Hello~~

I found this website when googling accessible travel in Italy.

Next week I am leaving for a long awaited "Master's Achievement-Turning 40-Honeymoon for One/Can't Wait Forever" Adventure to Rome, Florence and Turin.

Some of my family think I am crazy because I am going alone -- I see it as a challenge for myself and a way to push myself out in the world again. My last big adventure was 8 years ago -- horseback riding at a dude ranch in Wyoming. My first travel adventure was when I turned 30 -- I went scuba diving in Antigua.

Traveling alone is tricky because I wear two unbending prosthetics and use 2 walking canes to ambulate.

I've been reading this site and am especially interested in accessible travel. Any more personal insight or advice would be most appreciated. And hopefully, upon my return I'll be able to contribute some useful information as well.

Thanks in advance,
Geri

Welcome to Slow Travel, Geri.

Since it seems you have read already the documented information available (here and here) would be the minimum, I'd suggest that you move on to the Italy forum and open some specific topic discussions, according to your interests and goals for the forthcoming trip.

I don't think anybody here will think you shouldn't travel alone; you know best what you can do and, obviously, you can and did a lot. And you will contribute a lot.

Feel at home and ask away!

Hello and welcome Geri...Have a great time planning you trip! This is indeed a great site!

Welcome Geri!
Have a great time in Italy! You're going to visit really beautiful places!
Whatever information you need to know, post on Slow Travel and many friends will be always ready to give you great advices.

Ciao!

Thanks for your warm welcome -- I wish I had found this earlier with more time but I'll read as much as I can before leaving next week!
G

Hi Geri

I found about your post this weekend at the GTG in Palm Desert. Sorry I didn't pop in earlier. As a wheelchair traveler with equivalent restriction my one piece of advice to you would be to rent a mobility scooter. Distances in Rome are deceiving. The average tourist travels 6 miles a day. You can go nearly as far and see as much but you are going to need a little mechanical help. When you rent make sure you get a second battery and charger. I ran through 2 batteries a day but that is going from crack of dawn to midnight.

And of course check out accessible travel in Rome. The link is in my signature.

to Rome Addict,

Thanks so much for your post.

Thanks, too, for your advice and the link. In fact I think I found your site first when I first started googling and came across SlowTrav. I read your article with great interest as you can imagine.

I hadn't thought about a scooter but I can look into it when there. My arms are also shorter so sometimes scooters don't work for me -- like the ones they have in Target stores. If I can rent -- I'll make sure to follow your advice re: battery.

I liked what you said about hiring staff friends/family. I did that 10 years ago when turning 30 I took my first adventure to Scuba Dive in Antigua. I became friendly with a waitress and hired her brother-in-law to take me on a guided tour of the island - it turned out to be a family event -- the waitress, her sister, the brother-in-law and their two kids. It was a highlight of the trip!

I did hire a tour guide/private driver for 8 hours one day -- just to make sure I got to see the Vatican/Sistine Chapel and other sites -- even if just from the car -- it would be more than I ever would have seen if I had stayed home. I told him I can't walk distances and that we need to ask for accessible entrances per your advice in the article.

One day I hope to find an outdoor cafe and watch the world go by and write numerous postcards. I'm a people watcher and want to just soak up the atmosphere!

I also hope to find a staff member with a day off or that has a family member -- who can go with me shopping. With two canes it's hard to carry packages -- and I love meeting real people.

Thanks, again,
Geri