A Michelin guide for travelers with reduced mobility

Disability and the issue of accessibility for all are major societal issues, especially on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A first Michelin guide for travelers with reduced mobility: disability and the question of accessibility for all are major social issues, all the more so on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

According to figures from the Ministry of Health, 8% of French people aged 15 and over, or 4.8 million people, face a severe physical limitation. Among them, 850,000 are wheelchair users. This is how the guide was born Accessible holidays in France. Based on this observation, a team of nine people, including three with reduced mobility, set off to explore the four corners of France.

From the Opal Coast to the Hautes-Pyrénées, from the Dordogne to the Alsace wine route, from the Auvergne volcanoes to the Côte d’Azur, they have identified more than 1,200 sites and activities in 30 tourist sectors, offering an accessible and quality offer, made up of accommodation, restaurants, cultural visits or sports activities. Handi surfing on the Basque Coast, visiting the Loire châteaux, exploring a Périgord cave, or spending the night in a cabin perched in the middle of the woods.

“The guide comes from my personal experience, but more broadly from a crucial social issue. I have been using a wheelchair for 25 years, and I know that organizing a vacation for a person with reduced mobility is an obstacle course.”

Lucie Fontaine

Michelin tourism editor

“However, many tourism professionals are becoming more and more committed every day to implementing suitable facilities for people with disabilities,” underlines Lucie Fontaine.

The guide has a graphic code to immediately visualize the level of accessibility of the sites:
– The green banner, meaning there are no restrictions.
– The dotted green banner, meaning that the site described is partially accessible or with help.

The recommendations are divided into different thematic sections: Visit, stroll, move and eat.

Another notable release, The new guide to Handitourism in France by the Little Futé.