Are you planning to carry your mobility scooter while traveling? Your holiday trip or any visit might require you to travel with your mobility scooter for use when you reach your destination. As we all know, traveling with scooters or wheelchairs, especially if going for longer distances or flying, is a bit tricky. You will have to deal with many challenges, including space and transport issues, especially if using public means.
If you are planning to travel with your mobile device soon and don’t know how to do it, this article has your back. It will highlight some valuable tips you can use when carrying your mobility scooter. Without further ado, let’s get to the points.
You Are Permitted to Carry Your Mobility Scooter
Most people fear that their mobility scooters will not be allowed entry in stations and carriages when traveling from one place to another. You don’t have to worry about this, even when traveling with your 4 wheel mobility scooter. Any transport company, including airlines, trains, ferries, and others, is required to provide you with a space to carry your scooter.
Therefore, you shouldn’t worry about carrying or where to place your mobility scooter when traveling. There is space for you even in hotels you are going to board. If you are finding challenges, it is essential to ask the management to assist you.
Research Your Batteries
Before embarking on your journey with your electric scooter, it is essential to know the battery it uses and if it has permission in carriages such as airlines. Why is it so? Some rules regulate the carriage of batteries and other energy sources on aircraft. For instance, you must have the battery connected to your scooter on a plane but equipped with short circuit protection.
On the other hand, you must remove lithium batteries from scooters or electric wheelchairs, and you must place them in your career bags. Besides this, you need to notify the authorities where you have set the battery. Therefore, before packing your mobility scooter, you have to know how and where to keep the battery.
Make Early Hotel Reservations
Some hotels, especially in the world’s best vacations, have rules to make reservations early if you use a mobility scooter. This move is necessary because hotels might have limited rooms reserved for individuals with scooters and will want you to book the same.
Therefore, depending on the size of the hotel, you might need to make your bookings early to avoid inconveniences. For instance, if a hotel has 200 rooms and another one has 50 such rooms, the chances are that you will quickly get a space in the former hotel than the latter one.
To ensure that your needs are fully met, you need to make your reservations early and avoid inconveniences during your trip. Also, since rooms are also different, it is essential to give your specifications on what you need before booking. Such might depend on the size, width, and weight of your scooter.
Early reservations also allow you access to unique facilities available for the elderly and disabled. Since special facilities are rare, you might miss the chance to access them if you make late bookings.
Be at the Airport Earlier
Ensure that you are at the airport or your traveling station earlier than usual when traveling with your scooter. This situation is regardless of whether you get driven or rode on your scooter to the station. This early reporting is essential since you’ll have time to prepare for your boarding before others start rushing to catch the flight. Also, some airlines have put this as a requirement to facilitate your travel.
Therefore, it is beneficial to be at the airport at least two hours before the travel time to prepare yourself adequately for your boarding and the trip. When late, the whole process of facilitating you and stowing your scooter might delay the flight or make you miss the flight.
Get Your Scooter an Insurance Cover
Trains, airlines, or tour operators might compensate you for your lost scooter if you present evidence and documents showing you boarded with it. However, the compensation might not happen if you misplace the documents or when your scooter gets damaged while traveling with it. So, the best way to safeguard your scooter is by getting it an insurance cover.
The insurance will cover repair costs and damage that airlines, tour companies, and train operators cannot settle. This idea ensures that you will have your equipment repaired or replaced if a misfortune happens when traveling. Be sure to be updating your cover regularly to avoid any inconveniences.
Summary
You can travel with your mobility scooter. However, it is crucial to follow the fundamental tips to make your traveling easier. Besides knowing that you are permitted to carry your scooter, it is essential to research its batteries, make early hotel bookings, and check your traveling station earlier. Also, you have to protect your scooter by purchasing insurance for it. Doing this will make traveling with your mobility scooter more enjoyable.
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