Combined Italy/Germany Trip

Should work and is reasonable. Much of Rome is not very wheelchair friendly with rough streets, sidewalks, and check carefully with the hotel about access. Many of the 3 star hotels will have a few steps up to the lobby area. From there an elevator but it is the first dozens step that get you.

If you haven't already done so, you should go to the website for the Italian rail system, www.trenitalia.com, then to Other Services > Services For Disabled Passengers, to familiarize yourself with their policies and procedures - especially the part about notifying them 24 hours in advance.

Thanks for the great insight and suggestions. I am a little intimidated by the lack of accessibility. My thirteen-year-old son normally uses a 300-lb. power wheelchair, but will be taking a light manual wheelchair on this trip so that if there are a few stairs we can push/pull him up as necessary. I will be doing a lot of additional advance planning and research, but will still be expecting some issues along the way. Would it make any difference as to whether we went to Rome or Munich first? Our trip will run from June 10th to June 24th. Thanks again!

Kerry, I wrote a masterpiece last night on my iPod Touch, then it ate it...8-( So here is a mere shadow of my brilliance LOL: I've read that many people replace their (rear) wheels with wider ones - I've seen chairs wedged between the cobblestones; doesn't look like fun. Also, keep in mind that the 'first floor' is the 'SECOND floor' to us...be careful when making hotel and/or apartment reservations. Also, if necessary, be sure to inquire about bathroom accessibility. AND elevators... Can your son stand and/or walk any distance? I suggest avoiding the metro (LOTS of flights of stairs, and usually no elevator), and instead using buses and taxis. The Rome metro isn't the most efficient layout for most tourists, anyway, so budget for taxis. Most train doors aren't even with the platform - although Germany seems to be ahead of the curve on this count - so you'd have to get your son up and down 3 or 4 narrow steps, and quickly. Take trains with no (or very few) connections. (cont.)

(cont.) Rome will be more challenging with a wheelchair; don't plan too much and build in plenty of transit time and rest time in your days there. I think of Munich as much flatter - easier to get around. And less congested that Rome. You're smart to fly open-jaws into Rome and out of Munich, and to spend a week in each. Resist the temptation to take too many daytrips, though - each one takes more time and effort than you might think (getting to the train station, buying tickets, taxi to wherever you're going in the new town, orienting yourselves in a new place, and repeating the whole process to get back 'home'). If you haven't already researched them yet, there are many resources on accessible European travel. Rick Steves co-authored a book titled "Easy Access Europe" a few years ago (available for cheap on Amazon.com; apparently out-of-print?) I own it - it doesn't include Italy at all (BIG surprise LOL), and only five cities/regions, but has some good info and resources. I will include a link from this website, though, that can get you started... http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/easyaccess.htm I hope this helps!

Eileen,
Wow! Thank you so much for your thoughtful post. It truly is a masterpiece! :) My son can't walk or stand at all, and I know that poses some challenges with transportation. Good to know that the subway won't work for us. You suggested taxis, which we could do but it wouldn't be easy. Of course, we are used to things not being easy! If we are in a hotel with a central location, would it be possible to see many of the sights by walking, with maybe only using the train for certain days when visiting more remote attractions? Any hotel suggestions? Is it out of the question to rent a car? How about renting a car for day-trips rather than enduring the stress of going by train due to the wheelchair? Again, thanks so much for your great insight and suggestions! Kerry

I can only speak to Rome, as our trip to Munich was long ago and short. The answer to a centrally-located hotel in Rome depends on how far you can comfortably walk/roll. We stay in a hotel (stairs, no elevator) near Piazza Navona, and walk almost everywhere from there. Many places, such as Campo d' Fiori, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, are very close. But we also walk to the Vatican, the Forum/Colosseum, the Trastevere neighborhood. We take a cab to Villa Borghese. Use google maps to check out walking distances between various sites. As a consolation about the Metro in Rome, it doesn't have stops in the historic center, so isn't that helpful for transportation anyway. As I recall, the Forum area doesn't have any, or many, steps. Your son should really enjoy that area; the Palatine Hill, as well, may be easily accessible. I don't think a rental car is a reasonable option, even for day trips. Driving a car IN Rome is very stressful for most of us; the driving is absolutely crazy. If you want to spend time outside of Rome, I would recommend staying outside of Rome overnight, or for two nights. You could take a train to, let's say, Orvieto, and rent a car from there.

Thank you, Lexma. I had a sneaking suspicion that renting a car wasn't a good idea, but you've confirmed it for me. The other members of our party are able to walk long distances, and we can take turns pushing the wheelchair. Having said that, I think I'll check out some hotels near Piazza Navona. Sounds like a good location for us.

On the rental car topic, I am one of those people who always rent a car and drive in every large European city. I figure it to be part of the cultural experience. I always find parking and have never had a car broken into, towed or ticketed. If you were helping a disabled person around, it might be easier to help them into the car, fold up the chair and go. Our first trip to Italy, we rented a Fiat van called an Espace. It was a manual shift, diesel, but was very roomy and zippy. Our second trip we had a small station wagon. It was far cheaper to drive it into Rome and park it, than to take a Taxi.
Your mileage may vary. I also drive through New York City when I pass through and have no problems with the traffic or drivers. It's crazy, but I have no problem with that.

Hello Kerry, I took my Mom to Rome, Tuscany & Venice in 2006. She uses a manual wheelchair. I had been to Italy before and did a lot of research, which helped in figuring out what to try and what not to attempt with the chair. For your week based in Rome there is a lot you can do (Vatican museum, St. Peter's, Pantheon, the central area, etc.). Since we wanted to get out of the big city we took a taxi to a rental car pick up place that was out on the ring road which meant we didn't have to drive in the centro. We got right on the autostrada and loved seeing the countryside. Feel free to contact me if you'd like more details. I can't advise you on the trains as we did not attempt that (my Mom wouldn't have been able to climb the stairs). Good luck and have a wonderful time! For some reason the link to my e-mail address isn't working. I'll try sending you a private message.

For Munich, consider staying in one of the reasonably priced chain hotels such as Ibis or Motel One. They have wheelchair access rooms available, as well as elevators.