Best European Cities for Walking Challenged
Oct 21st, 2016, 10:53 AM
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Best European Cities for Walking Challenged
When I was younger I imagined that even at an advanced age I would be able to enjoy walking around cities, but I was wrong. Now I can't enjoy walking farther than a half mile, and I have a very low tolerance for walking up hills.
Last May I was able to enjoy NYC because I lived there for 30 years and know the city well. Using taxis, subways, and busses I was able to get around to my satisfaction.
I have traveled widely in Europe, but I never gave any thought to how difficult it is to walk around any city or town because that was never a problem for me until I was in Madrid in late 2013 and a friend who lives tested me to my limits by walking me all over the place.
Any suggestions about easy-to-walk cities and towns in Europe?
HTtY
Last May I was able to enjoy NYC because I lived there for 30 years and know the city well. Using taxis, subways, and busses I was able to get around to my satisfaction.
I have traveled widely in Europe, but I never gave any thought to how difficult it is to walk around any city or town because that was never a problem for me until I was in Madrid in late 2013 and a friend who lives tested me to my limits by walking me all over the place.
Any suggestions about easy-to-walk cities and towns in Europe?
HTtY
Oct 21st, 2016, 11:09 AM
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Paris and Munich. Extensive public transit plus can get to anywhere in a taxi.
Rome, but not archaeological sites.
While many people visit these cities heavily early and leave difficult to visit places for later trips, I am only visiting them now when I land or return from these cities, so that it gets harder to walk around, I still have places I can visit with plenty of new things to do.
I have mentioned this to many other people, but have met only with indifference. As you mentioned, all I heard has been "imagined that even at an advanced age I would be able to enjoy walking around cities." They limit themselves to do easy trips now and assume outright that they can postpone going to places requiring mobility and stamina later. Living in a fantasy land has no season.
Rome, but not archaeological sites.
While many people visit these cities heavily early and leave difficult to visit places for later trips, I am only visiting them now when I land or return from these cities, so that it gets harder to walk around, I still have places I can visit with plenty of new things to do.
I have mentioned this to many other people, but have met only with indifference. As you mentioned, all I heard has been "imagined that even at an advanced age I would be able to enjoy walking around cities." They limit themselves to do easy trips now and assume outright that they can postpone going to places requiring mobility and stamina later. Living in a fantasy land has no season.
Oct 21st, 2016, 11:15 AM
#4
London is flat - and the terrific bus service means you don't have to slog on the Tube.
Much of Paris - the same.
Amsterdam is flat and has trams.
Brugges is flat and quite small.
Oxford (the scenic central bits) is compact and flat.
York (again the central bits inside the medieval walls) is very small and flat.
Edinburgh is <B>NOT</B> flat
Much of Paris - the same.
Amsterdam is flat and has trams.
Brugges is flat and quite small.
Oxford (the scenic central bits) is compact and flat.
York (again the central bits inside the medieval walls) is very small and flat.
Edinburgh is <B>NOT</B> flat
Oct 21st, 2016, 11:35 AM
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My wife has bad feet - so she has problems if she walks more than about 1 hr without a 15-30 min rest. We spend 2 months in Europe (mainly France) every year and explore different regions & cities. The city she has the fewest "problems" with is actually Paris. For the following reasons:
1. It is relatively flat - except for the Montmartre area
2. It has probably the highest density of "things to see" - so less walking from site to site.
3. It has the highest density of cafes where you can sit for an hour & catch your breath.
4. The bus system is superb. If she "crashes" and we are a long way from "home", we can almost always find a bus stop within 2 blocks that can get us home. But you need to be familiar with riding buses in Paris & have a copy of Metro Map #2.
5. Buses again. We have spent entire days just riding the buses around Paris - zig-zagging through areas using connecting bus routes. If we pull up to a stop and the areas looks interesting to explore - we'll get off the bus, walk around for 30-60 mins - then back on the bus. We don't use the Metro very much because you can't see things out the windows of the metro trains, and it is kinda depressing, IMO, to wait/sit and ride in the metro underground.
6. The Seine & l'Isle St Louis. Last year we ended our 1 month fall visit to France with 2 weeks in Paris. The last few days in Paris my wife was "dragging". So we just walked along the Quays of the Seine (naturally flat) and stopped quite often at various benches, sat on stairs, or at a cafe and had a coffee for our 30 min rest. Lots of "people watching" opportunities. Same concept with l'Isle St Louis & Blvd St Germain.
The same "plan" as above is good for London too (without the density of cafes) - but we found ourselves walking a lot more in London than in Paris because London is larger & more spread out. We used the underground more in London than we used the Metro in Paris - and less buses in London than in Paris.
We walked quite a bit in Madrid.
Stu Dudley
1. It is relatively flat - except for the Montmartre area
2. It has probably the highest density of "things to see" - so less walking from site to site.
3. It has the highest density of cafes where you can sit for an hour & catch your breath.
4. The bus system is superb. If she "crashes" and we are a long way from "home", we can almost always find a bus stop within 2 blocks that can get us home. But you need to be familiar with riding buses in Paris & have a copy of Metro Map #2.
5. Buses again. We have spent entire days just riding the buses around Paris - zig-zagging through areas using connecting bus routes. If we pull up to a stop and the areas looks interesting to explore - we'll get off the bus, walk around for 30-60 mins - then back on the bus. We don't use the Metro very much because you can't see things out the windows of the metro trains, and it is kinda depressing, IMO, to wait/sit and ride in the metro underground.
6. The Seine & l'Isle St Louis. Last year we ended our 1 month fall visit to France with 2 weeks in Paris. The last few days in Paris my wife was "dragging". So we just walked along the Quays of the Seine (naturally flat) and stopped quite often at various benches, sat on stairs, or at a cafe and had a coffee for our 30 min rest. Lots of "people watching" opportunities. Same concept with l'Isle St Louis & Blvd St Germain.
The same "plan" as above is good for London too (without the density of cafes) - but we found ourselves walking a lot more in London than in Paris because London is larger & more spread out. We used the underground more in London than we used the Metro in Paris - and less buses in London than in Paris.
We walked quite a bit in Madrid.
Stu Dudley
Oct 21st, 2016, 11:51 AM
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London and Paris. Don't really agree with Rome if you have problems walking because the surface you are walking on is often very uneven, cobblestones are missing etc etc. I don't have problems walking and I find Rome does my feet and ankles in.
Florence is good but you need to go when it isn't crowded which is November, January, February and most of March. Otherwise when it is crowded it can be difficult because of the volume of people and the sidewalks are very narrow.
Venice is good but you do need to be able to do some stairs up and over canals.
I agree with Greg about not delaying difficult trips. I think people over estimate their abilities. A friend was recently in Macchu Picchu (sp?) and she said there were quite a few people in their 70's and 80's having real difficulty. Not with the altitude but with the walking and clambering around on uneven ground. My friend is 60 and she said it drove it home to her to do these kinds of trips right now.
Florence is good but you need to go when it isn't crowded which is November, January, February and most of March. Otherwise when it is crowded it can be difficult because of the volume of people and the sidewalks are very narrow.
Venice is good but you do need to be able to do some stairs up and over canals.
I agree with Greg about not delaying difficult trips. I think people over estimate their abilities. A friend was recently in Macchu Picchu (sp?) and she said there were quite a few people in their 70's and 80's having real difficulty. Not with the altitude but with the walking and clambering around on uneven ground. My friend is 60 and she said it drove it home to her to do these kinds of trips right now.
Oct 21st, 2016, 12:01 PM
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Janis
You made a cross-over of french and flemish spelling for Bruges.
Bruges is the french spelling (also english but who cares)
Brugge is the correct (flemish) spelling. It means 'bruggen' - bridges in the language of Vondel.
Riga is flat. Rome is not easy. Honfleur is flat. Angoulème is a nightmare. Lisbon is not easy unless you queue and take the trams.
Etc.
You made a cross-over of french and flemish spelling for Bruges.
Bruges is the french spelling (also english but who cares)
Brugge is the correct (flemish) spelling. It means 'bruggen' - bridges in the language of Vondel.
Riga is flat. Rome is not easy. Honfleur is flat. Angoulème is a nightmare. Lisbon is not easy unless you queue and take the trams.
Etc.
Oct 21st, 2016, 01:06 PM
#10
Prague 'new town' is flat. Old town is not. Still plenty to see.
Tallinn would be a great compliment to Riga. There are some very slight grades.
Salzburg old town is flat. The castle grounds may be too much to handle, even though there is a funicular to the top.
Vienna town square and surroundings are flat.
Tallinn would be a great compliment to Riga. There are some very slight grades.
Salzburg old town is flat. The castle grounds may be too much to handle, even though there is a funicular to the top.
Vienna town square and surroundings are flat.
Oct 21st, 2016, 02:11 PM
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An easy fix for Prague: Take the tram to the top of the old town, then it's downhill all the way. Plenty of places to sit and rest.
I found Amsterdam's tram system a huge help; Salzburg old town is flat and compact, Florence, very easy. Vienna is flat but quite spread out.
I can no longer walk more than 1/4 mile without stopping for 15-20 minutes so certainly sympathize. Public transport is so good in Europe that I won't stop traveling, I just take it easier. Just mix it up a lot alternating walks with cafés and people watching.
Good luck!
I found Amsterdam's tram system a huge help; Salzburg old town is flat and compact, Florence, very easy. Vienna is flat but quite spread out.
I can no longer walk more than 1/4 mile without stopping for 15-20 minutes so certainly sympathize. Public transport is so good in Europe that I won't stop traveling, I just take it easier. Just mix it up a lot alternating walks with cafés and people watching.
Good luck!
Oct 21st, 2016, 02:46 PM
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Paris is only flat in the central tourist area. (Even travel in the 5th involves climbing.) If you're traveling outside that area you'll run into many hills and steps. What makes Paris doable for those walking challenged is the excellent bus system, frequent benches and parks for sitting and lots of cafes.
Oct 21st, 2016, 03:31 PM
#13
Returned recently from Vienna. Stayed in the city center & it was very easy to walk to many sites. The public transport system is excellent also.
The extensive pedestrian avenues have many cafes & seating available. Carriage rides are fun to see the inner city.
The extensive pedestrian avenues have many cafes & seating available. Carriage rides are fun to see the inner city.
Oct 21st, 2016, 09:03 PM
#14
Paris and London for reasons stated above. Plentiful public transportation. And in a trip to both cities last year I used Uber with great success when I just couldn't walk to a bus stop or taxi stand in areas where taxis weren't plentiful.
Barcelona. This is one place I thought the hop on/hop off bus was very helpful.
Lisbon is VERY hilly except for the central Baixa neighborhood but taxis are plentiful and inexpensive.
Barcelona. This is one place I thought the hop on/hop off bus was very helpful.
Lisbon is VERY hilly except for the central Baixa neighborhood but taxis are plentiful and inexpensive.
Oct 22nd, 2016, 03:19 AM
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I don't think Rome is so difficult. Like Paris, the central area is quite compact, with a high density of things to see. There is a very adequate bus system.
Rome doesn't have cobblestones. Pedestrian streets often have paving blocks, called sanpietrini, which are flat on top, unlike cobblestones. Paris, and to a lesser extent London, have streets with similar paving blocks.
Cobblestones:
http://rosannefreed.files.wordpress....bblestones.jpg
Sanpietrini:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ampietrini.jpg
If paving blocks are broken or missing, there's a risk of tripping, but there are also often impediments on asphalt paving.
By the way, in many cities, including London, Paris, and Rome, you can use Google Maps to navigate the bus (and metro) system. Put in your starting and ending locations, and click on the bus icon. It will tell you not only which bus to take, but how to get to the bus stop, what direction the bus will be going in, the name of your destination stop, and how many stops to your destination. When you get off, it tells you how to walk from there to your destination. Modern buses have an electronic display and an automatic announcement telling you which stop is coming up.
Rome doesn't have cobblestones. Pedestrian streets often have paving blocks, called sanpietrini, which are flat on top, unlike cobblestones. Paris, and to a lesser extent London, have streets with similar paving blocks.
Cobblestones:
http://rosannefreed.files.wordpress....bblestones.jpg
Sanpietrini:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ampietrini.jpg
If paving blocks are broken or missing, there's a risk of tripping, but there are also often impediments on asphalt paving.
By the way, in many cities, including London, Paris, and Rome, you can use Google Maps to navigate the bus (and metro) system. Put in your starting and ending locations, and click on the bus icon. It will tell you not only which bus to take, but how to get to the bus stop, what direction the bus will be going in, the name of your destination stop, and how many stops to your destination. When you get off, it tells you how to walk from there to your destination. Modern buses have an electronic display and an automatic announcement telling you which stop is coming up.
Oct 22nd, 2016, 06:19 AM
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HI, I have had knee replacement so know what you are dealing with. I think Amsterdam would be an easier city. The tram system is very good. Stay near a tram stop, such as the Delphi Hotel in Amsterdam on Appollolaan, which is 1/2 block from tram, goes straight to Rijks Museum/Van Gogh museum, and connects to other trams to get all over. Stick with one city and be sure to take along a very good cane/wooden, not the metal things that collapse.. Use wheel chair service at airport so you do not get too much fatigue on knee at airports. Avoid cobblestone streets/areas or take taxi. Use canal boats to see the city too. Bus tour of city also and tours on bus to little villages outside of Amsterdam/cheese making, fishing villages all on buses. My two cents. Sue (big hotel right across from the delphi Hotel that can arrange tour to Dutch fishing villages/cheese place.)
Oct 22nd, 2016, 09:31 AM
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Interesting to read these comments. I too have difficulty walking more than about a mile without my legs getting very tired. Even sitting in a cafe for half an hour doesn't seem to be enough of a rest to reinvigorate me. An hour rest is better but doesn't really solve the problem.
All the suggestions for public transport seem sensible. I now take advantage of hop-on/hop-off buses and little tours.
This year I've decided to go to Málaga for Holy Week and rent a seat along the route of the processions, then go to Nerja to study Spanish for a month in April 2017.
The next year after that I plan on going to Munich to study German at a Goethe Institute. Spending a month studying a foreign language is not everyone's cup of tea, but it gives me a focus and enables me to sit for half the day and be more active during the other half.
All the suggestions for public transport seem sensible. I now take advantage of hop-on/hop-off buses and little tours.
This year I've decided to go to Málaga for Holy Week and rent a seat along the route of the processions, then go to Nerja to study Spanish for a month in April 2017.
The next year after that I plan on going to Munich to study German at a Goethe Institute. Spending a month studying a foreign language is not everyone's cup of tea, but it gives me a focus and enables me to sit for half the day and be more active during the other half.
Oct 22nd, 2016, 10:43 AM
#18
I agree with bvlenci about Rome. Paris b/c of the transportation system. I went to Rome once with my mom and I just stuck her in taxis when she was tired. She could then meet me places that I would walk to/from.
Krakow in particular is dead easy. Its center is small and it's touristy, so they have these little golf-cart thingies that you can hire to drive you around. We thought they were pretty silly, but then got into a situation where we needed to get from the museum at Schindler's Factory to the Mariacki Basilica by a certain time to see the Veit Stoss altarpiece. We knew we would never make it on foot. So we hopped in to one:
http://www.pbase.com/leelygoes/image/153044306
Krakow in particular is dead easy. Its center is small and it's touristy, so they have these little golf-cart thingies that you can hire to drive you around. We thought they were pretty silly, but then got into a situation where we needed to get from the museum at Schindler's Factory to the Mariacki Basilica by a certain time to see the Veit Stoss altarpiece. We knew we would never make it on foot. So we hopped in to one:
http://www.pbase.com/leelygoes/image/153044306
Oct 22nd, 2016, 12:11 PM
#19
Vienna town square and surroundings are flat.>>
it has the advantage of having lifts down to the U-Bahn so that you don't have to schlepp up and down stairs which is great for those with mobility problems.
also Berlin's U-Bahn lines are surprisingly close to the surface so you don't need to worry too much about steps.
<<This year I've decided to go to Málaga for Holy Week and rent a seat along the route of the processions, then go to Nerja to study Spanish for a month in April 2017.
The next year after that I plan on going to Munich to study German at a Goethe Institute.>>
Good for you, Peg!
it has the advantage of having lifts down to the U-Bahn so that you don't have to schlepp up and down stairs which is great for those with mobility problems.
also Berlin's U-Bahn lines are surprisingly close to the surface so you don't need to worry too much about steps.
<<This year I've decided to go to Málaga for Holy Week and rent a seat along the route of the processions, then go to Nerja to study Spanish for a month in April 2017.
The next year after that I plan on going to Munich to study German at a Goethe Institute.>>
Good for you, Peg!
