My mother, 62, who has always been a great adventurer unfortunately has lost a lot of her stamina since surviving cancer. She also can't take a lot of sun anymore, so the beach destinations are out. We are taking a 3 week mother/daughter trip to Europe in September which I am planning and I don't know how to plan a trip which is not a Rick Steves whirlwind, cover a lot of territory type of trip. My mom is interested in Bavaria, Italy and the Basque region of Spain. Any suggestions of places where we can make a home base, a week at a time in each and be able to day trip without miles of walking? Any suggestions and experiences would be so appreciated. If you know of areas in other countries which are leisurely in walking demand and also scenic and have good food, please let me know. We have done England and France, so looking for something new. Thanks!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
I can suggest a place in Bavaria, the Oberallgäu. The Allgäu is the SW corner of Bavaria. Most of it extends along the Alps, but the western most part includes Lindau on the Bodensee. The Oberallgäu includes the Illertal, the valley of the Iller river, at the top of which is the German ski resort town of Oberstdorf.
The Oberallgäu is just a beautiful place to hang out and do nothing if you like, but there are a lot of things to do if you feel up to it. You can go up to the Kleinwalsertal, an Alpine valley that is a part of Austria, but completely isolated from it by the mountains. There are a lot of easy hikes in the valley. You can also go by train to Lindau. Füssen, with the castles, can be visited as a day trip by bus.
I always stay in Fischen, but there are a lot of lovely villages where you can stay in the valley.
An advantage of staying in the Oberallgäu is that, with a guest card from your accommodation, you can purchase for €17 an "Urlaubskarte" (vacation card) which gives you unlimited use of the trains and buses in the Oberallgäu for a week. With this card, for an additional €3,50, you can buy Anschluss ticket and travel all the way to Hohenschwangau and back.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
The Illertal is an excellent place to just go and relax, but if you want to be closer to some of the more famous sites, stay in Oberammergau. Oberammergau is not far by bus from Garmisch-Partenkirchen and from there you can go by train to Mittenwald and Innsbruck. From Oberammergau it is about 15 minutes by bus to Linderhof. Ettal Monestary is also nearby. You can take the bus about an hour from there to Hohenschwangau and the castles. That bus goes right by Wieskirche.
Posted by
St. Louis, MO, USA
1 posts
I was in Washington, DC recently and had trouble "keeping up" with younger sisters and cousins...went to a Medical Supply store and purchased a rolling walker with a seat (can also be purchased at Walgreen's on sale for $100) It was wonderful. I could go twice as far because of the extra support-then I could sit whenever I needed to take a break. It worked well in the airport as I used it as a walker and we used the seat to transport several carry-ons for the group. Took it to the door of the plane, they checked it, put it below and then retrieved it when we landed. It folds, but is a little cumbersome-still worth the extra trouble...went easily on a tour bus with us.
Posted by
New Harmony, Utah, USA
53 posts
Check further down or on the next page of posts and find my question about traveling with my 72 year old mother with diabetes. There are many wonderful suggestions. Also, I have decided that renting a car and using a GPS which I already own is going to be the easiest plan for us. Good luck and have a wonderful trip.
Posted by
Anaheim, CA, USA
1455 posts
Martha, key thing is take your time. Your mom may not be as fast as she used to be, so use this time to just enjoy it all... soak it up.
Instead of rushing thru the schedule, just know you'll be planning a 2.5 day stay instead of a 1.5 day.
Have a wonderful trip.