london/paris tips for the disabled?
 

We are planning a family trip (two seniors, one disabled, one teenager, two adults) to london and paris next summer. As a first timer to Europe, I need to know the basics: Group tour or do it on our own? My father uses a wheelchair but can use a walker for transfers and short distances. I want to plan a trip that is not overly taxing for my parents, but is still enjoyable for my daughter. Will it be too hot in the summer?

Linda1126

I wouldn't do a tour. Sure they handle the luggage and all - but you must stick to their itinerary no matter what anyone feels like that day.

I'd suggest you rent apartments in both cities. They will give you more space and for less money. That way if someone is tired or is having a bad day they will have a comfortable place to hang out while others are out sightseeing, and not be stuck in a hotel room all day. Flat rental websites will clearly state if they are handicapped accessible. But as long as your Dad can walk a little and the bldg has a lift you would be fine. Can he manage short stairs? Because mane even ground floor flats are really about 1/2 a flight up.

I wouldn't do both cities unless you can do at least 5 days in each. Otherwise there is just too much moving arounnd.

Cabs in London are roomy and will have room for your Dad's walker or even a wheelchair if it is foldable.

Though I don't use a wheelchair, I have a disability and cannot walk very long distances not many or high steps and I feel very confortable in London. I've travelled in group tours too and I don't recommend it for you, too rushing and too many go up the bus, go down the bus. Also I think your daughter can get a bit bored if there is no other youngster :)
London buses are all adapted so you'll father can join them comfortably. The tube (London's metro ) has some adapted stations but is not very useful or neccesary to use. London is not very hot in summer, Paris maybe, but it all depends on what you call hot. I'm from Spain, so both Paris and London are not hot in summer for me :)
The transport in Paris is a bit more trickier..for what I know, taxis are your best bet with your parents but there are some bus lines that you can use too.

I differ about the tour issue...in this instance, you might want to try a tour company that focuses on or has a lot of experience with helping disabled tourists...they would know which entrances to museums, theme areas, etc. are more accessible.

Learn the layout of the subway sistems....both Paris and London have <b>some</b> disabled person access, but most of the stops do NOT have access for disabled people. Also, due to the sheer setup of the trains themselves, using a wheelchair would seem very difficult at the least. You might have to stick with strictly bus travel which may be more accessible.

I did pay attention to how unaccessible the transit systems were for disabled people.

As for the heat, the subways in London can be very stuffy and humid.

True, when using a tour company you dont have control of the itinerary, but if you are looking for gauranteed access and info for people with disabilities, I would definately go that route.

A lot of the Paris Metro stations have stairs..no escalators and no elevators.

Hi Linda,

On our first trip to Paris (as a sidetrip on a cruise), I was in a wheelchair having just broken my hip exercising three weeks prior to the trip. I could walk very short distances with a walker but not far. We hired a tour guide to meet us at the port of LeHavre with a minivan and take us to Paris on a limited tour. She helped us tour the Louvre and ate with us at the Jules Verne room in the Eiffel Tower, helping us order and explaining what we were seeing and talking about life in Paris.

We also went to London and again, hired a private guide with minivan and planned a limited itinerary. We went to the British Museum to see the rosetta stone and the British Library whose treasures include the oldest known fragment of the Bible, original scores from the Beatles to Beethoven, Alice in Wonderland and others.

Eight years and two surgeries later, we returned this May for 5 nights in Paris and 4 nights in London. I have rehabilitated my hip and leg for life on the flat lands of South Texas but the Paris Metro was nearly my undoing. Using the metro extensivly for 5 days, we rarely saw an elevator or escalator. We are unaccustomed to the subway and the VERY quick off and on time before the train doors close and off it goes! I would not advise trying to use either underground system in Paris or London.

We used private guides again and found them very worthwhile for saving steps, time and giving great advice--where to eat, shop, timing, special exhibits to see, neighborhoods to visit. We took our 20 year old daughter and my 73 year old mother in law who roomed together. They enjoyed themselves as did we but not as much as on previous trips--mostly cruises.

It was more crowded in May of this year in Paris than in June 1998 when the World Cup was going on! We stood in line 3 hours to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Crowds at the Orsay were long all the time. We had bought museum passes and timed passes to a special exhibit there but even with that and arriving at opening time we waited half an hour to get in there.

I would suggest that for your diverse group you might consider a cruise in the future. In 2001 we went on a Mediterranean cruise with my parents (age 69 and 72), our daugher (age 16 at the time) and my mother-in-law (age 69 at the time). We were in our forties. It offered us an opportunity to eat dinner together every night just as a family. On sea days, our daughter generally did something with the planned teen activities, swam or went to various ship demonstrations. Our parents played trivia, took ship tours, attended demonstrations (cooking, etc.), went to hear various lectures, took dance lessons, enjoyed the sea view. At night, we ate dinner together and then attended the evening's entertainment. Anyone who was tired could retire early or skip any activities listed above and no one else was impacted. All the above was already paid for so the economic pressure was gone. Bonus--no moving luggage.

On port days, we visited the pyramids of Egypt, explored the ruins of ancient Ephesus, visited the Vatican and Roman Forums, climbed the Acropolis in Athens, ate lunch on the beach at the Ritz Carlton in Cannes, helicoptered over the entire French Riviera and in Cypress, we just puttered around on our own.

In between these busy days, we had enforced leisure aboard the ship on sea days where we could rest and do fun stuff on our own.

We have done a land trip as a family--to the Holy Land when Amanda was 13 and again, with all 3 of her grandparents and us and even more family. It was exhausting and everybody was together pretty much all day every day. In addition, we moved luggage a lot and climbed on board tour busses daily and kept a schedule that was not our own.

It is just our experience but we find cruising the Mediterranean and Europe to be more relaxing, more enjoyable and surprisingly less expensive than land trips. We have cruised Holland America, Cunard, Celebrity, and Crystal in Europe. For the value, room size, entertainment, decor--we plan to sail Holland America next time.

London favorites--we went to see Judi Dench in a play this year; the Tower of London (crown jewels); Westminster Abbey (with guide); Hampton Court (tours by guides in costume); British Museum; British Library, London Eye, food court at Harrod's, Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum

Paris favorites--Musee d'Orsay (start at the top floor); Louvre (with a guide--way too big, crown jewels here too); Opera House (amazing); river Seine cruise at dusk, arriving at Eiffel Tower as light show starts, Jules Verne at Eiffel Tower; hop on/hop off sightseeing bus with earphones (25 Euros); top of Arc d'Triomphe

Have a great time. Look on it as a bonding experience. Be flexible. Prepare everyone ahead of time for what they will be seeing.

Cindy

Transport for London's information is at
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/ph_accessibility.shtml

It's a long on plans and a bit short on info, to my eyes. The underground varies widely in terms of lifts and escalators, which can mean starting a journey easily and getting caught out at an interchange or at the end. The buses should be your best bet.