Paris Wheelchair Accessible Review

Disabled Access Review of Paris
www.sagetraveling.com/Paris-Disabled-Access

www.sagetraveling.com
Many disabled travelers think Paris is not wheelchair friendly, but
that isn’t totally true. Nearly all of Paris’ accessibility challenges
can be overcome if you know how to get around the various
barriers. Do your homework beforehand (with our help), and
your wheelchair accessible travel to Paris will be a great trip!
Paris Disabled Access

Paris Sage Accessibility
Rating
Cobblestone smoothness 4
Cobblestone abundance 3
Flatness (lack of hills) 4
Proximity of sights to each other 2
Accessible Public Transportation 3
English Spoken 3
Overall Accessibility 4
Quality of sights/town 5
Quantity of sights 4
View Rating Explanation

Paris Disabled Access – Best Aspects
Wheelchair ramps on public buses
Nearly all of the Paris buses feature wheelchair ramps. Although
sometimes the wheelchair ramp isn’t always operational, since the
buses run frequently one with an operational ramp is never far away
(photo of John Sage using an accessible bus is shown on the right).

Few hills
Manual wheelchair users will enjoy that Paris is fairly flat. The biggest
exceptions are the area around the Sacre Cœur Basilica and near the
Panthéon. In these areas, manual wheelchair users and other disabled
visitors may encounter difficulties.

Smooth sidewalks
Most sidewalks in Paris are smooth and without cobblestones (image at
the below left shows a smooth sidewalk and image at the below right
shows a typical Paris curb cut). This is particularly true in the Right Bank
near the Louvre as well as on the Champs-Elysées. The largest
concentration of cobblestones is found in the Left Bank near the
Panthéon and the Latin Quarter.

Accessibility at the major tourist attractions
The most popular attractions (the Musée du Louvre, the Eiffel Tower,
and the Notre Dame Cathedral) are generally wheelchair accessible.
Accessible entrance to the Louvre is possible by taking the elevator
located at the Pyramid down to the ticket booth. The north leg of the
Eiffel Tower has an elevator that wheelchair tourists can use (shown in
the image below on the left). Notre Dame has a small half-step at the
exit that provides the most accessible entrance for wheelchair users
(shown in the image below on the right).

Accessibility at the major tourist attractions
Although most pathways down to the Seine river involve steps, there are
ramps near some of the boat docks that wheelchair users can utilize.
Some of the bus tours have buses with wheelchair accessible ramps for
disabled tourists, too.

Paris Disabled Access – Most Challenging Aspects
Accessibility features in 19th century buildings
Parisians take pride in the appearance of their city and have preserved
their 19th century buildings in both the Left Bank and Right Bank. The
historical buildings in Paris, including many of the hotels and
restaurants, often have a step or two at the entrance (shown in the
image on the left). Another example of an accessibility challenge is an
inaccessible ATM machine (shown in the image below).

There are only a few accessible metro (subway) stations in Paris. The
ones that are accessible are not very helpful for getting between the
tourist sights. Disabled tourists should use the accessible bus system
instead.
Paris Metro disabled access

Many of the tourist attractions in Paris are not within walking distance
of each other. At least 3 km separates Sacre Cœur in the north, Notre
Dame in the east, and the Eiffel Tower in the West.
Tourist attractions are spread out

Accessibility at Paris tourist attractions falls short when compared to
other cities in Europe. Several of the museums and churches have not
been fully modified to meet basic accessibility standards. An example is
the Marmottan Monet Museum (shown in the image below) where
wheelchair users need to transfer to a portable chair because the
elevator is too small for wheelchairs.
Disabled access at Paris tourist attractions

Tourist attractions that are not wheelchair accessible or require using
an alternative accessible entrance include Sacre Cœur Basilica,
Sainte-Chapelle church, the Arc de Triomphe, the Panthéon (shown
below on the left), the Carnavalet Museum, and the Cluny Museum.
Parts of the Louvre, such as the area around the Winged Victory statue
(shown in the image below on the right) have steps to reach them.
Disabled access at Paris tourist attractions (Cont.)

Many Paris hotels that call themselves accessible do not actually provide
the minimum accessibility features that disabled travelers might expect.
There are not many accessible hotels in central Paris that have a
step-free entrance, a bathroom door wide enough for wheelchair users,
grab bars near the toilet, and a roll-in shower.
Few truly accessible hotels

While most of the time mobility scooter users have no problems using
the buses, sometimes a driver will tell you that they are not allowed.
Speaking French can help, but if you’re not a Francophone you should
have a back-up plan to call a wheelchair accessible taxi to get to your
destination.
Mobility scooters on Paris buses

Call Us: 1-888-645-7920
We look forward to making your accessible dream vacation a reality!
Contact us at info@sagetraveling.com
www.sagetraveling.com/Paris-Disabled-Access

Paris Wheelchair Accessible Review

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Paris Wheelchair Accessible Review