Hi. I have always wanted to travel the world me & the wife had planned to it in about 5 years time, now I have took ill am desperate to get this done incase I can’t in five years time. Has anyone done this or planning to do it in the future ? Any tips ETC; Thanks Stephen.
Hello Stephen
I don’t know how much you are affected by MS, the type of MS you have, or even how old you are or what sort of travelling you want to do.
All I can say is that I have had MS for 25+ years (SPMS for at least 7 of those years) and I have just come back from a wonderful holiday in Cape Town.
OK, I wasn’t ‘travelling’ like someone might want to do in their 20s or even a fit and healthy person of my own age (mid 50s), but I had a good holiday and felt I saw a lot of South Africa. Last year I went to Egypt.
I hope other people have helpful tips for you and see what your Neuro/MS Nurse say … although MS can be so unpredictable …
all the best, Gill
Hi Gill Sorry I meant to say I am still in limbo, going in for the LP a week today and I am 45 yes old, White spots were found on the brain and spine last week from a MRI, I even got given MS nurse during the week. I have already had one bad attack and my right leg is still not back to normal, I use a stick to get by this happened in April. Hence why I am considering bringing my plans forward for travelling, if I was to get a DX just wondering if this could dampen my plans, am not sure what would happen about med’s etc whilst I was travelling. Cheers gill
I’ve not “travelled the world” but I’ve been abroad many times since I had MS. I’m in a wheelchair now so it all needs more careful planing but anything’s possible. There’s lots of help available at airports and you need to plan accomodation choices carefully but if you want to do it - GOFOR IT
Jane
Basically if you feel able to do it now and can afford it, then I would go. MS is so unpredicable, it is not possible to say how you will be affected in the future.
My husband has SP and we do find travelling difficult and have not ventured far for several years. Having said that I think that the most important thing is to recognise your own limitations and work within them. That way you should be able to manage the symptoms. This is easier said than done, particularly when you are in a strange and unfamiliar environment. The other thing is to ask for help when you need it, and dont keep going to point of exhaustion.
Hopefully others can be more specific, but I wonder what you have in mind?
I hope you get to the places where you want to go and have a wonderful time.
Hi Stephen.
Travelling by aircraft seems a daunting experience for anyone Disabled in wheelchair or not, but in reality it isn’t it can be a seamless experience as you are helped every step of the way, (that’s not meant as a pun).
I worked for British Airways for 26 years, as such travelled to many parts of the World. In fact in 1988 I travelled twice around the World, some 48,000 miles in 5 days on aircraft, sponsored for Charity. Not something I would recommend but shows you it is possible.
Stick to these guidelines and you will really enjoy the experience. First on booking your flight tell them you would like assistance from check-in to the gate. This could be a wheelchair with someone pushing or a lift on a Golf type buggy. The gate could be over one mile away so don’t think your doing any favour’s by not asking for help. The aircraft has a certain slot for take off, if you are late because of walking difficulties, THE AIRCRAFT HAS TO GO without you, otherwise it costs mega bucks.
If you have problems walking down the isle when you get aircraft side, no problem, quite a few aircraft now have small wheelchairs especially to take people up and down the isle. If you can’t walk whatsoever, no problem, tell them and facilities will be put in place from check-in to take you to the aircraft by ambulance, high lift you to the aircraft and trained medical staff to lift you in the seat. The golden rule here is ‘tell them.’
With some airlines you can pre-book your seat. If so get one that has more leg room and near the toilets, probably a bulkhead seat. The Civil Aviation Authority has made a ruling that no Disabled person can have a seat by an Emergency Exit for obvious reasons.
If for some reason you get to your destination and your wheelchair is missing or worse still damaged it is the airlines, or should I say good airlines signed up to something called the Haig Protocol to restore or repair your chair, see the airlines staff.
I remember I went to San Diego from Gatwick once and they left my chair behind. I was in a rush had to go down to Tijuana and the only one they had to loan me had a large sign above my head saying ‘AVIS Rent a Car.’ The times I was stopped in my Hotel by people saying “hey fella, where can I get a car.”### ### Have a good time, don’t worry as far as flying is concerned you will be looked after. Never worry about doing anything; only worry about not doing it.### ### George
Thanks Jane. Hi Bonnie cheers, what I would like to do this is; Travel as much as possible over land, trains and buses ferries, overnight trains you can sleep in beds whilst traveling between destinations, but I want to be able to go somewhere and stay for a few days or more if am tired and get my energy levels up. No planning on a lot of it except were I would need to get a flight, use about a year to go around the globe, I am doing something next year, London to Moscow via train, on to ST Petersburg, on to Helsinki in to Hamburg and back to London, all by train and this will take about 3 weeks, doing this I don’t have to do Europe, Canada or Africa (north end) as I have already been to these places. Always been my dream to travel the globe at my leisure.
[quote=“ggood”]
Hi Stephen.
Travelling by aircraft seems a daunting experience for anyone Disabled in wheelchair or not, but in reality it isn’t it can be a seamless experience as you are helped every step of the way, (that’s not meant as a pun).
I worked for British Airways for 26 years, as such travelled to many parts of the World. In fact in 1988 I travelled twice around the World, some 48,000 miles in 5 days on aircraft, sponsored for Charity. Not something I would recommend but shows you it is possible.
Stick to these guidelines and you will really enjoy the experience. First on booking your flight tell them you would like assistance from check-in to the gate. This could be a wheelchair with someone pushing or a lift on a Golf type buggy. The gate could be over one mile away so don’t think your doing any favour’s by not asking for help. The aircraft has a certain slot for take off, if you are late because of walking difficulties, THE AIRCRAFTHAS TO GO without you, otherwise it costs mega bucks.
If you have problems walking down the isle when you get aircraft side, no problem, quite a few aircraft now have small wheelchairsespecially to take people up and down the isle. If you can’t walk whatsoever, no problem, tell them and facilities will be put in place from check-in to take you to the aircraft by ambulance, high lift you to the aircraft and trained medical staff to lift you in the seat. The golden rule here is ‘tell them.’
With some airlines you can pre-book your seat. If so get one that has more leg room and near the toilets, probably a bulkhead seat. The Civil Aviation Authority has made a ruling that no Disabled person can have a seat by an Emergency Exit for obvious reasons.
If for some reason you get to your destination and your wheelchair is missing or worse still damaged it is the airlines, or should I say good airlines signed up to something called the Haig Protocol to restore or repair your chair, see the airlines staff.
I remember I went to San Diego from Gatwick once and they left my chair behind. I was in a rush had to go down to Tijuana and the only one they had to loan me had a large sign above my head saying ‘AVIS Rent a Car.’ The times I was stopped in my Hotel by people saying “hey fella, where can I get a car.”### ### Have a good time, don’t worry as far as flying is concerned you will be looked after. Never worry about doing anything; only worry about not doing it.### ### George
[/quote] Cheers for the info George.
I did this in Cuba - booked a resort holiday for two weeks but spent half of it travelling around the country by plane and bus.
Liz
Hello George.
I wondered if you could help me please.
My 42 year old daughter has been diagnosed with MS and I have previously taken her abroad to an all inclusive holiday last year in Italy. She could hardly walk at all but we got through it all with people being so very kind and helping us. Including Ryanair through the Airports on both sides. (I’m 72 so no spring chicken!)
My daughter really wants to go to Verona this year, (I don’t want to disappoint her) so on checking with the Best Western hotel and their facilities with bed and breakfast, a lift and disabled room, decided to book it for September.
Also free transport into Verona in the mornings which is good as that’s when she has the most energy.
Its Just for a week. She is very positive and always knows her legs will work again when she’s had a relapse. Unfortunately, she has just ended up in hospital as they are not working at all at the moment. (not for the last four weeks I’m afraid…according to my daughter…the trauma of me having a bad fall set this all off)
The good news is that she has asked for MRI scans and the legions have almost disappeared.
Which poses the worrying problem as to how I will cope with her if this time her poor legs don’t start working at all. Her upper body is fine but she is obviously a dead weight to move from any seat or bed. (She’s also not got a lot of patience with me! haha (families etc etc)) My back is not the strongest!
She was diagnosed 2 years ago with MS with legions in her spine and brain but has never believed it to be MS.
After having to give up working a very full and active life working and training people in Natural Medicine and running her own business in Sports & therapy massage. She is very well read in all fields. (So uses her own natural medicines to get herself well again)
I am obviously going to wait until nearer the time to do anything about it and I am preparing myself that I may have to cancel and lose my money but I really don’t want to disappoint my daughter.
Do you have any advice please. I would be so grateful as it’s so difficult dealing with these things on my own.
I have bought for her a light travelling wheel chair which collapses into a wheelie bag. Also a walker with a seat on it.
Which ever one is appropriate to take with us!
Also Advice from anybody suffering with the same kind of situation please.
Thankyou so much.
Hi Anon you have responded to an old post, start a new topic so as not to confuse things. Hope you manage to have a nice holiday.
Jan x
Hello.
Could you please tell me how I repost this as a NEW POST.
Sorry but I am new on this site and just can not find how I could copy and paste this text to a new one as you kindly suggested.
Many thanks
I wondered if you could help me please.
My 42 year old daughter has been diagnosed with MS and I have previously taken her abroad to an all inclusive holiday last year in Italy. She could hardly walk at all but we got through it all with people being so very kind and helping us. Including Ryanair through the Airports on both sides. (I’m 72 so no spring chicken!)
My daughter really wants to go to Verona this year, (I don’t want to disappoint her) so on checking with the Best Western hotel and their facilities with bed and breakfast, a lift and disabled room, decided to book it for September.
Also free transport into Verona in the mornings which is good as that’s when she has the most energy.
Its Just for a week. She is very positive and always knows her legs will work again when she’s had a relapse. Unfortunately, she has just ended up in hospital as they are not working at all at the moment. (not for the last four weeks I’m afraid…according to my daughter…the trauma of me having a bad fall set this all off)
The good news is that she has asked for MRI scans and the legions have almost disappeared.
Which poses the worrying problem as to how I will cope with her if this time her poor legs don’t start working at all. Her upper body is fine but she is obviously a dead weight to move from any seat or bed. (She’s also not got a lot of patience with me! haha (families etc etc)) My back is not the strongest!
She was diagnosed 2 years ago with MS with legions in her spine and brain but has never believed it to be MS.
After having to give up working a very full and active life working and training people in Natural Medicine and running her own business in Sports & therapy massage. She is very well read in all fields. (So uses her own natural medicines to get herself well again)
I am obviously going to wait until nearer the time to do anything about it and I am preparing myself that I may have to cancel and lose my money but I really don’t want to disappoint my daughter.
Do you have any advice please. I would be so grateful as it’s so difficult dealing with these things on my own.
I have bought for her a light travelling wheel chair which collapses into a wheelie bag. Also a walker with a seat on it.
Which ever one is appropriate to take with us!
Also Advice from anybody suffering with the same kind of situation please.
Thankyou so much.
Hi Rosi, I think Val means the top of Everyday living page. Go to the top of this page click on Everyday living then you will see th blue new topic box.
Happy posting
Jan x
Thank you very much Val.
Rosi x
thanks for info