holidays/travel

Travel is one of my special interests too but it is something I don't do nearly as much I as I would like, particularly since the pandemic. Like you I research and plan everything in great detail to try to manage my anxiety.

When I do travel solo I tend to prefer the security of package holidays and cruises, then just go off exploring on my own when I get there. The news reports about the ongoing chaos at ports and airports are putting me off booking anything currently. I don't cope well at all when things don't go to plan. The idea of going into complete meltdown or shutdown when I am travelling alone is scary.

I have thought about joining organized groups as a solo traveller but the websites seem to assume that everyone joining wants the company of other travellers. I just want the security of having a tour leader to take over when something does not go to plan. Do you have any recommendations for which of the organized tour group companies you find best?

I can tolerate being with a group if the activity is focussed on sightseeing and just listening to the guide. However eating with others is something I hate and try and avoid. 

People with disabilities should not be denied the opportunity to travel and explore the world. They have exactly the same right as all of us. Of course, if their health condition does not allow them to travel long distances, it is possible to find alternative and more accessible options. As far as I know, travel companies help people with disabilities with travel arrangements. There are several things to keep in mind when traveling. One of them is renting accommodation or booking a hotel. Most of the time, I use Booking to make reservations. But the last time I traveled, I used 30a Florida. Thanks to this company, I know you can also invest in real estate and grow in this area.

Probably expensive but what you're describing sounds like a pre-booked taxi service.

I don't. I have found travel to be completely unnecessary to adult life so I don't do it. There are a few places I like to go within an hour's bus or train journey but overnight travel is much too stressful.

I travel as much as I can, all over the world. as it is my 'special interest', and pretty much the only thing that makes me truly happy.

In my case, I hate unpredictability,. I have to make lists, do lots of research and plan exactly what I will be doing every day - activities, where to eat/menus, transport timetables, and I book everything 6 orc12 months in advance to limit my anxiety.

I also struggle with socialising, so most often travel solo. Or join groups of individuals via organized tours - but then have to limit my 'socializing' to any organized lunches/dinners, I'm better when the group is doing an activity or sightseeing, and spend other time reading or watching film to avoid conversations.

If travel/specific places will make you happy, then maybe ocus on how it will make you feel to be there, and that will make the effort/worthwhile. I am pretty extreme in my need for planning and detail, but maybe  the planning can reduce anxiety levels to a level where things become manageable.

I heard that there are specialized recreation complexes in France for people who can not walk or find it difficult to move. They are accompanied by medical staff. True, it is expensive. In my case, it was different. I was on vacation with my child, who was almost immobilized. The doctor referred us to a sanatorium, and we decided to take advantage of the situation. I stayed near the recreation center and found trails near me to walk with the baby. For 10 days we walked all the time. For him, it was a walk. For me, it was movement. And I can tell you that no amount of physical therapy will help.

Travelling has always been a challenge for me. Anxiety does not let me enjoy it most of the times

 Then you don't have to leave on Friday and come back on Monday. This time we took 2 weeks of vacation with time to spare and went on a trip to an unusual for our country like Colombia (Cartagena). Cartagena's overall risk for tourists is low because it is a tourist destination, and they try to control everything. The only thing I would advise is to get vaccinated against yellow fever if you have been in certain national parks. Better yet, get a yellow fever vaccination before you leave to be on the safe side.

I would like to see more of the world but travel is so hard for me. Before COVID I had gotten myself to the point where I could travel from Essex to London but now the idea of getting on a train at all seems too much. I've missed out on so many events because of it. I don't drive anymore either because I had a job where I had to commute and it was just awful and I felt so unsafe driving home when I was that drained after work. 

I also kind of hate holidays in general. Like it's 1 or 2 weeks that you kind of expect to be good and generally costs money and takes planning, and if it sucks because you are stressed it all feels like such a waste. Holidays are too much pressure for me 

As for your travel needs, I don't know any specific services that would take you and your dog to Wales but I'm positive there must be one, or if not, a charity or something that would be able to organise to help you so you know you could trust the person driving you. I hope you manage to find something and are able to get to that place in Wales soon, it sounds lovely.

As a kid the holidays were huge meltdown-triggers for me because they were full of extra stimulation, outside of my normal schedule, and generally confusing and upsetting. I know my parents were really confused by giving my a lot of what I wanted and still getting a screaming child on their hands. We would have all been a lot happier if they'd made more of an effort to make holidays LESS of a big deal, instead of more of one.

If you really want to go somewhere, you can try to take a few extra days off and go abroad.

I ALWAYS paddle my own canoe and travel on my own.

The Virgin lounge at Gatwick has a wonderful view - all the comings and goings of the airport vehicles and all the planes coming in and out - I'm a nerd too - so free food & drinks, big comfy chairs and lots to watch?   I'm good for hours.         I get left with the small bags while wife & daughter go for a mooch around the shops.

They tend to balance the planes by filling the front & back and leaving the centre over the wing empty - so we ask if we can be moved there - always works - we get the whole section to ourselves.   Very civilised.

I know what you mean about normal people, drives me mad how they are not bothered about getting to the gate just in time. I am awaiting diagnosis so no special help. My obesssion is plane spotting so I just need a window at the airport and I am happy! We do tend to go the same places though and have a routine, my wife is used to be now.

I couldn't cope with 'normal' (NT) people on a holiday - they are sooooo chaotic - they are comfortable wandering around an airport and arriving at the gate 5 mins before boarding closes - I'd have had a heart attack while waiting for them. 

We build lots of baggyness into our schedule to accommodate predictable things going wrong like getting stuck in traffic on the way down to the airport in the morning (nightmare M25 scenario) - solution - travel down the evening before and stay in an on-site hotel - only £30 and we have a relaxing evening meal there too.  

Being in the airport early means disability services have lots of time to personally walk us through security and get us to the VIP lounge - where we have a relaxed breakfast and watch the planes until they collect us in the little electric car to take us to the gate where we are pre-boarded.   Very relaxing, totally stress-free.

We take no luggage so on landing, when disability services collect us at the aircraft, they wheel us straight through customs/immigration and out to the hire cars and we're out of the airport and off to the hotel before most people get to see their bags come up on the carousel.    Engineering out stress at every opportunity.

No luggage means no weight to carry and all hotels complementary shower gel etc.    If I need another t-shirt, they are 3 for $10 in the tourist discount shops.

We did a similar trip to the US in October. I am always early for everything by atleast an hour when it comes to flying, opening times etc so am never late. I must have reasearched for over a year where we were staying, I am massivley obsessive about that. I want to know what is round the corner, where to park the car etc. I am also a bit of a control freak when travelling, my wife is blazee so we slplit up at the airport. I will go and sit at the gate for 2 hours because I am worried I will miss the flight. I would try and go with other 'normal ' people in a group so the load is less on you. 

There are so many things that can go wrong on a holiday with that much complication - so many stress pinch-points of needing to be in the right place at the right time with no possibility of accommodating Mr Cockup along the way. 

Whenever we go somewhere, we engineer out problems and build in baggy slop-points to make sure we don't carry any extra stress on a holiday - which is supposed to be relaxing!

We're toying with flying to LA for Disney, Anaheim for 2 days and then flying to Washington to do the Smithsonian & The White House etc.for the rest of the holiday.    There are so many potential pitfalls that I don't think it will happen.    I just don't need that much stress.

This is one of those things I get imposter syndrome about. I love travel, I used to be a travel agent. However it is getting much more difficult as I get older. I went with my wife and another couple to the US in October. I planned and booked it when I was an agent yet had massive anxiety about the whole thing, 5 flights 3 lots of accomidation. It all went well, just a couple of minor meltdowns. I guess I just had to over come my autism and try and build a normal life, there was no autism when I grew up.  I genrally now holiday in the same place in Tenerife, its my second home.

I can understand how it all feels overwhelming, I get that with London. I think small steps is the answer, go for  a night in a hotel not far away knowing you can go home if you need to?

For me, the most difficult part is money and choosing the hotel. A couple of times I did it wrong and shared a floor with some suspicious guys. This time I found a company that allows to rent apartment Calpe, photos look pretty nice. As for the money, Idk, saving up. But I always fly off the handle and buy something that seems useful at that moment and yeah, it takes a lot of time to get the right amount.

I travel mostly with my husband. Not really crowded places, for our honeymoon we rented a villa there https://www.goavilla.co.uk/. It was peace and quiet, I guess, it would better to avoid big cities indeed.