I'm flying to Paris in mid-September. As mentioned in an earlier post, I have a very stiff right leg as a result of recent surgery. I'm pretty mobile but in very large airports I need a wheelchair, not only to get around the airport but also so I have a place to sit during interminable waits to get baggage etc. Does anyone know if it's possible to get a wheelchair at Paris Charles DeGaulle? Failing that, do they at least have electric carts with someone to drive me from one part of the airport to another? Thanks very much. The responses to my last post were very helpful.

Peter Yerkes

The Paris Airports website doesn't have a huge amount of information, but it might be worth contacting them directly. Unfortunately, CDG is one of the world's worst airports, so if there's one airport where wheelchair rental is not available, it'd be the one I'd expect.

In Terminal 1, I don't even see how a wheelchair would negotiate the endless series of escalators.

You can call the airline, and request wheelchair assistance. They have two levels of people needing assistance: Those that are severely handicapped and are not mobile on their own at all, and those who, like you, cannot stand or walk for long, but are ok to stand up at the security check point, and get into their seat on their own once they are to the front door of the airplane. This assistance is provided for free. You also get assistance from time of check-in to take you through security and to the departure gate - and then of course, for your transfer at your connection point.

Typcially if you have wheelchair assistance, you are boarded first, but when you land, they let everyone else deplane while you wait in your seat before they bring up the wheelchairs.

Hi!

I have MS and about five years ago, on my way to India, I had a stopover in Paris and I can assure you that they have wheelchairs. I could still walk at the time but not on long distances and so I used a chair.

You just need to tell the airline company when buying your plane ticket. Unfortunatly, chairs come with "pushers": whether you want it or not, someone from the company will push you around up to the gate. After that, you should be on your own... until it's time for boarding;then you'll have a "pusher" again...

Have a nice trip!

Oh and I forgot to say that when there are escalators, there are hidden elevators for wheelchair users. Hence, the "pusher" who knows where they are...

Thanks for the very good advice. I wanted to follow-up with a trip report which I hope might help (and encourage) other travelers. To my surprise, wheelchairs were wonderfully helpful at both Newark and Charles DeGaulle. I called Continental ahead of time, as suggested, and made another request at check-in. When we arrived in Paris, there was a wait -- maybe 10-15 mins for the wheelchair to arrive. But it was definitely worth it. Very very long distance to Baggage Claim and to Customs. And when we got there, the wheelchair pusher used a special gate so no waiting in line. Once I got the wheelchair, my wife and I got our bags, cleared Customs and were in a cab headed for Paris in 15-20 minutes. Similar experience when we left. So I advise travelers with similar issues to definitely get a wheelchair. Only cost is a small tip to the wheelchair pusher.