Transporting your Scooter

[The Commodore]

New to Scooter travel. How do you travel from home to airport to hotel.to ship? Uber? How difficult is it at the airport? Then uber or taxi to hotel then to.ship. Seems like a nightmare. Rental.is expensive compared to purchase. Purchase is easy but is it worth it?  

Thanks to.anyone for guidance.

 

Tom

Edited March 10, 2019 by The Commodore
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[CRUISEWITHH]

O.K. so let's take this one at a time.

Home to Airport: we  take (1) our own car (2) Taxi, "ask for H/C accessible or Van" (3) Uber or Lift, "order a SUV or similar"

 

Airport to Hotel: (1)If Hotel offers "free transfers" we tell them that we have a mobility scooter so that they can be prepared to put it in the back of the van. Remember, if they offer FREE transfers to "able bodied guests" they must accommodate disabled guests.   (2) Same as above regarding Taxi (3) Same as above regarding Uber or Lift.

 

Hotel to Ship:  Same as above transfers Airport to Hotel.

 

We have never had a problem with Hotels that offer "free transfers" being unable to accommodate us.

 

We have traveled with a mobility scooter for over 10 years and we have traveled to countries all over the world.  Usually, in most airports, they will let you drive the scooter right up to the boarding ramp, where you GATE CHECK it,  then you get off and walk into the aircraft and they take the scooter below to the cargo hold.  When you land, they bring the scooter up to the plane's door and you are on your way.

 

The only problem we encountered was in China at the airport where they just didn't know what to do with us. They made us check the scooter with oversize luggage and took my husband to the plane in a wheelchair.  But, they also WRAPPED the scooter in cellophane and we had a very difficult time when we got back trying to unwrap it so that we could drive it out of the airport.

 

Enjoy the freedom that a scooter will bring you and Happy Travels

 

 

 

[jpcello]

Depends on the size of the scooter you're going to purchase. If it's a portable (or collapsible) scooter, it will simply fit in the trunk of a car (luggie, travelscoot, or something similar). If it's a full-size scooter, you will need accessible transportation. 

 

My sister has her own collapsible scooter (she's had several over the years so I don't remember exactly which one she currently has). She stores it in the back of her Prius and it will fit anywhere. If she's flying, she simply scoots it to the door of the plane, they gate tag it, and it's waiting for her when she gets off the plane (similar to strollers). 

[SiliconCruiser]

On 3/10/2019 at 3:06 PM, The Commodore said:

New to Scooter travel. How do you travel from home to airport to hotel.to ship? Uber? How difficult is it at the airport? Then uber or taxi to hotel then to.ship. Seems like a nightmare. Rental.is expensive compared to purchase. Purchase is easy but is it worth it?  

Thanks to.anyone for guidance.

 

Tom

I would avoid ride sharing services, unless your traveling companion can lift and place the scooter into the vehicle on their own.  Uber/Lyft drivers can come up with all sorts of excuses to not assist you.  The drivers could care less about ADA compliance, though Uber and Lyft feign compliance with "guidelines" for drivers.  We find regular airport shuttles (they have vans with motorized lifts) to be far more reliable and consistent with pricing.  Many of these shuttles also go to cruise ports.  US airlines are better trained and are pretty consistent about transporting and gate-checking mobility devices so that they'll be waiting for you right outside of the aircraft.  Your experience on the ship and disembarking at ports may vary depending on the ship's crew (not necessarily consistent throughout a cruise line.)

 

[The Commodore]

Many thanks for your detailed response.  Big help. Now I just have to decide which one to buy.