Disabled Visitors France Travel dscount package

France has no special reputation for providing facilities for disabled travellers. For people in wheelchairs, the haphazard parking habits and stepped village streets are serious obstacles, and public toilets with disabled access are rare. In the major cities and coastal resorts, however, ramps or other forms of access are gradually being added to hotels, museums and some theatres and concert halls. APF, the French paraplegic organization , which has an office in each département , will be the most reliable source of information on accommodation with disabled access and other facilities.

Public transport is certainly not wheelchair-friendly, and although many train stations now have ramps to enable wheelchair users to board and descend from carriages, at others it is still up to the guards to carry the chair. The high-speed TGVs (including Eurostar) all have places for wheelchairs in the First Class saloon coach, which you must book in advance, though no higher fee is charged; on other trains, a wheelchair symbol within the timetable denotes whether that service offers special features, and you and your companion will again be upgraded to first class with no extra charge. The Guide du Voyageur à Mobilité Réduite , available free at main train stations, details all facilities. Taxis are obliged by law to carry you and to help you into the vehicle, also to carry your guide dog if you are blind. Specialist taxi services are available in some towns: these are detailed in the Ministry of Transport and Tourism's pamphlet Guide des Transports à l'Usage des Personnes à Mobilité Réduite , available at airports, main train stations and some tourist offices. The guide also gives some indication of the accessibility of urban public transport systems, and the availability of cars for hire with hand controls. Hertz has a fleet at the airports of Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Nice which can be booked 48 hours in advance (in France tel 08.00.05.33.11).

Up-to-date information about handicap accessibility, special programmes and discounts is best obtained from organizations at home before you leave or from the French disability organizations. The publication Touristes Quand Même! , produced by the CNRH , lists facilities throughout France but is not updated regularly. Some tourist offices have information but, again, it is not always very reliable. For Paris, Access in Paris by Gordon Couch and Ben Roberts, published in Britain by Quiller Press and available from RADAR (£6.95), is a thorough guide to accommodation, monuments, museums, restaurants and travel to the city. The Holiday Care Service has an information sheet on accessible accommodation in France.

Most of the cross-Channel ferry companies offer good facilities, though up-to-date information about access is difficult to get hold of. Eurostar , having been established in the 1990s, offers an excellent deal for wheelchair users. There are two special spaces in the first class carriages for wheelchairs, with an accompanying seat for a companion. No advance bookings are necessary, though the limited spaces might make it wise to reserve ahead of time and also to arrange the special assistance which Eurostar offers at either end. As far as airlines go, British Airways has a better-than-average record for treatment of disabled passengers, and from North America, Virgin and Air Canada come out tops in terms of disability awareness (and seating arrangements) and might be worth contacting first for any information they can provide.

Contacts for travellers with disabilities

FRANCE

APF (Association des Paralysés de France), 17 bd Auguste-Blanqui, 75013 Paris (tel 01.40.78.69.00, orphanet.infobiogen.fr/associations/APF). National organization providing useful information and lists of new and accessible accommodation. Their guide Où Ferons-Nous Étape is available at the office or by post to a French address.

CNRH (Comité National Français de Liaison pour la Réadaptation des Handicapés), 236bis rue de Tolbiac, 75013 Paris (tel 01.53.80.66.66). Information service whose various useful guides include the Guide Touristique pour les Personnes à Mobilitée Réduite , available in English for 60F/¬9.15.

Access Travel , 6 The Hillock, Astley, Lancashire M29 7GW (tel 01942/888 844, fax 891 811, www.access.co.uk ). Tour operator that can arrange flights, transfer and accommodation. This is a small business, personally checking out places before recommendation. They can guarantee accommodation standards in several regions of France: Pas de Calais, Loire Valley, Normandy and Puy de Dôme. Established 1991; ATOL bonded.

Disability Action Group , 2 Annadale Ave, Belfast BT7 3JH (tel 01232/491 011). Offers information about travel and access for disabled travellers abroad.

Holiday Care , 2nd Floor, Imperial Building, Victoria Rd, Horley, Surrey RH6 7PZ (tel 01293/774 535, fax 784 647. Minicom 01293/776 943, www.holidaycare.org.uk ). Provides free lists of accessible accommodation throughout France. Information on financial help for holidays available.

RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation), 12 City Forum, 250 City Rd, London EC1V 8AF (tel 020/7250 3222, Minicom tel 020/7250 4119). A good source of advice on holidays and travel abroad. They produce a guide for European holidays (£5 inc. p&p) alternate years, and the useful publication Access in Paris is available through them.

Tripscope , Alexandra House, Albany Rd, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 0NE (tel 08457/585 641, fax 020/8580 7022, www.justmobility.co.uk/tripscope ). Registered charity providing a phone-in travel information service that offers free advice on transport for those with a mobility problem.

IRELAND

Irish Wheelchair Association , Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3 (tel 01/833 8241, fax 833 3873, iwa@iol.ie). Offers information about travel and access for disabled travellers abroad.

Access First Travel , 239 Commercial St, Malden, MA 02148 (tel 1-800/557 2047). Offers up-to-date information for disabled travellers.

Directions Unlimited , 123 Green Lane, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 (tel 1-800/533 5343). Tour operator specializing in customized tours for people with disabilities.

Mobility International USA , PO Box 10767, Eugene, OR 97440 (tel 541/343 1284 voice & TDD, www.miusa.com ). Offers information and referral services, access guides, tours and exchange programmes. Annual membership $25 (includes quarterly newsletter).

Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped (SATH), 347 Fifth Ave, Suite 610, New York, NY 10016 (tel 212/447 7284, www.sath.org ). Non-profit-making travel industry referral service that passes queries on to its members as appropriate.

Travel Information Service (tel 215/456-9600). Telephone-only information and referral service for disabled travellers.

Wheels Up! , PO Box 5197, Plant City, FL 33564-5197 (tel 1-888/389 4335, www.wheelsup.com ). Provides discounted airfare, tour and cruise prices for disabled travellers, as well as publishing a free monthly newsletter. Their Web site is comprehensive.

CANADA

Twin Peaks Press , Box 129, Vancouver, WA 98666 (tel 360/694 2462 or 1-800/637 2256, www.pacifier.com/twinpeak ). Publisher of the Directory of Travel Agencies for the Disabled ($19.95), listing more than 370 agencies worldwide; Travel for the Disabled ($19.95); the Directory of Accessible Van Rentals ($9.95); and Wheelchair Vagabond ($14.95), which is loaded with personal tips.

Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital , 3205 Place Alton Goldbloom, Chomedy Laval, PQ H7V 1R2 (tel 450/688 9550, ext 226). Provides guidebooks and travel information.

AUSTRALIA

ACROD (Australian Council for Rehabilitation of the Disabled), PO Box 60, Curtin, ACT 2605 (tel 02/6282 4333); 24 Cabarita Rd, Cabarita, NSW 2137 (tel 02/9743 2699). Provides lists of travel agencies and tour operators for people with disabilities.

Barrier Free Travel , 36 Wheatley St, North Bellingen, NSW 2454 (tel 02/6655 1733). Independent consultant - draws up individual itineraries for people with disabilities for a fee.

NEW ZEALAND

Disabled Persons Assembly , PO Box 10, 138 The Terrace, Wellington (tel 04/472 2626, www.dpa.org.nz ). Provides details of tour operators and travel agencies for people with disabilities.