of Hong Kong’s many new and glamorous hotels. They include the Royal Garden, the Victoria and the Park Lane. The price also includes transfers between hotel and airport. The same package with travel on Singapore Airlines is $940, including similar hotels.

Travelers can split their time in Hong Kong if they wish to take a side trip to other nearby Asian cities. They may spend two or three nights in Hong Kong, buy an optional mini-tour to one of several Chinese cities, or to Manila, Singapore, Taipei, Bangkok or Korea, and then use their remaining Hong Kong days upon return with no increase in the basic air fare or package cost. Additional days in Hong Kong may also be added at nominal cost.

‘Beijing Express’

China Express also packages mini-tours to the People’s Republic of China from Hong Kong that vary from two to four days and include all land and air arrangements plus three meals every day. Prices range from $278 complete, the final cost depending on the destination and the length of the mini-tour.

Now that independent travel is permitted in the People’s Republic of China, a five-day, four-night package titled “Beijing Express” is also being offered by China Express, and includes round-trip air fare between Los Angeles and Peking on the nation’s carrier, CAAC, in 747s.

The package also includes hotel accommodations, airport/hotel transfers and daily English breakfast. The price is $969 per person. Optional daily excursions to the Great Wall and Ming Tombs, Forbidden City and other points are $20-$22 per person.

Maps and descriptions of three self-guided walking tours of Peking are provided at no cost and give a close look at Peking’s quaint stores, markets and historic buildings. All walks are on level ground and take about an hour to complete.

Information on China Express Tours is available at no cost. Most travel agents can provide brochures, or write to China Express, 278 Post Street No. 408, San Francisco 94108. Or call toll-free, (800) 547-9200.

Readers of The Mature Traveler are familiar with the Over the Hill Gang, an international organization of persons over 50 who are interested in outdoor sports activities, particularly skiing. The Southern California branch of the club has extended an invitation to non-members to participate in a 17-day ski trip that will take them to Zell am Zee in the Austrian Alps and Val di Fassa in the Italian Dolomites. Both sites are favorites of ardent skiers.

The trip takes place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15, and the price of $1,725 per person double occupancy includes round-trip air transportation from Los Angeles or San Diego, first-class hotels in both ski areas, breakfast and dinner every day, transfers, porterage, taxes and service.

About the only out-of-pocket expenses that may be incurred on this trip are for lunches, ski-lift tickets and imbibing. Full information on the ski package can be obtained by writing to Orbitours, 7750 University Ave. No. F, La Mesa, Calif. 92041. Or call toll-free, (800) 621-0852, Ext. 568.