Tom's Accessible Solo Holiday in Amsterdam
DisabledHolidays.com customer Tom recently sent us some great feedback about his solo holiday to Amsterdam, where he visited the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum and enjoyed a scenic accessible boat tour of the city...
As a solo traveller in a wheelchair, I could not have wished for a better trip! The flight out with EasyJet went smoothly. I arrived at the disabled assistance desk in good time, and the staff there were excellent and helped me through customs to the departure gate.
I was met by friendly staff who helped me on board with the use of an aisle chair. My seat was booked for quite far down the rows, but they had front seats free so let me use those, which was really helpful.
The Dutch staff in Amsterdam were equally as helpful with assisting me off the plane. I was taken to the baggage area and helped with my case to the taxi waiting area. The taxi company arrived promptly and were very friendly and helpful with luggage, which helped me to relax.
I was taken straight to my hotel, which had a fantastic position right next to the Central Station. The hotel staff were incredibly helpful with everything I needed.
My room (701) was spacious, had great views of the city, and the bathroom was excellent. It was a wet room with plenty of room to transfer to the loo, and the shower seat was easy to fold down and wide enough to help me balance properly. The sink was at the right level and it made it really easy to get ready efficiently in the morning.
The hotel had a lift down to the bar and breakfast area, and the food was good. The staff serving were friendly and helpful.
Getting around Amsterdam in a wheelchair is mostly easy because it is flat. There are areas like the Old Town that have cobbles, so having a FreeWheel that attaches to the front of your chair made life easier for me.
It can be steep to push over some of the canal bridges. People do need to watch out for bikes because they are king in Amsterdam and they do not always give way even when you are on a zebra crossing. Sometimes it is quite difficult to tell if you are in a bike lane or on the pavement, so people do need to watch out for this. There are areas where there are lots of bikes stacked up against each other and that can mean that the gaps to get through on certain streets can be quite narrow if you are in a larger electric chair.
The tram system is very helpful and quite simple to use. The disabled entrance to the tram is right by the information desk, and the staff are good at asking people to move if they are standing in the disabled seating area. If the step is slightly too high, the tram will move forward to a point where it is more level for you to get on/off. The staff will help you check on and off the tram with your card if you ask them.
I visited the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum, which were both very accessible. I recommend people book these before they go because they get very busy. An early morning or late afternoon slot is usually quieter.
Clockwise from L-R: Amsterdam Canal Cruise Tour Boat, Amsterdam canal and bridge, the Rijksmuseum, the Royal Palace
I visited the Oude Kerk, which is the oldest church in Amsterdam. It had areas that were not easily accessible, but I managed to get to most of the points of interest. The photograph to the right is the Begijnhof, which is a historic central Amsterdam courtyard and well worth a visit.
The Royal Palace is resplendent and infused with history and again easily accessible in a wheelchair, with helpful staff to take you to the lifts. A push through Vondelpark is worth it if you want a more chilled-out day.
A canal cruise is well worth the time. The Blue Boat Company have accessible boats with a ramp and lift to help you on board. The audio support headphones helped tell the story of some of the history of Amsterdam and told you about the buildings as you went past them. You need to book beforehand (the hotel staff helped me with this) and turn up 15 minutes before the boat is due to leave to buy your tickets.
The American Cafe is a beautiful Art Deco building inside and at first appears to be inaccessible with steps, but if you ask a member of staff there is a lift at the side of the building that they will assist you with. The food was good and I would be quite happy to go back there if given an opportunity.
The taxi driver, airport staff and crew were equally as helpful to make my journey home very smooth, and this rounded off a fabulous trip. This trip has given me confidence that I can travel solo to Europe in a wheelchair and is a great one to start with because the Dutch are so friendly and speak brilliant English. Next year I am hoping to go to Vienna, so I am now looking forward to that with great confidence.
Very best wishes,
Tom Johnson
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