How to get special requests confirmed in writing
You typed a request into the booking box and want to know it will actually be there.
Booking with confidence
Mobility and elder needs to tell your planner
You are travelling with someone who tires on stairs, and you want the plan built around them.
The details that matter most are how far each person can walk, how they manage stairs and when they tire. A planner who knows these can pick the right hotel and shorten the day before you book. Tell us up front, and the plan fits instead of being patched later.
Which details change a plan?
Some details change nothing, and some change everything. These are the ones we use.
- Walking: how many minutes each person can walk before needing to sit.
- Stairs: whether they manage a flight, a few steps or none.
- Aids: a stick, walker or wheelchair, and whether it folds.
- Time of day: when energy drops, and whether a midday rest is needed.
- Toilets and medication: timing, and anything that must stay cool.
- Sleeping: bed or futon, and whether getting up from the floor is hard.
Our walking load guide and the travel load checker help you estimate a day.
How do these details change the hotel?
Stairs and walking minutes decide the station and the exit. A hotel by a station with a lift at the right exit beats a cheaper one up a hill. Room size matters too, because business hotel rooms are compact, usually 12 to 20 square metres 1.
Read the accessible and lift rooms guide and the Tokyo stay for elderly parents guide. If a ryokan is planned, see the tatami and futon guide for elders.
How do these details change transfers?
Fewer changes mean less strain. Station staff can help: JNTO says wheelchair users can ask staff for help getting on and off the train 2, and bus drivers help wheelchair users board and leave 3. Tell us if you will need that, and we plan transfers with extra time.
Our grandparents and fewer transfers guide explains the approach.
What should you write in the first message?
Send one short message. Here is a format to copy.
“Travellers: [names, ages]. Walking: [minutes before rest]. Stairs: [none / few / one flight].”
“Aids: [stick / wheelchair / none]. Rest: [needed at midday]. Sleeping: [bed only / futon fine].”
“Dates: [dates].”
Ask us to confirm each need in writing with the hotel, as the special requests in writing guide explains.
What should Malaysian families remember?
Be honest about energy, and expect cold-weather fatigue in winter. Plan a lighter day after every long one, and keep a quiet fallback if someone is tired. A plan that protects the eldest traveller usually works better for everyone.
If an elder or someone with reduced mobility is coming, send us the details in the checklist below. We build the hotel, transfers and rest stops around them, and confirm each request in writing.
Keep planning
Lift and step-free rooms for elders and strollers
Someone in your group cannot manage stairs, and the hotel photos do not say.
Tatami rooms and futons for elders
Your parents want the ryokan night, and you worry about getting up off the floor.
Japan with grandparents: fewer luggage transfers
You want a route your parents or grandparents can enjoy without hauling suitcases.
A Tokyo station area for elderly parents
You want your parents to sleep well in Tokyo without climbing stairs at every station.
Judging the walking load of a Japan tour
You travel with parents or children, and the itinerary says nothing about how much walking it hides.
Questions travellers ask
What should I tell the planner about my parents' mobility?
Tell us how far each person can walk without a rest, whether they manage stairs, whether they use a stick or wheelchair, and when they tire in the day. Add medication times and toilet needs. These details change the hotel, the transfers and the length of each day.
Can station staff help an elderly or disabled traveller?
Yes. JNTO says wheelchair users can ask station staff for help getting on and off the train, and that staff will help you off at your stop if you say where you are going. Plan to tell the staff early, and allow a little extra time at each transfer.
Will you choose a hotel with lifts and fewer stairs?
Yes, when you tell us. Lifts, step-free routes and room size decide a lot, and business hotel rooms are compact, usually 12 to 20 square metres. We ask each property to confirm in writing before you pay.
Sources
Figures are checked against these sources and dated so you can see how current they are.
- JNTO, Accommodationaccessed 2026-10-20
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Accessibility in Japanaccessed 2026-10-20
- JNTO, Accessibility in Japanaccessed 2026-10-20
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