The world is still your oyster if you are wheelchair bound; do not be put off travelling
just because you are in a wheelchair, just note you have to look into things in a little
more detail.
Booking a Holiday:
When looking for a holiday always check the accessibility of the hotel and its
bathrooms. When they say they have accessible or disabled rooms, this may not mean
that the bathroom is overly accessible for a wheelchair user. You may find you have
steps into the shower or the door may not be wide enough to get into the bathroom. I
would always advise on trying to contact the hotels you are interested in directly to
get the information on how accessible it is before going booking or going through a
travel agent.
You do not have to stick with named hotels such as Mercure, Riu, Hilton, Sheraton,
and Intercontinental but they do tend to be more accessible. But again check before
booking.
When booking flights always make sure they are fully aware of your requirements, if
possible ask for Bulk Head seats as this gives you more leg room which means you
can do exercises etc. to keep the circulation going.
I have not experienced myself but I have been told that cruises are great for
wheelchair users and I know people who have been on them and loved them.
Things to remember and do:
Before travelling always have an MOT on the wheelchair just to ensure it is in full
working order, if you have wheels that can puncture always carry a puncture repair kit
with you and pump if you can.
If your chair can collapse in anyway ask to stay in your chair until the door of the
plane and then transfer into an aisle chair. Make sure you strap your chair up and have
your own name and address tags attached to it. They will either put the chair in a
cupboard in the plane itself or in the hold. Either way asks for it to be brought to the
door when you land, this means you only have to transfer from the aisle chair to your
wheelchair (minimal transfers are always a good thing).
When travelling I have to wear a catheter, so I just have a leg bag strapped to me and
we carry an empty bottle with us to help empty as and when necessary. Also if you do
have a catheter attached when travelling it means you do not have to worry about
having disabled toilets etc. you can just get on and do your thing and enjoy your
holiday.
Make sure you always carry extra catheters, bags, straps etc. with you just in case you
need to change anything.