You might have stumbled on this blog post because you have reduced mobility and want to go on holiday or, perhaps its not necessarily because you have limited mobility yourself but you might be travelling with someone else who does. It can throw a whole host of questions in to the mix when planning a holiday that you might not know where to start. It doesn’t have to mean that there are less opportunities to travel, it just means you have to be more informed with your holiday choices. Here are 5 tips that can help you travel with ease with reduced mobility.

Did you know that as of 2019 stats here in the UK, there are 22% of us who have a form of disability, a long-standing illness or impairments. That’s nearly a quarter of the population. Age Co Mobility is a great place to start if you’re looking to make your life that little bit easier.

Travel can often seem very daunting when you have a pre-existing medical condition or reduced mobility that some might find they put off going on holiday. We believe that everyone should experience the joy of travel adventures.

This is a big one and it plays a key part in your experience if you do like to be independent. By doing plenty of research this will most likely affect your options, but it means there won’t be any nasty surprises on your arrival. It might seem time consuming but if you put more effort in to finding if resorts have lifts, or if the hotel has accessible rooms you are going to start on the right foot.

You can find out information that relates to the accessibility a number of ways, that can be from your tour operator’s website, the hotels direct website or you could also email the resort directly to get a more tailored response to your needs and requests. The latter will probably give you more peace of mind and make your travel stress-free!

There is still a long way to go in terms of accessible travel but there are some specialist holiday tour operators out there that could make travelling a lot easier for you.

This takes the stress of knowing what’s right as these companies do that research for you, where they use tried and tested hotels and resorts specifically chosen for those with reduced mobility.

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. With your travel agent. With your tour operator. With your hotel. With the airline or travel method provider. You can never advise people too much of your needs and requirements. Again, this circles back to no nasty surprises. Make sure you let them know as soon as possible, and don’t leave it too late to get in touch either. Most airlines need at least 48 hours notice of any requirements or special assistance requests.

If you’re unsure about your resort and whether it’s hilly or not simply head to Google maps with your co-ordinates, drop a pin on the map and explore the nearby area. This should give you a good idea if your hotel is on any large hills and if local restaurants or shops look accessible too.

If you are travelling independently, you might have to carry your luggage around yourself at some point in the trip. Make sure you use a suitcase or holdall that is comfortable to move around with should the occasion arise. Also pack anything you might likely need on the top. To gain more space in your suitcase for any extra mobility aids why not think about vacuum packing some of your clothes to make room for anything extra you might need to make your holiday easier.

I hope these hints & tips come in useful for you! Here’s to happy holidaying for all.