I am treating my niece to a trip to Europe. She wants to go to either Amsterdam or Prague. She wears leg prosthetics and sports a double arm transplant below the elbow. She can do things much on her own but cannot bear a lot of weight and cannot do long walks. She cannot find a traveling companion. What city would be best for her to go? Any advice/suggestions?
Posted by
New York, NY
3996 posts
First, what a wonderful gift you are giving your niece!
I recommend your asking this question on the Disability Travel forum in Flyertalk. You will get an audience of readers who will provide you a plethora of ideas.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you!
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23267 posts
Something like a river cruise might be a better fit for her. Most river cruises include a half day local tour at each site along with shorten distances. Maybe you should go along.
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia
451 posts
Such a great gift.
When you decide, you may be able to use Google Earth to check out your walking routes in the city. I did a few years ago and found my intended path had lots of stairs, where one block over did not. It was helpful because we carrying luggage from the train station.
Find places convenient to Metro, bus or tram routes. A more centralized hotel may help. Make sure your hotel has elevators. Many do not in my experience. Let the place you are staying know about the disability. Also let the airlines know and they will meet you with a wheelchair or golf cart to get around airports.
Have fun.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
What a lovely thing to do! :O)
Take a look at Sage Traveling as well? They specialize in European travel for individuals with mobility challenges, although mostly travelers with wheelchairs/scooters. Still, they should have some good advice.
Posted by
seattle
2047 posts
Of those two cities, Amsterdam has less hills and public transportation is excellent. Another fun, relatively flat city, is Budapest.
Posted by
seattle
2047 posts
Any chance she could take a Rick Steves tour? I’ve several single friends who have taken one of his tours and loved them. They liked having travel companions, plus having the transportation handled.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
Becky, I'd say that you had a good idea except that the Steves tours usually involve a LOT of walking, handing your own luggage and managing stairs at some (most?) of the accommodations. Just my 2-cents but not having to try and keep up with a traditional tour group plus being able to arrange logistics around her particular challenges would probably be easier for this traveler.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
cedangeles, I ran into this whilst digging about for some resources for you. Might be the ticket?
https://easyaccesstravel.com/group-trips/accessible-european-adventure/
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Many thanks for all your help! Much obliged!
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
You're very welcome, and I applaud both of you for bravely pursuing this adventure! I'm sure we all sincerely hope that you and your niece find just the right solution for a wonderful trip. Please let us know what you two end up choosing and how it works out? While solutions for unique challenges such as hers are not asked about often on the forums, there are bound to be other potential travelers who could benefit greatly from your collective insights/experience.