Travel scooter useable in these Seine River ports?

[mlbcruiser]

My DH is bringing a small foldable travel scooter about the size of a medium suitcase on a river cruise soon. We have been to many European countries and realize you often find cobblestone and or uneven streets, have to negotiate steps, etc. We realize there are some sites he may not be able to visit or go into. On the other hand, there are often many places even within an old town where a travel scooter  is usable in many areas. I am particularly interested in the following ports:

 

La Roche Guyon

 

Rouen

 

Le Andelys

 

Le Pecq

 

There is a tour to the WWII attractions along the coast of Normandy. I have been told a scooter is definitely usable on this tour. (BTW, the cruise line is alowing the scooter to be brought on board the ship due to it’s small size and foldability. Just not used on the ship. It won’t be needed on board anyway.) 

 

I would like to know if it would be likely that the scooter would be of some help in the above places to a person with a bit of a mobility issue?  Even if it may mean the person has to skip some sights.

 

Hoping someone has first hand experience and can answer. Thanks for  any helpful replies. 

[mlbcruiser]

Not even one reply. 🙁  Yet judging by the number of members checking this post, others would be interested in to know as well. 

[1025cruise]

I don't really have an answer. However, one thing to note is that most of the river cruise boats are not scooter friendly to begin with. 

[mlbcruiser]

Thank you for replying. Yes I know that and my husband will not be using or needing his scooter on the boat. Travelers do visit these locations by land and many other places that could be considered even medieval towns. Of course some are easier to do than others. Someplaces, such as a perched town like is France, would be totally in accessible by scooter. But others would be, and most are a little and aren’t a little. I was hoping someone with some first-hand knowledge who has paid attention to that aspect in these places might comment.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thread moved to main River Cruising forum in hope of getting more answers.

[Roz]

I think getting on and off the ship may be his biggest challenge.  The gangways are often steep and have crossbars in them to keep people from slipping.

[mlbcruiser]

The other thing is when you have to cross other ships beyween your ship & the dock to get off when the ships are “stacked” in port. . We were on a river cruise about three years or so ago and had to go through other ships to get off a couple of times. Didn’t have the scooter yet thrn. Won’t be easy, but doable I think. . Have gotten off gangways on ocean going cruise ships a few different times that have those raised speed bumps a half to 2 feet apart. and sometimes the angle can be pretty steep.
 

At this point I can’t say how often or where DH will decide to use it.at least on the part of our trip when will be on traveling by longship.. Probably just have to play it by ear and make a judgment in each circumstance.

 

Thanks for the heads up!

Edited May 13, 2022 by mlbcruiser

[Peregrina651]

On 5/9/2022 at 11:24 PM, mlbcruiser said:

Rouen

 

Le Andelys

 

Le Pecq

 

Rouen:  Dock is not on street level. If I remember correctly, there are elevators to the street level.  I can't remember where the buses picked up (my mind is such a sieve).

 

Les Andelys: The town is hilly as well as the typically uneven streets and sidewalks. This is taken from the ship.

 

 

 

[mlbcruiser]

Thanks for the pictures! Yes I see what you mean about street level.  Like I said, Will probably have to wait until we get to each port and, depending upon various circumstances, have to make decisions upon arrival.

[scottjeanne]

We were on a river cruise and a women had a scooter.  It had three wheels not four.  she hit an uneven patch and over she went.  She was bruised but not badly hurt.  She did break her glasses.  My father uses a scooter and has also fallen.  Please use extreme caution on uneven pavement.

[mlbcruiser]

My husband has used his a number of times and is pretty good at it. Not to say he couldn’t fall sometime but so far he has not. (Knock on wood!). I have ridden it around a few times as well and never fell, but most of the time when I rode it I was on some big cruise ship rushing back to my cabin for a sweater at dinner or something. Of course the surface was flat.

 

His has two wheels in the very front, although they are located right next to each other under the steering column area. Then he has one on each side of the back. It handles very well and is surprisingly stable. When a spot looks kind of tricky or has a big pothole, broken pavement or large bump, , he will usually get up and we move the scooter over the various spot ourselves. The good thing about his is if we get into an area where there are just so many tricky spots, we just fold it up and it rolls forward. Or I pick it up and carry it to a safe spot. It’s about the size of a medium rolling suitcase  and we just have to roll it forward. There It is no telescopic handle, however, so it’s a little more tricky to try to pull it. Easier to just leave it standing straight up and roll it forward. It weighs 50 pounds. but 55 when the  lithium battery is in it. A strong person could get it up stairs but otherwise it has to stay parked if dh wants go up some stairs. (Our son in law took it up a long, steep flight of stairs when we were in Mexico last year going to an upstairs restaurant.) Of course, we wouldn’t do that and would just leave it unless we were coming right back down the stairs in a minute or one of us stayed behind to watch it.

I have seen some silver colored, smaller travel scooters that fold up somewhat like a very large umbrella. However I don’t think they are even as stable as a three wheeler. 
 

Of course, I realize that there are places where a scooter can’t be used. I’ve been told that at the world war Ii locations in Normandy there are many people who use wheelchairs and scooters and those sites are pretty friendly to such devices in those locations.

[mhb1757]

I think Les Andelys and Rouen would definitely NOT be scooter friendly. The good news is there isn’t too much in Les Andelys anyway. But lots of very old cobblestones and uneven paths in both of those places. I think LePecq would be doable. I agree that getting on and off the ship might be the greatest challenge there but once off,  the area near the ship was modern streets and sidewalks. 
I agree that the Normandy coast excursion would be doable. Toward the end of the day we made a stop right on the beach so you might want to skip that, but you have a great view of the beach from above at the American Cemetery (which has nicely paved walkways). 

[Host Jazzbeau]

7 hours ago, mhb1757 said:

I think Les Andelys and Rouen would definitely NOT be scooter friendly. The good news is there isn’t too much in Les Andelys anyway.

Except the hike up to Richard the Lionheart's castle, which is definitely not scooter friendly!

[mlbcruiser]

Thanks Jazzbeau. Actually I heard about that last summer  before I knew we weren’t going to get to go on this cruise the first time we had it booked. Maybe a situation where I go but DH doesn’t,  or maybe we will find something else to do. DH‘s biggest thing will be to see the Normandy WWIi sights. Mine will be to see half timbered  houses & bldgs.and such at some of the stops. And of course Monet’‘s house and garden. So hopefully something for everyone!

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 minutes ago, mlbcruiser said:

Thanks Jazzbeau. Actually I heard about that last summer  before I knew we weren’t going to get to go on this cruise the first time we had it booked. Maybe a situation where I go but DH doesn’t,  or maybe we will find something else to do. DH‘s biggest thing will be to see the Normandy WWIi sights. Mine will be to see half timbered  houses & bldgs.and such at some of the stops. And of course Monet’‘s house and garden. So hopefully something for everyone!

Monet's gardens should be scooter-friendly [although I recognize that able-bodied people can easily miss minor blockages...] but the house not at all.  Luckily the gardens are the real attraction.

[mlbcruiser]

Thanks and good to know. We have a two-story home so have to go upstairs all the time. My husband should be able to go into the home. Now lots of steps with no banister or anything to hold onto can sometimes be a problem. Otherwise not so much.