5 comments about CITG to Paris (The Complete Idiot's Travel Guides).

1. I loved this book! I read it before we left Paris and everynight while we were there. It was a lifesaver in planning the next days events. We went to Paris with 6 other people and because I was so smart from reading the book and 'knew so much', I was made the tour guide and fearless leader of the group. I have to say I did an excellent job, thanks to the book. I followed the guidelines and we all had a wonderful vacation. The maps, and information on how to use the Metro, and how to act and behave French were invaluable.



2. Any travel guide to Paris will give you the boring information about the sites such as the history and architecture, etc. This book tells you exactly what you need to know about the sites--where they are located, when they are open, and what they will cost you. I was able to plan my trip itinerary to maximize my time based on where things were and what days and times they are open, getting more than seemingly possible out of a 5-day visit. Only one disagreement with the book. Miss Kelleher refers to the Pont Neuf as "the most famous bridge in Paris." Apparently she has never seen nor heard of the Alexandre III Bridge despite living in Paris. If you want pictures and boring information, buy the other guides. If you want the stuff you really need to know, buy this one.



3. This book proved itself invaluable on our last trip to Paris. It has lists of web sites, lodging and dining options, accurate prices guides, and the essentials on hot site seeing spots. It was worth the cost just to learn where the best hot chocolate in Paris can be had!



4. We just returned from Paris, and this book seemed to be in the hands of many Americans. It was one of the ones we carried with us every day. The sample daily itineraries are great and very do-able, and the recommendations for inexpensive eateries are worth the price of the book!



5. I took my 15 year old son to Paris for 2 weeks and this is the guide book that became my bible. It allowed me to plan my next days events in the shortest amount of time, provided reliable info on all the sights, and was written in style that was not too stiff or too silly. Good tips on the "how to" in almost every section. I bought 3 books on Paris but found myself constantly coming back to this one as my main source. If you are only buying one, start here.

2 comments about Paupers' Paris: How to Spend More Time in Paris Without Spending More Francs.

1. I used this book from 1986 to 1995. For the most part, during that time interval the book was a gem providing information that generally isn't found in Lonely Planet guides etc. I keep hoping a new addition will come out. I've travelled during the above time period about two dozen times to Paris for business and pleasure, and found Turner's guide to be outstanding independent of your budget.



2. Can attest that this is an excellent source for cheap and good paris hotels. Also new edition available published in UK in 1997. See amazon.co.uk search Paupers Paris or ISBN: 0330350226

2 comments about Zagat Survey - Paris Restaurant Guide 1999 (Zagat).

1. Here are few quotes on the back cover: "indispensible" (twice), "Best single source," "As good as Michelein." Any guide to Paris restaurants lacking the FAX number is not as useful as it could be. I spend six weeks annually in France (up to two weeks of that in Paris) and have found that it is a must to make reservations no less than three months in advance. (For 5 star/3 rosette restaurants six months or more is required.) For the past 15 years I have faxed reservation requests to as many as 30 restaurants. Each restaurant has confirmed my request with only a few exceptions over the 15 years. If you aren't fluent in French (I write my faxes in English) and you like the assurrance a confirmed reservation can give you, faxing is the way to go. It is inexpensive too; less than $1.

   I hope Zagat changes their format but, until they do, I'll continue to rely heavily on the Michelein Red Guide.




2. I just recently (July 1998) returned from Paris where I used my newly published Zagat guide daily. The guide directed me to restaurants that were excellent and unknown to me from previous visits. Having used the New York City version for many years, I was delighted to see that the Parisian "reviewers" were similar in their thoughts as the New York City reviewers as concerns food, decor and service. The Zagat Paris Guide is much more informative than the Michelin Red Guide and other tourist guides. This guide (in its French edition) was prominently displayed in the Paris bookstores. Travelers to Paris should not pass up buying a copy. I look forward to future updates!

1 comments about Paris: Monuments, Districts, Parisian Life.

1. This book is simply fascinating. Sections include everything from the famous luxury houses of perfume and fashion to the underground city of catacombs and even midevil churches.
   This is a complete look at a famous and fascinating city. The flavor and the mood are captured.
   This is a great book for casual looking to heavy reading. Packed with photographs from the earliest days to today along with information on everything about the city.
   The writing is crisp and easy to follow.
   You can see about the monuments like the Eiffel Tower to the back alleys to the cafes and shops to the world famous Ritz.
   You get a look at the everyday shops to the on the street experience to the history of Paris and everything in between.
   If you want to read about the city or peruse pictures or are looking for information, if you buy only one book about Paris, this is the one to buy.
   Every cent you spend is well worth it.

1 comments about Impressionist Paris: A Traveller's Companion.

1. No guidebook on the market gives a tour like this one. Viewing the places where painters painted with your own eyes is the only way you can really understand their work. Great personal learning tool. Makes the Impressionists come alive.

No comments about Welcome to Paris: A Pop-Up Book.

No comments about Real City Paris (REAL CITY GUIDES).

2 comments about The Best of Paris (The Best of ...).

1. Gayot's Paris offers a French perspective on the City of Light. Most French people I know consider the Gualt-Millau guides the most accurate and up-to-date availabe - notwithstanding Michelin. GM says their guides "...distinguish the truly superlative from the merely overrated" - an extremely useful service in my experience. The restaurant and hotel listings are concise and dead accurate and the shopping notes are great too. Nightlife and sightseeing are very well covered and the critical appraisals of places and sights is particularly helpful. This is a very useful book for the selective traveler, and was especially helpful in sorting-through the mind-numbingly endless possibilities Paris offers.



2. Although the reviews of the restaurants are overall on the target, this guide has a MAJOR flaw -- it is not updated very frequently. This edition, for instance, was last modified back in 1997. Many of its recommendations have moved, closed down, or changed business hours. Another problem is that the book does not make it easy to find any of the restaurants. For some reason, the names of the (allegedly) nearest metro stop are given for the shops, but not for the restaurants. The bottom line is: I don't recommend using this book as your primary source.

5 comments about City Smart: Austin.

1. I am a longtime Austin resident and discovered some hidden treasures about my city in this useful guide! I will be referring to this book often when I have company in from out of town or when I'm looking to enjoy a little one day vacation without leaving Austin's borders!



2. "City Smart Austin" is an indispensable guide to aculturally-rich and multifaceted city.

   Austin natives EleanorS. Morris, Paris Permenter, and John Bigley wisely present the city in six geographic zones. And they cover everything from Austin basics (weather, homes, people, etc) and day trips to recreation areas and where to shop/eat/stay.

   Whether they are writing about "BookPeople" (one of the largest bookstores in the U.S.) or the 'Dillo Express (one of the city's laudable forms of public transportation), the authors speak with warmth and home-town credibility.

   I was especially pleased with their accessment of Austin's accommodations. Yes, they duly point out the grandeur of the historic Driskill Hotel. But they also note the convenience and affortability of the La Quinta at the Capitol, which not only has a gracious new manager, but renovated "Gold Metal Rooms," which have new decor, 25-inch TVs, and speaker phones!

   The book's maps are clear and helpful, with inset-captions for easy referral; and the b&w photos--while a tad too small--are often bright and sharp.

   An added treat of "City Smart Austin" are the valuable coupons in the back of the book. Don't miss them!




3. I am considering a move to Austin and found a lot of useful information in this guidebook. I used it to plan my freetime following a job interview in the city and found it right on target regarding the restaurant reviews. Good buy!



4. Like the last reviewer, I too was considering a work-related move to Austin. I wanted a guide book that could give me a quick and easy entry into what Austin had to offer a tourist and potential resident. This guide book gave me a good overview of Austin while I was there -- it wasn't just an index or list of area attractions and businesses: It contained a lot of useful 'tips' interspersed through out the book and the maps were clear and well integrated with the text.

   I had some reservations before I bought this because the maps were not in color. However, the maps were clear and concise. Rather than clutter up 1 map with icons for restaurants, attractions, etc., the maps were repeated in each section of the guide, and contained only the relevant data for that section; this made using them very easy. I'd also say that the authors of the book were very generous with the number and variety of maps.

   Overall, the design of the book made reading and finding information easy. Good use of bold type made flipping through and finding stuff easy too.

   In the end, I got the Austin job and will be moving there soon. As a future Austin resident, I think this will still be the only guide I need.




5. My spouse and I used this on a trip to Austin and were very pleased with it. We carried it everywhere and it was full of relevant info; there are definitely some places we wouldn't have known about without this guide book.

2 comments about Frommer's Portable Paris 2007 (Frommer's Portable).

1. Since these Portable Guides were published in late 2006, one might believe that the information contained herein is timely, reliable, and cutting edge. Regrettably, one would be wrong on all counts. This Frommer series is one of the worst ever, and the Paris edition may have the distinction of being the prototype for how NOT to write a travel guide. Much of the information provided is simply incorrect. And while all travel guides (including this one) have disclaimers about the mercurial changes that are part and parcel of international travel, some of the information provided has been out of date or just plain wrong for over two years. Discredit goes not only to the authors but also to the editors for allowing such slovenly research.
   
   The hotels chosen for inclusion in each Arrondissement are baffling. Hotels of great acclaim and historical significance are omitted entirely, while hotels, such as the Hotel de 7e Art, where "rooms are cramped and outfitted with the simplest of furniture" are given play.
   
   Restaurant choices are equally eccentric, given that Parisian cooking is world-renowned. Even if the intent was to provide dining experiences that were "out of the mainstream", the dishes selected for recommendation, particularly in some of the smaller bistros, are the worst possible menu choices. Did anyone actually EAT this food?
   
   It may well be impossible to adequately provide meaningful coverage of a city the size and diversity of Paris in a scant 177 pages. But this guide lacks any consistent perspective and, after reading it three times now, it is still unclear to me for whom this book was intended.
   
   Buying this guide will completely confuse a first time visitor and thoroughly frustrate a frequent visitor. That being the case, why bother?



2. We used this book on a recent trip to Paris. Some of the places recommended in this book do not even exist anymore. The description of the Paris Zoo sounded great, so we took the metro quite a way out of Paris to spend the day there. The elephants, tigers and lions are long gone. Many of the exhibits were old, overgrown, and deserted. When we asked the employees about the large animals, they responded that the animals had not been at the zoo in many years. I don't think this zoo will be open much longer.
   
   We are going to Vancouver this summer. We have not been there in 5 years, so I assumed that I needed to buy a new edition of "Vancouver with Kids". Before I bought it, I checked the date of publication. Guess what? It was 2001! So all I had to do is go home and pull-out the same edition that I had used 5 years before.