britomart

I booked a ticket to London many many months ago. I was certain that an injury I have been suffering with for the last year would be gone by now. I have tendonitis and can only walk up to 2 hours a day, max. I'm supposed to leave with my friend in 3 weeks on our trip. We'll be in Paris for 3 nights and London for 6.

My friend says it will be okay and that we will take lots of bus tours or hang out in cafes and pubs. She is also limited in her ability to walk due to sciatica. But honestly, I don't even want to go. If I can't walk for hours and see everything I want to see, I really have no desire to go. I bought insurance for my airfare and there is a chance that I would get the airfare refunded. But I know my friend will be mighty peeved if I bail. What would you do?

britomart

Forgot to add, this would be my 3rd trip to London and Paris and I have seen all the major sites.

carolyn

If you have seen the major sites, why not go to the theater a lot in London and do river cruises in both cities and eat a lot of good food? If I had a trip to London and Paris already booked, I think I'd hire a wheelchair and go anyway. It's been too long since I've been.

janisj

Walking two hours a day is a LOT for many people. When I started reading, I was figuring, you are in a walking cast or are confined to a wheelchair.

You can walk, rest, sit, walk some more, and share experiences w/ your friend. If I was 'limited' to <u>two hours</u> walking . . . I'd never consider canceling. That really isn't much limitation unless you were doing major hiking.

You must have been very lucky up to now health-wise . . .

DebitNM

IF you don't go, will she still go? How will that impact her cost? Will she have to pay for hotel etc on her own, for the full amount? It seems unfair to dump this on her. If you are able to go, you should even though it won't be what you thought you'd be doing. A nice time might still ensue, it could even lead to a few unexpected things.

If she won't go alone, I think that is another set of issues. How will she feel about that and will she lose HER money if she doesn't go?

I think you really need to go. Hey, you may just surprise yourself and have a grand adventure.

crazyfortravel

I could never get bored on London or Paris. I would take a leisurely boat trip on the Seine or Thames. I would take the hop on hop double decker on an infinite loop around and around. I would sit in a cafe or park and people watch all day long. I wish I was going...I'd find a way to enjoy two of the top world class cities.

janisj

"<i>I think I'd hire a wheelchair and go anyway.</i>"

I don't see a wheel chair as necessary, or even desirable. You aren't that disabled. Just slowed down a bit.

Nikki

I have had many enjoyable trips to London and Paris despite some mobility issues. It's up to you, of course, and you say that you don't really want to go if you can't walk for hours and see everything you want to see.

In my case, I take buses and taxis, plan ahead so that there won't be that much walking between points. I enjoy concerts and theater. I find that I take better pictures when I am parked on a bench for a while and see things in more detail than when I am moving around. I suspect that many people read my trip reports and think I have covered a lot of ground without realizing how little walking I actually do.

sugarmaple

The best times I've had in both Paris and London have been doing just that - sitting in cafes and pubs and watching the world go by.

Settling in somewhere for the afternoon is such a luxurious pasttime...I wouldn't even think twice about going.

greg

I would take taxis and avoid going to places requiring a lot of walking. If you have been to all major sites, it seems you can be selective in your choice of itinerary. I have been to Paris many times, and it would be the top city in Europe I would continue to vist when I can no longer move around easily.

latedaytraveler

Hi Britomart, just wondering, are your hotels in Paris and London centrally located?

"My friend says it will be okay and that we will take lots of bus tours or hang out in cafes and pubs. She is also limited in her ability to walk due to sciatica."

Your friend sounds like a good sport who really wants to go on this trip.

Like the others above, I hope that you do go...

catcrazyaf

Go go go. It's Paris! You'll make the adjustments you need.

michele_d

Hi Britomart,
You really have to wrap your mind around the fact that this might be the way you will have to travel forever. Just in case your injury doesn't heal up properly. Are you really willing to never travel again? Or are you willing to adjust the way you travel and still be able to travel.

During our 6 week trip this year, my back injury flared up really really bad for the last three weeks (darn those spiral church staircases), where I really just wanted to stay in my room some of the days and do no walking whatsoever because of the pain.

I had to make the choice that I still wanted to see what I could, but at a much much slower pace. My husband knew the pain I was in so we just took it at a different speed. Many more taxis than we normally take, buses when we would have normally walked etc.

We adjusted just fine and had an absolutely fantastic time. I do not think now of what I did not get to see, but what wonderful beautiful things I DID get to see. Kind of the glass half full approach.

Seamus

On a trip with a niece nursing a bad knee we minimized walking by taking lots of buses in both London and Paris as opposed to using the tube/metro (which often entails significant amounts of walking including stairs within stations and when making connections.) Worked out quite well, actually, allowing us to see more while traversing the streets above ground.

djkbooks

Here's another huge recommendation for going and using the buses. The bus networks in both cities are excellent and minimize walking (and no stairs or long walks for connections as with the tube/metro).

One of the joys of having been around to all the major sites is that you can slow down, do less, spend more time just enjoying the scene.

Though "touristy", we ride the double decker hop on/hop off buses every visit for the magnificent scenery all over.

thursdaysd

You don't even need to spring for the hop-on buses. The regular buses are fine and fun. I love to ride on the top deck because the upper stories are more interesting.

I sympathise, but only a little. I've limped around Vienna, Budapest and Venice (click on my name for the Sore Foot TR ), and more recently tackled Japan and South Korea with a badly sprained ankle, but I certainly didn't regret carrying on. If you can walk for two hours, you just need to plan carefully.

Rastaguytoday

My rules of travel.

1) Sit when you can.

2) Stand if you must.

4) Walk if you have to.

Cowboy1968

Would you be scared to travel in any case, or is it the destinations that give you second thoughts?
If you think that London is "too big" to enjoy it without a certain level of fitness, why not take the direct coach from Heathrow to Oxford or similar?
A small town where everything is just 5 minutes away and which has a slower pace than the capital could be less stressful. You have a multitude of organized half day or day trips into the countryside to choose from, like from Oxford to the Cotswalds or to the houses and gardens in the vicinity.
And since you have seen all major sights in London already, it should not be the only option to go or not to go to England, assuming that you can still cancel your London hotel.

cynthia_booker

Are the mobility /walking issues the only problem?
I wonder if something else about the trip or your travel partner might be bothering you.

britomart

Thanks for the responses. I think it is the destination that scares me. If we were going to Hawaii, I would have no issues and be content to sit on the beach and read. The mobility issue is 95% of my concern.

I have always been the type of traveler who is always on the go. I figure I can sit in a cafe or a pub where I live. Is sitting at a cafe in Seattle as great as sitting in one in Paris? Of course not. But I don't go to Paris to do things I can do and see at home.

We booked all of our hotels thru the hotel sites so they are still fully refundable. My friend might pay a bit more to get her own room, but I don't think it would be that much more.

I didn't know that about the buses vs. the subway. I have always only taken the subway in both London and Paris. Good to know about the buses and it makes a lot of sense.

The two hours is definitely MAX, there might be days where I can only walk an hour. Especially if I overdo it the day before. Currently I am walking 1.5 hours every other day, and 45 min on the other day. I am HOPING I will be at 2 hours in 3 weeks time. But by the end of that 2 hours I will be limping back to the hotel.

michele_d, supposedly this is only temporary. What concerns me is that the tendon can potentially rupture when it is overused. My MD said it is unlikely at this point though. I admire your dedication to travel despite the difficulties you face. This is my first time having to travel while not being fully able-bodied, and I guess I'm just scared of the unknown.

I am okay with using a wheelchair at museums. I guess my main concern is what if something happens that forces me to be on my feet for hours and I have a major setback in my recovery? 6 months ago I couldn't walk for more than 5 min. I guess I'm afraid of overdoing it.

cowboy, we considered going somewhere like the Lake or Peak district, but again, if I go there, I want to walk walk walk and see all that beautiful scenery.