The Exact Questions to Ask Before You Book, Based on How You Get Around

Why the Same Question Works Differently Depending on How You Get Around

A planning guide can only be so specific before it stops being useful. Our last article covered the general principle: ask direct, specific questions instead of trusting a general “accessible” label. That holds up. But the right questions to ask before booking change depending on two things: how you get around, and where you’re going.

A wheelchair user flying somewhere needs to know something different from a limited-mobility walker taking the same flight. A question that matters on a cruise doesn’t apply on a train. This piece is the specific version of that first article’s general advice, organized so you can find the exact question for your situation rather than reading through everything that doesn’t apply to you.

Two Ways of Getting Around, Five Places It Matters

We’re covering two situations here. If you use a wheelchair, some questions are about transfers, dimensions, and equipment. If you walk but need extra support, whether from a cane, a slower pace, or general fatigue, the questions are more about distance, seating, and rest points. Both get their own full list in the checklist below.

The five contexts are airport, train, cruise, hotel, and safari. Airport and hotel build directly on what our last article already covered. Train, cruise, and safari are new ground, and each one turned out to have its own genuinely different picture, not just a variation on the same theme.

If you are weighing a long train trip, our guide to three scenic train journeys sets out what Rocky Mountaineer, The Ghan and the Caledonian Sleeper each offer travelers with limited mobility.

Examples of Questions to Ask Before Booking

A wheelchair user booking a cruise needs to ask which specific ports on the itinerary use tenders, the small boats that ferry passengers to shore when a ship can’t dock directly. Most cruise lines can’t get power wheelchairs onto a tender at all, and even manual wheelchairs aren’t guaranteed, since the final call depends on sea conditions on the day. That’s a completely different question from anything you’d ask an airline.

A limited-mobility walker booking a safari needs to ask whether the actual game-drive vehicle has been modified for easier boarding, not just whether the lodge itself is accessible. Those are two separate things. Most standard safari vehicles sit high off the ground with no ramp, and the normal way a guide handles this is lifting you in and out by hand. A small number of operators have invested in vehicles with a lift or a ramp, but you have to ask specifically, since it’s the exception, not something to assume.

The full checklist below has the complete set of questions to ask before booking, organized so you only need to read the section that applies to you.

The Full Checklist of Questions to Ask Before Booking

We’ve put every question from this piece, plus a few more, into a printable checklist organized by how you get around and where you’re going. It’s free.

If your group spans several generations, read planning a multigenerational family trip everyone enjoys as well.

For more trip planning help, see our travel guides.