How To Travel With A Disability And/Or Chronic Illness

Many disabled people stop going to certain places they love when they become disabled or chronically ill, but you can still go, you just need to change what you do!
Make sure to read this post as well as the tips below, as some are very important and you must think about them before you book your travel.

I have written some tips, things to consider and other important things to think about in the sections below.

As a severely chronically ill person who is disabled as a result of how bad the chronic illnesses affect me, people often wonder how I can travel abroad when I can’t walk very far or stand more than a very short time before I have to sit.
This is how I do it, and this is how you can do it too!

Lots of disabled and chronically ill people don’t travel, not because they can’t afford to, but because they can’t walk far or stand long and think they won’t enjoy their vacation. But you can still have a great time as long as you take some things into consideration.
Check out my tips and advice.

Here are some of my tips for travelling with chronic illnesses and/or a disability:

• Make sure you plan in advance.
  
• Research accessible attractions. You can use sites such as Klook to get discounts and good deals on attractions and activities.
  
• Use assistance where possible.
  
• Include rest days! This is one that many people don’t allow for, but you may need them, especially if you have chronic illnesses.
  
• Research your hotel to make sure it is accessible as many hotels don’t even have elevators in many places such as London, Amsterdam and many more.
  
• Have a list of attractions and things to do, so each day you can pick something that you can do that day, which is especially important if your health varies day to day.
  
• Take advantage of scenic drives so you don’t have to walk at all, you can admire from your car.
  
• Have some relaxing things to do such as the beach, a park, or a spa day. Then on bad health days, you can do these.
  
• Make sure to check your medication is allowed in the country you are travelling to! Many countries do not allow certain medications and some require approval in advance from their government, so this is very important!
  
• Always carry a copy of your prescription.
  
• Make sure to carry your medication with you in case you have any delays.
  
• Get travel insurance that covers your pre-existing conditions and declare all conditions as well as anything you have seen a doctor for, otherwise you can invalidate your entire policy!
  
• If you don’t want to do a long flight, get a flight with a layover or a stop or travel to places with short flights.
  
• Carry a portable fan if you overheat easily. I also use mine for if I feel sick as the cooling really helps me.
  
• Rent a car if you can’t walk far or stand long. It is like a accessibility aid to me and I get to see so much more than I would otherwise.
  
• Don’t push yourself and don’t plan too much in one day.
  
• Always use your mobility aids as they are there to help you.

How I Travel Abroad With Chronic Illnesses And Disability

I won’t lie, it is hard work getting to the airport and back again, but I have a great time once I am at my holiday destination!
My pain and fatigue does get worse travelling, but I take it one bit at a time, and take each day as it comes. I also make sure to allow rest days and have a massage when I can as this really helps me.

After all, one day I won’t be able to do any of this as my health will continue to deteriorate and my pain and fatigue will continue to get worse, so I do what I can and travel as much as I can, while I still can!

I am chronically ill with multiple conditions and disabled. I cannot walk very far nor stand long, so I can’t do lots of things on vacation that others can.
I love parks and national parks, but I can’t do the hikes, not even short ones, yet I still go there every single year because I love them!

You don’t have to be able bodied to travel or visit places such as state and national parks. You just have to change what you do or how you do it. Just don’t expect to be hiking up hills or things like that.

Before my health got this bad, I could walk further than I can now, so I used to do short hikes whilst using a walking stick to help me. Now I can’t do them at all sadly, but I still visit the parks as I adore nature and I won’t stop going just because of my bad health and disability.

You don’t have to walk to enjoy the sights. You just need to choose where you are going better.
Sure, there are some places you may not be able to visit, but for most, as long as you plan in advance and check the attraction site for accessibility, you can go to most places.

One of the main things I do now is that I always hire a car, and the car is my accessibility aid. I do lots of sightseeing using a rental car! I spend most of my time in it. But I love driving, so this is ideal for me.
I drive around places and use the turnouts and parking spots to sightsee.
I can spend all day in the car without getting out much, but I am fine with that as I get to see so much still!
The only negative for me is I get pain sitting too as I have sciatica on top of my chronic pain, chronic fatigue and disability. But I would rather be in a car in pain than at home wishing I was there.

I always make sure that any park I visit has scenic drives as many state parks just have a parking area where you park up and hike from there. I don’t visit those as I wouldn’t be able to see or do anything. So I always pick the ones with lots of roads inside the parks.
Don’t think every park will have a scenic drive as many don’t, just do your research.

These are the things I look for when planning and booking my trip. Some may surprise you.
Obviously all disabilities are different so this may not apply to everyone.

Things To Consider For Your Trip

Deciding where to travel to:

Accessibility is number 1. Make sure the place you want to visit is accessible for you. Think about the place itself, the hotel, the attractions etc. Not every hotel or attraction is accessible!

Don’t assume a place is accessible. Always do your research.

Getting Around:

You need to think about how you will get around and if it is accessible.

I usually hire a car and use that for sightseeing and also for accessibility. This is because many types of public transport aren’t an option for me due to the amount of walking you have to do, such as in underground/subways where you have to walk far to get to the platform and same again when you disembark.
Buses are more accessible than subways as you don’t have to walk as far, but public transport can still very difficult.
This is why I always hire a car when I can as I use this not just as transport, but also as a accessibility aid as I can sightsee from the car!

If you plan to use public transport, research travel passes in the country you are in, as some will let you save money by having a daily/weekly/monthly pass which can save you a lot of money. There are still many places that are not remotely accessible, so do not assume it will be ok, research first.

Travel Solo or With Someone?

This is a big decision and depending on your disability, you may not have a choice if you have a carer for example.

I need assistance with many things, BUT I still prefer to travel solo. I will do this as long as I physically can, then I will have to travel with someone for the assistance.

Solo lets you do what YOU want. You don’t have to think what the other person will want to do. You only worry about yourself and what you want.
In day to day life, I don’t leave the house as there is no good public transport here and I can’t afford a car as I can’t work. So my trips are the total opposite of regular day to day life for me. I have independence and freedom as I have a car.

I travel solo even though I can barely walk or stand long and need assistance in train stations and airports. This is because I like to do a lot of sightseeing from a rental car.
If I travelled with someone, they would be bored for a lot of my trip as I sightsee from my car so much. I drive a lot!

Limiting Walking:

As I can’t walk very far at all, nor stand very long, I avoid walking wherever possible!
I know many others are the same. Obviously your disability will be different from mine, but I personally avoid walking most of the time as it is just so painful and difficult for me.

If you also can’t walk far, make sure you check things such as public transport, as things such as subways can require a lot of walking to get to the platform itself. Such as London, England. There is a long distance from street level to platform.

Some places such as some theme parks and even some beaches will allow you to hire a wheelchair, so if you have someone with you, they can push you along to save you walking. This is helpful for ambulatory wheelchair users, such as myself.

As I mentioned earlier, I use a rental car not just as a way to get from A to B, but also for sightseeing and accessibility. For example, if I am at a state or national park that has roads through it, I would sightsee from my car rather than from foot. I am in the car most of the time.
This might not be something you would want, but this is the only way I can sightsee in many places as I just can’t walk that far and honestly, I love it! I really do!

If you have a disability or chronic illness, you may also find my guide to accessible travel useful.

I hope that these tips helped you out and gave you some ideas! Let me know in the comments if they help.