Mobility Requirements for Visiting Paris’s Top Sites
In terms of number of visitors, Paris’s top three sites are the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and Versailles. In this post, we cover the mobility requirements for Paris’s top three sites, including getting to/from each site as well as within each site. For all three, it is best to book ahead to guarantee entry and to avoid waiting in line to buy tickets. There will always be security lines and sometimes lines to scan your pre-purchased tickets. Don’t waste your time and energy waiting in more lines than is necessary!
The Eiffel Tower
La Tour Eiffel is the most recognizable landmark in Paris. It stands at 1083ft tall (1024ft if not counting the antennas). It was constructed in 1889 by Gustav Eiffel to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
Entrance/Exit
For those with reduced mobility, follow the signs depicting a wheelchair to both buy your tickets (if you have not done so online) and for the accessible entrance.
Inside the Site
Per the website: people with reduced mobility (or using a wheelchair, crutches or walkers), are unable to access the top of the Eiffel Tower for security reasons. The security reason they note is in the event of an emergency evacuation, you must use stairs. You will be able to visit the 1st level (187ft high) and the 2nd level (380ft high).
Accessible bathrooms are available at the 1st and 2nd levels as well as the entrance level.
There are two restaurants in the Eiffel Tower, requiring advanced reservations. You take a separate elevator if dining at Jules Verne which sits just above the 2nd level of the tower. Madame Brasserie is on the first level. If you have a reservation for either restaurant, you do not need a separate ticket for the tower unless you want to visit additional floors.
Getting To/From
The Eiffel Tower is located in the 7th Arrondissement.
The closest metro lines are 6, 8 and 9. On line 6, get off at Bir-Hakeim. It is a 0.34 mile walk east . On line 8, get off at École Militaire. It is a 0.6 mile walk north. On lines 6 or 9, get off at Trocadero which is a 0.5 mile walk south.
RER C’s stop is the Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel station and is 0.2 miles away. Walk east towards the tower.
Buses 30, 42, 69, 72, 82, 86, 87 all get you within 2 blocks of the Eiffel Tower.
Taxis can drop you off and pick you up at the taxi rank/stand between the Eiffel Tower and the Seine.
Useful Links
Official Eiffel Tower website: for information and tickets, in English.
Interactive Access Map: Provides information and an interactive map for all transportation options to the Eiffel Tower in English.
Accessible Route Guide: A good step-by-step guide with pictures of the route you will take if using the reduced mobility route. This page also includes ticket purchasing options.
The Louvre
The Louvre is one of the most visited art museums in the world. According to the Louvre’s website, the museum includes over 300 rooms and 35,000 artworks. You will not be able to see it all in one day. Making the most of your trip to the Louvre will require some pre-planning. Keep reading to learn about mobility requirements and options to visit this Parisian site.
Entrance/Exit
The main entrance to the Louvre is the Pyramid entrance at the glass pyramid as pictured above. You will see lines of people waiting to enter. Depending on what time you arrive and what time your ticket is for, you may need to wait standing in line until your time window arrives.
There is an elevator to take you from the Pyramid level down below to the entrance if needed. Otherwise, you will take a escalators or a staircase down.
Inside the Louvre
Depending on how much you want to see in the Louvre and how long you can walk and stand at a time, it may be best to break your visit up into two separate half days. You can string together artworks you want to see based on location, minimizing how much ground you need to cover. Less popular rooms of the Louvre will be more likely to have benches/chairs available for you to sit and rest. If trying to plan a longer seated rest break for a meal in the museum, eating early or late may provide improved chances of finding a table.
Wheelchairs, folding chairs and canes are available to rent for free (must fill out an online form ahead of time). These are collected at the information desk once you enter. Canes with metal tips are not allowed in the museum.
Accessible bathrooms are available at the entrance and throughout the museum. Visit the information desk for locations.
The majority of the Louvre is accessible with elevators and/or wheelchair lifts in most wings of the museum. There are suggestions of “accessible routes” through the museum but are only available as a PDF in French on the Louvre website. See more information below in “Useful Links”. The official map does display where all elevators and wheelchair lifts are located.
Getting To/From
The closest metro stops are Palais-Royal / Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7) and Pyramides (line 14). The Pyramides stop is 0.3 miles north of the main entrance. The Musée du Louvre stop allows you to enter into the museum directly from the metro through a mall without having to go outside. Follow the Carrousel du Louvre signs through the underground mall. You will see the inverted pyramid and security to enter the museum. You must already have tickets to enter in this way.
There are multiple bus lines that get you within a block of the Louvre. The closest stop to the Pyramid entrance is the Musée du Louvre stop. Bus lines 39, 68 and 95 stop there.
Taxis can drop you off at the round about in front of the Pyramid entrance. They will pick you up at the Place André Malraux, two blocks north of northwest wing of the museum.
Useful Links
Official Louvre website for information and tickets, in English.
The Louvre’s Accessibility Site in English.
The Louvre’s Official Map: available as PDF in English.
Louvre’s suggested Accessible Routes: a PDF of suggested routes through the Louvre without requiring stairs/steps. It is only available in French. It does show you which strings of rooms are accessible via elevators. With most web browsers, you can translate the text by highlighting the text and then clicking right. There should be an option in the dropdown menu that says “Translate selection to English”. If that is not an option, you can copy the text and then paste it into your favorite translation website.
Versailles
While technically not in Paris, Versailles ranks as the third most visited site in Paris. It is also the most popular day trip from Paris. With vast gardens and grounds and a palace of 2,300 rooms, King Louis XIV sure had his sights set on grandeur! Versailles requires covering a lot of ground. No matter how you get there, the walk up to the entrance is long and is on cobblestones. If you are just visiting the palace, plan for a half day. If you plan to include the gardens, plan for a full day trip.
Entrance/Exit
The main entrance to the Palace of Versailles is at the Honour gate after passing through the main gate. Individual ticket holders head to the left “Entrance A” while tour groups head to the right for the “B” entrance. This is a large area covered in mostly smooth cobblestones.
At Versailles
When you purchase your tickets online, you will have multiple ticket choices based on what you want to see. Think about how long you want to be at Versailles as well as how long you want to be on your feet. The palace is on most tourists’ checklists and is the most crowded. The gardens are expansive and help thin out the crowds. The Trianon Palaces and Marie Antoinette’s Estate are visited less frequently. They can be reached via a tram that you can book ahead of time or it is about a mile walk from the main part of the gardens.
The Palace
The palace visit is self guided unless you book a specific tour online. Elevators are present for all levels of Versailles that are open for touring. The palace will be the most crowded place you will visit. It is recommended to go when they first open or after 3pm for fewer crowds.
Wheelchairs are available for your visit through the palace, check with the information desk. Accessible toilets are available in several places through the palace. Their interactive map does not mention which toilets are and are not accessible so it is best to check with the information desk about this as well.
The Gardens
The garden is reached through the palace or there are direct entrances to the gardens on the north and south ends if you do not plan to visit the palace. If arriving by taxi, entering through any of the entrances other than the palace entrance would be less crowded. The flooring of the garden is firm dirt/gravel. Depending on the day and time of year you visit, the gardens may be free or purchasing a ticket may be required. Make sure to look this up ahead of time. The more expansive Versailles Park is free to enter. If you want to cover more ground in the Park, you can rent an electric golf cart, bikes, row boats or take a tram around. It is best to have these booked ahead of time.
The Trianon Palaces
The Petit Trianon is level on the ground floor but you will need to be able to climb a flight of stairs to access the second floor. The Grand Trianon is one level. Ramps are available to avoid stair steps.
Getting to/from Versailles
The palace is about 18 miles from the center of Paris. You can take a taxi which takes between 30-60 minutes pending traffic. This trip is metered, unlike the flat rates to/from the airports.
The best option via public transportation is to take the RER C (yellow line). Get off at the Versailles Château Rive Gauche stop. It is a 25-35 minute ride depending on which stop you get on at in Paris. It is then a 0.6 mile walk to the entrance gates of Versailles. Plan for about an hour for this journey depending on your closest RER C station in Paris. Please note that the ticket will cost around €4 each way. You cannot use a the same tickets you have been using within the center of Paris that cost you €2.15 as you will be going out of the city.
If you are unable to maneuver steps/stairs, you will want to take a suburban train (Transillien L) from Gare St. Lazare in Paris (9th arrondissement) and get off at the Rive Droite station in Versailles. The train ride is about 35 minutes. You will need to notify an employee when buying your ticket in either direction so that they can make a ramp onto the train available to you. The entrance to Versailles is 0.6 miles away.
Note: Double check your Versailles train stations! If you come by RER C, you will use the Versailles Château Rive Gauche station. If coming by Transillien L, you will use Versailles Rive Droite stations.
Useful Links:
Official Website of Versailles – for information about the palaces, estate and garden and to buy tickets
Official Versailles’ “Accessible for All” Website
Interactive Map for your Versailles visit: from the official website
Sage Travelling’s post about visiting Versailles using a wheelchair: For wheelchair-specific information about visiting Versailles, with pictures included
Golf Cart Rental Link: You can rent an electric golf cart (some are wheelchair accessible) to get around the grounds.
Les Petites Trains: this will take you the Trianon Palaces and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate which is a long walk otherwise. It also stops at the base of the Grand Canal.
Read more about Paris in our other Posts:
An Overview: Paris and your Mobility
Parisian Terrain and your Mobility
Paris: Transportation and your Mobility
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