Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
customized tours and itineraries for travelers with disabilities.
Flying Wheels
Travel
(
%
507/451-5005; www.flyingwheelstravel.com)
offers escorted tours and
cruises that emphasize sports and private tours in minivans with lifts.
Access-Able
Travel Source
(
%
303/232-2979; www.access-able.com)
has extensive access
information and advice for traveling around the world with disabilities.
Accessible
Journeys
(
%
800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com)
caters
specifically to slow walkers and wheelchair travelers and their families and friends.
Avis Rent a Car
(
%
888/879-4273; www.avis.com)
has an “Avis Access” pro-
gram that provides such services as a dedicated 24-hour toll-free number for cus-
tomers with special travel needs; special car features such as swivel seats, spinner
knobs, and hand controls; and accessible bus service.
Organizations that offer assistance to disabled travelers include
MossRehab
(www.mossresourcenet.org),
which provides a library of accessible-travel resources
online; the
American Foundation for the Blind
(
AFB;
%
800/232-5463; www.
afb.org),
a referral resource for the blind or visually impaired that includes infor-
mation on traveling with Seeing Eye dogs; and
SATH
(Society for Accessible Travel
& Hospitality;
%
212/447-7284; www.sath.org; annual membership fees:
$
45
adults,
$
30 seniors and students),
which offers a wealth of travel resources for all
types of disabilities and informed recommendations on destinations, access
guides, travel agents, tour operators, vehicle rentals, and companion services.
AirAmbulanceCard.com
is now partnered with SATH and allows you to pre-select
top-notch hospitals in case of an emergency for $195 a year ($295 per family),
among other benefits.
For more information specifically targeted to travelers with disabilities, the
community website
iCan
(www.icanonline.net/channels/travel)
has destination
guides and several regular columns on accessible travel. Also check out the quar-
terly magazine
Emerging Horizons
(www.emerginghorizons.com;
$
14.95 per year,
$
19.95 outside the U.S.)
and
Open World
magazine, published by SATH (see
above; subscription:
$
13 per year,
$
21 outside the U.S.).
FOR SENIOR TRAVELERS
Many Italian museums, and some bus and rail lines, offer reduced rates to seniors
65 or older (some have 60-plus discounts). To fish for discounts, mention that
you're a senior:
un anciano
(for men) or
una anciana
(for women).
A number of reliable agencies and organizations target the 50-plus market.
Elderhostel
(
%
877/426-8056; www.elderhostel.org)
arranges study programs
for seniors 55 and over (and a spouse or companion of any age) in more than 80
countries, including Italy. Most courses last 2 to 4 weeks, and many include air-
fare, accommodations in university dormitories or modest inns, meals, and
tuition.
Grand Circle Travel
(
%
800/959-0405; www.gct.com),
in business since
1958, is one of the leaders in the field and consequently has greater buying power
than many of its competitors. All its trips feature easygoing itineraries, perfect for
older travelers or travelers with disabilities, and decently priced tours (in 2006, an
18-night, all-inclusive guided tour of Italy--with airfare--sold for just $1,895).
Its “Discovery Series” events bring travelers into contact with locals in the areas
visited with events such as cooking classes, visits to schoolchildren, and meals in
private homes.
