ParisByTrain.com

[1JJM]

Hi Ben,

The hotel I'll be staying at in Paris in May 2009 is near the Vavin metro station (ligne 4).
I would like to go to the Notre Dame Cathedral and would like to know which metro stop
is closer to the church's main entrance for mass services---Cite or St. Michel? Are they
closer than the St. Michel Notre Dame stop on the RER?

Also, I'm concerned about walking long distances and going up and down steps and stairs
since I have limited mobility and it would be difficult for me (especially on my leg muscles
which tend to tighten up a bit at times). Can you please tell me if any of these stations
(Cite, St. Michel, and St. Michel Notre Dame) have escalators and/or elevators accessible
for people particularly with disabilities or limited mobility?

Please let me know the best way to get there with the shortest and most convenient route
as possible. In case the stations mentioned above are not very accessible, I suppose my
best bet would be to take a taxicab since I might also find it difficult to get up the steps of a bus.

Thanks in advance...

1JJM

[ben]

Hi 1JJM,

Unfortunately the stops at Notre Dame are not mobility friendly... all exits/entrances have stairs that need to be negotiated. The closest stop on an RER line that has elevators is Gare d'Austerlitz and from there it is possible to take Bus 24 closer to Notre Dame.

This map of wheelchair accessibility of bus, RER & Metro lines may be helpful. Any stops your see marked on this map's RER or Metro lines means that accessibility is good for mobility impaired people. When there is no stop marked along a line where there normally is a stop, that means that that stop is inaccessible for those who must use an elevator.

Best regards,

Ben

[1JJM]

Hi Ben,

Thanks for the response. For the convenience, maybe I'll just take a cab from my hotel (located in the Saint Germain area near Vavin metro station) to Notre Dame Cathedral which I assume would be a short ride (for about 10 Euros or less perhaps?) just so I wouldn't have to worry about transferring from metro stations (particularly those which are not too accessible to people with limited mobility or the disabled) to a bus to get there. I appreciate your response!

Thanks again,
JJM