Letter of the week

I would like to take my mother on the London Eye for her ninetieth birthday. She uses a wheelchair but can walk a little and manage a few steps. How do I go about finding a reasonably priced, wheelchair-friendly hotel and how do I get from the hotel to the London Eye?
Merryn Cooke, Manchester

The British Airways London Eye has full disabled access and members of staff on hand to offer assistance if necessary. Access ramps are located at the base of the wheel on Queen's Walk. If you're travelling by tube, the nearest station is Waterloo; it's fully equipped with lifts and ramps, and the way to the London Eye is clearly signposted. (Most stations have partial lift access but you may be expected to negotiate a number of steps.) For further information contact the Transport for London Access and Mobility Department on 020 7941 4600 or email access&mobility@tfl.gov.uk.

At peak times you may find it easier to travel by car or taxi. All of London's modern black cabs are wheelchair-friendly. The most convenient drop-off point is on Belvedere Road.

To book for the London Eye call 0870 990 8885. Registered disabled guests who book on this line receive a £2 discount on the usual ticket price and a carer may accompany them free of charge. For further booking details see www.britishairways.com/londoneye.

For wheelchair-friendly hotels contact Holiday Care (01293 774535) which can help with recommendations and reservations. The most convenient place to stay would probably be London County Hall Travel Inn situated on Belvedere Road (eliminating any frustrating navigation around the London Transport system). Rooms cost £74.95 per night and bookings can be on 0870 238 3300 or online.

Have wheelchair, will travel... to Montreal

I'm a wheelchair-using traveller who would very much like to visit Montreal to continue to work on my French. How is the city set up for disabled travellers?
R. Burton, by email

Montreal is the largest French-speaking city outside France and the largest English-speaking city in Quebec. As well as a fascinating place to visit, you'll find that it's well set up for wheelchair users. Almost all museums, galleries and tourist offices are accessible, while almost all restaurants and some hotels have suitable facilities. You may run into problems on the Metro, where most stations have staircase access, but the city's bus service offers a wide network of low-floored vehicles: see www.stcum.qc.ca for more information. If you're travelling further afield in Quebec and Ontario, Keroul (00 1 514 252 3104) is a well-known specialist in mobility-impaired travel. It also publishes Accessible Quebec, which lists 300 accessible restaurants, hotels and things to do in Quebec.

Self catering in Tuscany

I'm planning to visit Tuscany next August for a self-catering holiday and would like to take in one or two of the many music festivals held in the region. Any suggestions? I have a walking disability so venues with compulsory steps and long walks are out.
John Knight, Essex

Siena is an enchanting city and makes a great base for exploring the rest of central Tuscany. There's lots of self-catering accommodation, but be sure to book in advance as it can get incredibly busy. Accommodation listings are available from the Italian Tourist Board (020 7408 1254). Each year the city hosts Siena Jazz, an international music festival held in July and August. Concerts are held throughout the city though accessibility will vary depending on the venue and availability. For further details call 00 39 0577 271401. At the time of writing, the itinerary was not yet available online. Details should be available shortly.

Paris by Eurostar

My children gave me a Christmas present of Eurostar tickets to Paris. As a disabled person, please could you advise me on how to find a reasonably priced hotel which is easily accessible from the station and is wheelchair-friendly. How 'disabled-friendly' is Paris for someone travelling about in a wheelchair?
Sylvia Mundy, Surrey

As a general rule, Paris is not well equipped for the disabled traveller. There are very few ramps, many older buildings do not have lifts, and the Metro, built many years ago, has extremely limited access. While most hotels rated with two or more stars have lifts, many of these are too small to accommodate wheelchairs, so it's definitely worth checking before you make reservations. Michelin's Guide Rouge lists hotels that have wheelchair access.

A good tip is to stick to hotel chains such as Novotel or Campanile which usually have at least one room with adapted facilities. The Novotel Paris Les Halles (8 Place Marguerite de Navarre; tel 00 33 1 422 13131; fax 00 33 1402 60579; email H0785-RE@accor-hotels.com) is located only a short distance from the Gare du Nord. It has seven rooms with wheelchair access and all have specially adapted bathrooms. Rooms start at €188/€208 (£120/£133) single/double.

For more information contact the French Tourist Board (09068 244 123). For details of facilities on all Eurostar trains, contact Eurostar on 020 7928 5163.

Over to you... readers' feedback

In response to last week's letter from Pam and Joe Adamcek enquiring about train travel to Poland.

I heartily recommend the website Seat 61 - a mine of information about international rail travel. Seat 61 also suggests Brussels to Berlin then on to Katowice, but it's much nicer to take the Eurostar to Paris and board the night train to Berlin there. There's no hassle if it's late (not much fun at Bruxelles Midi in the middle of the night) and on the way back you get a decent night's sleep instead of having to get up at five to disembark at Bruxelles. The first-class two-berth compartments are fabulously luxurious and don't cost that much extra (Seat 61 gives prices). Around Poland, it's often easier to take an express bus as they can be quicker and more direct than trains. Neither is expensive. The Polish rail website www.pkp.com.pl is brilliant for rail routes and times, but not prices.
Sarah Hill, by email

· We welcome letters. Tom Hall and Rachel Suddart from Lonely Planet answer as many as possible here. Include a daytime telephone number and postal address. Email travel.tips@observer.co.uk or write to Escape, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER. The writer of the week's star letter wins a Lonely Planet guidebook of their choice.