Limited Walking Ability London to Paris
 

I have never taken the Eurostar from London to Paris, but hoping to take my Mother for a day trip to the Louvre.

Mother has hip trouble and is limited in walking distances. She can slowly walk a store with aid of a cane.

The Louvre website indicates they will lend wheelchairs.

I don’t know what amount of walking will be required at the Eurostar train station on either end, but hope upon arrival in Paris to take a taxi to the museum where we would secure a wheelchair for her comfort.

Is it realistic to think someone with limited walking ability can handle the walking required at both train stations (London and Paris) and from the taxi drop off to the museum entrance? Or, would it be advisable to bring our own wheelchair to navigate the train station, etc.

Welcome to Fodors. You say she can 'walk a store'. Could she walk say the length of a moderately sized US shopping mall? If so she should be OK. But if you literately meant she can walk through a single store -- it will be difficult. I'd suggest you hire a wheelchair in London for the day. It will make both your lives easier.

That will be a very long day -- is there no way you can stay over night in Paris? Even if you have to 'eat' a night at your London hotel, it could make things less tiring

I don't think I'd want to wait to hire a chair in a new city. This is something my friends and I are facing with aging parents, and many are looking for rollators or smaller wheelchairs. They're not too terribly expensive on Amazon, and would allow you and your mom to test how maneuverable and heavy they are before travelling, and also to use at home. Also, different footrests may be needed for different folks. Best of luck to you! I'm sure your mother will love Paris!

Good question. We do have time so I will make it easier on ourselves and stay the night in Paris.
Thanks for the tip.

Great idea. We would have time to try it before our trip to see how easy it is to foldup/carry, etc.Thanks!

Took the Eurostar last May from London to Paris. We had pre purchase tickets but the we had to get in a very long line that snaked thru the station and there was quite a bit of standing. Once the line started moving we got through immigration and a baggage check (kind of like tsa check in the states) pretty quickly but it all took some time. I would imagine that they have special line set up for someone in a wheelchair. Spending the night sounds like a good idea. Louvre can also have lots of lines!

Yes, there is a bit of walking involved in getting to the train at the station and from the station to the taxi rank. Sounds like a rollator would be a good option for your mother - it's a four wheeled walker that also has a seat so the user can stop and rest whenever. Offers more support than just a cane. In our recent London visit we booked one through Mobility Hire UK. I believe there is a one week minimum, but you could get it in advance of the trip to allow a couple days for Mom to become acquainted with its use. You may even decide to purchase one if ti works out well.
At museums, I'd recommend you do go ahead and take advantage of the available wheelchair - you can leave the rollator in the cloakroom or sometimes there is a place to store it where you collect the wheelchairs.

We took trains with our mom in France and Italy and always requested wheelchair assistance. This was pre Covid, think I made the request after booking our tickets. We’d get to the station about an hour or so before departure and l would go to the help desk for assistance. The same person would send a message to the arrivals station reminding them of our request.

The wheelchair would come to the taxi arrivals area to take mom to the platform and help her onto the train. The reverse on arrival, it worked perfectly for us. Eurostar will also definitely have the same service.

At museums, etc ask for a wheelchair, sometimes there’s an assistant, other places one of you will have to wheel your mom.

The rollator/ portable wheelchair is also a great help. Suggest getting a cushion for the latter as the cobblestones can make for a bumpy ride!

Louvre is massive and gets extremely busy in the more popular sections. Think about going on a weekday and if possible early or late. Avoiding crowds should help with with maneuvering the wheelchair.