People with disabilities should be able to have a normal travel experience. Labels such as “Travel for All” ensure that you can plan, book and take your trip according to your needs and know exactly what to expect in advance. Some of our Green PearlsⓇ partners have also been awarded this label. But first, why is accessibility an important part of sustainable travel?

What is the relationship between accessibility and sustainability?

Accessibility is an integral part of sustainability. In fact, 8 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals specifically mention “persons with disabilities” and “vulnerable minorities”. In creating a sustainable future, the ultimate goal is for EVERYONE to benefit. This includes not only protecting nature, but also fighting injustice and social inequality.

👉 In our blog post on social sustainability in tourism, we looked at the gap between rich and poor and our responsibility as “rich tourists”.

Now, we want to address the inequality between physical and mental abilities and introduce offerings where these differences have been eliminated through appropriate structural and technical measures.

Offerings for accessible, independent travel

Accessible hotels, attractions, and transportation are those that “people with disabilities can use without difficulty or assistance”. However, disabilities are as varied as people, so the word “accessible” may not always be helpful. There may be a ramp, but no visual light signal when someone knocks on the room door…

In our opinion, the best solution is to have a reliable labeling system. It is particularly helpful if you can see all the accessibility measures listed for each accommodation, so that you can search specifically for what you need.

Travel for all – Accessible vacation certificate for Germany

Travel for All, launched in Germany in 2011 with the support of the Federal Ministry of Economics, is really well thought out.

You can search by city, state, destination, and accommodations, and use filters to specify what is most relevant to you. This search feature is available for

• Wheelchair users (e.g. should the doors be 70 cm, 80 cm, 90 cm wide?)
• Hearing impaired and deaf people (e.g. rooms with induction loop systems)
• Visually impaired and blind people (e.g., high-contrast stair edges)
• People with cognitive impairments (e.g., color coding, information in plain language)

Accessible accommodation: Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa, Germany

Our sustainable Green PearlsⓇ partner Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa has been certified by the German Labeling System as a barrier-free accommodation. The test report from Reisen für Alle details which barriers have been removed. For example, there are two wheelchair accessible rooms and the tables in the restaurant are wheelchair accessible. Also: “The entrance is visually rich in contrast, but not recognizable by a tactile change in the flooring”.

This family-run hotel in Bayerisch Gmain is a former monastery farm converted into a luxurious hotel with a large spa and wellness area with swimming pool and sauna world. It offers a variety of excursions, yoga, fitness, nature experiences, live music, art, and is the perfect place for a weekend or a full summer or winter vacation in Bavaria. If you are interested in health and culture, you will find like-minded people here.

Sustainable integration hotel in Freiburg, Germany

Another Green PearlsⓇ partner for which you can read the Travel for All review in advance is the Green City Hotel Vauban in Freiburg im Breisgau. The modern hotel is located right next to the tram that takes you to the center of Freiburg in just 10 minutes. In the review, you will learn, for example, that all doors are 90 cm wide and that there are also wheelchair-accessible rooms with a connecting door where, for example, an accompanying person can stay. For those with cognitive difficulties, it says: “There is no menu with pictures of the food, instead we present the food visibly (buffet, counter).

What makes the Green City Hotel Vauban so special is that 50 percent of its employees are disabled themselves. Tolerance and acceptance are more than just lip service here.

Sustainable and accessible destination, Saarland

We can generally recommend Saarland as an accessible destination within Germany. Here the “Travel for All” certification is very common and there are many good offers such as “Lauschtouren” and barrier-free hiking trails and excursion destinations.

Other countries’ seals and websites

There are also websites in other countries that can help you travel accessible. We have collected some links for you. However, you will find that some of them do not have such detailed search criteria (as Travel for All).

• Austria: info
• Switzerland: com; Procap-Reisen
• Italy: it (7 apps for accessible travel – especially for wheelchair users) Südtirol.info
• Croatia: .hr
• Thailand: Tourism Autority of Thailand
• Indonesia: Accessible Indonesia & Bali
• Cambodia: Disability Insider Cambodia
• USA: Visit the USA

Traveling Accessible – How to Solve the Problem with “We’re Glad to Help”

The tourism industry is service-oriented and, in general, people here go to great lengths to accommodate people with disabilities. In my experience, a blind person will be escorted to a table in a hotel, or four strong hands will quickly be found on a tourist boat for boarding assistance. But NOT relying on outside help is what accessible travel is all about.

There are a lot more barriers than just the wheelchair

My stepdaughter has a mild form of autism. Once, when she had to fly alone from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, I booked an assistant for her and specified what she needed: Namely, someone to explain to her exactly what to expect: What do we do now, where do we go afterward, what happens there, how long will it take and what comes next? Unfortunately, a driver with a wheelchair van arrived instead, and the Accessibility Help Desk from the airport was not prepared to provide the kind of assistance we needed.

Tips for accessible, sustainable & personalized travel

However, finding a place where the staff is very friendly and helpful and is constantly trying to make your life easier is of course very pleasant. And frankly, such human service is (in most cases) nicer than the provision of technical aids – but how do you find such a service?

• Learn to express exactly what you need on the journey
• Look for sustainable, family-run accommodations with a personal touch (such as those found on our Green Pearls website).
• Write an email to the hotel with your requirements – the response will give you a good indication of whether the hotel is suitable for you. Almost all of our partners offer to pick you up from the station, for example.
• Plan your trip (more on this in the next point)
• Plan your activities in advance and make sure they meet your needs. For example, many hotels offer classes, hikes and guided tours that start right from the hotel. Again, you can ask directly if the activity is suitable for you.
• Take your medicine with you and ask your doctor to write a prescription in English if needed. If you are traveling abroad, you may need to register your medication in advance.
• Clarify foreign health insurance coverage with your insurance company

Accessible transportation by rail

As you may have noticed on our blog, we are big proponents of the train as an environmentally friendly way to travel. We consider Deutsche Bahn to be exemplary when it comes to accessibility. (Certainly not yet optimal in all areas, but in a global comparison, praise is definitely justified at this point.)

• Once you have chosen your destination/accommodation, you can contact Deutsche Bahn’s Mobility Service Center for advice.
• Install the DB Station Live app, which includes the features previously available in the DB Accessibility app.

For other countries, see the links above for tips on accessible transportation.

Accessible & mobile on-site

When it comes to local mobility, it’s all about what you need. Low-floor buses, wheelchair cabins… It is best to check beforehand whether there are companies that can help you at your destination.

Accessible travel – an information issue

As you can see, there is a lot of information about accessible travel you should research in advance. We hope this article has given you some ideas on this important topic and we encourage you to ask and demand! In this way, those involved in the tourism industry will realize that accessibility is definitely a necessity and, in the vast majority of cases, will make life easier for all travelers!

Save this post for your next travel plans!