Tag Archives: accessible travel provider

Holidays, Quingo Scooters, Reviews

Where are Europe’s Five Most Accessible Cities?

Quingo Scooters encourages you to get out and see the world, from the comfort of your mobility scooter. Previously we’ve shared some great accessible getaways for you in different locations to try as a mobility scooter user. If you fancy going somewhere a little more continental, today we’re going to reveal the five most accessible cities in Europe.

Milan, Italy

The best European city for mobility scooters is Milan. The metropolis is not only an Italian fashion and cultural capital, but it won the City Access Award last year, showing that it’s made great strides to improve accessibility. Travelling to Milan is easy as Italy’s railways, as well as the city’s Linate and Malpensa airports are fully accessible. It boasts various accessible attractions, such as the Piazza del Duomo. This is near iconic sites such as Milan Cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall, where you can find shops from legendary Italian brands such as Prada as well as stylish bars and cafes.

Boras, Sweden

Sweden is a great country for mobility scooter users. In 2015 its government made lack of accessibility a new form of discrimination, and as a result great efforts have been made to make it much easier to get around. Sweden’s crown jewel is its second largest city, Boras. It has a range of “accessible hotels,” with an “accessible path of travel,” so it’ll be easy to find somewhere to stay. This lush city is known for its open green spaces like Ranmaparken, which includes paved paths, making it great for mobility scooter users. Various attractions in Boras, like its Textile Museum and City Theatre, are fully accessible, giving you plenty to see and do.

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Berlin, Germany

The German city of Berlin is the ideal getaway location for any mobility scooter user. It’s really easy to travel in Berlin as its buses, metro lines and taxis are all mobility scooter friendly. It also has wide pavements and both vocal and visual signals at road crossings. It’s hard to not find an accessible attraction in Berlin. All its top sites from Potsdam, the old Reichstag and Charlottenburg Palace, to Madame Tussauds and the Jewish Museum of Berlin, can be navigated easily with a mobility scooter.

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Barcelona, Spain

If you’re looking for blazing sun and fabulous artistic attractions, Barcelona is the place for you. This Spanish city’s metro stations are 80% accessible, while its buses are 100% accessible, so getting around won’t be a problem. We’d suggest that you take a shopping trip on the iconic Las Ramblas Street while in Barcelona, as it’s completely flat. In Barcelona, you can go to the front of the line as a mobility scooter user when seeing sites like the gorgeous Sagrada Familia church, which is also free to enter.

Manchester, UK

You don’t have to leave the UK for an accessible holiday as our very own Manchester is fantastic for anyone who uses a mobility scooter. The north-western hub has wide, smooth pavements making it easy to get around, while the majority of its bars and shops have step-free entrances. It also houses various mobility scooter-friendly attractions like Etihad Stadium and the Trafford Centre, while restaurants like El Gato Negro, which does Spanish Tapas, are some of the most accessible in the UK.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Attractions, Days Out, Public Transport, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Days Out: Edinburgh Bus Tours

Quingo Scooters encourages users to get out and about, discovering some different days out in the best cultural hotspots. In our series of articles, we shed light on various accessible days out for you to enjoy on your mobility scooter.

Today we head to the North of the UK, to the Scottish capital. A beautiful city, Edinburgh is known for its historical attractions and architectural gems, making it one of the UK’s top tourist destinations. See everything it has to offer by having a day out on one of the Edinburgh Bus Tours.

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Edinburgh Bus Tours

Since they were established in the 1920s, the Edinburgh Bus Tours have become Scotland’s third most popular paid-for attraction. They’re operated by Lothian Buses and depending on the tour you take, you can see some of Edinburgh’s best sites. This includes Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Grassmarket, Calton Hill and the Palace of Holyrood House, which is the official residence of the Scottish monarch.

There are three main tours – the Edinburgh Bus Tour, City Sightseeing Tour and Majestic Tour. They all visit some of the same attractions e.g. the Palace of Holyrood, but there are some variations e.g. the City Sightseeing Tour doesn’t stop at the Scottish Parliament, but the other two do. The Edinburgh Bus Tour offers a live guide in English, but the others provide multi-language commentary. Meanwhile, the City Sightseeing Tour is really good for kids, as it gives Horrible Histories commentaries!

The tours last roughly one hour and operate all year round, although the City Sightseeing is closed on Christmas Day. The trips depart every 15, 20 or 30 minutes, depending on the tour and time of year. Visit the tours’ pages on the Edinburgh Bus Tours website to learn their departure times, depending on the day and time of year. An adult ticket for each tour costs £15, but senior tickets (aged 60+) are £14, with students paying the same, while children’s tickets (aged five to 15) come in at £7.50.

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Accessibility

The main Edinburgh Bus Tours are all suitable for mobility scooter users. The trips all depart from the interchange at Waverly Bridge, which is based right next to Edinburgh Waverly train station, making this location easy to find. You can also join the tours at any stop on their respective routes. You should consult the ‘finding us’ page on the Edinburgh Bus Tours website to help plan your trip.

Lothian Buses has gone above and beyond to accommodate mobility scooter users on its Edinburgh Bus Tours. Following a £6.5m investment, Lothian Buses fitted various mobility-friendly features on the buses used in its Edinburgh Bus Tour, City Sightseeing Tour and Majestic Tour routes. These vehicles offer two accessible spaces, which have securement systems installed. This means that your mobility scooter will be electronically held in place, helping you stay stable as the bus moves.

The accessible spaces fitted on the vehicles used in the Edinburgh, City Sightseeing and Majestic Tours are suitable for Class Two Mobility Scooter users. Various models sold by Quingo, such as the very affordable Quingo Classic, are Class Two, meaning that you’ll have no problem going on one of the Edinburgh Bus Tours with one of these models. The buses also have two ramps, which the drivers will be happy to roll out for you. There are also display screens showing footage from the front of the bus, alongside subtitled commentary, fitted above the wheelchair spaces.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Days Out, Holidays, Quingo Scooters

Disabled Holidays Announce First Fully Accessible Coach Trip!

Quingo Scooters are always discovering brand new places to visit, and we understand just how important is to find somewhere fully accessible where you can be completely comfortable. You might also want to discover new ways of travelling that you always thought weren’t accessible enough.  This week Disabled Holidays announced that their first fully accessible coach trip is now on sale, and it’s definitely an exciting one!

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Fully Accessible Adventure

Now on sale for an April 2017 departure, the trips use specialist adapted coaches that are purpose built with all the facilities needed for comfortable travel over long distances. Disabled Holidays teamed up with accessible travel charity Jumbulance to provide the coaches, which are part coach and part ambulance.

The first trip will be travelling to Holland and The Netherlands next April, and the trip itself is a complete package that includes travel, half-board hotel accommodation and excursions – including entry into the Keukenhof Gardens. Overall you will be away for 9 days, with 7 of those spent visiting different places and 2 spent travelling.

Itinerary

This is a great trip if you’re a real explorer who loves visiting plenty of different places! The suggested itinerary is as follows:

Day 1: Travel to Hull and go on an overnight ferry to Rotterdam

Day 2: Arrive at hotel and explore De Rijp – a small traditional Dutch town

Day 3: Explore Amsterdam – including the ‘Blue Boat’ accessible cruise

Day 4: Explore Volendam and Marken – they’re neighbours on the Ijsselmeer and both quaint villages

Day 5: Visit Keukenhof Gardens – the world renowned flower gardens at Lisse

Day 6: A trip to Alkmaar cheese market – a small town near to De Rijp

Day 7: A half day trip to Monnickendam – including a visit to the Cheese & Clogs factory

Day 8: Free day

Day 9: Return from Hull and drop offs

Any other information you want to know including how to book this exciting holiday can be found on the Disabled Holidays website, or alternatively you can give their friendly team a call on 01457 833 444.

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Share your accessible holiday with Quingo!

If you want to share your mobility scooter accessible holiday, we’d be delighted to hear from you. You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Holidays, Quingo Scooters

Where are the Best Accessible Villas in Lanzarote?

It’s the time of year when everyone’s jetting off on their holidays! Quingo Scooters are always browsing for new places to visit, and we understand just how important it is to find somewhere fully accessible where you can be completely comfortable.

We’ve been sharing some accessible holidays with you over the last couple of months, helping you find the perfect location for your summer getaway. Lanzarote is a popular choice with the Brits, as you’re pretty much guaranteed the weather and relaxation required for an amazing holiday! Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa, known for its sandy beaches and volcanic landscape. If you love harbours, coves and relaxing on the beach, this could be the place for you.

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Staying in a villa gives you a greater sense of freedom, as you can go by your own holiday schedule to suit you. You can eat when you want and relax in the privacy of your own pool. Today we uncover the best accessible villas in Lanzarote, so you don’t have to!

Casa Rosulida

Casa Rosulida is a three bedroom villa located on the popular Faro Park area of Playa Blanca. This is a really impressive villa, with a large south facing sun terrace and a private heated swimming pool. The views from the villa are breath-taking, with the sea and the isle of Fuerteventura on one side and the Montana Roja volcano on the other. You can enjoy these views from the comfortable settee and chairs under the pergola by the pool. The villa is fully accessible by mobility scooter and wheelchair, with marble floors throughout for ease. There is a fully equipped kitchen and two bathrooms in the villa, one of them has a wheel-in shower.

Sunshine Sea View

Sticking with Playa Blanca, Sunshine Sea View Villa is located on the southern tip of Lanzarote, 10km from the Timanfaya National Park. The villa boasts a sea view, with the convenience of the sandy beach just 15 minutes away. Sunshine Sea View feels secluded and private, with its well-planned gardens and pergolas. For extreme comfort, the villa has is spacious and has been luxuriously equipped with great attention to detail. Sunshine Sea View has state of the art energy-saving features, including ‘bio-climatico’ climate control which forgoes the need for heating and air-conditioning – perfect for those who care about the environment! The facilities at this accessible villa include a wheel-in shower, level flat drive, a shower chair and grab rails throughout.

Sands Beach Villas

The Sands Beach Villas are located in Costa Teguise on the north-east coast, another popular spot for holidaymakers. These stylish beach front villas have their own private beach, complete with white sands and the tropical Spanish ambience. The villas also have access to both the ocean promenade and a public beach, so you have the best of both worlds. These bungalows consist of handcrafted wood furnishings, modern kitchens and a veranda furnished for alfresco dining. In and around the villas there is good access, the surrounding area is totally flat. The bathrooms have a roll-in shower with a shower seat and grab rails at both the shower area and toilet.

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Share your accessible holiday with Quingo!

If you want to share your mobility scooter accessible holiday, we’d be delighted to hear from you. You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Days Out: Trosley Country Park

Here at Quingo Scooters we know how much fun it can be to spend a day out doing something different, or visiting a place you thought maybe wasn’t accessible enough. Now that summer is well and truly upon us, you’d probably much rather be spending time outdoors on a lovely sunny day instead of being inside.

There’s no better place you can be in the nice weather than a beautiful park, so today we’re heading down to Kent to share Trosley Country Park with you.

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Trosley Country Park

You’ll find Trosley Country Park in Trottiscliffe, near Vigo in Kent. Covering 170 acres of beautiful woodland, there are some spectacular views to see, so make sure you bring your camera! The land was once part of the Trosley Towers Estate, but it is now home to a variety of wildlife and chalk grassland slopes after the removal of scrubland and re-introduction of grazing to the area.

This will especially be a great day out for those interested in plants and wildlife, as you’ll find some important plants and animals at Trosley Country Park including the Chalkhill Blue Butterfly and the rare Musk Orchid. The chalk grassland at Trosley is even classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. If you have time afterwards, the park is also a great base to visit the Coldrum Stones – an ancient listed monument of 15 sarsen stones.

The Trails

There are three waymarked trails in the park if you fancy an adventure. One of them, the yellow route, is specifically designed for mobility scooters, wheelchairs and buggies. The trail provides spectacular views over the downs, and guides visitors past a variety of natural habitats, churches, oast houses, Neolithic remains and other historic features.

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Café

After you’ve seen the sights of the trail, you can refuel at the Bluebell café and try the local produce. The menu includes homemade snacks, light meals and cakes, and even homemade dog biscuits for your furry friends! You can also grab an ice cream to cool down, some soft drinks and fair trade tea and coffee.

Accessibility

On arrival you’ll find 2 disabled parking spaces. These are hard standing spaces and are the closest spaces to the visitor centre, which is approximately 10 metres away with an easily accessible entrance. There are an additional 55 hard standing spaces and 25 grass parking spaces.

There is a fully accessible toilet adjacent to the main visitor centre which is open at all times, and the facilities can be reached by an easy access pathway. The café is situated on the ground floor of the visitor centre and is accessible through automatic double doors. There is accessible seating inside the café, or alternatively there are accessible picnic benches in the café garden.

Share your accessible attraction with Quingo!

If you’ve been to visit any interesting attractions on your Quingo or would like us to write about a particular place you have visited, we’d be delighted to hear from you. You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.

About Quingo Scooters

The Quingo Scooters range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.