Wheelchair Traveler + 2 on European Trains?

Sounds like you already have, or are planning to have, 2nd class tickets. Why not sit in 2nd class?

i think the wheelchair seat is in first class

travis ,, yes, the third person will need a first class ticket to sit with you, the offer is for the wheelchair user and ONE companion, not two. Please be aware that boarding trains is often expected to be done in only a few minutes,, so please be prepared, the third person will have to throw the luggage on board quickly!! And you may have to both lift wheelchair on to train as there is sometimes a small gap or a slight height difference. You really really should read a great thread on Fodars Spain forum, a 26 yr old lady and her husband did a self tour of europe with a wheelchair( her) and she prepared really really well, but still came across some obstacles.. in one case a train transfer involved going down under the tracks ,, via STAIRS,, and that left her to literally do it on her hands while her hubby handled luggage( you can't leave it unattended) ,, they had a great time,, but it was an adventure. She also had emailed all hotels to see if bathrooms were big enough for wheelchairs, but still discovered a few places where the dimensions of the wc doors did not allow her wheelchair in,, etc. I can see if I can find that thread again and post the thread title, its not a depressing read at all, its rather fascinating, they had a great trip, enjoyed everything, and this lady sure did her homework, but it was interesting how they dealt with so many things.

"I shouldn't be alive, Spain and Italy in August in a wheelchair."
by Adoc86 Its humorous and informative

I must say that this is the first time I have heard of that - wheelchair spaces in First Class. I'm sure its true if you've found that it will be true. What country and type of train have that?

I took a cursory look at the Bahn regulations (22 pages) for wheelchairs on trains. I did not see anywhere that it specified in which class the wheelchair space had to be, although at one point it says that the assisting co-traveler gets a free 2nd class ticket regardless of in which class the space is. (Not sure what that says other than that the space could be in either class). It also indicates that there must be documentation of the necessity of the accompanying helper in order to get the free ticket. But, there were a lot of pages, and I didn't spend a lot of time reviewing it. Oh, and, it also seemed to indicate that they were complying with some EU regulations, so you might look for those.

I know my question seems NEWBIE in nature, but I was hoping there was a undocumented or unspoken policy regarding a second companion. Yes, boarding trains in Italy was quite a humbling experience. This time I am already communicating my itinerary to the disability assistance departments in the various railroad companies. The LACK of information and the varying strengths\needs of people with disabilities is what makes "homework" very difficult. Places are often deemed "accessible" or "inaccessible" without stating the guidelines behind the labels. Although this is the first i've heard of a companion being FREE. Do you have a link?

Just BTW, that is NOT the case in the UK.

"On further review", I don't think the Bahn regulations allow for a free ticket for the "accompanying escort", but rather that, if the escort is unpaid, then he or she, along with the person in the wheelchair, is allowed to use a 2nd class ticket regardless of in which class the wheelchair space is located. (I guess that means that a paid attendant has to pay for a 1st class ticket if the space is in 1st class?) On a lot of regional trains, the floor of the cars is raised above platform level, and it would be difficult to load a wheelchair into one of those cars, even if the car had a wheelchair space. However, a lot of these regional trains have baggage cars that are used to transport bicycles. They might load at platform level, and they have a large open space with bike racks and jump seat along the sides. They are 2nd class carriages. They might provide the wheelchair space on these trains. In the case of express trains (IC/EC/ICE), they load at platform level, and there is usually an open space near the doors, in either class. I think the wheelchair user and companion are allow to sit in a 1st class with a 2nd class ticket only if there is no wheelchair space in 2nd class.

Which makes sense,, if a second class car has room for a wheelchair, why should they get to sit in first class on a second class ticket anyways?