Traveling in Paris With a Wheelchair A Planning Guide and Trip Notes
Jun 23rd, 2002, 06:02 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Traveling in Paris With a Wheelchair A Planning Guide and Trip Notes
Thanks to all the Fodorites who helped me research my trip to France. This trip was with my brother, who is in a wheelchair, so it was a very different set of challenges from my previous European trips with my husband. This trip report is lengthy, and may not be of interest unless you deal with access issues, but may include a few observations that might prove useful to<BR>someone traveling with reduced mobility.<BR> <BR>Preplanning<BR> 1. Airline Info<BR> The earlier you can make reservations, the better. We flew on Delta, and I was able to book bulkhead seats(not exit row) going over, but not for the return. The bulkhead gave more leg room for my brother, who is paralyzed on his left side, and helped us slide him into the on board wheelchair when he needed to use the toilet. The bulkhead seats for the return had all been<BR>assigned to high level Skymiles members, so we were one row back. I did learn that the armrest next to the aisle can be unlocked and pushed up and out of the way to allow easier access, and also to allow the person sitting there to turn towards the aisle, allowing the inside passengers to get out as needed.<BR><BR>Be sure to confirm a day ahead that wheelchair assistance will be required, and specify whether the passenger can walk a few steps or must be totally in the wheelchair. Allow plenty of time for check-in, particularly at CDG, since they are limited in their accessibility, and must transport<BR>wheelchair passengers to the plane on special lift vans. This takes a little longer than you usually expect. Getting through check-in and security actually moved a little faster; once I asked for help, we were moved to a side area that went faster than trying to push a luggage cart and a<BR>wheelchair. I strongly recommend the wheelchair be checked as luggage, with any removable parts taped to the folded chair. On the trip over, the baggage handlers at CDG lost the right arm of his chair, which made his trip more difficult.<BR>
Jun 23rd, 2002, 06:03 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
2. Hotel Planning<BR>The level of accessibility is far less in Europe than in the US. Depending on the hotel, some<BR>rooms will be fully accessible, and others may be accessible in the sleeping portion, but have<BR>limited accessibility in the bathroom. Large chain hotels are most likely to provide fully<BR>accessible bathrooms. <BR><BR>Orbitz is a good website for searching for accessible rooms: www.orbitz.com<BR>Once you have entered the website, click on “hotels”, then fill in city, country, dates desired, and<BR>number of persons. Before clicking the search button, scroll down and click <BR>“let me choose preferred amenities”. This will allow you to click on handicapped access. You<BR>will also be able to specify 1 to 5 stars to narrow the list, or view all available properties.<BR><BR>A second option is to rent an apartment; usually stays of 4 or more days are required. We rented<BR>a beautiful one bedroom ground level apartment in the 16th arrondissement, not far from the<BR>Eiffel Tower. The important factor here is to check on width of doors into the building, inside<BR>the apartment, and the width of the bathroom door. The apartment we rented was ground level,<BR>and easily accessible to the chair, but the toilet room required me to lift my brother off the chair<BR>and help him to turn and sit. It worked fine for us, and gave us a lot of amenities that we<BR>wouldn’t have had in a hotel, including full kitchen, and laundry facilities. Our rent was $150<BR>per night; the owner is Michael Vandeplanque and can be e-mailed at:<BR>[email protected] Michael will send photos and a layout of the apartment. It is less<BR>than a block from the Passy Metro station, but we used a rental car.<BR>
Jun 23rd, 2002, 06:12 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
3. Transportation<BR><BR>Paris has a wonderful Metro system, consisting of 14 lines that will get you almost anywhere in<BR>the city. The bad news is that only the newest line, number 14, is wheelchair accessible.<BR><BR>Taxis may be a good idea if a car is not desired. There is an ordinance that stipulates that Paris<BR>taxis ”must accept disabled passengers even if they require help in boarding the vehicle.” 2<BR>services that will accept reservations: Taxis Bleus tel 33+ 1 49 36 10 10<BR>Taxis G7 tel 33+ 1 47 37 06 50<BR><BR>Rental Car--This is the route we chose, since we also spent 3 days in LeMans. The drawback to a<BR>car is the difficulty in finding accessible parking anywhere near the major sights and museums.<BR>We did fine at the Louvre, but never were able to locate accessible parking near the musee<BR>d’Orsay, or near Gare de Lyon, where we ate at Le Train Bleu. We had to drop my brother off,<BR>then go find parking, which was usually not easy. Parking in Paris is free on the street with a<BR>handicapped sticker, and at reduced prices in parking garages, but it requires searching for<BR>someone to assist, since the parking garages are set up for payment by machine. If I had to do it<BR>again, I would have returned the car upon arriving in Paris, and would have taken taxis or<BR>arranged for a car and driver. Be sure to take your US handicapped tag, as it will be honored<BR>internationally.<BR><BR>4. Tour Guide<BR><BR>Based on recommendations from posters on this board, I contacted Michael Osman, an<BR>American artist, who does private tours. Michael comes highly recommended, and I felt a guide<BR>was the best way to optimize our visit. Michael was already booked for the dates I needed, so he<BR>set me up with an associate, Scott Emerson, who is also an American living in Paris. Scott is an<BR>opera singer; he is very intelligent, well-versed on Paris, and fluent in French. We e-mailed him<BR>with a list of sights and museums, and Scott made many phone calls doing research on<BR>accessibility, restrooms, and parking. We saw almost everything on our list, in spite of record<BR>heat for the first day and a half. (35 degrees C = 95 degrees F). Fortunately, by the 2nd day, it<BR>began to cool off; I really believe that having a guide with us who could speak French made our<BR>trip much smoother. I can’t say enough about the positive experience.<BR>
Jun 23rd, 2002, 06:14 PM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
5. Guidebooks<BR><BR>Very few guidebooks do a thorough job of assessing wheelchair accessibility. The best one I<BR>found was “AAA Essential Paris” by Elizabeth Morris. This is available at a discount in AAA<BR>offices, or for $8.95 in major bookstores. This is not an in-depth guide, but does a great job of<BR>giving a brief description of all the major sights, listing accessibility as none, good, very good, or<BR>excellent. Only the Louvre is rated as having excellent access.<BR><BR>A web site that is very helpful is www.whanditel.jouve.fr This site gives a lot of information<BR>about Paris, its museums, monuments, and other sights, even offering parking suggestions and<BR>info on toilets.<BR><BR>6. Sights and Highlights<BR><BR>Notre Dame<BR>The Louvre<BR>Metro line #14--a round trip to experience Paris’ transportation marvel<BR>A drive down the Champs Elysee at night to see the lights<BR>Dining al fresco near the Louvre<BR>Lunch at Le Train Bleu<BR>The Gardens of The Musee Rodin<BR>The Eiffel Tower--1st and 2nd levels<BR>Bateaux Parisien--daytime trip on the Seine<BR>Shopping on rue de Rivoli<BR>Lunch at Angelina’s <BR>Attending “Barber of Seville” at Opera Bastille<BR><BR>In conclusion, I saw Paris through a different set of eyes. I will tell you that travel for the<BR>wheelchair bound person is more difficult, but not impossible, and that planning is the key.<BR>Thanks again for helping--I hope this collection of notes will help someone plan a future trip.
Jun 23rd, 2002, 06:26 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Barb..<BR>I'm sure this report will give many people the courage to DO IT!!<BR><BR>While I have no need..and hope I never do...I want to thank you for a very insightful trip report.<BR><BR>So glad all worked out for you and there are many more trips in your and your brother;s future
Jun 23rd, 2002, 07:26 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Barb,<BR>From what airport did you commence travel, and was the flight non-stop? What did you experience with these airports in terms of accessibility?<BR><BR>Also, what sites did you have access to, and what sites were inaccessible?<BR><BR>Very informative report, and thanks!
Jun 24th, 2002, 04:56 AM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
JOdy-thanks for the input. We all are fortunate to travel, and it's great to have had a chance to help my brother, who wasn't sure he could see much.<BR><BR>Shannon-Gary left from RSW in Fort Myers, Florida. It is a very accessible airport as it is pretty new, and a lot of retirees travel in and out of SW Florida. My other sister drove Gary to the airport, drove up to the curbside check-in, and turned Gary over to the people there. They took him inside, checked his bags, and wheeled him through security. I had reminded him to have plenty of $1 and $5 bills for tips. They gate checked his chair, and at Atlanta, transported him to the gate where I was checking in. From that point, it was non stop. We gate checked his wheelchair again, but when we got to CDG, they had lost an arm, so on the return, we checked it through as luggage, securely taping all removable parts. Atlanta is also very accessible.<BR><BR>Peg--the race was great! Even I had great fun. I-ll give more details tonight. and will list more of the accessible and inaccessible sights. Now I'm off to a new job!
Jun 24th, 2002, 05:29 PM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Accessible sights in Paris:<BR><BR>The Louvre-totally accessible, including parking and toilets. Winged Victory was viewed fron a little ways away, because of stairs. It was my second visit, and my brother's first, so we both had a ball. As a jeweler, I really loved seeing the crown jewels. The exhibit is not of the magnitude of the British collection, but there are several unforgettable pieces, including a fabulous pink diamond.<BR><BR>We didn't make it to the musee d'Orsay, but it is also accessible<BR><BR>The musee Rodin is accessible in the garden and the ground floor of the house<BR><BR>Eiffel Tower is accessible to the 2nd level<BR><BR>Musee Nationale d'Art Moderne at Pompidou Centre is accessible<BR><BR>Cathedrale Notre Dame--accessible<BR><BR>Boats--Vedettes du Pont-Neuf, Bateaux Parisiens accessible<BR><BR>Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie--accessible<BR><BR>The Arc de Triomphe can be reached by getting police assistance to cross the road, then a lift is available. The underground tunnel is not accessible<BR><BR>ST. Chappelle is not accessible<BR><BR>Opera Garnier is not accessible, Opera Bastille is <BR><BR>The Pantheon and Napoleon's Tomb are not accessible<BR><BR>Versailles is accessible<BR><BR>Most restaurants can accomodate a wheelchair, but few have accessible toilets<BR><BR>We also drove or walked around and viewed many buildings just from the outside--the Conciergerie, Hotel de Ville, The Comedie Francaise, Palais de Chaillot, Les Invalides, and others.<BR><BR>We were surprised that many streets did have curb-cuts, but often, they were blocked by cars parked on the curb. <BR><BR>All in all, it was a great trip, and my brother was delighted at the things he was able to see and do in 3 short days. Hopefully, it won't be his last trip.
Jul 21st, 2002, 08:14 PM
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Barb-- terrific report-many thanks-<BR><BR>I,too,have needed wheelchair assist. due to a knee injury-- for domestic and international travel....<BR><BR>If you have a caregiver,like Barb, with you....it is not a problem. You do breeze thru customs...but If your caregiver is also carrying any carryon luggage and you need to find help, in some airports it is very hard---esp.in London when arriving on Virgin Atlantic- that terminal is VERY hard to get help for some reason-even if you call ahead with your request...so be forewarned....<BR>This is for arrivals only---<BR>For departures, HEATHROW is wonderful...<BR><BR>CDG is a good airport for wheelchair assist-both coming and going.....<BR><BR>And ROME (FCO) is a great airport for <BR>wheelchair assist also-<BR><BR>One of the hardest places to get help is the ATLANTA airport-some of the people who are supposed to push the chairs do NOT want to be bothered--no matter how much you tip them...It has been like that for years---
