We have had great success using Rick's Accessible book to get around the Rhine, but that was three years ago. Since there is no update since then and very little about any other cities' accessibility, what difficulty can we expect for our 10 year old son and his wheelchair in Austria and in Rothenburg?
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9145 posts
I don't really have much information for you except for a website written about travelling in wheelchairs. It is quite good and the guy who writes it may have been to some other places that he doesn't have on the website yet. I know he has Germany, Prague and Spain on the website, along with some Asian countries.
Anyway, he gives some good advice about trains and planes, etc. Hope it helps you a little bit.
Posted by
OP
El Paso
17 posts
Thank you. Some good stuff on Prague which we're also considering, but still looking for updates from 06 book. Anyone? Bueller?
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
If you can read German or can handle reading a website thru Babelfish etc. try www.handicapnet.com... It tells you all about traveling thru Germany, Switzerland and Austria in a wheelchair... and Spain..
Posted by
Puyallup, WA, USA
881 posts
Hey, Robert. One nice thing about both Vienna, and Salzburg is that the buildings are not very tall. In Salzburg, most are 3-4 stories max. In Vienna the average is probably about 6. Most modern hotels, and shopping buildings in Vienna have lifts. Salzburg a little less so.
Both cities have walking downtown cores, which is nice, and easy to get around in a wheel chair (thought crowded in summer). The cobblestones might be a bit much in some areas.
In Salzburg, there is a pretty major hill in between the two halves of town, so that's one thing to think about, if the chair isn't motorized. The Vienna downtown core is mostly flat, which is nice.
The Vienna underground had lots of elevators, not sure if the cars were accessible, but if memory serves, there was enough room for a chair, pretty easily. I don't remember the above ground trams being very access friendly, but the underground gets close to everywhere. (It's been 6 years.)
I know the Opera house in Vienna, has an elevator, and the Cathedral was accessible. Schonbrun bottom floor is pretty flat, should be good too.
I'm going to both cities again in May. If you have anything in particular in mind, let me know, and I can check on it for you if I have time! :)
Posted by
OP
El Paso
17 posts
Thank you, Chris. I would appreciate any update you could provide and any information about Rothenburg as well. We are always on the lookout for wheelchair friendly as well as kid friendly at the same time.