I am planning a city trip with my father. He is fine walking on level ground and does not need mobility assistance, but after maybe 60–90 minutes he really wants to sit down for a while.
A lot of sample itineraries look reasonable on a map but quietly assume six or seven hours of walking, standing in museums, stairs in stations and queues, with only meal breaks. On paper the distances are not huge; in practice the accumulated standing seems to be the problem.
I am thinking one main area per half-day, cafés built in as actual stops, and taxis for a few awkward connections instead of proving we can use public transport everywhere. I also want a hotel that makes it easy for him to go back for an hour without the whole group needing to follow.
He does not want the trip planned around him, which is partly why I am trying to make the pace sensible from the beginning rather than “adjust” after he is exhausted.
If you have traveled this way, what tends to matter more than people expect: distance, hills, station stairs, standing in queues, hotel location, something else?
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For me it’s the bathroom breaks and the random standing in line. The pretty walking route is not pretty anymore after the third “we’ll just...
For me it’s the bathroom breaks and the random standing in line. The pretty walking route is not pretty anymore after the third “we’ll just wait here a minute.”
I’d also say don’t overbook the day. If your father wants to sit every 60 to 90 minutes, that’s the rule, and it’s easier to plan around it than to pretend it won’t happen.
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I think your instinct is good. I’d plan around one area per half-day and leave some slack, because the “extra little walk” is usually what g...
I think your instinct is good. I’d plan around one area per half-day and leave some slack, because the “extra little walk” is usually what gets people.
Agreed. People often count distance and forget waiting, which is how a short day becomes a long one.
Exactly. Even a museum can be tiring if there’s nowhere to sit and you have to keep moving from room to room.
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Standing matters more than people admit. A route with stairs, queues and no real pauses can wipe someone out even if the map looks friendly.
Standing matters more than people admit. A route with stairs, queues and no real pauses can wipe someone out even if the map looks friendly.
Yeah, and hotel location matters because it gives you a reset point. Being able to go back for an hour is a lot different from being stuck out all day.