Traveling with our Elders and “The Gran Tour” with Ben Aitken

When Ben Aitken learned that his father had taken a four-night vacation marketed to seniors that included three-course meals, plenty of beer, and daily excursions, all for about 100 pounds, he signed himself up. Six times. Ben Aitken joins us today to talk about his book The Gran Tour, which documents his experiences traveling with elders. We also talk about the genre of travel writing, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, and the importance of spending time with our elders. Ben is also the author of the travel books Dear Bill Bryson (2015) and A Chip Shop in Poznan (2019). Learn more about Ben and his work on his website. Purchase Ben Aitken's Books If you live in the United States, we urge you to purchase your travel books from Bookshop, an online store that supports independent bookstores. But, if you decide to purchase your travel books from Amazon, please use our links. If you use our links to make a purchase, we will receive a few cents commission at no additional cost to you. More Episodes & Support Please consider supporting the show with a few dollars a month, less than a cup of coffee, to help keep our show alive and advertisement-free. You can also support the show by leaving a positive review on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcasting app, subscribing to the show, and following us on Twitter & Instagram. Lastly, consider using our affiliate links to purchase your books. If you use our links to make a purchase, we will receive a few cents commission at no additional cost to you. These funds help keep the podcast alive and ad-free. Finally, join the Travel Writing World newsletter to receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive quarterly dispatches & reports with podcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Thanks for your support! Listen to the Episode on YouTube Listen to the episode on YouTube on the Travel Writing World channel. Remember to subscribe to the channel. Intro Music Peach by Daantai (Daantai’s Instagram) Disclaimer *Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, this website will earn a very small commission if a purchase is made using these links. Also, "as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases" using the Amazon links on this site.