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, 2008	Generally people are conservative and not modern. Some heart barrier for disabled. Not so good accessibility compare with Germany and Swiss. Wien subway is accessible and many bus are accessible, but many tram are still old and many step. Not many accessible toilet. No accessible room at hotel
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.
Czech 2008	New building are accessible. Some tram are non-step, but many has steps. Some buses are non-step, but not all. Accessibility situation is getting better. Some heart discrimination against person with disability. People are not so kind. It was tough to use a train.
Denmark 2009	Good accessible transportation system. Many train, metro, and bus without steps. Some non step new train with a big space toilet available. Block line for person with visual impairment. We can see them in Northern Europe. Many many block line only in Japan. The color is yellow and more big. Many bicycle in town. Also many flat bicycle road. It means comfortable for wheelchair and baby buggy users. Problem is cost. High price kills traveler.
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 2007, 2008, 2011	Accessibility is getting better. Many buses are non-step. But many Metro and train are not accessible. Hotel has some accessible room, especially ACCOR hotels are nice accessibility. The number of accessible toilets are not many, the number of usual public toilets are not many too. Light Rail Transit run in city today. It is quite wheelchair friendly.
Germany 1995, 2004, 2008	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 and tram in town. Some accessible room at hotel and hostel.
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.
Hungary 1995, 2009	Under developing now. There are not many non-step bus. The road were improved. Some wheelchair toilets. Taxi price is not high. Budapest airport is so small and not many bridge to airplane.
Iceland 2010	Very unique wheelchair parking space. Different pavement. Same as walking road block. Toilet accessibility is perfect. Almost everywhere they have a large toilet. Not so special for person with disability. Iceland accessible toilet are not like European standard, very like USA. Because they have a lot of space. They can make accessible toilet space easier because of a lot of land.
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, 2008, 2011	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. Many steps in front of building, shops and hotels because of old. Also many antique tiny lifts on old buildings. It is not possible to enter by wheelchair. Many wheelchair parking space in town.
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.
Liechtenstein 2008	Very small country. Everything same as neighbor country Swiss. Road are so good. Non-step, natural curb cut, wide and flat walking road.
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.
Luxembourg 2008	Rich country. Good economy. People like bicycle, so many bicycle lane on road. Car, bicycle, and walking person are separated. I guess good accessibility though I just stay one night.
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.
Netherlands 1995, 2000, 2001 2008	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.
Norway 1994, 2010	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. Wheelchair accessible toilet are large. We can approach both side. Local train was still old. Stairs at door. The train worker put potable ramps.
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.
Portugal 2011	Just only visited Lisbon for 2 days. Old trams are not wheelchair accessible. Few lower flat tram run, but the stations are located just on the street. About 30% Lisbon Metro stations are wheelchair accessible. Take care of broken lifts and closed wide gate because sometimes no workers at stations.
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.
Slovakia 2008	Quit different from Czech. Almost nothing accessibility in Slovakia. Very few non-step bus. No accesible tram. Road are bumpy and no curb-cut. Difficult to go around by wheelchair. At Bratislava station, station worker rejected helping me. Czech accessibility is much better than Slovakia. I cannot imagine both country were the sama nation.
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.
Switzerland 2008	Only problem is traveling cost. Everything high ! Mountain country and historical city. Not easy to adjust city accessible. Tourist are are good for wheelchair. Mountain train and lifts are accessible. Wheelchair enjoy some place of Alps mountain. VIDEO ( Zeramt -Tesch train).
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, 2009	Quite similar like Japanese accessibility. Protection and isolation. I do not like separation. Doing together and sharing as possible. Society is changing now. The accessibility of town is changing better. Train is not good. Big reason is old. Almost bus in London were non-step. London cab taxi are accessible design. Possible to enter on wheelchair. People are so gentle and kind, but it changed worse because of many immigrant who have different culture and moral. Road which many people pass are flat. The car road have a bump. It means walking person has a priority. Many wheelchair toilet in public space. Sometime they are locked. Local people with disability have a RADER key. Tourist cannot use it because of no key. Take it easy, UK government.
Ukraine 2007	Bus number 62 going around center of capital 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 users.