This is a listing of some of the travel clubs, and prospective travel clubs, around the US. Several were started by ITN readers who simply announced in the magazine their willingness to begin a club or to join one, then made arrangements with other travelers within driving distance to meet on a regular basis, inviting people to join them. Each group makes its own rules, if any. If you are interested in starting or joining a travel club in your area, send a notice for ITN to print, and organize it from there.
E-mail editor@intltravelnews.com or write to ITN Travel Clubs, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818. (Remember that your phone number will not be printed unless you state, “You may print my phone number.”)
Blue pins are established groups. Red pins denote new groups or people who wish to establish a club.
Phoenix, AZ
The Navigators, the very first ‘ITN travel club,’ is in its 10th year, enjoying a membership drawing from all parts of the greater PHOENIX, Arizona, metro area. We continue to meet at members’ homes to see digital presentations, slide shows, videos or just photos, etc.
A monthly newsletter keeps our 40-plus members informed of our meetings on the third Thursday of each month and provides travel tidbits, hints and relevant travel news. There is a one-time membership fee of $10. New members are welcome.
Call Margo Wilson at 480/483-6572 or e-mail tclyde_us@yahoo.com.
Tucson, AZ
Worldwide Travel Talks of TUCSON, Arizona, meets on the second Sunday of the month, September through May, from 2:30 to 4:15 p.m. at the Nanini Library (7300 North Shannon Rd.) in the northwest Tucson area. Meetings are open to the public.
Enjoy presentations of slides, videos and photographs of members’ trips plus brochures, etc. Among upcoming meetings’ topics are the Greek Islands, Southern Africa, the Rhine & Mosel rivers, Iberia and Vietnam & Cambodia.
Call George Eddington, 520/825-8956, or Roger Root, 520/742-3353 or visit http://www.toten.info/~roger/wwtt/.
Marin County, CA
Forty-seven people attended an organizational meeting on Jan. 30, 2010, and it was determined that the International Travel Club in MARIN COUNTY, California, should be established. The meeting was held in conjunction with an Italian wine tasting sponsored by Nobel Grape Wines.
The coordinator, John Semone (retired from Air New Zealand and Pacific Asia Travel Association), outlined the purpose and objectives of the ITC Marin, a nonprofit social travel club with plans to hold quarterly meetings for members wishing to share international travel information and experiences and to identify money-saving tour and cruise opportunities.
The club will recognize and communicate on matters relating to responsible and sustainable world travel. Quarterly meetings will feature professional guest speakers discussing timely travel issues. We also will be developing a Travel Companion Program for the benefit of single travelers.
There likely will be an annual membership fee of $10/single and $15/couple. Interested individuals, e-mail John Semone at JohnSemone@aol.com.
Sacramento, CA
The No Reservations Travel Club, in the SACRAMENTO, California, area, meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month, August-December, at the Carmichael Library Community Room, 5605 Marconi Avenue, Carmichael, and February-July at the Arcade Public Library Community Room, 2443 Marconi Avenue, Sacramento. The second Tuesday each month, we meet for dinner at an ethnic restaurant.
We have a speaker at each meeting except in December, when we have a dessert potluck social. We take group tours that are open to everyone, not just club members. There are no dues or fees.
Call Judith Anshin at 916/457-1426, e-mail penguinatlaw@gmail.com (put “travel” in subject line) or visit www.noreservationstravelclub.blogspot.com.
East Bay (San Francisco), CA
In the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, the East Bay Travel Group has been in existence for almost 20 years. We meet once a month on a Sunday evening for a potluck dinner and a slide/digital photo presentation. Meetings take place in the East Bay homes of our members.
Our members include both singles and couples of all ages, though most are over 40. Most are frequent world travelers to Asia, Africa and the Americas, and some are adventure solo travelers.
There are no dues, but members are asked to bring a potluck dish to meetings and to either host or make a presentation at some time during the year. We’d love to include some new travelers to our group.
Call Susan Hall at 510/524-7939 or email ebtz@aol.com.
San Francisco, CA
The Foreign Travel Club of SAN FRANCISCO, California, celebrated its 75th birthday in October 2008. The purpose of the club is “the promotion of good fellowship among travelers to foreign lands.”
We have a great monthly newsletter and meet once a month over a buffet lunch at the Marines Memorial Club in San Francisco. The meeting on Thursday, Nov. 20, will feature “The American Traveler — A Profile”; the luncheon will cost $22. On Saturday, Dec. 13, our Christmas luncheon ($30) is at the Fog Harbor Fish House, Pier 39; spouses are welcome.
Meetings include interactive Q&A sessions on foreign destinations and industry trends, followed by a Speaker’s Prize, President’s Award and a 50-50 raffle. Membership dues are $50 per couple or $40 single.
Write to Joan Sheahan, FTC Secretary, Box 2166, Sausalito, CA 94966-2166; call 415/332-5523, e-mail ftcosf@aol.com. . . or e-mail John Quin-Harkin at ajqh@comcast.net.
San Jose / Silicon Valley / South Bay, CA
The Silicon Valley Travel Club has been meeting in Central California's SOUTH BAY since October 2006. We meet monthly on a Sunday afternoon for a video or slide show presentation on destinations around the world and in the US. Examples of recent/upcoming presentations include Easter Island, India, the Philippines, Cuba, New England in the Fall and the Alcan Highway. We do not have outside presenters/travel agents; all presentations are by our members. As well as presentations, we have a couple of social events during the year.
There are no dues and fees, and usually we meet at a member's home. For more information, please e-mail Kim at furballs77@yahoo.com.
Ventura County, CA
Anyone interested in starting a travel club in the VENTURA COUNTY, California, area, please contact me. — Linda Travis, Simi Valley, CA; lindactravis@sbcglobal.net (put “ITN Travel Club” in subject line).
Los Angeles, CA
The Network Travel Club is a group of travel addicts in the LOS ANGELES, California, area who meet at a different restaurant each month to exchange travel tips and ideas.
The club has no membership fees; it’s a pay-as-you-attend affair, with the cost ranging from $18 to $20. This includes a complete lunch, payment for the speaker, and normal operating expenses, such as printing of fliers, etc.
Call Odette Ricasa at 323/578-3601 or e-mail odette25@aol.com.
South Orange County, CA
Anyone interested in forming a travel club in the SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY, California, area, please contact me. — Arlene Hamann, Laguna Beach; 949/499-6231, seearlongo@cox.net.
San Diego County, CA
The SAN DIEGO ITN International Travel Club is now meeting every second Wednesday of the month from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Sudberry Conference Room of the Serra Mesa/Kearny Mesa Branch of the San Diego City Library. The library is conveniently located at 9005 Aero Drive near I-15 and Ruffin Road. Join us to share information on recent travel and to have your questions regarding planned trips answered. Free membership.
Phone club president Darrell Rapp at 858/481-9333 or, to receive meeting notices, e-mail drapps@yahoo.com.
I would like information about any ORANGE COUNTY, California, soft-adventure club. — Frances Damon (phone, after 2 p.m., 949/496-5529)
Denver, CO
The Budget Treasures Travel Club — a community center for travelers — meets 6-7:30 p.m. the first Thursday of every month, January through May and September through November, at Ross U-Hills Library, 4310 E. Amherst, in DENVER, Colorado.
If you’re interested in traveling to a certain area and want some inside info, we can find a fellow traveler to help you with the details. Inquire about our budget trips.
You are welcome to join us. Membership is free. Call Willie Pusede at 303/758-9213, e-mail wpusede@hotmail.com or visit www.budgettreasurestravelclub.com.
Tampa Bay, FL
The Uncommon Travelers, in the TAMPA BAY, Florida, area, comprises adventurous travelers of all ages, shapes and colors, all of whom have made several journeys or lived and worked outside of the USA or come from other countries. For the most part, we are independent travelers who absorb ourselves in the people, culture, food, etc., of other countries, conserving our funds in order to travel more.
Join us 5-8:30 p.m. the second Saturday each month, September-May, at Piccadilly Cafeteria, 11810 North Dale Mabry, in Tampa. Dinnertime and socializing from 5 to 6, then a short slide presentation. A brief business meeting at 6:15 is followed by the main program until 7:45 or 8, then more socializing.
Annual membership costs $20/single or $30/couple. Benefits include help and advice on travel plans; discussions on international themes; a newsletter; get-togethers at restaurants, picnics and whatever you help plan, and new friendships.
Contact President Shawn Milligan (813/863-1180, e-mail tampa_shawn@hotmail.com) or Vice-President Catherine Mitchell (813/237-3787, e-mail tampacate@hotmail.com).
Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
In the SARASOTA-BRADENTON, Florida, area, the ITN Offbeat Travelers Club has over 100 members, and we average 15 to 30 at each meeting, depending on the season. Meetings are on the second Monday of each month at 12 p.m. for lunch.
Each meeting has one of two formats: 1) a presentation on a destination by one of the members or 2) an exchange of information on all aspects of trip planning and international travel.
We have no officers and no dues, and we rotate the chairperson duties. We do fun things like bringing in an art object from some foreign place and then trying to guess its origin.
E-mail Bea Brinker at bea brinker@aol.com or call Gordon Stoff at 941/485-4799.
Sarasota / Bradenton / Venice, FL
The purpose of Singles On the Go Travel Club, Inc., a not-for-profit organization in the SARASOTA/BRADENTON/VENICE, Florida, area, is to provide a forum for travelers, regardless of age or marital status, to 1) meet kindred spirits and companions [roommates] for independent travel; 2) offer social outings, activities and group travel opportunities, and 3) educate members regarding travel resources and opportunities.
Meetings are held September through May. Out-of-area people are welcome. Dues are $20 per year. There are 11 newsletters per year.
Call Joan March at 941/926-2979 or e-mail jmmsunrise@aol.com… or Grace Rowland, 941/356-1949, grarow@yahoo.com.
Kansas City, KS
The KANSAS CITY area ‘ITN travel club’ meets monthly at the Johnson County Central Resource Library at 87th and Farley in Overland Park, Kansas.
We are a small group of people who love travel and enjoy sharing our experiences with others. Each month a member gives a presentation of a recent trip. It is a great way to learn about a place you haven’t been or to relive a trip you may have taken. Come join us.
Contact Barbara Goodrick; 913/469-8491, optraveler@yahoo.com.
Lexington, KY
The LEXINGTON Travel Club in KENTUCKY celebrated its 25th year in January 2012; we've been meeting monthly since 1987. (Three of the founders are still members.) With about 75 people on our mailing list, 25 to 30 often show up.
We keep it simple — no group travel, and no newsletters, just postcards listing that month's restaurant and program. Dues are $2 per meeting.
From May to August we go out to eat; and from September to April, after dinner we meet at the church for about an hour for a travel presentation and talk on international travel and sometimes domestic. Please contact Jane Friedman, 751 Zandale Dr., Lexington, KY 40502; 859/277-6900
New Orleans / North Shore, LA
We are organizing an ‘ITN travel club’ for the NEW ORLEANS and NORTH SHORE area of Louisiana.
We are retired university faculty who have traveled fairly extensively, mostly in Europe. We would enjoy meeting others in our area to exchange experiences and ideas about overseas travel.
An organizational meeting is planned for 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, in the gatehouse of the Lakes subdivision just outside Mandeville. Look forward to wine, hors d’oeuvres and making exciting plans for future meetings. — Al and Sandra Burstein; 985/727-2167, burstein@utk.edu.
Baton Rouge, LA
We are organizing an “ITN travel club” in BATON ROUGE, Louisiana. Anyone who enjoys travel adventure may join. We plan on having several trips each year and probably will get together once a month and/or before each trip. The club will be geared toward diversity and experiencing other cultures. People outside the Baton Rouge area are welcome. For more details, send me an e-mail at calicotravelgroup@gmail.com. — James Burns
Lansing, MI
I am very interested in starting a travel club in the north-central part of Michigan. This club initially will be located in the LANSING area. Call me, Gary Spinks, at 517/669-5393 or e-mail gjspinks727@yahoo.com.
Annapolis area, MD
The ANNAPOLIS-area ITN travel club, founded in 1999, welcomes everyone to come join us as we experience the world through some amazing travel tales. Hear about relaxing over the same dinner in Oslo that the Nobel Prize winners do every year! Or surviving the riots in Cairo and the earthquake in Christchurch! How about hiking the Cinque Terre and Hadrian's Wall or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro? Perhaps you prefer hot-air ballooning over the Sahara or cruising through Provence? Enjoy these stories and more over dinner with friends who cannot wait to see your pictures and hear your stories. E-mail John Scheleur at travelclub@comcast.net.
Montgomery County, MD
I am interested in starting a travel club in the area of MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Maryland. We could have a casual, no-fee club with monthly meetings in a local restaurant. Anyone interested, please contact me. — Yolanta Barnes; 301/916-9573, ymbarnes@verizon.net (put “travel club” in subject line).
St. Louis, MO
On May 9, 2012, the International Travel Club of ST. LOUIS, Missouri, reached a milestone with its 50th quarterly meeting. Founded in March 2000 and with a current membership of 175, the group meets at the St. Louis County Library headquarters auditorium for lively presentations on travel and related topics. Topics of recent presentations have included “Tracking Bengal Tigers in India,” “Freighter World Cruising,” “Travel Medicine Update” and the organization Wings of Hope (nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize).
Our Travel Companions Group meets at a different ethnic restaurant each month to exchange travel tips. Club benefits include a quarterly newsletter, e-mail travel updates and our annual potluck picnic. For info, contact Gene Adelman (314/432-1289) or visit www.internationaltravelclub.org.
Las Vegas, NV
The club LAS VEGAS World Travelers was formed in Nevada about three years ago and currently has 24 members. We meet about every two months in a member’s home and end the meeting with social time.
We have had discussions on how to take pictures, how to share pictures, how to pack efficiently, items you wouldn’t travel without and home-exchange programs. Members give the highlights of their recent adventure and usually bring a slide show.
A database was made listing where members had traveled and everyone was given a copy. If anyone has a question about a specific area, they know who to contact between meetings. Our members are well traveled, and there aren’t many places where at least one hasn’t visited.
Contact Jean Yake: 702/361-5885, fjyake@aol.com.
Charlotte, NC
We’re now forming a new travel club in the greater CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, area. No membership fees or officers, just those of us who love to travel sharing our experiences. All travelers welcome! Contact Pam Halloran at pamhalloran@att.net.
Rio Rancho, NM
Our senior center has started a new travel group. Travel Tips meets at the Meadowlark Senior Center in RIO RANCHO, New Mexico, usually on the third Friday of the month. We have a presenter each month, and members also chip in with their travel experiences, hints and know-how.
Our goal is for us to be travelers rather than tourists. Meetings are open to all. There are no dues. Meeting times are published in the Meadowlark Notes, or visit www.ci.rio-rancho.nm.us.
New York City / Long Island, NY
Wanted: avid travelers in the NEW YORK CITY/LONG ISLAND area who are interested in sharing their helpful hints and ideas and travel experiences and who want to meet others who share this passion. — Ms. Debra L. Rudolph; 718/736-3730, debral.rednose@yahoo.com.
Cincinnati, OH
The CINCINNATI International Travel Club celebrated its 10th anniversary with its meeting in March 2011. We meet the fourth Wednesday of every other month at a local library, where speakers offer presentations and discuss trips to every corner of the world. No membership dues, and nobody's selling anything; we're an information group. Our attendance continues to grow and we look forward to the next 10 years. — Larry Flinner
Tulsa, OK
I am trying to get a travel club organized in TULSA, Oklahoma, and need suggestions on how to begin. If there is one in this state that I could contact and see how they got started, it would help. Thank you. — Dixie Thomas; dixiethomas@peoplepc.com
Salem, OR
Travelers in the area of SALEM, Oregon, are invited to meetings of the noncommercial Mid-Valley Travel Club, held at the Salem Public Library from 7 to 9 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month, September through June. Attendance is free.
For the club's 19th season, the illustrated destination topics are "The Yangtze River," Sept. 13; "The South of England," Oct. 11; "Capri, Amalfi and Sorrento," Nov. 8; "Turkey: Antalya & Cappadocia," Dec. 13; "The Seine, the Rhône and the Saône (France)," Jan. 10, 2013; " Madagascar," Feb. 14; "Puerto Rico," March 14; "The Berner Oberland," April 11; "Morocco," May 9, and Tibet, China, June 13, 2013.
Each meeting also includes a brief discussion on a travel-skills topic (archived on the website). Visit www.midvalleytravelclub.org or phone Dick Groff (503/393-5432) or Derek Stables (503/399-0974).
Philadelphia, PA
We live in the Chester County area of Pennsylvania and love to travel. We would be interested in finding a club or possibly even starting one in the PHILADELPHIA/SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA/DELAWARE area. Please feel free to contact Michael and Belinda Adkins of Kennett Square at ILikeMaps@msn.com.
Harlingen, TX
In HARLINGEN, Texas, our newly formed Park Place Travel Adventurers is comprised of senior "snowbirds" who flock to the Rio Grande Valley each winter from Canada and the US. Our common interest is anything travel related. From December through March, we meet 4-5:30 p.m. every Wednesday in the Crafters' Room in Friendship Hall at Park Place Estates (5401 W. Business 83, Harlingen, Texas), where we socialize, share travel info and present travel DVDs and videos created by our members or guests.
Free membership. Weekly newsletter. We welcome all. Contact Diane Schauss (715/385-9304, dipoolcue@yahoo.com).
North Texas, TX
The NORTH TEXAS International Travel Club continues to meet at 2 p.m. on the second Sunday of every third month (January, April, July and October) at the Farmers Branch Manske Library meeting room, on the west side of Webb Chapel, about 1 1/2 miles north of IH635. We also have a Yahoo group for discussion and meeting announcements (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ITN-Travel-Club-DFW). Call Gordon Peterson at 972/488-8447 or e-mail gep2@terabites.com.
Austin, TX
Our new travelers’ club is welcoming members in the area of Greater AUSTIN, Texas. We gather quarterly for the purpose of meeting other travelers, exchanging information and ideas, relating our travel experiences and having a good time. We do not intend to have bylaws, elected officers, dues, etc.
At present, we are mostly retirees, and we meet on weekday afternoons at public libraries. Anyone who likes to travel is welcome.
Contact us for details on the next meeting. E-mail Jim at jekr1960@yahoo.com.
Vienna, VA and Washingon, DC
In the VIENNA and WASHINGTON, DC, area of Virginia, the not-for-profit Shillelagh Travel Club (est. 1964) offers travel all over the world using flights, cruises, trains and coaches. Our goal is to provide travel to those who love to be with others and do not want to deal with details. We match roommates, and most trips are escorted by a staff member.
Although we have no monthly meetings, we do have a monthly day-trip, and quarterly we have an open house with refreshments (the next one on Dec. 3 from 2 to 5 p.m.). Our membership is approximately 2,000, and 15% live outside the Washington, DC, area.
Dues are $35 per year for a single member and $50 for a family; however, when you reserve your first overnight trip, your first year is complimentary. All members are sent our monthly travel magazine.
Contact Carolyn McKenna, Shillelagh Travel Club, 100 East St. SE, Ste. 302, Vienna, VA 22180; 703/242-2204, www.shillelaghtravelclub.com.