Traveling with mobility challenged mother need ideas

Rhine/Mosel: Marksburg and Rheinfels castle tours are probably out. You can take a taxi or possibly a shuttle there but there are too many steps for someone in your mother's condition. Best cruise stopovers would be St. Goar or Boppard, both of which have eateries near the dock area. Scenery is better in St. Goar, while Boppard's riverfront is still very pretty and offers more choices.

Where's your music venue in Koblenz, and at what hour? We'd better pin all that down first - how you will get there and then to the train station. It might actually be best to end your cruise a bit earlier - and catch a train into Koblenz - in the interests of time and logistics. Ruedesheim to Koblenz actually takes 4 hours - but if you get off that first boat out of Rüdesheim anywhere, you won't make it to Koblenz' KD dock until 18:10 at the earliest.

Thanks for the tips!

They haven't given any details on the concert yet (venue or time). On her schedule it just says, "evening concert in Koblenz" for that day. The information she has says more detailed information on the schedule will be available in April. So I won't know for a while.

Is the reason we wouldn't get to Koblenz until 18:10 because of the time it would take to tour something along the way? If that's the case, maybe we would just take the boat to Koblenz and tour that town instead with maybe just a chance to have lunch at one of the towns you suggested (if that doesn't get us there too late too).

The idea was to take the boat to Koblenz walk to the concert (or take a taxi if it's far). Then walk or take a taxi to the train station to get back to Rudesheim for the night.

She also sometimes has bad days where she's very sick.

CAE, while off the subject of where to go and what to do with your Mom, please make sure that she has adequate medical coverage, including medivac coverage back to the U.S. (if that's where you're from) while you are traveling abroad. Medicare doesn't cut it, and lots of people are not aware of that. I wish I could lay my hands on a similar thread about insurance for elderly, fragile travelers but am coming up empty. Will keep looking....

My wife was mobility challenged on last year's repositioning cruise and 2 weeks in Europe. We bought a lightweight, high quality travel wheelchair, and we went everywhere without any assistance. Airport security, airplane checkin's and restaurants put us at the front of every line. And because I didn't have anyone help along the way, we were quick and efficient.
She has since had a knee replacement and she's been to Spain and France twice this year walking mega miles without assistance.

Have you considered getting Mom a travel wheelchair?

For the towns for which the RS Guidebooks are lacking, email the Tourist Info centers in each town. I did that for my xmas markets trip which just concluded, and each town mailed me a hardcopy guide book, along with maps, for free. [I found the maps on-line were illegible when I attempted to print them.
You're a great daughter, and I wish you safe travels!

I will second the recommendation to stop at Boppard. There are many lovely restaurants right on the promenade along the river. It’s also flat along there. The center of town is close, and very pretty.

Bacharach is a prettier town, but it’s a bit of a walk from the boat dock or the train station. You would want to get a taxi into town. The town is very compact, and will probably be very crowded at that time.

Rothenburg is one of my favorite places. You’d want to take a taxi from the train station into the center of town. It’s very walkable, and so cute! The walk from the main square to the gardens is very pretty, and I don’t recall it being very hilly. From the gardens you get a nice view of the city from outside the walls. If it’s at all possible, stay the night and get up early (before 7 am) to see the town empty. It’s magical!

Thanks again. Yes, we will get insurance. The plan is for both of us to get medical insurance and for her to get cancellation insurance as well (just in case).

Two years ago we went to England (my mom, my daughter, and I went together) and we brought a wheel chair for mom. The cobblestone sidewalks in London shook it apart in two days. It was a waste of money. Luckily, our hotel disposed of it for her. You wouldn't happen to have the brand of the chair your wife used David? Maybe yours was better quality. If not, she does get around with a cane. It's just that she moves slowly and doesn't walk far (at least in comparison to how far I can and do walk). I am thinking we need to keep distances under a half a mile or 1 kilometer at a time (roughly). Less if there are inclines.

Thanks for the tip on the towns Pat. I was wondering if anyone did that anymore or if they would just direct me to websites.

Hi CAE,
It’s wonderful that you’re trying to help your mother’s dream come true, and at the same time be there for your daughter’s concert.

Given that you only have a week, I wonder if you should think about going to Koblenz first, 2 days before the concert so your mother could recover from jet lag, and the three of you could spend time together.

Then do a river cruise to see castles within the region or go to the one town your mother is really excited to see and spend the rest of the week there, with day trips if she is up to it.

By the way, has your mother spoken to her doctor about this trip, particularly about the impact on her heart condition? (Long flight, jet lag...)

First, thank you again everyone for the help. This is a wonderful forum! I read some posts before making my own and I am glad to have asked my questions and am thankful for the assistance.

Thanks Barbara. My mom hasn't talked to her doctors yet, but her health is similar to what it was two years ago when we flew to England and they gave her the all clear then. So things should be about the same in that regard. She will talk to them. She had a heart attack years ago after my dad died, that was the worst of her cardiac condition (although she still takes medication). She's actually improved in that regard. It's just that her arthritis is so much worse now. That's the main health issue impacting this trip for her.

My daughter is only in Koblenz for one day and night. She's doing a high school honor band tour of several European countries over three weeks. She won't be in one town for more than a day or two and she will be with her friends. She and I will probably text every day but I think she really wants to have that independent feeling and travel with her friends. When all three of us are back, we will go visit mom for a weekend and swap travel stories.

My mom always wanted to go to Germany since her grandparents are from there (mainly around Nuremberg area/Bavaria where we will be staying most of the time) so I thought it would work to meet up and see my daughter's concert to coincide with a trip for mom.

At some point I will probably go back to Europe with just my daughter. We might so some of the more physically active things (like hikes or other outdoor activities). I am not into "stuff," but I like to spend money on travel and experience.

Rhine/Mosel:

The reason you can't arrive by boat in Koblenz prior to 18:00 if you get off somewhere beforehand is the skimpy boat schedule that serves Koblenz. That's when the 2nd boat of the day gets there. But if you get off the boat in Boppard or St. Goar, you can get there using the TRAIN, which runs every hour or better and takes only 15 - 30 minutes. No problem. And the very best part of the river is south of St. Goar anyway, so you won't be missing out on much scenery.

Once you know where and when the concert takes place, you can likely get from Koblenz station to that venue and back by bus or taxi. But don't count on walking. Koblenz is way too big for a person with mobility issues to be walking across, so unless the concert is near the station somewhere, those are your choices.

In Boppard or St. Goar you can pretty much play it by ear as to how much walking you do. It 's an uphill walk from the river to the station in both towns - a shorter walk in St. Goar, probably.

Mom should expect uneven walking surfaces in places and will need to have her eyes on the ground while walking around. Be extra careful with her on crowded streets like the popular but narrow Drosselgasse in Ruedesheim.

Thanks Russ! It sounds like taking the train from those towns would be the way to go. I will have to see based on the concert schedule like you mentioned. I will look into both the towns in more detail and see what I can find out there too. It's good to know we won't miss anything if we stop at a nice Rhine town and take the train to Koblenz.

You were describing me when you said, "in her 70s and walks with a cane," except I do better ergonomically with walking poles like these. I'll be 74 in mid-January.

You also said, that she "takes medication that slows her heart. So she can't walk fast." I take Nadolol that has the same effect on me.

And you said, "I want to avoid places where we'd be rushed (like timed tours) or where there is a lot of walking." You are very wise to plan this way.

Since 2014 I've been taking RS tours with added time before and after on my own. I have no problems getting around at my own pace, but I sometimes can't keep up, especially if we go up and down slopes or stairs without a hand rail. I take public transport, taxis or opt out of an activity when needed.

You are also wise to plan for flexibility and potential "bad days where she's very sick." That's happened to me on a few of my trips. My answer is to slow down and take a break.

About the insurance:

With many policies, you must sign up within a certain period of days after making your first payment on the trip in order to be covered for any pre-existing conditions. That's typically when you make your flight or lodging reservations.

For the past several years I've paid for but never needed to use travel insurance through Travel Guard included in this Rick Steves article, "Do I need travel insurance?" There is a link to Travel Guard there.

I get the standard package in time to get the pre-existing condition waiver. I add the upgrades for Medical Expense and for Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation of Remains. I switched to Travel Guard because it covers me no matter where I leave from. The previous company I used required that I leave from my home town which I don't always do.

About Nürnberg:

There is much to experience right there. With only 3 days (4 nights?), you won't be able to see much of it if you take a bunch of day trips. Here's a little link on this RS website about the city.

Unless there have been significant changes since I lived there, the walk to the castle and around it is not a trivial task. Indeed, visiting any German castle can be a walking challenge. Choose carefully. You both may get castled out sooner than you expect.

Have a great time in Germany and eat some Nürnberger bratwurst and schäufele for me.

Lo has it right about the castle in Nuremberg. It is up, up, up. And cobblestones. When I was much younger I stayed at the DJH youth hostel which was (is??) in the castle stables and it was pretty far up then. Great views, lots of fun, one of my favourites.

Now that I am somewhat older I find that I - in fairly decent job and having worked in a physical job much of my life - get quite tired walking up to the castle, and I've never had the money or inclination to take the inside look. I don't know of any disabled access but there might be.

The Marksburg castle is fabulous and I walked up there with my wife from the carpark and there is a fair degree of up. I think the guy at the carpark said it is something like 300 stairs up to the castle entrance and I believe him. We walked up the service road instead which was still very steep because my wife is disabled and can't safely do all those stairs. When we got to the top the lady behind the desk said she thought my wife would find the tour very strenuous so we didn't do it. Great views from way up there though...

EVERYWHERE the sidewalks are cobbles ( more like small granite bricks rather than stones ) which makes walking difficult. Be prepared to take frequent taxis from train stations to town centers.

Bamberg’s two top attractions, the cathedral and old Rathaus are fairly close together. Take a cab to the cathedral from the train station. You could walk to the Rathaus ( it is downhill ) or take a very short taxi ride.

In Rudesheim she might be able to take the cable car over the vineyards up to the monument for a good view of the Rhine.

Lo, I would suspect you are my mother based on your post except she doesn't travel much and she's a little bit older than you. I bring her with me when I plan "big" trips (which is roughly every 2-3 years). Since dad died, I've brought her to Disney (mainly for my daughter), Hawaii, and England. Usually I plan the trips for the three of us (my daughter, my mom, and me). But this time, I am mainly planning it for mom because my daughter won't be with us and mom insists this will probably be her last "big" trip. Her pain just gets worse every year even if the rest of her health is stable. But she's still able to do things, but at her pace (much like what you said). What i do is generally walk a step behind her so she sets the pace and can stop without me leaving her in the dust. I have to do that. I am used to walking several miles (3-5) a day (walk my dog) and at a fast pace. I would leave poor mom in the dust before I even knew she stopped for a break!

I am going to run the idea of the walking sticks by mom. Maybe I will just get them and ship them and tell her to try them out in her area and see if she likes them. I see people with them frequently and you recommended them so there must be something to them.

Thanks for the insurance tips too.

I know the trip is rushed. I really wish I could spare more time. Mainly I picked Nuremberg as a base since the family is "from that area" and all the smaller towns I was trying to figure out were only one hour away by train (we are getting train passes). Can you take a cab up to the castle? If it's a lot of walking and a lot of incline, we could just make a whole day of it and go at mom's pace.

I am working on learning German. I will be sure to learn how to give place names and such (to a taxi driver).

I stayed at the DJH youth hostel which was (is??) in the castle stables and it was pretty far up then. [...] I don't know of any disabled access but there might be.

Going up to the youth hostel (yes, it is still there) is the easiest part; from the north side, one can get there on an almost flat path. But from there up to the imperial castle there is a short (approx. 100 meters) but steep ramp of cobble stones (sorry, no disabled access), which would be a real pain for your mother (besides, the interior of the castle is only interesting if you have a special interest in medieval architecture) .

What you could do, however, is to take tram No 4 to the Tiergärtnertor, the gate right under the castle. From the tram stop it's approx. 200 meters to the gate and to the beautiful medieval square (Tiergärtnertorplatz). From there you have a nice view of the castle on the left and Albrecht Dürer's house on the right (and there is a rustic beer bar in the north east corner, in case your mother needs some refreshment).

At 75, slow and unstable, I find the "view from the bottom" is sufficient for most sights -- my motto is I.Don't.Do.Stairs. Taking more taxis than before. Sitting in a lot of benches. When I do a day trip it's the only thing that day.

If there's a specific city / town / village that interests your mother that might be a better use of a day than just doing the tourist standards.

In Nürenberg I can recommend the Hotel Probst (in Rick's book) for a low-key family-run experience -- it DOES have an elevator but it's clearly not an American chain hotel. They will even soft-boil an egg especially for you at breakfast.

Nordic walking is popular in Germany and it is common to see older folks with the walking sticks. Lo mentioned the Tiergärtnertor in Nürnberg. It still is a climb to include some cobble stones, but if you come into the north side entrance of the Kaiserburg by the Hexenhäusle, it's easier than walking up from the marketplace. This is the way I generally go. Good view of Nurnberg from the castle, but walking down to the marktplatz may be out of the question. Years ago I took my parents to Kloster Weltenburg with the ferry through the gorge from Kelheim and back. I would probably call this a day trip with the train/bus, ferry trips and lunch. Getting there from Nürnberg may take some time. This is fairly easy on walking. Busses can get you relatively close to the Bamburg and Regensburg Altstadt. In summer in Garmisch-Partenkirchen you might take the Wankbahn in lieu of the Zugspitz. There are shorter flatter paths on top particularly aimed toward older folks, but still some moderate climbing. The Eckenhütte is on the top too.
https://www.foto-webcam.eu/webcam/wank/

I bought mom some trekking poles today. I told her they were a last Christmas present. This way she can get used to using them well before we leave. Thank you for the suggestion.

So of the places I am thinking about bringing her, which ones are most easily walked by those of you who have been there (and also had knee replacements like my mom, etc). Weltenburg Abby (all day), Bamburg, Regensburg, Rothernburg? I am thinking either easy to walk around because it's small and close together or there is easy public transportation. We can't do them all.

As far as what my mom wants to do, she's not really sure. But I am running things by her as I narrow down ideas.

When we were in Rothenburg a few weeks ago, there was a tour in an 1920's-like car [for a fee] around the town. I'm not sure if that was just because of the xmas markets, but that may be fun for your mom!

One suggestion related to the trekking poles--be sure to take along extra rubber tips! Also, consider getting rubber tips with a wider base. My dad learned the hard way when he lost one of the tips, as they sometimes get caught between cobblestones. Other than that, the trekking poles were marvelous as they allowed him (at age 84) to spend much more time walking with less strain (and pain) to his back and legs.

I didn’t read every response, but if not yet suggested, there are some very light weight canes that have a fold up seat attached. She could use the seat to rest as she needs.