I am planning my first trip abroad, to Rome, in March. Though challenging for the visitor in a wheelchair, I've decided it will be worth it. I've read many articles about traveling, in Rome, in a wheelchair. My only problem is that the authors seem to be using light, manual wheelchairs. I have a heavy, bulky power wheelchair to accommodate my ventilator.
I want to know what my experience might be like. I know many intersections have no cutaways in the sidewalks. In a small, manual chair, my companion could simply lift the chair onto, or off of, the curb. In my power chair, that will be nearly impossible. How will I work around this?
I want to see the Pantheon, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, and Vatican City. What should I know about these places? I'll be in Rome for one week, so I know there will be lots of time to wander around the less "touristy" areas.
I know there are guided tours of Rome that are wheelchair accessible, but I would much rather discover Rome on my own.
How accessible are cafés and restaurants?
Any advice and information will be greatly appreciated.
I haven't looked at the article so I am not sure if this was mentioned or not, but as far as coping with getting up and down the curbs... if your companion can't lift your chair, have you considered bringing a light board to use as a ramp? If you attached it somehow to the back of your chair maybe your companion could just take it off and place it like a ramp, maybe you could access a lot more places?
Someday, when everyone has one of those "segway" wheelchairs, this will not be a problem!
Originally posted by JosephT: I am planning my first trip abroad, to Rome, in March. Though challenging for the visitor in a wheelchair, I've decided it will be worth it. I've read many articles about traveling, in Rome, in a wheelchair. My only problem is that the authors seem to be using light, manual wheelchairs. I have a heavy, bulky power wheelchair to accommodate my ventilator.
I want to know what my experience might be like. I know many intersections have no cutaways in the sidewalks. In a small, manual chair, my companion could simply lift the chair onto, or off of, the curb. In my power chair, that will be nearly impossible. How will I work around this?
I want to see the Pantheon, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, and Vatican City. What should I know about these places? I'll be in Rome for one week, so I know there will be lots of time to wander around the less "touristy" areas.
I know there are guided tours of Rome that are wheelchair accessible, but I would much rather discover Rome on my own.
How accessible are cafés and restaurants?
Any advice and information will be greatly appreciated.
Someone rang?
Hi, I'm the author of the Accessible Rome pages here. You mention that my article answered a lot of questions but brought up some more. Let's conduct this discussion here because I believe it's important. I had my own questions my first trip in a wheelchair, but mine are probably different than yours.
To start with you need to go as late as possible in March. Early March you could get serious rain which would hamper your restaurant access. By late March the weather should be breaking and you will be able to enjoy the outdoor cafes.
On your list - Pantheon - totally accessible. Colliseum - also totally accessible although getting there can be a real BIT**. If you are going to be in Rome on a Sunday that is the day to plan your Colliseum trip because the road to Colliseum is blocked to everything but pedestrian traffic. Trevi, beautiful, nice flat piazza but getting right next to the fountain is impossible - 3 to 5 steps depending on where you are. Spanish steps - just that - steps. However as you face the steps to the left you'll see the entrance to the metro. Head down toward the metro - on the right are the elevators. You take the elevators 1/2 way up. Exit the elevators and off to the right is the stair lift. Pray it's working, or bring somebody mechanical who can fix this puppy. The other option is you can take the streets to the right of the stairs up to the top of the stairs. Vatican is 100% accessible. There is a cut away ramp at the end of the Bernini colonade on the right hand side as you face the cathedral. This is the only way you can access the cathedral. Go up the colonade on the right and you'll see the cloakroom. There are elevators there that will take you up to the facade. You need to proceed all the way across the front of the facade to find the last ramp (one step).
Someone mentioned a ramp, there is a suitcase ramp you can buy that you might be able to attach to the back of your chair. Mostly you'll use this inside or to get into a building with a single step.
More and more of Rome is accessible with cutaway ramps. The problem is the idiots who park in the cutaways.
The best advice is when in doubt travel in the road. There are only a couple of roads in Rome that I wouldn't run my scooter or wheelchair on. They are the Via Fori Imperiali (except on Sunday when it is closed). The Via Teatro Marcello, the Lungo Tevere (either side of the Tiber) , Via XX Septembre, the Via Nazionale and Via Victor Emmanuel (although this does have good cutaways on the south side of the road).
Hotels? The Santa Chiari is my favorite accessible hotel. First of all because it is truly accessible and secondly because you literally cannot get a better location. The Crown Plaza Minerva claims to be accessible but they have 5 of those wierd Michaelangelo steps out front.
What's the range on your chair? Since it's not very portable you need to have at least a 8-10 mile range. The day you do Vatican you will need to stop in the middle of the day and recharge your battery. By the ticket booths in the Vatican museums as you face the booths off to the left are several benches and waiting areas. I've gone over and plugged in there a couple of times and no one has seemed to mind.
Bathrooms are going to be your biggest problem and challenge. That's why I recommend that you stay IN centro storico. You can design your touring day to loop back to your hotel for bathroom breaks. The best accessible bathrooms in Rome are in the Vatican and they allow a companion (of either sex) to accompany you.
There is a good hospital supply store about 2 blocks west of the Feltrinellis at the Largo Argentina for any medical supplies you might need for your ventilator or catheter supplies.
I'm now headed for Seattle in September in my wheelchair. Its funny, I'll travel fearlessly to Rome without a worry in my head. But I'm obsessing over Seattle.
Mid March like March 10 to 15th or Mid march like March 15 to 22? The second is better. But even if you go the first part you probably will only face 1 rainy (as in drizzle) day.
With a range of 12 miles you should be OK. Round trip to the Vatican from centro is 6 to 8 miles. If you recharge in the middle of the day you should be fine.
If you are like me you get lazy and your chair (or in my case scooter)usually only does 1-3 miles a day. Before I go to Rome I go out and drive it longer and longer distances every day running the battery out. This enables the battery to take deeper and deeper charges. I get up to the 8-10 mile range that is indicated on the scooter. Also be aware that the cobblestones will decrease your range. Most chairs range decrease about 20% on Rome street surfaces.
You will need a plug adaptor but I don't think you'll need a current adaptor. I didn't for my scooter.
Places you might run into trouble. First and foremost from the airport to central Rome. My previous source for accessible transportation (Romalimo) has sold his accessible van. How tough is it for you to make a transfer? Virtually impossible? Tough but doable?
The train in from the airport to termini only has people to assist 8-5 Mon to Fri. Then when you are at termini you are still about 3 miles from centro.
Be very specific about needing a van with a ramp if you book a private car service.
Public transit doesn't work in Rome. Less than 1/3 the fleet has ramps and those that have ramps the drivers refuse to operate. If your companion wants to walk around in clerical garb SOMETIMES (but only sometimes) the drivers will put down the ramps.
Places you aren't going to be able to go. The second floor of the Borghese (but the first floor is pretty spectacular). The Capitoline museum although you will be able to access the Museo Nuovo across the way. If you are willing to be lifted in your chair you can access the Capitoline museum. Some people are, some people aren't.
Piazza Barberini is undergoing restauro. I'm hoping that means they will install some ramps but I wouldn't count on it.
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is inaccessible but St. Francis Luigi (the french church with the wonderful Caravaggio St Mathew triptych) is.
The 4 main cathedrals (besides St Peters) are all accessible. Castel San Angelo - accessible in about 80%.
The baths of Diocletian are accessible although you have to go over some crushed gravel to get to them. The baths of Caracalla are accessible AND have a decent handicap accessible bathroom. Mercati Trajani is inaccessible.
Piazza Navona is sort of accessible. On the Northeast corner by the fountain that looks like an elongated black fire hydrant (called nostril fountains) - maybe somebody can post a picture - the curbing is crumbling and broken down. If you chair can handle a little "extreme" scootering you should be able to access the great Bernini fountains.
The Museo de Roma Palazzo Braaschi and Palazzo Altemps are both wonderfully accessible. As is the scuderie at the Quirinale and the Quirinale (only open on Sundays).
The forum sadly is totally inaccessible to a power chair. I took my scooter but even then I was tempting fate.
If you can add a few more days to your trip it is very easy to travel from Rome to Florence on Trenitalia and I actually find Florence a bit more manageable in terms of wheelchair access. The only things not accessible in Florence are the Medici Chapels and the Duomo itself (who knew?). The Uffizi and the Accademia are accessible.
Hi -- Here is something else for you to check on. This summer I played in a bridge tournament in Verona. A friend was there who uses a large manual wheelchair. She was put out of her hotel because there was a law that handicapped people had to be in a handicapped room (they said). Their handicapped room had only a shower. My friend needed a room with a bath, not a shower, because she has a trach. I am guessing you also, since you have a ventilator. Anyway, my friend ultimately found a hotel that would give her a bath but then she found her chair wouldn't charge in the room, even though she has charged it before in other European countries. So these are just suggestions of things to check. My husband was in a large power chair the last 4 years of his life, and we did travel but only in the US. It was hard but worth it. Good Luck!
This websiteallows you to search for accomodations that welcome disabled travelrs with several different needs. Fil the form with our specific needs and you will get a list of structures that conform to them. ou will still want to contact the hotel and see if your specific needs are met, though. The law now requres all new hotels to be 100% accessible, but many older hotels are not. Also, don't forget that the most central hotels and other accomodtations are usually in old buildings that just can't be adapted to a highier standard of accessibility.
Originally posted by Ann M: Mary, you've provided such great information for Joseph. How lucky for him that you are a member of this board!
I just wanted to offer any assistance for your trip to Seattle. If there's any information I can get for you before your trip, please let me know.
Thanks Ann
Actually I am thrilled to help in any way I can. It was so daunting and hard for me my first trip to Italy with a wheelchair. If I can make anybody elses trip easier I figure it is just karma evening out for all the help the hundred and one angels in disguise (as other tourists or italians) have given me. Things have improved so much since then including the number of people in wheelchairs. My first trip I was literally stared at. Last trip I saw at least a dozen wheelchair tourists - not to mention residents of Rome.
I do have a couple of questions about Seattle. The first is my friend who is going with me wants to tour the rain forest. Is there any accessible paths or recommendations you have for us to look into for accessing the rain forest? Also, how accessible are the ferries? And finally I'm looking at a B and B in the University district. How far is that from downtown? How good is the bus system? I'm assuming its accessible.
I'm posting the site for Kéroul, an association founded over 25 years ago by two (then) young disabled people to promote travel and culture for people with disabilities in Québec, on the North America board...
Posts: 870 | Location: Montréal | Registered: 29 January 2006
Originally posted by Rome Addict: Mid March like March 10 to 15th or Mid march like March 15 to 22? The second is better. But even if you go the first part you probably will only face 1 rainy (as in drizzle) day.
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The train in from the airport to termini only has people to assist 8-5 Mon to Fri. Then when you are at termini you are still about 3 miles from centro.
Be very specific about needing a van with a ramp if you book a private car service.
Public transit doesn't work in Rome. Less than 1/3 the fleet has ramps and those that have ramps the drivers refuse to operate. If your companion wants to walk around in clerical garb SOMETIMES (but only sometimes) the drivers will put down the ramps.
Due to school scheduling, the dates will be March 10-17. I can deal with one day of drizzly weather. I'm adaptable.
I was planning on using the Leonardo Express from FCO to Termini, and then hire an accessible van to get to the hotel. Sandro informed me that he sold his van. I've e-mailed another company, but they've not responded.
My arrival and departure will be on the weekend. I guess I will just shell out the money to hire a van from FCO to the hotel. (Trenitalia never mentioned the assistants' schedules, in their e-mail.)
Again, thank you for your help. I'd love to see Florence, but that will have to wait.
This is in response to Rome Addicts' questions about Seattle:
The U District is north of Seattle and not a recommended wheelchair ride to downtown due to intervening geography & distance. The area is also hilly.
We were among the earliest adopters of accessible transit in Seattle in the 1970's. Quality has gone up and down over the years but overall has been good. Coverage of neighborhoods is very good and routes extend all the way to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains since the system is county-wide. Here's a link that can help: http://transit.metrokc.gov/tops/accessible/accessible.html
The Washington State Ferry system is similarly accessible. Interestingly, the main photo on their page currently shows a rider in a power chair: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/. The main problem I have ever discovered has to do with getting out of a vehicle and to the elevator once inside the ferry since everyone is parked so closely. The solution is to board in your chair and have someone else drive the vehicle onboard if that is an option.
"The Rainforest" is an entire region created when the wet air from the Pacific hits the Olympic mountain range. To pick just one access point, you might enjoy the Hoh Rainforest at the Mini Rainforest Trail http://www.nps.gov/archive/olym/access.htm The accessible cabins at Kalaloch beach are spacious and the restaurant overlooking the estuary was comfortable.
I made a special trip through the Olympic Peninsula assessing access but have not yet published the piece at the Rolling Rains Report. You can email me for more detail if you like.
Your experience may differ but one of the chief "accessibility" features of the region can be the genuine friendliness of Washingtonians -- and those who have lived there long enough to enculturate.
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