London, England, United Kingdom

LONDON : Overview

OVERVIEW

London is an exciting city to visit, especially for people visiting the UK for the first time. Accessible transportation is easily accessible, and getting around is relatively easy.  There is plenty to do while exploring London, everything from shopping down in the Oxford Shopping area, to visiting the breathtaking Buckingham Palace, to name a few.

LANGUAGE

The official language of England is English.

CURRENCY

The official currency of England is the Pound Sterling.

QUICKLINKS

LOGISTICS: Air – Water – Ground
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels – Resorts
ENTERTAINMENT: Tours – Activities – Restaurants & Nightlife
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Hospitals – Medical Equipment
ABILITYTIPS: Precautions

LONDON : Logistics

AIR TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORT

The London Heathrow Airport was very easy to navigate. We flew into Heathrow twice and were pleased with the overall facility. The airport personnel were very helpful with the transfer from my wheelchair to the aisle seat and they took good care of my electric wheelchair.

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GROUND TRANSPORTATION

TAXI

When we arrived at Heathrow we weren’t sure what type of wheelchair taxi or public transportation we would come across. We had heard from some friends who used to live in London that all black cabs and buses in London are wheelchair accessible for the physically challenged passenger. The wheelchair accessible cabs at terminal 1 will move out of line to the front to pick you up. The cabs were very clean and easy to drive in and out of with my power chair. The driver attached a small ramp to the side door, and I was able to roll in and out without a problem. There was room for my wife, all of our luggage, and my electric wheelchair. You can read more about accessible transportation at Heathrow here in their special needs section.

“If you use a manual chair, there is no need to wait for a taxi with a wider ramp. Any taxi will do as they all have low floors and drivers were more than willing to tip me and push me up the step into the cab.” Anna, 1/4/09

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SHUTTLE

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RENTAL CAR (Wheelchair Van)

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BUS

London is famous for its red, double-decker buses. Each bus has a ramp that extends to the curb, enabling the wheelchair or scooter to roll right in to a special parking section in the bus. You can read more about London’s accessible bus system here.

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TRAIN (Light rail)

London Underground: Despite its age, the London Underground is working to increase its accessibility for the physically challenged traveler. Because of its age and unwarranted fear of inaccessibility, we actually avoided it on our trip (which is unfortunate).

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LONDON : Accommodations

HOTELS

Hilton London Metropole: we stayed at the Hilton London Metropole which was wheelchair accessible and was a short distance to Hyde Park. At the time, this hotel was reasonably priced. We were also very pleasantly surprised with the availability of ethnic food nearby. One of our favorite small, inexpensive restaurants was Fatoush, a Lebanese/Middle Eastern place. Fatoush is wheelchair friendly, and we ended up eating there quite a few times.

“When in London, we like the Jury’s Inn in Chelsea, about a mile west of Westminster on the Thames. Accessible room includes roll in shower, double bed, and fold out couch making it able to accommodate 3 adults easily instead of the usual 2. It’s a mile away from the accessible Fulham Broadway tube station which you can reach by accessible bus that stops directly in front of the hotel. It’s nice, clean, and relatively inexpensive. It’s also in a quiet area.” Darryl, 9/23/09

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LUXURY RESORTS

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LONDON : Entertainment

SIGHTSEEING TOURS

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ACTIVITIES

Buckingham Palace: We were able to tour the Buckingham Palace on our visit. Note that visitors who utilize a wheelchair enter through the front gates of the palace, which is quite a treat! To access the second floor, guests who use a wheelchair get to ride in the Queen’s elevator! The Buckingham Palace is the home of the Royal Family and many family members still live there today, however we did not spot anyone. We toured the palace and it was simply breathtaking.

Hampstead: Overall Hampsted is not very accessible, due to narrow sidewalks and hills. The Hampstead Heath is a beautiful park located North of London. The park has nice walking paths, and some are accessible. However the park does have some hills, so one must be careful. Melissa, 2/15/2010

London Eye: The London Eye is an accessible journey where you have a bird’s eye view of the Thames River, Big Ben, Parliament and many other landmarks from the sky. It’s a perfect way to get an unique view of the city, and the pictures from the Eye are simply breathtaking! We took this ride in the evening to see all the city lights.

Oxford Street Shopping: 25-30% of the shops are more accessible, either having surface level entrances or only a small step. While this area of shopping has heavy traffic, the sidewalks are better than in most parts of london, as there are no cobblestones. Melissa, 2/15/2010

Parliament: Tours of Parliament are available, and are accessible to the physically challenged traveler. Visitors that can not climb stairs get to utilize a special elevator installed for the Queen.

Piccadilly Circus: Another attraction not to miss is the Piccadilly Circus which is known for its neon signs. This area is full of entertainment, everything from shopping, pubs and restaurants.

Tower of London: The Tower of London is an old fortress, famous prison, and is home to the Crown Jewels. The tour is almost totally accessible, but the fortress streets are made of cobblestones, which can be a bit bumpy if you have mobility issues. Some of the exhibits must be accessed by stair, but there is still plenty to see. The Crown Jewels are wheelchair accessible.

The Tower Bridge Exhibition: The Tower Bridge is an accessible site you won’t want to miss. The bridge spans the Thames River and its architecture is beautiful. From the bridge, you can see views down the Thames and learn how the bridge was built. We did not take the tour of this bridge; we just admired it from the walkways and went across it. I have heard that you can visit the steam engine rooms, which are used to power the bridge. I’m not sure if this tour is wheelchair accessible, so if someone can post information about this, it would be very helpful.

Westminster Abbey: Westminster Abbey is almost completely accessible to the physically challenged traveler. There are a few tombs that require ascending steps to visit, but the majority of tombs are located on the main floor.

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RESTAURANTS/NIGHTLIFE

London is an old city, so many buildings still have steps at the main entrance. You should always check ahead to confirm the accessibility of a location if you can not ascend stairs.

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LONDON : Emergency Services

MEDICAL SERVICES/HOSPITAL

For more information on medical services in London, please click here.

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MEDICAL EQUIPMENT RENTALS

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LONDON : AbilityTips

PRECAUTIONS

When visiting London, check with establishments regarding accessibility before you visit. It can save you time and headache, as many places have steps.