Travelling With Your Mobility Scooter
_________________________________________________________________________
Mobility scooters are the perfect solution to gaining back independence when walking becomes difficult. They can take you even further than before, perfect for travel, whether it be on public transport or even abroad!
Public Transport
The smaller, lighter and easier the scooter is to use, the more suitable it will be for public transport. Whether you want to travel by bus, train or coach, there will be a scooter perfect for your needs.
Nowadays, mobility scooters are smaller and lighter, making them ideal for travel. Foldable scooters are especially suitable, allowing the scooter to be folded and transported like pulling a suitcase for ultimate convenience and ease.
Plan Your Journeys
We recommend that you always plan your journeys so that you can ensure you have the help you need and that you know where you are going to ensure a smooth journey. You’ll also need to think about where you are going and whether they will have storage for the mobility scooter. If you are heading to a specific event, you could call up in advance to check this.
Travelling by…
Bus
We recommend checking with your local bus route supplier before travelling. They will be able to provide you with information and advice for your journey.
Train
When you get to the station you should inform the staff that you plan to take your mobility scooter on the train with you, and they will ensure there is a member of staff to assist you get the scooter on. Train stations will usually have a ramp to assist in getting the scooter onto the carriage.
Coach
Again we recommend that you speak to your travel provider before the journey as they can make sure your specific needs are met, for example ensuring there is enough space in the luggage hold to store the scooter.
Coach journeys will only be possible for smaller, foldable scooters. You can drive the scooter all the way to the vehicle, and once there, simply fold the scooter and the driver will put it in the luggage hold. Then you are away on your trip!
Taking Your Mobility Scooter on a Plane
Are all Mobility Scooters Allowed to go on Planes?
The short answer is no, not all mobility scooters are permitted to be taken on a plane. This is because of the different batteries. Where a mobility scooter has lithium batteries that are under 300Wh, it will usually be allowed on the aircraft.
How does it Work?
You should speak to the airline before you go to the airport to make sure you have all the necessary information prior to arriving. The staff at the check-in desk will usually want information on the battery to confirm that it is airline friendly. Once this has been provided, they will label the scooter and you can keep it with you all the way to the plane.
Once at the plane, you should remove the batteries as these will be travelling with you in your hand luggage. The mobility scooter can be given to the ground staff who will load it into the hold of the plane along with all other larger luggage.
Once you land at your destination, you can collect the scooter from the ground staff. Re-insert the batteries, and away you go! It’s as simple as that.
The Lupin Mobility Scooter and Zinnia Mobility Scooter are both airline friendly (Lupin will need to be used with the airline friendly battery and not the standard one that it comes with as this is 360Wh).
Cruise Travel
Cruise ships can be massive, and so getting around isn’t always easy! That’s why mobility scooters can make the holiday run smoother, allowing you to travel around the ship with ease.
Cruise ships will have the provisions in place to make having a mobility scooter on board as easy as possible. Most will even offer scooters for hire! This can be useful where you don’t want to make the commitment of purchasing a scooter just for the holiday, and scooters can be difficult to store in the cabins because they are often very small.