Best City to visit with a 20 year old daughter who can't walk very far

I did London with my grandmother a couple of years ago for the same assumptions. And it turned out to have been a major mistake. In many underground stations you have to walk miles incl. stairs and there are no elevators/escalators. On busses you need to climb at least 3 steep steps, many more for the upper deck of course. What is fun and adventuresome to your kids? What are their interests, hobbies, what languages do they speak, what European food do you prefer etc?

Mary Beth - what about London? I love the tube as there is a stop on just about every corner. I found that I did much more walking in Paris where the Metro stops seemed to be much further apart. Same for Rome. Of course, once in London all the sightseeing stuff involves walking, with the exception of seeing some shows, which would also be high on my list.

I'm not sure about "best" city. I would tailor it to your interests. Trying to use the underground transit system can be a challenge in making connections down loooong tunnels and dealing with stairs. Buses work well in many cities. It may take a bit longer, but you get to see the sights as you go.

I hope your daughter continues to imporve and that you all have a great trip wherever you go.

I would chose either Paris, London, or Rome. But not plan to use the tube or metro too much, because a lot of walking and stairs may be involved. In these cities take the hop-on, hop-off bus tour of the city. You will see all the big sights, and you and your daughter can get off and explore further, whenever she feels up to it -- like the London Eye, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey - Parliament area. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame. Or checking out the Colisseum in Rome is fantastic. I'd rule out much museum going since the walking involved is a killer for anyone, no matter their age or physical shape. But she should be able to see a lot. Use cabs to get around also if you can.

I would vote for London.....the bus system is excellent (for tourists) and you can get unlimited use passes to ride as often as you like. This way, if you get tired, just hop on a bus.

Some underground stations aren't too bad and most have escalators.

Paris is less than three hours by train from London. It also has an excellent metro system although you will walk more in their stations.

So, instead of one city, you might want to to two.

And I also think the hop-on/hop-off buses in both cities are a good idea.

Some of the underground stations in London have elevators. I would pick London~~your daughter would love it.

I would suggest a family trip to Ireland over huge cities like London, Paris, Rome (despite excellent public transit and the prevalence of hop-on/hop-off sightseeing buses). It is just too much walking for someone who can't walk more than a mile at a time.

You could still fit in some cities (much smaller in scale and just as easy to navigate) - Dublin and Galway (which is very vibrant as it is a university town and filled with young adults). Also, you can rent a car or take day tours into the surrounding countryside if you are not up to driving. Take a boat over to the Aran Islands - your daughter can tour them via mini-van or pony & trap.

Here is another vote for Ireland, you might also consider Scotland. I think you should stay away from the larger cities and concentrate on small villages or cities such as Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, really dive into the Rick Steves out of the way places.

The big cities would be okay, but I agree that perhaps these should be saved for a time when your daughter is ready for vigorous walking again. She may get frustrated that she can't explore them more. If our family had just been through a difficult time we would probably opt for holiday with more of a restorative nature that was a change of scenery without the intensity of a great city. Here are 3 wonderful places, each with an entertaining variety of activities and lots of R&R: 1. What about the Cote d'Azure? You could stay in a wonderful location like Antibes where you have sun, sea, Picasso, mediteranean cuisine, short walking distances, and great side trips like Monaco, Eze (if she can handle moderate hill walking), Grasse (perfume factories) or Nice - all are easy to drive or train to. The old town is fun to explore on foot without being too taxing and you can lounge sur la plage (a day at the beach). A fun splurge would be a visit to the spa in Monaco for a day of pampering. Our son and daughter are in their early 20s and this is their favorite place to return to. 2. Sorrento Italy with breathtaking views, easy day trips to the Amalfi coast, Capri by boat, a short tour of Pompeii, and lots of wonderful southern Italian cooking. If you flew in/out Rome or Naples there could be a short visit to a few sights there. 3. Roadtrip through Germany or Austria. Take it at your own pace staying at B&Bs along the way. Mix castle towns with spa towns, wander along the Rhine or through the alpine countryside. Spas in Germany and Austria are restful and curative, more like a visit to a invigorating health clinic than a American hotel type spa. I'm sure among all the intriguing suggestions on this site you will come up with a very special trip to celebrate your special daughter.

Hi Mary Beth...I'm not sure that it qualifies as a 'city' in the sense that London, etc. do but I was wondering about Venice. Distances in Venice are mostly very short. It is very romantic, full of history and art, and for transport one is never very far from a vaporetto. A family can purchase passes and have unlimited rides for the duration of the visit.

If you have additional time for your trip, Lake Como might be a very good stop. Beautiful places to stay and the lake steamers to take you where you wish to go.

Although I am much older than your daughter, I can easily understand mobility issues. I hope that your entire family has a wonderful trip.

I disagree with London. My friend went last October with us, and was in great pain. I took it for granted that I could take stairs while lifts/ elevators were hard to come by.

I really like Spain. Madrid was nice, and there's a lot of day trips you can take via bus or train. Once you are at the destination (ie: Toledo, Segovia) the towns are small. Barcelona was a nice city too. The HO/HO bus made things easy to sightsee, and except for one or two attractions, you could take your time strolling around.

Check out Rick's link on Accessible Europe (http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti5.html)

I would think that visiting some smaller towns and renting a car would be a better option. Visiting a large city is going to entail a lot of walking whether you take the bus or metro. I would think only taking a taxi would be ideal in a large city but that would get expensive quick. On my last visit to London I happened to notice that there are very few handicapped metro stations. Both London and Paris will be a lot of walking.

What about going along the Romantic Road, Rhine River in Germany?

George, I wouldnt suggest Lake Como. The area was not flat, has lots of cobblestones, and is not accessible for those who can't walk much.

I am an abled body walker, and slipped and fell on the cobblestones in Como.

I agree with Al... Amsterdam!

Your daughter is quite the trooper to consider such a trip when an injury two years old is still not healed. Good for her! From your viewpoint, I assume that you want this trip to be something that will encourage her in realizing that her accident is not preventing her from living life!

That being said, I would suggest that you prepare for alternatives if the walking does prove to be more than expected. Would she be undone by using a wheel chair? Then avoid the possibility. Venice is a fantastic city, but if she gets tired, there is no alternative outside the vaparettos, and all of the bridges have a few stairs.

Also, consider that her ankle will get tired after a few days of even minor walking. Since it is still healing, she might find that it is not recovering quickly enough overnight to go another whole day. Flexible plans seem to be in order.

As a rule of thumb, I would consider the walking to be twice as long/hard as the books/website, etc. say. That way any error will be in her favor. Also, in rural areas is it usually easier to get to front doors (in a car) than in the cities.

There exist backpacks with folding stools built in. (I have one, but it is many years old so I can't tell where I got it.) That might be a good failsafe, a built-in place to sit. I hope that you have a wonderful trip and these ideas help you avoid disappointment.

A major city in Europe that has convenient transportation for tourists is STOCKHOLM in SWEDEN. Most of the best museums in Stockholm are on one island : Djurgarden island. A bus goes to that island from a Bus stop that is near your B & B. At Skansen (on Djurgarden island) wheel chairs are available. Wheel chairs can go on a lift that bipasses the steps at the entrance. Ramps provide access to all the buildings in Skansen. Skansen is totally accessible for physically disabled people. Skansen has a zoo that has 60 animal species, including Nordic wild animals : brown bear, elk, wolverine, lynx, seal. And Skansen has an aquarium. Skansen's internet website is www.skansen.se. Busses frequently go the short distance between Skansen and the Vasa Museum (on Djurgarden island). On Gamla Stan island the old palace has museums : see crowns worn by Swedish kings, and europe's most interesting and best-displayed collection of medieval royal armor. And Stockholm has several small museums, including a music museum. The National Museum of Fine Arts has paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, the Impressionists, and local artists Larsson and Zorn, and many Russian icons, and the exhibit "Design 1900 - 2000". Stockholm is my favorite big city in Europe. Swedish people in Stockholm are pleasant, they speak English fluently, and they like to talk with Americans, if they have time. During the summer months at Stockholm boats take passengers on half-day cruises to the island Vaxholm and many other small islands. Read about Stockholm in the book "Rick Steves' SCANDINAVIA", and other travel guide books on SWEDEN.

I'd like to put in a shout for Amsterdam.

It's a 'small city' insofar as all the major attractions are in one area.

It's flat, that helps with limitted walking.

You can buy a ticket for the tourist canal trip that allows you to hop on and hop off at all the big attractions like Anne Frank's House.

Amsterdam is very disability friendly.

A genuine 'Hard Rock Cafe' sweatshirt from Amsterdam is one of the coolest pieces of clothing any 20 year old can have.

All the good hotels have an elevator.

You can get anywhere on the tram system.

As a person with some mobility issues, I put in yet another vote for Ireland, Dublin especially. Public transport is quite good, with an excellent bus network. Dublin does not have an "underground" system, so few stairs for almost any type of transit. It is a relatively flat city and easy to walk. Dublin is beautiful and filled with history.
The London Tube is FILLED with stairs and you can't always count on finding an elevator or escalator that is working. Paris Metro is DEEP underground, lots of steps, and again can be difficult to find working elevators/escalators. Transferring at some of the larger stations can involve a LOT of walking and MANY stairs.

I hope you find a wonderful place to visit and that your family has an enjoyable trip.

My vote is for Paris or Venice.

Paris because I think the culture of travel there doesn't necessarily have to be running around from site to site. Your family could enjoy a few hours people watching at a nice cafe, a picnic in the park near the eiffle tower (or in the gardens at Versailles), a river cruise on the Seine, a leisurely dinner. Plus, you can take taxis or the hop on hop off bus system.

My other vote is for Venice (though it's probably a bit partial becuase Venice is my absolute fav), because the city is so compact for walking, and when in doubt you can always just joy-ride the vap. Also, you can take excursions on the vap to the small islands of Murano and Burano (Burano is my favorite!). Then at night, you can just sit on the steps in St. Marks square (or in the spendy cafe's if money is no concern!) and enjoy the live music, watch the dancing, and pigeons galore!

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful, special trip.

In Amsterdam a great way to get around is by biking. Can she ride?

I would not recommend Rome.