As a wheelchair user, flying can be an extremely unpleasant experience.
Passengers report being unable to use the toilet, being left waiting for hours to be ‘helped’ off the plane, or expensive or irreplaceable equipment being damaged by baggage handlers.
But is train travel any better? There are just as many nightmare stories from wheelchair users being unable to access toilet facilities, being left without assistance, and even resorting to crawling off trains.
The challenge of travelling without flying can be more complicated for wheelchair users, though there are some good provisions out there. Here is some information that can help those travelling with a wheelchair flight-free.
Eurostar
For many people, a flight-free trip to the continent will start with the Eurostar. Eurostar provisions are generally very good for wheelchair users, with a dedicated team, good facilities, and affordable pricing.
There are two wheelchair spaces per train, which are in the Eurostar Plus/Premier area. This gives lots of advantages: more space, right next to the accessible toilet, food is included, and the crew is in the same carriage, so can help if you need assistance.Â
The price is £39 on all trains, no matter when you book (as long as there’s space). Your companion can also travel for the same reduced fare (which isn’t the case when you fly). If you’re travelling in a large group, contact Eurostar as they might be able to arrange for all of your companions to travel in the Eurostar Plus/Premier carriage – though they might have to pay extra for it. If you are travelling with children, just let the Eurostar team know and they’ll make sure your seats are booked together.Â
How to book
Book your ticket at Eurostar.com. Choose your route and date in the planner, then select ‘wheelchair user’ from the drop-down menu. You can book for your companion at the same time.Â
NB: once you’re booked your ticket, you need to book assistance separately, which you can do here. Eurostar recommends doing this at least 24 hours before travelling. It is possible to just turn up on the day (about 20% of people do this), although it’s obviously better if you can plan in advance.
There’s a specialist accessibility team in-house at St Pancras station that will help you.Â
Eurostar can accommodate wheelchairs measuring 70cm x 120cm, weighing 250g (including weight of traveller). If you are travelling with a different type of wheelchair, or need to travel with extra equipment such as a hoist and walker and oxygen tank, you can enquire with the team and they’ll let you know what they can accommodate. There’s no charge for extra equipment, but there’s a weight limit because of manual handling.
Onwards travel
Eurostar is the easy bit. What if you need to continue your journey on another train?Â
You will need to book assistance for each leg of your journey separately. The guidance is to do this 24 hours before travelling. You will find all the details of booking assistance for our near-neighbours here:
- France https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/en/assistances-psh-pmrÂ
- Belgium https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/travel-info/prepare-for-your-journey/assistance-reduced-mobilityÂ
- Netherlands https://www.nsinternational.com/en/travel-information/before-you-go/passengers-with-impaired-mobility (international) or https://www.ns.nl/en/travel/traveling-with-a-disability (domestic)
- Germany https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/accessible-travelÂ
- Switzerland https://www.tgv-lyria.com/fr/en/fares-promotions/fares/train-ticket-prices/specific-fares/travel-for-persons-with-reduced-mobilityÂ
- Italy https://www.trenitalia.com/en/information/passengers-with-disabilities-or-reduced-mobility.htmlÂ
- Spain https://www.renfe.com/es/en/travel/informacion-util/servicio-de-asistencia/what-is-itÂ
The difficult part can be changing stations in Paris. If you are travelling to cities in the south of France (e.g. Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice), you can avoid Paris by changing in Lille. Lille Europe is a modern station and as such has excellent step-free facilities, with multiple lifts and a level concourse.Â
If you are heading eastwards into Europe, go via Brussels. Brussels Midi/Zuid is a bit more of a challenging station than Lille simply because it’s so big and busy. But there are lots of lifts and good provisions.
If you do have to go through Paris, the common way to change from train to train is to use the metro. However, while some metro lines and stations are wheelchair accessible, Gare du Nord is not, unless you call in advance. Gare de Lyon has no facilities at all, so that doesn’t help exactly. The easiest transfer is to Gare de L’est. It’s a short journey to the neighbouring station, all step-free, with a lift connecting the upper and lower levels on Rue d’Alsace.Â
A better option might be to take the bus: all bus routes in Paris are wheelchair accessible. From Gare du Nord, the number 91 bus will take you to Gare de Lyon and Gare d’Austerlitz, number 39 goes to Gare Montparnasse, and for Saint-Lazare it’s number 26.Â
Gare du Nord: check lift status here: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/en/stations-services/paris-gare-du-nord/accessibilityÂ
Beyond that, anything is possible, and experiences are mixed. Search for assistance booking in the country you’re heading to, and check provisions at stations before you travel.Â
Travelling with other needs
Accessibility doesn’t just involve wheelchairs, and Eurostar can help assist passengers with a wide range of needs. Details of who Eurostar can help, and what help they can provide, is here: https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-planning/accessibility/who-we-can-help
This includes auditory/communication impairment, sensory, psychological or intellectual impairment, mobility impairment, non-visible disabilities, older customers, pregnant customers, visual impairment and other accessible travel requirements.
Vision loss and hearing loss gets support
Neuro diverse – fast tracking and boarding
Companion fare applies to all. Guide + assistance dog.
Solo parents travelling with babyÂ
General mobility.
