London with 82 years old mom in wheelchair

Don't give up on the idea, with a little planning it can be done. At least the centre of London is on the flat! Have a look at Transport for London's accessibility guide. Buses are wheelchair user friendly and users can travel for free on them. You would have difficulty with some (but not all) tube stations ie getting to and from the platforms but it is not a totally no-go means of transport. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/transportaccessibility/1167.aspx The newer HoHo buses are also accessible.

This might help. http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/easyaccess.htm I would look into the sights you and your mom want to see and check if they are wheelchair accesible. I'm in London now, and there are many lifts for wheelchair use, Also I think most buses, but not the old Routemasters, are accesible.

Tube maps show which stops are wheelchair accessible. I would check ahead to be sure that the elevator is working. The tfl (transport for london) website should be helpful for this. Also, be aware that some lines are closed at times. In your situation, I probably would avoid Tube travel, if you can find good alternatives. Stay in one location and travel from there. If your mom can step from the wheelchair into a taxi, you could travel with a collapsible chair by taxi. The taxis are very roomy, so a folded chair plus two people with a small amount of luggage should fit into the passenger area. If you are traveling with 3-4 people, I think larger cabs are available. I suggest you Google "wheelchair accessible London." There is a lot there. I think you can do it! I hope you and your mom have a great time.

You said you and your sister love London. Has Mom expressed an interest in visiting there? If yes, then by all means go. Will take some planning on how to get around but definitely doable. Investigate if you can hire a driver for your time in London. Wont' be cheap BUT will lessen the angst for all of you. Would be a lovely way for all of you to visit sights and get inside information on London. This might be a good place to start researching:
http://www.wheelchair-travel.co.uk/wtl-taxi.shtml

I agree that you can do it if.... You check out the sights you intend to see and only plan on the ones that are wheel chair friendly. (Westminster Abbey and St Pauls can be done. The Tower will be very limited. I could go on but you need to pick your own sights.) Forget buses and the tube. Yes, you can fight them but it will be a big deal every time you do. The cabs will cost slightly more but you'll be able to all travel together and get there without a major hassle.

Well I love museums and galleries, and can't recall there being much of an issue with the Museums I have been to . I especially liked the Victoria and Albert Museumm and it has elevators I think. I would go and take mom, why not, sure it may cost a bit more( taxis) and yes you do need to do some extra homework( which is part of the fun to me anyways) but I honestly think we regret the things we could have done but didn't more then the things we did and struggled with a bit.. you only have one mom, take her to London.

Thanks everyone for your feedbacks and the wealth of informations that were in the links provided. Among the links was the one given by Claudia regarding the website ' Wheelchair Travel LTD'. If the plans push through , then this will definitely come in handy. There will be at least 7 of us- 4 sisters and 2 grandchildren and my mom.I am still in the initial 'Unsure' planning stage. For flights, either take Virgin straight flight or a layover for a few hours or maybe , even a day or two in New York first as it'll be lesser time from NY to London instead of from California. I need to look into maybe an apartment. In the past, my sister and I stayed twice at High Street Kensington through Priceline. I know with such a big group, an apartment is more predictable. Pat is so right when she wrote : "we regret the things we could have done but didn't more then the things we did and struggled with a bit..."
Then again, I need to make sure my mom wants to go to London first.

If you have a smartphone, there is an app called Hailo that can help you get a taxi. Also read the section in Europe Through the Backdoor on disabled travellers. The Graffiti Wall on this site also has a section where wheelchair bound travelers have given advice.

Ralph that snappy catch phrase applied to my moms life, so don't you dare tread on it, I meant that line in every way. Before my mom died I asked her if she had any regrets in life, and she told me she regretted not travelling more when she could, that that things she didn't get around to bothered her more then the things she tried and they didn't work out.
If her mom wants to go, and she and family are willing to take her, then really there is no question in my mind about doing it. Its doable, but will take some extra planninng and a bit more work, but worth it and priceless. And now that I know there are so many other adults going I think its even more "doable" as everyone can take turns helping out mom and still get a bit of times to theirselves.

Thanks Ralph and Pat and Everyone for sharing. Both Pat and Ralph meant well. They are just wanting to help me with their opinions stemming from their life experiences.Ralph wants to let me know of the enormity of planning the trip as well as some of the limitations with my mom being in a wheelchair so I will be realistic enough and not plan this trip with my head burrowed in the sand. Pat,on the other hand touched a chord. My mom always wanted to go to Hawaii. She was stronger then. There was always an issue of finding the right time to coordinate for everyone. Now, she can only walk with a walker and needs to use a wheelchair. I just realized this year that her health has changed all of a sudden. This was when I finally decided we should take her and it is now or never.We took her to Oahu this August. We all enjoyed it so much. The best part was when she told one of my sisters that she didn't even want to close her eyes to sleep as she wants to enjoy every moment of it. From all the responses, I learned that it will not be easy and will take extra,extra planning - with the flights, accomodation, itinerary but it is doable.
Ralph, our other option is Hawaii again ( Oahu and Maui) June of 2013 but if my mom wants to go and her health permitting,God Willing, then I will make it happen.

Two sites to help your planning: Accessible London Inclusive London

If indeed you all decide to go and your Mother's health will allow it might I suggest you split the group. One group, a larger group flies over first and gets settled. You, Mom and maybe another family member do the flight to NYC. Stay two days, then take the flight across the Atlantic. If you rented a large apartment everything would be ready for you when you got there. A word of caution, elevators are not as common in the UK as in the states so b and b's apartments, homes, etc are all inclined to have stairs. I'd go with rooms at a hotel. I've stayed at the Hilton Metropole. It's a conference based hotel. Other than a $15/day charge for wifi (Really?! Bail money for Paris Hilton I guess) it was fine. Loads of Americans. Free wifi at Costa Coffee across the street. Hilton is fairly close to Paddington Station. However, for ease I think your group should be more centralized. Maybe the County Hall Premiere Inn. Just a thought. BTW, GO GIANTS!

Thanks Claudia. That is such a good suggestion regarding breaking up the group for one to arrive earlier and my mom and the other group to follow.Should there be any issues, the first group would have sort through it already.

Sally, I think you'll have a wonderful trip. I took my parents on a trip to Scotland. They were mobile, but my dad hurt his foot just before the trip. So, it slowed us down, but that was okay. It's good to slow down. In fact, slow down, would be my strongest advice. It's advice I should have taken for myself this summer during a trip to London. I had torn the meniscus of my knee earlier in the spring, and I over did it. I live in NYC so I thought I was walking a fair bit, but when you're touring there is a tendency to push yourself. Don't do it! Be realistic and really enjoy the choices you make. Pam

I just returned from London and saw quite a few wheel chairs. You are correct about the tube and busses and will probably have to use a taxi to get around. I did see some people with a wheel chair on the tube, but the person with them helped them on the tube and then opened the chair once there, or they sat in a seat. There is sufficient time to do this before it takes off. To do this you should avoid rush hour at all cost, and make sure that whomever is pushing the wheel chair is fit. Also, bring a pancho or a large umbrella that will cover the chair and your mother because you never know about rain. If your mother has never been to London I'd recommend taking her because it's a once in a lifetime experience for someone her age. I just took my wife and her 88 year old mother, but she is a little bit more mobile than yours. You might check the AARP website for articles or postings on this subject as well. Good luck.

Thanks a lot Jim.

I've seen wheelchairs in Venice, getting on/off the Vaporetto. If it can be done in Venice, surely wheelchair travel can be done in London. Use taxis, stay in one lodging with elevator and ramp access into the building.

I understand your idea about breaking up the trip by staying in New York for a few days and then continuing on. However, it will add a lot of expense. Not only that, but you will have to get to NYC airport about three hours ahead of flight which you already did in SF. I would personally just get the flight from SF to London and bypass NYC. By all means take the trip! I took my dad to SF when he had lung removed and it was difficult with all walking up hills, including Alcatraz. We just took it slow and was I glad we did it as he died the next year. He had major concerns before we went but we did it. Best of luck, you won't regret it!

I have a lot of experience of pushing someone in a wheelchair in the UK and I'd agree with the suggestion that you use taxis rather than public transport. While the buses have accessibilty for wheelchairs, the reality is that the space is limited and if it's already taken when the bus shows up, you have to wait for one with space available. The wheelchair space is also used by people with baby buggies, so it often happens that the space is full. As for the trains- well, quite a few stations don't have elevators (I'm not talking about the Tube, just railways). I hope you have a fabulous trip- I think it's wonderful that you're going to do it.

I have not yet seen a bus service where child's buggies get priority on the space over a wheelchair user. If someone with a wheelchair wants to board, those already on the bus with a child's buggy should fold it up or get off. Of course if there is a wheelchair user already using the space it is a different matter. There wasn't much consideration for accessibility on the London Underground and rail prior to the 1980s. New stations, and those that are rebuilt have to conform, but there is relatively little within the centre. This will change somewhat with the building of Crossrail in a few years.

Marco, I'm very happy to hear that's how it works in Oxford. But Bournemouth, where I live, whoever is on the bus first stays put. I've spent more than enough hours waiting for buses with availabe space with my poor Dad.

I suggest you write to your bus company. If it is Yellow Bus, they do have a very wishy-washy wording of terms in their Conditions of Carriage compared with other operators, such as for example Arriva nationally which is quite unambiguous. Sadly the real issue is with passengers with a lack of social responsibility who think because they were on the bus first they have the priority over the wheelchair space - and that the driver doesn't want to enter risk conflict with them, possibly understandably.

Just checked - TfL is quite clear on this issue: "If you get on a bus with a buggy, and the wheelchair space is available, please feel free to use it. If a wheelchair user wants to board the bus, however, you might be asked to fold your buggy up or move it to another part of the bus. Wheelchair users have priority over anyone else in this area because it is the only place for wheelchairs to travel safely. "

Marco, that was so considerate of you to look it up. However, whatever the rules say, there's always the reality and I believe you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned drivers lacking the will to enforce it. And many wheelchair users, my father included, would hate to cause all the fuss. Which is why I posted my opinion that for sheer practicality and a more pleasant visit, Sally and her Mom might find it easier and more comfortable just getting a taxi. And that was, after all, the point of this thread.

I don't disagree that comfort-wise taxis would always win - especially around peak travelling hours, where the space might well be legitimately occupied anyway. At that time buses can be uncomfortable for everyone. Sadly their are plenty of reports too of taxi drivers who ignore wheelchair users trying to hail their cab. You are probably aware of this already, but Bournemouth Yellow Buses are owned by the French Government, through RATP. I was rather disappointed by reading their seemingly very passive and old fashioned policy on accessibility and hope they enforce things better at home in Paris. From your messages my sympathy is with you for having to use them, and not someone better at this.