Holidays suitable for poor mobility

[SouthCoastShell]

My husband has recently been diagnosed with MS and has poor mobility.
We are currently on holiday in Cornwall (booked before we knew) and he's really struggling with walking with a cane and using a wheelchair.
Quite a lot has been un accessible
We would love any advice for our next holiday.

You can also get lightweight foldable power chairs they can be pricey though.

I have MS and am walking with two sticks. Stubbornly (and stupidly) resisting a mobility scooter. Good UK holidays thus far:

Lyme Regis/West Bay
Lyme is hilly but if you can stay in the right place (along the river or on the front) you can be very near and with flat access to the front. There's a good front to walk/roll along. We went off season and hired a beach hut on the front which was great for sitting around and watching the world go by. Shops/restaurants accessible on the front and Coombe st but rest of the town is pretty inaccessible as too steep. West Bay is the opposite - accessible town but impossible to get on the beach!

Instow
Estuary beach with a long flat front. Ramp access to beach. Beautiful place to watch skies and seas. Lots of cottages on the front.

Llansteffan
Another estuary beach with car park and toilets nearby. Nice front but not a very big place. Great skies and seas again.

Cardiff
Largely flat and accessible city. The bay would be great with a scooter.

Marazion
The town itself is a bit hilly and busy with rubbish footpaths but there is a long flat stretch between Marazion and Penzance which is great. There are cottages on this stretch where you can sit and watch sunset over St Michael's Mount.

Church Stretton
'Little Switzerland'. Pretty and flat town fairly accessible but narrow pavement in one bit. Surrounded by the Shropshire hills. You can park in Cardingmill valley and walk/roll up the valley road to the NT cafe.

BTW - I should state that everyone's needs vary and that some of the above may not suit your DH at all. I can manage a few steps with a decent handrail. But I must have short distances and toilets nearby! A wheel chair user with a strong bladder would want different things.

My biggest adaptation has been a shift in mindset in what a good holiday is. I now look for accommodation with nice views as I spend a lot more time just sitting around watching the world go by. Nice drives and good food are holiday ambitions more than sightseeing and bracing coastal walks

Llandudno ! Lots of lovely hotels that are totally geared up for older/infirm guests AND there are plenty of mobility scooters holiday hire companies at very reasonable rates.

Yes this is our holidays too although we go abroad usually Spain resorts are usually accessible, our UK caravans/lodges and just do it at my pace I do now have a scooter for distance or if we are somewhere for the day. So i mix and match walking or shooting.

Centreparcs was amazing with my disabled mil. She used a mobility scooter which we hired there.

If you want luxury Dubai resorts also tend to be extremely accessible. Most of the 5 star + resorts take wheelchair / accessible access extremely seriously. You can get free cabanas by the pool, golf carts with drivers, free room service. Plus infrastructure is very supportive to wheelchair and walking stick users.

Another solid option is Princess Cruises (Mum was amazed by how accessible it was). But I’d recommend one not geared for kids as toilet access can be an issue with parents using disabled toilets for their kids.

I think parts of Spain can be good (eg the south near Malaga / Marbella & the traditional pilgrimage destinations) but disabled access in other areas can be patchy.

We have taken FIL on several cruises, he loves them they are geared up for people with disabilities and we found them very helpful

Have a look on FB for various wheelchair friendly groups which have a lot of accessible rentals etc advertised, eg "wheelchair places and activities".

The Basque country was great as a wheelchair user, very accessible with beach wheelchairs available in the high season at San Sebastian (although I haven't used them myself). You might be able to fly to Bilbao from somewhere, or to Barcelona, do a city break, then on to Bilbao and San Sebastian for gastronomy and the sea. Barcelona more accessible than Madrid as a city, I was even able to access the Gaudi houses. I've heard good things about the south of spain for a classic sun sea sand holiday but I haven't been myself.

In the UK, parts of south wales are very nice. Cardiff is reasonably accessible as a city, and out past Swansea there's beach wheelchairs available for free with booking at Caswell Bay through surfability (who also run disabled surfing classes if your husband is looking for an adventure!), and Bikeability who loan out adaptive bikes for a pedal along Mumbles seafront. I'm not sure what there is in the way of accommodation, there's various caravan parks along the coast so I expect one of them has an accessible cabin.

Would also second the idea of getting a scooter if only a manual wheelchair has been provided, or perhaps renting one at least for holidays. Eventually you'll probably have to buy some kind of electric wheelchair before the NHS will give you one if he wants to maintain any kind of independence outside the house.

Another vote for cruises. We go from Southampton with two wheelchair users (child and grandfather) and P and O are brilliant.

we also have a lot of medical equipment to take so not flying makes it so much easier

If you are going to France/Belgium Eurostar offer Special Assistance service to help travellers with disabilites including advice for onward travel. I think a companion/carer gets free travel.

Definitely a cruise but make sure they aren't tender posts as some are difficult to get on/off.

AccessAble and Euan’s Guide both provide detailed access reviews on a variety of places.

My husband has MS.

We go on P&O cruises every year.

We are on the Arvia now on a 2 week Med cruise.

You do need to book as soon as the cruises are released if you want a fully adapted cabin though as they are the first to sell out.

Yes love P&O

Holistic Thinking Holidays.

They have mobile caravans all over the country

Another more exotic suggestion - Puerto Vallarta on the west coast of Mexico. I have poor mobility / stability and I go on my own every winter. Lots of mobility and equipment hire shops in the area due to the US and Canadian visitors), a huge long front with lots going on and totally flat, great hotels used to less able tourists - and whale watching ( some not accessible, but many are) for Humpbacks. If you fancy going out and about but don't feel confident driving / on tours then hiring a car and driver is competitive and they can get you right up to convenient drop off points, assist, etc.

Not free, but both the wheelchair user and companion get to sit in first class with all the perks (food) for less than the price of a standard class ticket

Oh that is worth it - first class in Eurostar rules.

Thank you all so much! That is loads to work with you have all been very kind and helpful 😊

💐enjoy the rest of your holiday @SouthCoastShell

I’ve got mobility issues and use a wheelchair or crutches. We go to Menorca regularly. They’ve spent a lot of money making it accessible and it’s very easy to hire mobility scooters while you’re there. We’ve found it easy to find hotels or villas, depending on what you want, that have either fully adapted rooms or with just walk in showers.