motor coach steps/accessibility

m2g

Hi - new to Tauck and this forum. Registered for a Blue Danube river cruise but I know some of the transport will be by motor coach.

Could someone describe to me the general height of the steps to board the motor coach? Do they use kneeling ones? Or is it a traditional type of bus with a high first step from the ground?

Thanks for any info - I have searched these forums but haven't been able to find any information. Perhaps there is another section of the web site where I should look for this?

AlanS

m2g wrote:

Hi - new to Tauck and this forum. Registered for a Blue Danube river cruise but I know some of the transport will be by motor coach.

Could someone describe to me the general height of the steps to board the motor coach? Do they use kneeling ones? Or is it a traditional type of bus with a high first step from the ground?

Thanks for any info - I have searched these forums but haven't been able to find any information. Perhaps there is another section of the web site where I should look for this?

The buses kneel slightly, but I don't believe nearly as much as US city transit buses, it is still a higher than normal first step. The driver or a TD usually stands by the door to assist folks coming off. I don't know if they carry a step in the luggage compartment. If you have problems with bus steps, you may have problems with a number of locations on this tour. First, while some of the river boats have a small elevator, I don't know if they all have them. The one on the MS Joy was broken and awaiting parts for our entire Blue Danube tour. Also, the cruising part gets you from port to port and much of it is done at night. You spend most of the day off the boat and there is A LOT OF WALKING, some of it on cobblestones and sloped roads, and there are stairs in the palaces and castles. Unlike the US, few, if any, locations on tour (and throughout Europe) are what we would consider ADA compliant. You might want to call Tauck and talk with a rep about any physical limitations you have to ensure you can do it and get your money's worth.

lovestravel

The non Tauck riverboat cruise on the Danube we took last fall had one of the chairs with seat belts you can use to get to the sun deck. There was an elevator between some of the lower decks. I hope to see other companies adopt this practice. Maybe some of them already have!

Sealord

We did this trip a couple years ago. I would suggest you go to the Blue Danube page of the Tauck website and read the “Before you go”, “Health and Activity” section, and try to evaluate your situation. There is considerable walking on this trip, and many of the visited sites were built long before elevators were common. Getting on and off the bus is a relatively small problem to consider. So I think you should read that “Health and Activity” section and evaluate your capabilities. No one here can make that evaluation. Also, as suggested, if you talk to a Tauck rep and tell them exactly what you can and cannot do, they should be able to advise.

British

A recent vacation with another tour company was severely impacted by someone who could not walk. We all had to wait for that person in searing heat, she was often late to the bus so the day could even start. That company was actually much better than Tauck at asking about our physical capabilities when we booked, but it did not stop that person going on the tour. At the start of the tour, our small group were assured that the person would be sent home but they were not. As a result, it is one of the reasons we will not travel with that company again. While I have every sympathy with anyone who does not have full mobility, Tauck does make it clear on their pages for each tour what can be expected and required for each of their tours. If you cannot walk down bus steps with more than just a little help, you will not enjoy the tour, it's a waste of money for you. Better to concentrate on going to one or two areas there with friends where you can maybe use taxis or Uber's to get to the tourist areas and take your time there without the rush of a large and maybe unsympathetic group of people who have paid big bucks to expect to see all that is advertised.

m2g

I can see that some of you are fearful of being stuck with a laggard like me on your tour.

I am okay with steps in general. I have an unstable sacrum so high bus or bleacher steps are an issue with me and that is why I am asking.

Apologies for being "that" person you don't want to see. Hopefully we won't cross paths. Or steps...

British

m2g wrote:

I can see that some of you are fearful of being stuck with a laggard like me on your tour.

I am okay with steps in general. I have an unstable sacrum so high bus or bleacher steps are an issue with me and that is why I am asking.

Apologies for being "that" person you don't want to see. Hopefully we won't cross paths. Or steps...

M2g, I do have sympathy with your situation, but like others have mentioned, it would be good to call Tauck. The person I mentiomed on my tour, everyone else avoided her and left myself and my husband to be with her on the same minibus.until she soiled herself and the bus smelt so bad, she had feces down her legs, even my husband refused to get back on the same bus. She was the one who was inconsiderate, so much so that the tour director had to say to everyone that if we were not there at the time he said, meaning her, we would go without them. So of course I feel guarded about being in that situation again and frankly, no I do not want to be in a group where I may not get to see the sites because someone chose to go on a tour that mentions restrictions. I was once on a day tour where a woman went off on a big shopping expedition in a short stop in a town and the whole bus had to wait for her for more than a half hour. We had to miss our next tour stop entirely. I do try to be on my best behavior on tour in consideration of others. You must be somewhat comcerned you have bitten off more than you can chew to ask your question in the first place. Have you been to Europe before to experience some of the obstacles you might be facing? There is bound to be someone who is not happy on the bus if you slow down the pace, I would probably be moaning under my breathe but would not be the one to say anything but there are plenty of people who would.

CalKat

mg2, I went on The Blue Danube in 2016 with severe knee arthritis and did fine. The bus steps at the front of the bus are normal height; the ones mid-bus are steeper and should be avoided. I've since had bilateral knee replacements and just returned from another river cruise, also fine. I know exactly what you mean about bleacher and high steps; the only place (other than mid-bus) I ran into that was at the Anne Frank House on this last trip, where my husband had to give me a boost in one spot. I hope you enjoy your cruise--it's fantastic!

m2g

Thank you, CalKat. Much appreciated perspective.

To other respondents: I walk four to five miles a day, every day, and yes, I do mean 365 days a year. I have traveled in Europe twice in the past five years. And I can assure you all I have not "soiled" myself since being a babe in diapers. Hope everyone can calm down now.

A little surprised that I am being asked to defend myself in this way. I simply have pain and dysfunction if I go up steps that are too high in pitch. The cost is not to others but to myself.

Sounds like there are some serious frustrations that should perhaps have been addressed more satisfactorily at the time and place they were experienced.

Thank you for the "warm" welcome.

Claudia Sails

m2g wrote:

Thank you, CalKat. Much appreciated perspective.

To other respondents: I walk four to five miles a day, every day, and yes, I do mean 365 days a year. I have traveled in Europe twice in the past five years. And I can assure you all I have not "soiled" myself since being a babe in diapers. Hope everyone can calm down now.

A little surprised that I am being asked to defend myself in this way. I simply have pain and dysfunction if I go up steps that are too high in pitch. The cost is not to others but to myself.

Sounds like there are some serious frustrations that should perhaps have been addressed more satisfactorily at the time and place they were experienced.

Thank you for the "warm" welcome.

Sorry if you were offended. I don't think anyone was attempting to be mean. It's often hard to fully answer someone's question when they initially provide very little information. It's taking a shot in the dark which quite often misses the mark. Forum regulars also tend to share additional experiences which may or may not apply in the specific case. It is after all a forum for Tauck travelers to share their experiences.

I tried to provide helpful info specifically about the elevators, life on board, the buses, and the challenges I have faced with some sites in europe. I also encouraged you to take the cruise and hoped you'd have a good time. But since you've found non of that helpful I've deleted it all. Good luck.