Have Scooter, Will Travel

My first scooter was an old Amigo. It is a must for me at this stage of my life since I am limited in how far I can walk. With it, I have more choices and a greater chance to see things. I can do those inexpensive "walking" tours, or can choose to take a bus tour. We were pleased to find plenty of places to charge the scooter in the hotel rooms and even on many of the trains. You do need to know that electricity must be converted from 220 volts to 110 volts because that is what our electrical appliances here in the USA are set up to use.

We did have some trouble since we were not always able to give the scooter battery a full charge. But, it still got me through many train stations and "walking" tours of many places along the way. John found the Radio Shack converter unacceptable as it dropped the voltage to about 77 volts rather than the 110 volts needed by our battery charger. Having a good converter makes a lot of difference. It seems to be a universal problem for many people travelling with scooters. John plans to build our own converter next time we travel with the scooter abroad.

What can be done? First check with the scooter dealer or manufacturer to see what they can offer. Some scooters have a dual voltage (110/220) charger built in which is nice. But, be sure you know how to use it. It may need to be switched from one to the other manually.

What to take along for the scooter:

Adapter plugs (which you would need for any electrical appliances for foreign receptacles).

An extension cord that you can plug the scooter into (about 6 ft. would do). We found an extension cord very useful in several places. And, you must check to be sure that your scooter plugs into your extension cord.

A bag of tools for disconnecting battery and for possible repairs (duct tape/electrical tape, various wrenches, wire cutter/stripper, pliers, etc.).

Since we had an old scooter, we could have used a spare drive belt as mine was beginning to wear and started slipping a bit. Luckily, we were able to get home before we had to have a new one. I don't know if you can get spare parts easily in Europe. Depends on what brands they sell there, I'm sure.

A scooter check up: We wanted the whole scooter gone over to make sure the belts and everything were going to be fine while we were gone. But, we ran out of time, and my husband was sure he could handle any problems and he did. But, for peace of mind, especially with an older scooter, I would want this done.

I would choose a non-stop flight to Europe. I worried that the scooter wouldn't make it with us to London since we were scheduled to change planes in Iceland. One of the battery connections had been pulled off and something jammed their conveyor belt in Heathrow. But, John was able to fix the connection and we were on our way. That's why it's good to carry some basic tools.

If you prepare ahead for as many things as you can and have good help you can do well in Europe. I like to travel with an able-bodied companion. It's not all that different than the US, but just not quite as accessible. You also have to ask for the accommodations you need. The problem for us was the language barriers. Many people in the travel industry speak English, but it is still hard to communicate special needs. For instance, I don't necessarily like a handicap accessible room as the rooms and bathrooms are often too big, and I prefer a bathtub. I need a place to park my scooter as I use crutches in the room. And, many places are proud of their accessible rooms, but still have "just a few" steps to get in the front door and even steps up to the dining room! In Norway, one hotel had accessible rooms and an elevator, but our free breakfast buffet was up a full flight of stairs! I should have asked about alternatives (like perhaps, room service?) but John just got my breakfast and brought it to me.

"How did you get your scooter on and off the European trains?"

We found that most of the train stations have a portable "scissors lift" that will let you drive up and onto the train. This was true in the larger cities as well as many of the smaller ones. Our scooter is small enough that John can load and unload it himself, if need be. Sometimes the conductor or another passenger would help, but you really can't depend on it.

"What about the planes? How did you get it on/off the planes? Did you ride your scooter right to the plane?"
I called the airline we were flying at the BWI airport in Maryland and handled all the details with the supervisor. It took several calls and persistence to get to the point where I was reasonably sure things would go well. There seemed to be a problem with them understanding the "scooter" was a devise for the handicapped (and not a bike or toy). And, we bought a "gel cell" battery especially for this trip and we reminded them over and over that "gel cells" were what they "required." I did worry about the scooter making it to London with us (since we changed planes in Iceland*). I felt much better seeing it by the airplane waiting to be loaded. But, a non-stop flight would have eliminated that worry. I did ride my scooter to the plane in Baltimore, but then John went out with the scooter to help load it. I think I'd have done as well in an airport wheelchair. I still take my crutches so I can go to the bathroom by myself. At Heathrow in London, they would not deliver my scooter to the plane, but sent a girl with a wheelchair to take me down to the baggage area to claim the scooter. Turns out that was a great idea as Heathrow is very large and hard to find anything, especially since we had never been there before. She also took us right up to the front of the line at Immigration and we sailed right through! No waiting in the long lines.

"What about cabs? Did you ride them?"
Most cabs in Europe are smallish cars, but our small scooter comes apart easily (the seat and the handle bar come right off) and fits in the trunk. You can sometimes get a minivan, but it is often hard to communicate what you need if you don't speak the language, a big problem in some parts of Europe. If you are going to one or just a couple countries, you can use a phrase book or plan some phrases ahead of time. For instance, "I am handicapped, and need assistance."

I rode the scooter and carried my small carry-on bag at my feet. I can carry another small suitcase strapped to the back of my seat. Since my husband and I are Amateur Radio Operators, this suitcase contains special gear and radios for our enjoyment. We don't always carry this bag, as it is removeable. We check it on the planes. John carried his backpack, and we had one large suitcase on wheels for our clothes. We checked the two suitcases on the plane. But, were able to keep them with us on the trains. We planned it so we could handle all our own baggage, if needed. John kept some small coins to use to get a luggage cart when we got to the train station. And, it was nice when we could put the luggage in a locker at the train station, if we were staying all day.

It is good to get as many of your questions answered as you possibly can. If you think a train trip is do-able, you might want to first try one in the US, or Canada, before trying it in Europe. Many train stations in Europe now have a "portable lift." In Italy, we had no problems at all in Milan, but in Rome you had arrange for the "lift" in advance. We didn't know this. We were finally given the assistance of two of the station employees who were prepared to load the scooter for us when the "lift" showed up to load another passenger in a w/c to the exact same train coach we were in! Sometimes, you just get lucky.

I am also in reasonably good health other than the PPS, so we decided to go now while I still can. Next time I'd pick one area, like Germany or Switzerland and take side trips from there, or maybe fly in to London and see more of Great Britain. I do hope to go back to Europe sometime, but if we don't get back, I've had the trip of my life. Or, we may plan a trip through Canada by train for 2002. That's really beginning to look like a really good possibility!

Iceland: The airport at Keflavek was not completely handicap accessible when we were there. Several of the departure gates require you to go down two flights of steps, board a bus that takes you out to the airplane where you have to board the airplane up a large set of portable stairs. We didn't realize this until we got to Keflavik, and immediately asked for help. We were told there were no elevators and they only assist those completely paralysed (by carrying them up or down the steps, I guess). I just wish I had been advised about this ahead of time. While I can still do some steps with crutches that saps a lot of my energy. I was not happy! I have been told that it is better now, but I have not been back to confirm it. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.

I will add to this page and update information and websites as I find more sites you can visit as there is little on the internet about travel for those of us with disabilities. It is a big world out there to cover. But, I am finding more and more websites with really good personal experiences on travelling for those of us using scooters, wheelchairs, or other assistive devises.

Some websites with more information:

Great Travel Books: by and for people with disabilities

The AllGoHere Check out their Airline Directory

Access-Able Website

Gimp on the Go
Don't let the name put you off, this is a good site with lots of information, stories and much more. Check it out!

Check out the "Graffiti Wall" at Rick Steves Travel Website!