Autism makes travel a challenge. Here’s how I learned to cope

Busy places and unexpected events used to send me into meltdown on holiday. An autism diagnosis helped me to adapt my plans and rediscover the joy of travelling

W andering hand-in-hand through the medieval streets of Bologna, my boyfriend and I were in awe of the sweeping porticoes and distinctive rust-red brickwork of the city. It was our first holiday together. We’d wanted to find somewhere beyond the obvious that would marry our respective interests in architecture and history. Bologna was the perfect fit.

We admired the Church of Santa Maria della Vita, with its imposing baroque interior, lavishly decorated in colourful frescoes and marble carvings. We caught a little red and blue express train up into the hills to the Santuario della Madonna di San Luca, and climbed the bell tower of the Basilica di San Petronio for panoramic views across the city.

But after one particularly long, hot day on our feet, with our stomachs clamouring to be fed, my mood began to shift. With the setting of the sun came the rising of my rage, as we struggled to agree on where we wanted to eat. In a city nicknamed La Grassa (“the fat one”), we weren’t lacking in options; in fact, it was the sheer number of well-reviewed eateries that was overwhelming.

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