I use a power wheelchair

happy,

I understand your concerns, and I'm sure that a lot of the regulars here do too, but you need to know that the folk around here are all fellow travelers not associated with the Rick Steves company. He doesn't come here, and his staffers pass through from time to time.

If you want to get a message to them and him, use the Contact Us button at the bottom of the page and it will get where you need it to go.

Happy chair

Rick steves tours are very clear on LACK of suitability for mobily impaired. Lots of stairs, some hotels with no elevators, lots of walking, sometimes on uneven ground.

You can search this site using the search box (top left on my phone) and typing in "disability" There is a section on traveling with a disability as well as people's questions. Suggestions about specialized tours which provide the accommodations you may need.0

Europe is just not that accessible. A number of year ago I was made of big point trying to find ramps, elevators, curb cuts, etc., since I had a mother with limited mobility and use a walker a lot. We were think about taking her with us on our next trip. Decided against as she would have problems. I have seen a couple of electric wheelchairs but they were struggling a bit with the rough cobblestones, pavement, etc. Unfortunately not all tours offered by travel companies are well prepared to handle limited mobility. You are going to have to find a travel company that is more oriented to mobility problems.

Just like any other tour company, they generally are not "one size fits all". The Rick Steves niche is probably not the target for you. Hopefully, someone can direct you to some good options. I do know from a friend who uses a power chair that even with an accessible room she found the major cities in Europe incredibly challenging. They are not where we are on accessibility.

Here is Rick's page on disabled travel on this website: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/travelers-with-disabilities

Rick used to have a book on disabled travel, which is now out of print (last edition 2006). You can get used paper copies on Amazon inexpensively, or download it for free from Rick here: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/easy-access-europe

While Rick's current books are not targeted to those with disabilities, he always mentions if Wi-Fi is available and whether it's free or extra cost (it's very important to him, and to just about everyone traveling these days, not just those with disabilities). One thing to be careful of is that even if a place has an elevator, there to can be steps to reach it. And while a ground level restaurant is common, it's also common for that restaurant to have its bathrooms up or down a long flight of stairs with no elevator - so bathroom use after restaurant use can be tricky.

One thing to note is that, just as in the US, elevators can be hidden - don't be afraid to ask for them if you don't see them. Of course, they may also not be there at all.

Here are some other threads on the subject to get you started, which in turn have links to other sources of information:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/to-the-west/paris-wheelchair-accessible-apartment

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/wheelchair-accessibility-paris-france

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/renting-a-wheelchair-in-paris

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/traveling-with-a-wheelchair

Happy, your post sounds like you thought you were addressing Rick directly, or at least his tour company. You have only reached a community of experience travelers. If you have questions about Rick's tours, specifically, I suggest you contact his tour company directly, by phone at 425-771-8303, or at [email protected].

As far as traveling by yourself in Europe, many train stations, but not all, have elevators from the platforms to the connecting tunnel, and I believe there is a way to notify rail companies in advance that you will need assistance in specific stations. As for handicapped assistance at accommodations, I don't believe most small properties can accommodate you. Check with the properties themselves.

There are tour companies that specialize in wheelchair tours. http://www.disabilitytravel.com/independent/accessible-european-citiy-vacations.htm Not a tour company, but a travel agency, specializing in accommodations and transport for the disabled: http://www.sagetraveling.com

I just wanted to add something to Harold's info about elevators and that is that some European hotel elevators I have been in were so small a power chair would not have fit.

If you do wind up using the Travel Agency listed upthread it would be great to have a report on the outcome for other travelers with mobility challenges.

Most modern style hotels in Europe are going to be wheelchair accessible. Their websites will show this. They should have at least one room where wheelchairs can enter a shower, have wide doors, etc. Send an email to the hotel if you aren't sure about their facilities. You don't have to stay in quaint hotels to have an excellent European experience. Tourist infos will also offer information.

One of the most innovative cities is Erfurt, Germany which has gone out of its' way to be accessible to anyone with any kind of disability.

There are websites that will give you more up to date information than the Rick Steves info page that is probably quite out of date. Most cities are trying to improve concerning this and info from 9 years ago isn't helpful to the person that wants to travel this year.
The forum on Trip Advisor might be helpful to you or anyone else traveling with a disability.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i12336-Traveling_With_Disabilities.html

I was put in an "accessible room" in the Marriott in Paris.

Based on that room if I needed an accessible room I would ask LOTS of questions to determine if it met my criteria. This one sturck me as not really accesssible at all. It did have a "door bell" which turned on a light for hearing impaired guests and there were a few grab rails in the tub, but the tub was DEEP and it was a big step in and out to take a shower (there was no seperate shower.) Having stayed in the hotel several times I saw no other real differences. IMHO you had to be pretty "able bodied" to use that "accessible" bathroom!

Adding to Lee's comment about trains, each individual national railway system in Europe has its own web page describing the process to reserve boarding assistance (such as this one for France). You would also reserve a wheelchair accessible space on the train when booking the ticket.

Regarding budget, ALL of Rick's advice is geared to getting the best value for your budget and making a trip possible for people who are not rich. Hotels and restaurants are a big part of a trip budget, so see for instance https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/sleeping-eating. The cheapest accommodations and accessible accommodations may not be one and the same, but other strategies like booking ahead could help you to find better rates. But as an example of the best of both worlds, Danish hostels suggest that they have several properties with "easy access," such as this example in Copenhagen.