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Articles > Europe > Spain > Barcelona > Wheelchair Users in Barcelona
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Wheelchair Users in Barcelona
The general takeaway from the majority of wheelchair users was that Barcelona is a fairly easy city to visit and the users didn't miss out on the majority of sights the city has to offer. Anyone who's been to the Catalan Capital knows that Barcelona is slightly on a gradient - flanked by Montjüic mountain to the left, Tibidabo at the back, and the Mediterranean sea at the bottom. It's a haven for skateboarders for example, and the many bike lanes and success of the city's Bicing venture, means that getting around on two wheels is not that much of a headache. I also had the help of two friends visiting me who use wheelchairs in writing this article!
Public transport is a huge influence on any persons visit to a new destination, especially a city - none more so than those with a wheelchair. Well, visitors will be extremely happy to see the newly installed elevators on the metro at Liceu on Las Ramblas as well as the Purple Line (Line 2) being the only line at the moment with elevators from street level to the platforms. On the occasions where there was not a elevator, the accompanying people were able to help up escalators or steps - although my friends mentioned that staff also seemed keen to help on one occasion. One group also used the buses in town, and although they had to wait for the next bus, when it arrived it had lowered suspension and was perfect for the wheelchair user to board.
Obviously, some of the bigger attractions were a gamble in not knowing if things would work, but as one family were travelling with children, they wanted to make the most of the trip, so opted for the Cable Cars up on Montjüic. The good news is that the Funicular at Parallel metro station is perfectly adaptable for those in a wheelchair. Be sure to board the very end carriage down in Parallel - this means at the top you will only have one step to access the elevator.
Another bonus was that the Montjüic Cable Car was also wheelchair accessible, after the newly constructed boxes are now wider, with a capacity of 8 people. The same cabins offer a special dinner inside the cable car during summer, so the temporary table they use to install gives a similar width. Unfortunately the cable car which crosses the Mediterranean sea from Barceloneta’s beach to the Miramar at Montjüic is off limits. Whilst there is an elevator at Barceloneta end, there are around 13 steep steps at the opposite end, ruling this out.
Barcelona's beaches are easily accessible for those in a wheelchair, with ramps along the Olympic Village beaches and the wooden boardwalks often reaching right down to the shore and Barceloneta again having a very slight gradient down to the beach area - both very pleasing, especially given the heat in summer!
One of my friends wanted to visit the Camp Nou for a football game and despite furious Googling and contact through various re-selling websites, no-one was able to find wheelchair accessible tickets. Two of our ventured trekkers made their way up to the stadium and were told that there WERE tickets available for wheelchair access, but decided against going to the match due to the late kick off that particular day and the possible nightmare of getting home afterwards. This to me was a shame, as it's a great stadium to visit, and had tickets been booked in advance, a more strategic plan could have been organised with perhaps a taxi pick up after the game to avoid the crowds, etc. I think there should be easier information available on the website (there was a telephone number, but only Spanish-speaking operators).
One improvement that could be suggested to the local council concerns the UNESCO World Heritage site of Park Güell. On my recommendation, one group took a taxi up to Gaudi’s magnificent Park Güell, and whilst they were able to visit the walkways and paths in and around the entrance to the park, there was no direct way to access the main plaça with the tiled benches. This is a highlight of the Park offering fantastic panoramic views of the sprawling city below, and should definitely be something to consider in the future.
Public transport is a huge influence on any persons visit to a new destination, especially a city - none more so than those with a wheelchair. Well, visitors will be extremely happy to see the newly installed elevators on the metro at Liceu on Las Ramblas as well as the Purple Line (Line 2) being the only line at the moment with elevators from street level to the platforms. On the occasions where there was not a elevator, the accompanying people were able to help up escalators or steps - although my friends mentioned that staff also seemed keen to help on one occasion. One group also used the buses in town, and although they had to wait for the next bus, when it arrived it had lowered suspension and was perfect for the wheelchair user to board.
Obviously, some of the bigger attractions were a gamble in not knowing if things would work, but as one family were travelling with children, they wanted to make the most of the trip, so opted for the Cable Cars up on Montjüic. The good news is that the Funicular at Parallel metro station is perfectly adaptable for those in a wheelchair. Be sure to board the very end carriage down in Parallel - this means at the top you will only have one step to access the elevator.
Another bonus was that the Montjüic Cable Car was also wheelchair accessible, after the newly constructed boxes are now wider, with a capacity of 8 people. The same cabins offer a special dinner inside the cable car during summer, so the temporary table they use to install gives a similar width. Unfortunately the cable car which crosses the Mediterranean sea from Barceloneta’s beach to the Miramar at Montjüic is off limits. Whilst there is an elevator at Barceloneta end, there are around 13 steep steps at the opposite end, ruling this out.
Barcelona's beaches are easily accessible for those in a wheelchair, with ramps along the Olympic Village beaches and the wooden boardwalks often reaching right down to the shore and Barceloneta again having a very slight gradient down to the beach area - both very pleasing, especially given the heat in summer!
One of my friends wanted to visit the Camp Nou for a football game and despite furious Googling and contact through various re-selling websites, no-one was able to find wheelchair accessible tickets. Two of our ventured trekkers made their way up to the stadium and were told that there WERE tickets available for wheelchair access, but decided against going to the match due to the late kick off that particular day and the possible nightmare of getting home afterwards. This to me was a shame, as it's a great stadium to visit, and had tickets been booked in advance, a more strategic plan could have been organised with perhaps a taxi pick up after the game to avoid the crowds, etc. I think there should be easier information available on the website (there was a telephone number, but only Spanish-speaking operators).
One improvement that could be suggested to the local council concerns the UNESCO World Heritage site of Park Güell. On my recommendation, one group took a taxi up to Gaudi’s magnificent Park Güell, and whilst they were able to visit the walkways and paths in and around the entrance to the park, there was no direct way to access the main plaça with the tiled benches. This is a highlight of the Park offering fantastic panoramic views of the sprawling city below, and should definitely be something to consider in the future.
About the Author
David Brydon has been living in Barcelona for 9 years and writes about Apartments for rent in Barcelona and Barcelona apartments for groups.
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Total views: 1106
Word count: 722
Character count: 4172
Article rating: none yet
Number of votes: 0
Rate this article now: