|
Thanks to the dedicated
WACMA members that shared their information to help compile this page!
Helpful airline information: http://www.pressenter.com/~wacma/angelflight.htm
http://www.pressenter.com/~wacma/planehelp.htm
Restaurants: Restaurant.htm
Check with the hospital that will be doing your surgery.
They can often provide a wide variety of housing options, from nice hotels, to
room and board places, to condos for rent; many of which give special hospital
rates (in Seattle area). Also listed may be free shuttle serves as well as
reduced parking fees, etc.
Check with your insurance company about possibilities of
what they will pay for. Some pay for airline tickets if tests may are not be
available in your area.
Be aware that if someone travels with you that you can
take that off on your taxes (US) - estimated amount is $50/day for each day that
you have someone with you.
Research on the web about the area you will be staying.
The Chamber of Commerce in each area will help you with questions.
NOTE: All prices are subject to change. Contact
services before you count on a firm amount.
Canadian Travel: If you contact Travelodge hotels in
advance and let them know you are there for medical purposes, the charge will be
to cover cleaning the room. The price is approx. $34.00 per night, as opposed to
$69.00 and up.
Airfare in Canada: Westjet is most often the least
expensive. Air Canada offer's a 30% discount for medical travel needs. Angel
Flight is also offered in different parts of Canada, so always check their
website.
If anyone is coming into the Vancouver, BC Canada area to
either attend Children's or Vancouver General - The Sheraton Villa is about 55
minutes away from either and will give discounts if told the reason for being
there.
Travel to New York City:
Okay folks, here is the run down on my
stay in Long Island during my visit to The Chiari Institute. It is long,
but has all kinds of useful information if you happen to go to The Chiari
Institute. Fly into LaGuardia because Islep is at the other end of Long
Island and it is more expensive to fly in there, and a cab/shuttle service from
there would be high. Use Classic Transportation Shuttle Sevice to get you
from the airport to your hotel and from your hotel/Chiari Institute back to the
airport (reserve 24 hours prior to go back to the airport too). Call
Classic Shuttle service the day before your trip to reserve. Tell them
your approximate time of arrival and who you are flying with. Then call Classic
Shuttle as soon as your plane starts to "actually" taxi in for
deboarding. Anyone who has been to LaGuardia knows that you may circle the
airport in the air for an hour before landing, and your plane may sit on a ramp
for an hour more before you even get off the plane. If you land, taxi, and
deboard fast, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My husband is a
pilot and flies in there all the time, and when I flew in their I was one of the
unlucky ones. When you pick up your bags, go to the Shuttle Service desk
and call Classic Shuttle service again (the lady/man at the shuttle service desk
will tell you where to wait for your shuttle. Don't let any taxi drivers
or shuttle drivers hustle you into taking a cab with them. Be polite and
tell them, "No thank you." You might just take the scenic tour
if you take a cab with an unlicensed cabbie. The reason you need to call
Classic Shuttle service when you are about to deboard is if you wait until you
get your bags, you may be waiting for the shuttle for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Use
Friendly Cab service to get you from point A (your hotel) to point B (the
hospital, Chiari Institute, MRI office). Phone #'s and prices will follow.
What I have told you is the cheapest way around and believe me I researched it.
If you want to rent a car you can, but be aware that you will have to pay
exorbitant parking fees each day at your hotel, at the hospital, and anywhere
else you want to go and park. If you want to take a tour for a day or two
hours, Friendly Cab Service will take you around Long Island. Someone else
spoke about hiring the cab service for an hour or two and it was pretty
inexpensive and cheaper than renting a car for a day. I've posted this
information several times now, so everyone that is going to New York needs to
copy this into their files so I won't have to do it again<;) Okay, if
someone is desperate, I'll post it.
Inexpensive places to eat:
The Chiari Institute - If you step out of the front of the building and look
across the street and to your left, two buildings down. Go inside the
front of that building down the central corridor, turn right and go down the
next hall and a Deli. is on your left. Good food, clean, and not bad
prices. If my directions are a little confusing, ask the staff at The
Chiari Institute - they know where it is.
North Shore Hospital - There is a nice coffee shop inside the hospital and there
is a very good cafeteria. Prices are inexpensive here too.
Manhasset Diagnostics - The MRI place - There is a deli/bagel shop right
through the entrance and to your left. Also, there is a Lord &
Taylor's shop within walking distance (you can see it if you stand outside of
the building facing the street and look to your left). A big grocery store
was also being built across the street from the diagnostic center when I was
there in August 2003 and they may be finished with it now.
Adventure:
Take a tour of Long Island. It is historical and beautiful. Or you
can go to the
train station and go to Manhattan if you have the physical energy and time (I
barely had the physical energy but I did it anyway). Not sure how much it
was for a round trip ticket (cheaper to buy round trip instead of buying a
ticket at each point), but I thought it was worth it. Also, I was tired of
sitting around the hotel. Go to the ESPN sports bar in Times Square.
They have televisions on the ceilings in the toilet stalls and they are also
mounted over the men's urinals (my husband told me this) on the walls so you
won't miss any key plays or shots during football and basketball games.
Only in New York! Or, you can just walk around Times Square, buy a coffee,
and look at all the people and lights.
The Chiari Institute:
865 Northern Blvd., Ste. 302
Great Neck, NY 11021
516-570-4400
FAX: 516-570-4444
Transportation:
Friendly Cab Service -
516-466-0066
From my hotel to hospital, from hotel to Chiari Institute, and from hotel to
Manhasset Diagnostics was about five bucks each + tip. They were quick to
pick me up from each place, and if I had to be somewhere early in the morning
(i.e. hospital), I called the night before and reserved a specific time to be
picked up.
Classic Shuttle -
631-567-5100
800-666-4949
www.classictrans.com
$25.00 + tip from airport to my hotel (they will quote you prices and you won't
find a shuttle for cheaper).
Hotels:
Besides the list of hotels/prices that The Chiari Institute will send you which
includes the address/phone # to Variety House, here is the name of an
inexpensive hotel (when you compare it to $150.00 and up hotels).
Floral Park Motor Lodge -
800-255-9680
$65.00 + tax
Did not stay here personally, but someone else said it was decent and
inexpensive. Not sure if they served continental breakfast, but there were
breakfast places nearby and a donut shop (I think).
Meals at the inn are all vegetarian and very reasonable.
The website: www.sdamall.com/fletcherparkinn
Cab fares are pretty high, but there are some volunteers
at the Inn who may drive you for a very moderate fee.
Again: Thanks to the dedicated WACMA group members
that shared their information to help compile this page.
Back to: Wacma
Home or Onsite Information
| 
