First Stop, New Orleans Station

Tour operator XpoAmerica, based in Orange County, is combining trains and ships on a tour for seniors that leaves Union Station in Los Angeles for New Orleans and the Caribbean.

The tour includes bedroom accommodations aboard Amtrak, sightseeing in New Orleans and a seven-day cruise through the Caribbean with stops at Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica aboard the Enchanted Seas.

The ship returns to New Orleans, where passengers once again board Amtrak for the two-night rail trip back to the West Coast.

Amtrak departs from Union Station each evening during November and resumes again in spring. The complete 13-night package price begins at $1,795 per person, which includes rail, hotel and cruise and all but three meals. Travelers may request upgraded cabins on the Enchanted Seas and Amtrak compartments at additional cost. For a brochure and other information, call XpoAmerica at (800) 854-4080.

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For travelers with limited time and money, Qantas Vacations’ “Weekend to Weekend” Australia packages offer a selection of 10-day tours, including round-trip economy class air transportation via Qantas between Los Angeles and Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin or Cairns, depending on the tour selected.

Tours include hotel accommodations, scheduled touring or a Hertz car rental for a portion of the trip, some meals and all necessary air transportation while in Australia.

Additional nights may be added to any package to include other regions in the country. Prices, which range from $1,400 to $1,900, are based on a per-person, double-occupancy basis.

Examples of tours are:

* “Sydney & Wine Country Explorer” to Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley Wine Country.

* “Fly/Drive Australia” to Cairns, Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane.

* “Host Farm & B&B; Getaway” to historic Melbourne, the wineries of Morrington Peninsula, a sheep station, gold rush country and Sydney.

* “The Outback & Back” to Sydney, Ayers Rock, spectacular Outback territory and tropical Cairns.

* “Where the Rain Forest Meets the Reef” to Cairns for diving the Great Barrier Reef and exploring the beauties of the Daintree River National Park.

For a color brochure with itineraries and components, contact a travel agent or (800) 523-5272.

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Grand Circle Travel, based in Boston, has published a new booklet for seniors titled “Going Abroad: 101 Tips.”

It is a practical guide for both novice and seasoned travelers and includes information on trip preparation and health and fitness. There are hints on tipping, travel documents, insurance, packing, customs, home security while you’re away, shopping and communicating in a foreign country.

For a free copy, call (800) 221-2610.