Rome tour ideas for hubby with walking issues

[TheSheffs]

My very nervous First post. Will be in Rome a couple days early for 9/27 cruise. Hubby has bad knees and uses a cane. Standing in one spot for long, walking long distances and lots of stairs are out of the question. Any suggestions for sightseeing?

[fabnfortysomething]

hubby has similar issues

 

we have visited Rome a few times and would recommend a private car tour where you will be driven through the narrow streets as close as possible to the main sites so minimising walking[and of course the comfort of an air conditioned vehicle]

 

there are several well recommended companies on these boards-personally we can recommend Rudy from Romecartours

[Melozone]

We spent five days in Rome last summer before our cruise. I had just had one knee replacement and needing another and my husband walks with a cane. We did private tours with a driver. He took us past the lines at all the different spots. If we didn't want to stay too long, we didn't have to. It was perfect and at our pace. Touring is exhausting when everyone is well, it is harder with some sort of disability. We did private tours in every port.

[CGYCruisingFamily]

My mom has mobility issues due to multiple knee replacements. We have booked a private car and driver for our party for the day we are in Rome. As a pp said there are a number of options listen on the boards. The one we will be dealing with has been super helpful and accommodating so far in all our correspondence.

[mapleleaves]

you might want to check out a seat/cane combo, like this one on amazon. I was going to get one but the cortisone shot worked wonders to I was fine.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Improving-Lifestyles-Folding-Cane-Seat/dp/B0002CFEHU/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1403901866&sr=8-3&keywords=sports+cane+seat

[rebeccalouiseagain]

A private tour is a good idea. It will help you get as close as you need to be to the sites that you are interested in. If you don't want to spend that much money- there is always the HOHO bus, which is nice because you sit upstairs in the open and it is narrated with headsets. It stops at the Colosseum and near the Vatican. I did it on a rainy day- so wasn't ideal.

http://www.city-discovery.com/docs/243_9759_Route-Map.jpg

 

If you do the Colosseum and Vatican... there will be a lot of walking for sure. You may want to consider renting a wheel chair at the Vatican. http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi.html

[Keith1010]

I too would go with a private car so you can easily see as much of Rome as you want and so you can change things up easily. There is lots of choices from excellent tour companies for touring rome.

 

Keith

[LondonTowner]

I also have limited mobility and have to say that Italy is one of the least disabled accessible capital in Europe. However, with planning you can get around. The last time we were there I took a wheelchair for the first time, but it was difficult with the cobblestones. The tram is accessible, but the bus has steps. I managed the steps and found other passengers to be very helpful.

 

I read on the Rome Forum on Tripadvisor that there is a company in Rome that does accessible tours with a small electric cart, I imagine it is like a golf buggy. You could look that up.

 

There are also small electric buses (public transport) which go around some of the narrower streets.

 

In many places you will get priority entrance if you have booked a disabled ticket. In many places these are FOC. In the Galleria Borghese we were taken up in a lift not for general use. In the Vittorio Emmanuele monument we were taken in via a different entrance. Almost all museums and attractions have wheelchairs to borrow.

 

It is feasible to visit the sites, it just needs a bit of planning. If you haven't booked your hotel already do plenty of research beforehand. Many hotels in Rome don't have lifts, or they only operate from the 1st or 2nd floor. We stayed in the San Francesco in Trastevere. There were a few steps in the reception area, but the lift went to all the floors. It was close to public transport and some bars, restaurants and shops.

[texancruzer]

Forget the car….. go with a golf cart !!! :D

 

While we normally love to walk everywhere when we visit Rome …..

 

We did a golf cart tour with my mother in law and father in law last October. She cannot walk very far at all and stairs - only a few.

 

The golf cart picks you up at your hotel/apt. and takes you right up to the sights (where a car cannot) like the Trevi fountain, Pantheon etc……

 

While it is not particularly cheap, it is worth it since so many of the areas are pedestrian only and a car tour will only get you so close and then you have to walk again……..

 

They will customize your wants, stop for pictures or to shop and our guide was quite interesting too.

 

If we hadn't done this tour she really wouldn't have seen much. This was perfect for her...

 

Check it out -

 

http://mybesttour.com/tours.htm

[TheSheffs]

Thanks so much to all. A special thanks to Texancruzer for the golf cart tour suggestion. We have booked and are excited. Coming up soon...can hardly wait.

[texancruzer]

Thanks so much to all. A special thanks to Texancruzer for the golf cart tour suggestion. We have booked and are excited. Coming up soon...can hardly wait.

 

Your welcome ! Hope you enjoy. Come back and let us know how it went !