Paris, like all ancient European cities, is not necessarily the most accessible place you could think of for a holiday on wheels, or indeed to host the Paralympics. But in my experience, a little planning goes a long way and exploring the city is much easier than it might first appear. I’ve been to Paris several times, using both a manual and an electric wheelchair, and I’ve always managed to see, do and, most importantly, eat everything I wanted to.
As in other cities such as London and New York, the Metro is pretty much a no-go zone, except for the new, fully accessible Line 14. There are other accessible Metro stations on different lines, but I didn’t think it was worth the stress of navigating the system when I was only in town for a long weekend. One real frustration was how difficult it was, especially compared to London, to find an accessible taxi; they had to be booked ahead of time or face a long wait. So I was pleased to hear of the planned increase of 1,000 accessible taxis, wih just 250 available in 2022. It is a shame that the city hasn’t used the opportunity and, perhaps, pressure of the Paralympics, to further improve the public transport system.
But, for me, the lack of accessible transport mattered less in Paris than it does in London because of the French capital’s standout access win: how easy it is to walk or roll between the major sights or just through the city’s beautiful streets. You see much more of a place this way and create more excuses to sample patisserie along the way. I love cities where I don’t have to worry about getting from A to B, and Paris’s compact centre and well-placed dropped kerbs make for easy sightseeing.
The sights themselves are very accessible and nearly all have discounted tickets for disabled people and a companion. The lift down into the pyramid at the Louvre is an experience in itself, and on both occasions I have been to see the Mona Lisa a kind guard helped me to the front of the crowd so I could see properly. Just beware that, even if a lift is located right beside a flight of stairs in the sprawling palace, that doesn’t necessarily mean they end up in the same place! But it really does feel like, at the main tourist attractions, every effort has been made – I was delighted to discover there was a lift to bypass the rather daunting spiral staircase at Sainte-Chapelle, which is well worth a visit. A lot of the time, you even get to skip the queue.
Museums are also great places to use the loo, as, just like in London, even step-free restaurants and bars don’t necessarily have accessible toilets. As ever, I had to pee and drink strategically. Accessible hotel rooms are also hard to find; while big chain hotels do have them, we had to forego any hope of staying in a charming Parisian B&B. Luckily we were hardly in the hotel, so chose convenience over ambience and stayed at the centrally located Novotel Les Halles. Access isn’t perfect, it never is, but rolling along the Seine in the sunshine is delightful nonetheless.