Train stations Warmemunde and Berlin

[wanderingjudith]

I can walk about 100 feet and can haul myself up on trains. Usually I use a mobility scooter. We have a long stop in Warmemunde ( Rostock)Germany.

I was thinking of taking the train to Berlin and get a tour there. I think the scooter would be challenging to get on/off the train so i was going to use a cane and my husband <g> How much walking is needed to get to the trains and then the street at these stations?

Also suggestions for accessible tours in Berlin?

[Host Walt]

The trip you describe entails a short ride from Warnemunde to Rostock then a change of trains to a Berlin train. The trip from the dock to the Warnemunde station isn't too bad but it's quite a bit more than 100 feet distance.

 

But you definitely should check schedules (both the trains and the port times in Warnemunde) to see if you'll have enough time in Berlin to do much sightseeing in Berlin.

 

The safer approach would be to sign up for the cruise line's excursion which would definitely be more convenient and accessible.

[LondonTowner]

I have limited mobility and can also walk a short distance and manage steps. We were in Berlin for a long weekend last November. I took a mobility scooter with me, but was surprised to find the city not as accessible as I imagined it to be.

 

We also used the trains a couple of times and found some platforms accessible and others not. I took the scooter on the train and other passengers helped my OH get the scooter on/off.

 

We loved Berlin and would like to go back as there is a lot to see and it is quite spread out. We very rarely take ship excursions, but I think this may be one occasion when we would. Having said that, it is a long drive, so would probably visit Rostock and Warnemunde, which I believe are lovely towns.

[Enforcer]

Hi,

 

It's a few years since I was in Warnemunde so my memory may be playing tricks. The railway station isn't too far from where the ship docked, a couple on hundred metres.

I also have limited mobility but seem to remember that there are some very steep steps that you would need to get from one side of the railway line to the other, they form an underpass beneath the lines.

 

Once you get on the German trains they are excellent for accessibility.

 

Berlin is very spread out and I would suggest using taxis or the hop on hop off tourist bus. I haven't used my mobility scooter there but would imagine it wouldn't be a simple thing.

 

Pete

[LondonTowner]

Enforcer

 

The problem I found in Berlin with the scooter was that if I was at a traffic light or place with a dropped kerb to cross the road with my scooter was that often there was no dropped kern on the opposite pavement.

 

A few times I was able to go at the pavement at full speed and manage to get up, but most times it was too high and I had to scoot along within moving traffic. Not really the safest of environments.

[Enforcer]

Enforcer

 

The problem I found in Berlin with the scooter was that if I was at a traffic light or place with a dropped kerb to cross the road with my scooter was that often there was no dropped kern on the opposite pavement.

 

A few times I was able to go at the pavement at full speed and manage to get up, but most times it was too high and I had to scoot along within moving traffic. Not really the safest of environments.

 

Hi LondonTowner,

 

Don't get me started about drop kerbs, especially vehicles parking across them :mad:

 

Thanks for the information, I have usually found that Germany is on the whole fairly accessible, bit like Blighty, not perfect but getting there slowly. You only notice the bad ones because they cause problems.

 

Pete

[LondonTowner]

Enforcer

 

I live in central London and find London far more disabled friendly than Berlin. However, everything is doable, 'where there's a will, there's a way'.

[Enforcer]

 

'where there's a will, there's a way'.

 

Usually where there's a will there's a relative :D

 

Sorry couldn't resist. Not been to the smoke for a few years, I live near Manchester. Things are improving for disabled people but slowly up here.

 

Pete

[wanderingjudith]

Thanks for the suggestions. We are not going to try for Berlin as the trip looks too long. On our Baltic cruise there are NO accessible tours unless you go by private tour. fortunately we can get enough info to go by ourselves and the trusty scooter.

Are any of you aware of a guidebook for this area that speaks to the disability issue. I am having a hard time figuring out. Like can I get the scooter on the "Molly train" there in Warmemunde. Is Tallin in Estonia possible for a scooter because of the cobblestones?

TIA

[Attaa]

This is what I have found for Rostock and Warnemünde:

 

http://www.rostock.de/en/holiday-leisure/accessibility-on-holiday.html (make sure you click on the links to see transportation info and download their access brochure)

 

http://www.barrierefrei.m-vp.de (hard to use, because in German it requires continual translation)

 

http://www.rostock-port.de/en/accessible-travelling/cruise-terminal.html

 

I have received limited help from their tourist office but suggest you give them a try.

 

Tallinn's tour office has provided very useful and specific advice. Online they do have access info on attractions. See bottom left of each attraction page at http://www.visittallinn.ee/ Some of the transit is accessible for wheelchairs (including getting into old town from the port) but the HOHO is not. I don't know about for scooters though.

 

What cruise line are you taking?

 

When you ask about a guidebook for the area are you talking about just Rostock, Warnemünde, and Tallinn? Are you visiting Amsterdam? Rick Steves wrote an excellent guidebook, Easy Access Europe. Published in 2008, it is now out of print but he has generously put it on his site as a free download. There are 2 excellent chapters on Amsterdam.

 

I hope this helps. The lack of information can be frustrating. The tourism offices need to do a better job at putting access info on their sites.

[Attaa]

You may find this helpful from the Tallinn tourist office:

 

Trams and busses are usually accessible. Timetables and lines you will find here: http://www.tallinnlt.ee/en/ If you choose one line for example bus nr 2, which stops in the harbour and goes little bit closer to the Old Town: http://soiduplaan.tallinn.ee/#bus/2/b-a/10606-1/en , then you see that all times are underlined, which means these busses are wheelchair accessible. If you will check tram timetable: http://soiduplaan.tallinn.ee/#tram/1/a-b/en , you will see, that not all are underlined.

I think it is quite comfortable to use website: http://www.liikumisvabadus.invainfo.ee/?go=objekt&start=0

Also at our website, if you choose some museum, it shows to you if the museum is accessible for the wheelchair. Unfortunately almost all of the museum are not suitable for wheelchair visitors as Tallinn Old Town is under protection and it is prohibited to change anything so called medieval or historical. It is possible to visit Health Care museum: http://www.visittallinn.ee/eng/visitor/see-do/sightseeing/pid-174749/estonian-health-care-museum or St. Nicholas museum: http://www.visittallinn.ee/eng/visitor/see-do/sightseeing/pid-174741/niguliste-museum-st-nicholas-church

If you would like to get special taxi, you book it before arrival to Tallinn: http://www.termak.ee/en/wheelchair-taxi-services/

 

Apparently Kumu is wheelchair accessible (it is not in Old Town), as is the TV tower.

 

If you can't do Tallinn by scooter to the Old Town or public transit, you may want to consider a taxi, or a cruise shore excursion which mostly drive around I think (maybe a photo stop or two). There are also private companies online offering accessible excursions but I don't know if they can accommodate a scooter and they are quite expensive.

[LondonTowner]

When we went to Tallin on our Baltic cruise we took a taxi to the top of Toompea Hill and walked down. I had a manual wheelchair with me and spent a lot of time getting in and out of it as the pavements were too narrow or there was no dropped kerb. It was also fairly uncomfortable on the cobblestones.

 

The HOHO buses don't go inside the old town, but we did go for a ride on a ditto train that departs from the main square.

 

I think because Tallin was so inaccessible it turned me off the place, added with the fact it was very crowded and hot.