| Holiday Resort Ideas for the Disabled |
As another British winter takes hold, it's time to start planning your next summer holiday. What are the options open to disabled travellers? Looking for sun, sea and sand? Want to experience different places and people?
Whatever, you look for in a resort; you can book a great deal with Holiday Resorts Guide.com. If nothing else, knowing that you've got your summer planned will help you get through what will doubtless be another cold, wet British winter. As disabled travellers you have three options when planning your weeks in the sun. You can book a package deal from one of the high street travel companies, book with a company, which specialise in fully accessible destination deals, or you can opt to put together your own package. Mainstream companies have size and reputation on their side, but can you trust the facilities to be suitable for your needs? Specialist companies can offer excellent facilities, but are they located where you actually want to go? Arranging everything yourself may ensure you get the kind of deal that you want, but do you really need the hassle? Why not book online?
POPULAR DESTINATIONS
We checked with Holiday Care - the national charity which provides access and disability information for holiday makers (Tel: 0845 124 9971) - to find out what were this year's most popular destinations and package deals and where they can be booked. We also asked many of the companies that regularly advertise in these very pages. It soon became clear that resorts on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and mainland Spain still exert a strong hold on the British traveller. A major contribution to Tenerife's success, of course, is the fact that it is a year-round destination, while the resort Benidorm in particular can offer a lot of equipment suppliers and therefore, you can book great deals. It is hardly surprising that many disabled people will head for destinations which they know will be reasonably accessible and suited to their needs. Slightly less popular - although still a destination attracting lots of disabled sun seekers during 2004 is the American state of Florida. Many companies offer great package deals for the disabled, all can be booked online. Of course, a firm resort favourite with the British remains the UK itself, offering everything from historic cities like York, Edinburgh and Bath to the outstanding beauty of the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District and Cornish Coast. A growing number of heritage sites and accommodation providers are also being classified under a system operated by the UK's four tourism authorities (for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), providing a reliable, standardised picture of a venue's suitability for people with mobility impairments.
VIVA ITALIA
According to Holiday Care, one European resort that is becoming increasingly popular is Italy; in particular, disabled people are enquiring about the northern region of Piedmont. Members of the Holiday Resorts Guide team recently spent a week there, based on the shore of Lake Como, and found it to be an enchanting and reasonably accessible destination that offers the best of Italy within a geographically compact area. Whether you're looking for mountainous vistas or wide Mediterranean views, both are easily within reach, and there is also the simple wonder of seeing sunrise and sunset over the Lake itself. Lake Como enjoys a distinctly Mediterranean climate, particularly in the Tremezzo area, where you can easily find olive trees and vineyard. Indeed, this part of Italy is reckoned (certainly by the locals) to produce the best quality olive oil anywhere in the world. If the peace and relaxation of Lake Como gets too much, you can have an almost complete change of scene in the famous Italian city of Milan. Our team travelled the relatively short distance to a city that has recently become the main home of Italian finance and the country's service sector - and is, of course, a shopper's paradise. Unlike cities such as Florence, Rome and Venice, Milan has the look of a modern city. Nor will you find street-stalls offering local handicrafts; this is where you come to buy the best Italian products - particularly clothes, shoes and leather goods, as well as further up-market items like jewellery, furs and antiques. Be warned, however; our team had been told that Milan's prices were higher than those in most other Italian cities, but it came as a bit of a surprise to come across a top-designer Italian suit which they knew they could buy, cheaper, back in Glasgow.
In terms of culture and heritage, Milan sacrificed much during Italy's own industrial revolution, but there are still a few pearls to be found, most notable of which is the fifteenth century Dominican church and convent of Santa MariaĘdelle Grazie. It was on its refectory that, between 1495 and 1497, Leonardo da Vinci painted 'The Last Supper', which is probably his most famous work after the Mona Lisa. For a very different city-based day out, our researchers also travelled to Venice, in order to see the sights, ride the gondolas and feed the pigeons in St Mark's Square. However, most of the world famous bridges are stepped, effectively blocking many routes through the city to independently travelling wheelchair users.
The Italian Tourist Office in London (Tel: 020 7408 1254) should be able to supply basic information on access. In (Consorzio Cooperative Integrate); a national non-profit-making association of 'social utility’, which provides information and advice for, disabled tourists, as well as making travel arrangements. Co.In Publications include a quarterly magazine, 'Turismo per Tutti' ('Tourism for All') which is available in English and covers accessible itineraries and worldwide travel information. CO.IN (Consorzio Cooperative Integrate).
Tel: 0039 623267504, fax: 0039 623267582,
website: http://www.coinsociale.it email: turismo@coinsociale.it
AND REMEMBER... The UK has also made healthcare agreements with all EU member states, so emergency treatment (including the supply of Oxygen) while on holiday will be either free or at a reduced cost - as long as you have completed the correct paperwork beforehand. Form E111 is available from all large post offices, or alternatively from the International Branch of the Department of Health on: 020 7210 5318. The Passport Service has produced a leaflet specifically aimed at disabled travellers. For further information, tel: 0870 521 0410; website: http://www.passport.gov.uk
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