A guide to Britain for disabled travellers
Getting to and from the airport
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Facilities at the airport
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Ramps for wheelchair access
Wide paths
Disabled toilets
Disabled seating in check-in areas
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Ramps for wheelchair access
Wide paths
Disabled toilets
Disabled seating in check-in areas
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Easy wheelchair access
Disabled toilets
Disabled seating throughout the airport
Low-level information monitors
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Wheelchairs available to borrow
Disabled toilets
Assistance boarding and leaving the plane
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Train
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Both Heathrow and Paddington stations are step-free between the train and the platform.
Heathrow Express trains are accessible for wheelchair users.
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Gatwick Airport train station has step-free access and a ramp to help you board the train.
Gatwick Express staff can offer help if you speak to them at the station, or contact them in advance.
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Stansted Airport train station has step-free access and a ramp to help you board the train.
If you know when you will be travelling, you are advised to contact the station in advance to discuss assistance.
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Luton Airport Parkway train station has step-free access with lifts and escalators from street level to all platforms.
You should contact the station in advance if you think you will need staff assistance boarding a train.
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Bus
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National Express buses from Heathrow are able to carry wheelchairs weighing up to 23kg. They must be stowed in the cargo hold.
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National Express buses from Gatwick can carry wheelchairs weighing up to 23kg. They must be stowed in the cargo hold.
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National Express buses from Stansted are able to carry wheelchairs weighing up to 23kg. They must be stowed in the cargo hold.
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Tube
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At Heathrow Terminals 123 and Terminal 4 tube stations there is step-free from the train to platforms and ticket offices. There is a lift to the airport. Staff help is available on request.
Heathrow Terminal 5 tube station has no step-free access, but staff can offer help to passengers where possible.
See Getting around in London below for more information about travelling by tube.
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Getting around in London
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London Underground (Tube)
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Bus
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All tube stations have an extra-wide entrance barrier so passengers in wheelchairs can get through.
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Many of London's biggest tube stations are completely step-free, including Kings Cross, Heathrow Terminals 123, London Bridge, Wembley Park, Green Park and Stratford. See a full list of step-free stations here.
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There are ramps to help wheelchair users to get on the tube at 16 stations including Earl’s Court, Oxford Circus, King’s Cross and Westminster
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All London Underground staff can assist customers with disabilities, if you need help you can just approach them when you arrive at a station.
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To travel on the Tube, you will need a ticket - there is no discount available if you do not live in Britain. The easiest way to travel is with either a Travelcard or a Visitor Oyster Card.
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Every London bus can carry wheelchairs as big as 70cm x 120cm.
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All London bus routes apart from 9 and 15 can be lowered to pavement level to allow disabled customers to easily get on.
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All buses have an easy access ramp, which can be used by wheelchair users to get on
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You can travel on London buses for free if you are a wheelchair user, but everyone travelling with you needs a ticket.
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Taxi
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London Overground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
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All licenced taxis (black cabs) in London are accessible for wheelchairs.
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By UK law, all taxis and private hire vehicles have to let you travel with your guide dog or other assistance dog.
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Minicabs must be booked in advance. Accessibility can vary so check in advance or when booking
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The London Taxi website offers more detailed information on taxi travel around London.
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All stations on the Docklands Light Railway have level access between the platform and the train.
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38 stations on London Overground are step-free from the street to the platform
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Every London Overground train has designated spaces for wheelchair users, and priority seats
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If you know where you will be travelling, you can contact the station 24 hours in advance and explain what your needs are, to make sure they are able to help you. However, staff will do their best to help you whether you have booked or not.
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See more information about the accessibility of London Overground services.
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General London travel tips
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Assistance dogs are welcome on all public transport in London, as long as they do not block exits and entrances for other passengers.
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To plan your journey on London transport, pick up a tube map from any station once you're in London, or view it online. Stations with step-free access to platforms are marked with a white symbol, and stations with completely level access onto the tube are marked with a blue symbol.
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Transport for London’s online Journey Planner also provides an option for planning step-free route
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More detailed guides, including a guide to avoiding stairs, are also available online, as are video guides to using tubes, buses, trains and taxis in London.
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If you have a Blue Badge and are driving in London, you can register so that you do not have to pay the Congestion Charge. More information here.
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Getting around in Britain

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By train
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Local buses, taxis and car hire
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By bus / coach
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Step-free access is available at many major train stations around Britain.
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If you know which station/s you will be travelling to, you can search on nationalrail.co.uk for detailed information about their accessibility.
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This map shows which of the biggest train stations have step-free access.
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The Disability Onboard website has trips and information about travelling on trains in Britain for disabled customers.
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Britain's train travel discount scheme for disabled passengers is only available to people who permanently live in England, Scotland or Wales. However, if you are a wheelchair user or are visually impaired, you may be able to get some discounts on train tickets when you buy them at a train station ticket office. There is more information here.
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Also consider a BritRail Pass, a pass for unlimited train travel in Britain that's only available to visitors from overseas. It can work out much cheaper than buying inpidual tickets, depending on how much you'll be travelling.
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By law, all buses in Britain will have to be wheelchair-accessible by 2017.
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Right now accessibility varies depending on the area you’re visiting and the type of buses they have. Over 60% of buses in England are already wheelchair accessible (as of December 2013).
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Transportdirect.info can help you plan a journey around Britain depending on your needs.
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By law, taxis have to accept passengers in wheelchairs and assistance dogs whenever they can. They legally cannot charge you more than any other customer.
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Wheelchair-travel.co.uk has information about hiring an accessible car on your holiday
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If you are travelling from Europe and have a Blue Badge, you are allowed to park in disabled parking spaces in Britain.
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You may also be able to park for free or for a discount in some car parks, or to park on roads that do not usually allow parking.
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The FIA Disabled Travellers website has more information about how you can use your Blue Badge.
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National Express buses can carry wheelchairs weighing up to 23kg. They must be stowed in the cargo hold.
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There is priority seating at the front of the vehicles reserved for customers who might have difficulty getting on or off.
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Drivers will be happy to load your luggage onto the coach if you are unable to do so yourself.
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You should contact National Express at least 24 hours before you travel if you want to take a wheelchair with you, or need staff to assist you in any way.
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More information is available here.
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Visiting Britain's top attractions
What do I need?
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In order to visit attractions with a disabled ticket, or get a free ticket for a carer, you should carry an ID card (such as a disability card) with you, as you may be asked to show it to a member of staff
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If your card is not in English, you should also carry an English translation with you
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You can usually get an English translation from your local town hall
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Wheelchair access
Accessible toilets
Carer enters for free with a disabled visitor
Disabled visitors can buy discounted London Eye tickets from our shop.
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Wheelchair access
Accessible toilets
There is no discount, but a carer enters for free with a disabled visitor with a standard Shard ticket from our shop.
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Wheelchair access. A step-free route through the tower has been designed for disabled guests.
Accessible toilets
Carer enters for free with a disabled visitor
Disabled visitors can buy discounted Tower of London tickets from our shop.
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Wheelchair access to exhibition. However, there are restrictions on how many wheelchair users can visit at once - so you should contact Madame Tussauds once you buy your tickets to book a slot.
Accessible toilets
There is no discount, but a carer enters with you for free with disabled Madame Tussauds tickets bought from our shop
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For safety reasons, the Spirit of London ride isn't wheelchair-accessible
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Wheelchair access to castle
Accessible toilets
There is no discount, but a carer enters for free with a disabled visitor with standard Windsor Castle tickets from our shop
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Some areas have steps, including the chapel and Queen Mary's Dolls' House
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Wheelchair access to exhibition. However, there are restrictions on how many wheelchair users can visit at once - so you should contact The London Dungeon before your visit to book a slot.
Accessible toilets
A carer enters for free with a disabled visitor
Disabled visitors can buy discounted London Dungeon tickets from our shop.
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Wheelchairs can be taken on the bus; they must be put into the luggage area
There is wheelchair access to studio tour
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There are a few steps to board the bus
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When you get your confirmation email, you should contact Golden Tours to tell them you will be visiting
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Wheelchair access to gardens
Accessible toilets
Disabled visitors and carers can get a discount - contact the Castle directly to book discounted tickets.
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The castle itself has limited disabled access. There are some steps and narrow doorways
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The Dragon Tower isn't wheelchair-accessible
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Wheelchair access to palace
Accessible toilets
Wheelchairs can be borrowed
There is no discount, but a carer enters for free with a disabled visitor with a standard Kensington Palace ticket from our shop.
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Visiting National Trust properties
With a
National Trust Touring Pass you can visit over 300 stately homes, gardens and castles in England and Wales.
How accessible are National Trust properties?
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Most properties are suitable for wheelchair users and disabled customers
A carer can enter National Trust properties for free when accompanying a wheelchair user
Assistance dogs are welcome in all of the properties
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Many properties have wheelchairs that can be borrowed on your visit, but this varies by location
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It may be easiest to contact the properties in advance if you know which you will be visiting
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To use disabled parking spaces, you must display a relevant Parking Card, marked with the international wheelchair symbol
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You can look up any inpidual place in more detail here including information about accessible toilets, and parking
Some of the most popular places to visit with the Pass are:
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Stourhead, Wiltshire
A beautiful fairytale garden with Greek-style temples, a serene lake, and colourful landscaped woodland.
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Fountain's Abbey, North Yorkshire
Britain’s largest ruined monastry, set in acres of beautiful parkland. It dates back to 1132, and is an UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Petworth, Sussex
A stunning country house with a world-famous art collection, a room carved entirely from wood, and fascinating historic collections.
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Parking
Parking is free for Touring Pass holders
Disabled parking spaces available
A wheelchair-accessible transfer from the car park to the park runs between March and October
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Parking
Parking is free for Touring Pass holders
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Parking
Parking is free for Touring Pass holders
Disabled parking spaces available in a separate car park. The other, main car park is quite far away and has a steep sloped path to the house
There is a wheelchair-accessible shuttle service from the main car park to the house
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The attraction
There is an accessible route map for exploring the gardens
The garden path is 1.25 miles in total. Mostly level with a few steep slopes
Wheelchairs can be hired, but you should book one in advance
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The attraction
There are routes around the estate to make wheelchair access as easy as possible
There is a special transfer vehicle to take you from the visitor centre to many areas in the park
Wheelchairs can be hired, but you should book one in advance
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The attraction
There are ramps up to the ground floor of the house. Other floors and the chapel have a few steps
There are two accessible toilets in the house
The surrounding park has a few slopes, and is partially wheelchair-accessible
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Visiting English Heritage properties
An
English Heritage Pass lets you visit over 100 of the most important places in English history: castles, abbeys, Roman ruins and prehistoric monuments.
How accessible are English Heritage properties?
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English Heritage are working on improvements to make sure properties are suitable for wheelchair users and disabled customers wherever possible
Assistance dogs are welcome in all of the properties
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Many properties have wheelchairs that can be borrowed on your visit, but this varies by location
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It may be easiest to contact the properties in advance if you know which you will be visiting
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To use disabled parking spaces or get reduced parking prices, you must display a relevant Parking Card, marked with the international wheelchair symbol
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You can look up any individual place in more detail here including information about accessible toilets, and parking
Some of the most popular places to visit with the Pass are:
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Stonehenge, Wiltshire
A world-famous prehistoric monument with thousands of years of secrets to explore.
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Kenwood House, London
This beautiful and unique stately home is an oasis of calm in the heart of bustling north London.
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Dover Castle, Kent
A majestic medieval castle; one of the most historically important in Britain, and less than 2 hours away from London.
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Parking
Disabled parking spaces are available
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Parking
Disabled parking spaces are available
Wheelchair-accessible transfer from car park to house is available
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Parking
Separate car park for disabled visitors, with easy access
A wheelchair-accessible shuttle runs between car park and castle
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The attraction
Wheelchair-accessible shuttle bus from Visitor Centre to the Stonehenge monument available
The stone circle of the monument is wheelchair-accessible, depending on weather
Wheelchairs can be hired, but you should book one in advance
There are accessible toilets at the Visitor Center
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The attraction
Wheelchair access to ground floor
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There are stairs to upper levels. There are handrails, and assistance is available
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Some paths in surrounding gardens may be unsuitable for wheelchairs
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The attraction
Ground floors are wheelchair-accessible
Mobility scooters can be borrowed; book in advance
There are accessible toilets
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There is some restricted access to upper levels of castle and towers
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Useful links
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