Useful French phrases for wheelchair travellers
The phrases that come up most often on a French trip, sorted by situation.
Staff at major French attractions, hotels, and stations often speak workable English, but a short opening in French changes the encounter. The clerk leans in, the bus driver waits an extra moment, the museum cashier reaches for the disability-discount form rather than the standard ticket. The phrases below are the ones that come up most often when you travel with a wheelchair or other mobility aid in France.
Use the polite form. Address adults you do not know with vous, never tu. The standard greeting is Bonjour (or Bonsoir after about 18:00), and every interaction in a shop, hotel, or restaurant should open with it. Skipping the greeting and going straight to a request reads as rude, even from a tourist. Close with Merci, au revoir or just Merci, bonne journée.
Pronunciation guide. The hints below use English-spelling approximations, not the international phonetic alphabet. The French r is a soft throat sound (try a gentle gargle), the u is a tight pursed-lips ee, and the nasal vowels (on, en, in, un) are sounded through the nose with the consonant barely touched. Final consonants are usually silent: vous is voo, pas is pah, plait is pleh.
If you do not catch a reply, Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement, s'il vous plaît? (Could you speak more slowly, please?) is the most useful follow-up in French. A translation app (Google Translate, DeepL) handles longer questions; download the French language pack offline before you travel because metro and rural-train coverage is patchy. The phrases here cover six situations: accessibility, asking for help, transport, hotels, dining, and courtesy.
| Phrase | In French | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| I use a wheelchair | Je suis en fauteuil roulant Open with this when you arrive at a venue or check-in desk so staff can reach for the right entrance and discount. | zhuh swee on foh-tuh-yuh roo-lon |
| Is the entrance step-free? | L'entrée est-elle de plain-pied ? Plain-pied means level / single-floor. Sans marche (without a step) also works and is easier to say. | lon-tray eh-tell duh plan-pyay |
| Is there a ramp? | Y a-t-il une rampe ? | ee-ah-teel oon ramp |
| Where is the lift? | Où est l'ascenseur ? Ascenseur is lift / elevator. Escalator is escalateur and is a different thing. | oo eh las-en-sur |
| Is there an accessible entrance? | Y a-t-il une entrée accessible ? | ee-ah-teel oon on-tray ak-seh-see-bluh |
| Is the toilet wheelchair-accessible? | Les toilettes sont-elles accessibles aux fauteuils roulants ? | lay twa-let son-tell ak-seh-see-bluh oh foh-tuh-yuh roo-lon |
| Is there a roll-in shower? | Y a-t-il une douche à l'italienne ? Douche à l'italienne is the standard term for a roll-in / curbless shower. | ee-ah-teel oon doosh ah lee-tal-yen |
| Is the hotel room adapted? | La chambre est-elle adaptée PMR ? PMR (Personne à Mobilité Réduite) is the French abbreviation for reduced-mobility access. Staff understand it instantly. | lah shahm-bruh eh-tell ah-dap-tay pay-em-air |
| I have a disability card | J'ai une carte d'invalidité For French residents, ask about the Carte Mobilité Inclusion (CMI). For visitors, the European Disability Card or your national ID is accepted at most major venues. | zhay oon kart dan-vah-lee-dee-tay |
| Could you help me, please? | Pouvez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plaît ? | poo-vay-voo meh-day, seel voo pleh |
| I need help | J'ai besoin d'aide | zhay buh-zwan ded |
| Could you call an ambulance? | Pouvez-vous appeler une ambulance ? Emergency number for medical help is 15 (SAMU) or 112 (pan-European). For police, 17. Fire, 18. Hearing-impaired emergency SMS: 114. | poo-vay-voo ap-lay oon om-byoo-lons |
| Where is the nearest hospital? | Où est l'hôpital le plus proche ? | oo eh loh-pee-tahl luh ploo prosh |
| I have a medical condition | J'ai un problème de santé | zhay un prob-lem duh son-tay |
| My wheelchair is broken | Mon fauteuil roulant est cassé Pair with the rentals page to find a same-day repair or short-term replacement. | mon foh-tuh-yuh roo-lon eh kah-say |
| Where is a pharmacy? | Où est une pharmacie ? Look for the green cross. Larger pharmacies often rent out manual wheelchairs and stock incontinence products. | oo eh oon far-mah-see |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? | par-lay-voo on-glay |
| Could you speak more slowly, please? | Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ? | poo-vay-voo par-lay ploo lon-tuh-mon, seel voo pleh |
| I need an accessible taxi | J'ai besoin d'un taxi accessible In Paris, G7 Access and Taxis Bleus run accessible vans. Book a few hours ahead. | zhay buh-zwan dun tak-see ak-seh-see-bluh |
| Is this bus wheelchair-accessible? | Ce bus est-il accessible aux fauteuils roulants ? Every RATP city bus is accessible. Signal the driver as the bus arrives by raising your hand and pointing at the centre door. | suh boos eh-teel ak-seh-see-bluh oh foh-tuh-yuh roo-lon |
| Could you deploy the ramp? | Pouvez-vous déployer la rampe ? | poo-vay-voo day-plwa-yay lah ramp |
| Which metro line is accessible? | Quelle ligne de métro est accessible ? In Paris, Line 14 is the only fully step-free metro line. Bus and tram cover the rest. | kell lee-nyuh duh may-troh eh ak-seh-see-bluh |
| I would like assistance to the platform | Je voudrais une assistance jusqu'au quai On SNCF main-line trains, pre-book PRM assistance via Accès Plus at least 48 hours before departure. | zhuh voo-dray oon ah-sees-tons zhoos-koh kay |
| Where is the accessible entrance to the station? | Où est l'entrée accessible de la gare ? | oo eh lon-tray ak-seh-see-bluh duh lah gar |
| I would like a ticket, please | Je voudrais un billet, s'il vous plaît | zhuh voo-dray un bee-yeh, seel voo pleh |
| Is there a reduced fare for disabled travellers? | Y a-t-il un tarif réduit pour les personnes handicapées ? | ee-ah-teel un tah-reef ray-dwee poor lay pair-son on-dee-kah-pay |
| I have a reservation | J'ai une réservation | zhay oon ray-zer-vah-syon |
| Could I have an accessible room? | Pourrais-je avoir une chambre adaptée ? | poo-rezh av-wahr oon shahm-bruh ah-dap-tay |
| What is the doorway width? | Quelle est la largeur de la porte ? French PMR rooms must have 90 cm doorways under Loi 2005-102, but older boutique hotels in protected buildings may not meet this. | kell eh lah lar-zhur duh lah port |
| Is there a roll-in shower or a bathtub? | Y a-t-il une douche à l'italienne ou une baignoire ? Many French PMR rooms have a bathtub with grab bars rather than a roll-in shower. Always confirm. | ee-ah-teel oon doosh ah lee-tal-yen oo oon bay-nwar |
| Could you store my bag? | Pouvez-vous garder mes bagages ? | poo-vay-voo gar-day may bah-gahzh |
| I need to charge my electric wheelchair | Je dois recharger mon fauteuil électrique | zhuh dwah ruh-shar-zhay mon foh-tuh-yuh ay-lek-treek |
| Is breakfast wheelchair-accessible? | Le petit-déjeuner est-il accessible en fauteuil roulant ? | luh puh-tee day-zhuh-nay eh-teel ak-seh-see-bluh on foh-tuh-yuh roo-lon |
| A table for two, please | Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît | oon tah-bluh poor duh, seel voo pleh |
| Is the dining room on one level? | La salle est-elle au même niveau ? A common Paris pattern: street-level dining room, basement-only toilet down a spiral staircase. Always confirm both. | lah sahl eh-tell oh mem nee-voh |
| Could we sit near the entrance? | Pouvons-nous nous asseoir près de l'entrée ? | poo-von-noo noo zah-swahr preh duh lon-tray |
| I have an allergy | J'ai une allergie Follow with sans gluten (gluten-free), aux fruits de mer (shellfish), aux arachides (peanuts), au lactose (dairy). | zhay oon al-air-zhee |
| Vegetarian / vegan | Végétarien / végétalien Végétalien is vegan. Vegan also works at most modern Paris venues. | vay-zhay-tah-ree-en / vay-zhay-tah-lyen |
| Could I have the bill, please? | L'addition, s'il vous plaît Service is included by law in France (service compris). Rounding up is normal; a 5 to 10 percent tip is generous. | lad-dee-syon, seel voo pleh |
| Could I see the menu? | Puis-je voir la carte ? Carte is the menu of dishes. Menu in French often means a fixed-price set meal. | pwee-zhuh vwahr lah kart |
| Tap water, please | Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît Carafe d'eau is free Paris tap water. Bottled water is eau plate (still) or eau gazeuse (sparkling). | oon kah-raf doh, seel voo pleh |
| Hello (good day) | Bonjour Use until about 18:00. After that, switch to Bonsoir. | bon-zhoor |
| Good evening | Bonsoir | bon-swahr |
| Please | S'il vous plaît | seel voo pleh |
| Thank you | Merci | mehr-see |
| Thank you for your help | Merci pour votre aide | mehr-see poor voh-truh ed |
| You're welcome | Je vous en prie More polite than de rien (literally: of nothing), which is fine but casual. | zhuh voo zon pree |
| Excuse me / sorry | Excusez-moi / Pardon Excusez-moi to get attention. Pardon to apologise after bumping someone. | ek-skoo-zay-mwah / par-don |
| Yes / no | Oui / non | wee / non |
| I do not understand | Je ne comprends pas | zhuh nuh kom-pron pah |
| Goodbye | Au revoir | oh ruh-vwahr |
| Have a good day | Bonne journée The standard closing for any shop, hotel, or restaurant interaction. | bon zhoor-nay |
How we verified this page
Last verified .
Sources:
- France.fr, national tourism (verified )
- Office du Tourisme de Paris (accessibility) (verified )