Question, Questions and more Questions

I have found that the farther my trip is away from my home the more I have to plan. I take into account the usual such as how am I going to get there, plane, train, car or ship. The next very important issue is accommodations. Will I go in a hotel, motel, youth hostel, stay at a bread & breakfast and if I am in Germany can I stay with my relatives.

Well in 2002, I stayed in Youth Hostels in Australia. Yes, it is possible to stay in wheelchair accessible Youth Hostels in Australia, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg. I just have to remember to ask the right questions, such as is the washroom wheelchair accessible, and can a wheelchair wheel-in the shower. Can my chair fit underneath the sink? Do the bathrooms have grab bars in the show/tub or by the toilet? Are the beds low? How high are the beds? Are they bunk beds, single, double bed? Ok now that the accommodation is booked. Now what about sight seeing?

Ah yes, sight seeing, this is a little trickier. Again, I need to ask more questions such as is their public transit system accessible. Wait, does the country have a transit system? Does the country have taxis or do I need to hire a private car/van? Now what about the places I want to see. Are the museums accessible? Are there any gardens, churches, events that are accessible? Well as you can see the questions are endless, but the answers will be well worth the investigation.

After all, I do not want to end up in a country where the only thing I am going to see is the hotel amenities. Hotel amenities can be great. However, the whole point of leaving your country is to go out and explore another country. Life must be experienced, so enjoy the adventure! That is my opinion. Enjoy!