PARIS ON WHEELS
Visit Paris in your Wheelchair
Visit Paris in your Wheelchair
Deborah Kerper, director
Easy Access Travel
specializing in travel for the disabled
"My husband and I visited Paris this past November, 2005. I
had learned about Derek's service last summer and
decided to get in touch with him. We spent 2 days with him
going around the different neighborhoods of Paris and had
an absolutely delightful time. I'm an amputee and cannot
walk long distances so I take a manual wheelchair
everywhere I go. Derek was great at "pushing" me around
and telling us all about the marvelous sights and using the
great public transportation in the city. His love of Paris and
everything it has to offer was quite contagious as was his
enthusiasm and abundant energy! The fact that Derek is
fluent in French was a real plus for us. We definitely plan on
returning to Paris and using Derek's expertise to finish our
sightseeing."
Lyn and Don Backe
Annapolis, MD
"My husband and I hope to include Derek Guzman on our
vacations all over the world! We first used his services in
Paris in October 2005, for 4 of the 6 full days we were there.
My husband is a large man in a manual chair; we hired
Derek to guide and to push, and it was worth every euro and
then some. Derek knows Paris, he understands the needs
of the person in the fauteuil roulant, he is tireless, funny,
and good company. His cheerful presence and strength
made all the difference to our vacation - he watched for
potholes and pedestrians while Don and I looked at Paris,
and took a zillion pictures."
Rebecca Angeli-Just
Special to the News-Sentinel
Lodi, California
" I had wanted to visit Paris since 1974 when I fell in love
with a novel, "The Pursuit of Love," written by Nancy Mitford.
I was diagnosed with MS in 1986, and as my mobility has
decreased significantly, I thought maybe I had waited too
long to make a visit to France a success.
To my delight, a search on Google (what did we do before
Google?) proved you can find almost anything on the
Internet. I typed in "Paris, disabled travel" and located Derek
Guzman's "Paris on Wheels" Tour Service. Guzman, an ex-
pat American from New Jersey, facilitates tours of the sights
of Paris and surrounding areas for those of us using
wheelchairs. Guzman even pushes the chair.
I e-mailed his Web site and he responded with the
information I needed. For a reasonable fee, he would meet
us at our hotel and accompany us to the sights of our
choice such as Versailles, Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. He
also was able to recommend hotels with handicap-
accessible rooms, restaurants, etc.
We arrived at Charles De Gaulle International airport at 1 p.
m. CDG is a massive airport, but we were whisked away
and guided through its endless maze of escalators by
efficient airport staff. We reached baggage claim shortly,
where I had arranged through Guzman to be met by a
Ramp-Van Taxi that could accommodate my scooter,
wheelchair and all our luggage.
Once in our hotel — we had two separate rooms, one for
the girls and one for Carolynne and me — we all decided on
sleeping for a few hours. Carolynne and I got up around 8 p.
m. and went out in search of dinner. As our
accommodations were located in central Paris, we were
near dozens of restaurants plus easy walking distance to
the Louvre, Notre Dame and close to many kinds of
shopping.
Guzman met us the next morning at 10:30 a.m. and we set
off across the streets of Paris; Guzman pushing my
wheelchair and the rest walking. We ran into our first
roadblock when the key to the handicap elevator couldn't be
located at the RER station. It had been misplaced and it
took a better part of an hour to hunt it down and get me to
the level needed to continue our journey. The key found, we
made it to the train station and were soon on our way to the
Palace of Versailles.
So far, Derek had managed to get all five of us on all public
transportation without paying a euro. When we arrived at
Versailles, Derek was able to talk us into the handicap
accessible entrance again without buying or waiting in the
horrendous line for tickets. We spent the next few hours
transfixed by the art and grandeur of the palace. No wonder
poor Marie Antoinette said, "Let them eat cake." In her
defense, she was so far removed from everyday 18th-
century French life, what did she know?
After another night of wonderful food and wine, Derek met
us the next morning and this time we went shopping and
across town to the Eiffel Tower. We took pictures of this
amazing structure and then loaded my scooter and the rest
of us into taxis and back to the hotel, where we shared our
late afternoon snack of wine, cheese, sausage and bread
with Derek. The bread in Paris is wonderful, the best I have
ever had. He said that this repast was very 'French.' "
Easy Access Travel
specializing in travel for the disabled
"My husband and I visited Paris this past November, 2005. I
had learned about Derek's service last summer and
decided to get in touch with him. We spent 2 days with him
going around the different neighborhoods of Paris and had
an absolutely delightful time. I'm an amputee and cannot
walk long distances so I take a manual wheelchair
everywhere I go. Derek was great at "pushing" me around
and telling us all about the marvelous sights and using the
great public transportation in the city. His love of Paris and
everything it has to offer was quite contagious as was his
enthusiasm and abundant energy! The fact that Derek is
fluent in French was a real plus for us. We definitely plan on
returning to Paris and using Derek's expertise to finish our
sightseeing."
Lyn and Don Backe
Annapolis, MD
"My husband and I hope to include Derek Guzman on our
vacations all over the world! We first used his services in
Paris in October 2005, for 4 of the 6 full days we were there.
My husband is a large man in a manual chair; we hired
Derek to guide and to push, and it was worth every euro and
then some. Derek knows Paris, he understands the needs
of the person in the fauteuil roulant, he is tireless, funny,
and good company. His cheerful presence and strength
made all the difference to our vacation - he watched for
potholes and pedestrians while Don and I looked at Paris,
and took a zillion pictures."
Rebecca Angeli-Just
Special to the News-Sentinel
Lodi, California
" I had wanted to visit Paris since 1974 when I fell in love
with a novel, "The Pursuit of Love," written by Nancy Mitford.
I was diagnosed with MS in 1986, and as my mobility has
decreased significantly, I thought maybe I had waited too
long to make a visit to France a success.
To my delight, a search on Google (what did we do before
Google?) proved you can find almost anything on the
Internet. I typed in "Paris, disabled travel" and located Derek
Guzman's "Paris on Wheels" Tour Service. Guzman, an ex-
pat American from New Jersey, facilitates tours of the sights
of Paris and surrounding areas for those of us using
wheelchairs. Guzman even pushes the chair.
I e-mailed his Web site and he responded with the
information I needed. For a reasonable fee, he would meet
us at our hotel and accompany us to the sights of our
choice such as Versailles, Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. He
also was able to recommend hotels with handicap-
accessible rooms, restaurants, etc.
We arrived at Charles De Gaulle International airport at 1 p.
m. CDG is a massive airport, but we were whisked away
and guided through its endless maze of escalators by
efficient airport staff. We reached baggage claim shortly,
where I had arranged through Guzman to be met by a
Ramp-Van Taxi that could accommodate my scooter,
wheelchair and all our luggage.
Once in our hotel — we had two separate rooms, one for
the girls and one for Carolynne and me — we all decided on
sleeping for a few hours. Carolynne and I got up around 8 p.
m. and went out in search of dinner. As our
accommodations were located in central Paris, we were
near dozens of restaurants plus easy walking distance to
the Louvre, Notre Dame and close to many kinds of
shopping.
Guzman met us the next morning at 10:30 a.m. and we set
off across the streets of Paris; Guzman pushing my
wheelchair and the rest walking. We ran into our first
roadblock when the key to the handicap elevator couldn't be
located at the RER station. It had been misplaced and it
took a better part of an hour to hunt it down and get me to
the level needed to continue our journey. The key found, we
made it to the train station and were soon on our way to the
Palace of Versailles.
So far, Derek had managed to get all five of us on all public
transportation without paying a euro. When we arrived at
Versailles, Derek was able to talk us into the handicap
accessible entrance again without buying or waiting in the
horrendous line for tickets. We spent the next few hours
transfixed by the art and grandeur of the palace. No wonder
poor Marie Antoinette said, "Let them eat cake." In her
defense, she was so far removed from everyday 18th-
century French life, what did she know?
After another night of wonderful food and wine, Derek met
us the next morning and this time we went shopping and
across town to the Eiffel Tower. We took pictures of this
amazing structure and then loaded my scooter and the rest
of us into taxis and back to the hotel, where we shared our
late afternoon snack of wine, cheese, sausage and bread
with Derek. The bread in Paris is wonderful, the best I have
ever had. He said that this repast was very 'French.' "
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