Paris: Wheelchair, Eurostar, and other questions
Nov 25th, 2005, 12:03 PM
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Paris: Wheelchair, Eurostar, and other questions
My husband and I will be spending 7 days in London and then on to Paris via the Eurostar. This will be our first trip to Paris in over 30 years and we are very excited inspite of my husband's physical limitations from a stroke. He can walk up "easy steps" with a railing and very short distances with a large cane. I am planning the trip and am aware that Paris can be more of a challenge than London or the Scandinavian countries, but we really want to experience Paris again and are willing to make compromises when necessary.
This spring we are renting an apartment for 10 days in the 16th close to the Hilton.
We have also made arrangements to hire a guide for 2-4 days. Our interests include museums, wheelchair walking, parks, historical sites, absorbing the flow of life while enjoying coffee or wine, and dinning. Our French is very, very limited but I am planning to buy a tape and learning a few more words. Several questions which I hope Fodorites can answer:
1) Arriving by Eurostar, should we take a taxi to our apartment or is there a car service we can have meet us as we do in London?
2) Any suggestions about our neighborhood would be helpful
3) Walks with the wheelchair starting in our neighborhood to ?????
4) Batobus accessible? We would like to buy a pass for several days. We are arriving on a Monday and will also be buying the Carte Orange (sp?) for busses as we will not be able to use the Metro.
5) Any advise that you can provide will help me in my planning.
Thank you for sharing in your knowledge about Paris to help make this the trip of our lifetime.
This spring we are renting an apartment for 10 days in the 16th close to the Hilton.
We have also made arrangements to hire a guide for 2-4 days. Our interests include museums, wheelchair walking, parks, historical sites, absorbing the flow of life while enjoying coffee or wine, and dinning. Our French is very, very limited but I am planning to buy a tape and learning a few more words. Several questions which I hope Fodorites can answer:
1) Arriving by Eurostar, should we take a taxi to our apartment or is there a car service we can have meet us as we do in London?
2) Any suggestions about our neighborhood would be helpful
3) Walks with the wheelchair starting in our neighborhood to ?????
4) Batobus accessible? We would like to buy a pass for several days. We are arriving on a Monday and will also be buying the Carte Orange (sp?) for busses as we will not be able to use the Metro.
5) Any advise that you can provide will help me in my planning.
Thank you for sharing in your knowledge about Paris to help make this the trip of our lifetime.
Nov 25th, 2005, 02:14 PM
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We did a similar trip in October. Traveled to London on the QM2.. and while on board my husband managed to injure his back! Hobbled around London and Paris with a cane. What we thought would be a disaster turned out quite well.
First: I guess the airline knows about your wheel chair status. As you probably know that will get you to the front of the line almost every place. At the Eurostar station arrange for a porter to put you on the train. Will cost about 10 pounds. Supposedly they can then call ahead to Paris and arrange for a porter to pick you up there. There was a bit of snafu in our arrangement.. but we did indeed get a porter and he took us right to the front of the taxi line. (Since it was pouring rain 'twas a life saver.)
In France we learned that the disabled are admitted to national museums (with a companion) free. Indeed, a guard plucked us out of the enormously long line at the D'Orsay and escorted us inside!
Privately owned museums, etc. don't offer this amenity but they all were equipped for wheelchairs. I'm certain if you contact your guide when you first arrive you'll find many more advantageous arrangements.
Weather was not good enough to do the Batobus when we were there. But I'd check on the amount of stairs to get down to the boat. My husband found that even tho he moved slowly he could do almost everything.. despite the fact that he was still in discomfort and had to sit down periodically.
Hope you'll have a wonderful trip!
First: I guess the airline knows about your wheel chair status. As you probably know that will get you to the front of the line almost every place. At the Eurostar station arrange for a porter to put you on the train. Will cost about 10 pounds. Supposedly they can then call ahead to Paris and arrange for a porter to pick you up there. There was a bit of snafu in our arrangement.. but we did indeed get a porter and he took us right to the front of the taxi line. (Since it was pouring rain 'twas a life saver.)
In France we learned that the disabled are admitted to national museums (with a companion) free. Indeed, a guard plucked us out of the enormously long line at the D'Orsay and escorted us inside!
Privately owned museums, etc. don't offer this amenity but they all were equipped for wheelchairs. I'm certain if you contact your guide when you first arrive you'll find many more advantageous arrangements.
Weather was not good enough to do the Batobus when we were there. But I'd check on the amount of stairs to get down to the boat. My husband found that even tho he moved slowly he could do almost everything.. despite the fact that he was still in discomfort and had to sit down periodically.
Hope you'll have a wonderful trip!
Nov 25th, 2005, 06:55 PM
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1) A taxi is best.
2) There are several Hilton hotels in Paris, but not in the Sixteenth.
3) The Sixteenth is mostly flat but has some fairly gradual changes in elevation. It's mostly an upper-class bedroom neighborhood, pleasant to walk in and live in, but without any major sights. It is, however, close to districts with major sights (Eiffel Tower, Champs, Arc de Triomphe, etc.).
4) Not for a wheelchair. First you have to get down to the river, which involves steps, then you have to get on the boat, which involves more steps. Not at all friendly to wheelchairs.
5) The Métro is pretty much out of the question for transportation (stairs everywhere), but you can walk (which is the best way to see Paris, anyway) or take taxis.
2) There are several Hilton hotels in Paris, but not in the Sixteenth.
3) The Sixteenth is mostly flat but has some fairly gradual changes in elevation. It's mostly an upper-class bedroom neighborhood, pleasant to walk in and live in, but without any major sights. It is, however, close to districts with major sights (Eiffel Tower, Champs, Arc de Triomphe, etc.).
4) Not for a wheelchair. First you have to get down to the river, which involves steps, then you have to get on the boat, which involves more steps. Not at all friendly to wheelchairs.
5) The Métro is pretty much out of the question for transportation (stairs everywhere), but you can walk (which is the best way to see Paris, anyway) or take taxis.
Nov 25th, 2005, 09:14 PM
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My wife and I spent a weekend in Paris this fall at the end of a trip which could be described as "two old crippled farts (my back and her knee) hobble around Paris".
To give helpful advice:
Batobus is a non starter--always involves long flights of unrailed stairs to get you down to river level. The boat is not geared to handicapped access.
Metro involves too much walking and st airs. Busses unfortunately have two abrupt steps to get to the sitting level but can get you around.
Notre Dame is wheelchair accessible but not the upper level of Ste. Chappelle.
Chartre Cathedral is wheelchair accessible and you may be able to make that arrangement thru the tour bus lines.
Louvre, d'orsay and Pompidou museums are wheelchair accessible but not the Picasso museum.
Luxembourg gardens are great for walking and very accessible.
Try the internet for sites on disabled travel or accessible sites in Paris.
Enjoy.
To give helpful advice:
Batobus is a non starter--always involves long flights of unrailed stairs to get you down to river level. The boat is not geared to handicapped access.
Metro involves too much walking and st airs. Busses unfortunately have two abrupt steps to get to the sitting level but can get you around.
Notre Dame is wheelchair accessible but not the upper level of Ste. Chappelle.
Chartre Cathedral is wheelchair accessible and you may be able to make that arrangement thru the tour bus lines.
Louvre, d'orsay and Pompidou museums are wheelchair accessible but not the Picasso museum.
Luxembourg gardens are great for walking and very accessible.
Try the internet for sites on disabled travel or accessible sites in Paris.
Enjoy.
Nov 26th, 2005, 06:15 AM
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There are some bus lines with raised- stop access and large double-door entry to the bus. If you provide a street name and cross streets, I'd be happy search the RATP site to see whether there's one near your apartment. Having had visitors last summer with similar limitations, I think one of the best things you can do is to choose an apartment on or very near a street with a pleasant cafe, at least a couple of nice restaurants, and other varied commerce. You can "visit" streets, street number by street number, on the Web, at pagesjuanes.fr, for example, to see if they meet your needs.
Nov 26th, 2005, 01:41 PM
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If you ask the gentleman stationed outside the front door of the lower level of St. Chappelle he can arrange for an elevator to the second floor. Requires a lot of back tracking from the ticket office since it's quite a circuitous (sp?) route. But then... you are allowed to enter thru the "front" door of the upstairs chruch... which only the king was allowed to use. It's quite an experience.
Nov 27th, 2005, 09:21 AM
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Grandma - glad to read that your trip went well despite your husband's injury. Thank you for all the insights and encouragement, especially about accessibility to St. Chappelle.
Anthony - the information about the access to the Batobus was also helpful. At least now, I have time to rethink this method of transportation as it does not sound as if it will be possible.
Dave - thank you for your offer to research the RATP site. We will be staying in an apartment on Ave de Suffren, close to Boulevard de Grenelle.
If anyone has any suggestions about local spots in the neighborhood, please let us know.
Getting even more excited....
Anthony - the information about the access to the Batobus was also helpful. At least now, I have time to rethink this method of transportation as it does not sound as if it will be possible.
Dave - thank you for your offer to research the RATP site. We will be staying in an apartment on Ave de Suffren, close to Boulevard de Grenelle.
If anyone has any suggestions about local spots in the neighborhood, please let us know.
Getting even more excited....
Nov 28th, 2005, 03:05 PM
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A certain amount of guesswork involved in this followup. The Paris Hilton on Ave. Suffren is at No. 16. The nearest bus stops appear to be for the 42, 69, 82 and 87 lines, between Nos. 24 and 44 on or very near the Avenue de Suffren. Unfortunately, none of those lines figure on the RATP list of bus lines that have been "completely" improved for wheelchair access. I didn't extend the search for somewhat-more-distant stops that might be on the completely improved lines, and can't rule out the possibility of improvements that fall short of total, easy access.
Nov 29th, 2005, 09:42 AM
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Bamse, for future reference, that Hilton is in the 15th arrondisement, not the 16th, so I imagine that's where your apartment is.
That is a very good area for wheelchair "walks" as there are some broad sidewalks and it is pretty flat. Avenue de Suffren itself and the surrounding streets are quite nice and will make for pleasant strolls. That is also very near the Champ de Mars park, of course. Ther is an antique "village" nearby you might enjoy visiting, with lots of shops -- that is called Village Suisse and is at rue Dupleix and ave de Suffren. They are open Sunday, and a lot of stores are not. This is their website
http://www.levillagesuisseparis.com/
That is a pleasant residential neighborhood, with lots of shops of all kinds. There is a small park, place Dupleix around there and a neighborhood church, St Leon.
That is a very good area for wheelchair "walks" as there are some broad sidewalks and it is pretty flat. Avenue de Suffren itself and the surrounding streets are quite nice and will make for pleasant strolls. That is also very near the Champ de Mars park, of course. Ther is an antique "village" nearby you might enjoy visiting, with lots of shops -- that is called Village Suisse and is at rue Dupleix and ave de Suffren. They are open Sunday, and a lot of stores are not. This is their website
http://www.levillagesuisseparis.com/
That is a pleasant residential neighborhood, with lots of shops of all kinds. There is a small park, place Dupleix around there and a neighborhood church, St Leon.
Dec 2nd, 2005, 10:34 AM
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Dave, thank you for your follow up and for taking the time to research.
Christina, thank you for providing us with a "feel" for the neighborhood which sounds perfect when we are not exploring the major sites Paris has to offer.
Christina, thank you for providing us with a "feel" for the neighborhood which sounds perfect when we are not exploring the major sites Paris has to offer.
