Hi Piers

Although not a wheelchair user myself, my father is - I can appreciate your position. We've spent a lot of time trying to organise an accessible holiday abroad this year with some difficulty.

Bastille or the Marais district is a good location to base yourself as its entirely flat (as are most parts of central Paris except Montmartre and the Sacre Couer - note that there is a Funiculaire tram that goes up the hill to the Sacre Couer and is accessible for wheelchairs). http://www.paris-on-line.com/album/fot_28.htm

The Louvre, Notre Dame, Les Halles and the Seine are all within easy reach of Bastille, being only a short distance away. For fab restaurants, nearby Place de Vosges is really nice and offers a variety of choice. Access-wise, I can't say if the loos were down any stairs but there were no steps to the entrances of a lot of the restaurants in Place de Vosges. Another great place to eat is Bofinger, just off Place de Bastille. Again, level entrance but don't know about loos.

We stayed in Ibis Bastille which offered level entry, large enough lifts and no stairs to negotiate. I don't recall the bathroom clearly but I seem to remember that there was a shower only and no bath - you might want to contact them to identify if this is the case and/or if grab rails are in place if required. http://www.accorhotels.com. I ran a Google search on Ibis Paris Disabled Access and the results did detail cached info on Disabled Rooms.

There are loads of sites out there..in passing I came across this one which I'll be checking out. http://www.paris-on-line.com/eng/turisme/benvinguda.htm

Hope this is helpful.

Good Luck!

Hi
That is so great of you that is exactly the help i was looking for and i will use the restaurants and hotel you have recommended and i was wondering about the sacre couer and if it was possible to get up there.
Many Thanks
Piers

No problem Piers. Let us all know how you get on when you return!