The Last Word | Leisure and Senior Travel Advisor at Martin Travel

Judy Miron is a travel advisor at Martin Travel, Roanoke, with over 37 years experience in the travel industry. She specializes in leisure and senior travel. Judy loves to travel, of course, and her favorite destinations are Africa, Europe, and Alaska. Anne Marie Poore asks Judy a few questions regarding popular travel destinations and timely tips for senior travelers.

amp: What advice would you give your 25 year-old-self about travel? JM: To make time for travel in your life. As a 25-year-old, I would remind myself that travel opens your eyes, expands your perspective, is relaxing and rejuvenates you. When you do this, you will have an affair with travel all of your life. amp: The three most popular destinations for the over 55 set? JM: Alaska, Italy, and Ireland. amp: What sorts of excursions appeal to travelers looking for cultural or experiential holidays? JM: Wine tours and culinary classes. amp: Is there an ideal season to travel abroad? JM: There are different seasons for different destinations, so a travel advisor can help you with all of that information to make traveling abroad easy. Once you have obtained a passport, the world’s an open book. Whether you like to travel on your own, with a guided vacation, river cruise or an ocean cruise. With all the ways to see the world, the world seems smaller and smaller. amp: What do you recommend regarding travel insurance and/or medical insurance for traveling domestically or abroad? JM: There are many reasons to purchase insurance for travel. Whether you are concerned about canceling due to a medical reason, or perhaps need medical insurance overseas, travel delay or baggage coverage, insurance is there to protect your investment. amp: I’m sure with online travel sites galore, it is stiff competition for professional travel agencies. Securing a travel agent can make all the difference when planning a trip because?JM: More and more people are finding a professional travel advisor makes sense in a world where people can spend hours and hours of wasted time researching trips online and are uncertain as to what to believe. An experienced travel professional can guide you through the vast amount of information out there, helping you plan the best trip for your time away, areas of interest and money.amp: Foodies of any age love to sample new and different cuisine. What locale do you suggest for the very adventuresome foodie? JM: Asia’s market is growing again, and there are many exotic local foods. Italy’s excellent variety of and reputation for cuisine always entices the foodies with culinary classes and tastings. amp: At the end of the day, you’ve crossed all the t’s and dotted all of the i’s… your client is well on their way to their destination, but you get a call from them, and they have neglected to: JM: They’ve forgotten to bring their passport! amp: Parting words of advice for those (thinking of) embarking on their next journey: JM: Do it right, make it Martin Travel .