Where to go?

[Cmitchell]

Can anyone think of any suggestions where we should take our elderly mother on holiday abroad.

We want warm (ish)/hot
She's not able to walk far and has a 3 wheeler walking aid or uses a walking stick.
We can drive (my hubby and I will do the driving)
She does not want near a beach (she hates beach holidays!)
Price wise I'd say in region of about £450 - £1000 each.
It could be a week somewhere or a shorter 3 day city break type of thing.
We're getting stuck for ideas...please help!

Many thanks in advance.

Mitchell

[bednobs]

jersey? Mind you, it's pretty hard to be away from a beach there

[johnny37]

A cruise? Everythings on board , food drink entertainiment. Would be ideal for someone with restricted mobility. Insurance might be high as would anything abroad for an elderly person.

[Buenchico]

Barcelona is superb, with an excellent, modern (and fully-integrated) public transport system. Most of the main tourist areas are very flat, so there would be no problems with getting around.

The city is a paradise for shopaholics and lovers of fine foods, with plenty of cultural and historic attractions as well. You certainly wouldn't be stuck for something to do!

While your mother might hate beach holidays, she might still enjoy the excellent paella served at one of Barcelona's many beach-side bars and restaurants.

There are loads of cheap flights to Barcelona. Many people choose to fly to Gerona or Reus (with Ryanair) and then take the direct bus into the city from there but, with your mother's limited mobility, it would probably make more sense to fly directly to Barcelona (El Prat) Airport with BA (from Heathrow or London City), Jet2 (from Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford or Manchester), Monarch (from Gatwick, Manchester or Birmingham), Ryanair (from Edinburgh, Prestwick, Liverpool, Stansted or East Midlands) or easyJet (from Belfast, Bristol, Liverpool, Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Stansted or Newcastle).

El Prat Airport has very easy access to the city centre by both rail and bus:
http://www.aena-aerop...Public-transport.html
but, given the proximity of the airport to the city centre, a taxi probably wouldn't cost much anyway.

Start your accommodation search here:
http://www.tripadviso...Catalonia-Hotels.html

Find out what the city has to offer here:
http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/English/

Chris

[spudqueen]

I've just come back from a holiday in Jersey with my 80 year old Mother and Father in law. We've all had a fantastic time. The weather was lovely, dry and warm but with a slight breeze, so the in laws never felt too hot. Yes there are lots of beaches, but lots of other things to do and see, including days out in France, Sark etc.

[bednobs]

also to add about Jersey - you could take your own car even(although the busses are good too) and if travelling s difficult for her, it's really close (but far enough away to feel like "abroad")

[Cmitchell]

A big thank you for all suggestions, I will put those to her 2moro tho I think she's now set her heart on Bruges. Has any of you been? Is it cobbled streets all over?!! A huge thankyou in advance for taking time to respond!! : )

[Buenchico]

I know Brugge (Flemish spelling!) well. It's OK for a short break but (unless you're really into studying historic buildings) you could quickly become bored if you didn't venture a little further afield.

Fortunately there's a frequent train service for short journeys to historic towns like Ghent or vibrant seaside resorts like Oostende (which is only about a quarter of an hour away).

Please don't allow your mother's distaste for beach holidays to prevent you visiting the Belgian coast. Oostende is vibrant, with loads of wonderful shops and some of the world's best seafood restaurants (by the quayside). Knokke is much more 'upmarket'.

Useful links:
http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/index.htm

http://www.visit-bruges.com/

http://www.visitgent.be/

http://www.visitoostende.be/en

http://www.visitknokke.com/

The best way to get to Brugge is likely to be via Eurostar:
http://www.eurostar.com
For the best value tickets enter your start point as 'United Kingdom'and then use the alphabetical listing to select your local station. Choose 'Belgium' and then 'Any Belgian Station' as your destination.

Lastly, a small hint:
In Brugge, avoid the ridiculously over-priced restaurants around the Grand Place. There are some lovely little restaurants (charging much less) a little further afield (especially alongside the canals).

Chris

PS: Much as I love Belgium, I cant see how it qualifies (most of the time) as 'warm/hot', as originally specified in your question!

[Jennykenny]

Madeira is great, but pick a hotel in the capital, in the centre. Many hotels are on a large steep hill out of town. We stayed at the Porto Santa Maria Hotel in Funchal. Lovely pool and gardens (beach very rocky), excellent food, but rooms also have a great little kitchenette, for snacks, with hot plates, sink and fridge.
Gert a room overlooking the gardens if possible, not on the west side of hotel, balconies don't get much sun. If you do nothing else, just watching the hugh liners come in and out is fascinating. Loads of great restaurants within walking distance, and the cable car. Hope this helps. PS don't advise hiring a car as roads very steep, but up to you.

[Jennykenny]

PPS chose Madeira, as my husband has difficulty walking.