Booking an accessible city break can take a bit more planning than a package holiday but it is worth it! So many cities are accessible and there are some amazing European ones to visit on a budget.
Here are my top 10 tips for booking your next accessible city break...
1. Decide on a few cities you would like to visit
I would advise to think of a few cities that you would like to visit to give you more choice when shopping around for the best deals on flights and hotels. Some times of the year can be more expensive to visit than others so it's best to have a few different options.
2. Research your destination
YouTube is a great way to view vlogs of destinations from both disabled and able bodied creators. From these you can get an idea of what the accessibility is like such as if there are cobbles, hills, dropped kerbs etc. There are many Facebook groups as well for different cities where you can ask questions. The research you do beforehand will give you a better idea of what to expect before you arrive.
3. Pick a date to travel in a quieter and cooler season
Travelling in cities during peak seasons can be very busy and make it harder to enjoy your trip as a wheelchair user. Depending on your destination, travelling to cities during the Summer months can also be extremely hot, we find the ideal time for city travel is late Spring.
4. Look at airports which aren't necessarily closest to you
Sometimes flights can be cheaper at airports which aren't necessarily close to you. We are based in the Midlands and have travelled down to Luton Airport on the train before to get a cheaper flight.
It's very easy to travel to Birmingham Airport by train and also to Luton Airport as they both have links to get you from the train station to the airport. There will be more airports too so if you know of any more please drop a comment in the box below!
5. Use flight finder websites to find the best prices
To find the best deals on flights there are websites such as Skyscanner and Momondo who will shop around for you. This will help you decide on which city to travel to and the availability for the dates you can travel.
Make a note of the dates and prices. The prices can change daily so it's best to try and book everything as close to each other as possible.
6. Book a hotel with free cancellation
Now, this can be the not so fun part as trying to find information about hotel accessibility can be tricky. If you choose a hotel in a chain such as Ibis, Best Western or IHG hotels, they are generally better at providing information and you should be able to book accessible rooms through their websites.
We like to travel on a budget so we firstly use booking.com to look for places to stay. They do have a filter on their website for 'wheelchair accessible' however this is a very broad option! The website does have images of the hotels but not always of the accessible rooms.
We therefore email the hotels directly to ask for images and details of their accessible rooms. You can usually find their contact details on Google. Sometimes the hotel will also offer a cheaper price than booking.com for the room so it's worth asking them for this too.
If you are struggling to find hotels on booking.com with the 'wheelchair accessible' filter applied, take the filter off and look at the list of all hotels. Sometimes the hotels are missing information about wheelchair access. You might be able to find one which looks to be okay from the images and you can then contact them directly to find out more information.
When using booking.com we try to book hotels which have free cancellation, just incase the hotel comes back and says their accessible room is not available after booking.
7. Use TripAdvisor for help
TripAdvisor can be a really useful tool for finding accessible hotels. If you find a hotel that looks to be okay, then TripAdvisor can sometimes have more images to give you a better idea on accessibility.
You can also search reviews for words such as 'wheelchair' or 'disabled' to find specific reviews from those who have first hand experience of staying there.
8. Check your transfer options
It's always good to get an idea of how you will get from the airport to your hotel. Usually you can find taxis such as Uber but these can be pricey depending on how far away your hotel is. We always try and use public transport to get to our destination, usually the best option for us is by bus but sometimes there are trains as well. I always look on Google Images at trains to work out their accessibility. The airport websites are also good at telling you how you can get there so utilise these as well!
9. Follow this process for making your bookings
Once you have found your flights, established if your hotel meets your accessibility needs and your transfer options you can book it! I normally book our hotel first, making sure I add in the booking comments my accessibility requirements and get confirmation we have the accessible room reserved before booking the flights.
If you book your hotel with a website such as booking.com, I always email the hotel as well with my booking number to ensure they reserve the accessible room.
10. Arrange your aeroplane assistance soon after booking your flights
With some airlines such as Ryanair it is possible to arrange your assistance at the time of booking. However you will also need to call them after booking to give them your wheelchair dimensions, weight and information about if your chair is powered or manual. I would advise doing this soon after booking your flights so that you don't forget!
I hope these tips will help you book your next accessible city break. Why not join our Brakes Off Travel Community and share your experiences of travelling as a wheelchair user? We'd love to hear about your recommendations of places to stay and visit so come and join us!
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