European Roadtrip by Josh Taylor

For many years we have wanted to do a European road trip. This dream all started when we purchased a motorhome.  When we finally got to the motorhome, there was another issue, which was my wheelchair. I had a manual and a small electric collapsible chair, but I did not have a wheelchair suitable for rough terrain, and as I wanted to be able to travel up mountains, I wanted to get a wheelchair that was up to the task. This led me to fundraise for an X8 extreme wheelchair. Once I had managed to get this wheelchair, there was only one place that we could go, and that was to the Dolomites, the Italian Alps.

To get to that destination, we decided to take our time making our way through France and then into Switzerland.

Here, we went to Lauterbrunnen and stayed at Camping Jungfrau, which was in the middle of the valley, and wow, what an incredible place to visit. From the moment we arrived in the small town of Lauterbrunnen I was amazed by the stunning views of the mountains around. I could not wait to get in my wheelchair so that I could start exploring the area. I then decided to follow a path next to a river coming down from the mountains and all the waterfalls. As I was driving down the path, I could not believe how accessible it was when we were in the middle of nowhere. The path I was on was super flat and wide, so I had lots of room whilst I was driving, to my surprise. Also, as I love photography, I got my camera out and took some photos. I have a camera tripod that can attach to my wheelchair, so I am fully independent.

We then decided to go and explore the town and the surrounding area. This was an incredible experience to see how the Swiss live and experience the local food. We also wanted to make a visit to Murren, but the only issue was that you needed to take a cable car up the mountain. I was very unsure whether I would be able to get on it in my wheelchair. To my surprise, it was fully accessible, and my wheelchair wasn't seen as an issue by the staff, who were only too happy to explain where I needed to go and which trains would be accessible, which was great. When we arrived at the top (Grutschalp), we needed to take a small train ride to Murren. Again, the staff could not be more helpful if they tried. It was clearly explained to us that they had two trains running. However, only one of the trains was accessible to me. When the train arrived, all I needed to do was drive on, there was no need for a ramp or any assistance from the staff. After a short trip on the train, we arrived in Murren, a small town located on top of the mountain. I was able to drive my wheelchair pretty much everywhere when we were up. There was the odd occasion when I got out of my wheelchair, but only because I wanted to and not because I needed to. When we finished exploring, we made the seamless journey back. I was informed, too, by other guests at the campsite that there was a very accessible track that would take me back down to Lauterbrunnen, but we needed to save something for when we returned.

Due to our short stay, we did not get a chance to use the buses or trains, but again, we did see that the buses had ramps for access and the trains were at platform level.

It was so amazing and accessible that I didn't want to leave. However, we knew that we needed to continue our journey to the Dolomites.

Overall, Switzerland is a great place to visit, especially if you are in a wheelchair. I would highly recommend it, and I know I will be revisiting it in the future.