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Personally, I feel that travelling around Lisboa in a wheelchair would be extremely difficult. It is a very, very hilly city with many cobblestone streets.
I’ve been there multiple times and yes am very aware. We will be restricted to places we can go for sure (as we are now actually). However I am comfortable knowing the places we can go to while there though.
Spaces with accessibility features
Hosts can highlight features of their home that make it more accessible for guests who use wheelchairs, canes, or other mobility aids. If a home already has things like step-free route to the outdoor entrance or doorways wider than 32 inches (81 centimetres), Hosts can add these as features to their listing. Additionally, Hosts are required to upload photos to the accessibility section of their listing pages to show each accessibility feature they have selected. This helps guests determine whether the listing will meet their needs. All accessibility features are required to meet our guidelines for clarity and accuracy. Learn about our guidelines and how to add accessibility features.
Guests can filter search results by accessibility features, such as a step-free shower or an entrance without steps, so they know the place will be a good fit. Learn how to search for listings with accessibility features.
Yes, that part of Lisbon might be nice & flat, but getting around the rest for mom would be difficult. But Setubal may be a decent option if you can score a hotel near the town center. I was wondering about the Algarve, the eastern half is flat, perhaps a hotel with elevator in Villa Real de San Antonio town center or Monte Gordo? I have never been but I've heard that Braga is flat & very nice around the city center, I think there is an expat that has youtube vids about it.
Otherwise perhaps someplace before summer, like Valencia or Split?
(I guess with a chair I would stick with hotels with elevators personally.)
Yes, that part of Lisbon might be nice & flat, but getting around the rest for mom would be difficult. But Setubal may be a decent option if you can score a hotel near the town center. I was wondering about the Algarve, the eastern half is flat, perhaps a hotel with elevator in Villa Real de San Antonio town center or Monte Gordo? I have never been but I've heard that Braga is flat & very nice around the city center, I think there is an expat that has youtube vids about it.
Otherwise perhaps someplace before summer, like Valencia or Split?
(I guess with a chair I would stick with hotels with elevators personally.)
Well the thing is, we're staying for 2-3 months.
If we get a hotel room it would be hard to cook in a room for 2-3 months, plus for most rooms in Lisbon in hotels we would be hard pressed to find something that is large enough to make us comfortable being there for that long.
I appreciate the sentiments about getting around the hard parts of Lisbon but do want to gently point out that just like we now have to avoid the harder parts near where we live, we would be avoiding the hard parts of the areas of Lisbon that we don't want to bother trying to navigate.
For instance, I already know that we probably won't even be able to do the miradouros thing which I always do when visiting. (Perhaps if we took a tuk tuk but even that's likely out of the question.) It's going to be a very laid back, mostly staying in/very close to 'home' during the majority of the time kinda trip honestly.
I'm pretty set on Lisbon only. But I am indeed open to Setubal. Have you been to Setubal Hefe? The population of that area seems to be close to where I live now, so part of me thinks my mom would enjoy staying there more as it does appear to be pretty laid back.
I have gotten (only) 2 Airbnb responses so far for accessible properties (the owners confirmed elevators and no steps to the entrance).
If staying in Avenidas Novas-ish area, I'm using the El Corte Ingles as a landmark in that I'd prefer to be under a 25 minute walk to it. 1 of the Airbnbs appears to be in Benfica area (I think??), and some locals had told me months ago to consider it, but I did see it's a 45 minute walk to El Corte Ingles. But otherwise it is perfect: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4179673...2BKVs76B4ZAALm
The other Airbnb owner that confirmed accessibility for their place has a property in PdN but honestly I haven't been to PdN before. I want (need) to consider that area because of its accessibility though: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4179673...2BKVs76B4ZAALm
I was able to spend several hours one afternoon in Setubal & i was impressed. It's vastly less touristed than Lisbon, primarily Portuguese visitors but catching fire with expats, only a 40 minute train commute away. The city center is flat and has things a city of 100K would have in terms of cafes, shops, etc, nicely developed town center: Praca do Bocage... plus beaches. But away from the center it is a typical Portuguese city & may seem a bit run down, unpolished on the surface, but it is a safe place.
I was looking for a potential place to expat at the time & this seemed to hit the bullseye for me over Porto (too many steep hills/rainy) & even Lisbon, which is mobbed by tourists now unlike just 7-8 years ago, plus it's hills are too much on old knees daily, but it still is close enough to hop over to from Setubal.
For variety, besides Lisbon, a ferry to the Comporta area, which is becoming a hot, hot beach-house destination for the international monied set along with the old fishing villages still there, and Setubal sits adjacent a major national park, you need a vehicle to get there, not sure how/if accessible it is inside.
I left too quickly since unfortunately it was the last stop on a 3 month/3 country trip that left me exhausted & not feeling well that day.
Another flat beachy area nearby Lisbon is Costa da Caparica which is popular with surfers. I prefer Setubal which is more like a small city & less like a beach town but it was okay too.
I was able to spend several hours one afternoon in Setubal & i was impressed. It's vastly less touristed than Lisbon, primarily Portuguese visitors but catching fire with expats, only a 40 minute train commute away. The city center is flat and has things a city of 100K would have in terms of cafes, shops, etc, nicely developed town center: Praca do Bocage... plus beaches. But away from the center it is a typical Portuguese city & may seem a bit run down, unpolished on the surface, but it is a safe place.
I was looking for a potential place to expat at the time & this seemed to hit the bullseye for me over Porto (too many steep hills/rainy) & even Lisbon, which is mobbed by tourists now unlike just 7-8 years ago, plus it's hills are too much on old knees daily, but it still is close enough to hop over to from Setubal.
For variety, besides Lisbon, a ferry to the Comporta area, which is becoming a hot, hot beach-house destination for the international monied set along with the old fishing villages still there, and Setubal sits adjacent a major national park, you need a vehicle to get there, not sure how/if accessible it is inside.
I left too quickly since unfortunately it was the last stop on a 3 month/3 country trip that left me exhausted & not feeling well that day.
Another flat beachy area nearby Lisbon is Costa da Caparica which is popular with surfers. I prefer Setubal which is more like a small city & less like a beach town but it was okay too.
Thanks Hefe for your insight.
I'm currently researching the airport situation in Lisbon (I recall during previous departures having outside boarding with outside steps on prior trips).
My mom suddenly became disabled last year and is now wheelchair-bound. I am her caregiver now.
I'd given up on travel (my only hobby) but now I am starting to feel differently and am reconsidering taking it back up.
I am looking at travel for 2024 and it has taken over a week so far to find a property that would fit 'our' needs (I was a solo traveler before but now my mom will need to come with me anywhere I go). I emailed an Airbnb host today about the aforementioned 'perfect' property and they responded with answers to all of my questions, which was great because they essentially ended up affirming for me that this was the 'one' place that did indeed fit every need I have.
Except for one (major) thing.
There are 5 or 6 steps leading up to the elevators inside of the Airbnb property.
This has got me to thinking today...what if I wanted to do something like bring an item like the below to use in order to enter the property?
---
I'm not sure where Airbnb stands on this. I have an Airbnb in a suburb north of Atlanta, and in my listing, I indicate that my Airbnb provides several features for people with limited accessibility. I list things like:
--no steps
--extra wide doors (and Airbnb requires that I specify the specific widths in inches)
--a 1-inch threshold to step over to get into the unit
--grab bars in the shower and toilet areas
--a seat available for the shower
--the height of the countertops
As a host, when you put these things on your listing, Airbnb requires that you complete a form and if you tick off the correct boxes, the listing will come up when people run searches on 'accessibility' or 'no stairs.'
I'd suggest running a search specifically on 'Accessiblity.' I think it's still in the Airbnb search filter to where you can just click on it.
Another thing... When I went through this exercise with Airbnb, I discovered that there were a bunch of things I hadn't even considered initially when thinking about accessibility.
In your conversations with the host, if the host isn't set up for accessibility and they haven't went through this process, then the five steps in front of the apartment might not be the only challenge for your mother. You might rent the place and find that there's a door that's too narrow or the entrance to the bathroom won't accommodate a wheelchair.
Even the height of a sofa might be a challenge. A year ago, there was gentleman staying here who had Parkinsons. He said that he liked the stay, but that getting up from the sofa was difficult. It was one of those mid-century mod style sofas that is lower to the floor. That would've never occurred to me.
Could you place your Mom in respite care for 2 months, it seems the trip is for you, she night feel safer & more relaxed in a care home. Strange places can be upsetting for some older people. Of course, you know your mother best. But Europe doesn't have the ADA like we have here in the states.
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