I want to buy a good travel guide for France and Paris. This will be might first trip to France and will be spending there 3 weeks, however I have no idea yet what to see there. What travel guide would you recommend? Eyewitness, Lonely Planet .....

thanks

My favorites are the Eyewitness Guides, but it's really a matter of personal preference. You should visit a bookstore and look through some of the different ones before you decide. I like lots of colorful pictures; other people like lots of detailed text. If I were you, I'd buy one for Paris, and regional ones for the other areas you're visiting in France, if available. I like the regional guides much better than the country books, which seem very superficial.

I have found that no matter which guidebook I use, sooner or later I find mistakes or omissions. I usually go to the library (our library has a fantastic guidebook section) and see which guidebook appeals the most in terms of layout, readability etc. I also browse the bookstore. Then I will make my purchase. Eyewitness and Rough Guide are excellent for background info, but Lonely Planet and Let's Go (we are budget travelers) are better for us for accomodation.
Have enjoyed Time Out guides as well for France.
Rick Steves is very fun reading but if you follow his lodging/dining advice you likely end up with the hordes of Rick Steves groupies. Rick himself encourages the traveler to find his own back door, and that is what we try to do.

And if you really like a lot of detail, I think the Michelin green guides are tops.

We have three favourites:

- The Eyewitness Guides for the sheer beauty of their editions, but also for the wealth of information;
- The Michelins, for the detailed information; my preferred "guided" tours in Paris are when I hold the Michelin, read it and look around. It is all there.
- The Insight Pocket Guide for Paris with the pull out map, for the well thought out itineraries and the slimness.

The problem is I can't ever make up my mind and we end up taking them all, much like Tim Moore, he of the "French revolutions".

In the France planning section of the Slow Travel site HERE, there are good descriptions of the various guidebooks available.

(My personal favorites: DK/Eyewitness, Access, and Blue Guides!)

Thanks for the great info.... I think I'll go ahead and buy Eyewitness guide book.

We'll be in France for 3 weeks but other then Paris I'm not sure where else to go. What areas, sites would you recommend?

thanks

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Originally posted by Mato:
We'll be in France for 3 weeks but other then Paris I'm not sure where else to go. What areas, sites would you recommend?

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Mato, it's a personal choice, I suppose. But Provence has been on my mind for a long time.

Hmm. Where you choose to go in France depends on your interests and how you like to spend your travel time. Are you a history buff, an art lover, a cyclist or hiker, a wine connoisseur? City or country? Mountains or seaside? I think you do need to buy that France Eyewitness Guide for an overview of the regions to decide what appeals to you.

Also, here's a previous thread where this question was discussed:

here

Hi,
Sorry if you have already been recommended Rick Steve's Guide to Paris but it is one that I think is really very good for first time vistors to the City of Light. (Sorry everyone)
I agree with the other rcommendations but I always take too many books and have to be really disciplined! DK guides are perfect for first time visits but I like to read a Rough Guide to wherever I'm going because they are brilliant about arriving and orientation.
Happy Planning
Wendy

I don't think you can ever go wrong with the Michelin Guides, but that assumes you have a fairly deep interest in history and culture.

I love the Eyewitness guides, too, for their three-dimensional maps, photos, and great capsule information. Unfortately, they're too heavy for me to lug around anymore, so I just use them for planning.

I also love the Cadogan guides for their forthright and often amusing takes on places that are described so blandly in other guidebooks.

And this past year I used an Insight guide for the first time and was impressed.

I really would spend some time at a library or bookstore looking at the various options. Guides are really very different in their approaches, and a lot depends on how you plan to travel. You may need a combination of sveral things. Good luck.

I'm not an expert on the guide books, but after spending 5 days in Paris recently, I can recommend a good map. I bought the National Geographic map of Paris and loved it! My friend bought a different one that we never could understand. The National Geographic one is laminated so it takes abuse, and it can be refolded different ways so that the area you want to view is visible even when folded. That means you aren't walking around with a huge map open. You'll need a good Paris map, and I recommend this one.

Have a great trip!

Jean

Thanks for great advices

I think I will go with DK - great pictures and based on those pictures I'll decide what I want to see.

I'm not booking any hotels other then in Paris from Canada. What is a good guide that recommentds not too expensive hotels and restaurants in France

ty

quote:

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Originally posted by Mato:
I want to buy a good travel guide for France and Paris. This will be might first trip to France and will be spending there 3 weeks, however I have no idea yet what to see there. What travel guide would you recommend? Eyewitness, Lonely Planet .....

thanks

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All of the ones that the others have mentioned and one I really like is
French Country Inns & Itineraries by Karen Brown
her website is :
Http://www.karenbrown.com

Jean, did you order the Paris map from Nat'l Geo? It sounds great.