Accessibility in the world / EUROPE

Just my travel impression. Different big cities and villages. Not so seriously. Please read easygoing.

Andorra 2007	Almost same as Spain. All the land on mountains. Many hilly. Not good for wheelchair. I just went through rental car.
Austria 1996	Nearly Germany. Many bicycle road are good for wheelchair. Possible to use Wien subway. Some station has elevator or escalator. I used a ship from Wien to Budapest through Donau river. Ship stop in Vienna was accessible. Elevators there. Ship stop in Budapest was not accessible. Only stairs. Accessible toilet existed in museum, station and public space.
Belgium 1995	Not much problem for traveling by wheelchair. I used an express train from Brussels to Antwerpen. I sat on a cargo coach with some bicycles. Town road was smooth and comfortable. Accessible toilet existed in museum, station, public space.
Bulgaria 2007	Not kind people. Train workers did not help me. People did not care about troubled people. Very difficult for wheelchair to go around Sofia. No curb cut on road and rough.
Estonia 2006	Only visited Tallinn old town by a speed boat from Helsinki. Finland side was accessible, but Estonia side was not accessible. Speed boat has an accessible toilet and some large space. Old town Tallinn is hilly and bumpy stone road. Very difficult to see around by wheelchair.
Finland 1994, 2006	Good accessibility, but sometimes too deluxe. 1994: I used an intercity train. I got on a cargo and bicycle coach. 2006: I used a new express train with wheelchair seats and accessible toilet.but one step to get on a train. All local buses are non step. Intercity bus has many stairs, but the driver helped. Some taxi with lift specially for electric wheelchairs. Many bicycle road. Car, human, bicycle are divided. Accessible toilet certainly exists in public building. Possible to approach from both side. Normal toilet are large enough.
France 1994, 2001, 2002 1997	Accessibility is getting better. Many buses are non-step. But many Metro and train are not accessible. Hotel has some accessible room. Accessible toilet is not many, well usual public toilet also not many. The number of Light Rail Transit is quite increasing at many place.
Germany 1995, 2004	Good public transportation, train, subway and tram. Many are accessible. Equipment for wheelchair, bicycle, baby car and old person. The road are separated car, bicycle and walking person. Many non-step bus in town. Hotel has some accessible room. They think all together.
Greece 2007	Good influence by 2004 Athens Olympic and Paralympics games. Athens is full accessible city, especially public transportation. All the Metro stations are accessible for wheelchair. All the bus are non-step. A new Light Rail Transit. But a lot of disabled beggars in town.
Holland 1995, 2000, 2001	Good accessibility. Especially land is very flat. Also bicycle country. Very easy and smooth to move around by wheelchair. Need a help to use train, but subway is full accessible. Many electric wheelchair in town. Schiphol airport is the best since I have ever used.
Hungary 1995	Not accessible. Good taxi has the straight number or checker design. Bad taxi has no design normal car. It was difficult to walk on bumpy road in Budapest. I have never seen accessible toilet. Train had a big step.
Ireland 2007	Good accessibility in Dublin. All buses are non-step. Many ramp and curb cut in town. However famous cheap airline " Ryan Air " does not like wheelchair users. Their service were very poor. My wheelchair was broken through the flight. A bad solid aisle chair by transfer.
Italy 1994, 1995, 1996 1998	Not so accessible. Many historical city and stone road, but people are so flexible. No rule and possible to do anything at our own risk. Train has a big step. Need a help to get on and off. New subway station are accessible. Italian drivers are the best and fastest. Service station on highway were full accessible. Wheelchair toilet were there, but sometimes were locked. Many steps in front of building, shops and hotels because of old.
Latvia 2006	Latvia economy is the most developed among Baltic three countries. Accessibility is also the most developed. I saw many beggars with disability in town. They did not have a job. Same as economy, accessibility is catching up EU standard. Latvia is changing so fast.
Lithuania 2006	Only shaping accessibility. People were not kind. Wheelchair toilet existed in public space, but all were locked. No heart barrier free. Generally ex-Soviet Union countries are lack of accessibility. The capital Vilnius are hilly. Not good to move around by wheelchair.
Macedonia 2007	Economy was so poor. No social care. I have never seen accessible toilet. It is not easy to travel in Macedonia by wheelchair.
Malta 1998	Rental car is the best way to see around Malta island. Good manner and less traffic. Some road are curb cut. Accessible toilet existed at airport. People speak English and eat food like Italian. Every town has a lot of hill because of a cliff island.
Moldova 2007	Ex Soviet country. No accessibility. A new train station Kishinev was not accessible. No ramp and accessible toilet.
Norway 1994	Good heart barrier free. Their education have influence on good accessibility. Road were many curb cut and smooth. Every place has accessible equipment. I stayed non-accessible old hotel because of very cheap. Hotel staff and guests always carried me.
Poland 2006	I was surprised that half of Warsaw local bus are non-step. Road are wide and big. Textured paving block for visual impairment on big intersection, tram station and bus station. Many underpass with only stairs. It is problem for wheelchair. Not so many accessible toilet, but the number was increasing. They are catching up EU accessibility standard.
Romania 1995, 2007	I was so sad that I saw a lot of beggars with disability in the capital Bucharest in 1995. No accessibility. Their wheelchair were so old and broken. Some of them did not have a wheelchair. Not good public transportation, so local people did hitchhike in country side. In 2007, a few disabled beggars in town. The situation and economy is changing better. I saw some non-step bus and equipment for disabled.
Russia 1994, 1995, 1996 2006	Still lack of accessibility. No non-step bus. Few accessible equipment. Some people are kind, some are not. Russian are so big and hunk. They have a power for carry. Accessible toilet existed in Moscow airport, but always were broken or storage. Many foreigner price. Many bad taxi drivers charged so high.
Serbia 2007	Some ramp on roads and buildings. They think accessibility, but not enough. I did not see non-step buses and accessible toilet.
San Marino 1994	Small country San Marino is located on the top of hill. When we see around, we have to climb up the ramp from a parking. It is mountain. Difficult to climb up by wheelchair. No Formula 1 racing circuit. San Marino grand prix is only name. That is held in Imola of Italy.
Spain 1994, 2007	Accessibility was under developed in 1994, but the situation has completely changed in 2007. Metro, railway, toilet, hotel and road are some accessible. Not difficult to travel in Spain by wheelchair. Only problem is the traveling cost in Spain.
Sweden 1994, 2004	Good accessible design. Warm and kind design for people. Not like hospital. Local bus are almost all non-step bus. Many bicycle road. Many accessible toilet. But some old building were not accessible. Huge ferry, Syria line, was gorgeous and well accessible.
Turkey 1996	I rent a car, so no problem to travel for me. I am not sure Turkish accessibility. I guess not so good because I have never seen wheelchair in town. Difficult to move around by wheelchair in hilly city Istanbul. I have never seen accessible toilet in town. It existed only at airport.
UK 2001, 2002	Not perfect, but good accessibility. Half of bus in London were non-step. London official cab taxi are also accessible design. Wheelchair can get in just as it is. London subway was not accessible because of old. People are so gentle. Good manner on road. Easy to walk in a crowd. Many wheelchair toilet in public space.
Ukraine 2007	Bus number 62 going around center of Kiev are non-step. Not easy to negotiate a taxi price. Road were very dirty and bumpy. Bad and dangerous manner drivers. Kiev central station has a special service for disabled.
Vatican 1994, 1995	The smallest country. We can only enter museum and cathedral. Vatican Museum is accessible. San Pietro cathedral has a special gate and ramp for wheelchair.