Open Writing

Have you ever felt you would love to travel overseas, but have shelved the idea because you are not as steady on your feet as you once were or you have a medical condition which impedes your mobility or causes you to tire easily? Don’t be put off. Many older people and those with chronic health conditions, travel widely. All it takes is forward planning and selecting the most appropriate type of holiday.

Start by choosing a destination and the best time of the year to visit there. By travelling to the northern hemisphere in their spring or autumn rather than the summer, you will avoid extremes of temperature, crowds and hours of queuing. In the Pacific, Asia and other tropical regions, cyclones and the rainy season can be avoided by travelling at the right time. Questioning your travel agent, consulting a guide book for the area or surfing the internet will provide this information.

It goes without saying, if you are travelling alone and have to handle your own luggage you need to pack lightly. Nevertheless, even if you are travelling with another person, never take more than you need. Remember, the enjoyment of any holiday diminishes as the size of your baggage increases.

Always put any medication in your hand luggage together with your tickets and passport.

When being checked through customs, it is wise to have on hand, a note from your doctor detailing any medication you are carrying.
Travelling to the opposite hemisphere from where you live inevitably requires a long flight. To travel in comfort, check a variety of different airlines to see what is on offer. Some occasionally discount business class fares or offer a class between business and economy that has better seating and more leg room. If your finances dictate economy class, look for day time flights, or those which arrive at your destination in the evening so you can go straight to bed when you arrive at your accommodation.

You will need to weigh up the pros and cons of flying straight to your destination against having a stopover. While a long flight can be tiring, the benefit of a shower and comfortable bed part way may not seem so appealing when you realize you must then face the hassle of standing in queues to be processed through an extra airport. Ask your travel agent about airports that have a transit hotel where you can break your journey. In this case, you need to take an overnight bag, as transit passengers don’t have access to their luggage.

To be as comfortable as possible during a flight, wear loose fitting clothing made from natural fibres to allow the body to breathe and have freedom of movement. To maintain good blood circulation, get up from your seat occasionally to walk around and stretch.

A long flight can leave even the most able bodied feeling tired, headachy and confused. The effects of jet lag can be diminished by drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol, tea and coffee during the flight. There are also various homoeopathic preparations available in some pharmacies, which if taken while you are traveling, relieve the tiredness associated with long distance flights. Nevertheless, it is wise to allow a couple of days at your destination to rest, before you travel any further.

Once you have decided which part of the world you would like to see it is time to think about the best way to do this. Although with independent travel you are able to regulate your timetable to match your pace, on the downside you have the bother of arranging accommodation, handling baggage and dealing with any problems which arise, possibly in a foreign language. Once settled in your accommodation, you are then left to explore your destination juggling a map, a guidebook and a phrase book while at the same time trying to negotiate an unfamiliar public transport system. This can be both tiring and stressful. If you do opt for independent travel, it is expedient to take advantage of local tour companies who will collect you from your hotel and return you there after the tour.

If you organize your own itinerary, ensuring any accommodation you book before you leave home is near public transport and food outlets, will avoid unnecessary walking. Check there is air conditioning and an elevator in the building. Many hotels have neither. It is also wise to ensure you are able to stay in your accommodation during the day if you wish to do so. Often guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments require guests to leave the premises after breakfast and not to return until the evening.

When weighing up the pros and cons of using public transport, bear in mind although public transport restricts you to a timetable and you have to make your way to the terminus, driving a vehicle in a foreign country, where you are unfamiliar with the road rules and unsure of which route to take, can be a nightmare.

A coach tour takes the worry out of travel as all itinerary planning, hotel reservations and baggage handling are done for you. Your tour director checks you in and out of the hotels along the way and is always happy to sort out any problems you may incur.

Nevertheless, be aware coach tours are not always the relaxing carefree holiday advertised in the brochure. Schedules are often hectic. A typical day can start with bags out by 7am to be on the road by 8am, ready to drive hundreds of kilometres, fitting in sight seeing along the way. This can be demanding for any traveller let alone those who are not in perfect health. When, as is often the case, such a day is followed by an 8pm meal at a restaurant some distance from your hotel, making it impossible to return until the coach is ready to leave two or three hours later, it is exhausting.

Furthermore, not all coach tours are equal. You get what you pay for. Less expensive tours are inclined to offer holidays which take you to many places in the shortest possible time and provide en route accommodation some distance from the centre of a town. While it will mean paying a little extra, it is a good idea to look for itineraries which incorporate two and three nights in one place and hotels within easy proximity to shops, cafes, and important landmarks. Some of the more up-market companies also offer delayed morning departures and a la carte meals in the restaurant of the hotel in which you are staying. Check with your travel agent.
Travellers with impaired mobility may find the thought of a coach tour daunting because they are worried about having to negotiate the steps of the bus. This is not sufficient reason to automatically reject this type of travel, as either the tour director or coach driver is always present to assist when passengers get on and off the bus. Furthermore, the majority of passengers on these tours are mature enough to realize if you need extra time to negotiate steps. If you are concerned about holding people up, simply sit back and make sure you are the last to alight.

A further fear of those with mobility problems is they will stiffen up from sitting in one position for long stretches of time. This is generally unfounded as there are always frequent stops along the way to stretch legs. Nevertheless, it is wise to look for companies whose buses have reclining seats and enough leg room to ensure you are comfortable for 10 or more days.

Undoubtedly the most relaxing way to see the world is by cruise ship. You only have to unpack once, there is food and drink on tap and you can be as active or as inactive as you please. Best of all when you need to rest, there is a bed on hand.

Don’t let the fear of seasickness put you off. Cruise ships have medical staff with fully equipped hospitals, where an anti-sea-sickness injection can be administered.

While all cruises can be a truly therapeutic experience, a Pacific cruise has the added benefit of long distances between ports, providing you with the luxury of lots of long, lazy days at sea. Some Pacific Islands (and a few of the smaller European destinations) are not equipped to dock cruise ships, making it necessary to anchor off shore. Passengers are then transported ashore by tender or motor launch. The crew happily assists those who are a little unsteady on their feet.

Cruising the seas around Europe and North America requires a good deal of stamina as the short distances between ports mean you often arrive at a different destination every day. Furthermore, some ports are many hours coach journey from the major cities they serve. For example, Civitavecchia is 90 minutes drive from Rome and Warnemunde is a three hour bus journey from Berlin. If you decide to visit one of these cities, be aware, no matter how you are feeling, it is not possible to return to the ship before the coach’s designated time of departure.

Having arrived in a place you have always dreamed of visiting, it is often tempting to push all thought of your disability to the back of your mind and reason you must do as much sightseeing as possible while you are there, with the end result being a major relapse. To gain maximum enjoyment from your cruise, I can’t stress enough how necessary it is to be well disciplined and to pace yourself.

When selecting on shore tours, choose ports which hold a special fascination for you. At others, stay on board and rest. A full service is available for those who want to do this. Look for shore tours which do not require a lot of walking or other activity and are of short duration. If you are in a hot climate, it is preferable to restrict shore tours to the morning when it is cooler.
If you can afford it, a great option to an organized tour is to explore a destination independently. There are always taxi drivers on the wharf willing to negotiate a fare.

If you decide not to do an organized shore tour, but think you would like to stroll into town as you have been reassured it is within easy walking distance, don’t. What may seem a short distance to a young, able bodied crew member often proves prohibitive to a person with a disability. It is disconcerting to find yourself in the position of setting off into town, then finding you don’t have enough energy to either continue on, or to return to the ship. There is always a plethora of public transport at each port. Make use of it.

At the conclusion of your cruise it may be tempting to take a few extra days to explore the port of disembarkation, it is wise, however, to return straight home, as the stress and energy required to catch public transport, walk around art galleries, museums, and other tourist attractions, can completely negate the benefit accrued from what has been a very relaxing holiday.

A great alternative to a European coach tour or cruise is a holiday on one of the many riverboats available. These allow you to take in the incredible scenery of central Europe along the way, while giving you many of the advantages of an ocean cruise.

Travelling abroad is a stress. Despite this, there is no need to see your lack of physical capability as an obstacle to having an exciting and enjoyable holiday and returning home truly invigorated. Plan your holiday schedule to meet your needs, then just do it!