Since I have been to almost every state (still have a few more that I would like to visit) and have stayed in hotels with and without friends and family, I am going to provide the most helpful tips for traveling alone as a solo, totally blind traveler. Note: These are just my experiences, so take what will be most helpful for you.
Tip #1: The first tip is to arrange for a meet and assist when traveling to the airport. I know that this might seem like a really simple task; however, sometimes the meet and assist does not always show up if you try to get it at the airport rather than including it with your travel reservation. Most airlines nowadays can request a meet and assist when booking a reservation, which I have found to be most helpful so that when you get to the airport and you need to check a bag, for example, the meet-and-assist reservation is already set up. However, I have had experiences where the meet and assist does not always come through, which can be frustrating, but I have learned to advocate, and eventually I will get to where I need to be by either asking a passerby for assistance or someone who works in TSA. Depending on the situation, you can always request wheelchair assistance as well, although for some, this might not be ideal or necessary. But if you have to get, for example, to one end of JFK airport to another for a connecting flight because your original flight got in very late, the wheelchair assistance is faster. I wouldn’t normally take this type of assistance, but it’s there should I need to use it.
Tip #2: While everyone is different when it comes to checking a bag or carrying them on, I always try not to check a bag if I can help it because with a carry-on, I have found it easier to just be able to get off the plane – or even train sometimes – and not have to worry about my bags either getting lost or not making it to my destination. I have found that sometimes I do have to check a bag, and in that case, I have found it helpful to have a bag identifier on my bag. For example, this could be a tactile tag, a tag with my initials, or a certain colored bag just so that you could alert the meet and assist which bag is yours.
Tip #3: Advocate and ask questions. This tip is important because advocating for yourself is especially important, whether that is getting assistance from the hotel staff or from a TSA agent in the airport. In my experience, I have called hotels before my arrival and let them know that I am visually impaired just in case. I do not always do this, however. When I took a trip over the summer to Miami with a few friends, we did not call ahead, and we had a wonderful time. The hotel that we stayed in was really massive, so getting assistance was a huge plus because the layout was confusing, and we definitely appreciated the hotels assistance. The hotel not only was able to assist us around the building, to and from the rooftop pool, but also was able to make reservations for us at some really awesome places. When I travel, I always love to go where the locals go, whether that is trying a new food or trying something authentic to that city. Not only that, but the advantage of the hotel staff making the reservation for you is that they have recommended some pretty awesome places such as this Argentinian place that had really good food that we probably would not have found otherwise.
Asking questions is important as well, especially making sure that you have all of your bags when traveling on the plane or train and also finding out where the Uber and Lyft pickups and drop-offs are. Another tip that I have is when scheduling an Uber or Lyft from the train station or airport, always confirm the location where you are, and find out how far you are away from the pickup so that if need be, the driver is able to find you more quickly, as opposed to the driver going around in circles trying to locate you. I always disclose my disability as well just so they know who they are looking for.
Tip #4: Have fun and enjoy the adventure. Most trips do have an itinerary. However, if you happen to have a few days of leisure time, definitely take time to explore your surroundings. That could mean finding a really cool venue with a really great band, or finding a really fun bar with good drinks, or just exploring the city. Another option could be shopping. When my friend and I were in Miami, we decided to take advantage of the shopping opportunities and went to the largest mall in Miami. Although there were a few obstacles, we both managed to navigate just fine, whether we were asking for directions or trying to locate a particular store. I was able to use apps like AIRA to help us be aware of what was around us and assist us with either what was in the store or which store we were heading toward. Apps like AIRA have really assisted me in navigating while traveling around a new city. While I do not use it the entire time, the app does come in handy when I need it, or if there is little to no assistance around. (Be My Eyes is another option for a free app.) Most of the store personnel were really helpful as well with assisting us with picking out items. Part of advocating is knowing what you are looking for when you enter the store so that the personnel can best assist.
Tip #5: The last and final tip is to Have fun. Every city that I have been to so far definitely has allowed me to explore something new that I have not or would not always get the opportunity to do by myself if I were on a family vacation, for example. While I have gone on plenty of family vacations and I have loved those as well, there is something to be said about traveling around either with or without friends when traveling as a totally blind person. I hope that some of these tips have helped someone in some way, shape, or form, whether it is your first time traveling, or maybe you have traveled for years and are looking for new tips or perhaps a new way to accomplish something. While I am no travel expert, I do love to travel, see the world, and share my experiences as they happen.