Rick Steves' Paris 2002

Rating:
Summary: If you have to take only one book this is it
Review: I have now used this book on two trips to Paris including one I returned from last week (yes still using the 2002 version since I was spending most my time in Reims). The weather was remarkably good and I'll think of returning again this time of year since the city is not flooded with tourists. Rick makes alot of very good points - like be aware that even in February the line into the Orsay can be very long on Tuesdays since the Louvre is closed that day.

This is a very good general information book and it works well as a sole guide. If you have it and a good map (I got a very good and thin one from Amazon.com which I don't recall the name of) and you are pretty well set. Take a Green Michelin guide if you must for the museums as the info here is very general although good - especially for the Orsay and Versaille. I for one are puzzled over the comments from the one reviewer that the book was a museum guide Forget Rick's suggestion that traveller's checks are preferable to ATM's. ATM's are the way to go for sure since you have no transaction fees (I just got back and used them in several different cities in France and not once was I charged any fees), the exchange rate was very favorable, and you don't have to carry around traveler's checks.

Rick's hotel suggestions, at least in the Rue Cler area (which is an excellent place to stay) are dated in the 2002 version. He condemns the Hotel du Cadron as being overpriced yet it was the same rate as other hotels he recommends and the rooms were actually nicer in the Cadron. It is also on a quieter street. Just watch out for the elevator which was spotty in its performace. My feeling is that many of Rick's recommendations are based on his personal relationships with some of the recommendees which may or may not carry over to you.

All in all this is the best overall book I have looked at for Paris and I have and have seen many.

Rating:
Summary: The Only Guidebook to Paris You'll Ever Need
Review: I used to live in Paris but I find I still need a guide book to get the most out of a visit there. I'm lucky enough to be going on a long visit to Paris this summer and I wouldn't think of taking along any guidebook other than Rick Steves'.

Rick Steves' guidebooks are always up-to-date and he writes in the friendly, down to earth manner that characterizes his extremely popular television program.

I found this book to be as great as all the other Rick Steves books I've been lucky enough to use. In it, Rick tells us the best places to eat and sleep. Not the most expensive; anyone could do that. Rick goes one step further and details the places that have the most charm and character, the places where we'll get the most for our money, the places that will help to make our visit one we'll remember fondly for the rest of our life.

Rick talks about the places no one should miss, but he also talks about the places almost everyone would miss...if they didn't have this book. I love discovering new, little, out-of-the-way shops, cafes and museums and Rick is the best there is when it comes to detailing places like this. I admit, I am an incurable shopaholic, and, in this book, Rick tells us the very best places to shop in Paris, one of the shopping capitals of the world.

I usually prefer to wander around a city or the countryside on my own, sans tour guide. In a huge city like Paris, one could easily get lost if he or she weren't armed with this book. One of the most invaluable and charming sections of the book, at least for me, details self-guided walking tours of Paris. Included are historic sections, the Champs-Elysees, the Marais district, the rue Cler and Montmartre, a favorite of mine.

Rick loves museums, like I do, and he certainly gives us our fill in this book. In it you'll find detailed information regarding the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Orangerie (my favorite), the Rodin, the Cluny and even Napoleon's Tomb and Les Invalides.

Sometimes we need to get away, even from a wonderful city like Paris. Rick has included a wealth of day trips one can easily make from Paris. Not only does he give us invaluable information regarding our destination, he also provides a wealth of great tips on getting there. Some of the day trips I'll be taking, with the help of this book, are to Versailles, Chartres (my first time there) and the place I have dreamed of visiting all my life, Monet's chateau and garden at Giverny.

I wouldn't travel anywhere in Europe without one of Rick Steves' informative and fun books, and I'm a continental European who's already done a lot of traveling. I've also missed a lot I wish I had seen. That won't happen anymore with the help of Rick Steves and his wonderful guidebooks.

If you're planning a trip to Paris, like I am, please don't go without this book. No matter how many times you've been to Paris before, and no matter how well you think you know the city, Rick can show you something new.

Rick Steves' guidebooks are the only guidebooks you'll ever need. They are certainly the very best. In my opinion, no one knows the "ins and outs" of traveling in Europe like Rick Steves.

Rating:
Summary: Museum Guide
Review: If you are visiting Paris to go to museums, this is the book for you... otherwise, look elsewhere. There is very little information for travelers who just like to explore this wonderful city, i.e. neighborhood flavors, interesting shopping areas, and great restaurants.

Rating:
Summary: Museum Guide
Review: If you are visiting Paris to go to museums, this is the book for you... otherwise, look elsewhere. There is very little information for travelers who just like to explore this wonderful city, i.e. neighborhood flavors, interesting shopping areas, and great restaurants.

Rating:
Summary: "A Paris Guide without boring detail!"
Review: It is refreshing to read a travel guidebook that is devoid of hundreds of hotel and restaurant listings and concentrates mainly on the principal attractions of a city.

Rick Steves' book Paris 2002 published by Avalon Travel Publishing can be described as having a tour guide at your personal disposal. The author presents a very brief introduction dealing with the general topics of when to go, trip costs, exchange rates, etc. This is in sharp contrast to many of the guides that devote too many pages to these details. You sometimes get the feeling that some of these authors are trying to fill up the pages.

Immediately after the introductory chapter Reeves gives us the global picture in his "Orientation" chapter. In other words, the author tells us this is what you should see in Paris and this is how you should go about visiting these sites. Stated simply, lets get down to the "nitty gritty" and let us not be carried away by a multitude of facts and boring detail.

We are presented with suggested itineraries that may be 3, 5 or 7 days. It is very similar to the format we receive when we book an organized trip through a travel agent. Each day is mapped out for us in short detail and broken down into three parts: morning, afternoon and evening. For example, day one would be a morning-walk through historic Paris featuring Ile de la Cité, Notre-Dame, Latin Quarter etc. This would be followed by an afternoon tour of the Louvre and ending in the evening with a cruise on the Seine.

What is very noteworthy is that subsequent chapters describe in more detail the suggested tours featured in the Orientation chapter such as the Orsay, Louvre, Champs- Elysée, Rodin Museum, Versailles and Les Invalides. These are all presented in a compact and uncluttered manner.
For example, the "Champs --Elysées Walk" is accompanied with a simple map precisely indicating the highlights of the walk such as the Arc de Triomphe, Grande Arche de La Défense, Montparnasse Tower, and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Furthermore, the author provides us with succinct information pertaining to these attractions.

I particularly enjoyed reading the brief chapter dealing with the Louvre Tour. We all know we can literally spend months in this most famous museum. Within this chapter Steves points out to us the "must see" exhibits and even provides us with thumbnail black and white photos of some of the most famous artwork.

An added feature of the book is a brief section outlining day trips within a short radius of Paris such as Giverny, Auvers-Sur-Ise, Disneyland Paris, Fontainebleu, Chantilly and many more. All of these are not only briefly described but also we are provided with a simple map pointing out where all of these attractions are located in proximity to Paris. There is no shortage of Paris guides, however, Steves' guide is unique in its ability to present comprehensive information in a succinct and organized manner packed with invaluable advice.

Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

Rating:
Summary: Travel Safe and Well INformed with This Gem
Review: The latest version of Rick's Paris travel guide is well worth the money. It's up to date (as in Euro amounts) and very user friendly, as all the other Rick Steve guides. Even the humor is still present.

Rick's handling of museum tours has always been useful to us on our trips. His maps are clear and easy to understand, and the detailed discussion of the works is always very interesting. This issue is no exception. It may even seem a bit museum heavy, but very useful when entering. It's a must if you're headed to any museum in Paris. You'll be gald you have it along.

The sections addressing the "walks" is excellent! Once again, great maps, good discussion of sights, and very interesting places. Take the book along and try one. You'll enjoy it!.

Sadly, I don't feel that 5 stars are deserved. The discussion concerning the trip from De Gaulle airport to downtown Paris is rather short and, I feel anyway, doesn't give the reader a real feel for the difficulties that will be encountered. This has always been a sore spot for us when going to Paris. Otherwise, there is plenty of information for the Paris traveler.

So if you're going to Paris, then by all means get this guide, and head out into the City of Light. You will not be disappointed, and entertained all the while. Thanks once again Steve for making another successful trip!