Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand, and has a population of over eight million. Bangkok was at the heart of the modernization of Siam, later renamed Thailand, during the late-19th century, as the country faced pressures from the West. The city is now a regional force in finance and business. It is an international hub for transport and health care, and has emerged as a centre for the arts, fashion, and entertainment. The city is known for its street life and cultural landmarks, as well as its red-light districts. The Grand Palace and Buddhist temples including Wat Arun and Wat Pho stand in contrast with other tourist attractions such as the nightlife scenes of Khaosan Road and Patpong. Bangkok wheelchair access is poor, making disability travel a chore.
Tehran has a population of around 8.694 million making it the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia and has the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East. Tehran was first chosen as the capital of Iran by Agha Mohammad Khan of the Qajar dynasty in 1796. The majority of the population of Tehran are Persian-speaking people, but there are large populations of other ethno-linguistic groups who live in Tehran and speak Persian as a second language. Tehran has an international airport (Imam Khomeini Airport) , a domestic airport (Mehrabad Airport), a central railway station, the rapid transit system of Tehran Metro, a bus rapid transit system, trolleybuses, and a large network of highways. Tehran wheelchair access is poor, but not as bad as some would expect.
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous urban area in the Nordic countries. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. It is also the capital of Stockholm County. Stockholm is the cultural, media, political, and economic centre of Sweden. It hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet at the Stockholm Concert Hall and Stockholm City Hall. One of the city’s most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited non-art museum in Scandinavia. The Stockholm metro, opened in 1950, is well known for the decor of its stations; it has been called the longest art gallery in the world. Stockholm wheelchair access travel is much more enjoyable, as a result of the high level of service provided. We encourage disability travel to this city, but if you feel the cold, avoid visiting in the winter months. You can see so much of this city by walking or rolling around. Provided you pick a central location to stay, transport should not be a problem at all.
Stockolm’s Lokaltrafik AB (the Stockholm Public Transport Company, or SL in short) has an accessibility guarantee in place to help travelers with disabilities should anything unforeseen happen. Basically, this guarantee means that SL will help you to reach your destination or an alternative station where you can continue your travel.
The guarantee is valid for stations, lines and travels that SL has explicitly communicated are supposed to accommodate all travelers.
Some examples of how the accessibility guarantee could be applied:
You’re dependent on a functioning elevator or escalator to reach the platform. If the escalator or elevator is out of order on your station SL will help you reach an alternative station.
You are dependent on the station’s automatic information system to call out the right announcements. If the automatic information system is out of order or if a malfunctioning system makes you take the wrong train, SL will help you reach your destination.
You are dependent on the trains and busses automatic information system to call out the right announcements. If the automatic information system is out of order or if a malfunctioning system makes you get off at the wrong station, SL will help you reach your destination.
You are dependent on a bus having a ramp or a low step. If the buss you are trying to board lacks a low step or has a malfunctioning ramp, SL will help you reach your destination.
If you feel like the accessibility guarantee applies to your situation you can call SL’s customer support at +46 20 120 20 22 or send a text message to +46 70 256 46 81. You can also ask any of SL’s station personnel for help.
Important note: The lines of Roslagsbanan, Nockebybanan and Saltsjöbanan are not covered by the accessibility guarantee.
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is the most densely populated city proper in the world. The Spanish city of Manila was founded on June 24, 1571, by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. The date is regarded as the city’s official founding date. Manila was also the seat of power for most of the country’s colonial rulers. It is home to many historic sites. The term “Manila” is commonly used to refer to the whole metropolitan area, the greater metropolitan area or the city proper. The city is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay. The Pasig River flows through the middle of the city, dividing it into the north and south sections. Manila wheelchair access is poor by western standards.
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the mid-west of the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of the nation. San José’s metropolitan area stretches beyond the canton limits and has an estimated population of over 2 million. Though few people live in the city center, it is the most important working area of the country, which brings in more than a million people daily. According to studies on Latin America, San José is one of the safest and least violent cities in the region.] In 2006, the city was appointed Ibero-American Capital of Culture. San José is the sixth-most important destination in Latin America. San Jose wheelchair access is quite poor, which puts the onus on the visitor to plan their visit in great detail.
Dublin is the capital of, and largest city in, Ireland. It lies on the east coast of Ireland, at the mouth of the River Liffey. The population of the Greater Dublin area is 2 million. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century and was briefly the second largest city in the British Empire. Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State, later renamed Ireland. Dublin is a historical and contemporary centre for education, the arts, administration and industry. Dublin wheelchair access is good and improves every year, with new buildings constructed according to modern European access standards. These contemporary standards ensure wheelchair access and make disability travel much more agreeable. Disability travel in Dublin is a welcomed part of this modern, inclusive European city.
The main provider of bus services in Dublin, the publicly-owned Dublin Bus, uses low-floor, wheelchair-accessible buses on all its routes (including its Dublin Airport bus service, Airlink.)
Additionally, Dublin Bus runs a travel assistance scheme to help those with a mobility impairment to travel around Dublin using either bus, train or tram. An assistant can accompany you the first few times you travel, and give you advice on planning a journey.
The Travel Assistance Scheme is free and is for people aged 18 or over. You can use it Monday to Friday between 08:00hrs and 18:00hrs. To find out more about this service, phone (01) 703 3204 or email customercomment@dublinbus.ie.
More information about accessibility is available on the Dublin Bus website, or you can call the company’s Access Officer on (01) 703 3204 with any queries you may have.
Go-Ahead
Recently the Government decided to privatise some Dublin bus routes, outsourcing several Dublin bus routes to a UK company called Go-Ahead. This company’s buses are wheelchair accessible too, but it is unclear as to what direct assistance they provide to wheelchair users. So if you require mobility assistance, we advise contacting the company on 1850 80 40 71 or emailing customercomment@goaheadireland.ie.
Bus Eireann
Bus Eireann is Ireland’s main provider of long-distance coach services, many of which operate in the Greater Dublin area. Although many of its services are fully wheelchair accessible, not all are, so it is advisable to contact the company in advance of travel if you have a mobility impairment. Its customer number is 1850 836 611.
There are several private companies that operate bus services within the Greater Dublin area, but not all provide fully accessible travel. A full list of operators can be seen on Transport for Ireland’s accessible travel web page (click the ‘bus’ option) — in most cases, you will need to contact the operator in question in advance of travel to find out what your options are.
Trains
Trains in Dublin are wheelchair accessible, as are most of the stations. Staff can usually assist with the boarding of trains via the provision of wheelchair ramps too.
However, depending on station staffing levels, help is not always at hand. Irish Rail therefore ask those with a mobility impairment to contact them in advance of travel to ensure that full support with your journey is provided. You can do so by emailing access@irishrail.ie or calling (01) 836 6222 (Monday – Friday 08:30-18:00hrs excluding public holidays).
For a quick idea of which stations may cause issues for those with a mobility impairment, you can download the Dublin train map. The stations marked with a steps icon on the map are not step or gate free. For more detailed information about station accessibility, including the operational status of lifts and wheelchair ramp availability, you can check Irish Rail’s travel information web page. Use the ‘Find a Station’ box to search for a station, and then click ‘Accessibility and Station Access.’
Trams
Dublin’s tram system, ‘Luas,’ has been designed to be fully accessible and it is the easiest mode of transport in Dublin to use if you have a mobility impairment.
If you would like assistance with your journey you can contact Luas Customer Care at 1850 300 604 or email info@luas.ie. The Luas team will advise you on your travel and arrange for a member of staff to accompany you on your journey should you wish.
Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital and second largest city by population with over 8 million inhabitants. The city mostly lies on the right bank of the Red River. Hanoi is 1,720 km north of Ho Chi Minh City and 105 km (65 mi) west of Haiphong. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam. From 1883 to 1945, the city was the administrative center of the colony of French Indochina. From 1940 to 1945 Hanoi, as well as most of French Indochina and Southeast Asia, was occupied by the Japanese empire. On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). The Vietnamese National Assembly under Ho Chi Minh decided on January 6, 1946, to make Hanoi the capital of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam, and it became the capital of a reunified Vietnam in 1976, after the North’s victory in the Vietnam War. 2010 officially marked 1,000 years since the establishment of the city.
There is also lack of wheelchair access to rail stations. The government is actively looking into these issues and have started to take actions. Wheelchair access will gradually be addressed over time, and the system is likely to attract more passengers.
Private Vehicle Rental
You can rent an accessible vehicle, with the option of a driver as well. Contact Ethnic Voyage Vietnam for details.
Budapest is the capital and the most populous city of Hungary. Budapest metropolitan area, has an area of 7,626 square kilometres and a population of 3,303,786, comprising 33 percent of the population of Hungary. There have been massive improvements in Budapest wheelchair access levels. The city has many historic buildings, having been the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a great power that dissolved in 1918, following World War I. The city was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Battle of Budapest in 1945, and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Budapest is the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, the European Police College and the first foreign office of the China Investment Promotion Agency. Budapest wheelchair access travel opportunities have grown as the city has become more inclusive.
Over 40 colleges and universities are located in Budapest, including the Eötvös Loránd University, the Semmelweis University and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. This well educated city facilitates disability travel by providing good wheelchair access.
The Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK) provides equal opportunities in accessing public transport services for local residents and visitors, making disability travel fairly easy. BKK endeavours to make public transport services fully accessible and barrier-free. Over half of the buses running in Budapest are new low-floor buses and 97% of the lines are partially or fully accessible. This means barrier-free buses serve nearly all bus stops. Besides wheelchair users, parents with prams/strollers, the elderly with reduced mobility and small children all appreciate the easy boarding of BKK’s public transport vehicles.
Liverpool is a city in North West England, with a metropolitan area that is the fifth-largest in the UK, with a population of around 2.5 Million. Liverpool is on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, and historically lay within the ancient hundred of West Derby in the south west of the county of Lancashire. Its growth as a major port was paralleled by the expansion of the city throughout the Industrial Revolution. Along with handling general cargo, freight, raw materials such as coal and cotton, the city merchants were involved in the Atlantic slave trade. In the 19th century, it was a major port of departure for Irish and English emigrants to North America. The popularity of the Beatles and other music groups from the Merseybeat era contributes to Liverpool’s status as a tourist destination. Liverpool is also the home of two Premier League football clubs, Liverpool and Everton, matches between the two being known as the Merseyside derby. Liverpool wheelchair access is good with access to transport and attractions.
Trains on the Wirral and Northern Line have been refurbished and have wide doors, wheelchair spaces and audible announcements. Trains on the City Line are a little older and space is limited, particually for wheelchairs and buggies. Some stations may be difficult to gain access to with steps, ramps and kerbs and the step up from the platform onto the train can be high. Details of access to stations can be found on the National Rail website.
Please visit the Merseyrail website to find out which stations are fully wheelchair accessible.To learn more about our commitments to making your journey as safe and accessible as possible, please download our access guide below:
Nairobi is the capital and the largest city of Kenya. The name comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to “cool water”, a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper had a population of approximately 5 Million. Nairobi was founded in 1899 by the colonial authorities in British East Africa, as a rail depot on the Uganda Railway. The town quickly grew to replace Machakos as the capital of Kenya in 1907. After independence in 1963, Nairobi became the capital of the Republic of Kenya. Nairobi wheelchair access remains poor. Kenya is not a wealthy country, so disability travel is not as easy as it is in many first world nations that have much stronger standards requiring wheelchair access in new buildings.
Easy Access guide to public transport in Merseyside 
