Want a holiday but struggling to get around? As a person that has been on a walker now for several years I get it. Your worried about how you can travel and travel safely. How can you travel with able bodied friends and family to have a great holiday. You don’t want to slow them down or be a burden. It’s time for me, Dezzie, to step up to the plate and share how I navigate this space. Here are a few of my tried and tested tips to reduce the nightmare of trying to book a holiday when you have limited mobility. This week we are focused on booking accommodation. We will be using my very own Dezzie’s 3 week out call strategy. 

These are the 4 things we are touching on today.

1. List of your needs
2. Observe Dezzie’s 3 weeks out call strategy
3. Free cancellation is your friend
4. Choose a travel agent that will agree to free cancellation

Make an extensive list

Get a bigger picture of what you are looking for and put them into context. That way if your carer or those arranging holiday bookings can feel more confident making informed decisions. Here are some of mine;

1. Free cancellation (essential)
2. Air conditioning (essential)
3. Parking (essential)
4. No stairs (2-5 OK with handrail)
5. Lift 
6. Be inclusive of others in your party. It is their holiday too.
7. Distance to attractions (I will use the mobility scooter if I can)
8. Accessible (not essential but need to be sure there are no steps)
9. Shower not over the bath (A shower with a small hob will be OK)
10. Easy access to the rest of the hotel (I can use mobility scooter if no stairs)
11. A heated pool that I can get into (handrails or beach entry style)

Once you have the detailed list then look at your must haves. What are you willing to forego. Just don’t let it be the next one.

Free cancellation is your friend

Free cancellation is essential for my strategy to work. Sometimes you may need to forego some of the things on your list but free cancellation has to stay. If you go with a travel agent also insist on free cancellation. That’s my stance. Here’s why.

Dezzie’s 3 weeks out call strategy

Last year I booked my own accommodation online to Cairns. I was going up to visit the Daintree. I wanted to check out the crocodiles and not get eaten. Hope that mobility scooter has warp speed! I booked my ground floor accommodation in a 4 star hotel. 3 weeks out from our flight I rang where I would be staying to double check my booking. I was advised that they cannot offer a ground floor apartment as they were all privately owned. There was no lift so I couldn’t book others there either. I had my heart set on this place. It had an accessible pool with a hand rail and everything. You know how rare that is if you are like me. Thank goodness I had booked free cancellation.

Fast forward to 2024. I’m headed over to Italy. This time I’ve engaged the use of a travel agent. I go through the final itinerary with a fine tooth comb 3 weeks out. I wanted to double check that the 2 ones located in the old towns were accessible. The travel agent comes back advising that no, they are not. The first place wouldn’t guarantee a ground floor room. The feedback from the second place though had me laughing so hard! Before I share it just a reminder.

I get around on a walker or mobility scooter. I can’t walk up or down more than 2-5 stairs and that’s with assistance and a handrail. I have foot drop and spasticity on my right side. Here was their response;

“I have been advised there are 14 small, comfortable steps to the room”

These are just two examples in a long list of accommodation stuff ups you can expect. Do expect them. So make sure you book free cancellation. Don’t take it personally. I know it’s frustrating and I don’t even have it as tough as some of my wheelchair friends. Take a breath and then try to figure out what to do next. If you are with a travel agent see what they come back with. At this late stage if the choice is doable just take it. Sometimes you end up the next town over to get that sweet spot. All part of the adventure. The Dezzie’s 3 weeks out call strategygives you that small window to cancel and book something that can meet essentials.

Choose a travel agent that will agree to free cancellation

I value the insights of travel agents. They can pull out those travel brochures and entice you to far off places. They can liaise between airlines, hotels and any activities that need to be booked in. Yet I have found travel agents can miss things especially when things aren’t straightforward. You can’t sit there on your laurels and wait for the stars to align. You need to proactively iron out any potential issues.

Some agents will advise that you can claim against your travel insurance if you have problems but I say no. I’ve had so much trouble getting insurance. I choose free cancellation. OK yeah, it might sound like I’m a bit of a control freak but you need to advocate…it just happens to be me doing the advocating.

That’s me signing off for now but please stay tuned as I rollout insights from my treasure trove of info from travelling around domestically and internationally with my ‘trolley’.

Bon Voyage for now.

by Dezzie Grant