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The main tourist office in Paris (see Office de Tourisme de Paris) carries a leaflet called Touristes Quand Même which has detailed information about facilities for the disabled throughout Paris.

Both the Association des Paralysés de France (APF) and the Groupement pour l’Insertion des Personnes Handicappées Physiques (GIHP) provide information on disabled facilities in Paris.

The Paris City Hall organizes numerous specialized tours of the city’s parks, gardens and cemeteries for people with disabilities, including special visits for the blind.

For those with wheel-power who want to go it alone in central Paris, APF have detailed information on negotiating various quarters of the city (see Useful Organizations). Paris comme sur des roulettes is also a useful guide with maps colour coding the quality of the pavements on given routes, access to public conveniences etc.

Holiday Care, in the UK, has a useful list of specialist tour operators, while APF Evasion, in Paris, can also organize your entire stay.

Few stations are easily accessible for wheelchairs and most require a station member of staff to operate lifts to avoid either stairs or escalators. The new Météor line, however, is wheelchair accessible. Main metro and RER stations have a leaflet on transport facilities, called Handicaps et Déplacements en Région Ile-de-France.

Paris buses are slowly being equipped with access for wheelchairs, and all buses already have seats reserved for disabled and elderly persons, war veterans and pregnant women.

It is a legal requirement for taxi drivers to help people with disabilities to get in and out of their vehicle, and to carry guide dogs as passengers. This does not mean that all taxis are able to carry wheelchairs, so do check when booking.

Many older hotels are unsuitable for people with mobility problems as they are without elevators, so it is essential that you check before booking. Newer hotels and the modern hotel chains are usually wheelchair accessible, but always ask when making a reservation.

While some of the older museums and monuments are not accessible for people in wheelchairs, most museums and galleries are, and they also increasingly cater for those with special needs. To be sure about the facilities on offer, get the relevant tourist office leaflet before you visit. APF publishes a guide to disabled access in Paris’ museums, theatres and cinemas, Guide 98 (see Useful Organizations).