Amount of walking
Hello,
We are booked ( just deposited) for the Best of Ireland in August. My DH had a heart attack the beginning of March and is slowly recovering. This is a bucket list trip but obviously concerned about his well being going forward. My question is how much walking is there on this tour ?He can walk some but also doesn't want to be sitting on a bus the entire time. Hoping over the next four months he will gain strength as he does cardio rehab. Any thoughts would more than appreciated. Also, no open heart surgery, stints.
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Comments
Tauck rates this trip as a Pace 3. I don't remember an over abundance of walking except what we did in our free time.
I think you might want to read what the definition of pace and activity for the tour are and make your decision on that. Plus I would talk to a Tauck representative about your situation. I assume you took out the Tauck insurance so you can cancel.
I hope your DH (dear husband?) is better soon.
We did that tour in 2018 and I don't remember a lot of walking. You do walk to the Giant's Causway which was the longest walk I remember. You can see a detail report on the tour at https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2018Ireland-01.htm
I would confer with the cardiologist and primary care physician. You can also show her/him the pace and activity levels for this tour so all parties can then make an informed decision.
Cliffs of Moher also has a lot of walking especially on narrow paths. If u like horses, be sure and take the excursion to Coolmore Stud Farm. You can get up close to the studs in their barns. Not so close with the mares and their offspring. Great trip.
Thank you so much for the responses. We see the cardiologist next week and will plan to discuss this trip with him. Mike, your travel blog is fabulous.
@PatW - Thank you for your kind words about our blog.
The amount of exploring/walking you do is up to you. My husband and I did a lot of walking but it was our decision. The tour will bring you back to the hotel on the bus. We decided to stay longer is some places and walked back.
When we did this tour, my sister-in-law had a bad hip (replacement surgery a few months later). She didn't do much beyond what the tour provided and was fine.
At the Giant's Causeway, there is a shuttle that can take you down to the Causeway (and back). The only drawback was the length of the wait. Again, my sister-in-law waited while the rest of us hiked up and down. There's no need to push yourself. If you don't go down at all, I think there's museum at the top which we did not have much time to see.
On the Cliffs of Moher you can stay near the visitor's center rather than walking along the edge of the cliff.
Enjoy yourself. This is one of the easiest tours that we have taken. It lists as activity level 2/ pace level 3. The activity level is the one that connects with how strenuous the tour is. Pace just means that you may start early and that the days are filled with a variety of activities often not arriving at the hotel until late afternoon.
Kathy M,
You are correct as far as Activity vs Pacing. I'd be more concerned about 'select days MAY offer opt-out opportunities or lighter alternatives', if I was having physical issues.
I think he needs to have a serious talk with his cardiologist. A lot depends on his age, weight, physical condition, family history, etc, how bad of heart attack, the damage to his heart, and extent of blockage(s). If it was a full blown heart attack, but without a follow-up angioplasty (cardiac cath with stent(s)) or coronary artery bypass surgery, he is just asking for trouble. Rehab might help the heart muscle recover somewhat but does little for the underlying problem(s), likely caused by plaque buildup in his coronary arteries. He'll need a complete program of blood thinners and other medications, monitored cardiac rehab exercise, diet modification, etc. but may still be a high risk candidate for another event!! I'm no doctor, I had a heart attack but with follow-up bypass surgery 27 years ago. Until two years ago I had no problems with our travel.
While there is a lot of motor coach travel, it is to get you to the places where you will walk to see the attractions..
Again, thank you for all the input for our circumstances. AlanS your comments are particularly helpful. We will discuss ALL of this with his cardiologist next week. Sorry to hear about your travel issues and hope you haven't given up travel entirely.
No, cardiac problems since that incident back in 2022. It was very minor, but they were unable to do any surgical or cath interventions- the suspected site was too hard to see and reach. I did not need cardiac rehab, they just adjusted my meds and added more. With my cardiologist's blessing, I was able to do XMAS Mkts on the Rhine just a month later. We continue to travel with Tauck (Normandy, Brittany . . , Spirit of the Desert, Iceland, Hawaii) but have cut back a bit from our previous 2 to 3 Tauck trips per year to just one or two.
I have suffered other self-inflicted (took a swan dive from 12' up in a tree and broke my back and other bones
), age (late 70's), and other non-related injuries and surgeries over the past few years and had to cancel and reschedule one trip, but I have had no angina or other cardiac incidents since 2022. I have never had to use them but carry nitroglycerin pills all the time. I just need to get my left knee/leg working 100% and get my stamina back up to speed after a partial knee replacement so I can fully enjoy Switzerland. 