Travel companions for older people — safely on the way

What we do on accompanied journeys

Organising the outward and return journey:

Rail tickets, seat reservations, wheelchair assistance, luggage, connections, a hotel part-way if required. We take care of the logistics; you only have to want to arrive.

Accompanying you during the journey:

We travel with you — from beginning to end. We help with getting on and off, with the meal in the dining car, with the stop at the motorway services. We keep the tickets, translate at the counter, and steady things when they become hectic.

Medical care on the way:

Where there are medical needs (wound care, managing medication, carrying oxygen, giving insulin), we deploy a qualified nurse as the companion.

Hospital transfers:

When a relative has to be brought back to Berlin from a hospital abroad, we organise this together with medical transport services — we are the human companion who accompanies the patient from bed to bed.

Which journeys we accompany

• Ordinary journeys for rest and recuperation — spa stays, family visits within Germany or Europe.
• Journeys with a medical purpose — hospital stays, travel to rehabilitation, appointments with specialists.
• Journeys home — from a care home or hospital back to familiar surroundings.
• Last journeys — where there is a wish to see a particular place once more (a birthplace, a family grave, a favourite spot).
• Journeys back from abroad — from a holiday interrupted by illness, for instance.

How an accompanied journey is organised

First talk and planning:

We understand what is at stake first, and plan afterwards. This can be by telephone or in person.

Preparation:

We check questions of insurance (travel health cover, overseas policies), clarify particular medical circumstances with the GP or the hospital, and obtain the necessary transport documents.

The journey itself:

We collect you from your home. We stay until the destination, or until you are handed over to the next responsible person (a relative, a hospital, a hotel concierge).

Afterwards:

Where necessary, we organise the return journey or the onward care at the destination.

What an accompanied journey costs

Here the calculation becomes complex — it depends on duration, distance and qualification. An accompanied journey within Germany without medical needs is calculated differently from an international journey with a registered nurse, or a hospital transfer involving a medical transport service. After the first talk we make you a written proposal with a daily rate and a total.

Travel costs (rail, air, hotel) are borne separately by the client. We travel in the same class as the person we are accompanying.

Frequently asked questions

• Can you travel abroad with us?

  Yes — within the Schengen area without difficulty, to other countries with a little more notice for visa and insurance questions.
• What if the client’s condition deteriorates during the journey?

  If their condition deteriorates we turn at once to the nearest medical care (emergency services, the local hospital). We stay with the person and inform the family.
• Can you manage travellers who use a wheelchair?

  Of course. We arrange the railway’s wheelchair assistance, mobility service points and parking permits. Where needed we bring lightweight portable standing aids.
• How far in advance does a travel companion have to be booked?

  Within Germany from two weeks of notice, internationally from four to six weeks. Acute hospital transfers can be organised in two to three days.
• Do you also travel with people who have a care level?

  Yes — at any care level (Pflegegrad), provided the person is fit to travel (we clarify this beforehand with the GP and the client). At higher care levels we always deploy registered nurses.
• What happens if the journey has to be extended?

  We extend it where needed — an extension is confirmed in writing by email. Daily rates continue to apply.