By Maryann Hammers
When you travel, do you prefer to go it alone or do you prefer someone to lead the way, explain the sites, and handle the logistics? If you fall into the latter category, we found four travel companies offering military discounts on group tours.
With destinations including the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Apache Trail, Verde Canyon Railroad & Jerome, Tombstone, Phoenix/Scottsdale, and Antelope Canyon, DETOURS of Arizona offers guided tours of the American West. Military members (both active and non-active duty) get a 10% discount on any day tour from Phoenix. (Regular prices start at $85.) The landscape might be rugged, but you’ll view the scenery in comfort: The custom tour vehicles are outfitted with leather captain's chairs that recline, a flat-screen TV, and plenty of legroom. Vehicles carry a maximum of 13 passengers. Call (866) 438-6877.
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On your next visit to New York or Boston, take a tour of filming locations from movies and TV shows like Friends, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, The Avengers, Gossip Girl, Law and Order, and Ghostbusters. On Location Tours offers a 10% discount to any active duty or retired military member — and the discount applies to all tickets the military member purchases. (Regular prices start at about $31.) The company also offers city tours of New York and Boston. Use code MILITARY at checkout. “Our most popular tours are the NYC TV & Movie Tour, the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour, and the Central Park TV & Movie Sites Tour,” says Jake Sussman, a marketing representative. Call (212) 913-9780.
SmarTours offers veterans and active duty military members a 5% discount on the new Battlefields of WWI & WWII tour, which takes travelers to historic locations across England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. Highlights include London’s Imperial War Museum, Churchill War Room and Bunker, Omaha Beach, Dunkirk shores, and the Maginot Line. The tour ends in Germany. A three-day Berlin extension is available with stops across East and West Berlin and the location of the Potsdam Conference. Prices for the 13-day tour (including airfare) start at $3,999 (minus the military discount), and the discount is valid on tours departing April through October 2020. Call (800) 337-7773.
Escape To leads small-group eco-conscious and vegan trips and immersive tours focused on food, conservation, and culture in India, Brazil, and Sri Lanka. Tours are typically 8-11 days. The company offers military members and their spouses a 10% discount. “We've often met military members stationed in Afghanistan who like to come to India for a few weeks during their time off,” says spokesperson Prachi Jain. “And a military officer stationed in South Korea is doing our yoga retreat next month.” Click here for a list of upcoming tours. To get the discount, register online using code “service.” Or contact Jain directly at prachi@fairkonnect.com.
Deals are available as of Dec. 11, 2019, and may be subject to change.
Maryann Hammers is a freelance author who regularly contributes to MOAA.
