101 Essential Disabled Travel Tips

Europe can be challenging for travelers with disabilities but not if you know what you’re doing.  To figure out the tricks for disabled travel in Europe, you can either travel there numerous times or you can receive these 101 Essential Disabled Travel Tips for free!  These disabled travel tips go far beyond the normal disabled travel advice of “call ahead” and “bring extra medication”.  They are based on a dozen trips I’ve taken stretching across 60 European cities. With these handicapped travel tips you’ll travel like a pro by avoiding problems, saving time and money, and doing more than you thought was possible!  

Examples from 101 Essential Disabled Travel Tips © Sage Traveling:

#22 When you get to passport control in the airport, look for a “disabled assistance” line to avoid the crowds.  Save time!

#36 Call or email trains beforehand to let them know you’ll need assistance – they request 24 hours, but I’ve done it as quick as 5 minutes before departure.  I would recommend getting there an hour before departure.  Avoid problems!

#55 RyanAir absolutely requires advanced notice if you need assistance.  If you can’t travel to the gate by yourself, climb stairs to board the plane, and walk down the aisle, you must tell them 24 hrs in advance.  I call them immediately after making my reservation to be safe.  Call to double check the day before.  If you don’t, you can be stranded!  Avoid major problems!

#71 Boat tours can be challenging to get into the boat but absolutely wonderful.  Some will require you to transfer out of your chair to get down into the boat (Bruges), some will require assistance to lift you and your wheelchair into the boat (Amsterdam, Santorini), and some boat tours have a ramp and you can stay in your wheelchair (London, Venice, Paris, Rhine River, Istanbul).  Ask the boat tour company for pictures of their boat to figure out how difficult it will be.  Don’t miss out on anything!

# 91 Hills can be a pain for disabled travelers, and most maps don’t indicate where they are.  Just remember that moving towards the river is always downhill.  Moving parallel to the river is essentially flat.  Get expert disabled travel tips!

#100 Where should you look for an accessible bathroom? Museums usually have accessible bathrooms, and churches rarely do.  Hotel lobbies, McDonald’s, and department stores are good options too.  Travel like a pro!

View more examples of these disabled travel tips.

Comments are closed.