Heading to Paris? What we know about disabled access in the French capital
Ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris this summer, we wanted to list our disabled access reviews of the French capital in one blog post to help disabled people who might be researching the city. Keep scrolling to get to the reviews.
As an overview of disabled access in Paris, we asked our Access and Inclusion Director for Euan’s Guide’s, Mik Scarlet, to comment.
He said, “I have to say I don't think disabled people will be as let down as the mythology lets us expect. I was an access consultant in the early days of the games in Paris and was impressed with the commitment to improvement.
“I was impressed with Paris and have been back on many occasions. It's not easy, but no harder than London, Bristol or Edinburgh. The metro is rubbish but Paris has accessible trains running straight through the city, a great bus system, a tram system and a fully accessible taxi firm called G7 who have an English-speaking booking line and drivers.
“Their licencing laws mean any new bar or restaurant has to be accessible, unlike the UK, and so every time I go it's gotten better.
“I was so much more pleasantly surprised than I thought. It's now my second favourite city next to Barcelona, a city that is so accessible it puts most of the rest of Europe and the UK to shame.”
If you’ve been to Paris please do let us know how you found accessibility and getting around the city by leaving a review.
TRANSPORT AND ROUTES
RATP Bus Network
4 stars
“Easy to use and cheap.”
https://www.euansguide.com/venues/ratp-bus-network-paris-16100/reviews/easy-to-use-and-cheap-15604
3.5 stars
“Fully wheelchair accessible in theory, but not without problems.”
RATP Tramway
5 stars
“Excellent modern transport system which is fully wheelchair accessible.”
Paris Metro - the subway
0.5 stars
“Don’t use public transport in Paris.”
Berges de Seine - riverside route
5 stars
“A lovely riverside route along the Left Bank of the Seine on what used to be a busy road.”
Coulee verte Rene-Dumont - garden rail trail
2.5 stars
“Inaccessible.”
https://www.euansguide.com/venues/coulee-verte-rene-dumont-paris-7047/reviews/inaccessible-14245
4.5 stars
“Delightful garden rail trail through eastern Paris.”
TOILETS
Les Sanisettes
4 stars
“Over 400 free wheelchair accessible public loos.”
HOTELS
Hotel Monsieur Cadet
5 stars
“A real gem.”
https://www.euansguide.com/venues/hotel-monsieur-cadet-paris-8753/reviews/a-real-gem-8008
Hotel Elysees 8
5 stars
“Fantastic wheelchair accessible hotel in central Paris.”
Grand Hotel du Palais Royal
5 stars
“Five star hotel with five star service.”
PLACES TO EAT
Express Bar
4.5 stars
“Great place for a drink, a snack or a meal.”
Le Pigalle
4.5 stars
“Quirky hotel and restaurant/cafe. Wish I’d found it sooner.”
https://www.euansguide.com/venues/le-pigalle-paris-9089/reviews/quirky-hotel-and-restaurantcafe-8435
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Louvre Museum
4 stars
“Easy to access, great staff, terrible lifts and very crowded.”
Musee d’Orsay
5 stars
“Good access and brilliantly treated.”
Cluny Museum - National Museum of the Middle Ages
5 stars
“Completely accessible for a wheelchair user.”
Institut du Monde Arabe
4 stars
“Great collection documenting Arab history and civilisation but there are accessibility issues.”
Centre Pompidou
5 stars
“Arts centre and exhibition halls in controversial building dating from 1977.”
Musee Rodin
4 stars
“Stunning statues, grounds plus good cafe.”
OUTDOOR PLACES
Parc de la Villette
4.5 stars
“Extensive and unusual park on the site of Paris’ former abattoirs.”
Pere Lachaise Cemetery
3 stars
“Leafy last resting place of many famous people.”
MORE DISABLED ACCESS REVIEWS
Lollapalooza Paris
4 stars
“Love and laughs at Lolla!”
Parc de Princes
3 stars
“The ground is outdated and not ideal for accessibility, yet it is much more manageable than some footballing venues.”
https://www.euansguide.com/venues/parc-des-princes-paris-5796/reviews/euro-2016---round-of-16-3774
Disneyland Paris
4.5 stars
“A theme park where disabled visitors can actually go on the rides!”
PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES
Have you been to Paris? Is there somewhere missing from this list you think would be helpful for disabled people to know about? Please submit a review to make sure people know what to expect.
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