Author: Kate DeLosso

Be persistent, be patient and sometimes be a little pushy. Getting what you need when you travel is not just something you do for fun. Getting what you need is necessary for your safety and well-being. So those three “attitudes” become necessary for the mobility challenged. For now, I am talking about requesting and using a wheelchair at the airport. In Part 2, I will…

I had no choice. Learning to walk again after a stroke, I depended on a cane for safety, balance and support. Twenty years later, I still use a cane whenever I leave the house but especially when I am traveling to a place where I am not familiar with the terrain. Even if you don’t regularly use a cane but are concerned you may have…

According to baseball legend Yogi Berra: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.” You’ve started thinking about a trip to … (doesn’t matter where). Since you’ve never been there, you are unfamiliar with any challenges that might be an obstacle to a safe trip. For instance, I know that when traveling within the United States, because of ADA regulations, I…

Not my usual topic but important information for all air travelers. If you are armed with this information, it may help you understand the rules for airline cancellations or delays. Important: under US law, airline flight schedules are not guaranteed. The airlines are not obliged to provide any compensation for delayed or canceled flights – even when it is their fault. What if the flight…

The United States is an incredible country and we should go out and see it. I made a list of the places I’d like to see and started planning. Because I was fascinated by the small towns across the U.S., some of the national parks particularly in the West, I focused on how to make these places happen and found American river cruising. American river…

If you’ve never taken an ocean cruise, let’s address the elephant in the room — seasickness. I’m one of those lucky people who doesn't get seasick. My husband is not so lucky. He found that a product called “seabands” purchased at a local pharmacy does the trick for him. For Tony, this is better than taking drugs or wearing patches. Following the packaged instructions, he…

Ocean cruising is one of my absolute favorite vacations. I love the feel of the ship, watching the ocean, making new acquaintances onboard and exploring incredible ports. I’m differentiating ocean cruising from other types of cruising such as river cruises. For a mobility challenged traveler, ocean cruising can be a relaxing, stress-free vacation. But just like river cruising, ocean cruising is not for everyone. Let’s…

Usually, I write about how mobility challenged people can continue to travel. But I had a phone call this week from someone wanting to travel to Europe with a few friends. Not unusual. The person goes on to tell me “My friends have all had knee replacements, hip replacements and other physical issues that could make travel difficult.” He wanted to know what type of…

European river cruises are fast becoming the best way to see Europe and mature travelers love river cruising. I’ll distinguish between river cruises because there are ships that cruise rivers in Europe, United States, China and Vietnam. All very different experiences so, for now I’ll focus on my experiences with European river cruises. Most of us who watch PBS are familiar with the beautiful river…

When you acknowledge that you have some “issues” in mobility, hearing, medical or just getting older, I strongly suggest you travel with another person. In my case, I am fortunate to a have a great husband who is most often my traveling partner. But I have traveled with a sibling, colleague or friend, someone who is aware of my limitations and is there to provide…