5 comments about Paris (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. The book is a cute, appealing size. It lists many good bars, places to eat etc. But it has a major flaw: No matter how hard I searched through the book, I didn't see any mention of arrondissements, which are the various numbered neighborhoods.

   Everyone in Paris and every map uses these numbers to direct you. "It's in the 14th." for example. Well, with this book I had to constantly reference other maps then locate the street and see which arrondissement the place was located in. I'm not just venting. I was really disappointed I had depended on this book as my only resource.

   Additionally, because it combines neighborhoods - I assume to save space so it can maintain a petite, portable size - that is confusing as well and also prevented me from being able to map the named neighborhood to the arrondissement.

   My recommendation? Bring this book only if you can bring another. It's really not worth the price considering the hassle.




2. I used almost this entire book while in Paris. The book gives great "walk routes" to make sure you see everything (for example, it features a walk through Pere Lechaise Cemetary). While you walk, it points out areas of interest and tells of the history. It also tells you which metro stop to get off, so all the areas in Paris and surrounding area are easily accesible. I will use this book again next time I visit France. If you dig old castles, check out Fontainebleau Castle, which is about an hour train ride out of Paris. This is the ultimate book for Paris travelers. It even has a "french phrase insert" for easy translation and speaking. This was my first time to Paris, I was meeting my best friend there, and for the most part I was alone and was not lost because of this book!



3. ...experience Paris.

   It is a dream to use, very clear and user-friendly. The street-by-street maps were invaluable. There were also detailed maps and descriptions of individual sites (like museums, and Versailles) which guided you through the highlights of those sites.

   I would use it constantly, so it was hardly ever in my bag. Even my husband, who is anti-guidebook, used it too! We ended up seeing and enjoying more of Paris than I could ever have imagined beacuse of the detail included in this book.




4. My wife and I went to Paris on our honeymoon and we had a fantastic time in that glorious city. One of the things that helped us enjoy more and that helped us take advantage of all the city has to offer was having this travel guide.

   The Eyewitness travel guides are a step ahead of any other series of travel books because it not only includes the same information that the other have, but they also include additional information that is really great to know and have while abroad.

   This guide has all the usual bits about he city: the top sites to visit (including work hours so as not to get there when they're closed!), how to move around (info on buses, Le Metro, trains, taxis, you name it), lists of shops and restaurants (with different price ranges and organized by location)and great street maps. It also has historic information on the city, which truly enriched our visit by helping us appreciate the places and sites we were visiting.

   However, the greatest thing about the guide were the "walk routes", helpful suggestions on ways how to best go site seeing. Even if you don't follow them completely, they give you great ideas on where to go.

   It also includes lots of information on sites outside of Paris, which are great to visit if you have the time.

   All in all, an excellent travel tool!




5. This book has hooked me on the DK Eyewitness guides. I'm living in Germany right now and my whole family came to visit this past summer. Using this book, I took my sister, then later my grandmother around Paris. Finally this fall, my husband and I went.
   
   The maps were good for helping us find the nearest Metro stations, as well as the roads. The Metro map in the back was a life saver. I could figure out our whole route and where to transfer just as we got onto the Metro.
   
   I've noticed people complain these guides are a little heavy, but they must be packing VERY light. Since I already have to carry a diaper bag around, I throw the guide into the stroller bag for easy access and found it very manageable.
   
   The only issues keeping it from a full 5 stars, are the road maps and location information. If you're staying outside of Paris, you need another map for your hotel. I wish the roads would stretch a little further, into the suburbs. Also, while the guide says it's updated yearly, some of the hours for certain locations were wrong. Supposedly Luxembourg Gardens were open until around 9pm. We barely arrived and were kicked out at 5pm. Also, the Louvre is open late two nights a week. The book had the wrong two nights. 90% of the times were accurate, but they messed up on some important ones.
   
   Overall though, I definitely got my money's worth out of this book. And nothing to do with the guide, but I'm sick of Paris now. Going three times in the span of three months can be a bit of an overkill. :-)

1 comments about Paris (Marion Boyars Modern Classics).

1. This lovely little book will enrich your experience of Paris, whether it's your first or fiftieth visit.

No comments about Romantic Escapes in the Caribbean: Lovetripper Guide (Romantic Escapes in the Caribbean) (Romantic Escapes in the Caribbean).

No comments about Where Paris CityGuide (Where Cityguides).

No comments about Art for Travellers France: The Essential Guide to Viewing Art in Paris and its Surrounds.

3 comments about Michelin THE GREEN GUIDE Paris, 3e (THE GREEN GUIDE).

1. Let me start by saying I own at least a dozen (if not more) Michelin Green Guides. This was a real let down. The organization was terrible. For example, the book is supposed to be in alphabetical order but some places are listed under their own name i.e. Louvre and others are listed under their location - NOT ARONDISSMENT- i.e. St. Germain. This makes it extremely confusing to figure out where to find the monument, museum, etc. that you're trying to visit.

   Also, the index at the back is completely useless. Some places are entered in French alphabetical order and some in English. A lot of places don't even appear in the index at all. This is especially annoying since the main section of the book is so disorganized.

   I guess this is really a 3 star book when you compare it to others but it really doesn't live up to Michelin standards. I will still buy other versions for other locations but I suggest you skip this one.




2. The Michelin Paris Green Guide is the Cadillac of the Paris travel guides - I wouldn't recommend visiting Paris without it, no matter how well you may think you know the city. Michelin has been around for so long, and is so closely tied to the French culture, you can't go wrong with their recommendations. This is the only travel publication that really gets a traveller into the spirit of Paris. The Michelin 3-star ratings are trusted worldwide, and there's a reason why. I've never been disappointed with a Michelin recommended establishment. Travelling in Europe can be very intimidating, especially when you don't speak the language, but the 3-star ratings made it possible for us to prioritize our outings. The Paris Green Guide made me feel like an insider. The detailed maps include recommended walking tours - a great way to see the sights up close without getting lost! The color photos are beautifully arranged, but the real advantage of this book is that it offers substance over "fluff" - something sadly lacking in many travel books. The great Paris sights are all arranged in alphabetical order, and once you know the name of the sight you'd like to read about, it's right at your fingertips. The detailed information provided for each sight allows you to read as much or as little as you'd like about your destination. This works well for us because my husband is a real history buff and likes all the details in advance, while I prefer to have more of an overview of what I'm about to see, and then I like to go back and get the details after I've seen the sight. The small area maps are also a great feature - we particularly appreciated the museum maps. You can truly get lost in the Louvre, but as long as we had the Green Guide in our bag, we knew we wouldn't miss the highlights we really wanted to see. For practical information (time changes, weather patterns, currency exchange, etc.), the Green Guide offers a special quick reference section in the back of the book. I would highly recommend the Paris Green Guide to anyone visiting Paris - whether it's your first time or you're a seasoned pro - you will appreciate the expertise offered in this first class travel book.



3. This book covers the sites (not restaurants or hotels - they are in a different book) of every neighborhood of Paris in extraordinary depth. It is an indispensible tool for visiting the city.

   The shortcoming of the book is that it provides little assistance in planning and prioritizing your trip. If you are looking for sites in a particular neighborhood, or know what you want to see - this guide will get you there and give you the background information you need.

   Like an encyclopedia - it has a lot of information, but you have to know what you are looking for to make it useful. A perfect complement to the Green Guide is a book like Rick Steve's Paris 2001 - which helps in organizing and prioritizing your trip, but covers only the most popular sites in the city.

5 comments about Kat Tracking Through Paris: A Guide to Black Paris.

1. I'm glad I didnt let Joan M guide my decision to purchase this guide. Obviously, she was looking for a general book on Paris. That's not what this book is. It's for people who want a SPECIFIC experience in ADDITION to the general sites and "how to" get to these places WITHOUT being taxi dependent, especially for first time, non-French speaking travelers. Anyone can show you where the eiffel tower is, for goodness sakes and the internet, while helpful, is no substitute for hand checked, personally examined sites. If you want to know where the Eiffel Tower is, any general guidebook can take you there. But if you want to see a side of Paris that few people are privy, this is the book for you!



2. This book was a god-send! I travelled solo to Paris with this book in hand but I felt like I had a travel buddy. It felt like Kat as with me the whole time! From using the metro to choosing somewhere to eat! I was CONFIDENT in my travels! I'm looking forward to my return trip to Paris! Thank you KAT!



3. This is a wonderful resource. Ms. St. Thomas provides a user friendly guide to navigating one's way through the "City of Lights." She's taken the anxiety away from this first time Paris visitor. I appreciate greatly the fact that she includes a range of information from using the Metro, to finding great cuisine. This book is a must have!



4. Some Paris travel guidebooks (both general and black culture-specific) provide practical and historical information before taking readers on colorful strolls around the world's most beloved city, and that approach is fine. Others take readers on walks through Paris neighborhoods while imparting the information, which is also fine. Because there is room on the savvy traveler's bookshelf for more than one or two kinds of Paris travel guides, I purchased Kat Tracking Through Paris: A Guide to Black Paris, and added it to my bookshelf. This travel guide transports readers directly to the information it offers. I highly recommend it.
   
   Kat Tracking Through Paris provides concise, easily accessible entries that are chock-full of information, and not just about the great touristy monuments and navigating one's way around the City of Light. It also offers information on particular African American, West Indian, and African restaurants; plus selected hotels with reasonable rates (some black-owned, some not), where famous black writers, visual artists, and musicians from history lived. Additionally it gives readers information about famous cafés, some of which were the haunts of writers like James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Poet Ted Joans, and others. It steers travelers who are interested in the nightlife scene to the Hip Hop, Reggae, and R&B clubs. It leads Jazz devotees to a number of historically famous Jazz clubs that are still open and popular today.
   
   I took Kat Tracking Through Paris with me on my most recent visit to Paris. The book's size and format made it convenient for me to either pack it into my carry-on luggage or slip it into my tote bag. I chose to slip it into my tote. While using this guidebook in Paris, I found it expedient not to have to consult an index or wade through superfluous pages in order to locate the exact information I needed. Kat Tracking Through Paris is well organized, full of information, and user friendly. It is a valuable travel resource!
   
   
   Reviewed by
   Vee Garcia, Author of
   the Paris & Jazz Novels,
   FORBIDDEN CIRCLES and
   THE JAZZ FLOWER



5. I am wondering what book Joan M read??!! It could NOT have been Kat Tracking Through Paris.....an easy-to-read and even easier-to-follow Guide to Black Paris. As the founder of BLACK PARIS TOURS and an ex-pat who has lived in and loved Paris for 11 years, I recommend reading Kat Tracking to all of my tour clients preparing to come to Paris -- anxious to find and explore the culture and cuisine of contemporary Black Paris. I appreciate the annual updates Kat Tracking provides. I'm amazed when folks come to Paris looking for restaurants and night clubs that have been closed for YEARS. But not if they have read KAT TRACKING first! Kat Tracking Through Paris is the perfect sized, light weight travel companion to throw in your purse or back pocket and hit the streets to adventure, good food and fun in Black Paris!!!!!!

5 comments about Adventure Guide to Anguilla, Antigua, St. Barts, St. Kitts, St. Martin: Including Sint Maarten, Barbuda & Nevis (Adventure Guide to Anguilla, Antigua, ... Antigua, St Barts, St Kitts & St Martin).

1. I am sorry but this was worthless. All the information in this book is on the internet. This book brings no value to a traveler going to any of these locations.



2. I have found this book to be an informative helpful guide about some of the Carribean islands which little seems to be written.

   It is particularly useful for someone, like myself, who is ready to explore the Carribean beyond their own favorite island, in my case - St. John.

   I am finding it to be a great resource tool.

   A minor fault - I wish it had more colored pictures.




3. I read the review that said this book was worthless and chose to ignore it - mistake! You can definitely find all of this information, plus a whole lot more, via the few websites and message boards about Anguilla. Buy a book to read on your trip instead!



4. I was very disappointed with this guide book. I've bought a lot of guidebooks and have never seen one as general as this one. The information contained in Fodors or Frommers big Carribean books give better coverage to St. Kitts which is what I was interested in learning about.



5. Dec 2006 - Just finished 7 days on nearly all islands
   in this book. Maps and general info. ok.
   Other info out-of-date.
   Saw a 2007 travel book just released (Frommers?).
   Summary, get a more current and up-to-date guide for
   the Lesser Antilles.
   Lesser Antilles is a great place to visit. You want
   to do fancy - it is very expensive.
   Otherwise, did not find costs outrageous.

1 comments about Notre-Dame De Paris (Abradale).

1. Forever locked between the two great arms of the Seine,sits one of,if not the greatest,of man's acheivements;Notre-Dame.In a truly beautiful account of the behemoth's history,the author takes time to tell the human stories of joy,sorrow,death and intrigue.He also includes stunnnning photos showing the true beauty of Notre-Dame.Own this true masterpiece.

2 comments about Paris Vertical.

1. Paris Vertical showcases the black-and-white photography of Horst Hamann as he presents a unique pictorial tribute to one of Europe's most famous and beautiful cities. Hamann exhibits an artist's eye through the lens of a camera with new angles and perspectives offering a fresh approach to classic architecture and familiar locales. Enthusiastically recommended for students of photography and a seminal addition to academic collections of master photographers, Paris Vertical documents an original approach to viewing familiar pieces of sculpture and architectural details with a quite literal emphasis on eye-level, vertical framing. Indeed, Paris Vertical could well serve as a template for similar photography sessions with other cities of distinction and beauty.



2. This oversized book is full of beautiful black and white photos of the City of Light, with closeups of building details as well as glimpses of everyday life. The interesting aspect of the book is the crop, which, of course, is vertically oriented as opposed to horizontally oriented, so it's a different framing method. The pictures are juxtoposed against quotes about Paris. Really a nice package, but I think it's a bit overpriced -- it's great size for a coffee table display book, but if you're going to put it on a bookshelf, you may want to consider the smaller version, which has the same number of photos but in a more petite format for eighty dollars less.