Paris – Accessible Travel For The Disabled

accessible trip to Paris, France

Paris is called the City of Romance, City of Lights, and City of Carousels. It is one of the glorious international tourist places that one should not miss. The city is also very much accessible to the disabled people. Most of the city is flat and is accessible by wheel chairs.

Passerelle des Arts is the bridge only for the pedestrians. This is a wooden planked structure which is the gathering place for friends, for street musicians and also for picnics. This structure is very much accessible by wheel chair.

The art galleries and historical museums of Paris are accessible easily. The Louvre, where you can see the painting of Mona Lisa, Musee d Orsay, Pompidou Centre has lifts, provide wheel chairs which can be hired from the front desk and there are also disabled toilets.

The famous Eiffel Tower can also be easily accessible. There are lifts provided for the disabled visitors to move to the second floor of the tower to enjoy its ecstasy. The restaurant at the tower has lift facility which requires an advance booking.

The Parc de la Villette is set around the Canal St Martin which is in northern Paris. It spreads over an area of 25 hectare. There is an arts centre called La Grande Halle where shows, exhibitions, concerts, theatre performances are held. The park is very much accessible because of its flat surface.

Opera Garnier which is known as the Paris Opera is a place you cannot miss. The opera house has a seating capacity of over 2000 people.

Apart from the historical places, the stores and restaurants are also accessible. The owners politely and willingly lift the wheel chairs and help the disabled people also to enjoy their shopping and the food at restaurants. Some of the new pay phone facilities are easily accessible. Cafes have outdoor tables which is very comfortable.

The buses that operate on accessible lines are accessible. They are lower than the typical American buses. The accessible buses have ramps which are wide where the chances of falling are reduced.  The drivers and co-passengers are very polite and courteous. There are also some organizations which provide accessible van for transportation if advance booking is done. There are also accessible boat operators who provide boat rides. The tramway lines T1 and T2 are both fully wheel chair accessible. The suburban express trains and metros are accessible to all types of disables.

The hotels are accessible with wheel chairs. You can stroll through the beautiful neighboring places from the hotels. The elevators in the hotels are spacious that a person in the wheel chair can be accompanied by two other normal persons. The rooms and other facilities inside are also accessible. The bed height is a good for transfer from the wheel chair. The toilets are accessible and the transfer is easy.

The French Ministry of Tourism has defined a set of criteria which has to be complied by many establishments which will make the travel comfortable and accessible for the tourists. They can select the accommodations, tourist spots according to their convenience and enjoy their trip.

Related articles:

• Seeing parts of Paris that most tourists never see (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Paris on a budget: European city breaks for under £250 (telegraph.co.uk)
• Museums in Paris, France (chris.pirillo.com)