Handicap Travel Europe - Advice for Visiting Europe with Mobility Issues - Wolters World
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Date: 2022-02-04
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Comments and reviews: 10
QWERTYOP80
My top tips for wheelchair users (PLEASE don't say wheelchair bound) travelling to Europe -
RESEARCH, RESEARCH RESEARCH. It's incorrect to say there aren't disabled accessible (PLEASE don't say handicapped it's fairly offensive to many disabled people) hotels in Europe. There are MANY. You just have to do you research. It helps if you have a good travel agent that understands your needs & is willing to do the donkey work for you.
I've travelled on my own in Europe and never once felt like people were treating me differently or looking at me strangely. I think you do Europeans a disservice there in all honesty. Italians and Spaniards in particular - VERY friendly and VERY keen to help. So I find your number 6 completely baffling. Saying that over half a billion people have very little empathy. Come on, dude. Not really ok.
If you're a wheelchair user, ANY city is doable as long as you do your research and know exactly what you're getting in to. Know if you can use the public transport, research the sights you want to see. Go in COMPLETELY clued up and you'll be fine. Also, buying a Freewheel attachment helps & eliminates any problems with cobbles. ;-)
I REALLY appreciate that you take the time to do videos like this, Mark. I hope you don't think I'm being a dick, just trying to help & offering my advice as a disabled traveller. :-)
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My top tips for wheelchair users (PLEASE don't say wheelchair bound) travelling to Europe -
RESEARCH, RESEARCH RESEARCH. It's incorrect to say there aren't disabled accessible (PLEASE don't say handicapped it's fairly offensive to many disabled people) hotels in Europe. There are MANY. You just have to do you research. It helps if you have a good travel agent that understands your needs & is willing to do the donkey work for you.
I've travelled on my own in Europe and never once felt like people were treating me differently or looking at me strangely. I think you do Europeans a disservice there in all honesty. Italians and Spaniards in particular - VERY friendly and VERY keen to help. So I find your number 6 completely baffling. Saying that over half a billion people have very little empathy. Come on, dude. Not really ok.
If you're a wheelchair user, ANY city is doable as long as you do your research and know exactly what you're getting in to. Know if you can use the public transport, research the sights you want to see. Go in COMPLETELY clued up and you'll be fine. Also, buying a Freewheel attachment helps & eliminates any problems with cobbles. ;-)
I REALLY appreciate that you take the time to do videos like this, Mark. I hope you don't think I'm being a dick, just trying to help & offering my advice as a disabled traveller. :-)
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Light&Shadow
My tip: When booking in Hotels. com or Booking. com you can find hotels that have rooms for modility reduced ppl but the process of verifying that the rooms are indeed available for your dates is really tyreing. You have to book and send an email and wait for them to reply. What I did last time was booking and not verifying - and in some hotels they said that they did not know I needed such a room even though I specifically asked for one in the comments section of the booking page.
This time based on some of the good hotels I visited - I just entered the website of their network and there I could send a direct email to the hotel and got an answer within 30 mintues!
I stayed in 3 IBIS hotels in my last visit and this next one in May I will be in 5 of their network.
This is by no means an advertisement!
Their hotels are usually located nicely in each city. They usually have a parking place foer the clients (sometimes you have to pay but in most cases no) Their lobbies are accessible and they always have room for the disabled.
I am not using a wheelchair yet. (I will in a few years due to my degrading disease ) but my needs are very similar to those with a chair since I cannot climb stairs and cannot walk on difficult floors (like those cobble stones in Europe) so I think that my opinion may help.
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My tip: When booking in Hotels. com or Booking. com you can find hotels that have rooms for modility reduced ppl but the process of verifying that the rooms are indeed available for your dates is really tyreing. You have to book and send an email and wait for them to reply. What I did last time was booking and not verifying - and in some hotels they said that they did not know I needed such a room even though I specifically asked for one in the comments section of the booking page.
This time based on some of the good hotels I visited - I just entered the website of their network and there I could send a direct email to the hotel and got an answer within 30 mintues!
I stayed in 3 IBIS hotels in my last visit and this next one in May I will be in 5 of their network.
This is by no means an advertisement!
Their hotels are usually located nicely in each city. They usually have a parking place foer the clients (sometimes you have to pay but in most cases no) Their lobbies are accessible and they always have room for the disabled.
I am not using a wheelchair yet. (I will in a few years due to my degrading disease ) but my needs are very similar to those with a chair since I cannot climb stairs and cannot walk on difficult floors (like those cobble stones in Europe) so I think that my opinion may help.
reply
barvdw
I'm afraid you're right. It's true, public transport in the US is scarce, but hardly any is inaccessible for someone using a wheelchair or other having other mobility issues, kudos to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The European Union still doesn't have a similar legislation in place, although it's in the pipeline, and some countries might not have waited to implement their own laws regarding it. You might be able to travel around by public transport, but not without help and without making reservations at least some time before, and often, it will involve a taxibus trip to a bigger station, because the local station isn't staffed and can't help you on or off the train. Autonomous travel is still a dream in the distant future.
Of course, most people will be willing to help you, as is the case with mothers with prams, but the thing is, quite often, you'll need this assistance by strangers, as vehicles aren't accessible, especially the older ones.
It's getting better, as you said, and there is lots of good will around, but this is one of the domains where the US is the more progressive one.
reply
I'm afraid you're right. It's true, public transport in the US is scarce, but hardly any is inaccessible for someone using a wheelchair or other having other mobility issues, kudos to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The European Union still doesn't have a similar legislation in place, although it's in the pipeline, and some countries might not have waited to implement their own laws regarding it. You might be able to travel around by public transport, but not without help and without making reservations at least some time before, and often, it will involve a taxibus trip to a bigger station, because the local station isn't staffed and can't help you on or off the train. Autonomous travel is still a dream in the distant future.
Of course, most people will be willing to help you, as is the case with mothers with prams, but the thing is, quite often, you'll need this assistance by strangers, as vehicles aren't accessible, especially the older ones.
It's getting better, as you said, and there is lots of good will around, but this is one of the domains where the US is the more progressive one.
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Matt
Question sir
since your in there country you obey there laws right. but shouldn't the native people treat you with respect no matter your condition are? because if you say people look at you funny for being disabled there is something seriously wrong with culture. there people too. and lastly what can you do if need a help with english if they can not speak english ( germans speak german can n't understand english well) then what? like you said they dont show empthany.
Im a kiwi thanks.
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Question sir
since your in there country you obey there laws right. but shouldn't the native people treat you with respect no matter your condition are? because if you say people look at you funny for being disabled there is something seriously wrong with culture. there people too. and lastly what can you do if need a help with english if they can not speak english ( germans speak german can n't understand english well) then what? like you said they dont show empthany.
Im a kiwi thanks.
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Pamela
Excellent video, and very helpful! I suffered an injury to my leg in 2011 and so can no longer move around exactly like I used to. However, my dream has always been to visit Europe -- especially Ireland -- and I hope to go there someday. I wondered if you could tell me maybe a bit more specifically how handicapped accessible Ireland is? Are there a lot of cobblestoned streets there? Also, I've heard it said that there's a LOT of walking involved in a visit there -- is this true? Thanks!
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Excellent video, and very helpful! I suffered an injury to my leg in 2011 and so can no longer move around exactly like I used to. However, my dream has always been to visit Europe -- especially Ireland -- and I hope to go there someday. I wondered if you could tell me maybe a bit more specifically how handicapped accessible Ireland is? Are there a lot of cobblestoned streets there? Also, I've heard it said that there's a LOT of walking involved in a visit there -- is this true? Thanks!
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Wolters
I spent a few weeks in Bangor back in the day. Loved it. Beautiful up that way. Our trips get crazy when we actually try to plan: ) the original idea was for a Canadian road trip filming along the way from Winnipeg to Prince Edward Island but now we are heading to China instead. I hope we will get your way soon, but it is probably a year or two off BUT WE WILL BE COMING DONT WORRY! :) Thanks for the support and we hope we can get to you guys soon! Mark
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I spent a few weeks in Bangor back in the day. Loved it. Beautiful up that way. Our trips get crazy when we actually try to plan: ) the original idea was for a Canadian road trip filming along the way from Winnipeg to Prince Edward Island but now we are heading to China instead. I hope we will get your way soon, but it is probably a year or two off BUT WE WILL BE COMING DONT WORRY! :) Thanks for the support and we hope we can get to you guys soon! Mark
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Wolters
you are very welcome. I get really upset with some of the comments on here and my 5 love and hate Europe video where Europeans are mad that I mention that Europe is not exactly ADA approved. It has gotten a bit better, but think the US in the 70s. I hope you have a great trip and hope the videos can help you have an even better trip!
mark
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you are very welcome. I get really upset with some of the comments on here and my 5 love and hate Europe video where Europeans are mad that I mention that Europe is not exactly ADA approved. It has gotten a bit better, but think the US in the 70s. I hope you have a great trip and hope the videos can help you have an even better trip!
mark
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Ty
Great video I'd say. Helpful and sensible tips. Like that you have a get friendly energy. Being in a wheelchair often much of the world is out of bounds to me. Unless you have friends to help you it can be difficult. That being said really doing your research helps. This video has helped in my planning process.
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Great video I'd say. Helpful and sensible tips. Like that you have a get friendly energy. Being in a wheelchair often much of the world is out of bounds to me. Unless you have friends to help you it can be difficult. That being said really doing your research helps. This video has helped in my planning process.
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Wolters
We were planning on visiting Chile in May, but it did not work out and we are heading to China instead. Hopefully we will get down Chile way in 2014 or 2015. It depends on my work schedule. But we want to go! I was there a couple times in the 1990s so its a bit different then when I was visiting last time.
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We were planning on visiting Chile in May, but it did not work out and we are heading to China instead. Hopefully we will get down Chile way in 2014 or 2015. It depends on my work schedule. But we want to go! I was there a couple times in the 1990s so its a bit different then when I was visiting last time.
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Wolters
I have a Brazil video but its very very bad quality video so I have not uploaded it yet. I will most likely wait until I get back down to brazil. I will be doing a Mexico love/hate video in the Fall as we are heading there for some fun in the sun
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I have a Brazil video but its very very bad quality video so I have not uploaded it yet. I will most likely wait until I get back down to brazil. I will be doing a Mexico love/hate video in the Fall as we are heading there for some fun in the sun
reply
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