First time seniors

My thought would be Rome, Florence, and Venice. Three of the greatest cities in Italy. I believe Rome has the hop on / off buses but am not sure about Florence. Venice has the vap. water busses that you can get a pass for and get on and off at will. Paris is also a great city with a good public transit system and easy connections to Brussels. The determining factor should be what really interest you the most. TC

I don't know where you are flying from but its easy to fly to Amsterdam. The airport there, Schiphol, is easy to get around in and travel information is easy to get. There is a train station in the lower level. From there you can get to downtown Amsterdam. From Amsterdam Central station it is easy to get to the rest of Europe. I would suggest adding Cologne to your itinerary.

In Amsterdam there are hop on hop off canal tour boats. My wife, daughter and grands did this last August.

Our preference to fly would be Newark,although if we could get a better deal from JFK that would be doable

Also we have heard that Rome is really bad with theft against tourist.is it really worse than lets say Paris?

Venice has many bridges to cross with stairs, some are only 10 or 12 steps, but they add up. The vaporetto pass will help, but some stairs are unavoidable to get where you want to go. A friend of mine used a cane to help with the stairs and was fine.

I think there's a ho-ho bus in Florence but I'm not sure, and the historic center of the city is very compact. The schedule may have you standing for significant periods of time, waiting for the bus.

Taxis in most cities in Italy are relatively inexpensive.

The easiest trip might be Paris and Belgium, or Belgium and Amsterdam. Terrain is mostly flat in Belgium, distances between cities are short. Paris metro may have stairs (and lots of them) as well as what seem like miles of tunnels to walk through (elevators and/or escalators are not always present or working, and except for major stops do not always go up to street level).

When Rick and an accessibility expert teamed up to produce Easy Access Europe (no longer in print, 2006 edition online), the book focused on London, Paris, Bruges, and Amsterdam because those cities were considered to have generally easier access for slow walkers and wheelchair users than other regions. Much has changed in the 10 years since publication, but it could give you some ideas, before you buy the updated guidebooks for your destination. See also http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/travelers-with-disabilities.

When I last traveled with my parents, the amount of standing and waiting for public transport became an issue. In addition to hop-on-hop-off buses, don't discount taxis, which can be relatively affordable to connect your city sightseeing, perhaps $15 per ride, shared by two. If stairs are a particular issue, be sure to confirm the number of stairs with the hotels you book.

The faster trains between big cities tend to be newer models with lower entries than old trains. However, each city station of any size also offers free boarding assistance to elderly and disabled travelers, if you request it in advance.

While I love both Florence and Venice, a friend who was simply out of condition found them to be challenging cities. Venice was challenging because you have to walk once you leave the canal, and there are many bridges that you have to climb over. Florence was challenging because many of the buses don't go directly to sites; they stay on the periphery – but it is a small, walkable city. However, when traveling with her, I just plan on using more taxis (although this is not an approach that would it work for Venice). Also, when traveling with her I try to lower my expectations about what we will accomplish., and I build in more rest time.

My husband and I were in Bruges and Amsterdam last fall, and both were very flat and walkable. Beautiful places to visit. Both cities offer canal tours of the cities (even easier than a HOHO bus!). If you have any interest in World War I, you can take an interesting day trip from Bruges to Flanders Field by bus (we used Quasimodo Tours) which doesn't involve much walking but gets you out into the countryside. Make sure you get a hotel with an elevator, especially in Amsterdam, where stairs can be narrow and steep. We were there from mid to late September and the weather was gorgeous.

You mentioned Paris twice, and I think it would also be a great choice. It's a great place for slow walking, and for stopping in sidewalk cafes or on park benches and just watching the world go by.

peppers,

As this is your first trip to Europe (somewhat), you may find it helpful to read Europe Through The Back Door as during your planning. It has a LOT of good information on "how" to travel in Europe. You should be able to find a copy at your local Library. Once you've decided which areas you'll be visiting, use the country or city-specific guidebooks to plan hotels, restaurants, transportation, sightseeing, etc.

You've listed a wide variety of locations. Are there any particular locations that prompted your desire to visit Europe at this time? It would help the group here to suggest the most suitable locations if you could provide a bit more information. Most European cities have great transit systems so you should be able to minimize your walking to some extent.

(BTW, I'm somewhat of a "senior" too).

Go with your heart in selecting cities to visit and use technology to make it easier -- take taxis, ask museums about elevators (some are reserved for seniors/disabled), look for benches/coffee shops for frequent rest stops. Paris, Vienna, Salzburg are all walkable (and some of our personal favorites.) Don't try to keep up with 21-year-olds but enjoy things at your own pace. (On our trip in December we were 68 and 70.)

Ken
I have wanted to go for years,but either family issues came up or we got a great deal on a cruise(which we both love as well)
Part of the problem is that my better half has been to Paris and Belgium,so we "discuss" where to go.
I was going to join procrastinators anonymous but I put it off

Hello peppersdad1947. I think you would like being at Vienna and Salzburg. In both of those cities the places that tourists go to are in a small area. In Vienna, ride in a tram on the ring road, for you to become oriented to central Vienna. I would have overnight accommodation at a hotel located near St. Stephen's church. Transportation from the train station (at the East side of the city) to that hotel is quick and easy. (train from the airport). Walk through Schonbrun palace in Vienna. It is the best royal palace in Europe. After three whole days at Vienna, ride in a train from Vienna to Salzburg. You would walk across old Salzburg, but it is a small part of the town. Salzburg has visual charm. From Salzburg, you could ride in a train to Munich, and fly from Munich to the U.S.A. The cities Paris and Rome are very big and crowded. In both Paris and Rome, I think you would walk up and down many steps at METRO stations (underground trains). Being a tourist in Rome is a stressful experience. And yes, the pickpocketers in Rome are a serious problem, in METRO stations (underground). Americans visiting Paris typically find it to be hectic and stressful. I heard : the human population density in Paris is 25 times greater than the human population density in New York City. I do not know what you would wish to see in Amsterdam.

Lol..I am not interested in drugs.I would be interested in seeing the red light district
but I don't think I will participate. I have been told it's ok to read the menu.just don't order anything

I have notice that the one area on my list that nobody has commented on is Madrid

Actually I dont

You don't mention how long your trip will be. but imagine it would be two weeks based on two or three cities. My recommendation would be fly into Munich and spend a few days there. Then train to Salzburg for 3 days. On the way to Vienna, stop in Hallstatt for one night and enjoy that beautiful town. Finish up in Vienna which is a great city to walk or take the street cars. There are great side trips you can take from all three of the cities above. I would also suggest a mid September to early October time frame. Crowds are not as bad and weather is usually wonderful that time of year. That time of year is also Oktoberfest, so Munich is much more expensive for hotels. The fest starts Oct 19 this year, so if you were in Munich earlier and left about the 16th it would not be as bad. You could reverse the trip and end in Munich after Oktoberfest also. Based on you walking issues, the trip is easier than Rome and Venice for sure. Salzburg has a few hills but overall is pretty flat. Munich and Vienna are both pretty flat. Hallstatt is on a lake at the side of a mountain, but the town is very walkable. Wherever you decide to go, planning is almost as much fun as the trip. Enjoy!

Regarding Tony's post: Oktoberfest actually starts on Saturday, 19 September and goes through Sunday, 4 October. Here is the link: http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/article/About+the+Oktoberfest/About+the+Oktoberfest/Oktoberfest-Calendar+2015/4162/

It would help if you told us what your main interests are and how long a trip you are thinking of. Until then, I'll just toss out some observations.

You said your wife has been to Paris and Belgium. Is she pushing to return or more interested in somewhere else? Paris is my favorite city so that would be first on my list. I've never spent less than a week there at a time and still haven't seen everything on my list. Also there are several good day trips. It's easy to go by train from Paris to Belgium and on to the Netherlands.

Spain - There are fast trains, so you can go from Barcelona to Madrid to Andalusia (Seville, Cordoba) very easily. Toledo is 1/2 hour from Madrid by train. After Paris, I think Andalusia is my favorite part of Europe. I couldn't believe it when I got there, but I liked it more than Italy. To get to Lisbon from Spain, the choices are slow bus travel or flying. You'd think it would be easy to see both countries in one trip, but it really isn't.

Vienna is between Prague and Budapest. With 2 weeks you could spend plenty of time seeing these three great cities and mostly easy walking. This is a very popular route.

Italy I think Italy is a wonderful destination - I went for the first time in 2008 and will be back next week for my 5th visit. However, it would probably be the hardest on your legs.

Lastly, I find that Frommer's website is really helpful for getting an overview of a city. There are suggested daily itineraries (though I don't know who could fit in everything they list in the time they allow), and a list of attractions, with descriptions, that they rate from 0 to 3 stars. Or borrow guide books from your public library and flip through them, see what really grabs you.

Hi,

Under your specific circumstances I would pick these three, provided that ample time is allotted to each: Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest.

As far as my interests,I love history and experiencing other cultures.Obviously all would fit that bill.
I would love to see Paris just to experience it but I would also love to experience medevil architecture.
Also I said athe beginning that we were considering this fall or next spring.i think this fall will not work
So I would think second part April or May next year.have lots of time to plan and research and change my mind many times.also to look for deals on airfare as that can be the greatest cost going to Europe.

While it is still far away, we are now leaning towards an itinerary that includes Belgium as my wife has a friend there that she used to work with.

I imagine Paris will be included as well and the third place will be either Madrid or one I had not mentioned, London

We are probably more senior than you are. Never have had any problems in nearly a years travel in Europe over the past 20 years.

There are a lot myths and hearsay stories about Europe that are rarely true. ------- Also we have heard that Rome is really bad with theft against tourist.is it really worse than lets say Paris? ----- that is one of the biggest. If you are reasonably careful and take some precautions, you will not see or feel a pickpocket anywhere. Right now there are some fantastic business class fare for $1000 from Newark to London/Paris if it fits you time schedule. https://www.lacompagnie.com/en/plan-your-trip/special-offers#london-launch-offer.

With limited mobility you might want to consider a cruise that hits many of your interests. It can be a very economical way to travel.

We do love cruising and we have taken five cruises,four to Caribbean and one to Alaska.we have considered your suggestion,but we're leaning to a more radio all European trip.but nothing is off the table

I love travel in Spain. I think you would be fine in Madrid, lots of transportation options and there are HOHO busses. However, Toledo is extremely hilly and steep with steps in many places, and old cobblestone narrow alleyways and roads. All of those characteristics that make it so special may impede your mobility. The same would be true for the traditional daytrips to Segovia or Avila, lots of steps and hills. If you go to Madrid you might consider a daytrip to Aranjuez, it is flatter but I cannot comment on public transportation in the town. We walked everywhere. I am thinking that if you choose Spain, Sevilla may be a better option for a second city because it is flatter and like Toledo, it is a fascinating city with much to see. You may also have mobility issues in Lisbon because it is very hilly, but they do have lots of transportation options. I remember we used busses, taxis, subway and trams but also did lots of walking. In Portugal we did a wonderful daytrip from Lisbon in a small mini bus for eight passengers to the towns of Obidos, Nazare and Fatima. Not too much walking involved and that daytrip tour was intersting and budget friendly.

Could be we will end up starting with London