Holiday ideas after husband’s hip fracture and unable to fly

[Soontoberetired]

Due to fly to Cyprus in 3 weeks time with DH, two DD and eldest’s boyfriend (all early 20’s) Looking forward to a relaxing break after a tricky year…
Last Friday DH fell and fractured his hip and advised not to fly and is toe touch weight bearing only for 6 weeks. Doing
well with crutches on the flat and stairs.
Still really want to get away so looking for options, would appreciate any suggestions.
ideas so far:
France by train-any destination/hotel recommendations appreciated
Norwegian Fjord cruise from Southampton -DH will be limited with excursions but says doesn’t mind
Somewhere in the uk-any recommendations of lovely places to stay appreciated (we live in London)

any other suggestions we haven’t thought of?
TIA

Can't you wait until he has recovered? It's a big recovery and if something goes even slightly wrong it's better to be near the hospital that looked after him and not on a ship, or in a country where you don't speak the language.

Also, if you must drag him away before he has recovered make sure your travel insurance is fully aware.

A cruise from Southampton is a nice idea if he can manage it and everything is fine wth your insurance.

Train from Paris to nice and local trains to Monaco, Cannes, st tropez

Whilst I would think a cruise is the most likely to be enjoyable for him (when I was more mobility impaired I did a Norwegian cruise, and saw a lot from my balcony), you need to make sure that he could still get comprehension insurance including cruise cover and repatriation cover, which could be tricky/pricey. I usually go with AllClear, as they can cope with you having pre existing conditions.

How about Jersey or Guernsey by ferry?

He will really struggle to get travel/medical insurance. Could you both contribute to the kids going away.
Can he even manage to sit in the car? He needs to invest time in recovering, I'm sorry I know its not what you want to hear.

Thanks all. Have been in touch with insurance company and will be getting a quote for cover once we have logged our claim for the flights (luckily accommodation is a flexible booking so only a small admin charge to cancel) Looks like they will cover as not travelling against advice (as long as doesn’t fly!) but not sure at what cost 😫
We could leave it (and might decide to) but he isn’t going to be fully mobile until close to Christmas and we have a small window around DD work and uni. And we were so looking forward to getting away. He is probably the keenest of all of us to book something!

We’ve offered for the kids to go on the original holiday but they don’t want to. He is managing to sit comfortably (already back wfh…) so isn’t worried about a drive. As long as not too far.

Personally I would wait until he has recovered to go abroad.
Crossing the North Sea to get to Norway can be choppy and if he’s on crutches could be a problem.
Someone I know had a fractured pelvis and they tried more than they should have done. They fell again and the damage they did the second time never properly healed.
Could you not find a nice place to rent in the UK and save the planned holiday for another time?

I'd be very worried about the risk of blood clots undertaking any long periods of travel, and he won't enjoy it if he is barely mobile.

I would try and find something nice in Norfolk by the coast, and preferably on one level. We went a few years ago and loved it.

He can't travel. If the slightest thing goes wrong, his recovery will be our way back. DH was like that for 6 weeks after knee surgery in May. DS and I went to Sardinia without him.

A Fjords cruise is a nice idea, but Iona isn't the easiest ship to navigate on crutches. Stavanger is very hilly. Sailing into Olden is a stunning trip if you have a balcony & can sit & watch, but trips would be challenging. The ramps to get on & off can be very steep.

You could do ferry to spain from Portsmouth or Plymouth to either bilbao or santander.

Thank you, a lot to think about
@HewasH2O i didn’t know that about Iona
All very helpful. Going to sleep on it

Go to one of the Warner Historic houses. Cruise ship on dry land. Adults only.

They're all good but Heythrop is great and the surrounding area has lots to see. Outdoor hot tubs to lie in and watch the red kite fly.

Iona is huge so there is a lot of walking between the restaurants, theatre, pools etc. I assumed it was Iona rather than Brit or one of the other cruise lines. The atrium area is tiled and not the easiest to handle on crutches.

The other issue with a cruise is the limited medical support on board. Yes, there is a medical unit, but the team have to deal with everything from seasickness injections to broken limbs and cardiac arrests. Please review your travel insurance very carefully to check for full cruise cover. They will airlift passengers off at sea if the medical team feel there's a risk.

If you do go for a cruise, check that missed port cover is included in your insurance policy. We missed Haugesund in May/June on our last trip, but each received £200 for a missed port.

A close relative of mine broke a hip last year. Travel would have been the last thing of their mind. Healing broken bones can take a consider amount of energy and frequent rests are needed. Does your DH really want to do this? It could impair recovery.

I wouldn’t do a cruise.

i know the big ships are very stable generally but it only takes one wave and he’ll hit the deck. Literally.

broken hip and a rolling deck does not sound like a good combination.

what about somewhere like Crieff hydro?

although I think I’d postpone altogether until his walking is stable.

He is very keen to go (way more than I am, the thought is making me quite anxious tbh)

Thank you, this sounds great-I’ll take a look

I’d stay in the UK. I fractured my wrist recently, and that was bad enough.

For destinations, I suggest the Lake District. Obviously he won’t be able to climb a mountain, but driving between the lakes are beautiful, you can go on boat rides, steam train rides plus little villages to sit in a cafe and watch the world go by.

Ditto Scotland or Snowdonia .

If you must go away, I'd get a train or drive within the UK. When we lived in London, we got the train to Edinburgh. From memory it was only 4hrs. We have a car, but the train was quicker and for most UK cities, parking can be a nightmare. You can get two together train pass and save 30% on travel. Its not a benefits related type card and lasts a year. We saved the cost of the ticket just doing that trip.

FIL had a hip replacement last year. He was and still is very active and has been going to the gym and doing alot of physio since his fall. He still struggles with sitting for longer than about 30mins, so car long journeys are tricky and require constant stops. Hence the train suggestion so your DH could get up, walk and more about if required.

I travelled to Scotland from south west England (about 8hours) in a motorhome 4 months after fracturing my ankle (i had pins inserted) . I wouldn't recommend it. I wouldn't have been comfortable in a car either. I felt every jolt and I couldn't elevate my leg and remain securely held in place by my seat belt (due to having to turn sideways on the seat)

You should consult with whoever gave you the no-fly advice before going any further. Don't assume it means he can do anything other than fly.

I would stay put. I’d try and rebook the holiday to a future date, and see if you can stretch the cancellation/change policy to the max. It’s the little things like prolonged sitting in the wrong type of seat, trying to ‘help’ lift suitcases, bathroom visits at night in an unfamiliar room, and moving boats or trains that can literally trip him up and spancil his recovery. If he really wanted to go somewhere, I’d say pick a nice resort hotel within a reasonable drive of your home (two hours) with a ground floor room, and bed in for a few luxurious days.