4 comments about Artwise Paris Museum Map - Laminated Museum Map of Paris, FR.

1. I absolutely love the Artwise maps. They are THE BEST for tourists trying to get around a city. It's a laminated tri-folding document so doesn't rip, is great in inclement weather, and not a big massive complicated folding map that is difficult to use. I was recently in Paris and it was the only thing we needed or used. It marks the location of museums and monuments, and gives their hours and general information. It also has a metro map so it was easy to either walk or ride to our destinations. We even successfully found our way to a great tiny restaurant on a small street in the Marais, which had been recommended by a friend. You Won't be disappointed with this map!



2. This is the perfect map for the Art Lover in Paris. And if it starts to rain, hello, it's water proof! Get it or regret it!



3. Artwise Paris Museum Map - Laminated Museum Map of Paris, FR - Streetwise Maps (Artwise)
   
   Wonderful but still I'm waiting for a Map of Viena from the same company I think ;that I ordered and never received!!!



4. The walking map and reference are great. The Metro map is laid out with the lines exactly how they are underground instead of the standard grid type of Metro map used most everywhere else. We have several Streetwise and a few Artwise so we like the products very much. This one is a bit of a let down b/c we will need to carry a standard Metro map with it for easier reference.

5 comments about Mediterranean by Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide to Mediterranean Cruising with Giant pull-out color map..

1. This book is a great help in preparing for a cruise. It contains a wealth of information on cruising, but an unexpected & very interesting section is the "History of the Mediterranean.



2. Gives an overview of many stops along the Mediterranean. I took it along on my cruise trip and enjoyed reading it along the way. Easy to pack and carry- not too cumbersome. Tauck recommended we buy it and I'm glad I did.



3. Naturally, I bought this book because I'm taking a cruise in the Mediterranean, and the title and product description were appealing.
   
   The good: there is a nice overview of the major historical influences in the area, as well some art/architecture information that can educate a visitor enough to appreciate many things that will be seen touring the Med
   
   The neutral: probably too much space wasted with "life aboard a cruise ship"-type information;
   
   The bad: there is no shore excursion information in it; I would have found it much more useful if information about reliable local guides/tour companies were provided (or details about how to take local transport, etc., to get to nearby attractions), so that we would not be totally dependent upon the cruise line's shore excursions;
   
   Overall: this book is probably only useful for those who are taking a cruise for the first time or visiting Mediterranean countries for the first time; don't expect detailed guidance



4. this book is informative and fun to read. i am taking very few books on my first trip to europe, its a 20 day medtitteranean cruise with 2 extra days in rome to relax and wait for the ship. this is one of 2 books i am taking, its easy to read and the photos are nicely done and it help me decide on what excursions i want to take.



5. This book was a disappointment. The "map" was a poor one, and the book itself added little to my knowledge of the area. Don't waste your money.

3 comments about Michelin France Tourist & Motoring Atlas (Michelin France Tourist & Motoring Atlas (spiral)).

1. We vacationed in a tiny village in southern France. I bought this as a back up to the GPS unit we were supposed to be renting from the car rental company. They ran out before we got there, and I was very worried that this was all we had. As it turns out, this book of maps was much more reliable than the GPS our friends rented or any other maps they had bought, and they asked us to leave it with them, since they were staying a few days beyond us.
   
   This book has even the tiniest roads on it, and successfully navigated us through the entirety of southern France. From the Mediterranean coast to the Pyrenees mountains and every tiny town in between.
   
   If you're doing any driving in France, this is absolutely essential, even if you have a GPS.
   
   One caveat: it only has a few detailed street maps of more major cities, so if you're staying in a specific city, you will likely want to get a street map of that city too. We didn't find it necessary for our vacation--mostly a driving tour--and used this book alone.



2. I've visited France a number of times. Each visit I've motored around the country using a bunch of Michelin fold-up maps (and the Michelin Guide for city maps) to show me the way. However, driving around with huge maps unfolded in the car has always been less than ideal. This Atlas effectively contains ALL the country maps, plus some city maps, at the same level of detail as the fold-up maps AND it's much less cumbersome. Plus it only costs about as much as two of the fold-up maps -- and to cover the entire country would require at least 20 fold-up maps. This Atlas is a real bargain just considering the maps alone, but it also has an index that allows one to locate a particular city/town to a particular page -- something that's not possible using the big maps. This Atlas is a must if you're going to do much driving around France -- GPS notwithstanding.



3. The atlas rates 4 to 5 stars, but is useless, as the roads are so poorly marked in France. What good does a great map do you if the more rural roads are so poorly maked? We would still be at the train station had the car we rented not had a GPS. We would just punch in the hotel or tourist site we wanted to visit and the GPS took us straight there with no hitches. So you can buy this atlas as a "backup", but it is really not necessary with a good GPS.

1 comments about Michelin Provence-Alpes-French Riviera, France (Michelin Maps) (Multilingual Edition).

1. This is a very helpful map and the price is not bad either. Provence is an easy area to drive around in, but there are many smaller roads and smaller towns with varying levels of signage, so it is very helpful to have an idea of where you're going.
   
   I used this map to drive from Nice to the Luberon region of Provence, from the Luberon to Vaison la Romaine, and finally from Vaison to Arles with many stops and day trips in between, so it was nice to have for reference and planning. Also note that Google Maps has nice maps and I believe it even gives driving directions for France now too, which is nice for advance planning. But once you're on the ground, there's still nothing like a good old-fashioned paper map to help get you to where you're headed.
   
   Bon voyage!

5 comments about Paris Underground: The Maps, Stations, and Design of the Metro.

1. The author starts off by admitting that he has had since childhood a very intense and passionate appreciation of transit signage in general and of transit maps in particular. Indeed, the evolution of these in Paris is the true subject of the book, the history of the city's underground transit system serving merely as context. The period covered spans from the very first concepts for the system in the 19th century all the way to 2009. Clearly, extensive research has been carried out in cooperation with local authorities and fans of the topic.
   
   The author's interest is so strong that it is contagious. However, good prior knowledge of both Paris and graphic principles is preferable to fully enjoy the book. There is frequent reference for instance to the impact of using one type of font over another in maps and signs!
   
   The book presents an abundance of black and white and colour illustrations in all sizes, from full-page to postage stamp. Its layout is innovative though dense and, to be honest, at times almost confusing.
   
   Though a tad specialized, this is definitely an enjoyable book that will be especially appreciated by Paris-lovers.



2. If you have any enthusiasm for rapid transit maps, this book will be of interest. It's fantastic if you also are a fan of Paris. I've spend endless hours poring over this book.



3. I'm one of those people who has an interest in what interests other people. I know that seems confusing, but follow me for a minute. When someone is truly passionate about something, it doesn't really matter if I've never even heard of what it is they love. I could listen to them talk about it for hours. In that way, //Paris Underground// is a triumph. Author Mark Ovendon is //obsessed// with the Parisian transit system, and it's infectious. I flipped through the book, smiling at the obvious joy with which it had been compiled.
   
   But the fact remains that this is a book full of microscopic maps and pictures of old French signs. It's a comprehensive history of Paris transit. If you can't even make it through this review without feeling like you want to take a nap, this book is not for you. But if you love public transit (and I won't judge), or if you want to add to your collection of obscure knowledge for your next Trivial Pursuit tournament, this book ought to be right up your alley.
   
   Reviewed by Amanda Mitchell



4. Paris Underground is far more than a history of the famed Paris Métro. It's a fascinating piece of social and political history, mirroring the growth of Paris from the mid-19th c. to today. It takes a long look at logistics -- what it takes to move people in, through and around a increasingly crowded urban environment. And in addition, Paris Underground is a brilliant survey of French engineering and design.
   Author Mark Ovenden sees, and makes his readers see, how much one seemingly mundane element in an industrial culture -- in this case, a city transit system -- can reveal about the wider culture itself.
   One key theme is the fierce Parisian resistance to development, however practical, that might insult or degrade the aboveground environment. A hero of Métro design was the designer Hector Guimard, who created the celebrated, elegant Art Nouveau entranceways which are still so much a part of the Paris streetscape, and of our image of the City of Light.
   Another theme is Ovenden's tracing of the evolution of the maps, big and small, that help people link the surface geography of Paris with the comings and goings beneath its streets. What this cartographic history has to say about contemporary sensibility adds a philosophical dimension to a book that says it's only about a subway system.



5. As i got this book, i thought "i can't imagine what could be new about Paris metro, coz i already have a book about this awesome system" but i was wrong! This book gives you great opportunity to know how the metro of Paris has grown over the decades, yet over a full century - and the best part of it - at least for me personaly - is the fact, that you will find there tons of historical maps. i didnt even imagine, there were so many of them! It's really amazing to have them all in one book and hold in your own hands, plus the history and other images of the iconic metro system.

5 comments about City Walks: Paris: 50 Adventures on Foot.

1. We just came back from Paris and it was a wonderful trip thanks to the City Walks Cards! My husband and I would choose about two cards in the morning and have a perfect day of walking around different areas of Paris. Then we would come back to our hotel, rest a bit, and for the afternoon go for another walk. These cards and a book with pictures are really all you need to have a great time.
   
   I wish we had NY City Walks cards when we stopped in NY and stayed there for a few days, because we ended up walking a whole lot and not really feeling like we explored the city as well as we did Paris.
   
   Next time we take a trip I will make sure to buy the "City Walks" cards for that city (and hope that they have them).



2. For some reason I missed that this was a box of 50 separate cards and not a book. Not sure how I feel about that.



3. I had never been to Paris so I bought this little gem of adventures. Every morning when my husband & I decided what part of town we were going to visit, we took the cards of that area with us. They were fantastic! And the maps are clear enough that you can vear off the path for a while and then get right back on. Highly recommneded!



4. When we had downtime or ahead of schedule, I would pull this out and off we would go for a tour! A perfect compliment to a transit pass.



5. The city walks comes in individual 4x5 cards, which you can select the walks you want to do and just take the cards to paris and not the whole box of 50. The only thing I wish the cards would tell me is an estmation of how long the walk is in time and distance.

5 comments about Streetwise Paris Metro Map - Laminated Paris Metro Map - Folding pocket & wallet size metro map for travel.

1. I also bought the streetwise Paris map which has the same information only slightly larger print. I think the metro index would be good for a man to carry in his wallet or a woman to carry in her pocket because it folds into three parts to become just a little larger than a driver's license, but the Streetwise Paris map is better if you have a purse because it gives much more information. They are both laminated which is helpful.



2. It's a high quality map, very attractive and waterproof. But it's not that useful on the ground. Get a good guide book with zone maps instead. We never referred to this even once in-country.



3. THANKS FOR A GOOD PRODUCT AND FAST, FAST DELIVERY OF SAME. AGAIN, THANKS ! A+A+A+A+



4. This map was very handy in navigating the streets and metros of Paris. A must have for your pockets.



5. Not at all useful, too small, better maps are given free at hotels and stops. Overpriced.

5 comments about Frommer's Paris 2010 (Frommer's Color Complete Guides).

1. "Some establishments in France might not accept your credit card unless you have a computer chip imbedded in it." ~ pg. 72
   
   There are two books I'd recommend before taking a trip to Paris and this is one of them. The other book is Paris (DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE). The DK guide is superior as far as pictures go but I liked the "Where to Dine" section better in the Frommer's guide. This book has interesting facts sprinkled throughout. You will read about the world's first movie being shown in Paris on December 28, 1895. There is also some information about Hemingway and lots of other famous people and where they ate when visiting Paris. There is a section on movies that gave me some ideas for what to watch while at home.
   
   I wish I'd had this book the first time I went to Paris because it has some good walking tours in it. I took a weekend tour to Paris so reading this book showed me what I missed. I would still take a tour the first time because it is less complicated and you get to see all the main sites in a short amount of time. I think a week in Paris would have been better and with this book you can plan out your days more easily. This guide also comes with a pullout map of Paris.
   
   Some of the highlights in this book include day trips. You probably don't want to miss seeing the Chateau de Versailles or Disneyland Paris. You have to visit Paris once in your life it is an amazing place to visit. So I'd suggest getting the DK book and this book to really plan out your trip effectively.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



2. People are creatures of habit and can be strangers in our own city. This guide offers something for everyone from a Paris first-timer to a local that hasn't explored parts of the city in years.
   
   The first part of the book has a series of city guides based on the "Best of Paris in one day" concept. While this is very helpful for those that only have a limited amount of time to explore and only want to know the top ten things to do in 1/2 a day, 1-day, 2-days, 3-days etc it would actually be frustrating to base a longer vacation of 4 days or more on the same model. The short term to-do" list becomes a chore when applied to longer term stays because it directs you to run from one end of the city to another throughout the day therefore wasting valuable time (and money) on transportation. For a longer vacation it would be best to focus on specific neighbourhoods and areas of interest while keeping in mind those main attractions and Landmarks. That way there's plenty of time to do everything while still enjoying the pace of Paris.
   
   The rest of the book is devoted to a neighbourhood by neighbourhood highlight of the most interesting shops and attractions, complete with hotel and restaurant recommendations at a range of price levels. This is extremely helpful for the Paris first-timer to learn about each unique neighbourhood and is indispensible for the person taking a longer vacation in the city. This section is also the most useful for the local Parisian to rediscover the different neighbourhoods his or her city, or to help friends and family who visit.
   
   As in all the Frommer Guides, there is a city map included and the usual detailed list of logistical and useful information.
   
   An all-round guide that is neither too brief nor too long. The tone is friendly and neither boring nor condescending.
   
   Recommended.



3. Frommer's travel guides contain hundreds of color photos, foldout maps, exact prices, directions, and candid reviews of hotels and restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. The guide also contains itineraries, walking tours, trip planning ideas, insider tips from local experts, and many other beneficial tips to get the most out of the location someone is traveling to. Frommer's has an easy to read structure that allows for efficient traveling and smooth navigating, and while it may sometimes be an overload of information, overall, it's well worth the price and will enable the traveler to have an excellent experience in an unfamiliar location.
   
   In the Frommer's guide to New York City, there was a list on page two entitled "Most Unforgettable New York City Experiences," which was a very eye-catching way to start off the guide. Moral of the story; Frommer's doesn't waste any time. Right away they list some great things for first time visitors to partake in, including some smaller things that other guidebooks might miss, like "Take the New York City Subway." That's a no brainer to someone who's been to New York City once or twice. It's something everyone should do, yet something most guides might forget about. The guide also suggests to walk up 125th street (Harlem Boulevard), and run around the Central Park reservoir. (Two other admirable suggestions.) Then of course, the guide lists some of the big, more obvious guns, like visiting the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. Frommer's Paris will undoubtedly inspire someone to want to visit Paris. In the "Most Unforgettable Paris Experiences" section there are references to Ernest Hemingway's memoir of Paris "A Moveable Feast," and it has a list of a few bars and cafes he enjoyed writing and drinking at, which is something many travelers, not tourists, would be interested in visiting.
   
   A review on the website [...] states that Frommer's guides specialize in European countries. The travel guides taking place in these countries are said to be of higher quality, although not much of a difference in quality could be noticed between New York City and the Paris guide. Both seemed quite similar in structure and style. Granted, they were edited by different people. Perhaps in the past it came down to how well the editors really knew the area in which they were studying.
   
   The guidebook contains very useful pictures on almost every page, along with list after very useful list, including best buildings, restaurants, and things to do for free. Numerous maps are scattered throughout the book, and tucked away in the back is a fold out map of Manhattan. Granted, "New York City" consists of all five boroughs, and Manhattan is simply "The City," but that's something to be forgiven. Someone traveling to New York wouldn't find too much worth outside of Manhattan. It isn't a subway map, but those are all over the city, so it would have been unnecessary. The language of the guide is very simple. For the most part, short, concise sentences are used. For example, on page 90, referring to Union Square, the guide states that "Union Square is the hub of the entire area; the N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6, W, and L train stop here, making it easy to reach from most other city neighborhoods." Within this short introduction to Union Square, a lot is said in simple words; the reader knows of all the trains that run through the square, and the area is defined as a busy, popular place with a lot of activity going on. This use of simple language enables teenagers, as well as older folks, to use this guide with relative ease. The language, as well as the easy-to-use lists and references, is why Frommer's is one of the most popular and bestselling travel guides in the world. One downside is that Frommer's may be more geared for high rollers in the economy department. Although Frommer's does do their best to offer cheap and free things to do, the guide doesn't go too far out of their way to do it, and there are plenty more expensive hotels mentioned than cheap ones. The guide itself runs for about twenty dollars. The smaller sized Boston edition breaks down Hotels into three categories; very expensive, expensive, and moderate. Notice how there is no "Cheap" section. There's always a few cheap hotels to be mentioned, so why not include them? A few teenagers venturing to Boston would most definitely want a cheap hotel that they could just crash in for a few hours each night. Other lists, such as restaurants and bars contain lists labeled as "Inexpensive."
   
   The regular sized Frommer's travel guides for New York City and Paris made very good use of pictures. More than half of the pages in the guide had at least one picture. When discussing architecture, restaurants, or even fun activities, there was usually at least one picture to give the reader an idea of what they were in store for. This creates a picture in the mind of the reader, and the mere aesthetics of the visuals could be enough to draw the reader to want to commit to either buying the book, or listening to the writers advice. The portable Boston guide didn't have any pictures at all, and it definitely was harder to navigate because of it. The pictures help structure and help the reader find things a lot quicker. If the reader wants to find a good restaurant and they see a picture of a restaurant, chances are they've found their section without having to look in the index.
   
   The size of the travel guide is manageable, and reasonably lightweight (weighing just under two pounds). It won't fit in a normal-sized pocket, but a bag or a purse will do, and the weight allows one to carry it around with relative ease. An older crowd would find this The audience may be written for more of an older crowd. It isn't overwhelmingly written for an older crowd, but if there was any lean, it'd be more towards the older crowd. Frommer's has a variety of locations to choose from, including, but not limited to; Amsterdam, Barcelona, Beijing, Rome, Chicago, Dublin, London, Las Vegas, and Hong Kong. Typically, Frommer's gears its guides towards specific cities as oppose to generalizing them towards countries, as some other guides occasionally do. The guide is riddled with many interesting sections that the reader would love, including ones such as "Where the Editor eats," which is a list of restaurants that the editor personally writes about and recommends.
   
   There are a few places that Frommer's doesn't seem to cover, such as Australia, Alaska, and other often overlooked locations if someone wants to do some sightseeing or hiking and camping. The purpose of the guide focuses on the overall experience of a city. Frommer's answers the question of how a tourist can get the best overall experience. For Frommer's, this seems to be the main objective; experiencing a city or country as much as possible as fast as possible, and that's something to be admired, because the organization of the guide allows for an easy sense of navigation and direction throughout the destination in order to get as many of these things done as possible.



4. This is jam-packed guide of beautiful Paris, with a total of 424 colorful pages, and a bonus foldout map in the back of the guide. The guide includes a number of maps within, for example, a map of Left Bank when going through the area. Also included are a number of "utility" items, such as common phrases, brief history of France, a map of the Paris Metro on the inside-back-cover, and things like that.
   
   There is a total of 13 chapters, including dining, shopping, nightlife, strolling, accommodations, side trips, exploring the City of Light. The guide also tries to help with the planning ahead before you actually get there which is one of the secrets of traveling!
   
   But approach with caution! This guide will make you want to visit Paris ASAP :)



5. I love Paris. You probably do, too... or you are about to. I mention this, because I think anyone who loves Paris is bound to have their biases and preferences... along with the feeling that no guide book can reasonably express how to experience Paris. So it is. (If it were up to me, probably 70% of a book on Paris would be about delving into the 5th and 6th arrondissements.)
   This book covers the who city and gives a lot of options to consider, with some detail and commentary, as to where to stay, where you might eat, what you might like to do (including the obvious, and much more). The color photos are a pretty nice touch.
   The book contains a section detailing some of the really nice day trips one can take from Paris including Giverny :) and Disneyland Paris :(. It also has a foldout map. It's a bit hefty, but probably not too heavy to carry on the go. It's definitely the kind of book useful for planning a first visit to Paris.

3 comments about Rick Steves' France 2010 with map.

1. What else is there to expect from Rick Steeves. It does not get any better than this!!



2. What can I say, Rick Steve's does it again with his latest update on France! I usually buy his country guide along with the matching Michelin Green Guide for any European Country we plan on visiting. An excellent combination!



3. I always start with Rick Steves when I am planning a trip. I found his discussions of places I was interested in seeing during this trip to France to be informative and true to his "off the beaten path" roots. Although I admit that with his popularity some of his paths are getting pretty well trodden these days as well.
   
   I think the secret to finding a good guide book is finding one that suits your traveling style. Rick Steves is probably not for every traveler but for those who want an experience that is a bit less formal than many of the other big name books, his books are a good starting point.
   
   This was the first guidebook I bought and, although I'll read others, it will probably be the one book I take with me when I leave for France.

5 comments about Streetwise Paris Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Paris, France.

1. Once you arrive in Paris, there are MANY free maps that are actually easier to use.



2. Nice map but note that it is a really small print and in the evening you need a little flashlight to be able to read the print. If you have sight issues bring a small magnifying glass.



3. This map was our constant companion while in Paris. Not only did it make it easy to figure out where we were and how to go where we wanted to go, but the highlighted sights suggested other outings which we hadn't even known about before. Works great with cab drivers - point and go!



4. The Map of the city was very easy to follow and was accurate. The METROPOLITAN (subway) map was very valuable. Laminated map easy to write and mark wiht a pen and did not get managed even on a 10 day stay in Paris. :)



5. Really liked that the main monuments/attractions where drawn, including the train map. The downside for us that cost the lost of a star was that we stayed at the Marriott on the South side of town and it was not in the map. Other than that, highly recommend this for first time Paris visitors like us. Oh, we had 1 1/2 & 8 y.o. boys with us, and we thought this map made it easy to look up thing quickly.