Accessible London: The Easiest Ways for Wheelchair Users to Get Around

For a wheelchair user, the city of London may seem like a nightmare to navigate. With bustling crowds and plenty of steep steps, getting around London in your wheelchair might seem like an impossible task.

But, the capital city is more accessible than you think – and when you know all of the best tips and tricks, visiting London with a disability can become a very enjoyable and memorable trip.

Book a Tour Bus
A disabled access tour bus is one of the best ways for wheelchair users to discover London. On the tour bus, you’ll be able to see all of the most popular tourist areas in the city in a short amount of time, and it also helps with getting a good idea of the layout for when you are travelling in your own time. You can also book a ticket for the wheelchair accessible London Eye with your tour bus ticket, a great way to get a look at the layout of the city from above. Most of the tours at www.theoriginaltour.com are wheelchair accessible.

Accessible Entrances
Don’t be put off visiting the most popular tourist attractions such as St. Paul’s Cathedral and the British Museum when you see the flights of stairs leading to the entrance. Both of these tourist attractions have wheelchair-friendly side entrances which you can use with either a wheelchair lift or a ramp. Simply ask a member of staff at the ticket office to help you!

Public Transport
When it comes to public transport, some methods are more wheelchair-friendly than others. Most of the London buses have wheelchair ramps, which the driver will let down to let you on the bus easily and without hassle. It’s also a good idea to get an Oyster card, a small credit-card sized plastic ticket which you can top up and use to pay as you go on buses, trains and the Underground. This will save you time and hassle queuing up at ticket offices.

Thames Boat Tours
Thames boat tours are wheelchair-friendly, and one of the best and most relaxing ways to get some awesome views of the city. There are a range of different tours available, from sightseeing tours to sunset tours with dinner and a drink. The most popular route is between Tower Bridge and Westminster Bridge, but you can also get a tour that goes all the way to Greenwich and back – a great way to see as much as you can of the city from the Thames. For the leading Thames boat tours website visit www.citycruises.com.

Millennium Bridge
Crossing the River Thames in a wheelchair can be a bit of a hassle on many of the bridges. But, the Millennium Bridge makes it easy, with elevators at each end of the bridge. This walking bridge connects St Paul’s Cathedral on the north side with the Tate Modern Museum on the south side of the river, and is an easy way for wheelchair users to get across. If you plan to drive in London, find convenient parking spaces close by to tourist attractions using www.yourparkingspace.co.uk.

London may be busy, but there are plenty of options for wheelchair users to get around and make the most of their trip.