archie

Anyone recommend a good book on Paris for a first time visitor : places to see, eat, hotels, etc. There are so many : fodor's, lonely planet, michellin. Any favorites? Or any Must haves?<BR><BR>Also any recommendation on a book to translate English to French. Kind-a like a pocket guide just in case I have to talk in french someplace

Liz

Since everybody has different tastes and needs, your best bet is to pick up a few and read a bit. You will probably find one that "feels" right. One trick is to find one thing that you either know something about, or are especially interested in, and see how each book handles it. <BR><BR>I personally like the Rick Steves guides and phrase-books, because we travel frugally, other people loath him.

nancy

Since I travel frugally also I like to use Rick Steves, at least for restaurants and walking tours - rented an apt so didn't need hotel guide. Also has quickie guides to the major museums. Another book I liked was Steinbicker's Day Trips France. He also has walking tours plus walking trips in towns outside Paris. Access Paris has lots of info (the most concise, I thought) on the various arrondisements, maps of each, restaurants, etc. I borrowed a very tiny translation book (it was probably 3 inches by 3 inches, so easy to carry) but I can't remember the author. You might check in a large bookstore. I mostly used it to translate menus. Also, check out travlang.com - I copied into Word most common words/sentences I would use and pasted them on an index card - came in very handy. Did the same with money but since the Euro is so close to the dollar it really isn't necessary.

Paula

I quite agree with the previous poster who suggested that, after looking at a few books, you will find one that feels right. Two that I have found very useful are:<BR><BR>The Unofficial Guide to Paris by David Applefield<BR><BR>Frommer's France

Larry

I bought several guidebooks for my trip to Paris. My favorites were the National Geographic Traveler guidebook and the DK Eyewitness travel guide. Both are beautifully illustrated, provide interesting walking tours and lots of general info. I saw lots of Eyewitness guide (in various languages) in the hands of tourists in Paris.<BR><BR>If you plan to go out, you might want to pick up either the AvantGuide to Paris or Paris TimeOut. Lots of info on Paris nightlife. And if you're a foodie get Bistros of Paris by Robert nd Barbara Hamburger, an excellent guide for dining out.

Vincent

I am a kind of guide book freak, and I spend hours at bookstores picking up the "right" one. Even though I have my favorites, one of the main arguments for me is the "freshness" of the book: the more recent, the better - even if for a popular destination like Paris, guides are very likey to be updated on a yearly basis. As far as I am concerned, I think Time Out city guides have absolutely no match: they are clear, up to date, impeccably researched and edited, give a wide range of addresses. If you read French, the Guide du Routard Paris is the best choice in French.

Julie

Check out Access guide to Paris. I especially like the way it takes you through the city neighborhood/area by area, with info on hotels,restaurants, sights and shopping all together instead of exploring each of these topics separate so that you're left to put them together. For a first timer I'd suggest getting the DK/Eyewitness guide, reading it to see which sites you want to be sure to take in, then noting these in your Access guide and leaving the DK guide at home while you schlepp the streets of Paris with your Access in hand. Reason I say this is DK guides are terribly heavy and not very handy for selecting restaurants while actually there but have wonderful pictures and info for deciding what you want to see. Access then takes you where you've decided you want to go and fills in the surroundings with good maps, info on everything, especially restaurants when you need it.

Bernadette

<BR>I really liked the Rough Guide to Paris. Like all Rough Guides, there are no photographs, but instead LOTS of reviews on accommodation, restaurants, cafes, nightlife, etc. <BR><BR>I know the DK Eyewitness guides are extremely pretty with all those lovely photographs, but it kind of spoils it a bit for me when I know what something looks like before I get to the destination.

sarah

I like to look at lots of photographs before I go because it is one way I decide what I want to see when I get there. But I find the photographs in the DK Eyewitness Guides too small to really whet my appetite . I prefer Insight Guides, both for the photographs and for the historical/cultural information. But Insight, like DK, is too heavy to travel with. They are really best for reading before you go. I take a Rick Steves guide with me and usually one other, often a Fodor's. I also like Cadogan guides for their quirky, gossipy, historical tidbits about the sights that you don't find elsewhere; Cadogan is good for reading on the plane. Visit a large bookstore, look at them all, and decide which ones appeal to you.

Kathleen

I am also a guidebook freak~can't resist something new! I like to get several books for a new destination: a 'pretty picture' book to spark my imagination, a practical guide for travel advice, and a walking or specialty guide. My favorite 'pretty' for Paris is the Knopf~great photos, descriptions, culture; but the National Geographic and Eyewitness are wonderful too. For practical, I like Lonely Planet or Let's Go~though I tend to get my hotel recommendations from the boards, and I'm not much of a foodie so dining at the trendiest bistro isn't a concern. And lastly I like a good special interest book~'WAlking Paris' is great, with walks that familiarize you with a neighborhood & its history.