Legally Blind in Paris

Do you have your passports yet? When do you plan to travel? Price range?
What a great gift! Give us more information so we can help.

We do have our passports. We’re traveling in mid-April. We’ve budgeted $2-2500 for lodging. My biggest concern is the hotel. My research has led me to the St. Germain de Pres or Marais areas, but Rick Steves makes Rue Cler (also on my short list) sound so inviting! Too congested would be difficult, but we want to have a proper Parisian trip, not to be sealed off from the wonders of the city.
As for our itinerary, several things (bike tours, nighttime walking tours) are not possible for him. I’m very interested in the museums and Versailles, so I think the Museum Pass is our best bet. I’ve already made reservations for the Eiffel Tower. My husband’s only request is to visit Normandy.
I’m narrowing down our choices, but my husband’s disability is always a factor. Dark, narrow hallways, dark decor in the rooms, poorly lit exteriors, super congested areas all present problems. Of course some attractions will be crowded, but I would like our hotel to be less so.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I would do a google search for disabled travel in Europe as I’m aware that there are websites dealing specifically with this. As for a hotel, I would go for a global chain like Hilton or Marriott which would probably accommodate your husband better. As much as I love Europe it seems they are behind the US in accessible buildings. Before you make any reservations I would email hotel and ask about accommodations for the blind.

Enjoy Paris together.

You may find the hotels listed at https://en.parisinfo.com/where-to-sleep-in-paris/info/guides/accommodation-and-disability/adapted-accommodation-by-type-of-disability/adapted-accommodation-to-people-with-a-visual-disability helpful. I have stayed at some that could be in your budget: Hotel Joyce, Hotel R de Paris, Hotel Joke, Hotel Le Mareuil, and Terrass Hôtel and while I can't vouch for their accommodations for the visually impaired because that was not a factor in my choices I can say that they are very good hotels. I also stayed at the Novotel Gare de Lyon, which is also on the list and it is okay but, and this was in 2013, depending on which entrance you use, arriving and departing can be okay or a slightly unpleasant walk through an area littered with broken bottles and frequented by loud people who appear to be drunks. Though it is not on the list of places accessible for the visually impaired, I have stayed at the Signature Saint Germain and I think it would meet the needs for well lit and roomy and not in a super crowded area. None of my suggestions, other than the Signature Saint Germain. are in your preferred areas. but I did notice that there are hotels in those areas on the linked list.

Based on what you have shared, I would suggest St Germain des Pres. While I visit all areas of Paris in my annual visits, I stay in St Germain des Pres because it is central allowing one to walk to many attractive sites, local markets, excellent restaurants and Luxembourg Gardens. It feels safe and while just a 10-15 minute walk from the Seine, is serviced by excellent bus service and taxi stands. The markets in this area to me surpass the one Rick always promotes on rue Cler but perhaps just my view tho suggest you would not have easy access to as much on rue Cler as you would in the 6th. A small, reasonably priced hotel I would suggest is Hotel Bonaparte...steps way from Place St Sulpice. Rooms are very small but the hotel is clean, not clutttered and quiet. I love visiting the Marais but streets can be quite congested, many narrow streets so suggest avoiding as your base area. What a lovely gift! Enjoy

I live in Le Marais when I am in Paris and I agree that it can be crowded. I have friends who moved to the 16th because they got tired of the crowds in Le Marais and the narrow sidewalks. The narrowness of some of the streets can make some areas feel a bit dark.