Mobility equipment rental in Paris

Manual wheelchairs are the most widely available rental: a standard 16 to 20-inch folding aluminium chair, sometimes with elevating leg rests, sometimes with anti-tip wheels. Daily, weekly, and monthly rates apply. Weekly is usually the best value for a tourist stay; the daily rate is roughly 8 to 15 EUR and the weekly rate roughly 35 to 70 EUR depending on the chair model and the supplier.

Electric (power) wheelchairs are available through specialist mobility rental companies and a smaller number of pharmacies. Expect a folding portable chair (lithium-battery, 25 to 30 kg) for travel use, or a heavier indoor model for stationary apartment use. Daily rates run roughly 40 to 80 EUR; weekly rates roughly 200 to 400 EUR. Range per charge is typically 20 to 30 km on the lighter travel chairs and 30 to 40 km on the larger models.

Mobility scooters (three or four-wheel) are popular with tourists who walk short distances at home but cannot manage a full sightseeing day on foot. Two main classes: a small portable scooter (folds, lithium battery, 20 to 30 km range) and a larger road scooter (lead-acid battery, 35 to 50 km range). Daily rates roughly 35 to 65 EUR for portable, 55 to 85 EUR for road. Weekly rates 180 to 400 EUR.

Patient hoists, hospital beds, shower chairs, bedside commodes, and toilet-seat raisers are all available from medical-equipment suppliers ("matériel médical"). These are the categories Parisians themselves rent for post-hospital home recovery, so the supply network is mature and the suppliers know hotel and apartment delivery. Specify the bed model the hoist must fit, or measure your hotel bathroom doorway for shower-chair clearance, when you book.

The simplest and cheapest option for visitors who only need a chair inside one venue: most of the major Paris museums lend wheelchairs free of charge to ticketed visitors. The Louvre lends manual wheelchairs, folding chairs, and rolling chairs for free at the Pyramide accessibility entrance; reserve in advance for major exhibitions. The Musée d'Orsay, Centre Pompidou, Palace of Versailles, Musée du Quai Branly, and Musée de l'Orangerie all offer the same service from their accessibility desks.

Department stores follow the same pattern. Galeries Lafayette Haussmann lends manual wheelchairs free at the Concierge desk on the ground floor. Le Bon Marché, Printemps Haussmann, BHV Marais, and Samaritaine also lend chairs free; ask at the customer-service desk on entry. Stock is limited to a handful of chairs per venue; on a busy Saturday in May, all chairs may be out.

The Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and the major chateaux (Versailles, Vincennes) lend chairs free at their accessibility entrances. Walt Disney Studios and Disneyland Paris (outside the city, in Marne-la-Vallée) also lend or hire wheelchairs and Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECVs); these are theme-park-specific and do not leave the park.

These free loans are not a substitute for renting a full-time chair for your stay. They cover the visit only: you give the chair back when you leave the venue. For door-to-door city use, you need an off-site rental.

Most French neighbourhoods have a pharmacy that also functions as a medical-equipment vendor ("matériel médical"). This is the route a Parisian uses to rent a hospital bed for a parent recovering at home, or a wheelchair for a relative after a fracture. The pharmacy keeps a small rental stock and contracts a larger network for specialised items. They know the procedure for foreign visitors paying out of pocket.

Look for a green-cross pharmacy with a "matériel médical" sticker in the window or a sign reading "location de matériel médical". Larger pharmacies on the major boulevards (especially around the train stations and the hospitals) are the most likely to stock rental wheelchairs on the day. Smaller neighbourhood pharmacies usually need a day's notice to bring stock from the warehouse.

Pharmacy rentals are cash or card-on-the-day, with a deposit of 50 to 200 EUR depending on the item, refunded on return. The advantage is convenience and no minimum hire period; the disadvantage is no delivery (you collect, you return) and limited model selection. For a heavier electric chair, scooter, or hoist, you will need a specialist rental company.

A handful of specialist rental companies serve the Paris market with a wider catalogue (electric chairs, scooters, hoists, hospital beds, accessible vehicle rental) and door-to-door delivery. Most operate citywide and to the airports, with same-day delivery on confirmed bookings made before 14:00 and next-day delivery as standard. A typical rental package: equipment, delivery, set-up, training, collection, and 24-hour breakdown support.

Booking is by phone or website. The supplier asks for your dates, hotel or apartment address, the equipment category, and any specific dimensions (your weight, the bathroom doorway width, the bed height for a hoist). They quote a daily or weekly rate plus delivery and a deposit (usually 200 to 600 EUR on the credit card, refunded on return).

Pricing varies by supplier and equipment. Expect roughly 8 to 15 EUR per day for a manual chair, 40 to 80 EUR per day for a portable electric chair, 35 to 65 EUR per day for a portable scooter, and 60 to 120 EUR per day for a patient hoist.

Weekly bundles knock 20 to 35 percent off the daily rate. Delivery to a central Paris hotel is typically 25 to 50 EUR each way; airport delivery is 50 to 100 EUR each way.

Insurance is sometimes included, sometimes optional. Without insurance, you are liable for damage up to the full equipment value. With insurance (usually 5 to 15 EUR per day), the excess drops to a fixed sum (typically 100 to 300 EUR). For a long rental of an expensive electric chair, the insurance is worth the cost; for a short manual-chair rental, the deposit usually covers any realistic damage.

Specialist rental companies will deliver to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Orly (ORY) on request. Two delivery models exist. Meet-at-the-arrivals-hall: the supplier's driver waits at a named meeting point (usually the Saphir PMR reception desk or an arrivals-hall information desk) with the equipment ready to transfer. Tariff: roughly 50 to 100 EUR each way, plus the equipment rental.

Drop-and-go: the supplier leaves the equipment at the hotel or at the apartment and you collect it after you arrive in the city. This is cheaper (no driver waiting time) but means you fly to the city in your own chair (or a borrowed airport wheelchair) and pick up the rental at your accommodation. Use this model when you are arriving long-haul and have your own chair through the flight.

Returns work the same way in reverse. The most expensive part of an airport meet is driver-waiting time if your flight is delayed: confirm with the supplier whether they will wait, what their delay tolerance is, and what the surcharge looks like on a 2-hour delayed arrival. A pre-paid reservation that does not cover late arrivals can become a costly scramble at 23:00.

Hotel delivery is the standard for tourist rentals. The supplier delivers to the hotel concierge or directly to your room, with an arrival-day window (typically 14:00 to 19:00 to coincide with hotel check-in). You sign for the equipment and have it for the duration of the stay. Collection is on the last day or the morning after you check out.

Apartment delivery (Airbnb, vacation rental, friend's flat) works the same way but requires you to be there to receive the equipment. If the building has a concierge, the supplier will leave it with the concierge; otherwise, agree a delivery window directly. Some Paris buildings have narrow lifts or stairs only, which the supplier will need to know if the item is heavy (a hoist or a hospital bed).

Hotels with PMR rooms often pre-stock a small range of equipment (shower stool, raised toilet seat, occasionally a hoist) at no extra cost; ask when booking whether the room includes any of these so you do not double-up on rentals. Larger hotels can also liaise with the rental supplier on your behalf if you book the rental through the concierge desk.

Quoted rates almost always exclude delivery and insurance. Confirm in writing: the equipment model, the daily or weekly rate, the delivery and collection fees, the deposit (and how it is held: pre-authorisation or charge), and the cancellation policy. Most suppliers cancel free up to 48 hours before the start; later cancellations forfeit one or two days of the rate.

On the day of delivery, inspect the equipment before you sign. For a manual chair: tyre pressure, brakes, seat cushion, foot rests, push-handles. For an electric chair: battery charge, charger included, joystick response, brake release lever. For a scooter: battery charge, key, charger, basket attachment. For a hoist: sling included, sling size correct, manual lever for emergency lower. Photograph anything that looks scratched or damaged before you sign for it.

Returning the equipment: keep the box and any cables, charge the battery to at least 50 percent, and return clean. The deposit is released within a few business days; the supplier debits any damage cost from the deposit before refunding. Disputes over damage charges are uncommon for routine wear but worth the photo evidence at delivery.

Book at least a few days in advance, especially in tourist high season (May to September) when demand peaks at the smaller suppliers. For a multi-week rental of an electric chair or scooter, book two to three weeks ahead.

Match the equipment to the city. A wide road scooter is overkill for the Marais and overkill for the metro; a small portable scooter or a power chair handles cobbles, narrow shop doors, and Sanisettes better. A 90 cm overall chair width clears most metro turnstiles and accessible-taxi van ramps.

Keep the supplier's 24-hour number on your phone. Battery failure, a punctured tyre, or a broken brake on a Saturday night is best fixed by the supplier sending a replacement, not by improvising. Specialist suppliers usually run a 24-hour breakdown line as part of the rental.

If your insurance (travel or domestic) covers mobility equipment, bring the policy. Some travel-insurance products include damage-and-theft cover for rented equipment, which can replace the supplier's optional insurance.

Charge electric chairs and scooters overnight at the hotel. Most modern chargers handle 220 V French outlets natively; UK and US travellers need a Type C or E adapter. The charger usually has an LED that turns green at full charge; a typical full charge is 6 to 8 hours.

We could not confirm a single recommended Paris mobility-equipment supplier from the Office du Tourisme de Paris or any other primary public source. Suppliers come and go, pricing changes frequently, and stock varies by season. The pricing bands cited on this page are the bands we have seen across multiple Paris suppliers in 2025 and early 2026; they are indicative, not a quote.

Specific same-day delivery cut-offs, exact deposit amounts, exact insurance excesses, and exact driver-waiting-time policies vary by supplier. Get the specifics in writing from the supplier you book with before paying the deposit. If a quote feels unusually low, ask explicitly what is included and what is extra, especially the airport-delivery, after-hours, and damage-deposit components.