Paris with disabilities
 

my husband and I would like to visit someplace special for our 30 anniversary and were considering Paris but I have an illness that causes a lack of stamina. My daughter just returned from Paris and said it is a lot of walking and steps, including just to get to the Metro...anyone know if it is possible to see Paris with out the strenuous aspect ? Thanks for your help. If not any suggestions for an alternate area of France or Europe with lots of culture experiences ( ie the Arts ect)

I was in Europe last year with a disability - recovery from hip surgery. I walked everywhere with a cane. There were times when I gave out of energy - like one day in the British Museum. I don't think you can expect to tour Europe without some stress.

My only suggestion is to take a taxi everywhere you go and plan on doing less than others who navigate at full strength. The Paris metro and the London tube are both equally devoid of transportation assists, and each have long tunnels to navigate to reach platform level.

The buses are usually easier, at least in Paris, for the simple fact that people will often offer you a seat. Even before I had surgery, my age was a benefit in Paris. Many times I was offered a seat by younger people. I was amazed.

My husband has limited walking ability and lack of stamina. Paris in 2003 was really hard. He enjoyed Batabus type trip, but regular busses were a chore that became impossible. Taxis are available. He never went on Metro. We stayed in a very nice apartment, so that helped when I went out walking with out him. I can imagine being stuck in a small hotel room would be awful. I look forward to others who have more encouraging answers than I do.

For those who need a wheelchair to get around, the Metro is very difficult. A lack of elevators, for one. The Metro cars had a wheelchair section, but the lip of the cars were about 2 inches higher than the subway platforms. A wheelchair would have to lifted to the car.

Congratulations on your 30th Wedding Anniversary!! Cheers!!

I visited Paris with my wheelchair-bound husband and we had a fabulous time. We did not even tried to use the metro, we used taxis and never had a second of difficulty. Stay on a part of town closest to your sightseeing choices. We went in November when is much less crowdy and truly enjoyed our visit. Just don't attempt to do a lot, pace yourself and enjoyed whatever you can! Have fun!!

there was a past trip on travel with elderly parents, i'm not saying you are elderly but some of the considerations might apply

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34455436

My SIL has very bad arthritis in her knees and the pain is terrible so she can't walk too far for too long. We didn't use the metro because of the walking and the stairs so used cabs when necessary. We also used the hop-on, hop-off buses and found that to be very helpful. I was kind of afraid of using a lot of cabs but was surprised that they weren't as expensive as I thought they would be. Of course I was splitting the fare with my brother so that helped a lot. My SIL could usually find a bench or something to rest a few minutes in the museums and in the department stores. We also made several cafe stops so she could rest..a little rest, a little wine, a little coffee..nice watching the world go by. You'll be fine..just don't try to plan too much in one day so you can enjoy what you are doing. Have a good trip.

In addition to the city buses (magnificent resources at www.ratp.fr), L'Opentour is a terrific way to get around to all the sights. Most stops are RIGHT at the major sights and attractions. The one for Sacre Coeur, for example, stops right at the bottom of the finicular.

We love staying near Place de l'Ecole Militaire. The metro station is small and has an escalator, there are half a dozen or more bus routes, and a L'Opentour stop. It's also a short walk from the Tour Eiffel.

thank you so much for all the help.. I will check out the links.any other tips would be very appreciated.

bonjourparis.com has a forum on traveling with disabilities, much written by someone who lived in Paris for a year and experienced just about everything--including getting a disability permit for her husband to use when driving her. Getting the permit meant pushing a wheelchair up a very steep hill to get to the appropriate office.

Visit Paris having only buses, I found that really more beatiful than going on the metros where all people are stressed...
Concerning accomodation, you can find hotels that have disable access. The Prince Monceau, for example, in the 17th, have a room with disable access...
http://www.hprincemonceau.com
I hope you will have great trip in Paris!

Hi jann,

Took my 87 yr-old Mom to Paris for a week.

Here's our trip report.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34497442

Paris has excellent public transport and lots of cabs.

Take it slow. Look for benches on the streets and parks. Never pass up a chance to go to the toilette.

Go and enjoy.

((I))

I second the suggestion that you use the bus system instead of the M&eacute;tro. There is a wonderful map on line which you can also get in full size from RATP sales offices when you get to Paris. Go to this page and click <i>Bus Paris (avec rues)</i>:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/tous_plans_pdf.php</b>

This will download a map of all the bus routes throughout Paris. You might want to click &quot;Save a copy&quot; to have it available on your computer without being on line.

As you can see from the map, it is possible to get just about anywhere in Paris on a bus. The routes are color-coded and fairly easy to follow with your viewer set at a high zoom factor. For a map of the major sights in the City of Light, download <i>Bus touristique</i> from the same page.

For specific routes between known points, use the tool at

<b>http://www.ratp.info/informer/anglais/index.php</b>

(be sure to specify &quot;Bus, Tramway&quot; instead of &quot;All modes&quot; and a time of day corresponding to tomorrow morning.)

Once you have determined where you will be staying, go to this page and get route maps of all the buses that stop on your block:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/bus.php</b>

Type each route number in the box next to <i>Afficher le plan de la ligne n°</i>, and press <b>OK</b>. Download. Print.

Above all, go do what you can. When you run out of gas, rest up, gas up, and go back to it for more.
You may not see as much, or go as far, but you can definitely enjoy what you do see. Just don't fatigue yourself too much in one day.

Our tour of Wales with Backroads Touring Co. was a marvel for me. We had 6 people and a darn good guide/driver named Hue.

He would wheel into the handicap spots and I would get out, cane and all, and give it my best limp just in case the police were paying attention.

Finally after one of my overly dramatic acts, I was told that the idea was to look handicapped not drunk. Funny!

Seriously, the London tube at times was a grind because of the steps, tunnels, and almost always, standing and holding on.

PS the great things about Backroads Touring was that we did the trip as a small group of individuals and not in lockstep. Yes, we had to be back on the bus about x time, but we wandered around on our own a good bit.

If you want an alternative, take one of the Backroads Touring Co. mini tours for 4 days. I was very happy I did. We saw a lot, did a lot, and did not have to walk a lot to do it. Best package tour I ever took.

In fact, we are going again this year to North Wales. Cannot wait to get there.
The downside, if there was one, was the price per person is a shade higher because of the group size. On the other hand, I feel like I got what I paid for.
Otherwise I would not be going back for seconds.

I'll bet this post gets removed. But Fred Melnick's Paris site anamericaninparis.com has a whole section and advice about special services; cabbies, vans, etc. For Paris. Maybe that would help...