European Road Trip – June/July 2013

As Meaux is a mere 20 minute drive from Disneyland Paris, it seemed appropriate to close the 22 day circle around Europe at the Disney Village. Looking at the dashboard as we joined the motorway that we used 2.5 weeks ago, it appeared that we clocked up around 4000 miles on the European mainland!

The question is, would one recommend driving around Europe in the WAV? The answer is definitely YES! There are a plethora of benefits of a wheelchair user to taking their own wheelchair accessible vehicle abroad. In most instances, the vehicle will have been adapted to suit an individuals requirements i.e. wheelchair entry meaning that one always has a mode of accessible transport available on demand…

For example, if one wished to visit The Atomium in Brussels with the electric wheelchair, the WAV could have facilitated this rather than relying on inaccessible public transportation or paying for an accessible taxi that may not suit requirements. Granted, the majority of Western Europe and parts of Southern Europe are well catered for wheelchair users, however, it is worth noting that if one steps outside of these regions, the importance of a WAV heightens whether that is due to inaccessible public transportation or a lack of accessible taxis.

Another benefit of driving a WAV around Europe is that one is able to keep the luggage in one place (until everything has to be moved in order to get the wheelchair out!)…

Of course, there are downsides of taking your own WAV, for example, the extra cost of fuel tolls and parking. However, it is important to weigh up these cons with the many benefits that it can bring to ones travels.

Driving north through Southern France, one of the main highlights has to be crossing the famous Millau Viaduct. Opening in 2004, it holds the record for the highest road deck in the world, however, it certainly does not feel like it…

On one side of structure is the “Aire du viaduc de Millau” which contains a small exhibition displaying the bridge during construction etc. Of course, this is wheelchair accessible…

A short walk away is the “Millau Viaduct Viewing Point”. It is worth noting that to access said View Point, one must trek up a rather steep hill which may prove difficult in a manual wheelchair. However, the views from the top are breathtaking…

For the next two days, one is making the way back to Bristol stopping over at Claremont Ferrand and then Meaux on the outskirts of Paris.

Due to the electric wheelchair having a “bad cable” and the temperature reaching 35C, one opted to simply take the WAV for a drive along the Mediterranean Coast. We chose the city of Sète completely at random as it’s located narrow across a narrow isthmus meaning a high possibility of beaches with easy access from the WAV. However, by pure chance, we discovered a quiet little beach located in a small town along the way, perfect for a dip in the Mediterranean Sea…

Unfortunately, one wasn’t able to explore Sète on foot, however, its definitely a place to return to.

Dubbed as the “Venice of the Languedoc” for its canal network, Sète is located in the shadow of Mont St Clair. Easily accessed by road, it provides panoramic views of the city…

As our hotel is located just outside of Montpellier, it seemed appropriate to take a spin around the city. Again, its a place that needs returning to, however, a few of its landmarks including the Porte du Peyrou has road access…

It also appears that the tram network uses low floor vehicles making easy navigation for wheelchair users…

Tomorrow, we begin our trek back to the UK crossing the famous Millau Viaduct on our way to Claremont Ferrand for an overnight stay.

Due to the limited time one had in the city of Avignon, we decided to explore the Palais des Papes area. This UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t particularly accessible for wheelchairs due to cobble stones and a lack of drop kerbs, however the architecture is too stunning to miss…

As the temperature rose, one decided to head down to the The Bridge of Avignon. Unfortunately the elevator was out of order hence the view from the footpath alongside the River Rhône had to suffice…

One then made one of the stupidest decisions of his life and rolled directly into the river in an attempt to cool down, needless to say that we now have an immobile wheelchair with a “bad cable”…

One is hoping that said wheelchair will spring back to life once it has dried out, who knows! Tomorrow, we head from our hotel in Montpellier to the city of Sète on the shores of the Mediterranean, beach time?

Waking up bright and early meant that one had a little more time to explore Lyon before heading down to Avignon. Coincidentally, the city’s financial centre is located a stones throw away from the hotel making for an easy roll around the gigantic skyscrapers…

During planning, one discovered that one of the towers contained a Radisson Blu hotel meaning that it was likely that some kind of restaurant resides at the top. After a brief discussion with reception, they kindly agreed to let us up. The restaurant enjoys panoramic views of Lyons cityscape…

Before we made the 2.5 hour drive to Avignon, it was necessary to check out Gare Lyon (Part Dieu). It was here that one discovered that a proportion of French trains have level boarding, something to note for future trips…

Now, when seeking cheap hotels in Avignon, one wished to be close to Avignon TGV station for its architecture hence booked the Hôtel Première Classe (Avignon Courtine Gare TGV). What one failed to check was whether the accessible room and wet room was large enough for a wheelchair for which the answer is no. As a result, one had to unwillingly splash out on the neighbouring Mecure Hotel, at least we have air conditioning.

As said station was only a 10 minute walk, it was straight out, just appreciate this architecture…

Of course, one couldn’t leave without a selfie with a TGV…

Tomorrow, we head out into Avignon before heading down to the Mediterranean coast which marks the southernmost part of this road trip!

As I mentioned, the WAV had to be abandoned in a pay and display area yesterday. This was due to the vehicle being too high for the hotels car park. Unfortunately, in all the drama, one forgot to switch off the headlights leading to one thing, a dead battery! Luckily, a passing French guy realised what had happened and came to the rescue with jump leads.

Of course, one then needed to take the WAV for a spin to recharge said battery during which we discovered that the Lyon stage of the Tour de France was taking place today, an experience that we simply couldn’t miss. After scouting out the route, one found a restaurant where we could monitor the crowd levels. However, as the route is quite spread out in Lyon, its fairly easy for a wheelchair user to secure a good vantage point…

It has to be said that, once the advertising and support vehicles have passed, its very much, you blink and you miss it, especially the peloton…

Tomorrow, we plan to do what we were supposed to do today, take a wander around the financial district. We then hop back into the WAV to head to our next destination, Avignon!

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!