Where can I get a good map?/ sightseeing questions
 

I'm heading on a trip to Paris and was reading some suggestions about mapping out all the sights on a map prior to the trip. I was wondering if there are any really good maps to use? I'm looking for something smaller, not as big as a road map, to carry around with me.


Also, is it the eurorail that we will be using to get from one paris location to another? Or is there a separate rail system? Where can I get a map/itinerary for this?

Sorry about all the questions in one post. I started thinking and more questions came to me!!!!

adpiLdy

Hi adp,

I use the Streetwise Paris map.

There is no eurorail. RailEurope is a marketing agency.

Paris has the Metro, which is in the city, and the RER which goes to the suburbs.

Within Paris, you can use either the RER or the Metro, as well as the bus system.

See www.ratp.fr

((I))

its' eurail, not eurorail, adpildy. yes, you'll be using that. you can get info at www.raileurope.com and buy tix from there, too.

i second Ira--I use the streetwise map. I also make handwritten notes for myself ahead of time--like "exit suchandsuch tube station, make left on this street walking towards soandso, make right", that way i dont have to whip out a map too often.

No, she will -not- be using the eurail for Paris transportation.

As Ira explained, the rail system within Paris (and to/from the airport) is the metro system and the RER (regional express) system. The rail maps and routing, timetables, etc. is found at www.ratp.fr.

There are maps to be found at any major bookstore in the travel section or online, ie. Amazon.com

Streetwise is OK for the main part of Paris, where first-time visitors will concentrate their attention.

It -is- a very good idea to get a guidebook or download "Destinations" information from Fodors website, and plot out where you want to go. Also notate the closing days/times. Then organize your sights by location (to minimize cross-town travel) and by which days each is open.

I always use the Michelin booklett street map. It has a street index, and also indicates street addresses, which is handy if you are trying to locate someplace on a very long street. I have not yet found a street that is not yet indicated on this map. I stuff it into my back pocket.

Stu Dudley

travelnut--i didnt realize she meant for travel WITHIN paris. of course you dont use the eurail for that. I thought she meant for travel throughout the country. i realize now that she said "from one paris location to another", i should have read it more closely.

that's ok - I 'skim' sometimes, too. :)

We've used many maps over the years but my favorite is the free one from Galleries Lafayette. We have booked an apartment for next month and the owners just sent me a brand new one. Good thing, since mime was getting a little worn out.

I like the Michelin Paris Atlas par Arrondissement. It's much easier for me to be able to look at a small page with a good-scale map of a particular part of the city than to have to fold out a map of the entire city and home in a small area. It fits easily in a pocket or purse and is indexed. The only thing I don't like about it is that the RATP map has print that is so tiny it's illegible.

These are the ones I like

Streetwise Paris, the one ira first mentioned, thin, water-resistant, complete for central Paris, clear to read.
City Flash Paris, thicker, slightly more complex, includes taxi stands, maps of Charles DeGaulle airport, clearer metro and bus map. More complete for outlying areas of the city.

The Paris Map Guide. A thin booklet really. Includes excellent sightseeing information and maps of the Bois de Boulogne and Versailles. Each map page is a section of Paris with excellent detail, but it is harder to get a geographic sense of the entire city at once.
Le Petit Parisien, also a booklet. Alpha list of streets, plus bus routes, metoro, taxis, RER, etc.

The Plan de Paris par Arrondissement is as much map as you could ever want, perhaps more than you need unless you’re spending a long time there. It is sold in tabacs (tobacco stores) and news stands.

http://www.hotelstravel.com/france-paris.html has a small map of the arrondissements.

www.webscapades.com/france/paris/paris.htm good descriptions of
arrondissements (districts) and neighborhoods

a better one is at http://www.concierge.com/paris/resou...hborhoodguide/

There are downloadable maps of the entire city and beyond in Acrobat Reader format (adobe.com) at

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/tous_plans_pdf.php
</b>

...the most useful of which is <i>M&eacute;tro (avec rues)</i>. Detailed maps of the neighborhoods around M&eacute;tro and RER stations:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/plan_telech_quartiers.php
</b>

Individual route maps of every bus line:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/tous_p...hp?partenaire=
</b>

If you have a PDA, you can download these maps and carry them with you (which gives a new meaning to the term &quot;Portable Documet Format&quot;).

I also use Microsoft Pocket Streets on my Pocket PC, which allows me to set &quot;pushpins&quot; for points of interest, restaurants, shops, etc. You can buy the program for less than $20, and the maps are free. If your PDA has a GPS capability, your location is continuously pinpointed on the map.

The best sightseeing map of Paris is this:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...aux&amp;fm=pdf
</b>

Robespierre,
I get that it is a map showing bus lines useful to tourists, but what leads you to feel that it's the best sightseeing map, compared to all the others?

Because visitors (especially first-timers) don't really care WHERE the Eiffel Tower is nearly as much as HOW to get to it.

All over town, I see tourists poring over maps trying to figure out what M&eacute;tro stop they're near and how to get from there to the &Eacute;toile stop (and often contriving unbelievably intricate M&eacute;tro routes to do it).

Street maps are great for walking, but if you want to get from the Op&eacute;ra to Notre Dame, the <i>Lignes de bus touristiques</i> has no peer.

(Plus - it fits on a single 8½ x 11 sheet!)

My problem with just looking at the bus system overview (or just the metro map) is:
where is the nearest stop for the bus (metro) line I want, based on where I'm standing now?

Those 'overview' maps don't help with that.

Yes, that's why I recommend these maps for orienting oneself to the terrain:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan.php?nompdf=metro_geo&amp;loc=secteur&amp;fm =pdf</b>

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan.php?nompdf=bus_paris_geo&amp;loc=secteur&am p;fm=pdf</b>

Another vote for Streetwise. I used it for my trip and I am one of those people who circle areas on the map. I start out by circle where my hotel is and then circle all other areas I want to visit.

What I really like about Streetwise is that it is laminated and easily fits just about anywhere.

Robespierre - I cannot print these maps. Do you know why?

One more vote for Streetwise Paris. We have used it on our last 4 trips to Paris and it has been invaluable. The streets are indexed and easy to find, the Metro map is good, and the map itself is laminated, clear to read and easy to carry and to fold and unfold.

Our favorite map turned out to be the all city map that we picked up free in the hotel lobby our first day in Paris.

(I'm not big on planning specifics ahead of a trip myself.)