Chat with us, powered by LiveChat

Accessible Cruising versus Accessible Land Travel?

One of the key decisions to make when traveling with a disability in Europe is whether you should travel by cruise ship or by train/car/plane
 
In this month’s newsletter, I’m going to share the Top 5 reasons why accessible cruising is better AND Top 5 Reasons why accessible land travel is better. I hope these will help make your decision easier when you’re ready to head out on your own accessible European adventure!
 
Me, John Sage, during a visit to the incredible Carpi in Italy! 
 
5 Reasons Accessible Cruise Travel is Better

1) “Don’t waste energy on the things that don’t matter.” – I met a disabled passenger on a cruise, and he said this was the reason he only travels by cruise ship. I thought it was a great way to state it. All of your energy will be spent on enjoying your trip instead of traveling from place to place!

 

2) No bad neighborhoods on a cruise ship – When traveling on land, you always run the risk of choosing a bad hotel. You could be in a neighborhood with a high crime rate, lots of cobblestones and hills (such as those shown in the Istanbul photo below), strip clubs, panhandlers, or the overly crowded section of Venice.. Or maybe you choose a great hotel in a great location, but the building next to you has loud construction going on! With accessible cruise travel, you don’t ever have to worry about sleeping in a bad neighborhood.
 
  
3) Only unpack once – To me this is one of the best parts about accessible cruise travel. I don’t have to pack and unpack every time that I need to switch hotels. Unpack once at the start of your trip and pack once at the end of your trip, and you’re done!
 
4) All cruise staff speak English – If you are on one of the major international cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess, Azamara, Seabourn, etc…), all of the cruise staff will speak English. On top of that, they’re from all over the world which makes for some fascinating discussions!
5) Easy to see multiple countries in one trip – Cruising is the only way that you can say “I slept in Italy last night, I’m in Croatia today, and I’ll be in Greece tomorrow.” You don’t have to spend any of your daylight hours catching trains, because the cruise ship comfortably transports you while you sleep!
 
5 Reasons Accessible Land Travel is Better
 
1) Spend multiple days exploring your favorite places – With land travel, you won’t have to settle on experiencing only a few things. With more time, you can see it all! With accessible cruising, you often only have one day on shore to explore a destination. It can be hard to truly experience Rome in 10 hours when you really need a full week to do that. 
 
2) Land travel provides more options for maximum accessibility – If you have special needs beyond wide doorways and roll-in showers, land travel allows you to choose from different hotels with different accessibility features (grab bar positioning, bed height, etc…). You’ll be able to find the perfect hotel accommodation for your needs.
 
3) Land travel allows you to escape the largest tourist crowds – On cruise excursions, it can sometimes be tough to not be a tourist surrounded by tourists – When 3000+ passengers pull into port, most of them want to see the highlights. The ruins at Ephesus, St. Mark’s Square in Venice, and the Colosseum in Rome are just a few of the popular attractions that tourists will flock to. You may spend more time waiting in line than experiencing the culture. Land travel allows you to get away from the tourists and see how the locals live, and to visit certain places at less crowded times of the day, week or year.
 
4) Many of the best European cities are inland – Madrid, Paris, Munich, Prague, Zurich, Vienna, and Budapest are just a few of the cities you’ll miss with accessible cruise traveling.
 
5) You can truly immerse yourself in the local culture – I love working on a few phrases in a foreign language when I travel. With a week or two in Italy and a few weeks of practice beforehand, I’m able to do some basic communication in Italian. I feel like a local! With cruises, it’s really tough to work on a language or get a feel for local customs when you’re switching countries every other day.
Did you know?
Sage Traveling have designated land travel experts and cruise travel experts ready to assist you plan the best accessible travel experience possible. You can even combine an accessible cruise with an accessible pre-cruise land stay if you just can’t decide between the two! 

 
 
 
Travel Wisely,
John Sage, Founder and President of Sage Traveling

 

Phone: US: 1-888-645-7920, UK: +44 20 3540 6155

Web: http://www.sagetraveling.com

 

 
 

Get our 100% Free Accessible Travel Advice Newsletter

  • Learn the secrets of how to travel in Europe with a disability
  • Receive a €50 Accessible Travel Coupon for signing up!
© 2015 Sage Traveling. All rights reserved.
Privacy | Security | Terms
Website design and development by Telezent