Travel Tips??

[Dagmar]

John, I love your enthusiasm and plans to explore! Here are a few tips I can share:

Renting mobility scooters for a few days or a week is commonplace in Las Vegas, so I would assume the rental group near you follows the same procedures. In Las Vegas, when you rent, they deliver the scooter to your hotel (and pick it up when you are finished).

You may also want to check with the rental car company if they have a vehicle with a scooter transport on the back.  Or, there might be an Uber driver with a handicap-accessible vehicle.

Do check ahead on websites for the hotel’s access, the scenic sites access, restaurant access, etc.

There may be a FB or IG group sharing handicap-accessible reviews and tips. I remember seeing them in the past, and will post the names here when I run across them again.

Good luck to you!

[Dagmar]

Here are some interesting articles about traveling with a disability:

Which cities are the best for disabled travelers? https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2023/02/06/disabled-travel-accessibility-survey/8301328001/

8 Disability Travel Blogs: https://mobilitydeck.com/disability-travel-blogs/

 

[john-m-c]

Thanks for your help!

[mary-jo-fairweather]

Hi John, I live in Calgary, near Banff. You’d likely fly into the Calgary airport. The town of Banff is very busy and parking is always a bit of a challenge. Once you get parked it’s easy to walk around the main part of town, which has lots of shops and restaurants. Because of traffic issues, sites like Lake Louise, which is beautiful, now have buses running out from town. You should check to see if there are exemptions for the handicapped or if there are accessible buses. A lovely drive is the Bow Valley Parkway, which is between Banff and Lake Louise. There is a hotel in Kananaskis Provincial Park called William Watson Lodge that is designed for people with disabilities. That’s between Calgary and Banff. It’s right in the mountains. If you have questions about the area I’ll try to answer them.

[john-m-c]

That’s great info, thanks so much. As i get further into the plan I will definitely be in touch.

[mary-jo-fairweather]

Glad to help:)

[judy-weger]

where does a woman go pee

[Dagmar]

Here is an interesting online seminar…

MDA Virtual Learning Webinar: Accessible Travel 

Planning a trip can be overwhelming. Airplanes, hotels, and destinations are not always as accessible as they should be. Join MDA for a webinar focused on accessible travel and learn about your rights as a traveler as well as tips for making your travels as smooth as possible.

Not available to join live on February 22nd? Register to receive an email when the webinar is available to view on-demand.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023 
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET

Details & Register:

https://www.mda.org/care/community-ed/virtual-learning-programs/2023/accessible-travel

[jt-taylor]

Hi John, my advice is to travel as much as you can for as long as you can if that’s what you like to do. I am still able to walk, although not too far, but have lost the use of my arms so I’m very dependent on others for assistance. We travelled recently to Jamaica for 2 weeks. Along with my wife came my brother and his wife and my sister. They were my travel entourage. If you have friends or family that can join you on your trip, it will make it that much more enjoyable for you and your gang. We did not rent a vehicle but instead took local taxis who were very helpful. Good luck in your travels and enjoy every minute of it

[john-m-c]

Thanks, JT!

[kerry-penn]

My husband and I take several road trips a year. I use a power chair and we have a lift for it on our truck. Before we got the lift my husband would take the chair apart into 3 pieces and put the pieces in the backseat. Our travels have taught us that “handicapped/accessible” varies greatly from hotel to hotel. We’ve been in handicapped rooms that I could not close the door to the bathroom when I went in on my chair as there was not enough space. Also, many rooms have accessible tubs which only means grab bars. Thankfully, I can still transfer from my chair to the little bench in the tub that’s available but I often wonder about those who can’t transfer easily.

If you have time, contact the hotel where you plan to stay and ask specifically about their accessible rooms. Don’t rely on photos from the hotel website.

[bill-corrigan]

I have done 2 international trips with family since my diagnosis 1 year ago. I also did a cross country drive with my adulty daughter and a 4 hour flight by myself (including driving to the airport long term parking and shuttle to the terminal, with a manual wheelchair.  This is a typical travel year for me. Next trip is the FLA keys with the family.

So I say do your research (like asking questions here and getting great feedback) and go and have fun!

I don’t know about clearance on scooters, but many curb cuts suck, and are steep. So be careful! Enjoy!

[bill-corrigan]

I have done 2 international trips with family since my diagnosis 1 year ago. I also did a cross country drive with my adulty daughter and a 4 hour flight by myself (including driving to the airport long term parking and shuttle to the terminal, with a manual wheelchair.  This is a typical travel year for me. Next trip is the FLA keys with the family.

So I say do your research (like asking questions here and getting great feedback) and go and have fun!

I don’t know about clearance on scooters, but many curb cuts suck, and are steep. So be careful! Enjoy!

[john-m-c]

Thanks for the info. I appreciate the input!

[john-addy]

I live in dfw.  I’m having a scooter designed for me by numotion contact Tom.  If you are interested in this contact l can give you more information

[Dagmar]

Here’s a free online workshop offered by the MDA:

Access Workshop: Access to Travel and Transportation

https://www.mda.org/care/access-workshop/2023/access-to-travel-and-transportation