We will be traveling into Paris from Disneyland Paris. My wife has a difficult time handling stairs, but can walk small distances. We are planning on using the Metro and RER quite a bit, but are there connection stations that we should avoid it all possible considering my wifes abilities. For example, we will be traveling fom Marne La Vallee (Paris Disneyland) to Versailles. It requires transferring from RER A to RER B at Chatalet Les Halles, to RER C at St Michel-Notre Dame. Should any of those be avoided?
Thanks!
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ALL stations have stairs. Some have escaletors, mostly for going out of the station. There is a sign for them and they located next to the regular stairs. Some of the stations might have a lift for handycaped, you have to ask at the information. The problem is that the information might be on a lower level where you get by going down on stairs.
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Resding about that transfer is already exhausting! You are looking at about 2 hours of traveling here.
There is a lot of walking in RER and stairs in almost every station. Some have more than others. Very seldom does escalator take you up to street (Notre Dame des Champs is one). Also do not assume that you will always have a seat on the RER or on the metro.
How about using Paris Vision to Versailles for example ?
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Every metro station I was in had stairs. The Abbesses station in Montmarte has quite a few flights of stairs to the top.
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You may find this page on the RATP website helpful regarding stations and accessibility (those with escalators and elevators).
I think the stations are the least of your worries. It%26#39;s a bit of a hike from the station to Chateau Versailles, then the palace (which involves long staircases here and there) and gardens are enormous. Quite a bit of walking would be required to get around Disneyland Paris as well.
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My trip in Paris in July would have been a lot more enjoyable if I had NOT taken the metro and the RER.
The escalator was not working at the Bet Meir (Eiffel Tower)metro stop and it was a good 75 to 100 steps, both down and up. The metro undergrand passages were hot, stuffy, and crowded, and the trains were very full.
Someone else wrote in another post, that here husband is a excellant shape, and even he was winded at the top of another metro stop.
Based on my research from this blog, I purchased the 10 carnets in advance, and repurchased a second set of carnets, before a gave up and took taxis from my centrally located hotel. I gave the remaining tickets to the hostess at Gare de Nord and am planning on using taxis and a lot more strolling around Paris above ground when I return in May.
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For your trip to Versailles from Disneyland, take RER %26#39;A%26#39; to Gare de Lyon, change to Métro line 14 (direction Olympiades) as far as Bibilothèque François Mitterand, and change there to RER %26#39;C%26#39;. In both cases you can interchange between line 14 and the RER line using lifts.
Except for line 14, which is a new fully-accessible line, the rest of the Métro has stairs at most stations. Escalators are limited to a few very busy ststions and those which are unusually deep below ground. A typical Métro station will have 25-30 steps up from the platform to the ticket hall, and another 20 or so up to the street. For travel within Paris itself, your wife would find buses a lot easier.
The map of wheelchair-friendly transport in Paris (Métro, RER and buses) is a PDF file compressed into a ZIP file at
http://www.ratp.info/picts/plans/plan_pbs.zip
(I realise your wife is not in a wheelchair but the information will be useful.)
There is also a list of Métro and RER stations with lifts at www.ratp.info/informer/reseau_ferre.php
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Don%26#39;t be fooled by the stations that have escalators. I have been to Paris several times and inevitably, the escalators have not been working at numerous metro stops. Maybe its just me, but I think climbing regular stairs is easier than climbing the escalator stairs.
Buses may be easier - definitely few stairs to deal with.
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If your wife has a %26quot;difficult time handlind stairs%26quot; my advice is to avoid the Metro entirely and concentrate on the busses or the occasional taxi. I have MAJOR difficulty with stairs and after one experience with the Metro last year, we stuck to the busses.
I think the maps are easy to figure out, and you get to actually see things while on the bus.
Try www.ratp.fr for the maps. They%26#39;re fun and easy.
Have a great trip.
SoundDiva
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As your wife can walk only small distances, and has difficulties with stairs, just skip Versailles!
The RER station is not close to the castle, the castle is huge, the garden as well and the tour is tiring even for young people in great shape.
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davidcee: %26quot;Bet Meir (Eiffel Tower) metro stop%26quot;????? Is this a new one that hasn%26#39;t even made it to the RATP webpage?
Could it possibly be %26quot;Bir-Hakeim%26quot; that you%26#39;re thinking of?
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