ramalama

Hello! Does anyone have experience with renting a wheelchair to give a parent a better experience at Versailles? We plan a day there this fall, and my mother has diabetes and with all the walking, I was looking for an alternative to not being able to get around and see all there is to see.
Same question with Giverny/Monet's home--does anyone have any sources?
On another note, does anyone know the best way to pick up bus #69 from Austerlitz station? We'll be passing thru Paris at the beginning of the trip and have a couple of hours before the next train--is this enough time to get this tour of the city? Opinions/suggestions encouraged and welcome!
Thanks again!

lindall

Hi! No personal experience with wheelchairs at Versailles, but I did find this on the Versailles web site:


"The department dedicated to visitors with disabilities or special needs will be happy to answer any questions.
Tel.: +33 (0)1 30 83 75 05 (fax: 77 90).
E-mail: [email protected] "

Add'l info is on the palace website, click on Planning your Visit, then Access.

http://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/

Enjoy your trip!

Jean

The first question I have is how are you going to get to Versailles and Giverny? Public transportation, rented car, hired driver? If using public trans, even if both Versailles and Giverny have wheelchairs, how are you going to get to/from the train stations? Taxis?

Have you considered renting a wheelchair for your entire stay in Paris? It might be easier than looking for wheelchairs wherever you go.

As for Giverny, once you get there the walking is fairly limited. The garden's paths are mostly unpaved, and the house is just a normal-size house with typical doorway widths, limited space around furniture and a fairly narrow staircase. If there is a wheelchair available (which I doubt), I'm not sure how much it would help getting around to see everything.

ramalama

Thanks for the webpage. It's not that my mom needs a constant assist...just when alot of walking is involved, as Versailles appears.
Appreciate your time!
Happy travels to you, also!

lenox236

If I remember correctly, the front entrace to Versaille is difficult - the front courtyard. It has large stones - like cobblestones - ankle twisters = might want to see if there is another entrance too.

janisj

ramalama: There is a LOT more walking to worry about than merely touring Versailles. I think that is what Jean was trying to suggest. There are very long walks in many metro stations, also in most of the train stations, and at CDG, and it is quite a long walk from the station to the palace.

You may want to consider taking a wheel chair w/ you or hiring one after you are in Paris.

Dave_in_Paris

Yes, there are wheelchairs available at Versailles. My wife went with a visitor (small-group van transportation from hotel) who I believe needed approximately the same amount of assistance with mobility as your mother, obtained a chair, and ... the crowds parted for the two of them.

Eurotour

Once you are at the Chateau de Versailles it will not be to easy at all. As pointed out above the front of it has large cobblestones all over. http://www.hotels-paris-france-hotel...ailles/palace/ (see picture here) As I remember not many wheelchairs have good suspension. (My mum was also a diabetic and in a wheelchair for many years)

The chateaux itself is on many floors. It is packed with many tourists. Potentially thousands every day. I would recommend getting there early to avoid the rush that comes later in the morning and early afternoon from hoards of tour bus passengers.

Getting around the gardens http://www.hotels-paris-france-hotel...illes/gardens/ may be easier for you than the chateaux. There are small trains available from behind the palace. These take you to Mary Antoinette's house (otherwise known as the wife's place at the bottom of the garden or Small Trianon) and The Large Trianon, then back to where you started. Seating is not to comfortable and you will have to ask to make sure you can fold us the chair and put it on board.

It is not really built with wheelchairs in mind. I would say that going to the Louvre would be a better option. There, they have many lifts. The halls and doors are long enough and wide enough to allow good wheelchair access. http://www.hotels-paris-france-hotel...louvre-museum/

crepes_a_go_go

You can now rent a golf cart to get around all the properties of Versailles. If you can navigate, much more comfortable and easier to board than the little train. The carts hold four people. I would definitely consider taking a taxi from the train station to the entrance as that is a hike for someone who needs to conserve their walking for touring the inside of the palace.

And yes, I cuss those huge cobbles every time I go there! They are murder.

Jean

Golf carts at Versailles for the common people! Wonderful! The former residents must be spinning in their graves.

ramalama

Thanks to one and all...great insight, and some laughs! The golf carts are, indeed, on the one hand, fabulous, but on the other, well, the image I have of all these people zipping around doesn't quite go with the noble image of the place, c'est la vie!

crefloors

The golf carts are really cool. My friend and I used the tram and we were kicking ourselves for not getting one of the carts. They are not cheap to rent as I recall, but if I go again, I'm getting one, very worth the convenience I think and so easy to get around the gardens at your own pace.

Underhill

FYI, you can rent wheelchairs at pharmacies in Paris.

ramalama

Great information. I'm in all your debt. Thanks again for taking the time to help!