Train travel with a wheelchair
 A wheelchair space on a Eurostar. An accessible toilet is right next door. There are similar wheelchair spaces on trains from Brussels to Amsterdam & Cologne, and on TGVs from Lille to destinations all over France, and from Paris to Switzerland & Milan. |
If you're a wheelchair user, you can book a wheelchair space on Eurostar from London to Lille, Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam, then book an onwards wheelchair space on a train to other cities in France, Germany, Switzerland, Turin, Milan or Barcelona. Or book yourself a wheelchair-accessible 2-berth couchette on the Nightjet sleeper trains from Paris or Brussels to Salzburg or Vienna. On this page I'll tell you how to book a wheelchair space on these trains online, or if you'd rather talk to someone and have them book it for you, I'll tell you who to call.
I'm familiar with all the trains, but accessible travel is not something I'm really qualified to talk about, so I'd value your feedback. If you can add more to this page, please get in touch!
Step 1, travel on trains with
disabilities in Britain
Step 2, travel with disabilities
on Eurostar to Lille, Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam
Step 3, onward travel beyond
Eurostar to other countries...
If you'd rather talk
to someone, who to call?
Step 1, travel with disability in Britain
-
For travel within the UK, start with the National Rail site: www.nationalrail.co.uk/ stations_destinations/ disabled_passengers.aspx.
-
You can book tickets as normal, then call to arrange a wheelchair space and assistance or do it through the Passenger Assist mobile app, or the assistance booking forms on every train operator's website.
-
Tip: It can be better to book assistance and a wheelchair space first, then buy the tickets.
Step 2, travel with disability on Eurostar
-
You can travel by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Nord, Lille, Brussels Midi, Rotterdam Centraal or Amsterdam Centraal if you're a permanent wheelchair user or have other special needs.
Each Eurostar train has a wheelchair space in several 1st class cars, adjacent to a wheelchair-accessible toilet with push-button access.
There are special fares for people travelling in wheelchairs and one travelling companion, it's not a discount as such, you get 1st class travel with food & wine included at the 2nd class fare.
-
To book wheelchair travel online, go to www.eurostar.com and click Wheelchair under the passenger box on the journey planner.
This automatically alerts them that assistance is required onto & off the train, but you can always call them to confirm on 03432 186 186 or email them via www.eurostar.com. For more information, see www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-planning/accessibility.
-
You could also consider travelling by train ferry to Amsterdam, either London to Amsterdam by train & ferry, Hull to Rotterdam by P&O ferry or Newcastle to Amsterdam by DFDS ferry, contact the ferry operator (www.stenaline.co.uk for Harwich-Hoek van Holland, www.poferries.com for Hull-Rotterdam or www.dfds.com for Newcastle-Amsterdam) for information about accessibility and wheelchair-accessible cabins.
How to change stations in Paris
-
Changing trains in Brussels, Amsterdam and Lille means an easy same-station change.
In Paris, changing from the Gare du Nord where Eurostar arrives to the Gare de l'Est for trains to Reims, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and the Nightjet sleeper to Salzburg & Vienna means a 10-minute walk or wheelchair push.
-
However, journeys through Paris to the South of France, Switzerland, Italy & Spain usually mean changing stations from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon or Gare Montparnasse. For this there's a pre-bookable wheelchair-accessible taxi service run by G7 Taxis, www.g7.fr.
To book, call +33 1 41 27 66 99 (English speaking line) or +33 1 47 39 00 91, making sure you ask for a wheelchair accessible taxi.
There's a €5 booking fee, and bookings can be made from 7 days until 1 hour before you need the taxi. Gare du Nord to Gare d'Austerlitz for example costs €13-€19 per taxi. Feedback from users of this service would be very welcome!
Tip: Sometimes they decline to pick up at stations. If so, for pickup at the Gate du Nord suggest 'Boulevard de Denain' instead, this is the road immediately leading off in front of you when you leave the Gare du Nord's main exit. You might want to call when you know you have arrived.
-
There are also wheelchair-accessible buses. Bus 91 is wheelchair-accessible & links Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est, Gare de Lyon & Gare Montparnasse. See www.ratp.fr.
Step 3, travel with disability beyond Eurostar
-
Once on the Continent, most modern daytime trains have space for passengers travelling in wheelchairs. Some operators (such as SNCF in France, ÖBB in Austria) allow wheelchair users to book tickets with a wheelchair space themselves online. Others require you to call them.
-
Incidentally, don't buy regular tickets online, then try to add a wheelchair space (as you would in Britain). In many countries ticket purchase and the booking of a wheelchair space need to be done together as part of the same transaction.
-
For more about arrangements for travellers with disabilities in each country, start with the website of the relevant national train operator, see the list of websites on the useful links page.
-
Tip: Free Interrail pass for a companion/carer: Interrail passes can be great for a tour of Europe or even for a round trip from the UK to Italy, Spain, Austria & so on. A little-known benefit is that if you use a wheelchair (or have certain other disabilities) you can apply for a free Interrail pass for a companion/carer. See www.interrail.eu/en/support/travelling-with-reduced-mobility (please let me know if the link changes).
...to France
-
First look at the London to France page to see if you can travel to your French destination with an easy same-station change in Lille as this avoids having to change stations in Paris. This is possible for many destinations including Nice, Marseille, Cannes, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Avignon, Nantes, Nîmes & Montpellier. At Lille Europe there are lifts & escalators to all four platforms. All TGV trains have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets.
-
For other destinations, for example Vichy, Clermont-Ferrand or Cahors, you'll need to go via Paris, see the info above about accessible taxis.
-
To work out your train times, first see the London to France page.
-
Then book from London to Lille or Paris at www.eurostar.com, just click Wheelchair under the passenger box on the journey planner on their home page. This automatically alerts Eurostar to the need for assistance on and off the train.
-
Then book tickets from Lille or Paris to your French destination with a wheelchair space at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. For English, scroll right at the bottom and select Europe (other countries). Then click on the first traveller and tick the Disabled passenger and Wheelchair user boxes. That'll book you a wheelchair space.
-
After booking, arrange assistance on and off the train by filling in the Access Plus form, see www.garesetconnexions.sncf/en/assistances-psh-pmr/requests/contacts (please let me know if this link changes). You'll need the 6-character reservation code from your ticket booking.
...to Switzerland
-
By daytime trains
Take Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, with wheelchair spaces & accessible toilets on board.
In Paris there is level access off the platforms straight onto the concourse and the street. You will need to arrange transport from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon, for example using a wheelchair-accessible taxi.
Then travel from Paris Gare de Lyon to Geneva, Lausanne, Basel SBB & Zurich HB by TGV-Lyria high-speed trains with wheelchair places and wheelchair-accessible toilets.
You can see suggested timings on the London to Switzerland page, but you'll need to allow longer between trains in Paris if you've a wheelchair. I'd allow 2-3 hours.
Book from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com, just click Wheelchair under the passenger box on the journey planner on their home page. This automatically alerts Eurostar to the need for assistance on and off the train.
Then book tickets from Paris to Geneva, Lausanne, Basel or Zurich with a wheelchair space at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. For English, scroll right at the bottom and select Europe (other countries). Then click on the first traveller and tick the Disabled passenger and Wheelchair user boxes. That'll book you a wheelchair space.
After booking, arrange assistance on and off the train by filling in the Access Plus form, see www.garesetconnexions.sncf/en/assistances-psh-pmr/requests/contacts (please let me know if this link changes). You'll need the 6-character reservation code from your ticket booking.
-
By sleeper train
Take the 11:04 Eurostar from London St Pancras to Amsterdam Centraal, with wheelchair spaces & accessible toilets on board.
In Amsterdam it's a same-station change onto the daily Nightjet sleeper train from Amsterdam Centraal to Basel SBB. The Nightjet sleeper train has a wheelchair-accessible 2-berth couchette compartment, with adjacent accessible toilet, see the photos below the Austria section. I'd allow at least 2 hours between trains in Amsterdam.
Book from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com, just click Wheelchair under the passenger box on the journey planner on their home page. This automatically alerts Eurostar to the need for assistance on and off the train. Allow lots of time in Paris, ideally 2-3 hours.
Then take the Nightjet sleeper train from Amsterdam to Basel. You can book a couchette in the wheelchair-accessible compartment from Brussels to Vienna, Paris to Salzburg & Vienna, Amsterdam to Munich, Innsbruck & Vienna, or Amsterdam to Zurich at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Select the first traveller, click Passenger with disabilities then tick the Wheelchair bay required box.
From Basel you can reach anywhere in Switzerland, Swiss trains have wheelchair spaces.
...to Italy:
-
Take Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, with wheelchair spaces & accessible toilets on board.
You will need to arrange transport across Paris to the Gare de Lyon, for example using the wheelchair-accessible taxi. Then take a daytime TGV train from Paris to Turin & Milan as these have wheelchair places and wheelchair-accessible toilets, for details see the Italy page.
Book from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com, just click Wheelchair under the passenger box on the journey planner on their home page. This automatically alerts Eurostar to the need for assistance on and off the train. Allow lots of time in Paris, ideally 2-3 hours.
-
Then book TGV tickets from Paris to Milan with a wheelchair space at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. For English, scroll right at the bottom and select Europe (other countries). Then click on the first traveller and tick the Disabled passenger and Wheelchair user boxes. That'll book you a wheelchair space.
-
You can see suggested timings on the London to Italy page, but allow longer between trains in Paris if you've a wheelchair.
-
After booking Paris-Milan with SNCF, arrange assistance on and off the train by filling in the Access Plus form, see www.garesetconnexions.sncf/en/assistances-psh-pmr/requests/contacts (please let me know if this link changes). You'll need the 6-character reservation code from your ticket booking.
-
Once in Italy, most fast trains including Frecciarossa, Frecciargento & Frecciabianca services between major Italian cities have wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-accessible toilets. For train times and how to buy tickets, see the London to Italy page. You can arrange assistance at stations and assistance on and off trains (and, I believe, get wheelchair spaces reserved on trains in Italy) at www.rfi.it/en/for-persons-with-disability.html.
...to Spain
-
Take Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, with wheelchair spaces & accessible toilets on board.
You will need to arrange transport across Paris to the Gare de Lyon, for example using the wheelchair-accessible taxi.
-
Then take a Paris-Barcelona TGV as shown on the London to Spain page, with wheelchair spaces & accessible toilets on board.
You'll then also find these facilities on the onward Spanish AVE trains from Barcelona to Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Alicante, Valencia and most other Spanish destinations. However, there are no wheelchair facilities on the French overnight trains between Paris and Perpignan, Latour de Carol or the Spanish border mentioned on that page.
-
To travel from London to Barcelona by Eurostar & TGV, first book from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com, just click Wheelchair under the passenger box on the journey planner on their home page. This automatically alerts Eurostar to the need for assistance on and off the train.
-
You can see suggested timings on the London to Spain page, but allow longer between trains in Paris if you've a wheelchair.
-
lots of time in Paris, ideally 2-3 hours.
-
Then book TGV tickets from Paris to Barcelona with a wheelchair space at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. For English, scroll right at the bottom and select Europe (other countries). Then click on the first traveller and tick the Disabled passenger and Wheelchair user boxes. That'll book you a wheelchair space.
-
After booking Paris-Barcelona with SNCF, arrange assistance on and off the train by filling in the Access Plus form, see www.garesetconnexions.sncf/en/assistances-psh-pmr/requests/contacts (please let me know if this link changes). You'll need the 6-character reservation code from your ticket booking.
-
There are also direct ferries from the UK to Spain, with disabled/wheelchair facilities. See www.brittany-ferries.co.uk (Plymouth-Santander, Portsmouth-Santander & Portsmouth-Bilbao).
...to Germany
-
Take Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels Midi or Paris Gare du Nord, with wheelchair spaces & accessible toilets on board.
-
In Brussels it's a simple same-station change with lifts to/from all platforms. In Paris, it's a 10-15 minute walk or wheelchair push from the Gare du Nord where Eurostar arrives to Paris Gare de l'Est where trains to Germany depart.
-
From Brussels Midi, there are Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed trains to Cologne all with wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets. From Cologne, there are wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets on almost all the InterCity (IC) and InterCityExpress (ICE) trains to destinations all over Germany. Boarding assistance can be provided at most major Germany stations.
From Paris Gare de l'Est there are TGV or ICE trains to Stuttgart, Munich, Frankfurt all with wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-accessible toilets. For train times, fares & how to buy tickets, see the London to Germany page. There is a handicap brochure with more information on the Germany Railways website, int.bahn.de.
-
You can see suggested timings on the London to Germany page, but allow longer between trains in Paris or Brussels.
-
First book from London to Paris or Brussels at www.eurostar.com, click Wheelchair under the passenger box on the journey planner on their home page. This automatically alerts Eurostar to the need for assistance on and off the train. Allow lots of time in Paris, ideally 2 hours.
-
If going via Paris, book tickets from Paris to Germany with a wheelchair space at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com. For English, scroll right at the bottom and select Europe (other countries). Then click on the first traveller and tick the Disabled passenger and Wheelchair user boxes. That'll book you a wheelchair space.
After booking Paris-Germany with SNCF, arrange assistance on and off the train by filling in the Access Plus form, see www.garesetconnexions.sncf/en/assistances-psh-pmr/requests/contacts. You'll need the 6-character reservation code from your ticket booking.
If going via Brussels, book by phone and arrange assistance by calling DB's mobility people: +49 (0) 030 65212888, fax: +49 (0) 30 65212899, email msz@deutschebahn.com Opening hours 06:00-22:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00-20:00 weekends and holidays.
...to Austria
-
Take Eurostar from London St Pancras to either Paris Nord, Brussels Midi or Amsterdam Centraal, with wheelchair spaces & accessible toilets.
Then travel by a Nightjet sleeper train from Brussels Midi to Vienna, Paris Est to Salzburg & Vienna, or Amsterdam Centraal to Munich, Innsbruck & Vienna. Most Nightjets have a 2-berth accessible couchette compartment, adjacent to an accessible toilet, see the photos below.
You can find details of the timings via each of these routes on the London to Austria page.
Going via Brussels or Amsterdam means an easy same-station change from Eurostar onto the sleeper. Going via Paris means a walk or wheelchair-push from the Gare du Nord to the nearby Gare de l'Est.
-
Book the Eurostar from London to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam at www.eurostar.com, simply click Wheelchair under the passenger box on the journey planner on their home page. This automatically alerts Eurostar to the need for assistance on and off the train. Allow lots of time between trains, ideally 2 hours.
-
Then book a couchette in the wheelchair-accessible compartment from Brussels to Vienna, Paris to Salzburg & Vienna, Amsterdam to Munich, Innsbruck & Vienna at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at. Select the first traveller, click Passenger with disabilities then tick the Wheelchair bay required box.
2-berth wheelchair-accessible PRM compartment on a Nightjet sleeper train. Above left, the older type inherited from German Railways. Above right, the newer comfort type steadily replacing the older cars. Photos courtesy of Andreas Pöschek, see @fuchur for travel inspiration...
If you'd rather call someone
-
For journeys from London to France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland & Italy, call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday).
You can also try www.ffestiniogtravel.com on 01766 512400 (09:00-17:00 Mondays to Fridays, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays) or www.trainseurope.co.uk on 01354 660222 (09:00-19:00 Monday to Friday, 10:00-15:00 Saturdays & Sundays).
-
For journeys from London to Germany, Scandinavia, eastern & central Europe, call Deutsche Bahn's English-speaking telesales line, on 00 49 (0)30 311 68 29 04 (lines open 08:30-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays & Sunday, UK time).
DB can make arrangements to assist you at Paris East, Brussels Midi, in Germany and in other countries too, but you may also need to call Eurostar (03432 186 186 or email them via www.eurostar.com) to arrange assistance at London St Pancras & Paris Gare du Nord.
You can also try www.ffestiniogtravel.com on 01766 512400 (09:00-17:00 Mondays to Fridays, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays) or www.trainseurope.co.uk on 01354 660222 (09:00-19:00 Monday to Friday, 10:00-15:00 Saturdays & Sundays).
-
I am familiar with all these agencies for the sale or normal tickets, but I have not had any feedback on how well they handle bookings for wheelchair users or travellers with disabilities, or how well they handle arrangements for assistance at stations. So if you use them, do let me know how you get on!
Traveller's reports
Traveller Andrew Farrow went from London to Croatia by train in a wheelchair: I’m a permanent wheelchair user, with a 'normal' manual wheelchair. I need a ramp to get on to a train. I can, with assistance, transfer to a normal seat and my wheelchair can be folded away - people with bigger or electric wheelchairs might have a different experience. Because of the hassle of sorting out ramps and assistance, I’d allow a minimum of at least 30 minutes to change trains at any station, preferably a lot longer. And despite the European Community supposedly being a place of common rules and regulations, this does not seem to apply to rail travel in a wheelchair, where each country has its own approach. Each country has different rules about companions or carers and a different mechanism for dealing with wheelchairs. From my experience so far, you need to be willing to be lifted in and out of trains, to accept not always being able to get to a toilet, to have to transfer from your chair and to have a lot of patience. That said, because of my wheelchair we met far more people and had far more wonderful encounters with strangers than we would have done otherwise. Everywhere people were enormously friendly and helpful: partly as a result of my London–Split trip, I’ve decided I will now travel in Europe only by train.
I booked my Eurostar ticket online, a very easy process. The Paris–Split travel was all arranged by Deutsch Bahn. However, Deutsch Bahn could only arrange assistance in Germany, not Croatia.
1. London - Paris: Eurostar is wonderful for wheelchair users. There are only two wheelchair spaces in the entire train, so it’s worth booking early if you have to catch a specific train. Assistance does not need to be booked in advance, you don’t need to turn up especially early and you can check in at the normal check in desks. A (very grand) ramp is provided in both London and Paris (Gare du Nord).
2. Paris - Munich: Following your advice, we caught the overnight train from Paris Gare de l’Est [sadly discontinued from December 2014], leaving at 20:05, arriving Munich 07:10. This was a fantastic journey: we had an entire compartment to ourselves, although others could access the toilet! Instead of a four person couchette, our compartment was a two person couchette with a lot of extra room for wheeling about. Similarly, the toilet was enormous, with huge amounts of room. With this level of luxury, I doubt whether they can accommodate more than one wheelchair user, so book early. You need to get to Gare de L’Est at least half an hour before the train leaves and go to the Special Assistance office to find a staff member who will then find a ramp for you. We had to wait in Munich for a little while for a ramp to be found.
3. Munich – Zagreb: Deutsch Bahn wouldn’t allow us to catch the suggested 08:27 from Munich to Zagreb as they said that there wouldn’t be enough time to make the change from one train to another (That actually turned out quite well, because when we arrived in Munich, we discovered it was Oktoberfest, so had time to walk down to the venue and experience literally tens of thousands of Germans in lederhosen celebrating and sampling enormous quantities of beer). Instead, they booked us on to the direct train to Zagreb leaving Munich at 12:27 and arriving Zagreb at 20:53, no changes necessary. Getting on the train in Munich was fine. However, this journey would not be possible for someone who cannot transfer from their wheelchair: I had to transfer from my chair to a seat at the end of the compartment as the corridor was too narrow to wheel down. There is no separate wheelchair space, and my chair had to be folded up. Given this experience, I doubt whether the toilet was accessible (I didn’t check). It was a comfortable train though, and the conductor very helpfully brought food and beer to our seats.
I was unsure what would happen when we got to Zagreb or Split. Whilst I had found contact details for Croatian Railways and did have an email conversation discussing what train times and carriages I was in (“We need these details so we could be able to organized your transportation”), I didn’t actually have confirmation that assistance or ramps would be available. In Zagreb, a ramp was eventually found and we descended. It’s an accessible station with no steps. We stayed the night in the Esplanade Hotel, about five minutes walk from the station and a glorious Art Deco hotel with very reasonable prices. It used to be the preferred venue for travellers stopping off en route on the old Orient Express leg from Istanbul to Zagreb apparently. This allowed us a morning to explore Zagreb, where there’s an original carriage from the Orient Express that’s been turned into a bar.
4. Zagreb – Split: We left Zagreb at 14:04, arriving Split at 20:37. We arrived at Zagreb station 45 minutes before the train was due to leave and after a lot of confusion and discussion at the information desk, got taken to a side office and eventually a ramp was arranged. Again, I had to transfer from my wheelchair. Again, I doubt whether there were accessible toilets on board. At Split, no ramp but lots of strong helpful men to get me down. An accessible station, no steps.
Traveller Jill Lindenbauer travelled from London to Valencia by train with her young son who uses a wheelchair. She reports: "I feel so lucky to have Ebbsfleet International on my doorstep, and the staff which assisted William and I certainly made us feel like VIPs. It was no trouble boarding the train and as William's carer we were privileged to sit in 1st class as this is where the wheelchair seating is situated, even though we only paid 2nd class fares. Immediately we were asked if we wanted a drink, and a meal was provided, which I wasn't expecting. It certainly got the holiday off to a good start, and whilst travelling I received a call from the English-speaking G7 Taxi service in France to say that our wheelchair-accessible taxi would be waiting when we arrived in Gare Du Nord. This is a quick and easy service to use and I booked our taxi in advance from the comfort of my own living-room.
When William and I reached Gare Du Nord that sunny evening there was the same buzz of activity as the ramp was prepared for the wheelchair, and a porter took my bags. I soon spotted my name on a white piece of card, but I'm guessing the taxi driver spotted my son and I as we made our way along the platform. The taxi driver took my bag and led the way to his vehicle outside. He swiftly organised the ramp and pushed William in his chair inside, where he secured William's wheelchair to the car floor with belts. The politeness and assistance of the taxi driver made our short trip effortless and at Gare D'Austerlitz he escorted us to the Information Office. The taxi cost 40-50 euros, but the meter was probably running as we are leaving the train and as we are about the last to leave as we wait for special assistance this is a small price to pay.
At Gare d'Austerlitz the woman in the information desk shook her head as she saw my little boy's heavy manual wheelchair surrounded by luggage, and made hand signals to indicate how small the trenhotel to Barcelona was. Around 8pm it arrived. The guard checked my ticket, which clearly stated "disabled passenger," and showed me our Gran Clase 2-berth sleeper, which was the first one adjacent to the dining-car. Unfortunately I could see that there was no way I was going to be able to board the train or enter our cabin with the wheelchair, which was just a few centimetres too wide. So I unbelted William and sat him in the cabin propped up with some luggage and quickly dismantled the wheelchair which divides into three pieces, the main chair does not and this I placed on the second seat, the wheels disappeared into the shower area, and we soon had the cabin looking homely, as I sat William on my lap.
Dinner arrived as it was evident that we wouldn't be very popular blocking the dining-car. I was quite content eating and watching the scenery, but like most children my son was not happy with his dinner, even though there was a children's menu, so one of our rucksacks carried extra food supplies just in case! Our bed was made and sleep was welcome. All our luggage was on the top berth and made the cabin nice and spacious. The rolling and rattling of the carriages made me feel like I was being rocked in a cradle. Morning arrived, breakfast was served and Barcelona appeared. William and I were sitting in Parc De La Ciutadella in Barcelona at 9am, waiting for our final connection to Valencia. At 10am we went to the Information Desk at the station, where they were expecting us. Unfortunately there was no ramp to be seen, and so I carried William on board whilst the female assistant asked a member of the public to help her place the wheelchair on the train. There was a special area for this, which is called the "H" Seat. In comparison to the Trenhotel this train looked newer and wider. The scenery along the coast was breathtaking, making us feel like peeping toms, as we would spurt through a dark tunnel to be met by bright sunlight and naked bodies on golden beaches. The journey passed quickly as the train filled and emptied at seaside stations. At one time the wheelchair was covered by a sea of other people's suitcases, which was a good thing William sat with me for most of the time. As the train pulled into Valencia I was geared up to take William off myself, but the three young men in uniforms bearing the wheelchair logo were already in the process of operating the ramp, and we became a fascinating spectacle for the Spanish public.
My tearful sister was there to greet us, waiting to hear of our travels, which I found to be fun and hassle free. Unlike the madness of airports and wondering if you are going to see your bags again I found the whole experience graceful and dignified. William and I and the faithful wheelchair by our side feel like we actually travelled and saw life, rather than being catapulted into the air, looking at the sky for a couple of hours, and then being trundled onto a bus to go and search for our luggage. When we returned we knew the process so it was even easier and the same taxi driver asked how we got on. The only problem was both lifts at Gare Du Nord were out of action until 10th August, but I carried William up the escalator and my assistant at the station took the wheelchair.