Disabled Travelers’ Best Forums to Get Travel Advice
Posted September 23rd, 2011 in access guides, accessible crusies and Accessible Travel
Beautiful and accessible! Who could ask for more?
Photo by: Robert Linder (Stock Exchange)
Howdy, travelers!
Last week on the Disabled Travelers blog, we talked about some good guidelines for getting the very best travel views and information when you check out an internet forum.
Now, we’ll be looking at some of the best discussion boards for disabled travelers to visit for all your travel needs.
There are great travel communities all around the Web, of course, but these stand out as credible, friendly, and super-valuable for the kind of meticulous trip planning so many disabled travelers are experts in.
Have a favorite forum not listed here? Leave me a comment and let us know about it!
TripAdvisor: TripAdvisor is a review site for hotels (including disabled hotels), vacation rentals, and flights. Yes, they are selling something; ad space and affiliate agreements drive the site. On the other hand, it is one of the biggest travel sites in the world – if not the biggest – and the destination-based forums are perfect for getting all the answers you need from folks that have been where you’re headed. There’s even a Traveling With Disabilities forum where you can find some real gems, including a user-generated Accessibility Checklist for Hotel Accommodations.
Cruise Critic: Disabled travelers love cruises, and why not? It’s like floating on a luxury hotel on the water, and there are great solo and group activities; not to mention terrific shore excursions, fun events and shows, and much more. But to get the most out of your voyage, you have to have accessible cruise features. Many cruise lines have a stellar reputation for service to disabled travelers, but not all; and what better way to know before you go but to head to Cruise Critic? The site is well aware of the disabled traveler community, with many reviews that pertain to mobility, sightedness, and other issues; and there’s a Disabled Cruise Travel board, too.
Apparelyzed: Apparelyzed is a site for spinal cord injury survivors, and it’s become known around the Disabled Travelers blog for being the source of some of the best travelogues out there on the web, including great previews of accessible attractions and disabled hotels. Of our selections today, it’s the only one that focuses exclusively on disabled folks and their carers. Don’t be wary, though; anyone respectful of the community is welcome in the Apparelyzed forums, and for our purposes? You’ll be wanting to check out the Travel Tips & Wheelchair Accessible Holiday Destinations forum.
Now, that’s not all of the great forums out there – I’m sure there’s many, many more. But I think you’ll find even hardcore travel buffs can spend weeks shooting the breeze at these three sites and always find something new to learn. If you’re planning a trip, head on over to each one and get to know some folks. You’ll be surprised what you find out, and how much better a great trip can be when you plan ahead and make the most of it.
That’s it for this week, but pop by next Friday for more Disabled Travelers! Cheers!
Si
