Holiday resources for the older traveller

The humble holiday, it is something we all look forward to no matter what stage of life we are entering into. Whether you are 25 or 65, going on holiday is an enjoyable activity for us all. 

However, for those with reduced mobility it is something that becomes more of a luxury than a necessity, with many either being unable to foot the cost of an accessible holiday or letting their reduced mobility stand between them and the relaxing holiday of their dreams. Fortunately, there are now many companies that make holidays more accessible to the less mobile traveller.

We believe that holidays should be accessible to everyone, no matter their level of mobility, so this guide has been put together to offer a guide to the resources available to make holidays accessible to users adapted stairlifts and the older traveller alike.

Holiday Directories

Disabled Holidays

When it comes to choosing a holiday as an individual with specific mobility needs, the choices can be restricted, but with Disabled Holidays you can ‘travel without limits’. This holiday directory allows its users to choose a holiday by destination, holiday type and extras, allowing their customers to choose a holiday that suits both their needs and their tastes. With guaranteed adapted rooms, adapted transfers and full financial protection, Disabled Holidays are a great choice when it comes to researching and finding your perfect accessible holiday.

Disabled Access Holidays

Similarly, Disabled Access Holidays can provide some fantastic holiday solutions across the world that are all 100 per cent suitable for disabled and mobility-restricted travellers. Offering flights, mobility equipment hire, adapted airport transfers and accessible accommodation, they ensure that everything is taken care of so your holiday can be the relaxing break that it should be.

Disabled Holiday Info

For slightly closer to home, Disabled Holiday Info. is a fantastic awareness-led charity site that provides information for travellers with disabilities and mobility issues across a whole range of accommodation, activities and attractions. Dividing their information up into regions and UK wide with some invaluable resources and additional information, they make travelling around the UK as easy for someone with mobility difficulties as it is for anyone else. Check out their Links pages for further resources that can help make your UK-based holiday or trip extra comfortable.

Holiday Information

When it come to the initial research for your holiday there are some great holiday websites and resources for the older travel to utilise.

Silver Travel Advisor

When it comes to travel advice for the over 50s and mature travellers, it doesn’t get much better than Silver Travel Advisor. Offering travel reviews specific to this age bracket, it works a bit like TripAdvisor but with the added extra of offering additional information for older travels and personal advice.

Silversurfers

Similarly, Silversurfers offers some fantastic useful information for the mature traveller alongside sections covering lifestyle, culture, sport, health, food, finance, technology, property and motoring, all specifically tailored to the older market. With their travel section offering all sorts of information from airport parking to house sitting, they put all the options in one place.

Reduced Mobility Rights

For more specific information about flying as an older or disabled traveller, Reduced Mobility Rights is a fantastic resource. Promoting access to the flights around the world, this website keeps visitors up to date with all the latest news and views, including the latest airports to implement accessible ramps to aircraft such as reported in this previous article.

Charities

NBFA Assisting the Elderly

This admirable charity has been providing a programme of respite breaks for nearly 40 years. NBFA Assisting the Elderly offers disadvantaged older people the opportunity to take a five-day respite break in a supportive group, offering the chance to build new friendships and for respite from the stresses of daily life. They stay in contact with respite break participants and offer reunions and other support. See their respite breaks page to find out more.

Travel Operators and Services

Here is a selection of the best providers of elderly and disabled holidays to help you find the perfect break for you and your particular needs and wants. Whether you require the assistance of walk in baths and showers or wheelchair access, these travel providers can help with a whole host of mobility difficulties.

Access Travel

Providing both disabled holidays and travel solutions for those with restricted mobility, Access Travel is your one-stop shop for all of your holiday needs. Offering holidays across a range of locations including Tenerife, Lanzarote and Cyprus, there is no end to the choices available. With all properties carefully inspected to ensure that they are suitable for those with mobility difficulties, you are certain to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime.

Richmond Retreats

For something a bit closer to home that bypasses the hassle of having to travel abroad, there are the fantastic holiday breaks from Richmond Retreats. With caring holidays based in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Cheshire and Warwickshire, they offer the perfect country break that is free of stress with bespoke care packages to suit each individual.

tripmobility

It is not just holidays away that can prove difficult if you suffer from reduced mobility, but visiting friends and family can also prove a struggle at times. tripmobility look to solve this distressing issue by offering mobility aids as and when you need them, reducing the need for wheelchair-accessible vehicles and the transportation of heavy or bulky mobility aids.

Medical Travel Compared

While going on holiday is supposed to offer the ultimate in relaxation and respite from daily life, unfortunately sometimes accidents do happen, which can both ruin the holiday and even potentially cause ongoing health concerns when back at home. To ensure that you are not only protected on holiday but protected against flight delays and other such annoyances, enlist the help of a specialist travel insurance provider. Medical Travel Compared offer dedicated travel medical insurance alongside travel insurance for over 70s and other age groups meaning that you can enjoy a stress-free holiday at any age and level of mobility.