Lourdes Travel Forum

I am traveling with my parents who will need wheelchair assistance during our trip to Lourdes and Paris from Chicago. Are there places that will lease/rent out wheelchairs during the duration of our stay in Lourdes and Paris? We plan to stay in Lourdes for 3 days and about 1 1/2 weeks in Paris. They will also need wheelchair access in and around airport and train terminals as well. I just need to know if there are other options besides bringing their own wheelchairs. It will be a leisure trip as well and we plan to rent a vehicle so relying on public transportation will be very minimal.
I appreciate your advise.

You might wish to take a look at the following web sites: (1) www.globalaccessnews.com/linksnew.htm, & (2) www.accessinparis.org. Gary

My husband & I accompany friends & sometimes relatives to Lourdes. It will not be the first time we travelled with someone needing a wheelchair upon their destination. What we normally do is about a week prior to our arrival, we would fax our letter to the hotel we normally book and explain to them that we will be needing a wheelchair upon our arrival in Lourdes. What we are afraid they can't do is meet their clients at the train station & bring you the wheelchair at the train station. So, what we did was upon our arrival via train in Lourdes, we took a taxi at the train station to our the hotel which cost approx. 4.50Euros plus a bit of tip -the hotel is almost kissing the gate of the Santuario. Upon arrival at the hotel that is when we were able to get the wheelchair which was part of their personal service meaning there was no charge. However, there are times or days that the hotel runs out of wheelchairs in Lourdes, as these is one lovely town many sick, ill, handicapp people visit and do their pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes, so, your next option is calling and getting in touch with the hospital inside the Santuario. There you will need to give enough time again making the arrangement borrowing a wheelchair, but yes, they have thousands and thousands of wheelchairs for you to borrow, "free of charge" donations as appreciated. Now in Paris, depending on your hotel, not necessary the category of your hotel, normally they would have wheelchairs available for their guests, so, again, we would advise you to please contact your hotel in Paris and make sure you will need two wheelchair during your duration in Paris. Do look into our homepage on Lourdes and perhaps it will give you a bit more information on what there is in Lourdes and what to expect while in Lourdes. About the restaurants in Lourdes, prodominently in Lourdes your dinner would be "pizza, pasta and from time to time some restaurants/bar serves fishes, but non would be fresh, they are mostly frozen fishes, which people like us from Barcelona would not really look forward to frozen seafoods, we are too spoiled when it comes to seafoods we want it and wants to see the fish still or practically breathing...So, perhaps we would advise you to order pasta, or pizza. Try to make the 9pm Novena Rosary procession. It happens to be one of the things my husband & I really look forward to, was the 9pm Novena Rosary procession, it was very touchy & beautiful, there are no words to describe our happiness joining the procession, whether it be raining or a warm, warm day!Another advise we can give you through our experience,bring or save your large bottles of coca cola bottles & fill it up with holy water from Lourdes, of-course you can purchase those fancy ones, but because we are always in Lourdes then it's one way we cut our expenses. Also, prior to your coming to Lourdes if you are able to make hefy luncheon sandwhiches then do it so you can save on your meals as well. Remember these is becoming a very touristic area now, although we all go to Lourdes to pray and many take advantage of the hundred thousands of people that come and go. In the event you will need volunteers to push one of the wheelchairs, that is a very easy solution, again go back to the hospital and speak to one of the administrative nurses and they will be happy to provide a volunteer to push one of the wheelchairs. My husband and I always volunteer at the hospital in Lourdes, so, we know it's a good feeling helping people as well as being help! God Bless You and your family.