First trip to Europe need advice.

[shirley_hkg]

Will be visiting mother-in-law(86) in Derby around mid September. Then we want to visit a few places in Europe (group of 6, a heavy power chair of course).

As titled , I have absolutely no experience and knowledge of it, and trip is supposed to be well planned, I need your advice.

In UK, I think we could hire an accessible van getting around. Looking forward to meet John in Grimsby.

I have no preference to which European places yet. Any recommendation for first time traveller ?

[Burgerman]

Where and how to visit?
How I dont know. Depends on ability and needs. But you will want to visit the lake district etc, avoid the shit hole that is londonistan. Not sure where to see really, I would go to hong kong...

As for grimsby its the end of the world. And miles from anywhere. Nothing to see here. And I am only available a few hours on some days. I am not in a position to see visitors much of the time. Cant answer the door unless carers here as many days trapped on bed! So visiting me will be a bit hard if not impractical. Cant garantee anything or even a door answered... Although I love the enthusiasm.

[Burgerman]

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/b ... in-england

As for Europe I dont really know. I been all over it. How many years do you have?

[martin007]

Where and how to visit?
How I dont know. Depends on ability and needs. But you will want to visit the lake district etc, avoid the shit hole that is londonistan. Not sure where to see really, I would go to hong kong...

As for grimsby its the end of the world. And miles from anywhere. Nothing to see here. And I am only available a few hours on some days. I am not in a position to see visitors much of the time. Cant answer the door unless carers here as many days trapped on bed! So visiting me will be a bit hard if not impractical. Cant garantee anything or even a door answered... Although I love the enthusiasm.

Can't you open the door?

Will be visiting mother-in-law(86) in Derby around mid September. Then we want to visit a few places in Europe (group of 6, a heavy power chair of course).

As titled , I have absolutely no experience and knowledge of it, and trip is supposed to be well planned, I need your advice.

In UK, I think we could hire an accessible van getting around. Looking forward to meet John in Grimsby.

I have no preference to which European places yet. Any recommendation for first time traveller ?

I would recommend you to visit Barcelona and Rome.

[Burgerman]

Can't you open the door?

Delivery driver was here earlier. Needs signiture. I am on bed. Heard the doorbell. What can I do. So he went away to be back tomorrow. Today and yesterday, red mark on backside. So no. I will (hopefully) be up tomorrow. Been 2 days. IF its gone... This is ongoing day by day for years now. And I only do afternoons!

[martin007]

I understand.
sores?

[Burgerman]

Pressure ulcers. Definitely check out Prague. Avoid paris... Unless you like riots and immigrants camping on the streets.

[shirley_hkg]

I would recommend you to visit Barcelona and Rome.

I've thought about these two cities too.
Would you say more about them, say hospitality , accessibility of public transport ?

Much appreciated.

[Burgerman]

Accessibility is dependent on the users needs and disability. I see many using taxis that are supposedly wheelchair freindly. But I cant use them. It depends how disabled you are. Again accessibility in older cities is extremely patchy. Some places OK, ohers not. I dont think theres much difference anywhere across europe here. The US is much better here. They have a few stronger laws that make it so.

[martin007]

I see many using taxis that are supposedly wheelchair freindly. But I cant use them.

What prevents you from using them?

[Burgerman]

Cant get in or out too steep, and unsafe. Tried several times, the drivers just roll their eyes and say cant be done with my heavy chairs and my weight. Esp trying to reverse out... Theres the odd one thats ok. But you cant garantee thathe isnt busy or is on shift. The drivers dont want the trouble and time just to transport one wheelchair user either. They avoid the job. Maybe different in cities. Trains are just as bad. Ramps can be very steep, and rely on someone remembering you need to get on or off which you must tell them in advance and they forget.

[martin007]

What is the sum of your weight and that of the powerchair?

[Burgerman]

Its not only weight but many taxis here have a portable ramp that is too steep and too long. And reversing out means the chair will tip, even if you are able to steer accurately enough to stay on it. So you have to rely on an unexperienced driver to prevent it tipping over while you are 3 feet in the air. They wont do it, and I wouldnt let them.

This is one of the less steep ones. Still very dangerous reversing out. https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/images ... medium.jpg

This one is ALMOST accessible, but still too steep for stability in a rear drive chair. And with a 192kg chair it will not climb that ramp with a 20 stone use even if it doesent tip you out (but it does!). They fit ramps so that they comply with the law. Around 80% of them are too short, too high, too steep or no space inside to turn around. This one is one of the better ones. https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/images ... mp-700.jpg
But too steep. Also not enough headroom. But it complies with the law that the taxi driver cares about. The fact that you cant get in just saves him the effort and time as you wont call again.

Then theres the ones that use these. https://c8.alamy.com/comp/B2N259/taxi-d ... B2N259.jpg
But the Q700 for e.g has its caster wheels MUCH NARROWER track than the rear wheels. So it literally doesent fit!

They are all visualising someone in a manual chair that can stand or move around. And they have ramps accordingly. I gave up on them. Thats why I ave a proper van, lowered floor so that theres enough headroom. (thats another problem. They are not tall enough inside in some cases either! No lowered floors.

So problems include far too steep, so safety or lack of traction/torque to climb the ramp, and needing someone to prevent it tipping over backwards. Not enough head room. And so safety. Literally inability to get in. And not enough headroom. As well as the drivers just not wanting the trouble.

[Burgerman]

This ramp is barely wide enough for a tiny narrow push chair and is bowed and bending just with the weight of the little old lady.

Non of my chairs will fit onto that ramp. They are all wider. The thing couldnt stand the weight of a 20 stone human, sat in a 190KG powerchair! Even if it would fit on that flimsy taxi ramp. But it wont! Also there is not enough headroom for a chair with bigger tyres, a tilt/lift module and a headrest. So I wouldnt be able to get in anyway.

https://assets.abbotstaxis.co.uk/wheelchairford2.jpeg

These are just a few of the issues. They are all expecting a little old lady in a manual chair. They never see heavy full sized rehab chairs from one year to the next. So they do as little as the lar requires to say that they are suitable for wheelchair transport. Around small towns anyway.

[Burgerman]

The ones here are ok. They have the rear part of the floor lowered. Making the ramp a sensible length, and sensible safe angle. And they have proper headroom. But you only find these in private use, or maybe one in 100 in cities. The reason is that these are heaviy modified which isnt just a ramp. But a major floor lowering modification. So costs an awful lot more £££££. Taxi drivers dont typically buy them because they are trying to make a living!

https://connectcars-taxis.co.uk/wp-cont ... 24x346.jpg

[martin007]

I have used taxis several times and the biggest drawback they have is the fare...

[steves1977uk]

Here's a similar one to mine...


youtu.be/Pqw-XBWQgwk

Steve

[Burgerman]

Nice. Sensible ramp, drop floor etc. If taxis used those I would use them.


They do that van with full lowered floor like the minivans are, so they can be used as a drive from wheelchair solution too. Albeit somewhat £££... I will be looking at a side entry drive from wheelchair one in summer. They have almost as much headroom with the full dropped floor as the chrysler vans like I use now. But a lift instead of ramp. Actually works better than a ramp as less space needed to use it.

[martin007]

My favorite...





Mercedes vito.

[Burgerman]

Mine is now this. Also will test and examine a shiny new one in summer.

https://www.gmmobility.co.uk/wheelchair ... r-colorado

And this is the full lowered floor version of seves. So you can ride up front or drive.
https://www.gmmobility.co.uk/wheelchair ... tom-nevada

VW Colarado

[biscuit]

That is very daring, Shirley! When I'm attending conferences I find it easier to stay in a hotel than at anyone's house. All the round taps, eye level counters, steps and narrow turns that ambulants don't even notice are a major issue for weak hands and wheelchair users. I go to the cheap chains like Premier Inn and Travelodge and they are fine for a night or two and blissfully short of individuality, whereas the quaint b&bs have the full array of accessibility problems that private houses do. And travel is a military operation, gone are the days of putting a credit card and a toothbrush in the backpack and setting off.

You could consider going by train after leaving Derby. Car parking in Europe costs a bomb and streets are really narrow, WAVs are big. In the UK the railways have systems to approximately meet the needs of wheelchair users and the local taxi firm has given me rides in a properly converted WAV and not in a van with some dodgy portable ramp. BM is unfortunate to have experienced such dreadful transport. So the train in Europe might be a better way to travel.

[biscuit]

And by the way, London is stunning, interesting and accessible for wheelchair users.

[Burgerman]

Maybe. As a tourist.
But Its also an overpriced lefty socialist woke crime ridden remainer part of the country run by communist khan, where in places you cant see an original english white face any longer. I consider it as no longer british, its original english culture long gone, lost as a part of britain, and a seperate part of the world that is lien to the rest of us. Personally I wouldnt go there now if you paid me! Which is why I call it londonistan. Your mileage may vary.

[Toro]

In Australia we have maxi taxi that has a wheelchair lift at the back, we have very strict health and safety rules here.

A ramp van would only get approval if the floor has been modified from the rear or side entrance.

[Burgerman]

The UK does not have that. Quite the opposite.

A freind Laury who was also T4 paraplegic, fitter and lighter than me, no fancy seating etc needed in his TDX SP powerchair died a year ago. He was one of the ones that behaved like a monkey, no lowered floor vans etc and he used to be able to transfer to normal driver seats etc. He actually worked as an HGV driving instructor for years. Eventually after telling me that all that "movement" and actvity kept him pressure sore free the inevitable happened. And he got a couple of huge pressure ulcers. He should have been using roho or similar but thought that he was ok without and transfering to vehicle seats because he was more actiive and fitter.

This eventually caused him some huge shoulder cuff rotator problems after a couple of decades of being OK, plus suddenly several deep pressure sores, and something he called "housemaids arse"... He had a couple of surgeries to try and repair it and ended up with blood poisoning and was rushed into hospital. When he was released he tried to get home. Called so called disabled freindly taxis all day. Non of them wanted to know when they realised that it meant trying to get his TDX SP chair in. Several unsuitable ones turned up, LOOKED and then went. The rest didnt even turn up. So waited for a carer, who called his son. And dropped him at his house. He then spent 7 months in bed supposedly healing, developed a blood clot or something and then got more blood poisoning from the sores. And is now deceased because of this. RIP.

I have another freind, also died because of a similar scenario. Physically able, used to transfer to vehicle seatds etc.But this time his sores and skin flap surgery caused a stroke or something and he rapidly developed some sort of major issues and also died from sepsis. Again couldnt get a sensible taxi back home, and I had to collect him.

[shirley_hkg]

So the train in Europe might be a better way to travel.

I will take this advice.

[shirley_hkg]

I would recommend you to visit Barcelona and

How is the crime rate in Barcelona , Martin ?

[Burgerman]

Its never been good. My freind had his motorcycle helmet snatched from his grasp by a very fast 20? year old thug that vanished so fast we didnt see where he went... That was 25 years back. Dont suppose its improved any! But thats most big cities. It is architecturally and historically very interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona

[martin007]

I would recommend you to visit Barcelona and

How is the crime rate in Barcelona , Martin ?

In Barcelona (as everywhere) there are many pickpockets.
Pickpockets are only a problem for the careless.
Barcelona is a safe city if you don't venture into slums.

[shirley_hkg]

Checking out on the possibility of Heathrow to Southampton Cruise pier, on National Express Coach. It seems pretty good and direct. Hope not too good.

Have to book in advance for seat removal . Right ? and how ?



youtu.be/bcqjxANXUWA


youtu.be/viq9ClAdHsg