Traveling with parents

I think it would be easier for us to tell you where NOT to take them, as most places are not especially problematic. Do you know where you/they might want to go? If so, we can go through your list and let you know where you should probably skip.

Lots of people take elderly and even mobility impaired parents to Europe.. as noted,, you'll have to narrow it down based on what they would enjoy doing the most. Then you can post more specifically about ideas for that area.

Do they like Castles, Museums, countryside,, do they enjoy riding in the car( would you be comfortable renting and driving one) ,, would trains be more their thing,, etc etc.

Disability rights culture is not as advanced in much of Europe as in the USA. Many older buildings have no lifts and steep/narrow stairs. A particular problem may be transportation as older metro systems in European cities often have long staircases and no lifts. Also, remember that outside the UK and Ireland most railway stations have low platforms with quite a climb into cars. On the bright side most urban bus and tram services in Europe are now operated by low floor vehicles.

I think LONDON might be a good choice. If you go to www.tfl.gov.uk you can look up wheelchair accessible transit. The Tube and Tramlink have stations that are wheelchair accessible, which should mean that they have elevators (lifts) and step-free entrance to trains. The Tube maps show the little wheelchair logo for exits with this feature. Buses and taxis are a good choice, also. Stay at a hotel with an elevator. I've noticed that most museums have an elevator someplace--you may have to ask for it. BTW, where do your parents want to go?

Tawna,
We are leaving next week on a similar trip with my parents. It has been a fun 6 months planning and we are all so excited. The first thing we did was to ask them where they really wanted to go and what kind of sights they were most interested in. My husband and I have been overseas several times so that helped with knowing what areas would have the best combination for them. They chose Italy and we will be visiting Venice, Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, and Rome.

When it is just the two of us traveling we fit in as much as we can each day and travel by train quite a bit as well as renting cars and flying within Europe. Planning with Mom and Dad we soon realized that just being there, absorbing the local flavor, enjoying cafes etc. is going to be one of the biggest enjoyments for them. Our plans for each day look pretty much like this: go to a museum, sightsee, etc. for a couple of hours in the late morning, enjoy a leisurely lunch or picnic, take a siesta, maybe see one more museum or sight in the afternoon if they are up for it, enjoy area entertainment and dinner in the evening (my parents are night owls). My husband and I have actually admitted that we are looking forward to seeing these cities at such a relaxed pace.

The other thing we are doing differently this time is our transportation. With 4 people we found that it was not that expensive to splurge on a water taxi to/from the airport in Venice, flying Venice to Naples, and a private driver in Sorrento for airport pick-up, touring the Amalfi Coast and traveling to Rome (multiple service discount). When multiplying the costs of 4 tickets on the usual transportation (trains, buses, etc.) it was not that much more and eliminates so many changes (train to bus to train to cab, etc.) and climbing in and out of trains with luggage (even with carry-ons). This was even more cost effective than renting a car, which we prefer not to do in these parts of Italy.

Have fun planning and a wonderful trip!

I agree the London would be a good city to consider. Select a hotel with accessable rooms and good grab bars in the bathrooms (that most likely means a large "chain" or "prominent" hotel as opposed to a b&b or smaller hotel). Many of the sites are easy to access. Let us know your/their interests and we can help with more specific ideas.

I did this with in Germany my mother in law. It took tons of planning to find hotels with elevators (you need to email each hotel and ask about stairs--sometimes they had an interior elevator but had lots of stairs out front) and sights that didn't involve stairs or much walking. We rented a car--there was no way she could get around on public transit. Hotels and inns in the country were easiest as we could park right outside. There were horse drawn carriage rides, boat tours and scenic drives, but museum visits were out of the question. So, go whereever you like, but do the research on individual sights and hotels for that location.

When I took my almost 80-year old parents to Scotland we spent more time in small towns and had a rental car. Having the car really made it easier. My only problem was that my dad had a problem with his foot and I constantly found myself 15 yards ahead of him. So, watch your pace! ; )