Rating: 
Summary: A great city guide to Paris
Review: + The city maps and metro maps were detailed and clear.+ The recommended restaurants were affordable, delicious, and not touristy. This was the most wonderful part of our trip and we ate mostly at LP recommended restaurants. + Buy the accompanying lonely planet phrasebook for a fun filled experience.
Rating:
Summary: A great city guide to Paris
Review: + The city maps and metro maps were detailed and clear. + The recommended restaurants were affordable, delicious, and not touristy. This was the most wonderful part of our trip and we ate mostly at LP recommended restaurants. + Buy the accompanying lonely planet phrasebook for a fun filled experience.
Rating: 
Summary: A good guide.
Review: 3.5 stars.
I have to say - I am a die hard "Let's Go" and "Frommer's" follower; I hardly EVER stray to another series. I was initially drawn in by the flashy pictures and the more robust content of history. I picked it up, and have found it interesting, if nothing else. Now... my trip is a couple of months off, so I haven't been able to verify whether the advice given is on target. (I would never doubt Let's Go - they are the difinitive guide in my opinion [Let's Go, Europe]) So far, I've found that they seem to focus on giving loads of general information about a particular arrondissement and then some details about very few specific establishments. Again, I enjoyed the history lessons - it helped to build the excitement of our upcoming trip. It's a better than average guide with pretty pictures.
Rating:
Summary: A good guide.
Review: 3.5 stars.
I have to say - I am a die hard "Let's Go" and "Frommer's" follower; I hardly EVER stray to another series. I was initially drawn in by the flashy pictures and the more robust content of history. I picked it up, and have found it interesting, if nothing else. Now... my trip is a couple of months off, so I haven't been able to verify whether the advice given is on target. (I would never doubt Let's Go - they are the difinitive guide in my opinion [Let's Go, Europe]) So far, I've found that they seem to focus on giving loads of general information about a particular arrondissement and then some details about very few specific establishments. Again, I enjoyed the history lessons - it helped to build the excitement of our upcoming trip. It's a better than average guide with pretty pictures.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: For my first trip to Paris, I bought this guide and one other. This one was very disappointing. The small maps at the back of the book depicting portions of the city were very helpful. However, by the second day, I wasn't carrying this book with me anymore. It gave less information about areas like the Latin Quarter that I particulary wanted to explore. Napolean's tomb wasn't even listed in the index although I eventually found it discussed in the book within the discussion of the Invalides complex where it is located. Even then, the Invalies was indexed under Hotel.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for our trip with two teenagers
Review: For my wife, 14-year-old nephew, 12-year-old neice and I, the Lonely Planet guide to Paris was perfect. (Nephew and neice to uncle: "No museums!") It suggested renting bicycles at the train station to ride to Giverny and told us on which days and at what times we could rent toy boats in the Jardin du Luxembourg -- two highlights of our trip. It suggested getting the Carte Orange Metro pass and explained the airports so well that we had the courage to take the train into the city (which worked out very well). The one restaurant suggestion we took from the guidebook (Le Bateau Lavoir in Montmarte) was very nice. The maps were useful (but you still need a pocket map book) and the book is not too large or fat. I liked the color pictures before the trip, and now that I open the book, I like them even more as a momento. We also had the Frommers, Michelin and Eyewitness Paris books. They were better as references. The Lonely Planet guide was better to have at hand while we were out and about. I wish it gave prices in Euros and not Francs, but I assume the next edition will.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for our trip with two teenagers
Review: For my wife, 14-year-old nephew, 12-year-old neice and I, the Lonely Planet guide to Paris was perfect. (Nephew and neice to uncle: "No museums!") It suggested renting bicycles at the train station to ride to Giverny and told us on which days and at what times we could rent toy boats in the Jardin du Luxembourg -- two highlights of our trip. It suggested getting the Carte Orange Metro pass and explained the airports so well that we had the courage to take the train into the city (which worked out very well). The one restaurant suggestion we took from the guidebook (Le Bateau Lavoir in Montmarte) was very nice. The maps were useful (but you still need a pocket map book) and the book is not too large or fat. I liked the color pictures before the trip, and now that I open the book, I like them even more as a momento. We also had the Frommers, Michelin and Eyewitness Paris books. They were better as references. The Lonely Planet guide was better to have at hand while we were out and about. I wish it gave prices in Euros and not Francs, but I assume the next edition will.
Rating:
Summary: You're going to LOVE FRANCE!
Review: I've made >20 visits to France all together. Here are my reviews of the best guides....to meet you r exact needs.....I hope these are helpful and that you have a great visit! I always gauge the quality of my visit by how much I remember a year later......this review is designed to help you get the guide that will be sure YOU remember your trip many years into the future. Travel Safe and enjoy yourself to the max!
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet has City and Out To Eat Guides. They are all about the experience so they focus on doing, being, getting there, and this means they have the best detailed information, including both inexpensive and really spectacular restaurants and hotels, out-of-the-way places, weird things to see and do, the list is endless.
Blue Guides
Without doubt, the best of the walks guides.... the Blue Guide has been around since 1918 and has extremely well designed walks with lots of unique little side stops to hit on just about any interest you have. If you want to pick up the feel of the city, this is the best book to do that for you. This is one that you end up packing on your 10th trip, by which time it is well worn.
MapGuide
MapGuide is very easy to use and has the best location information for hotels, tourist attractions, museums, churches etc. that they manage to keep fairly up to date. It's great for teaching you how to use the Metro. The text sections are quick overviews, not reviews, but the strong suite here is brevity, not depth. I strongly recommend this for your first few times learning your way around the classic tourist sites and experiences. MapGuide is excellent as long as you are staying pretty much in the center of the city.
Time Out
The Time Out guides are very good. Easy reading, short reviews of restaurants, hotels, and other sites, with good public transport maps that go beyond the city centre. Many people who buy more than one guidebook end up liking this one best!
Let's Go
Let's Go is a great guide series that specializes in the niche interest details that turn a trip into a great and memorable experience. Started by and for college students, these guides are famous for the details provided by people who used the book the previous year. They continue to focus on providing a great experience inexpensively. If you want to know about the top restaurants, this is not for you (use Fodor's or Michelin). Let's Go does have a bewildering array of different guides though. Here's which is what:
Budget Guide is the main guide with incredibly detailed information and reviews on everything you can think of.
City Guide is just as intense but restricted to the single city.
PocketGuide is even smaller and features condensed information
MapGuide's are very good maps with public transportation and some other information (like museum hours, etc.)
Michelin
Famous for their quality reviews, the Red Michelin Guides are for hotels & Restaurants, the Green Michelin Guides are for main tourist destinations. However, the English language Green guide is the one most people use and it has now been supplemented with hotel and restaurant information. These are the serious review guides as the famous Michelin ratings are issued via these books.
Fodor's
Fodor's is the best selling guide among Americans. They have a bewildering array of different guides. Here's which is what:
The Gold Guide is the main book with good reviews of everything and lots of tours, walks, and just about everything else you could think of. It's not called the Gold guide for nothing though....it assumes you have money and are willing to spend it.
SeeIt! is a concise guide that extracts the most popular items from the Gold Guide
PocketGuide is designed for a quick first visit
UpCLOSE for independent travel that is cheap and well thought out
CityPack is a plastic pocket map with some guide information
Exploring is for cultural interests, lots of photos and designed to supplement the Gold guide
Rating:
Summary: Great book on Paris
Review: I've used Lonely Planet guidebooks before and this one is just as good as the rest of their series. Really cram packed full of local information.
Rating:
Summary: Definitive
Review: In the past year I have had the chance to travel to Prague, Paris, and London, and for each trip I brought along a Lonely Planet city guide. These books are simply the best. In previous travels I have tried books by other groups, but Lonely Planet has never steered me wrong. The books are accurate and up-to-date, and offer advice for all modes of travel (economic, social, time constraints, interests, and so on). The history and culture sections are useful but not too long, and the same is true of the descriptions of the various sites and sights. Don't travel without one!
|
