Arrival

One of the biggest travel challenges for the vision impaired is transportation. The challenge can be at virtually every point in the course of a vacation; from the point of arrival at the airport, to getting to your hotel, or to just finding a good place to eat. For this reason, research and preparation is essential to avoid problems, and enjoy your trip as opposed to making it a test to see how much stress you can absorb. While there is no 100% solution that it’s going to remove all barriers, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of a problem by putting some time into getting to know your destination.

To begin with, I’m not thinking about vacations to all-inclusive resorts where almost everything has been prearranged for you, and where all you have to do is get to the airport on time. Likewise, I am not referring to fully escorted tours where the amount of activities that you are personally responsible for is minimal. The type of holiday I am thinking of is either a completely self-directed, meaning you planned it, or a partially escorted tour, where transportation and accommodation are managed for you, but where you are still responsible for getting around at the local level. This post is the first of two and is concerned with challenges of travel within large urban centres. Multi city trips, day trips and other excursions will be addressed in other posts. 

As indicated in my earlier Google Maps post, you can learn an enormous amount getting around before you arrive. In particular, you can determine what transportation options are available, which areas they serve, and which ones are the best options in terms of cost, time management and convenience. Once you determine this, you can also decide when and where it’s appropriate to enlist a third-party service, such as a local tour company.

Arriving: Getting to your hotel

I’m going to assume that you already have a plan to get to your destination’s airport or train station. So what do you do now that you have arrived? Let’s begin with airports. Over the years, I have transited through many airports and have marveled at how different the experience is for tourists. No two are alike, and while some are exceptionally well thought out and convenient, other places make you wonder how anybody ever able to leave. You will always encounter people who seem utterly lost. You may sympathize, but you do not want to be them. With this in mind, it’s helpful to take the time to learn how to first exit the airport, and choose a method to get to your hotel.

So what can you do to help yourself? First of all, check out the airport in advance. Go to the airport website, and if available, review a map of the airport’s layout to determine where the arrival gates are, where you collect your bags, and where ground transportation and car rentals are located. If you know which airline you are arriving with, you can often tell where your entry gate will be, but do not rely on this too much since many airports will change flight gates unexpectedly to alleviate congestion and delays. Be mindful that if the airport has multiple levels or terminals, you may need to locate escalators and elevators. Be prepared. Some airports such as Chicago’s O’Hare Airport are huge, and may require you to walk considerable distances before you reach the baggage area. If you’re making connections, be aware also that some airports may require you to transit from one terminal to another, such as Dallas-Fort Worth or Minneapolis, for example, where this is accomplished by high-speed trams.

Do not underestimate the navigational challenge inside the terminal. It is very easy to become disoriented upon landing, particularly if you don’t see that well, and where you are relying on signs that may not be in a familiar language, or may not be accessible. Lets face it, in some airports getting your bags can be an adventure. Baggage claim areas can be a long way away, and may not even be in the same terminal. You may be thinking, why worry? I can just follow the herd of passengers as I exit the plane. After all, aren’t we are all going in the same direction? Well maybe, but to be honest, I have done this many times with mixed results. First of all, if your flight serves connections, you first need to confirm that you are following the right herd. Secondly, you can easily loose track of the herd, if the airport is busy, the group is small, or if there are a lot of twists and turns. Typically, most airports have plenty of signage clear enough to lead you to the luggage carousels, but not always. First off, if you cannot see the signs clearly enough to follow them, you should be asking for help. If you can, the directions provided may still be ambiguous or contradictory. Often, the use of an up or down arrow can mean to go up or down one level, or also to keep going forward. This is especially confusing when you are required to change direction, or change floors. Likewise, a left or right arrow can mean a turn or a slight change in direction.  It seems as if airport designers expect their guests to know what they are thinking. Once in the baggage area, you now have to find your specific carousel, which can be a second challenge. Many carousels now have digital displays that indicate the flight, however not all can be read by the vision impaired either if the print is too small, the sign is in a difficult spot to access (remember, we like to get closer), or even when it is perceivable, the messaging is in airline jargon that may not make sense initially. If need be, use your cell phone camera to magnify the signs wherever possible. Also, if you can, use Google maps to orient yourself, but be mindful that GPS may not help you much if you have to change levels.  As I said, look up the airport map, have some idea where the baggage area is located. It can save you a lot of time and aggravation, especially after a long flight when you may be tired or sleep deprived. Swallowing your pride and asking for help is never a bad idea.

Two additional tips. Make sure you keep your passport on you – readily available. Canadian travelers often overlook this and pack it in their carry on after boarding. I believe this is because we are used to doing the US Customs check at the Canadian airport, which is unique to our relationship with the USA.  However, if you are travelling overseas, Europe for example, you will be asked for it before you can enter the European Union. Keep you boarding pass and Baggage ticket handy as well. If nothing else, it will make it easier to locate the correct luggage carousel, but can also be useful if you are asked for it, or about your flight at customs.

The story is only a little different if you travel by train. One advantage is that you typically have immediate access to your bags as you get off the train, and so all you need to do is find transportation to your lodgings. I have limited experience with train travel in North America on both Canada’s Via Rail and Amtrak in the USA, and have had a little more experience with European rail service particularly in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. It’s no secret that Europeans rely on rail service much more than North Americans do, and as a result, European rail services offer a more convenient schedule, and in some cities, more expensive high speed services. Whether in Europe or North America, train stations are centrally located in most cities. From the point of arrival, the issues are similar. You just need to choose between taxis, public transit or foot travel.

So you’ve arrived, and you have your bags. Now what. Your next step is to get to wherever you are staying. Typically, most airports offer limousine or taxi service at the very least, as well as shared ride buses such as the SuperShuttle. Taxis are a good option, especially if the airport is located in the city. Even when there is a longer distance to travel, taxis are a low stress way to make it to your hotel even if it a moderate distance, but have an idea of the cost before you commit. In New York or Los Angeles, I have found this is a good option. In London Paris or Rome, it will be prohibitively expensive. Shared ride vans are a good option if your budget is tight. I have found the quality of service can vary wildly depending on the city. I have decent experiences in Los Vegas, Miami, Orlando, but found it frustrating in New York and Los Angeles. If you’re staying at an upscale hotel, there may be a dedicated hotel shuttle, but it is in your interest to look into its frequency and hours of operation before committing to it. If budget permits, arrange for airport pick-up through your travel agency. It takes all the guess work out of it, but can be prohibitively expensive, and possibly unnecessary.  Finally, where airport are located a long distance from the downtown area, you will frequently find express transit service of some kind. Many cities have opted for high-speed trains that run a closed-circuit to and from the downtown area. For example, Vienna, Paris, Tokyo, London and Rome all offer this kind of service. 

One thing I have become convinced of is you need to be open minded. Both drivers and non-drivers need to divorce themselves from the idea that the car is the only, and best, mode of transport. While a car may be the best option in some places, there are easily as many locations where driving is the most expensive and least convenient way to enter a city. To determine your best option, first look at the Airport’ s location relative to your hotel, and determine how much city sits in between. The city centre of London or Rome are a long distance from their international airports, and to while it is possible to drive, you are in for a long haul. Fortunately, these cities offer dedicated express train services will deposit you at a central train station in a fraction of the time, and cost, of driving. For example London is served by both Heathrow and Gatwick Airport, each of which has it own express train service. Rome Fumincino Airport offers the Leonardo Da Vinci Express, a blue train drops you at Termini Station in Rome. 

Depending on the distance to your hotel you can now either walk, take public transit or a taxi. Here again, it is worthwhile to scope out the course to your hotel using Google Maps Street-view. Not only can this save time, and reduce your chances of getting lost, it can alert you to potential barriers and hazards that could delay your arrival, or force you to improvise a solution. Likewise, if your hotel is located in pedestrian thoroughfares you may be able to plot out your course on foot. Most of all, it will give you a clear idea of whether it is practical to walk, or choose wheeled transport to complete your journey. 

Some airports have local public transit options that make connecting to your hotel fairly easy. San Francisco’s BART Underground and Boston’s Transit system offer quick, cheap and simple access to downtown hotels direct from the Airport. The best I have seen is Amsterdam’s Skipol, which has a train station underneath the airport that offers inexpensive access to not only Amsterdam, but several other popular destinations in the Netherlands. Naturally, this approach works best if your hotel is close to a transit stop. Otherwise, you may still have to take a bus or taxi to reach your destination.  

Alternatively, where there is no easy public transit option to your hotel, you can purchase shared ride services. Personally, I have had mixed experience with this type of service, and luck has as much to do with it as anything. As cheap as these services usually are, operators will often delay departure till they have enough passengers to fill the bus. Additionally, if you find you are last on the delivery schedule, the trip can take quite a while. I can only recommend this service if this distance is relatively short (Las Vegas), or the hotels are highly concentrated in one area (Honolulu’s Waikiki). Even when it seems like a good option, shared ride vans may not always work out such as in New York where, in my opinion, its worth it to splurge on a cab.