5 Tips For Travelling Abroad With An Electric Wheelchair

Travelling abroad when you have mobility restrictions can be stressful, here are some top tips to ensure you get the most out of your next adventure:

1. Research Ahead: Plan your route, check the accessibility of your destination and make use of specialised apps and websites that provide travel for people with disabilities. Some of the most useful we've found are: 

• Wheelmap which can point out wheelchair accessible hotels, landmarks, and other locations. Travellers can easily download it from the Apple iOS App Store or from the Google Play store.
• Wheelmate.  which can help locate wheelchair friendly toilets around the world.

2. Bring a spare wheelchair battery: taking a spare wheelchair battery is always a good idea because you don't want to be stuck without power in a foreign country. If you have bought a powerchair from us at Mobility Extra then you can purchase an extra battery from our store. (For MX-3 here and MX-1/MX-2 here)

 

3. Know Your Rights: Familiarise yourself with your rights as a disabled traveller in the country you're visiting and any applicable transport regulations.

4.Communicate your needs and don't be afraid to ask for help: Let the people around you know what you need in order to make your journey more comfortable and less stressful. Always let airline personnel know you're travelling with a wheelchair so that they can take proper precautions to ensure that your chair is stored and handled properly.

5. Ensure Your Chair is in working order before traveling -  Always double check that your wheelchair is in great condition and that all the components are working correctly. If you have bought a good quality wheelchair from a reputable supplier this shouldnt be a worry but it's always good to double check for your own peace of mind