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Travel wheelchair recommendations

Posted by on

I will be traveling to Germany with my mother over the summer. She doesn't usually use a wheel chair, but she uses a cane and her mobility is limited. While I am trying to plan an "easy" trip for her, I keep thinking it would be nice to have a wheel chair for her for her.

When we went to England two years ago, she picked out a wheelchair for herself before we left and it literally fell apart after one day on cobblestone streets. She went to some store to buy it and I think she stressed to them she wanted something lightweight for some reason. I will be the one in charge of picking it up if it ever comes to that, so I am good with something heavier if it's sturdy.

Does anyone have any recommendations on types or even brands? Even just some basic tips on what to look for in an sturdy outdoor chair are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Posted by
11178 posts

Perhaps check out/search for "wheelchair rentals in .....", and rent one there.

Other option is you go to the store and explain what your needs are and have them suggest what might be the best option for ease of use and durability.

Posted by
19 posts

This may be overkill for you, but last summer we rented a folding electric wheelchair for a month. It weighed about 50 lbs, and easily moved over cobblestones, low curbs, steep hills up and down. Was from a company called Fold N Go. No problems taking both on planes and trains. Used in Paris, London. Florence and Edinburgh. A couple years ago, on what was our first vacation using a wheelchair, I tried getting by with an extremely light and portable model that proved utterly worthless on the rough and cobbled streets that make up much of Ireland. This was heavier but also allowed us to go everywhere we wanted.

Posted by
71 posts

Thanks for the tips. I don't know about asking the store where mom got it again. I don't trust them after selling her a chair that fell apart. While she stressed she wanted a light weight one, she explained it's because she was traveling to Europe and wanted it to get from site to site. If this chair (which literally fell apart in the first day in a matter of hours) wasn't meant for outdoor use, they should have told her.

I will look into rentals. We are arriving at one airport and leaving by another one, so I don't know how a rental will work on site. But renting one for a month and taking it with us and returning, might work.

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