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Advice for disabled traveller staying in Athens? |
Travel Info Does anyone have any advice about accessibility of Athens for disabled travellers - historical sites etc? Is the metro/buses accessible? I am in a wheelchair, and will be staying in Athens for a week. Any tips would be welcomed. Thank you. :) Travel Tips You will be fine taking the metro or the bus. You will have a hard time getting around the city though. Unfortunately the downtown is very old with narrow pavements that don't slope up/down and have cars parked on them. As another person mentioned, it will be better if you have someone with you to help out. The National Archaeological Museum of Athens has a lift for the disabled, but I think it will be hard to access the Acropolis Museum as it is situated on top of a hill. Some hotels have rooms for the disabled. Hope you will have a good stay in Athens and eat a lot of good food! Source(s): http://www.greecetravel.com/handicapped/... http://www.culture.gr/2/21/214/21405m/e2... http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21101m/e2... http://www.southtravels.com/europe/greec... http://www.rooms-europe.de/english/greec... http://www.disabledsailingholidays.com/h... http://www.greece-now.org/life/athens%20... Other Travel Tips There is good accessibility in historical sites and museum but there is a big problem on the pavements...everybody 's parking on them due to lack of space,so I'd advice you always to be escorted Metro is accessable: Facilities for Disabled Persons The Athens Metro stations and trains have the necessary infrastructure to serve disabled people. Although it was not part of the original contract, Attiko Metro SA and the Ministry of Environment, City Planning and Public Works decided that this infrastructure was absolutely necessary and made the required actions to incorporate it in the system. Statistics show that 1/3 of people over 65 years has some physical disability. Moreover, disabled people make up 8-10% of the total population. The following features are part of Metro Lines 2 and 3. For people without wheelchairs Striation on the first and last step of the stairways. Handrail elongation details. Indications of direction and emergency button to stop the operation of escalators. Platform edge 鈥?additional warning striation Signs and graphics with more legible letters. Signs and graphics showing available facilities. Improvements in the level of lights. Accessible seats on the platforms. Double handrails in the two-directional stairways. Closed-circuit cameras. Reticular bars at regular intervals. For people in wheelchairs Elevators in all stations. Recorded announcements. Telephone for communicating with the station manager. Additional facilities close to the elevators Parked cars will be a problem when moving from place to place although ramps exist. The better the hotel you stay the more conveniences there will be.Visiting the Acropolis and its museum is no longer a problem. Go up the ramp to the entrance of the site and ask guards to escort you to the elevator.Special entrance is available also at the national archaeological museum.People on wheel chair and their escort do not pay a ticket in sites and public museums.Generally I cannot tell you that you will have access everywhere but if you are patient and ask locals to assist you you will have a good time. Lisensed guide. Greek Odysseys are for Everyone The Greece for Visitors mailbox tells me that physically challenged travelers are putting Greece on the itinerary in greater numbers than ever before. Greece, partially in response to needs raised by the Athens Olympics in 2004, is starting to address the needs of the handicapped traveler. But Greece still presents some special challenges to anyone needing assistive devices. In general, until very recently, the needs of a wheelchair-, walker-, or cane-user were not addressed very effectively at all, making free movement a major challenge for both the traveler and the average physically challenged citizen of Greece. Greece is largely a land of hills, even on the islands, and settlements were often perched on high, rocky spots as a protection against invaders - the term "acropolis" can be translated as "high city". Paved pathways are often steep and steps rarely have handrails. Please note - I'm not trying to discourage anyone from a trip to Greece! Based on my own experiences assisting a disabled friend, I know that forewarned is forearmed. General Tips for Disabled Travelers to Greece Wheelchair Users - motorized chairs definitely help make Greece work for the disabled traveler because even relatively flat areas are just that - relatively flat, with the occasional grade. Combined with the usually uneven pavements, motor power may be well worth the extra trouble in transportation. Scooter Users - this can be a very viable option since the narrower profile may be easier to navigate around Greece's passageways. Read one woman's story of travel in Greece at least partially by scooter. Walker/Cane/Stroller Users- good shoes are absolutely essential throughout Greece. Forget fashion. Go for the sole. Some good, hard soles won't give you traction on slippery stones - and in Greece, many of the pebbles are marble. Test those shoes. Ideally, your shoe should feel ever so slightly "sticky" against a slick surface like very clean linoleum or tile. This "stickiness" is usually from a slightly softer rubber sole. Bathrooms. This is not the bright part of travel in Greece. There is no enforced requirement for retrofitting handicapped-accessible toilets, though in practice toilets are often in small square rooms rather than stalls. If the bathroom is not also used as a storage area, these can often be managed. More recent buildings will have toilets in accord with EU guidelines.{P} On the street, hotels, which may have bathrooms off of the front lobby, are usually better bets than restaurants, where they are often located through the kitchen. Public bathrooms for tourists may or may not be accessible and in more remote areas may not be standard toilets with seats at all. Rarely, this may even mean an otherwise modern toilet stall with neat foot-shaped tiled treads and a hole in the floor. Also, in Greece people do not throw toilet paper in toilets, but into a lidded bin provided nearby. The piping system is not made to handle paper. Finally, "Finding the Flush" is a game almost all travelers to Greece play, as it can be almost anywhere and almost anything - a button, a lever, a pull cord, a foot pedal, or a knob to pull up. Hotels International chains may offer the best accommodations unfortunately, these come at a price and truly wheelchair-friendly rooms are usually carrying a four- or five-star price. Smaller, older hotels will often not have accessible rooms or baths. Ask. Then ask again. Challenged travelers are still rare enough that hoteliers may not quite understand the needs. Suggested question: has anyone in a wheelchair (or on a walker, or with a cane) stayed in your hotel before? In general, rooms in Greece are often smaller than similar accommodations in the US and the rest of Europe, and clearance spaces are narrow. One recent addition and exception is the Triptychon Resort, a wheelchair-friendly, large private house in the Peloponnese (see link above). The owners care for a quadriplegic relative in addition to managing the rental units. Rates for the three wheelchair-friendly suites run in the low US $70s per night. On the island of Crete, the Hotel Eria offers similar facilities including a pool lift and specially-equipped sightseeing vans. Many hotels have "alarm cords" dangling in the bathroom to use if you fall, the last vestige of some ordinance sometime. In practice, these are rarely connected to anything now. Don't count on them. Cell Phones: If you don't have a cell phone that will operate in Greece, buy a pay-as-you-go phone in Greece from Vodaphone or any of the major cell phone companies. The cost is about US 50 and that will usually include enough time for brief calls throughout your stay in Greece. Program the front desk number of each hotel you are staying at into it. Keep it with you or near you as an emergency alarm if you need help. Many budget rooms in Greece do not have phones in the rooms, and this way you have a chance of getting through to local help. What's the accessibility like? Public transportation in Greece offers a variety of degrees of accessibility. Here's a general look at what you may encounter. Buses: Varies. Generally not very accessible, but newer buses on major routes will have a space for wheelchairs and a lift, but whether these are actually used in practice is uncertain. Long-haul buses in Greece are usually tour-type buses with elevated seats, on-board toilets, window curtains, and other amenities. But access is almost always up a narrow flight of steps. Trains: Access to cars is almost invariably up narrow steps. Buses are more likely to be accessible, and tend to be faster and more comfortable as well. Ferries: Accessibility varies dramatically. Problems usually consist of unexpected steps up or down onto a deck and narrow passages. Private cabins are often very small and tight. Bigger, newer boats will have better facilities. Hydrofoils: Accessibility varies. The bigger hydrofoils offer better accessibility. The small ubiquitous island-hoppers will have limited accessibility and usually steps down into the body of the boat. Catamarans: These bigger vessels tend to be the better bet for handicapped travelers. Where they are available, they are usually the best sea-travel choice for the handicapped traveler, with airplane-like cabins but with more room. Sidewalks: Often uneven, rarely have curb cuts, few drivers pay much attention to the lights. Also a nightmare for parents with kids in strollers - see Matt Barrett's cautionary classic "Strollering Through Athens" under Travel with Kids to get an idea of this very challenging aspect of Greek travel. Athens Airport: Good access in the terminal including marked bathrooms. Unfortunately, steps are the rule for deplaning areas. Electric cars are available for disabled passengers to transfer between the two terminals. Athens Metro: Okay access including marked bathrooms. The new Metro initially ignored physically-challenged users, but Greek disabled organizations forced the plans to be revised, with some success. Rental Cars: Most major international companies will offer adaptive equipment but require an advance notice. Some Greek companies do as well, but you may be in for an easier time of it with the multinationals. What sites make sense for the physically challenged traveler Acropolis of Athens This site is more accessible now since the upgrades for the Olympics. There is now a wheelchair elevator located to one side of the Acropolis. While it's unnervingly steep, it does do the job. Once on the top, expect irregular ground crowded with ancient and uneven marble steps, stones, and fragments. This makes access to the Acropolis and Parthenon itself very difficult and will also be a challenge to those using canes or walkers. Good shoes are absolutely essential. Assistance by one or more people is really essential at this site. One wheelchair-bound traveler in the pre-elevator days reported that she had friends bodily carry her up to the Parthenon from the end of the paved path to the Beule Gate, but this is obviously not always possible or desirable. Plaka This area is the charming older section of Athens, right up against the Acropolis. Unfortunately, this means that while some areas are accessible, promising streets may suddenly become steep around the bend or end in a flight of steps. The shops are generally too small to allow a wheelchair inside, but some goods are displayed outside. Plaka restaurants usually have an outdoor dining area, which is generally accessible. The pavements are uneven, which can be difficult for those using a walker or cane. Mycenae Outer parts somewhat accessible, but a steep ancient ramp designed to unfoot invaders will deter most. Access is so-so up to the Lion Gate, poor beyond that point. Dodona, Northwest Greece Access is over grass, but the path is not steep. The lower section of the theater is fairly accessible. Ioannina Old City Good access in the center of the old walled city. Relatively easy access around the lake and tavernas. Iraklion Museum, Crete The main floor is accessible. Still well worth a visit as most of the most renowned Minoan objects are on the first floor. Knossos, Crete Many areas are accessible by wheelchair, but watch out for sudden unprotected drops. The initial access is relatively smooth. The once-trecherous deep circular pits or kouloura have railings now. Akrotiri, Santorini Relatively good access to the covered site, some rough pavings within it, but for the Hellenic Republic, it's good access. The Acropolis of Thira, or Ancient Thira (Fira) should not be considered accessible. Acropolis of Lindos, Rhodes Best considered not accessible. Steep access over rough and slippery choklakia stone pavings, then rough ground at the top. Rhodes Old City The lanes of the old city are often somewhat roughly paved with cobblestones but generally, a wheelchair user can get around fairly well. Some parts of the museums are accessible but may not be to a degree that makes the visit worthwhile for a casual visitor. Aigina Island (Aegina) - Town and Temple of Aphaia Relatively smooth streets make the port of Aigina a good choice. The Temple, located a short car ride inland, is almost completely surrounded by a smooth wheelchair-friendly pavement, making this well-preserved Doric temple on a pine-crowned hill a memorable spot to visit. The Taverna across the street has a small square bathroom. Guidebooks: The Eyewitness Travel Guide book series includes both "The Greek Islands" and "Greece - Athens and the Mainland". Unfortunately, most travelers will require both volumes. Listings for the major sites include the international wheelie icon if they are relatively accessible. The Greek Islands volume is superior in this respect and will give good access details; the Athens and the Mainland volume tends to just mark access as "limited" without saying why. The three-dimensional drawings of the sites and their surrounding areas also can give some hint of what the disabled traveler is up against. Some additional sites may be accessible by a determined individual able to make special efforts or bring extra assistance, but in general, they have covered this area well. The Eyewitness Travel Guides also include the wheelie icon for accessible hotels and restaurants which are listed in the back of the guide. And you can go at those address: http://www.santoriniweddings.com... http://www.gicc.net |
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