This past August we decided to visit Paris for the first time after traveling in Europe for thirty-three years. However, the primary reason to see Paris had more to do with Delta Airlines than the city, itself. Delta offers direct flights from Paris-Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh-Paris during the summer months. We live in “da Burgh”…hence the avitar. After spending time in Italy on our annual pilgrimage we did not want to return through JFK and would do just about anything to avoid that place. So, we decided to go to Paris and spend five nights before flying home.
Prior to leaving we saw a segment from Rick Steves and where took a tour around Paris in an old car. He used a company called Paris Authentic and they drive clients around the city in a 1952 Citroen 2CV. Since I am a car guy this looked like fun and something to provide a diverse travel experience. Well, this old car added an exponential cool factor to the evening tour. We were scheduled for pick-up at our hotel at 10 pm, but the young man arrived at 9:30 and stretched our hour tour into a ninety minute excursion. The evening was comfortable, the city was empty because it was early August, and the young man spoke excellent English. This was definitely the highlight of this year’s trip.
Buon viaggio,
Great post, Rbciao! Thanks for sharing this travel highlight. I now regret not doing that very same tour when I was in Paris this past May.
Maybe a reason to head back again!
This was really a neat travel experience made neater with the old car. We did like Paris and enjoyed our time there.
Our 2014 Italian pilgrimage will have us returning through Detroit, which has a nice airport with comfortable amenities. We used Delta skymiles to pay for a portion of the tickets and the returning Paris option was not available. Anything is better than JFK Terminal 2.
The 2CV is already on my reservation list for next summer’s trip (might be my birthday present!).
I love the routing logic. JFK is my home so I can’t avoid it, but I’m always searching for ways to avoid Heathrow. Last summer that led to 5 days in Barcelona on the way home from Portugal, and next summer we’re having Basel as an add-on so we can fly from Zurich instead of through London.
PS…here’s a 2CV parked outside a restaurant along the Adige, in Verona last summer.
Thanks rbciao.!You put this on our ever expanding list on things to do in Paris.
Tough life when they “make” you go to Paris !
I’ll see your Terminal 2 and trump it with a Heathrow T3 to T5 transfer!
Actually, the good news about Delta at JFK is that Terminal 2 as you knew it is gone. Most of Delta is now in newly-expanded T4, T3 has been physically dismantled, and T2 reconfigured for Delta Connection and some domestic flights…much different.