European Travel Tips

• Wheelchair Access
• Taking Money on Your Rail Travels

Wheelchair Access

There’s no doubt that as far as equal rail travel opportunities are concerned, there’s a long way to go in most countries. That said, the northern European countries and Italy still offer the best access and facilities and so it may be an idea for wheelchair users to concentrate their rail travel here. It’s also worth bearing in mind that many of the old towns and sights on the standard tourist itinerary date back to times when wheelchair access was not high on people’s list of priorities. Cobbled streets are also an obstacle that may have to be negotiated at many historic sites.

Support organizations at home should be contacted first such as the US-based ‘Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped’ (SATH). These can provide invaluable advice and suggestions for you to get the most out of your European travel experience. As a general tip, newer hotels and hostels are more likely to have complied with the latest planning and regulatory requirements requiring wheelchair access, so try to choose these when booking accommodation. Always contact the hotel or hostel directly however, to confirm facilities available and their suitability for your needs.

There’s always a difficult trade-off between security and convenience when deciding what form to take your money in. Cash is undoubtedly the most convenient, yet violence and crime across Europe, as in the rest of the world, makes this a risky option. Travelers checks are less exposed to crime, yet continual queuing and having to find a bank during opening hours make this less convenient. Credit cards are now widely accepted in many major towns, but are still not as widely used across Europe as in the UK or US. In smaller towns and villages you will be hard-pushed to find ATMs never mind a shop which accepts credit cards. Always remember to keep credit/debit cards separate from cash and travelers checks to minimize the loss should you be unfortunate enough to be robbed.

• If you choose to take travelers checks, ensure you take a well-known brand to prevent any possibility of non-acceptance.
• Smaller denominations are more convenient when traveling across countries with different currencies, in order to minimize leftover cash at the end of the trip which would then have to be changed again and be subject to further charges.
• Any cash you take should be kept in a money belt and split between those traveling together where possible, to minimize the loss if you were to be subject to a loss/robbery.
• Keep cash and travelers checks/credit cards stored separately at all times.
• Consider what time of day you will be arriving and opportunities to access cash before going to a new destination, and consider obtaining some currency in advance to tide you over until the banks open

Banks in all European countries are open each morning Monday through to Friday. Afternoon and Saturday opening times will vary, so check these in each country where necessary. Saturday opening is rare, with the UK being the only major country to offer full services on Saturday mornings. Many Mediterranean countries hold siestas over lunchtime and will often close for two hours at this time so be aware of this in your planning.

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