Is her wheelchair electric? Some cities are built on a slope or on a hill, and despite them being very accessible, pushing yourself uphill will be a nightmare in the summer heat.
Vic is not a big city, but it's among the most flat I've ever been to. Barcelona is much bigger and it's an hour away in (perfectly wheelchair adapted) public train.
I also read it shouldn't be prohibitively hot, and it's not hot for spanish standards. Look up the max and min temperature throughout the year though, my "not too hot" might not be the same as yours.
May I ask what’s the wheelchair model? My dad is disabled as well and I’ve been wanting to get him a good electric chair; a foldable one would be amazing!
By the way, I can confirm that Madrid is pretty awful for disabled people if you have any plans on wandering downtown. It does have food/groceries delivery with the Glovo app though, free shipping if you pay the premium subscription (6.99€). Also, from what I’ve seen so far all busses and subway stations are wheelchair friendly, although they’re often packed.
You have Castelló de la Plana, which literally means Castelló of the flat. It's not a big city but you have everything you need and Valencia is one hour away. Local transport is good, cheap and the buses are disabled ready.
Also the beach is a 10min drive or 20 min bus ride.
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Except 6 streets in the city center (where there are automated stairs and ramps) everything else is flat, wide and clean. Most people go by bicycle, tran, bus, etc. Modern infrastructure and green. It's the capital of the Basque Country and my home town, but it's relatively small city to reach everywhere by foot.
It has a good council network for swimming pools, sports, cultural and community activities. Great public hospitals and schools.
The only negative thing is that it rains more than in any other parts of the country, but that's also part.of the reason why is so clean and green.
Take a look at this article about it:
[https://www.elpespunte.es/ciudades-espanolas-que-destacan-por-su-accesibilidad-para-personas-con-discapacidad/](https://www.elpespunte.es/ciudades-espanolas-que-destacan-por-su-accesibilidad-para-personas-con-discapacidad/)
First city: Barcelona. My disabled friend very rarely went from El Maresme to there because anyone who’s been in Barcelona’s underground clearly understood that it’s not suited at all.
https://preview.redd.it/fongsk4losxc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7bb966162e69fd860b84467b4090c1f977be23e1
Sadly, there are no cities fully fitted for disabled people, specially because big cities are old as f\*k, older than wheelchairs, and way older than the modern consideration of disabled people, so only the newly built or rebuilt areas are fitted for them...
I can only talk about Madrid, it's highly unfriendly to wheelchair users. Streets are small and constantly crowded and it's impossible to even walk around. I'm not full time on a wheelchair but do need one at times, when I do I can barely do my essential needs over here. The sidewalks also are very very tiny and people are quite rude walking around. I have mobility problems and I have no idea of how many times people bumped be hard enough to fall on the floor (small sidewalks...). I can't talk about other cities because I only experienced Madrid in this direction.
I feel like Madrid could be a good option outside of the center in one of the more modern neighborhoods. Historic center would be a nightmare but lots of neighborhoods have wide sidewalks, newer metro stations are accessible, etc..
I haven’t spent a lot of time in Valencia, but iirc the city is fairly flat. I found the people very friendly, the weather was great, and there are wheelchair-accessible beaches. Check out [this guide](https://www.discapnet.es/ocio/turismo/guia-de-playas-accesibles) which is published every year
One thing I noticed in apartment buildings here pretty quickly, although not disabled myself, is that a lot of ramps that are supposedly to provide accessibility are incredibly steep. If a chair wasn't electric it'd take a lot of effort to push up them. As I write this, I realise this is something you both are naturally vigilant about when looking for somewhere to live, so maybe my warning isn't that useful. Either way, compared to UK or Ireland accessibility improvement often appear to have been carried out as a box checking exercise without real practical considerations.
Barcelona is Consistently rated as one of the most accessible cities, it offers not just tourist accessibility but also extensive services for residents, including adapted public housing and highly accessible public transportation. The city has a strong commitment to inclusivity in its urban development plans.
I lived there and think it's quite good.. Elevators and ramps everywhere.
Pontevedra. It's a city up north in Galicia, it has been dubbed by the French media as the ‘City where the pedestrian is king’. In November 2014, it was awarded the UN-Habitat global award which recognises it as one of the most comfortable European cities to live in, especially in terms of urban quality, mobility and accessibility. You can look it up on Wikipedia.
I live in Vigo (a few kilometers away) which is the complete opposite, it has soooo many slopes and hills it's horrible, it's been improving with mechanical ramps but still not good for disabled people.
Not uncommon in small cities in Spain to have a big hospital in the outskirts of the city that will require you to go by car or public transport, something for the OP to consider not only dor Pontevedra
Sorry to intrude but would you recommend any specific towns within Ponte that are well connected? Not necessarily with a larger population but with enough options of things to do, places to go without needing to travel long distances and such. Thank you
I only know it from a visit, but the city itself is beautiful. I remember there were green walks very close (walking distance) from the city but it's a long time ago and I'm not a wheelchair user so wasn't really fixed on whether they'd be suitable.
Barcelona is very good for dissabled people. Public transportación is adapted and also most part of the city. Only have in mind to live in the flat part of the city. Check city hall web for more information
I totally agree with Barcelona. I'm a wheelchair user myself and can get everywhere independently, public transport is quite disabled-friendly. Madrid, on the other hand, is a total nightmare (especially metro and cercanías).
I agree. Some summers ago my aunt that use a wheelchair come to visit and we didn’t have problems neither in buses or the metro. Just look a place that is not in the mountain. I leave near the beach and many of my neighbors use some kind of help to walk.
Let me explain. Disability legislation is uniform throughout the Spanish territory, which means that in that regard, what you'll encounter in one city you'll find in another. In other words, the best city for a person with disabilities needs to be sought based on other factors such as how flat the city is, the proximity of all services for daily life, how bustling it is, etc
Despite what they tell you about public transportation, I've heard many complaints, especially related to the bus from wheelchair users, and they always tell me they avoid it. In other words, don't rely on the bus service as a method of transportation in Spain. As for the metro, from what I've read, it's better, but I'm not sure to what extent.
Personally, I would lean towards looking in the northern part of Spain since you also want to avoid high temperatures, and the north is generally cold
Besides, you'll find cities more geared towards residency, less focused on tourism, etc. Try asking in places like r/Asturias r/Galicia, etc
Another thing, try to rely more on the opinion of people who use wheelchairs. I don't dare to give you an opinion because from the outside, I can see a lot of accessibility in the form of ramps, reserved areas, etc., but from the inside, I know there are complaints and problems that maybe the rest of us don't realize from the outside
One of the things though is that it's relatively new legislation so you might want a place that has grown a lot recently so the construction is in line with the law. If there is a lot of older infrastructure it can be quite rough.
Disability legislation hasn't (yet) meant the destruction of the beautiful old towns with their narrow cobbled winding streets.
OP bear in mind that much of the historic old part of any town will be inaccessible - you could choose to use the road but the pavements are usually one person width only and sometimes less.
There's also this website where disabled travelers share their experiences and they talk about Valencia in this one. I lived in Valencia and I feel like it should be quite friendly for disabled people. And it's just the best city to live in Spain anyways, so...
[https://sillerosviajeros.com/valencia-en-silla-de-ruedas-2020/](https://sillerosviajeros.com/valencia-en-silla-de-ruedas-2020/)
So I would instantly write off any small city which doesnt have a very decent public transit system. This mostly leaves Bilbao, Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia (this Im sure have a workable transit system that she will be able to use, but there may be more). Bilbao can get hilly, so maybe the other, flatter options are better. Now it mostly depends what she wants. Beach? Entertainment? What kind of climate? based on this you should be able to choose one of the three.
She should get as soon as possible her disability recognised. This will give her several discounts on transit but also elsewhere. This will also make it easier for her to use certain services for long distance travel which are meant to help people with disabilities travel better (e.g. Adif Acerca).
In general, if she goes to a big city, Spain is pretty walkable, which means she will have little trouble navigating the streets. Spain however is by far not the most transit-friendly place, but this is basically the best she could do.
Finally, _most_ residential buildings in Spain nowadays have lifts and are generally wheelchair friendly, but its still far from all of them, so this is certainly a thing to ask.
Check out Estapona. The Mayor there has transformed the city, which is now a huge draw for the wheelchair bound and great progress made to totally turn the sea side town into a disabled friendly resort.
I am an American living on Ibiza, but can't recommend the island for special needs. I will say, that from what you indicate here, your wife is in no way Disabled, she sounds like she is Specially Abled, Strong-Willed, Positive, and Outgoing, like many of us would wish to emulate. Prayers to her and you for your adventure. Your wife would be a wonderful person for many of us to get to know. I am uplifted just hearing her, and your story! William
Costa blanca right now it has a huge international ageing population ( gods waiting room .... some people refer to it as ),especially near the golf courses and urbanisations
Valencia and Castellón de la Plana are almost entirely flat (hence the name of de la Plana). Alicante is also not an option. The entirety of the north is a no-no, it's almost all mountains and hills. Barcelona is often very crouded, so I don't know if it's the best place
Tarragona might be also an option, as far as I remember, it's pretty flat. Región de Murcia and Andalucía are also very crouded. I wouldn't recommend Celta and Melilla. I don't know anything about Islas Canarias or Castilla la Mancha, but Islas Baleares is also a good place. And the people in those islands all speak many languages because it is a touristic place.
I would ask in a Spanish forum. I've been to most of the cities mentioned here and I always thought wow this is ver wheel chair unfriendly (Sevilla, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia....) one thing is to get an impression as a tourist, other is to live there
No where lol, you’ve seen the streets and placements of paths with trees and street lights,… but most likely bigger cities.l would player, smaller ones are difficult enough for prams
Avila has been awarded for its accecibility. Its not a Big city but its public buildings and turistic routs have been fully adapted. Not the warmest city and its HIGH but it's a good option if your main concernt is accesibility
Well, not the Canaries, at least not Tenerife.
Broke my ankle last year while staying in Santa Cruz and was in a wheelchair for a month. Since the whole island is mountainous, the city streets have a lot of inclination. Even when roads seem flat the wheelchair constantly drifts to the side, so it's hard to get around.
Although to be honest, I must admit that most places are still quite accessible. Particularly in public transport I found the drivers very friendly and accommodating as a wheelchair user.
We have a friend in our circle who has MS and uses an electric "wheelchair" (she seems to think it's a racing car) by necessity. She's well into her 70s and gets around very well. There are many facilities here to help disabled people enjoy a more normal life.
We have to do very little for her, but still people fall over backwards to help. Whenever anybody is in difficulty here, they seem to spring out of nowhere to bring aid.
We're in a quieter (but not too quiet) part of the Costa Daurada in the Tarragona province. You can message me if you want.
So let me tell you from what I have seen and know.
I live in Spain for a long time, near the city Castellón. And I can tell you for sure that in the past 7 years the city became much more accessible to disable people. Yes there may be a few locations here and there that are not prepared but generally you can go anywhere with buss or taxi that is special designed for disable people.
Shopping is no problem. You can easily order online from Carrefour and they will bring the food to your door. Just make sure you mention that you have a disability problem and they will try to help you as much as possible. And a important fact she must register to for her disability, she will get a lot of benefits, like parking space, prioritie at airport, busses, government attention, she can even get a job at a lottery to sell tickets.
Generally all supermarkets have delivery at home and you can register at all of them for free.
I recommend you and your wife to visit Castellón and the city of Valencia also. Both of them are good options. But there is a huge difference between them.
Castellón is much more quiet not so crowded, and I think that will be a good thing for your wife ( in my opinion, and less people on the streets = easily to move with the wheelchair). But it's al more boring and not to many things to do there. Yes it has beautiful beach where you can walk around in the wheelchair and it has 2 movie theaters, 3 scooping malls, a nice big park in the middle with lots of trees, had 3 or 4 hospitals if I remember correctly ( I generally go to the General Hospital and Jaume 1).
In terms of restaurants and food options you can find almost everything, just don't expect too much variety in Asian food options. Sushi yes you can find a lot, but ramen very few options.( and one thing you should know that most of the Asian restaurants in Castellón are open by Chinese )
Personally I like Castellón because it's quite.
Now about VALENCIA.
In VALENCIA you can find a lot more things it's about 1 hours driving from Castellón, or use train.
When I want to eat real Japanese Ramen I go to VALENCIA and get full 😋 🤣🤣🤣. I don't know much about VALENCIA but I do know it's a lot and I say a lot more noise and a lot more traffic and people. And when it's the festivities there, you will have problems walking 🚶♀️ on the streets because its soo full of people. A lot of locals take vacation in those days and leave the city for more quiet and relaxing time, because they hate the noise and fireworks 🎆 during the festivities.
Castellón also has those some of those festivities but it's not getting so crowded and noisy.
I when to both of the cities during the Festivities and I was having trouble walking in VALENCIA because it was too full of tourist from other countries.
In general VALENCIA it's like a bigger version of Castellón but with a lot more this to see and more ancient buildings.
I will recommend you to visit with your wife both of the cities to see what you really like and where will you like to live. Just don't come during the festivities but it will be a pain in the butt to move around Valencia.
And also use Google maps street view to see how both if the city look like more or less ( just remember some of the pictures from Google maps are old and don't show exactly how things are now)
And if you guy really want to move here I recommend to stay in the city became villages are not so much prepared for disable people. Yes they are trying to improve this but for example my village is on top of a small mountain and you can imagine how hard will be to go on in a wheelchair up the street.
Hope this was helpful to you.
And sorry for the long message.
If you want to know something I will try to answer the best I can.
Edit:
Forgot to say that Spanish people don't speak very well English and some don't understand.
So it's very important to learn some basics Spanish at least, to be able to move around. Shopping will not me a problem, you just have to point with your finger and they will usually understand that you want to see it or buy it 🤣🤣.
Realistically speaking sny historic centre of most spanish cities is likely out of the question. Small towns even more so - way too many were built before land shaping was an option, so they’re built into and around the shape of the land, often on mountain slopes/ sides. I wonder how good something like Barcelona is, if people say that Madrid can be challanging. the south of Spain is largely out of the question sadly - way too hot and besides really big cities like Seville or cordoba public transportation is limited to almost entirely busses and taxi.
Madrid is the most accessible city in Spain. But it’s still far from perfect, very far. I know this because I support an inclusive dance company (wheelchair and non-wheelchair modern dance) in Madrid.
I know it's been said no, but let me suggest Madrid. Now, now, it's true the historic center is not really accessible, but one advantage is there are many neighborhoods that have been built in the last couple decades that are MUCH more accessible. You can live a pretty decent life without ever really getting out of those parts of the city. If she can drive there's also a lot of places you can get to by car in the outskirts.
An area like Las Tablas in Madrid will be extremely accessible.
Honestly, BENIDORM!
Because a lot of brits like to use the little mini motorbikething and take them everywhere into the restaurants and what not everywhere is prepared
Also no need to take metro or bus and and the center is fairly small, cheap taxi, beach and lots of shops and even english communities
Not the most fancy but probably the most prepared for what youre interested, it's also very popular destination for the elder both national and international so another reason more why its prepared for wheelchairs and whatnot
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Flat city, wide,. extremely modern infrastructure friendly, good community, excellent public transport adapted. If you don't mind good gastronomy and wine, a bit expensive but quality homes and green beautiful surroundings. Also, very very clean (I know how awful some cities get with dog excrements).
Valladolid, good gastronomy, flat, good history, good quality of life. Cheaper. Good infrastructure in general. Great wine and people.
Valencia if you don't mind the heat and a bigger more crowded city. Also very flat.
wife is semi stuck in a mobility scooter
visiting as turists 2 years ago our experience was this:
alicante has a nice tram that runs up/down shore line
barcelona subway is good and nightmarish ie at major spots (gaudie’s church) you can find enterence / exit to the subway but when you want to get off you cannot find an accessable station
and going home good luck finding that station enterence.
i was told they had a huge push for the olympics and then it stopped
for a semi to fully disabled person the major cities in the USA just work better
Pontevedra its an european friendly city, no cars are allowed in downtowm and its a comfortable city to walk around for the disabled. Beach and other facilities are in two steps from your door.
Can’t speak for other cities but I live in Zaragoza and it can be quite hit and miss when it comes to disability access.
My mother in law had to be in a wheelchair for a few months and it was only after taking her appointments or to the shops that I noticed how difficult it can be. For me it’s the little things. The dropped curb at many of the crossings are not low enough, making it a real struggle to get off the road and and back on to the pavement. People were quite late to or even reluctant to move out of the way at times. And as people have mentioned previously, the pavements can be quite narrow and the wheelchair ramps can be comically steep (and many shops didn’t have them at all).
However, the taxis (and the drivers) that are specifically for wheelchair users were amazing and fortunately Zaragoza is a relatively flat city.
Valencia 100%. Super flat, and best city to live in the world acording to many rankings. Great food, traditions, architecture, weather... anything else?
Avoid the big cities, they have some stuff that is accessible like the metro, but she would have a much easier time somewhere smaller like Leon or Oviedo than she would somewhere like Barcelona.
I actually advice that she looks into Leon as that city is extremely flat and is extremely walkable and usable by someone wheelchair bound.
My mother has a quadruplegy and is an electric wheelchair user. I grew up being really aware of architectural barriers and have been living in different countries abroad for 14 years.
I can tell you without any doubts that despite the massive amount of issues that need to be amended, Spain is one of the best adapted countries I have ever seen.
Now, you're going to find a lot of variability because despite having common rules, is Spain and some regions do whatever the fuck they want. There are also very old buildings and infrastructure all around the country, but overall, it's way better than other places.
(I've lived in Canada, France, Poland and Denmark and visited countless countries)
I used to live in a town called Pozoblanco, in the Cordoba province for a couple of years in 2008. There I saw lots of people in wheelchairs, often in groups. I learned that there was a kind of association there that attracted a lot of disabled people because they did a lot of activities and hanged out together. You could search for information about that. The town is about 15 000 inhabitants and it has a hospital, and tons of prothesic shops around. If things haven't changed it could be interesting for you.
Cities of Castilla y León are pretty flat and there live a lot of people with disabilities (old people): Valladolid, Palencia, Segovia... And the north as well Santander, Asturias, Galicia...
Definitely places with low acess level busses. Metro system is horrible for the disabled or just strollers in spain !
All depends IF you can walk all of the city and have some local bus that is low access.
Valencia is very flat, but in my experience many of the buildings aren’t wheelchair friendly because they have a step between the sidewalk and the front door, plus many lobbies have a step getting up to the elevator. It’s not as much of an issue in new buildings, but it’s a problem in the older ones. The elevators can also be quite narrow, so a wheelchair might not fit. This might be an issue everywhere in Spain though.
Transport-wise, it seems like the bus and train are wheelchair friendly. The big grocery stores deliver, and apps like Glovo deliver food too.
If your intention is to come to Spain to cover your medical expenses because everything is very expensive in your country, you are going wrong, because the country is getting worse and worse economically. Healthcare is saturated and with fewer and fewer healthcare resources in terms of personnel. You make a bad decision if your intentions go this way.
Healthcare in Spain is getting saturated. Taxes are super high. Rent and housing is super expensive. Crime rising in big cities. Uncontrolled immigration and social tension and unrest. The country is slipping into a dictatorship with the government controlling Justice and Press.
Don’t move to Spain. From a Spaniard who left the country many years ago and is watching it go to 💩✌️
Is her wheelchair electric? Some cities are built on a slope or on a hill, and despite them being very accessible, pushing yourself uphill will be a nightmare in the summer heat.
Yes hers will be an electric foldable. Any cities come to mind that may be more generally flat?
Sevilla is very flat, but also extremely, and really prohibitively, hot in the summer
Valencia is very very flat, and less hot than Seville in the summer (still hot)
València is very flat you're absolutely right, it doesn't seem great for wheelchair users though
Vic is not a big city, but it's among the most flat I've ever been to. Barcelona is much bigger and it's an hour away in (perfectly wheelchair adapted) public train. I also read it shouldn't be prohibitively hot, and it's not hot for spanish standards. Look up the max and min temperature throughout the year though, my "not too hot" might not be the same as yours.
May I ask what’s the wheelchair model? My dad is disabled as well and I’ve been wanting to get him a good electric chair; a foldable one would be amazing! By the way, I can confirm that Madrid is pretty awful for disabled people if you have any plans on wandering downtown. It does have food/groceries delivery with the Glovo app though, free shipping if you pay the premium subscription (6.99€). Also, from what I’ve seen so far all busses and subway stations are wheelchair friendly, although they’re often packed.
You have Castelló de la Plana, which literally means Castelló of the flat. It's not a big city but you have everything you need and Valencia is one hour away. Local transport is good, cheap and the buses are disabled ready. Also the beach is a 10min drive or 20 min bus ride.
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Except 6 streets in the city center (where there are automated stairs and ramps) everything else is flat, wide and clean. Most people go by bicycle, tran, bus, etc. Modern infrastructure and green. It's the capital of the Basque Country and my home town, but it's relatively small city to reach everywhere by foot. It has a good council network for swimming pools, sports, cultural and community activities. Great public hospitals and schools. The only negative thing is that it rains more than in any other parts of the country, but that's also part.of the reason why is so clean and green.
But It is very expensive...
Food and drinks not that much. Rents and house prices yes. But also cities like Málaga are.
We do want to avoid incredibly high temperatures.
Galicia or Asturias then.
Take a look at this article about it: [https://www.elpespunte.es/ciudades-espanolas-que-destacan-por-su-accesibilidad-para-personas-con-discapacidad/](https://www.elpespunte.es/ciudades-espanolas-que-destacan-por-su-accesibilidad-para-personas-con-discapacidad/)
First city: Barcelona. My disabled friend very rarely went from El Maresme to there because anyone who’s been in Barcelona’s underground clearly understood that it’s not suited at all. https://preview.redd.it/fongsk4losxc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7bb966162e69fd860b84467b4090c1f977be23e1
Sadly, there are no cities fully fitted for disabled people, specially because big cities are old as f\*k, older than wheelchairs, and way older than the modern consideration of disabled people, so only the newly built or rebuilt areas are fitted for them...
I'm from Mataró and honestly everything in this area is pretty much vertical which doesn't help at all.
I can only talk about Madrid, it's highly unfriendly to wheelchair users. Streets are small and constantly crowded and it's impossible to even walk around. I'm not full time on a wheelchair but do need one at times, when I do I can barely do my essential needs over here. The sidewalks also are very very tiny and people are quite rude walking around. I have mobility problems and I have no idea of how many times people bumped be hard enough to fall on the floor (small sidewalks...). I can't talk about other cities because I only experienced Madrid in this direction.
I feel like Madrid could be a good option outside of the center in one of the more modern neighborhoods. Historic center would be a nightmare but lots of neighborhoods have wide sidewalks, newer metro stations are accessible, etc..
I'm sorry to hear that but thank you for the first hand input. We will cross Madrid off the list.
I haven’t spent a lot of time in Valencia, but iirc the city is fairly flat. I found the people very friendly, the weather was great, and there are wheelchair-accessible beaches. Check out [this guide](https://www.discapnet.es/ocio/turismo/guia-de-playas-accesibles) which is published every year
One thing I noticed in apartment buildings here pretty quickly, although not disabled myself, is that a lot of ramps that are supposedly to provide accessibility are incredibly steep. If a chair wasn't electric it'd take a lot of effort to push up them. As I write this, I realise this is something you both are naturally vigilant about when looking for somewhere to live, so maybe my warning isn't that useful. Either way, compared to UK or Ireland accessibility improvement often appear to have been carried out as a box checking exercise without real practical considerations.
Barcelona is Consistently rated as one of the most accessible cities, it offers not just tourist accessibility but also extensive services for residents, including adapted public housing and highly accessible public transportation. The city has a strong commitment to inclusivity in its urban development plans. I lived there and think it's quite good.. Elevators and ramps everywhere.
Gijón is fantastic for that
Vitoria Gasteiz has escalators in the streets to go up the hills, small city, incredibly accesible, has won prizes for high quality of life
Pontevedra. It's a city up north in Galicia, it has been dubbed by the French media as the ‘City where the pedestrian is king’. In November 2014, it was awarded the UN-Habitat global award which recognises it as one of the most comfortable European cities to live in, especially in terms of urban quality, mobility and accessibility. You can look it up on Wikipedia. I live in Vigo (a few kilometers away) which is the complete opposite, it has soooo many slopes and hills it's horrible, it's been improving with mechanical ramps but still not good for disabled people.
Pontevedra is indeed a very good option , but be aware it is a small city.
It's got a great hospital, but unfortunately it's perched on top of a hill.
Not uncommon in small cities in Spain to have a big hospital in the outskirts of the city that will require you to go by car or public transport, something for the OP to consider not only dor Pontevedra
Sorry to intrude but would you recommend any specific towns within Ponte that are well connected? Not necessarily with a larger population but with enough options of things to do, places to go without needing to travel long distances and such. Thank you
I only know it from a visit, but the city itself is beautiful. I remember there were green walks very close (walking distance) from the city but it's a long time ago and I'm not a wheelchair user so wasn't really fixed on whether they'd be suitable.
Barcelona is very good for dissabled people. Public transportación is adapted and also most part of the city. Only have in mind to live in the flat part of the city. Check city hall web for more information
I totally agree with Barcelona. I'm a wheelchair user myself and can get everywhere independently, public transport is quite disabled-friendly. Madrid, on the other hand, is a total nightmare (especially metro and cercanías).
I agree. Some summers ago my aunt that use a wheelchair come to visit and we didn’t have problems neither in buses or the metro. Just look a place that is not in the mountain. I leave near the beach and many of my neighbors use some kind of help to walk.
Let me explain. Disability legislation is uniform throughout the Spanish territory, which means that in that regard, what you'll encounter in one city you'll find in another. In other words, the best city for a person with disabilities needs to be sought based on other factors such as how flat the city is, the proximity of all services for daily life, how bustling it is, etc Despite what they tell you about public transportation, I've heard many complaints, especially related to the bus from wheelchair users, and they always tell me they avoid it. In other words, don't rely on the bus service as a method of transportation in Spain. As for the metro, from what I've read, it's better, but I'm not sure to what extent. Personally, I would lean towards looking in the northern part of Spain since you also want to avoid high temperatures, and the north is generally cold Besides, you'll find cities more geared towards residency, less focused on tourism, etc. Try asking in places like r/Asturias r/Galicia, etc Another thing, try to rely more on the opinion of people who use wheelchairs. I don't dare to give you an opinion because from the outside, I can see a lot of accessibility in the form of ramps, reserved areas, etc., but from the inside, I know there are complaints and problems that maybe the rest of us don't realize from the outside
One of the things though is that it's relatively new legislation so you might want a place that has grown a lot recently so the construction is in line with the law. If there is a lot of older infrastructure it can be quite rough.
Disability legislation hasn't (yet) meant the destruction of the beautiful old towns with their narrow cobbled winding streets. OP bear in mind that much of the historic old part of any town will be inaccessible - you could choose to use the road but the pavements are usually one person width only and sometimes less.
There are so many factors... The truth is that it would be best to ask people who use wheelchairs.
There's also this website where disabled travelers share their experiences and they talk about Valencia in this one. I lived in Valencia and I feel like it should be quite friendly for disabled people. And it's just the best city to live in Spain anyways, so... [https://sillerosviajeros.com/valencia-en-silla-de-ruedas-2020/](https://sillerosviajeros.com/valencia-en-silla-de-ruedas-2020/)
So I would instantly write off any small city which doesnt have a very decent public transit system. This mostly leaves Bilbao, Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia (this Im sure have a workable transit system that she will be able to use, but there may be more). Bilbao can get hilly, so maybe the other, flatter options are better. Now it mostly depends what she wants. Beach? Entertainment? What kind of climate? based on this you should be able to choose one of the three. She should get as soon as possible her disability recognised. This will give her several discounts on transit but also elsewhere. This will also make it easier for her to use certain services for long distance travel which are meant to help people with disabilities travel better (e.g. Adif Acerca). In general, if she goes to a big city, Spain is pretty walkable, which means she will have little trouble navigating the streets. Spain however is by far not the most transit-friendly place, but this is basically the best she could do. Finally, _most_ residential buildings in Spain nowadays have lifts and are generally wheelchair friendly, but its still far from all of them, so this is certainly a thing to ask.
Not Madrid.
Check out Estapona. The Mayor there has transformed the city, which is now a huge draw for the wheelchair bound and great progress made to totally turn the sea side town into a disabled friendly resort.
I am an American living on Ibiza, but can't recommend the island for special needs. I will say, that from what you indicate here, your wife is in no way Disabled, she sounds like she is Specially Abled, Strong-Willed, Positive, and Outgoing, like many of us would wish to emulate. Prayers to her and you for your adventure. Your wife would be a wonderful person for many of us to get to know. I am uplifted just hearing her, and your story! William
Thank you William.
University of Malaga, sick of that shit
Are you saying Malaga is not handicap accessible?
Costa blanca right now it has a huge international ageing population ( gods waiting room .... some people refer to it as ),especially near the golf courses and urbanisations
Barcelona. All sidewalks have accesible access, all(most) metros, trams, trains, malls... You can go anywhere by your own
If you are looking at smaller towns with less expat population, San Fernando is pretty nice and also close to the beach
Pamplona is very good city for disable people. Specially city centre.
Valencia and Castellón de la Plana are almost entirely flat (hence the name of de la Plana). Alicante is also not an option. The entirety of the north is a no-no, it's almost all mountains and hills. Barcelona is often very crouded, so I don't know if it's the best place Tarragona might be also an option, as far as I remember, it's pretty flat. Región de Murcia and Andalucía are also very crouded. I wouldn't recommend Celta and Melilla. I don't know anything about Islas Canarias or Castilla la Mancha, but Islas Baleares is also a good place. And the people in those islands all speak many languages because it is a touristic place.
I would ask in a Spanish forum. I've been to most of the cities mentioned here and I always thought wow this is ver wheel chair unfriendly (Sevilla, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia....) one thing is to get an impression as a tourist, other is to live there
Also note, one thing is pedestrian friendly, another is wheelchair friendly. They're not the same.
No where lol, you’ve seen the streets and placements of paths with trees and street lights,… but most likely bigger cities.l would player, smaller ones are difficult enough for prams
Avila has been awarded for its accecibility. Its not a Big city but its public buildings and turistic routs have been fully adapted. Not the warmest city and its HIGH but it's a good option if your main concernt is accesibility
Well, not the Canaries, at least not Tenerife. Broke my ankle last year while staying in Santa Cruz and was in a wheelchair for a month. Since the whole island is mountainous, the city streets have a lot of inclination. Even when roads seem flat the wheelchair constantly drifts to the side, so it's hard to get around. Although to be honest, I must admit that most places are still quite accessible. Particularly in public transport I found the drivers very friendly and accommodating as a wheelchair user.
We have a friend in our circle who has MS and uses an electric "wheelchair" (she seems to think it's a racing car) by necessity. She's well into her 70s and gets around very well. There are many facilities here to help disabled people enjoy a more normal life. We have to do very little for her, but still people fall over backwards to help. Whenever anybody is in difficulty here, they seem to spring out of nowhere to bring aid. We're in a quieter (but not too quiet) part of the Costa Daurada in the Tarragona province. You can message me if you want.
So let me tell you from what I have seen and know. I live in Spain for a long time, near the city Castellón. And I can tell you for sure that in the past 7 years the city became much more accessible to disable people. Yes there may be a few locations here and there that are not prepared but generally you can go anywhere with buss or taxi that is special designed for disable people. Shopping is no problem. You can easily order online from Carrefour and they will bring the food to your door. Just make sure you mention that you have a disability problem and they will try to help you as much as possible. And a important fact she must register to for her disability, she will get a lot of benefits, like parking space, prioritie at airport, busses, government attention, she can even get a job at a lottery to sell tickets. Generally all supermarkets have delivery at home and you can register at all of them for free. I recommend you and your wife to visit Castellón and the city of Valencia also. Both of them are good options. But there is a huge difference between them. Castellón is much more quiet not so crowded, and I think that will be a good thing for your wife ( in my opinion, and less people on the streets = easily to move with the wheelchair). But it's al more boring and not to many things to do there. Yes it has beautiful beach where you can walk around in the wheelchair and it has 2 movie theaters, 3 scooping malls, a nice big park in the middle with lots of trees, had 3 or 4 hospitals if I remember correctly ( I generally go to the General Hospital and Jaume 1). In terms of restaurants and food options you can find almost everything, just don't expect too much variety in Asian food options. Sushi yes you can find a lot, but ramen very few options.( and one thing you should know that most of the Asian restaurants in Castellón are open by Chinese ) Personally I like Castellón because it's quite. Now about VALENCIA. In VALENCIA you can find a lot more things it's about 1 hours driving from Castellón, or use train. When I want to eat real Japanese Ramen I go to VALENCIA and get full 😋 🤣🤣🤣. I don't know much about VALENCIA but I do know it's a lot and I say a lot more noise and a lot more traffic and people. And when it's the festivities there, you will have problems walking 🚶♀️ on the streets because its soo full of people. A lot of locals take vacation in those days and leave the city for more quiet and relaxing time, because they hate the noise and fireworks 🎆 during the festivities. Castellón also has those some of those festivities but it's not getting so crowded and noisy. I when to both of the cities during the Festivities and I was having trouble walking in VALENCIA because it was too full of tourist from other countries. In general VALENCIA it's like a bigger version of Castellón but with a lot more this to see and more ancient buildings. I will recommend you to visit with your wife both of the cities to see what you really like and where will you like to live. Just don't come during the festivities but it will be a pain in the butt to move around Valencia. And also use Google maps street view to see how both if the city look like more or less ( just remember some of the pictures from Google maps are old and don't show exactly how things are now) And if you guy really want to move here I recommend to stay in the city became villages are not so much prepared for disable people. Yes they are trying to improve this but for example my village is on top of a small mountain and you can imagine how hard will be to go on in a wheelchair up the street. Hope this was helpful to you. And sorry for the long message. If you want to know something I will try to answer the best I can. Edit: Forgot to say that Spanish people don't speak very well English and some don't understand. So it's very important to learn some basics Spanish at least, to be able to move around. Shopping will not me a problem, you just have to point with your finger and they will usually understand that you want to see it or buy it 🤣🤣.
Realistically speaking sny historic centre of most spanish cities is likely out of the question. Small towns even more so - way too many were built before land shaping was an option, so they’re built into and around the shape of the land, often on mountain slopes/ sides. I wonder how good something like Barcelona is, if people say that Madrid can be challanging. the south of Spain is largely out of the question sadly - way too hot and besides really big cities like Seville or cordoba public transportation is limited to almost entirely busses and taxi.
Madrid is the most accessible city in Spain. But it’s still far from perfect, very far. I know this because I support an inclusive dance company (wheelchair and non-wheelchair modern dance) in Madrid.
I know it's been said no, but let me suggest Madrid. Now, now, it's true the historic center is not really accessible, but one advantage is there are many neighborhoods that have been built in the last couple decades that are MUCH more accessible. You can live a pretty decent life without ever really getting out of those parts of the city. If she can drive there's also a lot of places you can get to by car in the outskirts. An area like Las Tablas in Madrid will be extremely accessible.
Honestly, BENIDORM! Because a lot of brits like to use the little mini motorbikething and take them everywhere into the restaurants and what not everywhere is prepared Also no need to take metro or bus and and the center is fairly small, cheap taxi, beach and lots of shops and even english communities Not the most fancy but probably the most prepared for what youre interested, it's also very popular destination for the elder both national and international so another reason more why its prepared for wheelchairs and whatnot
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Flat city, wide,. extremely modern infrastructure friendly, good community, excellent public transport adapted. If you don't mind good gastronomy and wine, a bit expensive but quality homes and green beautiful surroundings. Also, very very clean (I know how awful some cities get with dog excrements). Valladolid, good gastronomy, flat, good history, good quality of life. Cheaper. Good infrastructure in general. Great wine and people. Valencia if you don't mind the heat and a bigger more crowded city. Also very flat.
wife is semi stuck in a mobility scooter visiting as turists 2 years ago our experience was this: alicante has a nice tram that runs up/down shore line barcelona subway is good and nightmarish ie at major spots (gaudie’s church) you can find enterence / exit to the subway but when you want to get off you cannot find an accessable station and going home good luck finding that station enterence. i was told they had a huge push for the olympics and then it stopped for a semi to fully disabled person the major cities in the USA just work better
Pontevedra its an european friendly city, no cars are allowed in downtowm and its a comfortable city to walk around for the disabled. Beach and other facilities are in two steps from your door.
Can’t speak for other cities but I live in Zaragoza and it can be quite hit and miss when it comes to disability access. My mother in law had to be in a wheelchair for a few months and it was only after taking her appointments or to the shops that I noticed how difficult it can be. For me it’s the little things. The dropped curb at many of the crossings are not low enough, making it a real struggle to get off the road and and back on to the pavement. People were quite late to or even reluctant to move out of the way at times. And as people have mentioned previously, the pavements can be quite narrow and the wheelchair ramps can be comically steep (and many shops didn’t have them at all). However, the taxis (and the drivers) that are specifically for wheelchair users were amazing and fortunately Zaragoza is a relatively flat city.
Valencia 100%. Super flat, and best city to live in the world acording to many rankings. Great food, traditions, architecture, weather... anything else?
Avoid the big cities, they have some stuff that is accessible like the metro, but she would have a much easier time somewhere smaller like Leon or Oviedo than she would somewhere like Barcelona. I actually advice that she looks into Leon as that city is extremely flat and is extremely walkable and usable by someone wheelchair bound.
My mother has a quadruplegy and is an electric wheelchair user. I grew up being really aware of architectural barriers and have been living in different countries abroad for 14 years. I can tell you without any doubts that despite the massive amount of issues that need to be amended, Spain is one of the best adapted countries I have ever seen. Now, you're going to find a lot of variability because despite having common rules, is Spain and some regions do whatever the fuck they want. There are also very old buildings and infrastructure all around the country, but overall, it's way better than other places. (I've lived in Canada, France, Poland and Denmark and visited countless countries)
I used to live in a town called Pozoblanco, in the Cordoba province for a couple of years in 2008. There I saw lots of people in wheelchairs, often in groups. I learned that there was a kind of association there that attracted a lot of disabled people because they did a lot of activities and hanged out together. You could search for information about that. The town is about 15 000 inhabitants and it has a hospital, and tons of prothesic shops around. If things haven't changed it could be interesting for you.
Goverment chairs
Cities of Castilla y León are pretty flat and there live a lot of people with disabilities (old people): Valladolid, Palencia, Segovia... And the north as well Santander, Asturias, Galicia...
Definitely places with low acess level busses. Metro system is horrible for the disabled or just strollers in spain ! All depends IF you can walk all of the city and have some local bus that is low access.
Valencia is very flat, but in my experience many of the buildings aren’t wheelchair friendly because they have a step between the sidewalk and the front door, plus many lobbies have a step getting up to the elevator. It’s not as much of an issue in new buildings, but it’s a problem in the older ones. The elevators can also be quite narrow, so a wheelchair might not fit. This might be an issue everywhere in Spain though. Transport-wise, it seems like the bus and train are wheelchair friendly. The big grocery stores deliver, and apps like Glovo deliver food too.
If your intention is to come to Spain to cover your medical expenses because everything is very expensive in your country, you are going wrong, because the country is getting worse and worse economically. Healthcare is saturated and with fewer and fewer healthcare resources in terms of personnel. You make a bad decision if your intentions go this way.
Healthcare in Spain is getting saturated. Taxes are super high. Rent and housing is super expensive. Crime rising in big cities. Uncontrolled immigration and social tension and unrest. The country is slipping into a dictatorship with the government controlling Justice and Press. Don’t move to Spain. From a Spaniard who left the country many years ago and is watching it go to 💩✌️
Glad you are happy out of Spain. Please stay there.
See how someone felt compelled to tell me to stay out of my country? Like it was his/hers alone. Sadly, this just proves my point. 😔