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Accessible Travel

How much to tip for wheelchair help?

My wife has long suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, making walking long distances an ordeal. On our last trip, we requested wheelchair assistance at the airports where we were making connections, the first time we have done so. This is new to us and we are wondering what level of tipping is customary.

On this trip, we encountered varying levels of service, sometimes by an employee of an airport-services company contracting its services to the airline and at least once by an airline employee.

Mobility-impaired cruiser

I had a mild case of polio as a child and had no problems with mobility for many years. However, in my late 40s or early 50s I started having weakness, first in my left leg and later in my right. As time has passed (I am now 64), I have progressed from having to use my husband’s arm to steady myself to, first, one cane, then two canes, then a Rollator (walker with four wheels) and finally a scooter.

Accessibility in Venice

I visit Venice often, and although I do not use a wheelchair, it is my observation that seeing Venice in a wheelchair can be done. Getting from A to B will be awkward, but you can get from island to island by using the vaporetti (water buses) and the very good itinerary maps provided for the purpose by the tourist office.

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