My sisiter and I want to take Mom to the Vatican in October. She walks VERY slowly. How should we do this? A tour? We have both been to Rome, but Mom has not.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
I took my parents, then 79, to Scotland. My dad had injured his foot just before the trip and so was limited in his walking. We rented a car and I did all the driving. On Orkney you can't rent a car if you're over 75. I would plan shorter days. My dad and mom would have hated tours so we just went at our own pace. Start later, end sooner, leave time for lunch. Have "tea" even if you're not in the UK. Your mom will tell you what works for her. I found this web site which you might want to explore.http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/
Pam
Posted by
Beautiful Austin TX
582 posts
I would imagine Rome would be very hard because you have to climb so many stairs no matter where you go.
There are no ramps at the old buildings.
At the Vatican, There are so many stairs, and I saw a man carrying a wheelchair up all those stairs! Looked hard! They are not disable friendly. I know your Mom is not in a wheelchair, but walking up the steps would be terrible! It is sad it's like that.
Renting a car is a great idea! You can take your time. On tours, you're on a tight schedule and need to keep up with the group. I don't even like that for myself!
There are many wonderful smaller towns she might be comfortable exploring. Maybe Salzburg?
This is so nice that you and your sister want to do this for your Mom. You might want to email Rick Steve's staff for some ideas. They give such great advice, and would love to help.
Have fun!!
Posted by
near NY, NJ, USA
445 posts
I traveled several times with my over-80 year old mother who definitely had walking problems. I checked out web sites for all the places we wanted to visit and I was able to find wheelchairs at most that she could use while touring which made all the difference. I don't know about the Vatican though as we didn't go there. Check out the website for disabled visitors...she might not like calling herself that but that is the info you need.
The only thing is to plan on taking a lot of taxis.
She will find walking on rough surfaces difficult and be very slow in crossing streets which in Rome could be fatal!!!!
We planned it all out in advance and it worked beautifully. She also agreed to stay at the hotel if she was feeling tired so that I could go and explore.
Proper meals at refular intervals, as someone else said, are very important.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Possibly these links will be a resource for you in planning this trip: accessible travel links
under Accessible Travel
Posted by
Anaheim, CA, USA
1455 posts
Cindy, does your mom want to go to the Vatican? It may be something you and your sister wants, but maybe not for your mom.
If she's able to walk (even slow) and you and your sister are willing to be patient, then take her. As people posted, the city pavement is uneven, full of steps, and not disabled friendly. Take that all into consideration and see if its best for Mom, and if she can handle the walk... and remember, october is cooler weather too.