Rome, Florence, Pompeii with Broken Foot

There are no answers to your problems. Pompeii would be out of the question too much walking getting there and once inside a lot of rough stone walkways and, again, a lot of territory to cover. A wheel chair or any rolling device is going to be slow and difficult. Sidewalks, especially Easter weekend, would be extremely crowded, are always very rough, etc. The Rome metro stations are similar to other stations - stairs and long walks. If comfortable with one crutch, that would be a better solution than a wheel chair. A rolling walker would probably be worse because of the small wheels getting stuck in every big crack. Good luck

Thanks for the good wishes. I am certain it won't be the optimum trip to Rome, I'm just not sure the foot is bad enough to keep me home. I'm really looking for what works, who has had a go of it, and what did you learn? What would you do differently?

Wow, that's really rough. A huge portion of Rome is these kinds of pavers, often with several pavers missing in spots. I'm thinking you're going to want to go with taxis as much as possible. I hope you have the budget for that. Even though Roman taxis are fairly reasonable by Italian standards, it will still add up. Also, the sidewalks in Rome often narrow to two feet at points (not exaggerating) even on the major and very busy streets. You're going to want whatever option can get you the closest to door-to-door. Good luck.

It's a little late, but if I were you I'd reschedule my trip. You can probably get refunds with an explanatory letter from your doctor. All you have to do is misposition one crutch as you're walking and you're at risk of falling and reinjuring yourself. The sidewalks are exactly as the others describe. And Frank is right - even if you're bound and determined to go to Italy, forget Pompeii. It's hard enough to walk there on two good legs. And there's a LOT of walking. You'll enjoy these places far more if you wait until everything is healed.

I know how disappointed you must be. Our son broke his foot a few weeks before a long-planned trip to Disney World. Just a suggestion: Maybe you could decide that this won't be your last trip to Italy. Re-arrange your itinerary and spend your time touring Tuscany and Umbria via rental car. Choose an agriturismo for your home-base and enjoy wineries and small towns. Relax at the pool if you choose an agriturismo with a pool. Or take some cooking classes. This is the type of trip many people take on their second or third visit to Italy. You can just reverse the order. Enjoy Rome and Florence another year.

Thanks Delecia! That's not a bad thought! I will discuss it with my travel partner. :) Tell me, is Florence any easier on the feet than Rome?

Hi Nearlydawn, Wow, I can relate to your temporary disability! A few months ago I broke my ankle, and it was challenging getting around from point A to point B. You might want to consider rescheduling if you want to visit the major sites and cities. If your heart is set on going, Delecia's suggestions sound great! Better to take it slow and relaxing instead of pushing yourself too hard. You could still have a wonderful trip. Best wishes healing! Ruth

I think Florence will be a challenge. Where it isn't paved with cobblestones, there are potholes. Often the sidewalks are very narrow. But the center isn't too bad, and with taxis, you can cut down considerably on the walking from sight to sight. I also think that Pompeii would be too difficult, just because it is mostly ancient paving - the stones have very uneven surfaces and much of the mortar (or whatever they used) between the stones has eroded away.
In Rome, there are steps from the street level to the ticket booth/turnstile level. From there down to the trains there are escalators. I found that buses meant less walking almost always. With a cast (yes?) and crutches, someone will yield his seat. If not, just kind of fall into a lap when the bus jerks - that will get you a seat!!

Broke my foot two weeks before a trip outside US this past February. My airline offered me complete refund and the hotel offered me credit. You must call airline and advise them of your accident. They will try to give you bulkhead seats at check in and allow you on the plane first, but last to get off with crutches. Request wheelchair and they will pick you up at gate and get you to next gate. I did go on my trip to Jamaica, but stayed in villa entire trip on patio. Have been to Italy 3 times and the last trip was a month in Florence. I can't imagine going there with crutches and being able to see very much. Even with wheelchair or a motor powered chair, there are rarely ramps to easily get up and down on sidewalks which are very narrow as stated before and restrooms tend to be up or down stairs.

The other problem with being there Easter weekend are the huge number of tourists. It seemed like half of Italy was there Easter weekend when we were there. I'm thinking that navigating the areas that you want to go will be difficult with even 1 crutch because of all of the jostling. You could easily get bumped and fall. Even the transportation that would usually help - hop on hop off and taxis - will be packed and traffic will be heavy meaning slower. I think the idea of traveling the countryside sounds better. Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great trip
Mimi

Delecia has offered the best advice, imho. Rent a car and see Tuscany. Then go back for the big cities in a few years.

Thanks to all for the comments! I sure wish I had realized BEFORE I booked that it was a big weekend for Rome. I certainly would have re-imagined my plans... I went to the Dr today, she re-X-rayed my foot, and said the bone is heeling well. She is pretty sure it will be more walkable by the time I get there, but not pain-free for a few more weeks. She said I should go, most certainly, and qualified that it may hurt, especially by the end of the day, but that it won't hurt my foot i.e. re-break it. So, some good pain reliever, my special shoe, and 1 crutch for support may be all I need. Thanks to all the suggestions - I have talked to the airline and lined up getting on the list for a bulkhead seat and transport to the gate and between planes. So, I plan to go, if I can manage to avoid re-breaking it before I leave.

BTW- ment to say, we are seriously considering modifying our trip to go with Delecia's suggestion! We haven't worked out the details, but we will likely revamp the timeline for more Tuscany. Thanks again!!!

I went to Europe with a broken ankle and just knew that it would be a bit slower than normal, but I did not want to resechedule. I did have a walking cast and also a car, but did do the train part of the time. People were usually careful around me when they saw the cast. I did not have crutches. One thing I might mention is that while I was fine in Europe and on the plane ride over, on the way home my leg swelled a lot. I am not sure if I didn't move around enough, but anyway, be sure to keep it elevated as much as possible and walk every so often.