Paris, France in a wheelchair

This was my third time in Paris, first in a wheelchair. It’s hard to believe how unaware of accessibility barriers I was during my previous visits. This time was definitely a different experience, bye-bye spontaneity. Since I’m a bit of a control freak, I researched and planned every little detail accessibility-wise, and it was great! We spent 6 days in Paris, mostly wandered the streets, did some sightseeing, little shopping, and lots of eating. We were fortunate to celebrate the FIFA world cup win with the French people and attended Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert!

Accessible transportation

I was pleasantly surprised by Paris’s accessibility. The vianavigo website and app offer information about wheelchair-accessible streets, transportation and timetables, and real-time elevator status(not always accurate). If you choose to take a train or Metro, it requires some planning. First, make sure that both departure and arrival stations are wheelchair accessible and that the elevators are in order. Second, arrange for assistance in advance, if needed. You can find all information regarding accessible stations and assistance in this link. There is only one fully accessible Metro line, and I planned to ride it a lot. However, when we arrived at the station the first day, we discovered that the only elevator to the platform was out of order. So here, for the first time ever and with the help of a couple kind and muscly Parisians, I tested my wheelchair’s escalator riding abilities (with me in it). The wheelchair managed fine; me, not great.

From that moment on, city buses were our choice – all accessible and always on time!

The G7 TAXI company offers wheelchair-accessible taxis for regular rates and has a 24/7 English-speaking line dedicated to reservations for people with disabilities.

I chose the city buses since – all accessible and always on time!

The G7 TAXI company offers wheelchair-accessible taxis for regular rates and has a 24/7 English-speaking line dedicated to reservations for people with disabilities.

Rolling around and tourist attractions

The sidewalks are mostly doable, except for a few cobblestoned streets and some pedestrian bridges that have stairs. As far as sightseeing, the Eiffel tower is a good choice; accommodating staff and although the top floor isn’t wheelchair accessible, the second floor offers beautiful views of the city. The Louvre museum is also a great and fully accessible choice. The Notre Dame cathedral is only partially accessible in a wheelchair but still is worth it, in my opinion. At all the sights I mentioned above, wheelchair users don’t have to wait in line. Just approach a staff member, and they will guide you from there. Some tourist attractions offer a discount for the disabled, but it varies from one another. The Seine boat tour with The sidewalks are mostly doable, except for a few cobblestoned streets and some pedestrian bridges that have stairs. As far as sightseeing, the Eiffel tower is a good choice; accommodating staff and although the top floor isn’t wheelchair accessible, the second floor offers beautiful views of the city. The Louvre museum is also a great and fully accessible choice. The Notre Dame cathedral is only partially accessible in a wheelchair but still is worth it, in my opinion. At all the sights I mentioned above, wheelchair users don’t have to wait in line. Just approach a staff member, and they will guide you from there. Some tourist attractions offer a discount for the disabled, but it varies from one another. The Seine boat tour with Bateaux-Parisiens was a bit disappointing: no wheelchair access to the windows or the roof, so the view was very limited. Great shopping experience; all big stores and malls have elevators and ramps. was a bit disappointing: no wheelchair access to the windows or the roof, so the view was very limited. Great shopping experience; all big stores and malls have elevators and ramps.

Wheelchair-accessible accommodation

We stayed at a three-star Hotel Joyce in the 9th endorsement. Great little hotel, spotless, helpful and friendly staff, nice little breakfast, good location – 10 mins walk to Metro/Train/Opera area. The accessible room is quite spacious, and the bathroom is enormous and well equipped: roll-in shower with shower stool, roll-under sunk, and grab bars (not everywhere). The only downside is that the accessible room is located on the ground floor, right next to reception and breakfast areas, so it gets a bit noisy early in the morning. Overall, a great experience!

Like most of my trips, this one revolved around good, local food. The new restaurants are all accessible. The ones located in older buildings usually have a step or two at the entrance. I dared and tries escargot for the first time in my life- not bad, but nothing better than french pastries, cheese, macaroons, and wine!