i am soon expecting some very determined visitors in zurich..

one, in particular, recently had foot surgery and will need a wheelchair while here. would anyone know where i might find such a thing (and, only half-joking, the insurance policy to go along with it?)

i know at the HB, they're very accomodating with wheelchairs if you let them know ahead of time.

and also, any recommendations for limited mobility activities while in zurich? the amazing public trans system, of course. sitting at cafes and people watching, bars, restaus, train rides, ...

(i hadn't found anything like this elsewhere on the forum..but moderators, go ahead and move it if necess..)

Try Krankenmobilien magazin for renting a wheel chair

here is the link to their website with adress where the shop is tio enquire about prices etc

http://www.krankenmobilien.ch/info.htm

Hi,

Just ask your local pharmacy, they should have a list of Wheel-Chair rentals in the city. You can rent them on a weekly or monthly basis, and are quite reasonable.

I hope this helps.

Best,

Reb

Hello lize,

have you tried the local spitex to you? I rented a wheelchair for 3 weeks for my mother in law and it cost 40 francs as i seem to recall. This information may be too late but I hope it still helps.

thanks for the advice - thought i've kept these numbers handy and places in mind, for the most part, crutches were all that were needed! though at museums, we've been glad to use their wheelchairs. (free admission for the rider and the pusher at one of the museums in town - that was a surprise)

hopping on and off the trams has been the most taxing. but without the trams and trains, we'd have had a much more trouble getting around. cobblestones and wheelchairs don't seem to mix, so we're holding off on neiderdorf for the next trip..

so nice to know that a chair is there if we need it!

From Myswitzerland.com, some tips for disabled travel:

http://www.myswitzerland.com/de.cfm/reisen/behinderung/

And some suggestions for accessible travel destinations from Mobility International Schweiz:

http://www.mis-ch.ch/d/info-ch/ausflugsz.htm#top

Hope your guests enjoy their time in Switzerland.

Hi Liz,

Thanks for starting this thread - I have a similar problem and would be glad to hear any further tips you may have. Over Christmas my dad proudly pronounced that he and my mum would visit me in 2008 and it is causing me some headache.

Firstly, I think they are expecting to stay with me, but although I am only 3-5 mins walk from a tram stop, it is uphill and it will take my mum on her sticks probably 15 mins to do it (and a lot of complaining in my direction about why I chose to live somewhere so far from public transport!). And then I worry that she will find it hard to get on the tram.

I think they have their heart set on bringing the car with them or renting one (both of these make my heart sink), but my street is very narrow and I think you need a permit to park there. I don't suppose their disabled sticker will exempt them from needing a permit? Can you get temporary permits? I am already getting stressed at thinking how stressed they will be when they never manage to get a parking space near my flat!

I might recommend they stay in a central hotel and that they can visit my flat once if they like. But, as you say, I have been worrying about the cobbles and then about getting on the train (I have just noticed that all the double decker ones seem to need you to use steps once you have got in) if they want to go anywhere else, although I suppose they can rent a car for longer journeys and perhaps struggle with public transport for Zurich itself.

Those were interesting links about the wheelchair loans. I might recommend that as they both usually get wheelchairs for the airports due to the long distances involved in walking there.

Anyway, just having a bit of a public panic here and hoping to elicit further tips and information that might calm me down!

Thanks.