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Best Paris Travel Guides

Rick Steves Paris 2018
Explore every centimeter of Paris, from the top of the Eiffel tower to the ancient catacombs below the city: with Rick Steves on your side, Paris can be yours! Rick Steves, author of 21 guidebooks and host of the television series Travels in Europe with Rick Steves, has spent 100 days a year traveling Europe, every year, since 1973.
Reviews
"super helpfull to make a itinerary and make the most of Paris."
"Anyway, buy the book before you go but also buy Dixon Long's "Markets of Paris" - there is so much about Paris, it's impossible to overdo the preparation!"
"I can't say enough good things about this book."
"The book comes with a few pre-planned itineraries for a short 3 day trip and a longer trip, which with a little thought, can be customized to fit your schedule and desires. The guidebook covered common tourist scams, two of which were attempted on me which I easily avoided (friendship bracelet and found ring)."
"I read it over before going and it has lots of good information like when to go where, what days time etc. The only thing that I would double check before leaving for Paris or when in Paris is if the days certain places are open. at least 3 hours of waiting!"
"I did my best to read the book before leaving and plan the trip out ahead of time, but it was also extremely useful at the hotel to help finalize the next day's plans, and even once in awhile to have it out with me during the day in case my memory failed me or we changed our plans on-the-fly."
"Rick Steves is a real-live "regular" traveler, who understands that most of us don't stay at the Ritz Carlton, don't eat at 3-star Michelin restaurants, and that we crave authentic travel experiences."
"But it is terrible--bare minumum of info, often misleading or missing info (for instance not mentioning the existence, let alone whereabouts, of a famous restaurant in Paris, but only its satellite location out at Versailles)."
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The New Paris
Journalist Lindsey Tramuta offers detailed insight into the rapidly evolving worlds of food, wine, pastry, coffee, beer, fashion, and design in the delightful city of Paris. “ The author’s vibrant and precise command of English frames this lively collection of insights about cultural change and stories regarding multiple chefs and merchants… Will it succeed? After reading only two chapters, I booked a train ticket to Montparnasse station.”. Here’s your chance to meet the people who are setting today’s standards on the food scene, changing the way we drink everything—from craft beer to coffee—enjoy pastries, and even shop for our homes. ( Dorie Greenspan, award-winning author of Around My French Table and Dorie’s Cookies ). “As the culinary scene in Paris evolves, a new palate of flavors and styles of eating have emerged, redefining what is “French cuisine.” The New Paris documents these changes through the lens of bakers, coffee roasters, ice cream makers, chefs, and even food truck owners.
Reviews
"I enjoyed using this book to find some great new places to try in Paris."
"Unexpectedly fresh and insightful."
"As an American in Paris, Lindsey has hit the nail on the head with this book of beloved locales and the atmosphere they bring to their respective neighborhoods.I immediately bought myself a copy, and two more to give as gifts without hesitation!"
"Enjoying reading and looking at the photos."
"Great book, very interesting take on paris and beautiful pictures."
"Enjoyable and informative."
"Amazing new way of learning about the evolving food scene in Paris, one of my favorite cities in the world!"
"This is a fabulous book."
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Don't be a Tourist in Paris: The Messy Nessy Chic Guide
Off-beat, eclectic guide to Paris from famed blogger Vanessa Grall - creator of MessyNessyChic.com Nessy shows you how to walk Paris's streets like a local: find the most eccentric architecture, get cozy in hidden cafes, party in the catacombs, tour the city with a broken heart, and wander like a true bohemian A lively, eccentric and esoteric guide to the hidden Paris of your dreams, from an outsider who's made it her home. Don't be a Tourist is Grall's off-beat guide to her adopted home, in which she looks past the cliches and tourist traps, and uncovers the true heart of Paris. With tips for visiting on a shoestring, with your parents, or with a broken heart, Don't be a Tourist in Paris is a uniquely warm and insightful guide that affirms Audrey Hepburn's famous statement that 'Paris is always a good idea.'. Vanessa Grall is a London girl who moved to Paris and never looked back.
Reviews
"Because of the size of the print and the weight of the book itself, it's heavy, it is not be a book that I would carry with me while out and about. I really was looking forward to using and enjoying this book, so I am returning it to Amazon for a replacement. I realize that a lot more material can be included in the book by using small print, but it is still difficult for me to read... but that won't stop us from taking advantage of Nessy's meticulous research and excellent descriptive skills."
"It is divided into ten sections like "Parents Are Coming to Town" and "Paris in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole," which then contains seductive chapters like "Abandoned & Underground", "Social Playgrounds in the Sun," "Around the World in a Few Arrondissements.""
"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book with such small font."
"Delivers everything it promises for the best city in the world , no touristy BS."
"This is my new absolutely favorite tour book for Paris."
"I ordered this book directly from the author’s website but there was nowhere to review it there so I just wanted to share here how awesome this book is, it’s everything."
"Followed the lead of this book and took Paris on over Xmas-new years and it was fantastic."
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Best Lyon Travel Guides

Five Flights Up: Sex, Love, and Family, from Paris to Lyon
Life unravels when American psychotherapist Kristin Louise Duncombe faces being uprooted again—to follow her husband from their secure nest in Paris to bourgeois Lyon. But she must reconfigure everything she thought she knew about her "expat expertise" when her child sinks into existential crisis, addiction to Lyonnais cream puffs blooms, and tea time is to be had with glamorous French moms whose sex lives include swingers’ parties. "Duncombe ( Trailing , 2012), an expat therapist who specializes in uprooted families, writes about her own family's transition from Paris to Lyon, France... Duncombe was a sort of professional expat herself, due to her father's career with the U.S. Foreign Service, so she was more suited to the nomadic life than most. She even worked as a therapist, advising families on how to handle just the sort of transition she now faced.
Reviews
"I just finished Kristin Louise Duncombe's "Five Flights Up," about following her Médecins Sans Frontières doctor husband to Paris and then Lyon after a long stint in Kenya, which she described in her previous book, "Trailing.""
"Kristin is so refreshingly honest and vulnerable, without any shred of moral superiority -- a definite down in the trenches book, with the strength of a woman who is willing to brutally self-assess and change both herself, and her view on life."
"This is a very special book and I highly recommend it for anyone who has been an ex-pat in a foreign country and gone through the very confusing and frustrating process of culture shock and has travelled and would like to know what life is like in Paris from the honest and intelligent eyes of a highly articulate mother of two, married to a doctor working for World Health Organization who has experienced multi-moves in her childhood and adult life."
"Her writing being witty, approachable and engaging, Duncombe takes you along for her wild ride of moving from Paris to Lyon when her husband receives a new job there."
"The subtitle might well be "Scenes from a Marriage II," as with her characteristic candor and brutal emotional honesty, she lets the reader into the day-to-day highs and lows that anyone in a couple (particuarly those with children) can relate to."
"It's so easy to imagine turning to sweets in order to cope with stress. And I could feel the intensity of the conversations with other moms in Lyon--the ones not eating the pastries, the ones who ask Kristin why she isn't keeping herself thin and beautiful."
""Having" to move from Paris to Lyon sounds like a problem a lot of us would like to have, but the genius of this engaging memoir is that we really get where the author is coming from--as well as going to!"
"Kudos Kristin, you did a wonderful job at expressing your emotions and capturing the heart of your reader."
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Best European Travel Guides

Rick Steves Paris 2018
Explore every centimeter of Paris, from the top of the Eiffel tower to the ancient catacombs below the city: with Rick Steves on your side, Paris can be yours! Rick Steves, author of 21 guidebooks and host of the television series Travels in Europe with Rick Steves, has spent 100 days a year traveling Europe, every year, since 1973.
Reviews
"super helpfull to make a itinerary and make the most of Paris."
"Anyway, buy the book before you go but also buy Dixon Long's "Markets of Paris" - there is so much about Paris, it's impossible to overdo the preparation!"
"I can't say enough good things about this book."
"The book comes with a few pre-planned itineraries for a short 3 day trip and a longer trip, which with a little thought, can be customized to fit your schedule and desires. The guidebook covered common tourist scams, two of which were attempted on me which I easily avoided (friendship bracelet and found ring)."
"I read it over before going and it has lots of good information like when to go where, what days time etc. The only thing that I would double check before leaving for Paris or when in Paris is if the days certain places are open. at least 3 hours of waiting!"
"I did my best to read the book before leaving and plan the trip out ahead of time, but it was also extremely useful at the hotel to help finalize the next day's plans, and even once in awhile to have it out with me during the day in case my memory failed me or we changed our plans on-the-fly."
"Rick Steves is a real-live "regular" traveler, who understands that most of us don't stay at the Ritz Carlton, don't eat at 3-star Michelin restaurants, and that we crave authentic travel experiences."
"But it is terrible--bare minumum of info, often misleading or missing info (for instance not mentioning the existence, let alone whereabouts, of a famous restaurant in Paris, but only its satellite location out at Versailles)."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best General France Travel Guides

Rick Steves Paris 2018
Explore every centimeter of Paris, from the top of the Eiffel tower to the ancient catacombs below the city: with Rick Steves on your side, Paris can be yours! Rick Steves, author of 21 guidebooks and host of the television series Travels in Europe with Rick Steves, has spent 100 days a year traveling Europe, every year, since 1973.
Reviews
"This guide made our trip to Paris an amazing Experience."
"super helpfull to make a itinerary and make the most of Paris."
"The reference materials for getting around Paris were great (opening times, what was open on Monday, what was closed for 2013) but the tours within the books of the several museums and different neighborhoods were awesome."
"Anyway, buy the book before you go but also buy Dixon Long's "Markets of Paris" - there is so much about Paris, it's impossible to overdo the preparation!"
"My friend and I did the book's tours for the Louvre, the Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, and Versailles, and in all cases they were excellent."
"I can't say enough good things about this book."
"The book comes with a few pre-planned itineraries for a short 3 day trip and a longer trip, which with a little thought, can be customized to fit your schedule and desires. The guidebook covered common tourist scams, two of which were attempted on me which I easily avoided (friendship bracelet and found ring)."
"But it is terrible--bare minumum of info, often misleading or missing info (for instance not mentioning the existence, let alone whereabouts, of a famous restaurant in Paris, but only its satellite location out at Versailles)."
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Best Travel Shopping

How To Be Parisian: Wherever You Are
They will tell you how to be mysterious and sensual, make your boyfriend jealous, the right way to approach weddings and the gym, and they will share their address book in Paris for where to go at the end of the night, for a birthday, for a smart date, for vintage finds and much more. De Maigret’s photography and a witty, wise, often tongue-in-cheek delivery puts the reader on a sure path to achieving the French femme’s je ne sais quoi .”. — Publisher’s Weekly “You don’t have to be French to be a Parisian.“. —Karl Lagerfeld. “Very, very funny. I was laughing out loud by the end.”. —Plum Sykes, author of Bergdorf Blondes and The Debutante Divorcée Anne Berest is the author of two novels and a biography of Françoise Sagan published this year; she also writes for television, cinema, and theater.
Reviews
"Fun, light read, quick read."
"Absolutely great book!"
"A nice realaxing read to destress and unwind."
"I have been looking for this book for ages, I wanted the printed version but I settled down with the Ebook."
"Amazing!!!"
"A great book for the Parisian girls out there."
"I bought this book for my teenage daughter and she loves it!"
"I live in NYC where there's a lovesick affair with all things French -- I mean, there are buildings here named "The Left Bank". The tone is informative, yet intentionally self-deprecating, 'cause, like, "let's not turn off the American audience with our snobbisms and superiority complex! She's naturally confident, having grown up with an excellent French education that has cultivated her in philosophy, arts, literature, and good taste. Chapter 2: Collection of Disjointed Listicles. -Being Aloof: "talk softly so that people have to lean in to hear you", "Always look as if gazing into the sunset." Chapter 3: More Fashion + Culture Stuff. -Lists of "essential" wardrobe items which you've seen in magazines/blogs 100x before (ballet flats, white shirt, scarf, trench...). -More random diary-like musings on books (Proust is a given), savoring the moment, poetic odes to sitting at cafes, aging gracefully. Chapter 4: Love. Few of these bullet points will work if you're seducing an American man. This is not an instructional manual-- it's more to help you understand the liberal French attitude towards love and sex; where sexual jokes are totally normal in office environment, where having a lover on the side is natural. Chapter 5: Filler Lists of Stuff. -Recipes for crepes, baked apples, eggplant caviar + more. -Parlor games to play at a dinner party. -List of French words used in English + vice versa ("trompe l'oeil"). -The authors' favorite Paris haunts, films, quotes. Ok, some redeeming moments -- the games are actually fun, and the recipes authentic. But the rest of this "book" of lists is easily found on various blogs and articles on French style."
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Best Loire Travel Guides

Chateaux of the Loire Valley
Sixty of these works of art have been captured in brilliant color photographs for this book: the Hall of the States General at Blois, the Saumur and Angers fortresses, the picture-postcard castle of Azay-le-Rideau built in the middle of a river, and, impressive and shrouded in legend, the massive Chambord castle. He was vice-president of the National Commission for the Protection of Historic Buildings, and he is a member of the French Academy of Architecture in Paris.
Reviews
"This book was exactly what I was looking for."
"Nice book I gave it as a Christmas gift. My friend was thrilled as we had just come back from there."
"Gorgeous book that will remind us of our fantastic trip to the Loire."
"Informative and beautiful."
"Good book."
"Different then I thought it would be, but none the less interesting.."
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Best Corsica Travel Guides

The GR20 Corsica: Complete Guide to the High Level Route (Cicerone Guides)
Starting in Corscia's north-west, in picturesque Calenzana, the route winds south-east, through the heart of Corsica, finishing on the eastern side of the island, just north of Porto Vecchio in the township of Conca. Described in 16 stages with high level/low level alternatives for relevant stages, the route is roughly 200km in length and takes approximately two weeks to complete. He lives near the Lake District and has walked in every county in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales; writing about walks in every one of them.
Reviews
"Everything one needs to do the GR 20 - detailed but readable."
"Step by step directions."
"If you're going to travel to Corsica, this book can help you out on everything you'll need."
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Best Rhone Travel Guides

Cycling the River Rhone Cycle Route: From the Alps to the Mediterranean
The described route uses two waymarked national cycle trails: the Swiss R1 Rhone Route and the French ViaRhôna, which together have been adopted by the ECF (European Cyclists' Federation) as EuroVélo route EV17. Starting with UK cycling routes, he soon moved on to long-distance routes in the rest of Europe and beyond, including a circumnavigation of Iceland and a ride across Cuba.
Reviews
"This book provides the most extensive route information I have found."
"It's the most detailed guide available to this route and I found it useful, but putting too much emphasis on obvious detailed directions ('turn left 200 metres after the bridge') that you can get from a study of the map. I only found out this when I tried to follow the route on my iPhone GPX app using the data downloaded as part of this guide."
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Best Provence Travel Guides

Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera
More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket. When not on the road, Rick is active in his church and with advocacy groups focused on economic justice, drug policy reform, and ending hunger. To recharge, Rick plays piano, relaxes at his family cabin in the Cascade Mountains, and spends time with his partner Trish, son Andy, and daughter Jackie.
Reviews
"Rick Steves guides are perfect for me - they tell me what I need and no more, plus he has the same taste and attention span that I do, so his tours hit the right spots and for the right length of time."
"Wonderful aid - apparently comes out every 3 years, I'd advise checking publication date."
"Love his guided walks."
"Its very,very good, especially for the independant traveller (as I) who, arriving at a place, needs to know how to get from Place A to Place B by public transport without calling a taxi!"
"I used the book to death making plans before the trip."
"It provided a lot of very good information (maps and suggested trips were good) in a convenient form."
"Some of the costs for transportation were off, but it was a great reference and it really did hit on the highlights of the area."
"Outdated, as we expected since a new version comes out next month."
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Best Brittany Travel Guides

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany: Second Edition
This practical and knowledgeable guidebook deals comprehensively with the stone circles of Britain and Ireland and with the cromlechs and megalithic "horseshoes" of Brittany.
Reviews
"The best thing is the maps with number referred."
"Finally I got the first and longest lasting item on my wish list..this book!"
"While Burl's previous works were amazing, this long awaited "update" of this information, as well as addition information on more recent excavations make this is must."
"I am not accustomed to purchasing so expensive and specialized a book, but in the early autumn of 1979, I had the privilege of working on a Scottish dig run by Dr. Burl, and I have long admired his scholarship and dedication---and this revision is, simply put, GREAT!"
"Burl, an expert on the subject of stone circles, has. created an essential and portable guide to all of the. major sites in Great Britain and Brittany."
"Great book, one of the more detailed I have found."
"This is not a picture book so much as a guide."
"The text describing the sites is very good, along with the historical context."
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Best Dordogne Travel Guides

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast will lead you straight to the best attractions this beautiful part of the world has to offer. Taste the best vineyards, discover prehistoric cave paintings, and indulge in the flavors of Aquitaine's local produce and classic dishes. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast truly shows you this region as no one else can. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
"This book was the one that enticed me to visit this area."
"The guide provides a great deal of information and beautiful illustrations."
"Intend, sometime soon, to spend several months in the area (best we found in France for cost and scenery) and will rely on the book for guidance then."
"Super quality."
"It has been most helpful in planning my next trip to France with an emphasis on this region!!!!!"
"I would recommend to anyone looking for a good travel book."
"we love the Eyewitness Travel books - they're extremely helpful!!"
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Best Bordeaux Travel Guides

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast will lead you straight to the best attractions this beautiful part of the world has to offer. Taste the best vineyards, discover prehistoric cave paintings, and indulge in the flavors of Aquitaine's local produce and classic dishes. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast truly shows you this region as no one else can. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
"This book was the one that enticed me to visit this area."
"The guide provides a great deal of information and beautiful illustrations."
"Intend, sometime soon, to spend several months in the area (best we found in France for cost and scenery) and will rely on the book for guidance then."
"Super quality."
"It has been most helpful in planning my next trip to France with an emphasis on this region!!!!!"
"I would recommend to anyone looking for a good travel book."
"we love the Eyewitness Travel books - they're extremely helpful!!"
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Best Normandy Travel Guides

The Normandy Battlefields: Bocage and Breakout: From the Beaches to the Falaise Gap
The Normandy Battlefields details what can be seen on the ground today using a mixture of media to provide a complete overview of the campaign. In Bocage and Breakout, Leo Marriott and Simon Forty take the story forward as the success of the invasion continued into the Cotentin, with Cherbourg falling on 29 June, before it bogged down in face of determined German defense and the bocage countryside—innumerable small fields surrounded by hedgerows, each one hiding anti-tank weapons, mortars and machine guns. Three weeks later, the Battle of Normandy was over, the routed German Army—without most of its heavy weapons left in the Falaise Pocket or on the banks of the Seine—was retreating helter skelter back towards Germany and the Low Countries pursued by the Allies in a reverse of the 1940 Blitzkrieg campaign. “Messrs Forty and Marriott provide a seriously entertaining look at events in Normandy from ground level and all points upwards using the perfect mix of facts and dates aligned to genuinely excellent archive and modern photography. “For the sheer volume of information both textual and visual, this book is excellent value for money…as a work of reference it is invaluable and is strongly recommended to students of the NW Europe campaign.” ( Casemate Fortress Study Group ).
Reviews
"Product and picture description is a bit different."
"Great book, wonderful pictures."
"Love these books."
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