This is only in the very early planning stages. My wife has recently been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. We have talked for some time about "eating our way from one end of Italy to the other" but due to her diagnosis, things are a bit more urgent. She is particularly interested in Tuscany. But hot weather is out of the question and we don't want to go without a game plan but don't like "packaged tours." And we don't have a great deal of money. So thats the story. Got any ideas?

I spent a few days in Northern Italy in 2003...and thoroughly LOVED Florence. There are many much-better travelled people than me who can give you some advice on what to see beyond Florence, but I will tell you it's worth a few days on its own.

I've known a few people with MS, and their symptoms were wide-ranging, one with more physical symptoms (she was wheelchair bound) and others whose symptoms were milder and in one case more neurological. It might help to know if your wife is suffering many symptoms beyond fatigue, because Europe is not as equipped to handle the disabilities of someone who has physical limitations as the U.S.b due to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Northern Italy -- unless you're going to some big name places like Venice and Milan, is rather affordable. Florence we paid about $80 a night for a very nice hotel close in.

I'd recommend making sure when you make reservations to ask for ground floor accommodations if there's no elevator (which there won't be in smaller budget hotels), so you don't end up dragging your wife up 4 flights of stairs to a room. Check for hotels that are centrally located to avoid additional fatigue from the commute into the city and back.

DO take the time to go to a bookstore in your town and take a look at some guidebooks. For first-timers, Rick Steves books (including Italy 2005 which is out now) will be a GREAT help to you in deciding on what to see, and he does have some tips on travelers who have disabilities.

You can also check out his website at ricksteves.com. I think he has a separate board for travel tips for those with any special needs.

Happy Travels,

Jules

I must add that I applaud you both for taking a special trip to a very special place where you can share your memories of your trip together, and that will last for years to come.

My Mom, who is 65, is going to Paris with me, and she's making a point of traveling with each of her kids to a different place while she's still young and healthy enough to travel.

MS or not, you don't know how long you have to live (anyone can get hit by a bus tomorrow) and traveling together will give you such wonderful memories together.

If you need any help, let me know. I'm here often and am well-versed in online reservations, budget (but not starvation-style) travel.

My e-mail is [email protected]

Happy travels,

Jules

..have a wonderful trip. Before you go do check with your insurance company. Make sure that you have some form of medical and repatriation coverage. If you have a plan from work or on a credit card this may be included. If not check with your wife's neurologist re the advisability of travel. Even people with chronic problems can get relatively reasonable travel insurance if the disease has been stable (and read the fine print as to definition of stability). Nothing would mar a trip more than an uncovered emergency trip home.

I was lucky enough to travel with nine female friends, one of whom uses a wheelchair, to Italy this spring. We found everyone extraordinarily kind and helpful to our whole group. Tell us a bit more about your travel needs so we can help you with the specifics .

Traveling in Italy does not have to be expensive. The cooler months are much preferred over the hot and crowded summer months. There are many many Italy experts on this board who are willing to help you formulate a game plan. Find a map of Italy and dream a little. Do you like cities, the countryside, or a little of both. Do you plan to drive? Driving is very doable, even for a first-timer, excepting maybe the Amalfi coast and the big cities, where you don't need a car anyway.

Bob the Navigator, our resident itinerary expert, recommends the following (which I shamelessly copied from an earlier post).

BOB the NAVIGATORS’ FIVE FAVORITE ITINERARIES
__________________________________________________ ______________

MAGICAL FAIRYLANDS:
* Arrive and depart Munich--14 nites--May thru Sep.--car travel
* ITINERARY: Salzburg, Dolomites, Venice, Lake Garda, Bavaria
============================================
BELLA ITALIA:
* Arr Milan, dep Venice--15 nites--car & train travel--April thru Oct.
* ITINERARY: Lakes, Ligurian coast, Tuscany, Florence, Venice
============================================
CLASSIC ITALIA:
* Arrive & depart Rome--12 to 14 nites--car & train travel, all year
* ITINERARY: Florence, Tuscan & Umbrian hilltowns, Rome
============================================
LA DOLCE VITA:
* Arr & dep Rome--12 nites--car & train travel--March thru Oct.
* ITINERARY: Amalfi coast, Tuscan hilltowns, Rome
============================================
OF ALPS & LAKES:
* Arrive and depart Zurich--12 nites--train travel--June thru Sep.
* ITINERARY: Berner Oberland, Lugano, Lake Como, Luzern

THE VILLAGE SAMPLER: My personal favorites—north to south.
• Arr Milan & dep Rome---car travel---plan 3 nites per location
• Lake Orta, Castelrotto, Portovenere, Montalcino, Ravello

Hi

I'm sorry to hear of your wife's illness. My sister in law has it so I am familiar with its symptoms. It is important for us to live stress free, especially so for your wife. So a trip to Tuscany is very medicinal! I would suggest late September, early October when weather is still nice but cooler (April/May should be OK as well). Leave Venice, last when crowds are smaller.

Here's a few of properties in Tuscany that are inexpensive and are self catering, saving on meal costs
1. http://www.rent-holiday-homes.com/de...php?object=283

2. http://www.cyberrentals.com/ITA/CantITA.html

3. http://www.cyberrentals.com/ITA/BardITA.html

I would also suggest some time in Venice (it's very romantic). It's quite a compact city so she wouldn't have to walk far between cafes/patisseries/restaurants! Try this cheap self catering apartment http://www.villarama.com/3276.html

When it comes to good, cheap properties it's advisable to book ASAP.

I hope this helps. Best of luck to you both.

Hi, handsonpta!

I made my first trip to Italy about 3 yrs. after being diagnosed with MS (I had been to other European countries before that). Now, 10 yrs. post-dx, I've been back to Italy a couple of times, and to Greece, and will go to Germany this fall. Travel is perfectly feasible for most people with MS, and only requires a few more factors to consider than most people face.

For example, has your wife started taking one of the immunomodulator drugs? If it needs constant refrigeration, then there are travel coolers designed to keep it cool long enough for transatlantic travel. Or if she walks but has balance problems, then a travel cane can help with cobblestoned streets.

I do have to consider temperature, walking distances, etc., in planning my trips, as well as a few other things. For instance, I expected short trips (7-8 days) to be hard on me with jet lag piled onto fatigue, but too-long trips (for me, 3 weeks) are also hard, because lots of walking for that many successive days is difficult.

For what this is worth, these are trips I've made since learning I have MS:

>Rome/Florence/Milan, 3-wk. trip in spring--Rome and especially Florence were magical, but Milan was a waste as I was exhausted

>Parma/Rome, 2-wk. trip in early summer--A delightful trip, with no real difficulty

>Venice, 1-wk. trip in early spring--Too short a trip; by the time I was rested, it was time to leave

I've also made other trips, once to Greece (in Sept.--I paid a high price for the heat, but the dates were non-negotiable), several times to NYC (LOTS of walking, but with planning it works), and to other places, and fully expect to make many more.

I hope this is not being too personal, but when you mention that things are a bit more urgent, then I can remember having that feeling when I was newly diagnosed. The uncertainty of the future gave me the sense that I had to do everything NOW, before the chance was lost forever. As it has turned out for me (so far), and as it turns out for most people with MS, things are not quite as under-the-gun as they seem at first blush. My worst fears, like, "I'll ALWAYS have to walk with a cane! My eyes will keep getting worse and I'll go BLIND!" have not come to pass in 10 years. My energy level and heat tolerance have slid steadily over the last decade, but travel is certainly still an option.

I hope I haven't offended you. The upshot of what I'm saying is that travel with MS requires more planning, but is certainly still very practicable. So please don't feel pressured by urgency, but rather understand that there's very likely time to plan the trip that you'll really enjoy.

Happy travels!

Hi, handsonpta; let me re-iterate the other advise you're getting here and add some.

Firt off, there are lots of different types of MS, and whilst people mostly find out they've got it in their early twenties sometimes it's not diagnosed till much later. Your wife's general physical condition will affect the way you want to approach this. If he's young and (otherwise) fit) do more- if not, do less.

Two things I'd caution against. One is the heat. Go in May. It won't be that hot but it should be sunny. The second is doing too much physically. MS gets worse (overstatement that, but...) with too much exercise. So take it easy. Slow down and smell the coffee- it smells ace in Italy anyway. Book tickets for sights like the Palazzo Vecchia, in advance. Walk a little in town centres in the evenings.

There are lots of organisations with expertise in MS that can give you advice. I suspect your wife, if recently diagnosed, will not have critical symptoms yet, so make the most of it. But remember you could well be making this trip in 40 years' time.

(My father-in-law got it in the early 1950s, had over 20 years' remission, then lived with the symptoms for another 25 years; and another close family member has it. He was diagnosed at the age of 24. This year, at 50, is the first time she's had to deal with the symptoms. My husband has worked as a volunteer with one fo the UK national charities for MS since 1982. So we know a bit about it. It doesn't have to be a crisis if you're sensible}

Hello handsonpta, I am sure not an expert on MS although I have known some people affected with it.

It seems like you have received some wonderful advice here on Fodors.

What I would like to add is how fortunate your dear wife is to have you for her husband. Your love and devotion will help her a lot I am sure as she and you deal with this medical problem. I am a firm believer that mental attitude does help all kinds of health problems. And with your attitude I truly believe her MS will be bearable for a long time.

I would also suggest that you two find small towns to enjoy in Tuscany during spring or fall. Prices for hotels and restaurants will be lower then in Florence etc. and the lifestyle will be more relaxed which will be better for both of you. My very best wishes and good thoughts are with both of you.

We are avid train people but I don't remember seeing signs for elevators at the stations. Getting to different tracks required steps down and then steps back up. With luggage, this can require a slightly above-average level of fitness. What say you Fodorites?

The trick here is probably to make certain you aren't rushed. We encountered broken elevators & no elevators from time to time. I fortunately was traveling with someone who could do the heavy lifting (2 26" roller bags)while I carried the lighter (20" rollers)ones. Once the stairs were navigated, we reattached the small to the large and rolled on. But several times my guy assisted others who were having difficulty. I saw others similarly help those in trouble. Frustrating though it may be, don't knock the kindness of strangers! We all need it from time to time.

Having said that, packing light is crucial. If I'd been travelling alone, I would not have taken 2 suitcases, even though they belted securely together & rolled, simply because I couldn't have lifted both alone on & off trains & buses.

In some train stations, you CAN get assistance, but finding these offices may be tough, and will take extra time. Try to identify where they are in the stations you'll be visiting before you go.

Another tip: If your wife's mobility is limited such that she is eligible for a handicapped driver permit, be sure to take it along if you plan to rent a car. Our wheelchair user took hers and we were always able to park very close to wherever we needed to be, even in restricted parking areas that weren't necessarily marked as handicapped spaces. We usually just found a policeman and showed him/her the permit and found out it was OK to park there.

Bringing this to the top 50 for the original poster who may not know how to retrieve his post.

See http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34651663 for continued questions...

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi,I also have M.S. and have had it for 28 years. My husband and I are planning a trip to the Northern areas of Italy in the spring of 2007. We were going to go on a tour and have decided the pace and the walking( I use a cane or wheel chair for longer walks)is too much. So,we are renting an apartment somwhere in the Northern section of Italy and renting a car. We can go at our own pace.I am very positive about our trip as well as you and you wife should be. Be preprared and do a lot of reading.There are several books out for travelors that have physcial limatations.