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wheelchair accessibility

Has anyone notice how accessible gettig around in Europe is,ie: sidewalk access, entrance to shops and restaurant's, ramps to hotel entrance.

Posted by
8934 posts

Europe is a continent, and each country varies from the next, as far as access goes. Greece will not be anything like Sweden for example. Where are you planning on going?

This is a website with some valuable info, but not for many cities. If you check with the tourist board for each city you are going to, they will give you more info.

http://www.wheeladventure.com/wa_destin_europe.html

Posted by
1014 posts

Downtown Paris, Dublin, Nice and parts of Milan are wheelchair accessible. Inverness and Edinburgh are not to bad, just hilly. Been to these. London is kinda. Metro in all cities are hard to impossible to use. Need to do buses, cabs or walk.

Do not assume hotels have lifts (elevators). If they do not say they do, they probably do not. I would email or call before I rented if it does not say in hotel information. Most large hotels have ramps. Smaller, again I would call before renting. Most shops and restaurants do not have ramps. However, some are at street level, so can be accessed.

Posted by
23178 posts

Did you review the postings under Accessible Europe (Diverse Travelers)? That subject is well discussed there. From my experience accessibility is poor to fair. While some hotels may have lifts, they have 20 stairs or more just to get to the lift. Never see much in the way of curb cuts. Most major tourists sites will have something but some times it is hard to find. You need to be prepared for some challenges.

Posted by
2091 posts

Also Bob, take note that even though some hotels have lifts, they can be very small...way too small for even a light-weight travel-size wheelchair. Last spring a young gentleman had to sit on the floor of the lift and wait for his parents to bring the wheelchair up by the stairs. Very frustrating.