Our guest bloggers Me, My Brother & His Chair have been in Paris the last few days!
Before they left, Thomas, Tyler and their mum Erin shared with me the preparation that they put in to get ready for their trip.
Tyler is in a wheelchair so they new that they had to start planning early to make the trip to Europe possible.
Take a read, there is some great tips here for getting ready to travel with kids.
Tyler’s Top 10 Holiday Planning Tips:
1. We started watching videos about the cities we were going travelling in. Our favorite videos are by Rick Steves. He has awesome videos on tons of destinations throughout Europe. We knew it was important to research each city we were going to visit. We wanted decide on where we to stay, the things we wanted to eat and the attractions we wanted to see. Here is the link to the website we have come to know and love. https://www.ricksteves.com
2. We read books about the places we are going. Thomas read “I Survived The Destruction of Pompeii” And “I Survived the Nazi Invitation” a children’s book by Lauren Tarshis. These books are an easy read and take you back to these events.
3. We also thought watching movies would be a fun way to prepare. Favourites included: Disney’s Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Ben-Hur! We loved the Roman Gladiators.
4. We found games on the computer to help us learn about Europe. We came across a puzzle of the European Map on CoolMath Games.com. It had helped us to know where the countries are in Europe. This is Tyler’s favorite!
http://www.coolmath-games.com/0-map-snap-europe
5. We pre-booked all of the tours we wanted to go on so that we would not have to wait in line or miss seeing an attraction because we had not planned well. Here’s some of the links that we used:
http://www.museivaticani.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html
http://www.louvre.fr/en/advance-tickets
6. We downloaded Rick Steves App called “Rick Steves Audio Europe”. It is a free app with audio tours throughout Europe. We will be using these audio tours in many of the locations we are going.
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-europe
7. As we were trying to find places to stay, we found out that working with VRBO was the best way for us traveling with Tyler in his wheelchair. We found them very accessible and helpful and that is how we found where we were going to stay.
8. As far as packing goes, our family decided to travel with backpacks. We felt like it was beneficial over a rolling suitcase to our hands free so that we can push Tyler or help him in anyway. We also love that the backpack fits on the back of his wheelchair.
Here’s a picture of our backpacks along with a link to where we purchased them.
We are trying to pack as light as possible. Our family will be in Europe for two weeks but we will only bring clothing enough for one week. We plan on washing our clothes, in one of the flats we rented, halfway through our trip.
9. We are taking with us a letter from Tyler’s primary care physician. It states Tyler’s medical diagnosis along with all of the medications he is taking. Our doctor added all of his contact information in case we needed any medical care while we were on vacation. It also is a good idea to carry your Insurance card in case of emergencies. We contacted our insurance provider before we left to double-check and see what would happen if we did need emergency medical care overseas. It’s always good to know your company’s policy.
10. Lastly, we knew there would be lots of time on airplanes. We had to figure out what we were going to do with all of that time. We purchased iPod touches and were glad to have them. We loaded movies onto them, we also have games on them. My Mom is having me bring my multiplication flashcards and Chinese books (because I go to school in and speak Chinese) to study on the airplane ride. Tyler and I are going to bring along snacks and a few toys like silly putty and a Rubik’s cube.
As you can see, we’re working with a pretty amazing family. They have so much to take into consideration when planning their holiday but still managed to find time to share their tips with us!
We hope you find these tips helpful when planning your next trip. In the meantime, we’ll keep you posted on their adventures – they are off to Naples/Pompeii, Rome, Prague and Germany next!
