Traveling with elderly - walking distances etc

Google Maps will give you walking distances from site to site. Click on the walking-man icon. I've found Google to be extremely accurate, though there's the theoretical possibility you might run into something like a sidewalk repair that would require you to take a longer-than-expected route. I think you'll need to check distances while you have Wi-Fi access unless you'll be able to use data-roaming affordably on your cell phone.

You will need to allow much more time than Google suggests, because I'm sure your mother's walking pace will be below average. I think Google figures on about 20 minutes per mile. When I traveled with my late mother, she sometimes rested on a bench while I looped around a block. She also did not like walking downhill, because she knew that meant walking back uphill at some point.

If you poke around on the Internet, you can probably find some information on city buses and trams that will help you cover the longer distances so you don't have to rely too much on taxis.

Vienna is one of the cities I visited with my mother. It is big, and I remember pedestrian underpasses of which my mother was not fond (down and up). That's the place I'd research first.

So in Vienna, you plan to stay way out at the train station and come back and forth every day to see sights? Why? When you arrive take a taxi to the center and base yourself there making it much easier to get around every day. The advice of staying near the train station is bad, in my opinion. Plus, the train station areas are ugly and gross in Vienna.

So for Vienna, my overall advice is to stay in the center, use a taxi or Uber for getting from the train station to your hostel/hotel, make good use of our excellent public transportation.

I am not clear on the pedestrian underpass comment above. I can think of nothing like this in Vienna.

Pay attention to Emily's advice. She lives in Vienna.

We stayed in Vienna for 8 days last year and walked everywhere. We do not recognize the " pedestrian underpasses" mentioned above either.

It was a long time ago, Emily (possibly 30 years), so they may be gone. Or perhaps we had the misfortune to be staying on the wrong side of a major road and just had to burrow underground to cross it several times. The EU has done a lot to improve accessibilty, and those underpasses would have been impossible for the mobility-impaired.

I'm glad to know it's not an issue in Vienna anymore. The only places I've been recently where I encountered a lot of underpasses was Kyiv in Ukraine.

EVERYTHING has escalators and elevators now. Steps are not an issue anywhere.

Look into local tour companies such as Viator, the only one I know, which seems to operate everywhere for day trips where they drive you right to the sight.

Lauterbrunnen town is very small and narrow. Almost all the hotels are located on the very noisy (heavy traffic) main street. Consider Wengen or Interlaken. Take the cog wheel train to the top of the mountain & stop at Klinescheidegg-- irrelatively flat landscape with spectacular views of the north face of the Eiger (we say an avalanche on the Eiger about once every five minutes). Do not go to the TRummel Falls-- much steep climbing. Great views from the top of the Murren cable car, a famous setting for a James Bond movie.

In the mountains, breathing becomes increasing more difficult over 5,000 ft. Mild altitude sickness (one hell of a headache) responds well to ibuprofen. Just to be safe, learn the signs of severe altitude sickness which can be fatal. The GE goes up to 6,700 ft. Ask her MD if O2 will avoid or treat altitude sickness.

Look into local tour companies such as Viator, the only one I know, which seems to operate everywhere for day trips where they drive you right to the sight.

Viator is not a local tour company, they sell tours run by others.

I do not have any experience with the walking distances yet, our GAS tour is not till September, but wanted to make sure you had discussed her oxygen needs with her doctor when she is at altitude in Switzerland. Even Zermatt and St Moritz are at 5,000 feet, so depending where she currently resides, that might be a significant change for her. If you are planning on going up to some of the popular tourist places like Schilthorn, it is at just over 9,700 ft.

Oxygen needs go up with altitude so it is best to talk to her doctor before you go. Oxygen needs at altitudes can often be countered with just increasing the liter flow, but it is best if the doctor suggests what to do if she is short of breath up in the higher areas, based on her medical condition.

Even those on CPAP need to be aware their CPAP compensates for altitude, but only to 8500 ft, so if they are travelling beyond that altitude (for example heading to Nepal or Machu Picchu) they may need a slight bump in CPAP pressure.

Hope this helps and they you both have a wonderful time!

Having just taken my elderly parents and grossly underestimating the amount of walking they could do...I understand your predicament. For the Lauterbrunnen area I’m thing that the most perfect place for you to stay would be in Murren at the hotel Alpenruh located directly at the Schilthornbahn gondola. From there you can walk as much or as little as you’d like. You can take the gondola down to Gimmelwald and look around. You can take it on down to the valley floor to Stechelberg where the Post Bus meets you and transports you to Trummelbache Falls and onward to Lauterbrunnen station right at the gondola back up to Murren or just keep on riding and the bus will take you back to Stechelberg back to the Schilthornbahn.

The hotel Alpenruh has rooms with balconies to sit and look at that amazing scenery...and don’t underestimate how enjoyable just sitting on your balcony can be when you have a view to the Eiger right in front of you.

Agree with the upthread thoughts that Op's mother would benefit by consulting her healthcare provider prior to traveling. Good to know what's needed for her particular healthcare needs.

In addition, good information from Emily who is my "go to" for Vienna!

Leanna, For Switzerland, try this website: https://map.search.ch/?mode=oev
It gives door-to-door directions for public transport in Switzerland (trains and buses), including walking times.

Thank you for all the great responses!
- Elevation: good news, we live in Colorado so Mom is used to an elevation around 4,500 ft.
- Wow Chris thanks for the map I just saw your post and will review it.

- Google map walking distances - yes i guess i can do the distances and plan for a little extra walking time. i concur with acraven that Mom might not want to do too many up-downs, as long as its reasonably flat where we have to walk she should be fine.
- Staying outside vs in center of city - Thank for this advice including the great guideline for riding the cograils around Lauterbrunnen. We have booked a hostel called Camping Jungrau Lodge that is off the main drag, over by a the Staubbach waterfall so I figured that would be a nice place to base. So far everything in Murren or Wengen is double the price :-( It looks like to get to Stechleberg/Schilthornbahn gondola we can walk out to the main road and catch a bus. What is the best way to get from Lauterbrunnen to the cog wheel at Wengen?