ABD trips for people who have slight mobility issues

[MASSDisney]

I am considering a European ABD trip in summer 2018 for me and extended family. However, one major hindrance is how my mom will fare on the trip. She can walk around, just not long and not quickly. Stairs in particular are difficult. Are there any adventures better suited to her challenges or accommodations made so she can enjoy the trip with the rest of the family?

 

[Woodview]

Best advice is Bring your own Wheelchair.

It should travel free . ( in Europe it is )

Most Hotels should have Lifts ( Elevators )

Rest Rooms ....... No Problem .

Provided one of your party will push the wheelchair your mother will have a good time.

Go for it

 

[sayhello]

I would really advise calling ABD about this. They can advise you best.

That said, of the European ABD's I've done, I think I'd recommend the Danube River cruise. There are so many options, your Mom should be able to find something she can handle. And if nothing else, she could hang out on the gorgeous ship, or head into town, which most of the time we docked right in the middle of town! Whatever trip you choose, be sure & discuss it with your Vacationista or TA, and then when you get there, discuss it with the Adventure Guides. For example, on the Prague add-on, most of us hiked up to Prague Castle. But there were a few folks with mobility issues who ABD set up with a cab to meet us up at the castle.

Sayhello

 

[hilarys]

Both of the European trips that I have done (Central Europe and London/Paris)have involved lots of walking and or/stairs at places that did not have elevators. I have not done one of the river cruise, but I think SayHello's points are great. The fact that your mother could always go back to the ship mid-day would be a huge place because on some of the other European trips you are out and away from the hotel without a chance to return until the end of day.

 

[aggiedog]

I've not done an ABD yet, but one thing I've noticed in my travels around Europe, particularly the older tourist areas, is the number of cobblestone streets. I've always wondered how wheelchairs or even strollers would fare. Would this be an issue on the European ABDs?

 

[OhanaCuz]

I would really advise calling ABD about this. They can advise you best.

That said, of the European ABD's I've done, I think I'd recommend the Danube River cruise. There are so many options, your Mom should be able to find something she can handle. And if nothing else, she could hang out on the gorgeous ship, or head into town, which most of the time we docked right in the middle of town! Whatever trip you choose, be sure & discuss it with your Vacationista or TA, and then when you get there, discuss it with the Adventure Guides. For example, on the Prague add-on, most of us hiked up to Prague Castle. But there were a few folks with mobility issues who ABD set up with a cab to meet us up at the castle.

Both of the European trips that I have done (Central Europe and London/Paris)have involved lots of walking and or/stairs at places that did not have elevators. I have not done one of the river cruise, but I think SayHello's points are great. The fact that your mother could always go back to the ship mid-day would be a huge place because on some of the other European trips you are out and away from the hotel without a chance to return until the end of day.

Agree with these. Just finished the Danube River cruise and there was a guest onboard that used a wheelchair. There's an elevator that can be used to get between floors (but not to get to the sun deck up top for lounging). There were some excursions that would be awful for her (thinking specifically of Dürnstein castle), but the Adventure Guides should explain to avoid those when you're picking which ones to do.

 

[sayhello]

Agree with these. Just finished the Danube River cruise and there was a guest onboard that used a wheelchair. There's an elevator that can be used to get between floors (but not to get to the sun deck up top for lounging). There were some excursions that would be awful for her (thinking specifically of Dürnstein castle), but the Adventure Guides should explain to avoid those when you're picking which ones to do.

Fortunately, the Apricot Farm is one of the other options at the same time as Durnstein Castle, and she could totally do that one! It was a great excursion!

Sayhello

 

[anonymousegirl]

on my China ABD last October, we had one woman who had some limitations. For the Great Wall excursion, while we hiked up the steep hill to the gondola station, ABD (Christian Cruz, and Fred Hu) arranged for a rickshaw-type conveyance for her. When I tripped and sliced my leg open in Peru in 2015, my ABD guide, Rudy Chaco, had me sit out on one walk that he said would be too difficult for me with my bum leg (and he was right). He arranged for the bus to take me down to where the rest of the tour was heading and I met them there.

 

[OhanaCuz]

Fortunately, the Apricot Farm is one of the other options at the same time as Durnstein Castle, and she could totally do that one! It was a great excursion!

I was so surprised when people were raving about it in reviews I read before going. Everyone I talked to who went on it had a great time.

 

[SingingMom]

I would read up on the itineraries in detail and call ABD directly. I have some heat intolerance at times - walking up hills in Central Europe and Spain were both a bit difficult for me. The Ice Cave was too strenuous and I wished I had stayed at the hotel spa that day! The altitude, heat, and incline together were too much for me. The heat in Spain made the walking up the hills of Segovia pretty intense. I'm going to have to build up my stamina before booking our Italy Adventure in two years!

 

[sayhello]

I've not done an ABD yet, but one thing I've noticed in my travels around Europe, particularly the older tourist areas, is the number of cobblestone streets. I've always wondered how wheelchairs or even strollers would fare. Would this be an issue on the European ABDs?

Yes, this definitely would be an issue on some if not most of the European ABDs.

Sayhello

 

[carpenta]

I've not done an ABD yet, but one thing I've noticed in my travels around Europe, particularly the older tourist areas, is the number of cobblestone streets. I've always wondered how wheelchairs or even strollers would fare. Would this be an issue on the European ABDs?

I agree with your observation. Don't forget there are no ADA laws in Europe. One aspect that amazed me that one tour guide in Florence, a native Italian woman, led our tour up and down cobblestone streets and small stone stairs all the time in HIGH HEELED SHOES! I had trouble keeping up with her in sneakers. lol...

 

[Woodview]

What are ADA laws ?

 

[carpenta]

Disability rights laws passed to accommodate disabled people in the U.S.. Cheers!

 

[Rapunzellover]

Ireland was pretty easy.

 

[MASSDisney]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on this matter. I am still not sure what to do other than talking with a Vacationista. My immediate family would really like to visit Italy, but I'm getting the feeling that these would be especially difficult for my mom. Is this true?

 

[Mommywithapassport]

I found myself asking this exact question a few months ago regarding my grandmother. A call to the Vacationistas yielded some wonderful information. Firstly, some ABD trips are better suited to those with limited mobility than others- specifically the Ireland and France ABD trips. I enquired if maybe the river cruise would be better and was told that they were actually probably less ideal. Armed with this information we decided to pack a folding wheelchair for those times when my grandmother grows tired and booked our family on the France adventure knowing my grandmother won't be able to fully enjoy Mt. St. Michel (sp?), but that we can make everything else work. I hope you find a solution that works for you.

 

[RebelHawk]

While I have a full knee replacement, a partial knee replacement and a "rebuilt" left ankle I am very ambulatory so don't give activities a second thought. However about 6 weeks before our Peru trip I broke the fifth metatarsal in my right foot. Surgeon put a pin in it and after recovery I was down to just a insert in my right shoe for our trip. I skipped out on the white water rafting portion of our trip and our ABD guides set my wife and I up with a car service that took us into town. They waited on us while we wandered around the town. When we were finished we went back to the car which took us back to the hotel and then on to meet up with the rest of the group for lunch.

ABD was amazing working around my limitation.

 

[OhanaCuz]

While I have a full knee replacement, a partial knee replacement and a "rebuilt" left ankle I am very ambulatory so don't give activities a second thought. However about 6 weeks before our Peru trip I broke the fifth metatarsal in my right foot. Surgeon put a pin in it and after recovery I was down to just a insert in my right shoe for our trip. I skipped out on the white water rafting portion of our trip and our ABD guides set my wife and I up with a car service that took us into town. They waited on us while we wandered around the town. When we were finished we went back to the car which took us back to the hotel and then on to meet up with the rest of the group for lunch.

ABD was amazing working around my limitation.

That's awesome to hear they are so accommodating.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

We had a guest on our Wyoming tour who was in a wheelchair for most of the excursions on the trip. The guides were very helpful.