Update 14/07/2022
An enormous amount of prospective travelers throughout the world need some sort of accessible accommodations during their travels due to a physical or mental disability. One news agency estimates that 127.5 million travelers could need special accommodations.
In Greece, travelers with disabilities may face challenges. As an ancient country with buildings and venues that are hundreds of years old and which were designed in a far different time, retrofitting to provide accessibility for disabled consumers is a very slow-going proposition. This doesn’t mean that Greece isn’t welcoming of travelers with disabilities but rather that the ability to provide adequate services remains limited at this time.
The landscape of Greece is not friendly for disabled or people with kinetic problems. The country is hilly and mountainous, even the islands.The city of Athens itself is definitely challenging – it’s hilly. But the taxis are relatively cheap and are everywhere! The Athens metro is accessible too and wheelchair-friendly.
The key to travelling with any kind of disability is lots of research before booking. For wheelchair users, travel requires, first and foremost, good planning: make use of web-based tools and platforms and draw on the experience of specialized tour operators and travel agents.
Architecture of the Greek towns is not wheelchair-friendly either. Sidewalks are narrow and it is not easy to host wheelchairs or even baby strollers, especially in large towns like Athens. Restaurants are pretty much all up steps which is definitely a pain. On the plus side the vast majority of tourist attractions to be very much accessible. Even the Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum!
Many hotels in Greece are redesigning their spaces so that they are accessible by wheelchair. Amazingly there are also few hotels around the country that have been specially designed from the beginning for accessible holidays in Greece. New rules were set that demands from newly-established businesses, (hotels, restaurants), to have facilities for wheelchairs.
Athens International Airport since 2008 provides the on ground assistance services for disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility free of charge.
AthensToolKit compiled a short list of information sources valid today 14/07/2022
- The E.U. page about the transportation rights and regulations for disabled people
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/transport-disability/index_en.htm
- Prosvasis, a web platform focusing chiefly on mobility impairments, cataloguing the areas that are accessible to wheelchair users
- The SEATRACK. Individuals with mobility impairments can have autonomous access to the sea via SEATRAC systems. These devices allow disabled people to enter and exit the sea on a mechanized seat that travels on a track running into the water. Disabled individuals can thus get in and out of the water at the mere push of a button. The system relies solely on solar power, making it independent of the power grid as well as environmentally friendly. The SEATRAC system is made in Greece by the company TOBEA. Information about the SEATRAC system, as well as on which Greek beaches it has been installed, is available in both Greek and English on the company’s website.
✔ How to organize your holidays in Athens
Ferry to the islands: Book your ferry to to Santorini, Mykonos and other islands.
Hotels: Discover our selection with the best hotels and accommodation in Athens.
Tours and Activities: Explore the city with some amazing tours and activities.
Car rentals: Discover the the surroundings on your own by booking your car.
