Traveling with my grandmother!

How long and how far can she walk? Are you taking a RS tour? We had several 78 year olds on our tour and they were fine but there is a lot of walking involved and stairs. Also, you can opt out of any activity at any time. I would call the office and discuss with them the amount of walking and standing involved in the tour you are wanting to take.
I hope you can work it out and enjoy your trip.

Each itinerary describes in the details how much walking each day. Plus you have to carry your own bags from bus to hotel, and up the stairs. If a person can't keep up, the tour leader will not slow things down to accommodate them. You don't have to do the daily activities as long as you let them know, but then you're on your own. Best to discuss this with the folks at the RS tour office.

Guided groups are not good for people who can't keep up with the guided tour. I took my mother to Italy when she was 80 and we did it independently which worked as I could plan things for her abilities. We did take a side trip to Tivoli and it was a bit of a nightmare as she couldn't keep up or handle the long flights of steep stairs involved. I had remembered the flat gardens of Villa d'Este but forgotten how many stairs were required to get there. (I believe there is now a bypass for disabled people there, but not when we went.

I would (and I did) plan an independent trip where your grandmother doesn't have to keep to a schedule that may exhaust her.

It was one of the highlights of both of our lives; I don't think it would have been if she had been pushed through a schedule too strenuous for her.

We went on the My Way Italy RS tour. On our tour was a couple in their 80's. They were so fun! They didn't walk long distances so they would grab a taxi and meet us. A My Way tour might work for you because you have your own schedule during the day. If your gma can walk to the bus, climb on the bus, and is somewhat mobile it might work for you. You may need to help her with her suitcase, this tour might work for you. It was an amazing tour!

I would recommend that she talk to her doctor about this trip. If recommended for travel, then go on a trip for a weekend somewhere in U.S. car trip, stay in hotel ( so she can see how she adjusts to new bed and surroundings) and do a normal day of walking activities, like museum, parks, stop for lunch, go back to hotel rest for 2 hours, go for a stroll go to dinner...etc. Then you will have an idea. When I took my parents to Paris my dad had back COPD and he just hung out in the hotel area/immediate neighborhood for the last day instead of walking around with us...he did not speak the language but enjoyed his adventure to the local cafe, shops and post office to mail his cards all within 2-3 blks of hotel. If you are at a hotel with services and a nice lobby, bar/restaurant she could feel free to have a rest day or 1/2 day but not be stuck alone in a room.

We have been working on a similaiar conversation on general europe thread "preplanning considerations for senior travelers ".....check it out. I like the above posters idea of trying a weekend trip close to home.
RS tours may be too strenous for yr gramma....my mother and i have traveled w globus & travalghar.....one of those frequently offered 3 choices of afternoon activities , easy, moderate, strenous. (and delivered our luggage to the room)

It depends on how spry your grandma is.

I've done a number of RS tours and yes they are active. But I find that it's mostly it fits and spurts. Neighborhood orientation walks tend to be shorter 45 mins or less maybe a mile or so longer. Brief stops along the way to point out ATMs, transit stops, restaurants, etc. The other walking tours can be longer, up to 1.5 or 2 hours. But it's not continuous walking. Walk, stand discuss some history, art or architecture or person. Walking on stop discuss something else. And so on. Pretty soon your tour is over and it's either free time or a museum time.

If you decide to do a RS tour, have a plan B in place for those times your grandmother isn't up to the walking. Tell your guide that you're going to stop and arrange where you can meet up with them. then you can sit at a cafe to rest, have a gelato, go back to hotel to crash. Meet the group later.

My way tours are an option but I find the RS main guides and local guides are excellent. A city tour like Rome would mean only on hotel so no need to get luggage on and off the bus for multiple locations. And of course there are other tour groups and independent travel.

If you do this trip I think you really need to have the proper mindset. This trip is your grandmother's trip you'll be together and in Italy enjoying it with her. You may not see and do everything you wanted to but that's okay.

Finally I want to commend you for taking the time to travel with your grandma. I don't see many posts regarding this topic. I hope you have a wonderful trip full of loving experiences and memories.

We have some friends who have taken river cruises, precisely because of mobility issues due to back surgery. They've found the experiences very enjoyable.

demariomoore8694,

If you can make this trip happen do it! Whether you chose a guided tour or do it yourself or combination of both, make it happen! You won't regret it! In 2011 my 78 year old grandmother and I spent 2 weeks in Europe together and those are are some of my favorite memories of her. We chose a more inclusive tour then the Rick Steves Tours (included flights and transport to and from the airports) just to simplify things. She had traveled through Europe many many times and I had been only once in high school, so for her to be able to share her love of European travel with me on her last trip, was such a fun and amazing experience! She's been gone for almost 2 1/2 years now, and I've been back to Europe 4 time since our trip together and am leaving again next week, but I wouldn't trade that trip we made together for anything! I hope things work out so you can have share your trip with your grandmother :-)

I agree that guided tours will be fast paced. Hop on hop off tour buses, and river cruises will be nice and relaxing. Sitting in a cafe or plaza and watching the world go by is an Italian sport...so that is nice too!