Whew!
The fall calendar of wheelchair accessible group tours in Europe is complete! It was a joy to take more than 30 Wheelchair Travel readers to some of my favorite destinations in Europe — from experiencing the beauty of the Swiss Alps to cooking authentic Italian pasta in Sicily, these were trips to remember!
Facing the unexpected and a family emergency
Multiple group tours in a row, along with a few side trips, would have kept me away from home for well over a month, but then I received a call — my son was at the hospital and needed an unexpected emergency surgery. In our family, we believe strongly in personal privacy, particularly around matters of health. The story is Robert's to share (or not to share), so I will not elaborate except to say that the surgery was a success — Robert is alive, remarkably strong and deserving of admiration. Stevie and I are so proud of him.
Naturally, after receiving that call, I rushed home to be with my family. After about a week at home, I returned to Europe to continue my itinerary — beginning in London, England, where I faced another kind of emergency (more on that in a minute). The disruption has put me behind on work, but I do promise to catch up in future newsletters. There is a lot to share from multiple trips to Europe, but today, I want to focus on my experience in London, and my trip to a German city you may not be familiar with.
Temporarily Trapped in London
In order to resume my European travels, I booked a flight from the United States to London, where I planned to catch a same-day ride on the Eurostar train to Cologne, Germany. I had never been to Cologne before, and was excited to explore! It was not to be.
As I approached the Eurostar check-in desk at London's King's Cross-St. Pancras Train Station, I reached into my bag for my passport — it wasn't there. What followed was a frantic search — through my bags, in the crevices of my wheelchair, in the bathroom and in the cafe where I had ordered a coffee. Ultimately, I returned to the Heathrow Airport.
I filed lost item reports at the airport and with Transport for London. I waited in the queue at Heathrow's lost and found office, staring in silence at a picture of King Charles, only to receive the news that, "Sorry mate, no one has turnt it in." His Majesty was judging me, I thought. Laughing at me, surely.
It was Saturday, the wrong day to lose my passport. The United States Embassy would not reopen until Monday and, even then, they would only issue an emergency passport that would not be accepted at the French border (Eurostar travelers departing London are processed by French immigration).
Already, I had missed the train to Cologne and come to the sad realization that I would be spending the night — or nights — in London. In a last ditch effort, I asked to speak to a manager at the American Airlines check-in desk. I knew I had not left the passport on the airplane, since I had used it at immigration to enter the United Kingdom, but I had time to kill and thought it couldn't hurt.
After about twenty minutes, a manager appeared, heard my story and said that he might have a lead. A short while later, he reemerged with a passport in hand and said, "Mr. Morris?" I exclaimed, "Yes indeed, it is I, and that is my passport!" As it turns out, I had dropped the passport onto the floor near the baggage carousel — presumably, having seen my boarding passes inside, someone handed it in to an American Airlines agent, who had not yet forwarded it to lost & found.
Honestly, this is an embarrassing tale — but it is evidence that even the most seasoned traveler can make an amateur mistake. If you learn anything from my experience, it should be to secure your passport in a safe place always. Take it from me, it is extremely uncomfortable to become stateless, homeless and unidentifiable — even temporarily!
Door ajar on the Eurostar and a bad merger
After a restful night's sleep in London and, with passport (thankfully) in hand, I resumed my journey the following day — taking the Eurostar to Cologne's Central Station by way of Brussels, Belgium.
The first segment of the itinerary was great: the Eurostar train from London to Brussels was wheelchair accessible, with a large bathroom to accommodate my power wheelchair. Unfortunately, that high level of accessibility did not continue on the second train, from Brussels to Cologne.
I posted a picture on Instagram (follow me!) with the caption:
I don’t always pee with the door open — in fact, I prefer not to — but my wheelchair can’t fit inside the “accessible” toilet on the @eurostar (ex-Thalys) TGV train that operates between Brussels, Belgium and Cologne, Germany. 😡 Good thing I didn’t have to 💩
In 2023, two of Europe's largest high-speed rail operators, Eurostar and Thalys, completed their merger. High-speed trains in Europe are generally very accessible, but the TGV train sets used on former Thalys routes (such as Brussels to Cologne) are terribly inaccessible. The corridors are extremely cramped, there is only one true wheelchair space in the “accessible” cars, and wheelchairs can’t fit inside the bathroom.
For wheelchair users familiar with riding highly accessible Eurostar trains from London to Amsterdam, Brussels or Paris, these inaccessible trains are a shock — and the failure to deliver a consistent, accessible experience across all routes and all trains is an unfortunate stain on the Eurostar brand.
Do you like reading stories about accessible travel around the world? Consider upgrading to a paid membership to support our work to share travel tips and advocate for a more accessible world.
Trainspotting and Railbuffing in Wuppertal, Germany
My unexpected trip home (and the subsequent unplanned night in London) meant that I could not stay in Cologne, even after arriving. I transferred immediately to a Deutsche Bahn train, for a 45-minute journey to a small German city that had long been on my bucket list.
Wuppertal is attracting more tourists than ever, but it is still a city that few have heard of. Its primary attraction is its Schwebebahn, or suspended railway, which celebrated 125 years of operation earlier this year. Historically, the city was an industrial powerhouse and it was the birthplace of Friedrich Engels, the philosopher who famously co-authored The Communist Manifesto with Karl Marx.
I am a transportation nerd and was excited to do a bit of railbuffing and trainspotting in Wuppertal. I rode the Schwebebahn end-to-end in both directions, took hundreds of photos, recorded videos and even purchased a 125th anniversary t-shirt (unfortunately, it's the wrong size).
If you would like to read more about this impressive destination (including its amazing Green Zoo, which might be my favorite in the world), check out the new Wheelchair Accessible Travel Guide to Wuppertal, Germany.
John Morris
Coming Soon: Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Scotland!
I am excited to share that Wheelchair Travel Tours is heading to Scotland next summer! You can join me on a tour of Scotland's iconic cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
The 2027 tour is scheduled to take place from June 6-16, 2027. The 11-day itinerary will highlight Scottish history, art, culture and food — all in a wheelchair-friendly way.
The complete tour itinerary will be released on Monday, October 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET (New York time), exclusively to paid members of this newsletter. Paid members will have a private booking window of 3 days. If spaces remain, bookings will be opened to free subscribers on Thursday, October 29.
If you would like to be among the first to receive this trip opportunity and future information about accessible group tours, please upgrade your subscription in advance of the tour release.
Itzhak Perlman and ADA hotel room reservations
One of the world's preeminent violinists, Itzhak Perlman, recently shared an all-too-familiar tale on social media:
I recently played a concert in North Bethesda. When I arrived to check in at my hotel, a prominent one, I presented my ID and credit card and received my room keys. Then I asked a simple question: "Is this room ADA accessible?"
About 10 minutes later, still standing at the counter, I learned that the accessible room I had confirmed six months earlier had been given away. When I asked what happened, the answer was, "We don't know."
With no help offered from the hotel staff, I had to find another hotel several miles from the venue. Thankfully, the concert promoter who was with me, stepped in and helped me find an accessible room.
Unfortunately, this was not the first time this has happened to me, and I know I am not the only one.
A confirmed accessible room is a commitment, and hotels must treat it as one. For people with disabilities, accessibility is not a luxury or a preference. It is a necessity.
"For people with disabilities, accessibility is not a luxury or a preference. It is a necessity." Truer words have never been spoken.
The ADA regulations state that hotels must "Guarantee that the customer receives the specific accessible guest room or guest room type he/she reserved. This covers bed type, number of beds, bathroom fixtures, etc." You can read more about ADA requirements for hotels in the Wheelchair Users' Guide to Accessibility in Hotels & Accommodations.
John Morris
Itzhak is not alone and, in fact, I had a similar experience just a couple weeks ago, in Wuppertal, Germany. The Holiday Inn Express gave my room away, and I had to seek alternate accommodation at a nearby Hilton hotel. The ADA does not apply to stays in Germany, but the result was equally frustrating.
On a happier note, I met Itzhak Perlman in 2018, at a performance in Dallas, Texas. Somewhat ironically, I had redeemed Marriott rewards points for a ticket to the show and a meet-and-greet with the maestro. The performance was exceptional and, if you should ever have an opportunity to attend a concert, I strongly recommend it!
Looking ahead
I will be at home until the end of the month, catching-up on work and newsletter publishing. Look out for an exciting "Snapshots from Switzerland" article next week. Next Friday, I will be traveling to Tallahassee, Florida to catch a college football game and speak with students in the business school at my alma mater, Florida State University. I look forward to the opportunity to share key concepts about the importance and value of accessibility with future business leaders, and I will let you know all about it when I return.
I will continue my Florida tour in Tampa, where the annual TravelAbility Summit is being held. I have served on the conference's Advisory Board since its founding. I look forward to connecting and sharing the message of accessibility with representatives from destination marketing organizations, major airlines, hotel chains and cruise lines.
Talk to you next week, and have a great weekend!
All the best,
—John
