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Today we continued our European road trip by hopping back over the French border to the city of Lyon. Although the journey should take around 3.5 hours, given that it’s not everyday that we have the WAV in Switzerland, we should go rogue. With only the European Road Atlas for navigation, we found ourselves driving through all manner of landscapes…

Eventually we hit the French border in 33C heat and then onto the homestretch to Lyon…

In a change of hotel styles, we are staying at the ibis (Part-Dieu Les Halles) for the next two nights, however, what one failed to realise during planning is that the WAV is too high for the car park hence it is in a pay and display currently.

In addition to finding somewhere to park, the plan for tomorrow is to take a roll around the neighboring financial district and, of course, the train station!

Although Bern is the Swiss capital, the city is quite compact in size compared to others such as Zurich. This makes it a perfect location to spend 24 hours after a day of travelling. Despite our hotel being 30 minutes walk from the centre, Bern possesses a tram network making it easy to navigate. However, akin to Zurich, the rolling stock comprises of old and new vehicles with only the latter being accessible to wheelchairs…

(It is also worth noting that the buses are also accessible)

Once in the centre of Bern, all the major landmarks are in walking distance of each other. This means that the city can be explored in a short space of time. Of course, the first stop for oneself was the train station…

One of the main draws to Bern is the so-called “Bear Pit” or “BearPark” situated alongside the Aare River. It is therefore possible to meander through the centre and the Old Town passing landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament to reach said location…

Akin to Zurich, the majority of spaces have smooth paving making it easy to roll around in a wheelchair.

As one crosses the Aare River, it’s hard not to notice the “blueness” of the water, something that we definitely lack back in the UK (the city even has fresh drinking water)…

Now, one is very funny about animals being held in captivity hence has mixed feelings about the “BearPark”. However, said bears seemed quite content in their environment which is always a bonus…

Tomorrow, we head back over to the French border southwards to the city of Lyon.

One of the highlights of the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland is the Jungfraujoch mountain where the highest observation deck in Europe is located giving it the title of ‘Top of Europe’. To reach the observation deck, one has to board the Jungfrau Railway. There is the option to board the Eiger Express cable car and join the railway halfway up the Jungfraujoch or simply hop on the Wengernalp Railway and change at Kleine Scheidegg. Of course, one chose the latter…

We parked the WAV at Lauterbrunnen and subsequently boarded the Wengernalp Railway at said location. As one was a little unsure of the accessibility, the manual wheelchair it was. However, one was delighted to see a boarding ramp at Lauterbrunnen station.

As I mentioned, if one is using the Wengernalp Railway, it is necessary to change at Kleine Scheidegg station. Now, when you think of assisted travel, do you think of this…

Needless to say that this was the first time one has been lifted by forklift!

Of course, the first thing that everyone wishes to do once at the top is brave Europes highest observation deck (Spynx Terrace). It is quite spectacular and easy to roll around…

It was then that we realised that there was an exit onto the mountain, one couldn’t resist…

Of course, one wouldn’t recommend doing this in an electric wheelchair as the snow is rather thick!

Another highlight of the Jungfraujoch is the Ice Palace for which there is a lift available…

After our descent, it was time to jump back in the WAV for the 60 minute drive to Switzerland’s capital, Bern. However, just admire this view when one stopped for pizza…

After hopping over the Swiss border (for the first time) from France, we arrived in the city of Zurich last night. As Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe, cost cutting measures were necessary hence we are actually staying at the Movenpick next to the airport located just outside the city.

The original plan was to utilise the tram network to travel into the centre, however, during ones evening stroll, we discovered that Zurich uses a mix of old and new rolling stock with only the newer possessing low floors for level boarding…

Seeing as we have the WAV at our disposal, one thought it quicker to drive in rather than waiting for a low floor tram to roll in. Providing that you display a valid EU blue badge, disabled parking spaces are available to use, some of which are FREE…

During our visit, rather a lot of construction work is taking place in the centre making it a little difficult to navigate…

However, it is worth noting that without the construction, Zurich is pretty easy to roll around in a wheelchair with drop curbs etc…

To avoid the construction works, one headed down to the River Limmat which cuts through the centre. As the pathway is accessible (albeit a little cobbly in places), it makes for a scenic walk around to landmarks including the St. Peter’s Church…

Of course, no visit would be complete without a trip to the Bahnhof…

It is worth noting that Zurich is full of green spaces hence if one simply wishes to relax in the city, there are plenty of opportunities to do so…

Tomorrow we will travel down to the Jungfrau Railway which transports one to the, so-called ‘Top of Europe’ located on Jungfraujoch!

After leaving the hustle and bustle of Paris, we only had a few hours to explore the city of Strasbourg before heading down to Zurich. If you are short for time, one would highly recommend navigating the city using it’s tramway. Thanks to its low floor vehicles, level boarding is possible making for an easy roll around in a wheelchair…

One of the main sights in Strasbourg is its Cathedral located in the heart of the city. Contrary to some articles, one actually found the centre easy to roll around as a large proportion of ‘fake’ cobble surfaces are quite smooth…

Due to time constraints, one didn’t enter the cathedral, I have heard that it is partially accessible for wheelchairs and that disabled individuals can enter for FREE…

The next stop was The Bridge of Two Banks which straddles the Rhine River connecting France and Germany signifying harmony between the two countries. Although it is located just outside the centre, one can easily reach said bridge by tram leaving at Port du Rhin. From there, cycle paths lead to the bridge…

It is quite something to be sitting between two countries…

On the route back to the WAV, it was only right that one stopped by the Gare Centrale which is known for its architecture…

Let’s see what Zurich has in store for a wheelchair user!

Apart from rolling around the La Défense district, the other thing on the Paris checklist was to visit Tour Montparnasse. Since we are staying on the other side of the Seine, Maps advised us that we could either use the metro or the tram to reach said tower. Now, one is quite familiar with the Parisian metro (and RER) network and can say that it’s not the easiest to navigate whether due to the lack of elevators or large gaps between the train and the platform. As such, one was excited to give the tram network a go after which I will never look back!

As per a large proportion of tram networks worldwide, the rolling stock consists of low floor vehicles making level boarding possible at nearly every station. This is definitely one of the better ways for wheelchair users to navigate Paris.

Tour Montparnasse has a direct sight of the Eiffel Tower thus provides an unparalleled view of this iconic structure. Although wheelchair users can only access the 56th floor (and enter at a discounted rate), panoramic views are still available…

Tomorrow, we head back towards the German border for a short stayover in the city of Strasbourg.

As one has visited Paris numerous times previously, it was a difficult decision as to where to base ourselves on this occasion. Due to the love for modern architecture, it seemed appropriate to drive to the La Défense district staying at the Campanile Hotel. Although low-cost, it still has all the amenities one requires i.e. a wet room and is only a 25 minute walk away from the centre of the La Défense district.

Akin to Frankfurt, the route from the hotel conveniently weaves it’s way through the countless skyscrapers and a large proportion is a dedicated cycleway…

The plan was to visit the Grande Arche which was an observation deck that closed a few years ago (unbeknown to me). Although the structure has been off limits for some time, the accessibility infrastructure i.e. elevators are still operational. It’s only when you reach the entrance that one realises that it is no more…

Despite this, with its large plazas and pedestrianised zones, its perfect for rolling around in a wheelchair whilst marvelling at the architecture.

As I mentioned previously, Disneyland Paris is a wheelchair users paradise due to 99% of the site being accessible down to the final touches and the main park is no exception.

Akin to the majority of theme parks across the world, a large proportion of disabled individuals can skip the ride queue. However, it is worth noting that at Disneyland Paris, it is necessary to pre book the rides that you wish to go on. Whilst this is understandable, it does take the spontaneity element away.

Unfortunately, many of the attractions that one wished to visit i.e. Thunder Mountain were undergoing refurbishment at the time of visiting hence it was only possible to observe from a distance…

Ones attention then turned to wheelchair accessible attractions for which one stood out, Its A Small World. As such, we wandered from Frontierland to Fantasyland. It is clear that accessibility has been at the forefront of construction as drop curbs are present when necessary and surfaces are smooth.

When rolling up to the entrance (or exit) of It’s A Small World, it’s possible to request a wheelchair accessible boat which allows one to board and then simply roll to the front making for a spectacular view inside the attraction…

Before we retreated back to the Newport Bay hotel, one couldn’t resist watching the parks parade. Now, it is worth noting that there are a few ‘areas’ along the route reserved for wheelchair users to gain an unobstructed view. The parade route can get very busy, especially during holidays thus this option is worth it in those cases. However, one decided to brave the crowds on this occasion…

Tomorrow, we return to ones European road trip by heading into Paris, exploring the La Défense district and much more.

A few hours in the WAV from Luxembourg led us to one of the most magical places on Earth, Disneyland Paris! For a wheelchair user, the entire site is heaven due to 99% of it being accessible. Although all the hotels on the plot contain fully accessible rooms, we chose the Newport Bay on this occasion…

We will be checking out the main Disneyland park tomorrow with the focus being on accessible rides, however the Disney Village sandwiched in between the majority of hotels and the parks is equally wheelchair accessible…

The Disney Village is full of shops and restaurants, nearly all of which have level access hence one really does have the pick of the crop here.

Let’s see what Disneyland has to offer a wheelchair user tomorrow…

Another day meant yet another drive in the WAV, this time over to the small nation of Luxembourg and to its beautiful capital, Luxembourg City. Again, we are staying in The Park Inn by Radisson which is located a short distance from Luxembourg Gare station and a 15 minute walk into the heart of the city making it an ideal location for a short stayover. I must say that compared to other Park Inns, the accessible room is rather on the large side.

The central part of Luxembourg is very compact with the bonus of smooth surfaces for the majority making for an easy roll…

This is apart from the usual European steps into some shops.

Cutting through the centre is a series of deep gorges containing The Old City and the River Alzette accessed by several ways from the centre. Of course, the easiest way is via road, however if you are looking for a little bit of adventure, there are a few steep and cobble streets that one can wander down…

Once at the bottom, everything is pretty much wheelchair accessible…

To save walking back up steep streets, one can also take the Pfaffenthal Panoramic Elevator FREE of charge and will return you to the centre.

Of course, a trip to a new city couldn’t be complete without visiting the train station…

Tomorrow, we head back into France to visit one of the most magical places on earth, Disneyland Paris!