Traveling can be quite stressful and painful at times depending on your destination, airline, or transportation used. However, much of the aches of traveling can be avoided by planning your trips in advanced and doing excellent research on the overall accessibility of your destination.
- Planning ahead is a must to ensure things that we can control go as smooth as possible.
- Be prepared for screw ups on your journey, with the majority of it being airlines miscommunication or hotels giving you’re a non-accessible room, etc. The airline assistance service is very important, but not a miracle worker.
- Go through accessible tour services if you visit a major tourist destination or country with rugged territory like Iceland. In destinations like Iceland, I recommend tour company Iceland Unlimited. This is an exceptional tour company that goes above and beyond to accommodate people with disabilities.
- Look into buying travel insurance to protect yourself from an unforeseen emergency or trip cancellation. This allows you to get most of your trip reimbursed and not lose all your money. Make sure to use a reputable insurance company and read consumer reports of these companies. One reputable insurance company is Allianz Travel Insurance with the Allianz Global Assistance policy.
- Look for hotels that include free breakfast to reduce food expenditures for your trip and look for hotels centrally located to attractions or activities that interest you.
- Schedule transportation pickups in advance of your trip and avoid Uber if possible. Unfortunately, Uber can be unreliable for wheelchair users and are not regulated the way taxis and public transportation are.
- Always good to have cash on hand and not rely on credit cards. If your going overseas make sure to buy foreign currency before you go. It’s much more expensive trying to exchange US dollars overseas.
- Portable urinals are essential for travel and a godsend when no bathrooms are available or bathroom not accessible.
- Go for compact disposable urinals like Travel John or generic ones on Amazon. They are light weight and are easily resealable without posing a sanitary issue.
- For additional protection from accidents or leaky urinals, buy night pads or puppy pads. I usually cut them in half so they are less bulky.
- Drink only water and avoid salty snacks or meals when your traveling.
- For air travel go with disposable underwear that can last 12 hours or overnight. Go for Depend All-Nite for short haul. For long haul go with medical supply grade underwear.
- Invest in a good wheelchair cushion that is conformable and maintains good posture. You can easily get one under $100.