Rick Steves' Paris 2004

Rating:
Summary: A Must Have
Review: Just back from a solo trip to Paris. Well, almost solo--I did have Rick Steve's Paris 2000 book. I read it & highlighted it before I left for the trip. Made some mental notes of what I wanted to do in the brief time I would be in Paris. Took the book with me. I was able to get out of the airport and to the Opera district with the aide of this great book. I figured out the Metro & saved money buying a billet (pack of tix). All in all, the book allowed me the freedom to relax in Paris even though I only speak a little French. I was able to get around & felt really comfortable. I even ran into other tourists reading the book in the line waiting to climb to the top of Notre Dame! I mentioned to them that I had the same book! This is a "Must Have" for anyone traveling to Paris.

Rating:
Summary: It's not what you see, but how you see it...
Review: Any guidebook can tell you what to see, but Rick Steve's Paris brings Paris to life--sort of like having a live guide. This books tells you how to experience Paris, from the smelly cheeses of Rue Cler to the Impressionist paintings in the Orsay. It's a blast traveling with this book. Both the "walks" (sections of Paris like Rue Cler, Montmartre) and the museum "tours" efficiently escort you to the genuinely interesting and fun aspects. The "tips" (like buying the museum pass, and best times to visit attractions) were always solid. Complement this with a great map (like the handy and indispensable "The Paris Mapguide") and you're ready to handle Paris.

Rating:
Summary: Best guide to Paris
Review: Before going to France for the first time I read a stack of books and took a small stack of books with me to France. When in Paris the Rick Steves' Paris book was by far the best of the bunch. I particularly liked the guide to the Louvre, I saw the big attractions without a week tour of the museum. The hotels that are listed are the types of hotels that make you feel as if your in France, a great deal more charm than a chain hotel. The restaurants listed are awesome! In fact the resaurants that I went to that were not in the book were awesome!

Rating:
Summary: Down to earth - great fun
Review: I bought this book on a whim just before our June trip to Paris. Since my wife and I love to walk and experience firsthand our surroundings, this book proved invaluable. The tours were well thought out, and even though we rarely followed them from beginning to end, it helped us to focus on the really interesting things. Rick's sense of humor and opinion are welcome counterparts to the Frommer encyclopedia, but I would not go to France armed only with Rick's book. Get one of those Streetsmart plastic maps for Paris, and if you plan on driving in France, you've got to buy a Michelin map of the region. One other point - despite recommendations, a 2-star hotel is still a 2-star hotel. Do not expect great things. Particularly in Paris, you get what you pay for.

Rating:
Summary: Useful tips
Review: We spent 2 weeks in Paris, (June 2000) and brought Rick Steves along for the trip. His tips are wonderful and helped us avoid many lines, and crowds. We also enjoyed his commentary on the museum tours, walks and sites. He knows the city well, and give all the useful information you would need for a comfortable and exciting trip through Paris. My only critism in that the maps in the book are very limited. This book and a good city map are all you need for an enjoyable trip to the city of light.

Rating:
Summary: Stuck in Paris with Rick Steve
Review: I was surprisingly disappointed with Rick Steve's Paris after reading all its rave reviews on Amazon.com. Based on the reviews, I abandonned my usual trusty companion, the Lonely Planet, and bought this book for my recent trip to Paris. I regretted my decision from the moment I arrived in Charles de Gaulle airport until the day I departed. Upon arrival, I looked for the ATM machine which the book said would be near gate 16. However, there was no gate 16 to be found anywhere near where I emerged from Customs and the book provided no indication how far it would be. The next day, I wanted to know when the Notre Dame Cathedral was built, but was unable to find this basic information in the book. Strolling along the Seine, I came upon a beautiful large building which clearly was a landmark. The made no mention whatsoever of the building and the book's hand-sketched map of the area completely omitted the building. On another walk, I tried to find Shakespeare & Co. bookstore using the directions given in the book. (I wanted to go to the bookstore to buy another Paris travel guide!) Both I and my traveling companion (who has a Ph.D) read the directions over and over and still walked around for at least 30 minutes unable to find the bookstore. Finally, leaving Paris to go to the CDG airport, we took the RER and, based upon the book's misguided advice that most travelers to the US leave from T-1, were prepared to get off at the T-1 station. Fortunately, we spotted a poster in our train car which indicated that our US airline uses T-2. I then counted the number of US airlines using T-1 and T-2 and found that they were equally divided between the two terminals. So much for Rick Steve's advice. Those are but a few of our many disappointments with Rick Steve's book. In summary, I found that the book lacked sufficient detail, and what detail the book did provide was often inaccurate or downright wrong. Whoever does decide to buy this book in spite of this review should definitely bring along another guidebook to supplement and/or doublecheck the information provided in Rick Steve's book. As for myself, I'm returning to the Lonely Planet.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for the budget traveller
Review: I travelled to Paris alone and depended very much on this book. Read it cover to cover before you go and then read it again when you get there. The walks are excellent though sometimes the directions are unclear (get a map). I do wish there was a better map in the book. The history and anecdotes shared about the works of art, the neighborhoods, etc., make you feel like you are having your own personal tour guide. Also, I stayed in the Rue Cler area which is now overrun with American tourists and over half of them being Rick Steves followers. THis is good and bad. Bad if you want to get away from U.S. and live among the Parisians. Good because you find yourself talking to other followers. Sitting at dinner, planning my next day by reading the book, another diner at the next table would reach into his or her bag, pull out a copy of the Rick Steves' book and we'd smile and immediately share stories. I still would recommend Rue Cler because it is quaint and the hotels are cheap (I'd pick the Hotel du Champ de Mars over the Leveque next time). And the restaurants are very good. Don't buy any of the shiny and heavy travel books...this is the only one you need (Eyewitness travel books are expensive, heavy and don't help the budget-minded traveller). Bon voyage!

Rating:
Summary: Don't go unescorted without it!
Review: We just returned from the City of Light with a very dog-eared copy of this book. We used it every day. We used all of the recommended walking tours - they were filled with informative commentary and easy to follow. We dreaded trying to conquer the Louvre - were intimidated by the size alone! - but Rick's guide allowed us to hit the highlights with ease. His tours of the other big museums and Versailles are excellent - interesting, funny and just irreverent enough to keep you entertained. If you are going to Paris without a personal guide, this is THE printed guide to take!

Rating:
Summary: Great Guide for First Visit
Review: Our first time in France. We followed Rick's advice and were constantly and consistently pleased with his culinary suggestions. I personally did not follow museum tours, as I like to get lost and feel inadequate and ask stupid questions. Buy this book and this will be one of the BEST buys of your whole trip!

Rating:
Summary: An essential guide to use when bringing children.
Review: This book was a great help when we took our three children to Paris for seven days. The museum tours were informative & the perfect length for our family. We also closely followed his tips as to when to arrive at the various attractions. We had a wonderful trip.We would not consider going to Europe without a Rick Steves book.