Rome - Sep 2015

Rome will definitely be a challenging city to visit for any wheelchair user. I knew this before coming here, but I was willing to face those challenges head-on because one of my bucket-list items was to see the Coliseum. Yes, I did see the Coliseum, but not without some blood, sweat, and tears.

ACCOMODATION

I booked my first Airbnb room close to Termini station to make it easier for me to get to. That turned out to be meaningless (see below). The host said there were no stairs and an elevator and that he had a friend in a wheelchair visit him recently so everything would be fine. When I arrived there were two small steps, no big deal because I can handle that. But the big problem came when I wasn’t able to fit into the elevator! This was the first time this had ever happened to me. I came close to not fitting into the elevator in other cities, but this time the door was very narrow. The host had to place a kitchen chair in the elevator for me to transfer onto and then she carried my chair up the stairs. On the contrary, once I got into the apartment, everything was fine. The place was very spacious and the bathroom was large enough to get into without any issues. But not being able to get in and out of the building was not going to work and so I immediately needed to find a new room which was quite disappointing and a waste of precious vacation time.  

Two days later, by sheer luck, I was able to find a real wheelchair accessible room only a 10min walk from Vatican city. This was more a like a hotel room. There was just a bed, desk, and bathroom and the best part was that it was specifically designed for wheelchair users. There was a roll in shower with grab bars. The only odd thing was the two steps to get into the room. I would have preferred a room in a flat with other people I could talk to, but at this point, I was just happy to have a suitable room and bathroom I could use comfortably. I would recommend staying in the area of Vatican City if you can since the sidewalks are smoother with more curb cuts.

ACCESSBILITY

The infrastructure in Rome is terrible. Italy is not exactly a poor country so I don’t know why that is the case. Visiting Rome will seriously test your perseverance, but with lots of planning and having proper expectations, you can make your visit more enjoyable and less challenging.

Sidewalks

Sidewalks in Rome are absolutely atrocious. I booked my first Airbnb room close to Termini. It was supposed to be a 15min walk, but ended up taking almost 2 hours!

Rome sidewalks can be:

• Narrow and uneven
• broken or missing
• End randomly
• Cobblestoned – large and small
• Loose or missing cobblestone
• Without curb cuts, or only have curb cuts on one side

There was a time when I crossed the street on one side with a curb cut, and when I got to the other side there were two steps to get up!

Roads

Roads are no better. Drivers are nuts in Rome! There are no lanes. People just drive wherever they like on the roads. And if you’re a pedestrian waiting to cross, you will be cut off by motorcyclists and cars turning right every single time! There is no right-of-way for pedestrians. Be warned!

Airport

Leonardo Express

I took the Leonardo Express from Fiumicino airport to Termini station in central Rome. I was able to go online and book special assistance to get from the gate to my luggage and onto the train.  This can be hit or miss. The employee didn’t know where he was going and ended up taking me on a wild goose chase through the airport.

Anyway, the Leonardo Express was surprisingly very accessible. I booked assistance because I was afraid the train would have steps and thus would need help getting on. However, the train was flush with the platform and I was able to get on an off on my own. There are designated spots for wheelchairs and an accessible toilet. The ride takes 30min and costs 14€ each way with no discount for the disabled.

For train assistance

General Access Info

Wheelchair toilet in Vatican

Public Transit

The most disappointing thing about Rome for disabled people is that most forms of public transit are not accessible. The metro and trams are not accessible at all and I knew this going in. However, I thought most of the buses would be good. This is not the case. Some bus lines are accessible, but many are not. For the lines that are accessible, not every bus is accessible! And the most frustrating thing is that there’s no way to find out. The transit web site doesn’t tell you. The only thing you can really do is just go to the bus stop and hope for the best.

When you do find an accessible bus, you enter from the rear door and the driver has to manually flip out the ramp. I’m not sure if there’s a charge for disabled people, but I never paid. There was no way I was paying for that kind of service.

Taxis

Bad sidewalks combined with bad public transit, meant I had to take taxis sometimes. The taxis in Rome are fine. There are many of them and I saw many van taxis. However, they are not cheap and can really add up if that’s your main form of transportation.

ATTRACTIONS / SIGHTS

If you can negotiate the shitty sidewalks and public transit to actually get to the attractions, disabled people will be well taken care of. I only visited two attractions due to the limited transportation options, so I opted to visit them multiple times.

Coliseum

I did manage to find an accessible bus to take me to the Coliseum which is surprisingly very wheelchair accessible. The area is surrounded by cobblestone, but it can be done slowly on your own or with some help. Once there you can skip the ridiculous line and go straight to the counter for a free disabled ticket. There is even an elevator to take you to the 2^nd level where it is smooth all the way around! You can go wherever you like! The terrain is rougher on the 1^st level, but you can still explore all the areas without encountering any stairs. After that, I would recommend checking out the Roman Forum. There will be ramps in some places and very high curbs in others.

Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are absolutely beautiful and you can easily spend the whole day there. Admission is free for the disabled and once inside it’s mostly flat and there are accessible toilets. The counter agent asked me for documentation to prove that I was disabled and I just pointed to my wheelchair. Since I didn’t have any specific documents he asked for my passport and printed out a ticket with my full name on it. The galleries are gorgeous and you could literally spend all day here. To get into the Sistine Chapel, you will need to take an old school lift that goes along the railing, and then down a narrow hallway.  Once there though, you will be in awe at how beautiful it is. I feel sorry for the guy who has to yell out all day long “no photos please”.

To get into St. Peter’s Basilica, you will need to exit

Ramp into St. Peter's Basilica

the museums and go outside and around. There’s another huge line, but just skip it and go straight to the front. There’s no admission fee for anyone. Take the elevator up and then the ramp to get inside. I thought Sagrada Famalia was an amazing church, but this one blows it out of the water! The Catholics definitely have some coin. The architecture, the lights, the sounds, the sculptures and artwork are all breathtaking.

St. Peter's Square

After that, be sure to spend time in St. Peter’s Square. Seeing this in person was a surreal experience.  That balcony where the Pope comes out to address the people, is an image I had only seen on TV. And now I was actually here. I spent a lot of time just hanging out and strolling around in this area.

Here is a good resource for access in Rome

Be sure to try the ice cream from
Lemongrass Gelato

I didn’t do any nightlife in Rome and that is because I couldn’t get to them on public transit. Even if I took a taxi, I may not have been to cross the street on my own. So I chose to skip the nightlife altogether in Rome. I did find some other unique delights. I ate ice cream every day and it was some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had! This may be a cliché, but I did eat some very good pizza and pasta!

Overall, I am sad to say that Rome is the first city I have visited where I am confident I would not return. I am still happy that I came here and got to see some of the most famous and recognized places on the planet, but the nightmare challenges I faced trying to get around could not entice me to return.

Vienna - Aug 2015

I’m still not certain where I got the idea to visit Vienna, but I’m sure glad I did. I thought Barcelona was the most wheelchair accessible city in Europe, but I’ll now have to pass that award to the city of Vienna, Austria.

Vienna is very modern for a European city. There are new buildings everywhere and even the old ones are beautifully restored. Nothing looks run down or old and about fall apart. Everything is extremely clean. There isn’t a piece of trash anywhere to be seen! The Viennese are very clean people. Vienna is always ranked highly for their standard of living, I now I can see why.

ACCOMODATION

I managed to find a couchsurfing host on this trip for my first 2 nights. His name is Hartwig and he lives in a huge, modern apartment along the Danube river. He was a cool guy. We joked about how he was the white, Austrian guy who was a Buddhist and I was the Asian guy who had a thing for German girls!

After that I booked a room with a young couple through Airbnb. They lived in an area called Millennium City. Their apartment is literally in a shopping mall. The whole area was very modern and didn’t feel like Europe at all, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Staying with them was my best Airbnb experience so far. Before I even arrived, they meticulously answered all of my questions about steps, elevators, and the bathroom doorway. They have two bathrooms and the guest bathroom had a stand-up shower, whereas theirs had a bathtub and they switched bathrooms just so I would be more comfortable. On my first night, they invited me to have dinner with them. The next morning, the wife left me apple cake and coffee for breakfast. They gave me plenty of tips on what to do and how to get around the city. I never felt like a renter, but rather always like a houseguest.

Karin and I in the Burggarten

I sent Karin a couchsurfing request, but unfortunately she wasn’t able to host me. However, she did offer to show me around the city and it turned out to be one of the best days of my entire trip. Karin uses a power chair so I knew she would be a good guide. We met up on the shopping street Mariahilfer Strasse where she took me to her favourite restaurant for wiener schnitzel. 

Couchsurfing meetup in WUK

We wandered around the Ring and the 1^st district, checking out various buildings and parks like the Burggarten. This is where I bumped into a friend – from Vancouver! And found swing dancers! We then joined a couchsurfing meetup in WUK and partied with other travelers until late. Karin is super friendly and very outgoing. Meeting here was definitely a highlight of my trip.

ACCESSBILITY

As I mentioned above, Vienna, is the most wheelchair accessible city in Europe I have visited. Here is a fantastic resource for people with disabilities visiting Vienna. Accessible Vienna 

Sidewalks

The sidewalks in Vienna are simply the best out of any city I’ve been to. They are flat and very wide (even by North American standards) and there are very few cobblestones! The city is mostly flat and there are curb cuts everywhere.

Airport

I took the City Airport Train non-stop from Vienna International Airport to the city centre. The train station is very easy to find as soon as you leave the arrivals area. There is a discount of about half price (5€ each way) for the disabled and the trip only takes 16 minutes. There is a bit of gap between the platform and train, but I think if you ask they’ll put down a ramp for you. Once on board, there is a special section for wheelchairs which I noticed people like to store their luggage in, but the train staff will tell them to move.

Public Transit

My go-to form of transit was the metro, which is quite rare because the metro is not usually accessible – even in North American cities. In Vienna, not only is the entire metro completely wheelchair accessible, it’s very easy to use. The elevators are located in logical and easy to find areas. There was no ‘running around’ the stations trying to find the elevator or taking the wrong ones. In some stations there was one elevator to get out and that was it! And they all worked! I didn’t come across a broken elevator even once. Fares run on the honour system. I’ve treated every city like the transit is free for the disabled. In other words, I didn’t pay.

I didn’t end up taking any buses, but every one I saw was accessible.

The trams were the only part of Vienna that was not entirely accessible. The newer trams are good, but there are still quite a bit of older trams that you can’t get on. Don’t worry, between the metro and buses, you can get anywhere you need to go easily.

ATTRACTIONS / SIGHTSEEING

One of the main things I wanted to do was see an opera, because that’s what Vienna is famous for. However, I learned that all of the opera houses are closed in July and August. And I left on August 30. Fail!

Top of Shobrunn Palace

The next top tourist attraction in Vienna is probably Shobrunn Palace which is very easy to get to as it is located right beside a metro station. The palace is completely wheelchair accessible and there is a reduced price for the disabled. I paid for a guided tour and joined the wrong one that was in Italian. Eventually, I did find my English group! To get upstairs, you will be escorted up special elevators, but once up there it’s all flat. Behind Shobrunn Palace is a beautiful garden which is actually free to enter. I highly recommend going up the pathway to the top to see some amazing views of the city. There are no stairs, but it’s definitely very steep. Check out my VLOG to see more of this.

Mozart Haus is located right in the city centre, but it is tricky to find. It’s best to use your GPS or have someone take you there. The entire museum is accessible by elevator, but the only problem is that you can’t access that elevator on your own. Only the staff can take you from floor to floor. I happened to be there during a quiet time and several times I was ‘trapped’ on a floor because I couldn’t find any staff to operate the elevator for me.  Aside from that, it was pretty cool to learn about the history of Mozart and the time he lived in Vienna. It turns out he was quite the baller!

Note: For all attractions that have an audio tour, I strongly recommend bringing your own ear phones to plug in. This will free up your hands instead of having to hold the device to your ear.

Naschmarkt is a waste of time and I don’t recommend going here. There are some cool foods to try and some unique clothes, but overall there’s lots of junk – especially in the flea market section which to me looked like just random piles of laundry.

The Museums Quarter is a cool place to hang out. I didn’t actually go to any of the museums here, but one night I did enjoy a free classical music concert. 

Food

Wiener schnitzel!

I don’t talk about food much, but I’m going say a few things here. Austrians are big on meat. Their national food is wiener schnitzel and I ate plenty of it. Some restaurants are certainly better than others. Apparently, the best wiener schnitzel is at Figlmüller, which is right in the centre of the city. However, I tried to go twice and both times there was a very long line and the place is not very accessible. There are steps within the restaurant and the tables are tight.

Radatz is a very good deli found in the shopping malls.  I couldn’t read the German menu so I pointed to what I wanted which was a big piece of meat on a bone – like a pork hock. Now I thought it would come with salad or potatoes or something, but the server just put it on a plate and gave it to me. So I just ate it like that and it was delicious!

I friend told me I had to get Sacher Cake and the famous place to get it is from the Hotel Sacher. I tried it and thought it was good, but I don’t think it’s necessarily something to write home about (as I’m doing right now haha).

Nightlife

The nightlife in Vienna was surprisingly very good. One night I attended a couchsurfing meeting in WUK which is an open-air courtyard. The next night we were in the Museums Quarter. This place is like a huge beer garden, except there are no bars selling alcohol. People just come here to hang out and bring their own alcohol. (If you need more, there are plenty of people walking around with backpacks selling booze) Everyone is friendly and just having a good time. Something like this would never work in Canada. The laws are too strict and most definitely a fight would break out eventually.

The first nightclub I went to was Volksgarten because another couchsurfer suggested it. This place was massive. There’s a large lounge area and dancefloor inside, and then an equally large bar and dancefloor outside. There was a timed water fountain right in the middle of the dance floor which I found very odd since you could be dancing away and then all of sudden the fountain turns on and you get wet. The whole place is flat and wheelchair accessible. There’s even a single-room toilet on the main level. Cover is 15€ and it’s open to 6am!

The next day which happened to be my last full day in Vienna, I was wondering around downtown and I came across a parade of nightclubs! There were all these huge semi-trucks with people drinking and dancing on the trucks and on the street around the trucks. Electronic music was blasting from each truck and they were lined up one after the other. I later found out it’s called the Vienna Summerbreak Festival. There was an official afterparty at Praterdome Nightclub and that’s where I partied that night. The music here was better, but the venue itself was kind of strange as there were many corridors and oddly-shaped rooms. I don’t think the building was originally designed to be a nightclub. One unique thing about this place is that it sells pizza and other foods right in the club.

What I loved most about Vienna is that you can simply wander around and find something amazing going on. Some of the best things I found were purely by accident like the international food festival, jugglers in the park, outdoor movie festival, free classical music concert, parade of nightclubs, and swing dancing in the park! 

Famous Maria Theresa statue