Champs Elysées and West Bank Neighborhoods with Senior Parents

Could you give the names of the streets where you are looking because Paris has a Right Bank and a Left Bank. The West Bank is only in the Middle East.

FYI the area you are referring to as the West Bank is commonly called the Right Bank. I personally would try to stay more central to the center, especially with your elderly parents. I recommend the 4th (right bank), 5th or 6th (left bank) arrondisments as close to the river as possible to be walkable to many sites and close enough for an afternoon rest if desired. It’s true that there are stairs in metro stations. Some have escalators or elevators. You can take buses to avoid stairs or take a taxi as a last option.

What a mistake to make - sorry! I meant the left bank. I'm looking at lodging near Odeon metro or Saint Germain des Prés.

Could you please be more specific as to the location of your lodging. Is there a specific place north of the Arc de Triomphe you are looking at?

Paris is divided by the Seine River. There is the Right Bank and the Left Bank. If you want to minimize walking and metro usage, look for air conditioned accommodations with about a 15 minute walk of the Seine. Notre Dame is considered the center of Paris.

Paris buses can be an excellent way to get around in Paris. Download the Citymapper app. It will give you step by step instructions for getting around Paris and other major cities. You can even select step-free options.

I used the bus rather than the metro to get around Paris and it was great. I wanted to avoid steps and also see the city go by as I went. I used Google maps to direct me to the bus stops and the Bonjour RATP app to buy tickets on my iPhone. You can also use the G7 taxi app to order taxis as needed; it works just like Uber except it uses official Paris taxis that can drive in the bus lanes where Uber can’t.
I stayed on the Left Bank in the 6th Arrondissement/San Germain neighborhood and is was quite close to everything I wanted to see. I agree to not stay near the Eiffel Tower.

Andrea has given you some good advice. If your seniors are unable to do any stairs, then buses may be preferable to the Metro. However many Metro stations have escalators and/or elevators, and may only have a few steps. The RATP website has this information, which may be helpful: https://www.ratp.fr/accessibilite/senior

While we have a favorite hotel in the Latin Quarter, I doubt there is one which is walkable to all of the usual tourist sites- especially for seniors. A central location close to a suitable Metro station and bus stop is about the best you can hope for.

I just spent 5 days in Paris with two who have moderate mobility issues. We took the bus once and a taxi once, the metro the rest of the time. If I were to da it again, I would stick to buses and taxis.

Just saw your last post. For a first time visit both the area around the Odeon station and St. Germain des Pres would be better locations.

For example from Odeon, 10 minute walk to Notre Dame or Sainte-Chapelle, short bus ride to Museum d'Orsay or the Louvre.

And, may I suggest stopping often for coffee or wine at an outdoor cafe. One of the great pleasures in Paris and as a senior myself I know they'd enjoy both the rest, the coffee/wine & watching the world go by.

Have the G7 Taxi app on your phone and at the ready. So easy to use (like an uber app) except the official Paris taxi will come right where you are standing. So wonderful and convenient. Official taxi's can use the bus lanes so they can really make time.

The only time you don't use it is when you arrive at CDG. Just get in the official taxi line for that. Otherwise the G7 app is great.

Re portable AC units. We have had those in apartments several times and they ranged from useless to so moldy that we couldn't run them without ruining our sinuses. Installed traditional window units are rare in Paris. (in many buildings they are not allowed and in many buildings even traditional AC units with external fans/condensers are not allowed at night because of the noise). The kind you wheel up to a window and hang a hose out -- are worthless.

Get a hotel that has AC; it may not be very cold but it will take the edge off and let you sleep.

We are old and stlll use the metro but one of these days we won't be able to -- if you can do lots of stairs it work. Otherwise use the buses or cabs. Being in an attractive walkable neighborhood is a plus. St. Germain has lot sof charm -- You may find the highlight of the trip is sitting at a sidewalk cafe, having a drink and chatting with your folks while you watch the world go by.

Discover,
I am not sure what age you consider to be older seniors, but hubby and I are 81 and 82 and prefer not using the metro. The elevators are often down at the far end of the platform and often entail long walks. Some stations have lots of steps. We have used the metro before any knee replacements, when only one was replaced, and when all four of our knees were titanium. The post-replacement use of the metro was easier, but we still have some back issues and prefer taxis and buses. Besides, it is nice to see Paris when moving about. Walking is always good (and good for you), especially because it affords the opportunity to sit a spell in a cafe with a coffee or aperitif or citron presse, and watch Paris walk by. I concur that the area around the Eiffel Tower is less convenient, and to me the Arc de Triomphe area is the same. You will be wise to plot your days geographically, seeing sights close to each other and routing yourself to avoid backtracking.
Do make one trip on the metro for the experience, do some strolling, take a cab or bus when needed, and DO spend an hour on a Vedette de Point Neuf boat ride on the Seine. The best bargain in Paris!

However many Metro stations have escalators and/or elevators, and may only have a few steps.

I don't want to contradict cjean, who knows Paris, but to me this seems overly optimistic. Or may give visitors an overly optimistic idea. I would hesitate to use the word “many.”

Kim is right here. It is totally common for a single metro trip with a transfer to involve 60 to 100 steps up and down. Almost no stations have escalators; when they do they are often down; when they do they may traverse one steep set of steps but there may be several flights before and after. another wrinkle is that while RER stations are all accessible they may not be so when transferring from the metro. For example, you can get the RER B at Denfert Rochereau but you cannot transfer from the metro to the RER without stairs there. If you are outside the station you can go to the free standing RER station at Denfert Rochereau and get an elevator to the platform. Similarly you cannot transfer from the 7 to the 14 at Maison Blanc without stairs but if you are outside you can enter the 14 with an elevator to the platform.

Never take the metro unless you can do stairs. One exception is line 14 -- if you can do an entire trip on line 14 you will have accessible entrances. We took it from Orly to Pont Cardinet in the 17th with all our luggage for a two month trip without having to walk up a single step.

Several years ago, I traveled to Paris with a foot issue (since repaired) that seriously impaired my mobility. Taking the stairs down to and back up from the metro was excruciating. By necessity, I discovered how wonderful the Paris buses are - clean, convenient and, oftentimes, scenic. I used the Citymapper app and google maps to find the best route(s) to my destination.

For access to many popular sites via bus or walking I’ve found that staying in the Marais (3rd arr.) close to rue de Rivoli/Saint- Antoine or Saint Germain-des-Pres (6th arr) close to the shady and flat boulevard Saint Germain to be good options. Mostly flat and close to the river, I’ve had lovely stays in hotels in both areas.

Even though I can climb stairs again and will take the metro traveling long distances, I still enjoy using the buses in Paris.

Good to see so many recommendations for the buses in Paris. I have been saying this and taking them for years—despite many years of everyone getting on the Metro bandwagon (he only method of transport I use more often is walking). Fewer steps, better scenery and they don't smell like urine. The only times I take the metro is if I have to go all the way across the city in a hurry during rush hour.

I have stayed in the Odéon neighborhood several times and really like it (both at Hôtel Delavigne and Hôtel des Balcons). For reference, it is about a 20–25 minute walk or a 15-minute bus ride to the Louvre. Even closer to Notre-Dame Cathedral.