If you’ve been looking for best vacations for senior citizens and vacations with little walking, look no further, because here are 10 best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility!
Perhaps being this excited baffles you a little bit, but just think. Isn’t this the best time of your life? Admittedly, you’re not the old vivacious self, nor are you in your twenties and ready to take over the world, but isn’t it true that you’re feeling much more at ease now? In the early twenties or thirties, you are as energetic as can be, but you must admit you were a little bit anxious about your future. Those are the years when you define yourself, your priorities and try to get a good job and secure your future. Oh, and remember all that stress about buying the property? All the redecorating that followed, and all the mortgages? How about those sleepless nights (if you had children)? Don’t you miss all that? Of course not. Now is the time when your children are quite good on their own, and you have escaped the 9 to 5 daily grind. Not to mention all those traffic jams in the morning. And late afternoon. As you can see, you’re having the time of your life right now!
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However, nothing is perfect, so your body may not be able to match all your travel desires. Being retired implies having a lot of free time, which is great considering that now you are interested mostly in limited mobility travel. Walking isn’t as easy as it used to be, and it takes a lot more time now to get from point A to point B. Being a senior often implies redefining yourself and your priorities. Instead of just “best vacations”, you probably google something like “vacations for seniors with mobility issues”, while your children look for “vacations for elderly parents” when you all wish to go on a family holiday together. If you’re American, you have already read our article on best places to visit in USA for seniors. The reality is a bit harsh, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy it! After reading our list of best vacations for senior citizens, we assure you everyone is going to be envious of the places that are actually highly recommendable for your state because they are simply incredible.
In order to explore all the options for vacations with limited walking, we checked the suggestions from aPlaceforMum, HomeAway, TheStreet, Healthy Voyager and Safe Step Tubs. The places which were most prominent in the lists were our favorites, and they came higher on our list of best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility. If the number of occurrences was the same, the vacations were ranked according to how versatile they are, i.e., how many activities they offer in that place. Last but not the least, if some suggestions didn’t match, we analyzed them according to the disabled senior facilities. If a place is very well adjusted to the disabled seniors, it was ranked higher. Bear in mind you don’t always have to use the wheelchair if you have trouble walking. How about a scooter instead? They’re much smaller and easier to carry around when you don’t always need them. Find the one most convenient to your needs in our article on easiest and smallest folding mobility scooters for handicapped.
Now let’s take a look at our choice of best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility. You’ll be surprised to see that most of the suggestions are very appealing to all generations.
10. Miami Beach, Florida
The reason why we chose this location is the fact that it there is a wide range of handicap-accessible hotels to choose from, such as The Royal Palm, Carillon Hotel and Spa, or The Standard. There are handicap-friendly pools with special access chairs and handicap-accessible rooms, and if you prefer beaches to pools, no worries. Seniors with limited mobility can sunbathe on the sandy Haulover Beach, and there you will find free reclining chairs if you have trouble walking and aren’t too confident in the water. As for shopping and dining, Lincoln Road offers an abundance of shops and cafes at ground level.
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9. Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas isn’t just for bachelor parties. Who would’ve thought it is actually very well adjusted to senior citizens who are a bit challenged when it comes to walking? If shows and slot machines are your ideas of fun, this is definitely a candidate for best vacations with minimal walking. Apparently, Las Vegas has more guest rooms for people with disabilities than any other city in the US. Roll-in showers, transfer showers, tubs with built-in seats and tubs with portable seats are just some of the amenities you can expect when booking a hotel room. However, make sure you check on time whether the rooms are available.
As for the hotel pools, most hotels have lifts to help you. The transport around town is great, too. Can you believe that all Las Vegas taxi companies have lift-equipped vans for wheelchairs? What is more, the Las Vegas Monorail is ADA compliant, which means it complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, i.e., they are adjusted to people with disabilities.
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8. Branson, Missouri
If you like fancy shows, go to Las Vegas. If you adore theater, Branson, that’s up next on our list of best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility, is the place to be with more than 50 of them. You can relish the Gatlin Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys, or a tribute show to Dolly Parton. If you are sporty, Missouri’s best public golf course by Golfweek Magazine is actually located right here at Branson Creek Golf Club. As for shopping and dining, this is also a lovely area to have a wonderful meal.
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7. Edinburgh, Scotland
England, Scotland, and Ireland are very much in demand when discussing vacations for disabled seniors. Admit it, now that you are retired you’ve been thinking the time has come to visit (some more of) Europe. Obviously, you know English very well, so it is really lovely when you can explain briefly what you desire, and they will cater for your need. Even though Scotland is a hilly area and there are some attractions you’d better avoid (e.g., Edinburgh castle), the cobbled streets and ups and downs, this is still a very popular historical destination. Edinburgh’s New Town is perfect for you, the sidewalks are smooth, and black cabs are perfectly equipped for handling wheelchairs when you wish to avoid steep climbing hills.
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6. Victoria, British Columbia
Another English speaking destination on our list of best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility, but this time in Canada. Victoria is wonderful all year round, and it is also a starting point for an Alaskan cruise. Downtown Victoria is very suitable to elderly citizens’ needs. Apart from visiting museums, why not indulge in whale-watching on glass-bottom boats? You can’t do that anywhere else, can you?
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5. Charleston, South Carolina
When mentioning Charleston, that’s on the 5th spot on our list of best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility, everyone is always talking about the famous Kiawah Island Resort and that you should rent a lovely beachfront vacation cottage. Or, in our terms, this means: beach easily accessible. Charleston is a popular destination for all those seniors who adore sightseeing, and it’s really easy to get around town by tour bus. All history lovers adore this town, especially if they are keen on American Revolution and Civil War.
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4. Palm Springs, California
Beautiful weather and scenery are the reasons why seniors keep returning to this place. When we are talking about best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility, Palm Springs is highly recommendable. There are golf courses, luxury resorts, and spa treatments. It goes without saying that the food is absolutely delicious.
Numerous ADA projects have been carried out in the last couple of years. There are audio pedestrian push buttons at traffic signal intersections throughout the city for visually impaired citizens, hundreds of upgraded accessible curb ramps on newly paved streets throughout the city, upgraded accessible curb ramps, and there is the Buzz Trolley, free transport service for disabled tourists.
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3. Scottsdale, Arizona
Seniors who love outdoors will adore this desert resort community. The climate is said to be perfect for the retired citizens, and even though it is dry and warm, there are mountains nearby. The town that ranks third on our list of best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility is very pedestrian friendly. Basically, Scottsdale is famous for senior communities, so if you feel like spending the time with your peers, book a holiday right here. With so many seniors, you can count on transport infrastructure to be very developed.
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2. London, England
Back to the UK. We’ve already mentioned the perks of speaking the language and still being in Europe. There’s no need to be suspicious. Even though this is a melting pot of cultures and it’s busy with tourists all year round, you’ll find getting around the town fairly quick and easy. Most tour buses, City Cruises boats and London Walks are accessible by wheelchairs. Public transport is great. The Natural History Museum, the British Museum and the National Gallery are very accessible and free. With so many sights, moving slowly is not a problem at all. Even if you were a fast walker, it would still be very challenging to visit everything. Therefore, just relax and take it slow.
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1. European River Cruise
And here is what everyone recommends as the top holiday when talking about best vacations for senior citizens with limited mobility. A river cruise for seniors. To be more precise, a river cruise in Europe. Travelling by boat is the best option for several reasons. First, for all those using wheelchairs, you can always count on finding a boat that is fully adjusted to disabled travelers. Secondly, should you need medical assistance, there’s always a doctor on board. And finally, you can visit so many cities at your own pace. Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest are waiting for you!
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