Accessible travel in France: a guide for disabled visitors

France was the world’s most visited country in 2025, attracting 102 million international tourists.

For many disabled travellers, there remains uncertainty about what to expect when in the country, which has faced criticism for failing to ensure its sites and transport are fully accessible.

In April, disability rights group APF France handicap announced it was suing the government over “systematic failures” in enforcing accessibility laws.

Kelsey Brickl, pictured, the founder of consultancy Accessible France, which offers advice and practical tools for disabled travellers, said: “France can absolutely be challenging for disabled travellers, but ‘challenging’ is not the same as ‘impossible’.”

Ms Brickl, from Chicago, used to live in Nogent-sur-Marne near Paris with her husband and son, and first fell in love with France on childhood visits. She has severe generalised myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease, which means she is a full-time wheelchair user.

Visitors can expect a warm welcome from people who are helpful and compassionate, she said, highlighting that “the harder problem is not attitude, but architecture”.

She said: “France is one of the most historically rich countries in the world, which means travellers frequently encounter old buildings, hills, narrow streets, small lifts and infrastructure that can only be adapted to a certain extent.”

She suggests that wheelchair users take, where possible, a folding manual wheelchair instead of a custom power chair, as this “can create more flexibility in entering older buildings and navigating historic environments”.

Planning an accessible trip

Certain apps, such as StreetCo, help users plan the most accessible route in major cities. Acceslibre records venue accessibility information, with more than 600,000 locations now searchable by users, who can filter results according to their needs.

While France and the EU issue specific disability cards – the Carte Mobilité Inclusion (CMI) and the European Disability Card – some countries do not have a specific document, making it difficult to know what paperwork to pack as proof.

“One of my biggest recommendations is to bring more disability documentation than you think you will need,” said Ms Brickl.

Many sights are free or offer discounted rates to disabled travellers, but often require supporting documentation. This is the case, for example, at the Louvre in Paris.

“What is accepted can vary, so I advise travellers to bring multiple forms of documentation, rather than relying on a single document. A doctor’s note can be helpful, particularly if translated into French, but I would view it as one piece of a larger documentation packet.

“This is not always necessary, but it is enormously helpful when communicating with museums, cultural sites, transport providers, beaches, hotels and other providers.”

Ms Brickl often recommends buying a disability card, such as the Access Card issued by Nimbus Disability in the UK, which she said is “widely recognised in France because it is carefully vetted”.

Accessible public transport

When it comes to public transport accessibility, France can be a mixed bag.

National rail operator SNCF has dedicated space for wheelchair users on board, while guide dogs are allowed on all trains.

Travellers can book a free assistance service to help them reach their seats with 24 hours’ notice, either online, by telephone or in person at an SNCF ticket desk.

Many buses have accessible features including ramps, but it is worth checking the local transport website of your destination, as this can vary.

If driving, bring any disabled parking badge you have from home. France recognises the UK’s Blue Badge, according to the Department for Transport.

While there is no official reciprocity between France and the US, many use their US-issued disability hang tag.

One area in need of change is the Paris metro.

“Paris urgently needs better elevator access in the metro. For wheelchair users, it remains one of the clearest examples of how a world-class city can still exclude disabled residents and visitors from ordinary urban life,” said Ms Brickl.

Accessible attractions and beaches

Seek out more than 4,000 sights, restaurants and accommodation that have the Tourism & Handicap label, launched in 2003 by the government for places that are accessible to people with disabilities. Local tourism websites will list these.

And the ‘Handiplage’ label, awarded to beaches that have services including accessible toilets and showers and water-accessible wheelchairs, has now been given to some 157 beaches.

Ms Brickl hopes that if travellers are armed with practical tools and realistic expectations, they will experience the best of France.

“The point is not merely to make a trip possible. The point is to make the experience wonderful,” she said.