Paris with disabilities

[3littlecuties]

I didn't know if this would be better to post on the Disneyland Paris board or on the disabilities board. My family has considered a trip to Paris for years and just has never done it because the whole thing feels overwhelming and I'm just not sure if it would even be possible. Our daughter has Down syndrome and autism and has fairly extreme behavioral challenges. She also needs a wheelchair (she has a Convaid cruiser) for long walks. We have considered a trip where we would do a couple of days at Disneyland Paris and then 4-5 days exploring Paris. I am not worried at all about the Disneyland Paris part. We have been to Disney World many times and I'm sure Disneyland Paris would be fine. It's the rest of the trip that I just don't know if it would be possible. Here are just a few of my questions:

1) If we went to Disneyland first, what transportation would we use to get from Disneyland to whatever hotel we stay at in Paris? It would need to accommodate 5 people plus her large Convaid cruiser which folds down but is still rather large.
2) My understanding is that the city requires a lot of walking and there are a lot of cobblestone streets. Would we be able to even push her with her wheelchair?
3) Are most of the big tourist areas handicap accessible?
4) Will any tours accommodate her chair and if so, are they ridiculously expensive?

Are we crazy for even considering this trip?

Any and all tips or places to start researching options would be greatly appreciated! When I did a quick google search, I found people who did the trip with individuals with autism but they were ambulatory. Or I found people who did trips with physical disabilities but they didn't have autism. I'm having a hard time finding where all of her challenges would be accommodated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[HopperFan]

I didn't know if this would be better to post on the Disneyland Paris board or on the disabilities board. My family has considered a trip to Paris for years and just has never done it because the whole thing feels overwhelming and I'm just not sure if it would even be possible. Our daughter has Down syndrome and autism and has fairly extreme behavioral challenges. She also needs a wheelchair (she has a Convaid cruiser) for long walks. We have considered a trip where we would do a couple of days at Disneyland Paris and then 4-5 days exploring Paris. I am not worried at all about the Disneyland Paris part. We have been to Disney World many times and I'm sure Disneyland Paris would be fine. It's the rest of the trip that I just don't know if it would be possible. Here are just a few of my questions:

1) If we went to Disneyland first, what transportation would we use to get from Disneyland to whatever hotel we stay at in Paris? It would need to accommodate 5 people plus her large Convaid cruiser which folds down but is still rather large.
2) My understanding is that the city requires a lot of walking and there are a lot of cobblestone streets. Would we be able to even push her with her wheelchair?
3) Are most of the big tourist areas handicap accessible?
4) Will any tours accommodate her chair and if so, are they ridiculously expensive?

Are we crazy for even considering this trip?

Any and all tips or places to start researching options would be greatly appreciated! When I did a quick google search, I found people who did the trip with individuals with autism but they were ambulatory. Or I found people who did trips with physical disabilities but they didn't have autism. I'm having a hard time finding where all of her challenges would be accommodated.

Thanks in advance!

We were planning a trip there next spring ~ but have decided not to go at this time.

What I found is their Disability Pass is not like WDW especially in how you obtain. I would be sure to study up on that.

https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-usd/guest-services/accessibility-at-disneylandparis

We were going to take the train from DLP to Paris, DS has done this and says it was very easy.

One of our issues was finding hotel rooms in the city that would hold 4 of us that was not very expensive.

 

[3littlecuties]

We were planning a trip there next spring ~ but have decided not to go at this time.

What I found is their Disability Pass is not like WDW especially in how you obtain. I would be sure to study up on that.

https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-usd/guest-services/accessibility-at-disneylandparis

We were going to take the train from DLP to Paris, DS has done this and says it was very easy.

One of our issues was finding hotel rooms in the city that would hold 4 of us that was not very expensive.

I will study that for sure. It was my understanding that you have to provide proof of disability which we can easily do. But I'll make sure we are all set there.

I already assumed that we will need 2 hotel rooms because we have a family of 5 and I heard that not many hotels in Europe can hold 5 people. Any hotel suggestions are welcome!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I can’t speak to DLP, as I’ve never been, but I have been to Paris dozens of times. An older relative we visited last year in France was in a wheelchair after a surgery and she joined us on some of our touring around, and these are my observations.

I’m not terribly sure how to get to Paris from DLP, but I’m assuming by train is the best way and the majority of trains are wheelchair accessible via a ramp but you need to ask for assistance because they manually put the ramp up. The bus and tram system are pretty wheelchair friendly but not the metro, I’d skip that. Most stations have steps and no elevators.

There are some old, narrow and winding streets and some cobblestones but for the most part there are wide sidewalks with the wheelchair access dip areas to get on and off them. You should be fine getting around.

Many of the newer buildings are wheelchair friendly (the Louvre lets you skip the line in and take an elevator to the lobby area) but some of the older buildings aren’t as wheelchair friendly. It’s a case by case basis really. Eiffel Tower should be fine, and the Louvre as I said.

There are wheelchair friendly bus and boat tours. Boat tours are about $25 per person typically. Not sure of cost of bus tours as we don’t do them.

If you try to learn a little French and make an effort to speak it to people there, they’ll be much friendlier. I know the French have a reputation of being rude but they’re really not, they’re just different and more private. But they really do hate when Americans come there and expect everyone to speak English lol

 

[Mamabun]

We did a similar trip. You are right - Disneyland Paris is the easy part. You must have the specific documentation they require, but as long as you have that, the pass works well, and we really enjoyed Disneyland.

Touring the city is more challenging. We had a good time, but as an American who understands how to deal disabled transportation in the US, we had a large learning curve. Here are some things you may want to consider. You cannot take a wheelchair to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The Louvre entrance has a very cool open elevator, but the rest of the Louvre is a maze for wheelchair users, and docents were often really challenged helping us get around. None of the audioguide tours are accessible. The catacombs cannot accommodate a wheelchair (understandably). Some river cruises can and some cannot accommodate wheelchairs. The Paris metro has very few accessible stations - there are buses which I understand many wheelchair users ride, but they are considerably slower, so take that into consideration for your itinerary. We did do a private Chocolate tour that I contacted ahead of time, and they were fantastic about ensuring accessibility. Our hotel had an elevator, but the wheelchair wouldn’t fit in it. The vast majority of airbnb rentals have stairs and no elevator. We have a Convaid Cruiser as well, and we walked around the city a lot and I didn’t find the streets particularly challenging, narrow sidewalks sometimes, but otherwise fine.

Transportation was our biggest headache and I have no advice. I hope someone can provide some help on how to get around with a wheelchair. We made it work and generally people were quite nice and tried to be helpful, but I am certain we did most things wrong.

 

[elvispursley]

I’d also be sure that whatever hotel you book has an elevator big enough to accommodate your DD’s w/c and one other person. Seems like every hotel elevator we stayed in could barely fit me and one suitcase.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

The previous posters have a point. Everything is smaller in France. The hotel rooms, the cars, the elevators. So maybe pick a newer and more modern hotel or check the size of the rooms and elevators before you book

 

[3littlecuties]

Thank you everyone for the feedback. My daughter can walk short distances so we can always fold up her wheelchair for elevators or places where it doesn't fit. She just can't walk long distances. Her limit is maybe .5 mile.

 

[kyton]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/disabilities-virtual-queues-in-disneyland-paris.3967773/

Maybe tag the OP of this thread - I think they may be based in France?

 

[lanejudy]

@Karin1984