london for a non-walker
 

My elderly mother wants to see London, but she has trouble walking more than a short distance. I'd love to take her on a trip for seniors but don't see much on the internet. Does anyone have any suggestions of interesting things we could do or see there that wouldn't be a problem for her?

Hello jobeydog. Have you tried going to google.com and typing in something like "Tours for disabled travelers" to see if there are any tour groups that specialize in this? It seems to me sometime back I read that there are tours for those with travel problems.

Or how about talking to a good travel agent? Good luck with your venture.

Two ideas:

<b>http://www.theoriginaltour.com/</b>

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34535187

My sister-in-law has very bad arthritis in her knees....bone on bone, so really cannot walk any kind of distance for very long. I certainly agree with the other posters to do some additonal research to see what you can find. We did not do a tour but here are the limitations and what we did: first of all, there were some places that just were not practical for her to visit like the Tower Of London..too many stairs. I had been there before and if I hadn't I would have gone by myself and met up with her and my brother later on. Stairs are not her strong suit because she can't bend her knees very well so most tube stops were out. For that reason, we did use cabs, splitting the cost made them more reasonable but I would have not traveled as much this way were circumstances different. We did find the hop-on hop-off bus worked really well. There were only a couple of steps and they usually let us off close to the particular site. You could always try that and then toward the end of the day if she is really getting fatigued, go ahead and take a cab back to your hotel. So, I don't know if any of this would work for you...there just has to be some adjustments made for the disability. I hope you find the information you are looking for and your mom gets her London trip.

Thank you for your replies. I think the bus tour would work to a certain extent and I was thinking I could get theatre tickets but that still leaves alot of time when I wouldn't want to be sitting in the hotel room. Would the windsor castle tours be alot of walking? I appreciate your answers. I'd really like to do this for her. Taxis would be our likely way of getting most places, but where?

It will be an enormous hassle, find her pictures on the internet, it's far easier. However, when you say &quot;short distance&quot;, what do you mean? If she can walk a little then it's possible, but if it's in and out of a wheelchair and in and out of bed then it will be too much trouble.

she can walk a little if it's something she wants to do. she just tires easily.

jobeydog, what does your mother want to see in London? If she is interested in museums, most have benches in many of the galleries so she can rest as needed. Churches have places to sit and rest, although in Westminster Abbey there is a bit of a walk around the building before you get to the seating area, and there is a line to stand on before you enter. Most attractions are easily accessible by taxi. The London Eye has timed tickets, so the time waiting in line is minimized, and you can sit during the ride. There are benches along the river where your mother can wait for your ticket time.

Most anyplace will require a bit to a LOT of walking. Cabs or buses will be better than the tube. London buses are great and easy to get on/off.

Sites like Windsor or Hampton Court Palace do require a lot of walking - just to get to the ticket offices can be a bit of a trek. And of course many of the museums and galleries are huge.

I'd think about renting a folding wheel chair after you are in London. Some sites, but not all, will have them to borrow, but I wouldn't count on it. She would not have to use it every day, but it would be better than missing so much.

(BTW, I don't agree w/ the previous post that the Tower is necessarily out. True, the White Tower has a lot of stairs, but there is a lot to see at ground level - the Crown Jewels, Traitors Gate, Beefeaters tour - walking but no climbing)

janis..you are right in what you say.i wasn't clear on what the non-walking issue was with the OP. If it's simply a fatigue issue then she just has to take it easy, take breaks, and allow her mom to rest when needed. As other posters have suggested, we did frequently, find benches and other places for a brief sit. The stairs were a real issue for my SIL because it is almost impossible for her to bend her knees and when she does the pain is horrible. I know some of you are thinking why does she go on like that. They won't do a knee replacement yet. She is too young. To the OP..perhaps you could do a few hours of sight seeing and then take your mom back to the hotel for a rest and a nap if needed, and you take off on your own for a few hours....just a thought.

I have this information, I haven't checked it out personally

People with disabilities can obtain 2 free booklets detailing which parts of London's public transport system they can use by emailing [email protected] supplying their name and postal address. The booklets will be sent anywhere, worldwide.

http://www.accessunlimited.com/links.html many links to traveling with disabilities

www.fhwa.dot.gov
www.access-able.com
http://www.jsrd.or.jp/dinf_us/disabi...ces/travel.htm
www.everybody.co.uk

www.disabilitytravel.com
www.flyingwheelstravel.com

www.dales-discovery.co.uk escorted tours of the UK, Ireland, Italy, and France for disabled travelers

www.wheelchair-travel.co.uk disabled travelers in the UK

www.undiscoveredbritain.com A travel agency that plans trips for the disabled traveler, slow walkers, or others who wish to travel independently with a little help. They also offer a few group tours each year. Undiscovered Britain,
11978 Audubon Place, Philadelphia PA 19116. email [email protected]

I am so glad I ran across this information. I also have very bad arthritis pretty much all over, but my feet and ankles are the worst. I am dreading how I'm going to feel touring the sites in London this summer.

I will check out the links provided by Robespierre and elaine. Thanks jobey dog for starting this thread and I hope you and your mom have a good trip.

Ginny

jobeydog, The trip is definitely doable but it will take some extra planning and research on your part.

Is your mother willing to use a wheelchair to visit places that require a lot of walking? If so, your horizons are greatly expanded. My thoughts:

As others have noted you'll likely be using cabs which are pricey but will accommodate a folding wheelchair. They're also easier for folks with walking disabilities to get in and out of. Buses will mostly work too especially if they are the newer ones which have lower steps for access. Avoid buses during morning and evening rush hours. The older roadmaster double decker buses are not good choices. The step onto the bus is steep as are the stairs to upper deck.

Consult the websites of all of the London sites your're interested in visiting. All of the major ones address visitors with disabilities under the category &quot;access.&quot; Lots do provide wheelchairs, but I'd be inclined to have one rather already available.

Theater tickets are good, as you've said, but also consider concerts, church services, and lectures.

Don't know when you're travelling but gardens &amp; parks are not off limits. Last time I visited Kew Gardens I saw a tour which must have been designed for those with mobility problems. There was a fleet of folks in pushed and motorized chairs.

This topic has been discussed here before. Do a search on &quot;wheelchair&quot; and &quot;London&quot; and you'll get some other opinions.

I googled &quot;london sights diabled&quot; and found a bunch of sights addressing this circumstance.

Good luck. Hope you both make the trip.

<b><font color="BLUE">River Trip!</font></b>

There are numerous companies offering narrated excursions up and down the Thames. Here's a place to begin:

<b>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/river</b>

Download and print out the services guide, and check out the offerings:

<b>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/river/pdfdocs/lrs_aut_winter_04.pdf</b>

I would suggest you take the Westminster to Greenwich route, and make it a round trip, as the commentary is different for the downstream and upstream trips. The pilots are very knowledgeable about the Thames throughout history, and very funny to boot.

Once in Greewich, you can take buses to the Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory, and Thames Barrier. (The last requires a quarter-mile walk from the bus stop to the river.) Here's a detailed plan:

<b>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/spiders/pdf/greenwich.pdf</b>

You can also go upstream as far as Hampton Court, although I don't know how friendly the terrain is from the river to the palace.

Note that holders of Transport for London passes get a discount on river services.

I've pretty much decided to go ahead with this trip, thanks to all of your encouragement. I'm wondering if you have any suggestions of a hotel which would provide convenience for us. It will be for my mother, daughter (16) and me so we'd need a room with hopefully twins and a rollaway. I'd also like a concierge who may be able to help out if we want to rent a wheelchair or have other recommendations for us, also restaurants nearby and roomservice for when that would be more convenient, and since we'll be using taxis most of the time, a doorman. Something that's in a good location for ease with my mother. I don't know London. What can you suggest?

From the horse's mouth:
http://na.visitlondon.com/city_guide/disabled/

There is also useful information and advice on the RADAR website:
http://www.radar.org.uk/FAQ/Index.asp?lHeaderID=12#7

jobeydog, I think the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum might work well for you. It is a large hotel, very modern, and typically has a lot of cabs waiting outside. It's very conveniently located. You could book an executive room, which I think would have two single beds plus a single sofabed. http://www.holiday-inn.com

I consider myself an intrepid traveler and several years ago I was not deterred from accompanying my son and daughter-in-law on a trip to Nice and Paris despite the fact that a bad accident had left me in a wheelchair for several months. I had hoped I'd be on crutches by the time we left but not so. I was amazed at how easy it was to get around. Everyone was very helpful and all the places we visited were accesible for wheelchairs. You can often get reduced tariffs. At the Louvre we were even brought to the front of a long queue. The chair fitted into the taxis with no problem and as mentioned above the buses have special sections for wheelchairs (not to be tested during rush hour).You have been given some excellent advice and websites to check out. Do a little research and have an wonderful trip. I did!

the original question was in March, but it's nice to hear your travel plans worked out