Can anyone tell me if the Gibert Joseph in the 18th -- not far from the Gare du Nord -- carries a similar inventory to the store in the 5th? Is the one on Blvd St Michel much more academic, for example?

My family is only passing through Paris on our trip to France this summer, and we won't be near any of the other locations.

Yes, Gibert Joseph they took over the former location of the Virgin Megastore precisely because the 18th arrondissement is the area with the greatest number of student residences and is also home to part of the Paris-Diderot university campus (IUT Pajol). And construction has begun on the whole new Condorcet campus at Porte de la Chapelle which will handle 5000 students starting in 2018.

They also opened a store in the Bibliothèque area next to the huge campus there.

Oh, good -- thanks so much for helping. Again!

I shop in the one on bd St Michel all the time and if you haven't been in it, I wouldn't call it notably academic as it's main focus. In fact, it is more than twice the size of the one in the 18th, so it should have more inventory. Yes, it has some academic books, but it is not just a university bookstore, it is a regular bookstore and has a huge inventory of regular books. I like it, in comparison to FNAC, because they sell used books there, so if I find what I want used, I can save a lot. I like FNAC, also, of course, but I shop at Gibert Joseph first to see if I can find a used copy of something I want (I'm talkiong mainly paperback French literature fiction books). That one also has a huge section of reference works, travel books, and also sells maps and has a papeterie. They have several locations around there, one sells CDs for example, rather than books, it's right up the street from the bookstore.

If you find what you want at the one in the 18th, that's all that matters but it isn't as large as the main one.

You're right, Christina: the one in the 5th is huge, and the used books are a real draw.

I'm hoping the one in the 18th might have a decent history and historiography section -- like the Blvd St. Michel branch does -- which the Virgin megastore perhaps did not....

I appreciate your take on this.

Just as an aside, I would be curious to know how much time Christina has spent in the Gibert Joseph store at Barbès.

In any event, it's not a long journey via Metro from Barbes to St Michel...it's a straight shot on Ligne 4 and will take you all of 25 mins, walking to the stations included. Maybe it's the state of mind that makes people think it's too far.

We aren't actually staying in Paris, though -- just arriving on the Eurostar and picking up a car at Gare du Nord before leaving for the Touraine.

Having said that, I paid for the car ages ago and when I bought the Eurostar tickets, I didn't get the train time I wanted. To change the car pick up would've cost hundreds, so if Hertz won't let me pick the car up earlier than the contract states, my DH will be able to shop at a good bookstore until we can collect our car.

I think we may just cool our heels no matter what, so he can go to Gibert Joseph. We won't be in Paris at all otherwise, and he would be so happy....