Travelling with an older person

oddshapedballs

oddshapedballs

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Evening,

Starting to look into Spain/Portugal for a 10 day ride around late June/early July travelling with my uncle (78 years), heat's not a problem, he loves the heat, my immediate concern is that he does require regular hourly/90 min bathroom breaks (mind you so do I sometimes, especially if a few too many cold ones were enjoyed the night before) so I'm hoping those who've done such a trip can help with some advice...do most petrol stations in Spain/Portugal offer the same bathroom facilities as those in France?

The last trip to France we did a good few years ago was a breeze, most petrol stations we came across had bathrooms, granted they were grim, but they were there.

He also loves mountains so I was also looking at Austria/Switzerland, but I was worried that if we went that way the the facilities in some of the mountainous areas of Austria and Switzerland could be few and far between.

Grateful for any advice, he's a good guy, he helped me a lot when I was younger and this could be his last trip so I want to make it as stress-free as possible.

Cheers :thumb2
 
By their nature, high mountains are less well served with people, let alone toilets. All the decent sized passes will have a cafe / hotel / town / village at the bottom and at least a cafe at the top. That being said, people (of all ages) do live in the Alps and some at least may not possess the strongest bladders; even so, the ditches are not running in pee. Spain and Portugal much the same, you’ll be fine.
 
Assuming that it’s a leisurely trip, I’d be stopping every 90 mins or so anyway.

There’s loads of nice cafes

Even in mountainous areas you’ll always find somewhere well within 90 mins of last stop, usually within 30.

I’d go for it, it’ll be a great trip


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Thanks chaps.

My current thinking is a few days in/around the Picos followed by a week in northern Portugal, covering off both his love of mountains and hot weather in one trip. Not so worried about Portugal, I'm sure there are plenty of cafe's/petrol stations etc en route to take care of toilet stops, but will do a bit more research re: Pico's and facilities thereabout, as you mentioned we should come across facilities within 90 mins of the last stop anyway, I'm probably more nervous than I need to be but it's an important trip.
 
Picos totally not a drama.

There’s lots and lots of nice areas.

Never far from civilisation as it were.

I wouldn’t over think it too much, I’d get going :)


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oddshapedballs said:
Thanks chaps.

My current thinking is a few days in/around the Picos followed by a week in northern Portugal, covering off both his love of mountains and hot weather in one trip. Not so worried about Portugal, I'm sure there are plenty of cafe's/petrol stations etc en route to take care of toilet stops, but will do a bit more research re: Pico's and facilities thereabout, as you mentioned we should come across facilities within 90 Minsk offices there last stop anyway, I'm probably more nervous than I need to be but it's an important trip.
Click to expand...

Has he got decent travel insurance just in case anything goes wrong as at his age if it does having that could save a whole lot of potential grief for both of you
 
he loves the heat, my immediate concern is that he does require regular hourly/90 min bathroom breaks (mind you so do I sometimes, especially if a few too many cold ones were enjoyed the night before)
Click to expand...

I'm assuming he can stand up if he can ride.
What's the problem with peeing in a bush or at the side of the road?



By the way walk in any bar, to be polite order a coffee or a small beverage, and then ask to use the bathroom.
That + service stations... you shouldn't have any problems. Those are generally more evenly distributed in Europe than in the UK :D
 
I'd suggest there are more cafes/coffee stops in Austria/Switzerland than there are in the Picos, that's my recollection of both areas.

In regards the heat, he may well like the heat but July in Spain is not for the faint hearted although as stated, you'd be best advised to stop every 90 minutes anyway as dehydration will be an issue and if you've left it til you get a sore head, then you've left it to late.
 
I'm sure your uncle will have no problem ....... :thumb2


 
oddshapedballs said:
Grateful for any advice, he's a good guy, he helped me a lot when I was younger and this could be his last trip so I want to make it as stress-free as possible.

Cheers :thumb2
Click to expand...

Just go for it :thumb

It'll all work out OK. My father was 70+ when we toured Germany together on the 250 MZ Supa5's

He worried about this that and the other ... it was his last trip and he never stopped talking about it :D

Monschau ...

i-2zLZ8f9-L.jpg


He died fifteen years ago this week

:beerjug:
 
You do not have to be in your 70s to have anxieties about the bodily functions.

I do at least 2 continental trips a year. I take a diuretic medication and have bouts of IBS. Bars & cafes are the main provider as public toilets seem to be rare in France & Spain outside larger towns and cities.

Taking an al fresco piss is rarely a problem for chaps anyway. Just be careful where you put your feet if going behind a hedge or tree in a layby as the French & Spanish are quite happy to shit in the woods.
 
wessie said:
a diet of Gregg's pastries can lead to some urgency - just don't try to use their serviettes like Andrex
Click to expand...

I had a somewhat brief experience with IBS, luckily for me it was only a matter of a few months but as someone who drives for a living I was very lucky on a number of occasions apart from once when I charged home and foolishly choose the upstairs toilet instead of the one immediately next to my front door, safe to say I didn't make it all the way upstairs ;)
 
Definitely don’t use the serviettes as big roll. They use “John Wayne” ones over there.

“They’re rough and they’re tough ...... and they don’t take shit off anyone”


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littleade said:
Has he got decent travel insurance just in case anything goes wrong as at his age if it does having that could save a whole lot of potential grief for both of you
Click to expand...

He has excellent private medical insurance including repatriation.
 
This is a presumption:
He has an enlarged prostate, like 7 out of 10 men over 70. (Myself also).
Has he attended a clinic for the problem?
If not, get him to do so.
This is not a cure, but it makes life a damn sight easier.
At the clinic, they will probably suggest self catheterisation with disposable catheters.
Painless and quick.
Use one, and drain the litre of urine permenantly stuck in the bladder for the last umpteen years.
Suddenly he can go 6-7 hours without the need to piss, and drink all he wants in between.
 
er-minio said:
I'm assuming he can stand up if he can ride.
What's the problem with peeing in a bush or at the side of the road?



By the way walk in any bar, to be polite order a coffee or a small beverage, and then ask to use the bathroom.
That + service stations... you shouldn't have any problems. Those are generally more evenly distributed in Europe than in the UK :D
Click to expand...

He's pretty flexible for his age, he bowls and still plays badminton once a week, so the physicality side of things isn't a concern, he had stomach and small bowel operations a few years ago and has the equivalent of permanent IBS type symptoms now thus needing to empty the bowels regularly. He's certainly fit enough squat in a field/hedge if necessary.
On a positive, it does make for a very relaxing day on the bike, stopping every hour or so for a cuppa is great, I told him recently he should write a book on the cafes of the UK, he must have had a dump in pretty much all of them by now! :D
 
He's certainly fit enough squat in a field/hedge if necessary.
Click to expand...

Ok. I thought it was pee. Sorry!

he had stomach and small bowel operations a few years ago and has the equivalent of permanent IBS type symptoms now thus needing to empty the bowels regularly
Click to expand...

I can imagine. My father, in his 70ies, had a bladder operation years ago and, for a few months, he ad a similar issue.
Traveling by car once, we had to stop several times for him to do it at the side of the road. But it's easier to pee there than to take a dump. :D

Again, generally you shouldn't have issues finding a bar or service station to use their toilets.
I'd rather use a random bar than a service station though (cleaner).

Have fun!
 
This reminds me of a crisis I had.

Following a weekend of camping and excess at BSB Oulton Park and avoiding the Portaloos on the last morning,
my guts began to rumble on my way out of said venue. As I proceeded along the drive to the main road I considered
my options.
I made the decision to ride to Bill Smiths, Chester on full clench for the use of their WC. I found untapped new limits
to my awsome stead (MG 1200Norge). I don't normally ride at a furious pace but it's amazing what the human
body can achieve when the mind is concentrated to the extent of having an impending disaster in ones pants.
So it was knees clenched on tank, sphincter clenched on seat head down and go for it.
Got to Smiths 20 minutes later, quick dismount and waddled through the showroom like a rheumatic penguin with
buttcheeks firmly clamped Molegrip tight.
To my horror the bog was occupied, by this time I was touching cloth. Pretended to walk round looking at
bikes for what seemed like an hour keeping the toilet within view from the corner of my eye.
Lavvy door opens bod walks out saying "I'd give it five minutes mate I've been to Oulton Park all weekend".
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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