A broken kneecap, to be more specific! I currently am in a full leg brace and on crutches, but should be weaned off the crutches by the time of our departure in 16 days. The U.S. has become increasingly accessible to people with disabilities, but I have no idea what the situation is in Paris. Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

MOst museums have handicapped entrances , some have lifts inside to avoi stairs. Skip the metro and use the bus, some one always gives me a seat when I am using my cane

You'll probably find a fair number of pavements (sidewalks) narrower than you're used to and encumbered with street furniture and relatively random parking (depending on which bits of Paris you're likely to be visiting); and you'll need to be extra cautious about drivers and cyclists.

PS: Buses (escalators are rare on the metro, it abounds with stairs and long walks to make connections):
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

Thank you - very helpful. Please keep the suggestions coming.

Here is a good pdf map showing the metro stations with elevators and the "accessible" bus lines. For the bus, most should be okay-this is meant really for wheelchairs. Also, be aware that I have found that with some of the metro stations, even though they show elevators, they can often be out of service. But at least you can check and see in advance if they show an elevator:

http://www.infomobi.com/pdf/9.pdf

Very helpful - thanks!

I spent a week in Paris with a person on a wheelchair and both had a great time. We traveled in November so the weather have some similarities; i.e. wet sidewalks (get good cicling gloves), less crowds. The map of the metro with stations that have elevators is priceless, so is the map of any museum with elevators locations. You will be using taxis more often that not. We found the wheeling around on sidewalks not that difficult. So long as you are very clear on expectations, there are quite a bit of places in Paris with elevators and ramps so you should be OK.

Hi,

I just did Rome with an injured foot.

Budget money for taxis and get the name and business card of taxi drivers you like so you can call them directly.

Even if you don't need the crutches by the time you leave, either take them or a cane for stability and assistance with cobblestones and stairs.

I got a free wheelchair to use in Rome for a big museum, only to discover it gave my husband a backache to push it (he's very tall) and that the polished marble floors made it hard for me to maneuver. Be very picky about which museums you choose to see.

I intensely disliked being in crowded tourist areas where distracted tourists were backing up in my direction to take pictures or generally being in a daze. Tourist teens get rambunctious and clown, heedless of who they might crash into. I kept worrying someone was going to step on my foot. Likewise on crowded buses with people competing to get on. Consider planning a trip to Paris that focuses on the less-touristed gems, without the mega tourist spots - or if you do go to the mega tourist spots, take a seat somewhere.

I felt needlessly vulnerable because of my bad foot about being a target for pickpockets or theives. It was just in my head, but I solved the problem by not carrying anything valuable, or wearing a multi-pocket vest under my jacket where I could hide some things.

I had a great time, and restauranteurs were all kind to me. Take full advantage of the fact that you need extra time and space. Don't let yourself be rushed (even by your travel partner). Ask for another table if you feel you can't comfortably sit in the one you are given. Don't feel you are "wasting" money by taking a lot of taxis. Only downside to my trip to Rome was not being able to walk off the calories.

Have a wonderful time! I've also done Venice with a bad knee, and saw all that I wanted to see.

PS: If you decide to go to museums with the idea you'll be using a wheelchair, go when the museum is least crowded, or else you will only see people's backsides. As much as it was good for my foot not to walk the long miles of a museum, it was frustrating to me, as an art lover, to be relying on someone else when it came to lingering, moving on, getting the right angle for viewing. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. Sometimes I got up out of the wheelchair and used it as a walker.

But I was most of all glad I went quite late in the day when I had many rooms to myself.

one more tip:

I always carry a small pocket flashlight with me when I travel to look at churches. I found it very handy at night in Rome because I was staying in a very dimly lit, cobblestoned part of the city, and it was easier to see where I putting my feet at night with the aid of a flashlight.

JMK38, good for you for not cancelling your trip!

I broke my kneecap a few months before a trip to Rome some years back. I suggest that you get a knee brace for extra support. I brought two of these and ended up giving one to a gal I met at the hotel whose knee was in worse shape than mine! I did very well but declined to descend into the Catacombs on one junket – too steep and dark.

Zeppole's suggestion about a flashlight sounds good to me. Some churches are very poorly lit.

What about doing some sightseeing where you could stay seated? Like a bus tour of the city or the boats along the river?

JNK38,

Something else I thought to add is that you might want to have a conversation with your GP about taking a course of aspirin or such before, during and after your trip to help lower the risks of DVT on the plane flight, along with looking up exercises you can do during the flight.

And if you have trip insurance, it should cover a cancellation should you decide you'd rather do this later (and even if you don't have trip insurance, the costs of switching air tickets to a later day are not always high). I waited until two days before leaving for my trip to make a final decision about going.

Finally, if you are committed to the trip, I found that decorated ceilings were much more comfortable to view from a wheelchair.

Even if you don't feel that you really need a cane, I suggest that you bring one. In one hotel, our room was on the third floor. The manager, seeing my cane, asked if we'd like a room on the second floor. In another hotel, we used my sore knee as an excuse not to accept a room that we didn't like, and instead to get a room on a lower floor. We weren't really scamming. My knee was recovering from meniscus surgery, and I was trying to avoid stairs when possible.

I also suggest that at the airport, you ask for a wheelchair. I did that and it was great because I avoided walking those long airport distances on a knee that was not 100%.

I wanted to save my knee for walking on the actual trip.

Great trip about getting a wheelchair at the airports.

A cane is a good idea. It makes people around you more careful, not to bump into you, hold the door, etc. And most definitely make use of the wheelchair services at least in airports (I found out about that one trip when I was on a cane just before knee surgery; it was fantastic).

All wonderful suggestions - very helpful. Thank you very much. I am going to make this work!

Zeppole, I know exactly what you mean about feeling vulnerable. I feel that way now and am anticipating feeling vulnerable on this trip. I have borrowed from my college age daughter a very hip (unlike me) across-the-shoulder purse that will zip up and fit under my coat. Not the most convenient arrangement, but I will feel more secure that way.

I will plan to take a cane and a small flashlight and talk with my doctor about an aspirin regimen - great idea - would not have thought of that. It's very reassuring to hear these stories from all of you.

Great. Since you are traveling in cooler weather, you'll find it easy to keep things safe under your coat or jacket. Plus, you'll want your hands free, not carrying a bag.

I thought of something else, which is that before I left for Rome, I tossed out my restaurants-to-try list and used the google map feature to find restaurants right next to the address where I was staying. I tracked down reviews for the restaurants I saw on the map that were less than a 5 minute walk. I was able to find two excellent affordable restaurants, and one that was equally excellent but more expensive. It really helped to be able to rest before dinner and then just walk a few steps to and from a good meal with wine. I ate at my favorites more than once. It was nice to discover these places to eat that weren't in guidebooks.

To use Google maps, just click on the map link on the google search page and type in "restaurants near ( fill in your lodgings address and the word "Paris")