I have been spending hours a day on this site in anticipation of our trip. Now, I have so much information I'm drowning! How do you decide, particularly about restaurants? I just found another site - eGullet - with so much restaurant information that I don't know what to do. I guess that I will have to winnow down by choosing restaurants near the sites that we will visit, within our price range. The price range thing really does limit us, sadly. But, in order to make reservations, that does confine us to a schedule, leaving less to chance and lucky discovery. However, do you need reservations for lunch, usually?

I keep saying that I will be back, but, I want to do it all!

I don't know where you're going, but as a rule when I travel I take along information about a selection of restaurants that interest me. Then I TRY to be flexible -- if we see something great that's not on my list, we try it, but if we're stumped we know we have some good ideas in our pocket.

The need for reservations depends on where you are. The only time I made them well in advance was for La Chassagnette, and other times I've made them on the same day if I was in the neighborhood of the restaurant and knew it was the one for me.

But flexibility is a good thing! Several times my husband has stumbled on places that appear in none of my books or Web sites but were wonderful experiences.

The best thing to do Momliz is take the info on restaurants you have picked out
and ask the hotel to book for you when you're settled in. I used to give them a list of three and check back with the hotel towards the late afternoon as to which restaurant could accommodate me.
With four boys in towe you may well want to just step into a few places like Leon de Bruxelles, Chartier, or many of the corner cafes & bistros where reservations are not expected.

You should reserve lunch only at the high end restaurants. Most others, unless they are really "in", you don't need them.

Thanks, all. Yup, we are going to Paris, and I really want to get some good eating in - and yes, you can dine poorly there, or too expensively for what you get. With only a week, I cannot help but stress over maximizing our time, although when you get down to it, just being there and absorbing the city will be wonderful.

Thanks, all. Yup, we are going to Paris, and I really want to get some good eating in - and yes, you can dine poorly there, or too expensively for what you get. With only a week, I cannot help but stress over maximizing our time, although when you get down to it, just being there and absorbing the city will be wonderful. We have rented an apartment which looks beautiful, but unfortunatly, as a result we won't have access to a concierge.

Hi Mom,

>How do you decide, particularly about restaurants?<

In general, just walk around and look at the menus. If you find a place you like, make a reservation in the afternoon for that evening.

For lunch, don't bother with reservations, except for very special places.

Where will you be staying? We might be able to give you some tips.

On our last extended trip to Paris, I took the little red Bistros of Paris book and everytime we ate at one of those places, we were more than happy. Every time we just ate wherever we found ourselves, we had a mediocre experience. The research, while overwhelming, really pays off, so hang in there.

The way I get organized for a new city is to have index cards for each area, sites to see on one side and restos on the other. Makes for a quick reminder without dragging out the book.

For my travel in the countryside, I am using ViaMichelin to print out info for each restaurant I have read about (a few dozen) and may have a chance to visit. I will put them in a thin binder to carry in the car with me. And I may break down and buy the Red Guide when I get there...but only if I need the maps!