ParisFavorite discoveries or tips: My granddaughter and I were both able to Orange Cartes for the Metro system. We took our pictures in the booth in the Metro and picked up the form at the ticket window. We paid at the ticket window, but could have also done it at the machine. M. Hughes in San Francisco, CA USA 07/03/2008 I visited Paris for the first time during a month-long study abroad program through my university, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rick's book made my trip so much more enjoyable and rewarding. My favorite tip was taking the Trocadéro metro stop to the Eiffel Tower. My friends loved it and the views were great. Krista Balgeman in Madison, WI USA 07/01/2008 1) Really. Pack light. The metro stations are surprisingly not handicap friendly, very few or no elevators/escalators. 2) You can't buy Carte Orange on late Thursday for the same week (i.e. balance of that week). They start selling it again on Friday but it's for the following week. 3) Versailles - If you have the Museum Pass, use the side door past entrance A (even though TI may tell you to use entrance A) where the interpreter/guided tours wait. The Equestrian Performance is IMO a waste of time and money. It's just riders on beautiful horses riding around for an hour with very little choreography or performance. Big disappointment for 11 Euros. 4) Go up in Arc de Triomphe to the top near dark. It has one of the best views of the Eiffel at night. 5) The sewer tour is really interesting but smelly. It's a working sewer, not some dried-off old time passages on display. 6) Be patient waiting for the organs to play at St. Sulpice. They do play a recording until about 12:30 when the organist starts doing her thing. Missy in Orange, Ca USA 06/29/2008 Yes, we stayed in the 13th arrondissment at a lovely B and B called La Villa Paris (la-villa-paris-com). Marie speaks English well and offers four lovely rooms at a moderate price. There is a small room for even less that has a private door that opens onto a patio for sitting, but Marie does not advertise as there is not enough room for a lot of luggage (I told Marie about Rick Steve travelers who pack light). The price includes all tax and a HUGE breakfast of cheese, meats, fresh pastries from the bakery across the street, fruit, jams, cereals, yogurts..you get the picture so you don't need to spend money on lunch. The neighborhood is a mix of students and working class with nice and reasonably priced restaurants nearby. The bus stops across the street and you are a ten minute walk to the RER or metro. Close to a large park for running and a children's park and bike rentals right across the street. Very clean and quiet. Laundry down the street. We liked coming home to this charming neighborhood at night after being in the busy city all day. gail argenbright in beaverdam, va USA 06/28/2008 We discovered a wonderful authentic Breton creperie in Paris! It is called Ty Bernic on 54, rue d'Argout in the second arrondissement (tel: 01.45.08.05.23). It is run by a couple and she is from Brittany. The crepes are delicious - lunch, dinner, dessert - and you can have a meal (before beverage) for 6-10 euro. Their hours are a little funky - I don't think they are open for dinner every night of the week. I lived in Brittany for a year while in college so know a little bit about crepes! Please do check it out. They owners are very friendly, too. Feel free to tell them an American traveling with two teenagers who spoke French and related her college days in Brittany made the recommendation. Thank you. Joan in Kampmeyer, MN USA 06/28/2008 Eric Fredeau "Cook'n with Class" wine and cheese tasting was lovely (although a bit pricey). http://www.cooknwithclass.com/ Victoria Van Wie in Cypress, Tx USA 06/22/2008 Shop the street market behind Les Halles for cheese, wine, fruit, bread, etc. Pull up a bench in Les Halles old space and have a pique-nique. C'est bon! Tom & Kathy in Orange, CT USA 06/18/2008 Spend the night in Giverny, we got there in the afternoon and spent enjoyable hours at Monet's gardens and home, then we had a great dinner at Baudy restraunt, and were able to tour thier rose gardens, spending the night in a lovely B&B and waking to the birds singing. Its a great retreat for those who are going glassy eyed from museums and a must stop for those who are fans of Monet. Get the Paris Pass, it allowed us to go into museums we would have skipped, it got us to the head of the line more then once, and it allowed us to return if we didn't have enough time at the end of our day. We saved over 30 euros with it. Rebecca in West Lafayette, IN USA 06/16/2008 Jay Moe, moebile@hotmail.com Have dozens of Rick's books & CD's & this is all I could come up with (have my 4th ed. of Paris book & just returned from 4th visit to Paris). Grabbibg one of Rick's books is first step in any of our vacation plans or dreams. THANKS. Jay Moe in Waupaca, WI USA 06/13/2008 I lost my computer connection without finishing my info. I will try again! Carol Klun in Painesville, OH USA 06/11/2008 www.transilien.com You can buy a combined Chateau D'Auvers and train ride from Paris for 16 euro and change at the SNCF ticket offices at train stations in Paris. Robert Slattery in Minneapolis, MN USA 06/10/2008 Orangerie Museum in Paris opens at 9 AM not at 12:30! Robert Slattery in Minneapolis, MN USA 06/10/2008 Forgot to say the Museum Pass was great - we were able to avoid lines which was especially fantastic on rainy days! Jean Hoffmann in Pleasant Prairie, WI USA 06/05/2008 We took two tours (1/2 day at Versailles, full day at Mont St. Michel) through City Tours, both of which were extremely enjoyable thanks in part to very comfortable transportation and charming, informed tour guides. The City Tours office is located at 2 r. de Pyramides; I assume they have a website. Michelle Kelly in Ft. Collins, CO USA 06/03/2008 I was able to enter the Pinocoteque gallery to see the terra cotta warriors without a reservation. I simply showed up at 4:30 pm last Friday and was allowed to enter and buy a ticket (10 Eu). Man Ray also has an exhibition there for an extra charge. The warriors and their horses along with various artifacts--well worth the trip. Explanations were all in French. The gallery is located on one side of the Madeleine square. At Musee Rodin there was a long line waiting to enter for the Camille Claudel exhibit. They take reservations. Plan ahead for that one or try showing up late in the day. Swan in Napa, CA USA 05/27/2008 When traveling to Auvers from Paris take advantage of the combo ticket at www.transilien.com for roundtrip train ticket and entrance to Chateau d"Auvers. It's only 16.20 Euro instead of buying separately for around 33 Euro. Robert Slattery in Minneapolis, MN USA 05/25/2008 The Cafe du Marche was excellent--everything you said it was. I was especially delighted to discover the American Church. Sorry I wasn't able to attend a Sunday service. Ann Scott in Alabaster, AL USA 05/25/2008 Get the Museum Pass! See the Notre Dame Cathedral at night. Go for walks when it gets dark. Paris looks very different (in a good way!) at night Kate Buechler in Winnipeg, MB Canada 05/22/2008 In addition to bus line #69 from the Rue Cler area, you could also recommend line #92 from Ave Bousquet up to the Arc Triumphe. Easy to use. We were able to buy the Paris Museum Pass, tickets to the L'Open Bus Tour and a carnet at the London Eurostar Terminal. The desk is inside the waiting area against the right wall. You have to have tickets and go through customs to get to this location. Catherine Roberts in Henniker, NH USA 05/17/2008 Kindle Edition - Fantastic! I hope this is only the beginning. What could be more helpful to a traveler than a way to carry all travel/guidebook info in one lightweight device? Plus, it's searchable, and you can highlight and annotate with places you want to visit. Plus, I can store novels, blogs and magazines to read on my journey, and play audio books and podcasts. I love it, and I can't wait until the rest of your guidebooks are available on Kindle. Marjorie Solomon in Atlanta, GA USA 05/16/2008 Paris Walks provides a wonderful 2 hour guided walk on numerous themes. The guides are very well educated Paris enthusiasts, Brits or Americans. No reservation needed - we did 8 tours in 10 days, each one a gem!! The info on the Metro, RER, and SNCF was right on and enabled us to get to Versailles, Normandy, and around Paris all on our own - not one connection was missed! Julie Pickup in Monee, IL USA 05/12/2008 St. Chapelle won't honor the skip the line part of the Paris Museum pass. You have to stay in a long line like everyone else. They do a security inspection, xray etc of everyone and this is why it takes so long. When you go through the turnstiles from Gard du Nord station (Eurostar Chunnel) into the Metro, there are no large doors to take your luggage through, so you must go through a normal turnstile. Push your luggage through first and follow close behind to get both your and your luggage through. If you drag your luggage behind, you will get through and the doors will close on your luggage, trapping them. This happened to both me and my wife in side by side turnstiles. We could not get them out no matter how hard we tried. There were no attendants around anywhere. Our Metro Navigo Carte Orange passes would not work a second time (must be on a timer or something). One person finally came to go through and he went through the turnstile that my bag was stuck in. That opened the gate and I could pull it out as he was walking through. But no one else showed up, so this nice gent helped us tug and pull (all three of us) until my wife's bag was free. There is little room in the standard train for luggage, so you might want to get there early to get on the train first and dibs a spot in the small luggage bins at the front of the cars. We got on late and there was no place for our two bags. They were too large for any overhead bins. They ended up asking us to get off, run to the rear of the train and put them in some storage car. Then run back and get on the train before it left. Better yet, take our lessons learned and believe Rick when he says to travel lighter so you don't have such large luggage. I know our next trip we will definitely be packing lighter and taking Rick's packing skills to light. Steve Onustack in Lynnwood, WA USA 05/06/2008 View from the 3rd level of Eiffel Tower definitely worth the wait. Also it was fun to sit by the fountain at the far side of the Champs de Mar where the dogs were playing in the fountain - they were great fun to watch! Make sure to leave time each day to sit back and "watch the world go by". Some of our best trip memories have been when we just watched people or even the baby ducks in a pond and took our time to stay in one place for a while and didn't rush from sight to sight. Sue in Newport Beach, CA USA 04/26/2008 St. Denis is wonderful! Apparently they have recently made audioguides available in English (my cousin went a few months ago and they didn't have them). My daughter (15) and I found the visit extremely interesting, it was my favorite part of our Parisian visit. Julie McLendon in Alpharetta, GA USA 04/17/2008 Toni Valenzuela Toni in Murrieta, CA USA 04/02/2008 The whole book was a favorite discovery. We went to Paris last year for Spring Break, and didn't realize how much we missed! I'm so glad we went again, this time with Rick Steves in hand, to make the most of our trip! Our favorite sights/experiences were: Montmartre walk: We went to Montmartre last year, but didn't know where the "good stuff" was, so we walked around Sacre Coeur and Place du Tertre and left. This time, we saw it all, thanks to the book. We LOVED seeing the cafe from "Amelie"! Left Bank Walk: Was brilliant... again, we had been there before, but didn't know what to look for. This time we saw it all - the toy store was a highlight, as was the Pont des Beau Arts. Carnavalet Museum: After sticking to the Louvre and Orsay last time, this time we decided to go with Rick to the Carnavalet. The walking history tour via paintings was AWESOME! It was practically empty, and FREE! The art nouveau jewelry store was a GEM. Bus #69 Tour to Pere Lachaise: after taking this fun bus (using our Carte Orange) to Pere Lachaise, we wound up taking busses all over the city. They were faster than the metro in most cases, and you saw everything along the way! A wonderful, cheap way to see the city and get a sense of where everything is. (Instead of popping out of the metro with no clue where you are in relation to everything else!) Orangerie: Monet's Water Lilies were sublime. Favorite restaurants: We kept going back to the Rue Cler area because we loved going to see the Eiffel Tower each night after dinner. These are the restaurants we frequented: Cafe Constant: We ate here on our first night, and it was a lovely "welcome to France"! The tagliatelle and roasted chicken was sublime. Le P'tit Troque: The food was delicious, but we did feel rushed here. The food came out very quickly (too quickly) and we didn't feel the French "keep your table all night" vibe here. La Terrasse du 7eme: We ate here on our last night, and it was LOVELY. Cozy atmosphere, extremely friendly staff (and owner!) and the food was AMAZING. The owner came out and chatted with us for a while and it turns out he had lived in the U.S. when he was very young. This was a favorite. Peg Sewall in Lambertville, NJ USA 03/30/2008 Hotel Grand Levesque on Rue Cler is great, but if you are not an early riser, ask for a room in the back - the local merchants start stocking their shelves at 6:30 AM by hitting big sheets of aluminium with baseball bats - it is not a quiet street in the morning. If you are up early - we were - it is all part of the Rue Cler charm. Howard Dellar in Aurora, On Canada 03/24/2008 We went to Paris March 14-22, 2008. In the Tuileries between the Jeu de Paume and the carrousel is a trampoline area for kids 14 and under. It consists of eight seperate highly springy nets. A child gets 5 minutes for two Euros, with each kid getting their own net. My seven year old daughter loved this! We went three times. As the temperature was in the 40s there were not a lot of people so the attendant let her go for around 10 minutes instead of the posted 5 minute limit. I did not see this in your guidebook and my family highly recommneds it. Kevin Hans in Arlington, VA USA 03/23/2008 I wholly agree with the previous poster that Bike About Tours align much more directly with Rick Steve's aims of a Backdoor Europe. I also had an amazing experience with the hilarious and knowledgeable Paul (the owner). His bike tour really was one of the highlights of my trip. The comparatively small tour groups (but not too small) provide for a few hours of VIP treatment from someone who knows the city like the back of his hand (a far cry from the 30+ bike groups Fat Tire brings through the city). Please consider adding Bike About Tours (Paul at www.bikeabouttours.com) to your guidebook, so that more backdoor travelers can share in the amazing experience I had. Brent Miles in Seattle, WA USA 03/09/2008 I would like to recommend an addition to the next addition of the Paris book. Bike About Tours bike tours were wonderful. Easily the best part of our trip. They are a much smaller company than Fat Tire and seem to fit better with the Rick Steves "Back Door" philosophy. Our guide Paul (one of the owners) showed us some of the main sights, but also gave us a wonderful insiders tour of the city. We saw and learned so much! Also, they limit their tours to 10 people, leaving a much smaller more intimate group for your tour! Their website is: www.bikeabouttours.com, and the contact information is located on the site. A big thanks to Paul for the awesome tour! I hope to see them in your next book. Casey in Landstuhl, Germany 02/21/2008 Although Rick's guidebook for Paris 2008 recommends against using an airport shuttle service, I had a very positive experience with airport-connection.com. I booked online a week in advance of travel to Paris. The round trip (CDG/Rue Clar) discounted cost was 42 Euro per person. After deplaning, I called the toll free number while waiting for our bags, and the van was there when we walked out the door. On time for pickup to the airport, I highly recommend this method over dragging baggage over, around and through buses, Metro stairs and turnstiles. Compared to Roissy bus and Metro costs, it was break even. Note: we traveled end of January. High season may a different story.
, for a total on my credit card of $120 USD. Cheryl Dowdell in Charlestown, RI USA 02/08/2008 L'Os a moelle, 3 rue Vasco de Gama 01-45-57-27-27. A short Metro ride and 5 minute walk. Recommended by NYTimes Mark Bittman. Very reasonable prices - set menu of 36 Euros. Superb food. William Botkin in Centennial, CO USA 01/28/2008 We appreciated your tip of not bringing our stroller on the metro or to the museums. Also, we completely agree that the museum pass is a must have item. We saved plenty of money and time using it. We even came out ahead by a substantial margin using a four day pass for only three days. My wife and I discovered that bringing our 4 month old to the Eiffel Tower was a bad idea. Although we were there in the middle of January, we had to wait over an hour in line just to get into the tower (1/2 hour was after going through the security checkpoint). There is no convenient place to sitdown should the baby need attention. My wife couldn't find any facilities to nurse or change diapers while I waited in line. Even though my wife surrendered all modesty and nursed and changed our daughter in the line, my daughter continued her colic tantrum into the elevator, at the top of the tower, and then back down. Not only was our experience unpleasant, but we also tarnished the experiences of the other vistors that had to endure my daughter's screams in the crowded line, elevator, and observation deck. Also, for being such a stunning museum, finding a baby changing table is nearly impossible in the Louvre; I don't think they have one. All of the other museums (especially the d'Orsay and Pompidou) have adequate facilities for babies and nursing mothers. All of the restaurants you recommended were fantastic. John, Yvonne, and Kaytlin Galle-Bishop in Naples, Italy 01/24/2008 I am curious why two of our favoritie Paris restaruants were deleted from your 2008 Paris guide - L'Affriole (last ate there in 2006) and Les Vignes du Pantheon (last ate there in Feb 2007). Both were excellent and we have eaten in Les Vignes du Pantheon at least 6 or 7 times - always excellent. William Botkin in Centennial, CO USA 01/12/2008 *** please strongly advise travellers to France not to use travellers cheques of any type. They are almost impossible to cash. Dan J Newbold in Kelowna B..C. , Canada 01/02/2008 There is Metro work going on with closures that are listed on the lighted stop listing on each subway car. Some of these closures are for only a few months Michael in New York City, NY USA 12/31/2007
Louise in New York, NY USA 12/27/2007 Sitting in Phillippe's (spelling?) restaurant in rue Cler and noticing that 3 out of 4 tables were perusing a Rick Steves' guidebook to plan their day while trying to figure out how to get the bill. Luckily we had been there before and knew to walk up to the counter. When in doubt, observe the locals! Brett in Fresno, CA USA 12/21/2007 We just returned from our firsy ever trip to Paris. We wish you to know that there is no way that we could have enjoyed our trip as much as we did without your guidebook. It was the most valuable aid we had, and we thank you so much for your recommendations. Bernadette Dunn in Madison, CT USA 12/05/2007 On a trip to France in 2006 the best French-style breakfast we ate in our entire 3 weeks was at the little cafe on the main TGV platform concourse of the Gare de Lyon while waiting for our train to Avignon. The standard baguette, croissant, jam and coffee, but excellent quality, full of flavour and deliciously fresh. For those travelling to Provence or the Languedoc Avignon makes a fantastic starting point if you're travelling from Paris by TGV. The station is outside the city and is a great place to collect a rental car to avoid negotiating the city's walls and one way street system. Also plenty of easy access when it comes time to drop off at the end. The TGV service from Avignon includes a train that goes directly to CDG airport which makes a great alternative to travelling back to Paris if your flight out is later in the day (ours left Paris early evening and the connection from Avignon was perfect). Signage at the TGV station at CDG was excellent and directed us to our terminal easily. Only downside was our train was late into Avignon and while there were frequent overhead announcements, they were only in French. We also found a really interesting shop in Paris called Deyrolle (or similar) in the Rue du Bac (6th). The downstairs sells very expensive but glamorous gardening equipment. The upstairs is a fascinating space that sells taxidermy of every type imaginable - including lions, tigers, polar bears - a fabulous diversion for children. Absolutely learn to speak some French - we had some great chats with all sorts of people in shops with my schoolgirl French and definitely no grumpy waiters or shop assistants (of course, being Australian, we are considered somewhat exotic, which I am sure helps.)
Jo in Sydney, NS Australia 11/18/2007 Comment - Visiting in early November gave pretty good walking-around weather, generally in the 50s, and smaller crowds than I've heard about from summer visitors. I'd do it again. Anon in Eastsound, WA USA 11/11/2007 At the end of the subway line is the Chateau de Vincennes. Few tourists visit this area. I took a tour in French since I speak French. The chateau has an interesting history and served as a prison for some celebrated French (Diderot, Raspail, etc). It also has a beautiful cathedral on the grounds. Explore the town of Vincennes. It is very easy to get to--go to the end of the subway lin Kathy Nega in Apollo, PA USA 11/10/2007 While in Paris, check out a fairly new guide service "Meeting the French" www.meetingthefrench.com They offer several unique opportunities to meet a local artisan (bakery, jewelry-maker, chocolatier, etc.). You can select your tour via phone or internet. An English-speaking guide will meet you at the place of business and you will get a 1-hour face-to-face interaction with the store owner. We did the bakery tour of Pudlo Paris Guide 2007 Baker of the Year Veronique Mauclerc in the 19th. One of the last few bakers using a wood-fired oven. It was just myself and my husband with Veronique (and the translator). At 10Euro each, it was $$ well spent - Veronique even gave us some bread samples to take with us. The translator said this type of guide service had only been around for the past 2 years but word was slowly getting out. Even the locals are signing up! Highly recommend the tours. A in Wang, OR USA 11/05/2007 In the Rue Cler area I highly recommend Bistro du Monde at 85, Ave. Bosquet. The owner, Olivier, speaks perfect English, is very friendly, and his local clientel is very interesting and also friendly. Another Paris MUST is the newly opened Architecture Museuum at Trocadero; relicas of facades of monuments and buildings throughout France. Truly spectacular. Robert Boulette in Honolulu, HI USA 11/01/2007 I experienced a transportation strike Air France Shuttle Buses at the Charles de Gaulle Airport upon arrival. There were no signs or announcements posted at the bus stop or ticket counter. I found out after almost one hour of standing around that the buses were not running that day and no employee at the airport knew about it. At least 10-20 others were waiting patiently for the shuttle buses to take us into Paris. I gave up after 55 min. of waiting and had to find alternative ways to get into Paris. Fortunately I have been to Paris before and knew the RER B line connects into Paris. i had to look aroundfor signs and finally found them leading to the elevators to go down and purchase tickets from the machines, then finding the right gate, right directions and finally knowing where to transfer to the correct Metro. Asking for directions at Charles de Gaulle Airport can be confusing with a lot of travelers around and not familar with the French language. It is probably a good idea to have a map of Paris and a metro map of Paris on hand with you upon arrival in Paris. Looking for one can be very overwhelming when you are in a dilemma to look for alternative means of transportation upon arrival from a 15 hr. transatlantic flight! k. moy in san francisco, ca USA 10/28/2007 Accomodation and more restaurants in Montmartre area should be added. While this area is on the fringe of the tourist area, the short walk to Sacre Coeur, the artist's area and good restaurants and street markets makes it a great place to stay. We stayed at the Hotel Damremont, 110 Rue Damremont, 33 0 1 42 64 25 75. It was only a 2 star, but was clean, quiet and a bargain, complete with daily breakfast. It was also located close to stops on two Metro lines (12 & 13)which gave easy access to tourist destinations as well as quick access to Gare du Nord for TGV and Eurail trains. Oh and getting back from Versailles is easy, even if you screw up. We made a mistake and took the "wrong" train back. It took us on a different route back to Gare St. Lazare. A fabulous modern station with great subway and train connections. We took the Metro to Hotel de Ville and walked up into a madhouse on the Saturday afternoon streets. An MTV music parade was going on with wall to wall people on the streets and also a giant TV at Hotel de Ville with the World Cup of Rugby playing. One travel mistake that was a nice surprise. Allan Gould in edmonton, AB CANADA 10/21/2007 We heard that Musee du Quai Branly was a must-do sight, didn't find it in any guidebook or in real life (we were told it was near the Orsay). Happy to see you are including it in 2008. Chris and Mary Ray in Cincinnati, OH USA 10/15/2007 By far, the best way to see the city of Paris is on a bike tour; and by far, the best way to do it is with Bike About Tours (www.bikeabouttours.com). There is no better way to become acquainted with an otherwise potentially overwhelming city. If you're planning to visit Paris and to see the sights, then don't even hesitate to book this amazing tour. You'll be provided with the unique opportunity to experience Paris as a local; you won't feel like a "tourist" and you'll see more on your tour than you could ever hope to see in a week of wandering the city. Christian and Paul are the founders, owners and tour guides of Bike About Tours. Not only do they live in Paris, but they're incredibly well-versed on the history of the city and they'll show you sights and sounds you'd never see as a regular "tourist". They're friendly and charming with great senses of humour and immediately put you at ease. If you have any reservations about being on a bike, then put them to rest. Paris is relatively flat so there is no strenuous pedaling and the city streets you'll be on have designated bike/bus lanes. We felt completely at ease and at no time did we feel in danger. The bikes are comfortable, impeccably well-maintained and easily shifted from the hand grip. Truly, this was the best part of our visit to Paris, what an incredible way to see the city! When you go to Paris, don't miss out: www.bikeabouttours.com. Book it! Believe me, you'll be glad you did. J. Koch in Ottawa, ON Canada 10/15/2007 One of my favorite discoveries was an open air market on Wednesday morning across from the Montparnesse cemetary. We found great bargains on scarves, jewelry, cheese and breads....plus it was a great window into a little of local Parisian life. I have to say the Parisians were very friendly to us and most knew English, and with my basic French, we had some laughs and were able to understand each other. Saying bonjour and merci go a long way! vicki probst in Pinellas Park, Fl USA 10/14/2007 Jean Claude Fleury of the Residence Versailles recommended a wonderful resteraunt to us in Beynac - Le Petit Tonnelle. We did not save their business card (sorry) but their phone number is 05 53 29 95 18. The food was beautifully presented, absolutely delicious and the prices were reasonable. There were two servers the night we were there, a man and a woman and the woman spoke enough English to answer menu questions completely. We would highly recommend this resteraunt. Jeff and Erica Pearl in Sammamish, WA USA 10/14/2007 Recommendation: Stay at Hotel Le General on Rue Rampon near Place de Republic. It is a very nice, modern 3 star, but you need to find an internet deal with your airfare to afford the cost. Albert in Clanton, AL USA 10/02/2007 I found by chance this company that does tours of Paris in a "2CV", it's called Paris Authentic and I think you should definitely mention them in your guidebook. Me and my wife went on that 2CV (you know that old typical French car you see in the movies) car ride and I strongly recommend it to everyone. The driver was an authentic Parisian who told us random stories about the city and France in general. They stopped in front of every main monument to let us take pictures or sometimes even took the pictures for us and the view was just breathtaking. We could stand up (even though the car is so cosy you don't feel like standing up) to take advantage of the view on the Champs Elysees etc. It was such a great experience we actually decided to do it again. So the next time they picked us up from the restaurant and drove us around (Moulin Rouge, Eiffel tower, Notre Dame), with all the lights. There was no traffic, and we definitely appreciated the bottle of Champagne they let us take in the car. Finally, they drove us around Montmartre through some tiny streets and places only locals know. I won't hop on any of those touristy buses ever again. Freeman in Athens, GA USA 10/01/2007 We ate lunch on the 4th floor of the Musee d'Orsay and it was absolutely wonderful. Good, interesting food in a beautiful setting. Museum prices, but worth it! Gina Lamparella in Syracuse,, NY USA 09/30/2007 Marguerite's Cooking Courses- schedule-www.elegantcooking.com/schedule.htm or marguerite@elegantcooking.com I booked this cooking class prior to going to Paris from a tip in Transitions Abroad. It was wonderful and well worth the money. The market trip was equal to the actual cooking class and her house (where the school is located) is fabulous! Beth Hutten in Winter Haven, FL USA 09/29/2007 We stayed at the Hotel Sophie Germaine (12, Rue Sophie Germain) and recommend it to other travelers. It was reasonably priced (95 E with breakfast), the rooms were adequate with cute little balconies, and well run. A metro station was close by. Roxanne Lieb in Olympia, WA USA 09/28/2007 Ride Velib - the bicycle rental service that is new to Paris. Only caveats - they take only amex, and some stations are nearly impossible get bikes from (or return bikes too). Otherwise, it beats the Metro (on a sunny day), and is a great way to see the city. Extremely cheap too - ride for 30 min. or less at a time, and you ride free. This is easy to do, if you "hop" from velib station to the other along the way to your destination. Kevin Meadows in Seattle, Wa USA 09/26/2007 I very carefully studied the guide book. It gave us confidence beyond our age (77) and stamina. We took the RER from CDG to St Michel Metro, I had a two wheeler, but it wouldn't fit thru turnstiles. We received lots of help from very strong young men who lifted our luggage over the turnstiles. It was worth E 40 to take a cab back to the airport. Your travel guide was more than important, it was essential. My wife handled the metro like a pro. The metro map was a GREAT help Bob Williams in Lebanon, NH USA 09/26/2007 Just back from 10 great days in Paris with my sisters. We had a ball on the Fat Tire Bike Co trip to Versailles, loved Museum @ L'Orangerie (Impressionists, much less crowded that Orsay), enjoyed new Quai Branley Museum (non- European art). Had 1 of our best lunches in the cafe (not the restaurant)there. I think it was the veg. tart, oozing warm wonderful cheeses... heard Baroque string music in Ste. Chapelle Fri nite. Gorgeous even tho altar seems to be under repair & was draped w/ canvas. Bring a wrap, it can be chilly. We got tkts thru Classictic.com or google classical music in Sainte Chapelle; there are concerts in several other churches too. Found the Musee de la Mode et du COSTUME closed. (careful, there are 2 w similar names but this is the 1 I like best. It has changing exhibits of designers like Coco Chanel.) Took a fun cooking class where we met teacher @ market to purchase ingred., then went to her hse to cook & dine. Had both a French & an Irish sports bar nearby & w/ world rugby chmpionship going on, were VERY glad we'd remembered ear plugs. Hearo brand worked best. Also recommend travelers wear pants, vests etc w/ POCKETS for change & metro passes. We even had good meals on Continental. lucie butler USA 09/24/2007 No discoveries or tips that I can think of now, but wanted to say that all over Europe I have used your guidebooks and they have helped everywhere with great information, easy to digest history and humor to make it all much more fun and interesting. Thank you so much for being there. Love your TV show too, and we watch whenever we can. Nancy Kline in Mission Viejo, CA USA 09/18/2007 Rick, I am a long time fan and your original 22 Days in Europe served as my bible back when I was young enough to backpack and hostel my way across the continent without a care. I am planning a trip to Paris next spring and I recently picked up your 2007 Guidebook. Makes me want to go NOW!! I have a suggestion for your "Recommended Reading" section. For fiction, I would recommend any of the books by Alan Furst. He has written a series of novels about WWII espionage and Paris is a prominent character in all of them. If I had to pick, I'd suggest "The World at Night", "Kingdom of Shadows" or "Red Gold". All of which are set predominantly in Paris. He does an excellent job of capturing the mystique of the city on the cusp of a great upheaval. Every one of his novels is like being immersed in "Casablanca". Brasserie Bofinger (renamed "Heinenger") is in every single one of his books, and I am planning on making a special stop there as a result. John Nurkin in Charlotte, NC USA 09/13/2007 My favorite discovery was that the French are not rude, but friendly and helpful. We tried to use our very basic French but found that most service people speak very good English. The only rude people we ran into were other tourists. Diane Mullins in Kerrville, TX USA 09/11/2007 The Institute of the Arab World has a wonderful free terrace that is a short walk from Notre-Dame. I also really enjoyed the Museum - it was a good quick stop with the museum pass. The gift shop was really enjoyable and the cafe was really nice. One drawback is that the collection and the gift shop does not have a lot of material available in English, but if more non-French speakers visit, maybe it would encourage them. I couldn't read a lot of the commentary but I still really enjoyed the visit. Also nice clean bathrooms and very nice staff. I also had a wonderful time seeing a free outdoor film (Marie Antoinette!) at Parc Villette. Also I don't think the book mentions that some Tourist Information offices have internet access and will look up/print info. That was very helpful for me. Elizabeth in Brooklyn, NY USA 08/25/2007 Get a copy of the metro line before leaving. Can be chaotic once you get there and are trying to figure it out in the crowded station with all your luggage on you. Aimee in Oakland, CA USA 08/25/2007 While i was in Paris i found an awesome bike tour company. you can visit their website at www.ibikeparis.com its run by two best friends and is not very well known. the tours are personal and interesting, they also involve eating a traditional French lunch along the seine! they have both day and night tours for only 22 euros. Michelle Bauman in Edmonton, Canada 08/24/2007 Hotel de Never - Paris - Rue de Bac. Unbelievably awful! We had reservations for one week there. On seeing the hotel we couldn't believe you recommended it. The terrace you recommended with our room was only usable by walking out the window and it had plastic furniture. The room was awful. I wouldn't stay if they paid us. They locked us in the lobby & said we couldn't leave until we paid 3 nights stay. That was our introduction to Paris. After an hour or more they let me go out. I immediately walked across the street to the Hotel Saint Germain and was met by a very friendly gentleman. He gave us a beautiful room for 130 euros. I saw two policemen on the street & they accompanied me to the first hotel to release my husband. A huge argument ensued and served as entertainment for the passerbyers. Please remove this hotel from your book. We ended up giving the hotel €100 which they didn't deserve. Hurrah for the Hotel Saint Germain. Patti Jones in Chicago, IL USA 08/23/2007 The newly installed Paris bikes throughout the city did not accept US credit cards. We were told by the tourist information office that the bikes are meant for locals only. We were directed to a very good bike rental company: Maisons Roue Libre with a couple of locations: Les Halles 1 Passage Mondetour Paris 01 44 76 86 43 and Bastille 37 Bd Bourdon Paris 01 58 76 59 53. We rented decent quality bikes with locks, baskets for a total of 20 Euros a day for both bikes. The bike lanes and ease of riding bikes in Paris was impressive. We had gone to Fat Tire Bike Tours to rent bikes but were told they do this only secondary to their bike tours so this was not a good option as described in the guide book. C. Schu in Seattle, WA USA 08/19/2007 to get an idea about paris,good orientation of the town,the best way is by bicycle...i'll advise to take Bike About Tours.This company provides great bike tours,warm hospitality and cheap prices for the tour and to rent bicycle. kamudin nur azree in petaling jaya, malaysia 08/19/2007 Since I am going to Paris soon, I've read a lot of the websites. I found that if you visit the Giverny website, www.giverny.org, you can print a voucher for two reduced tickets (4 euro vs 5,50). Also, the American Museum next door also offers a printable Special Price Coupon at www.maag.org. (It doesn't indicate the special price!) It also shows Giverny opening at 10 instead of 9:30 but that may be old data. Virginia Lindsey in Sisters, Or USA 08/18/2007 I can't stress enough how great the Paris Museum Passes were. I bought them online before we left. Traveling with both older parents and teens, skipping the lines alone was worth the cost! You don't need to buy passes for kids under 18, which really makes the cost reasonable. As mentioned in the guide book, about the only line you can't skip is the climb to the top of Notre Dame, and that line was very slow moving. Kathy in St. Louis, MO USA 08/14/2007 I am curious why you don't list Bonsoir (bohn-swahr) for addressing people in the evening? You did list both daytime and nighttime in the Italy book. It seems polite to address folks correctly based on the time of day. Otherwise, everything is great (as usual!). Virginia Virginia Lindsey in Sisters, OR USA 08/08/2007 We stayed at Hotel de Londres Eiffel(a recommended hotel). We ate at a small cafe on the same street late one evening called Chez Agnez. It is casual, the chef very freindly, the food some of the best we had, and the patrons provided engaging conversation. Highly recommend. DM Swayngim MD in Sandusky, Oh USA 08/08/2007 Hotel Valadon...http://www.hotelvaladon.com/index.htm M, Kohl in Castro Valley, Ca USA 08/07/2007 We spent 16 days in Paris this April. Used Rick's book on Paris plus Internet. We give a hearty "YES" to his recommendation of the Carte Orange. We got one with no problem whatsoever from a charming young French man at the RER station Denfert-Rochereau when we got off the OrlyBus. Friendly locals then helped us find the bus which went directly to our apartment. The bus system, if you can master it, is infinitely more quiet, convenient, and friendly than the Metro. We used it so much that we got 3 times the value of the Carte Orange for each week we had one. P. Hedgie in Prague, Czech Republic 08/06/2007 Get the Paris Museum Pass. We bought it at the Arc de Triomphe, where there was no line and used it to get into many sights around town including the Orsay, Louvre, Versaille, Conciergerie and Sainte Chapelle. We saved a lot of money as well as time by bypassing lines at some of the sights. Devin Alexander in Olympia, WA USA 08/06/2007 I recently returned from 10 days in Paris and probably did 95% of the recommendations in this book (e.g., not the Paris cemetery). Loved it! The book was indispensable and helped a task-oriented traveler like me check nearly everything off the list. Liz Tanner in Provo, UT USA 07/30/2007 Great book. One item we could have used is how to find Metro after leaving the Catacombs. They leave you out a fair distance from entrance and closest Metro is different . Sorry I forgot the station we used. R Foltz in Emmaus, PA USA 07/26/2007 Another good, inexpensive restaurant "Along Canal St. Martin, North of Republique" (p. 378) is Restaurant Le Bourgogne at 26, rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris, Tel. 01 46 07 07 91. This is just off the top right corner of the map on p. 349. It was recommended to us by the front desk at Hotel de la Republique. Not quite on the canal, but it seemed to be loaded with locals, not tourists. Food was almost as good as La Marine and a little bit cheaper. Jack Klecka in Highland Park, IL USA 07/25/2007 Paris has recently added bikes all around the city that are available for a short time at a small price. You can pick up at one location and drop off at another. Velib is the name, and subscription forms can be obtained at post offices, bakeries, local town halls and over the internet. I don't know the probability of someone getting hit by Paris traffic on them though! Julie Swann in Atlanta, GA USA 07/23/2007 I discovered a great Korean restaurant. Of course no one travels to Paris for Korean food, but then not everyone can travel to both Paris and Seoul (or Los Angeles) for great Korean meals. Thus, I recommend Restaurant Coreen Samo, 1 rue du Champ de Mars (at the intersection of Rue Cler), Metro: Ecole Militaire, Phone: 01 47 05 91 27. The staff speak Korean and French (we did not try English). All the dinners were either Korean or Japanese. The food is very authentic and of excellent quality (unlike the many substandard Japanese or Chinese resturants we passed by). W. B. in Los Angeles, CA USA 07/21/2007 So many folks have commented on the thickness of the book that I thought I'd mention what I had done for my Italy trip with my RS book. I did take it apart and kept all the general information in the front and the back (needed the language help and index, phones, etc)plus both covers. Then I seperated the info on the cities I was going to visit. I took all of that down to a copying, stationary store in our little town and they punched and bound it with the plastic rings. It was great, less than half size, and would lay flat when open. I received many great comments from other RS folks in each city, that they wished they had thought of it also. I'm now going through my Paris book (thicker than the Italy book!)and will do the same thing after making all my choices. Virginia, Sisters, OR. Virginia Lindsey in Sisters, Or USA 07/12/2007 While 99% of the guidebook was wonderful, I would recommend the removal of Paris Story. I'll never hear the end of Paris Story from my family. The film was far less entertaining than the lobby. Perhaps they should simply charge admission for that! Wesley Green in Atlanta, GA USA 07/10/2007 Talk about through the back door! We found Fire and Stone Restaurant in the Clichy area across the street from the HI Hostel knowing nothing about it. OMG They serve you a wooden plate with a chunk of granite sizzling hot and a slab of raw beef on it. (I had a brouchet and others had fish and pork, all raw) You cut off a bite of meat, cook it on your stone and dip in one of three great sauces. Baked potato and beautiful little green beans on the side. Joseyanne, the owner, and Marie. her "collegue" (waitress) were wonderful. We took pictures with them the second time we ate there. Joseyanne brought us free champagne. Not inexpensive though. Dinner with wine and dessert took most of $35 for me. Fire and Stone 102bis rue Martre 92110 Clichy La Garenne B.Ann Evensen in Austin, Tx USA 07/08/2007 Purchase Museum Pass and hop-on-hop-off pass for use in Paris at Eurorail Ticket Office at Waterloo Station in London. WILLIAM WOODBURN in Estes Park, Co USA 07/07/2007 We had a great wine-tasting experience at a place called O Chateau. The wine-tasting is given in English, by a very down-to-earth sommelier. We learned a lot about choosing French wines and about the wine culture in France, generally. A bonus: O Chateau is in a decidedly un-touristy neighborhood in the 11th arrondissement. It's a chance to see the "real" Paris. For more info, go to www.o-chateau.com. Also, people who are staying within walking distance of Notre Dame should check out the square in front of the cathedral after dark. Every time we went, there was some kind of entertainment going on---singers, musicians, fire-eaters, fire-baton twirlers---whoever shows up that night. Debbie in Brooklyn, NY USA 07/07/2007 I don't recall reading about Napoleon's Apartments in the section on the Louvre. They're in the lightly-visited Richelieu section, and quite spectacular, rivaling Versailles. Also, my daughter and I had great luck visiting both the Orsay and the Louvre late in the date on Thursday and Friday, respectively, when the museums are open late. Carol Arscott in Sarasota, FL USA 07/06/2007 The listed and recommended Restaurant Les Vignes du Pantheon (near the the Pantheon, of course) has changed owners and will soon be called Le Vin Qui Danse. The new owners are a very friendly young couple, and the food is superb and still reasonably priced. Charles Scott in San Diego, CA USA 06/24/2007 Restaurant "Au Canon des Invalides" had the best Tartar steak. It is a walking distance from all hotels in the Rue Cler area. 54 Rue St. Dominique John Petrovic in Portage, MI USA 06/20/2007 Shakespeare and Company Bookstore, once, I'm sure, was a great resource, is now just a tourist trap. I found better stuff at the booths set-up along the Seine. Lee in Long Beach, CA USA 06/12/2007 No one can rush from sight to sight in Paris without courting exhaustion. A relaxing break is the canal boat tour that begins on the Seine by the Musee d'Orsay and turns into the Canal St. Martin to end by the Cite d'Sciences after a two and a half hour cruise. The trip itself is well narrated in French and English with many humorous asides. Few tourists see the Canal St. Martin, which connected barges to Paris from the north and eastern France. The trip turns from the Seine below Notre Dame and under the Place Bastille into a long tunnel, emerging in park-like environs of the 10th arrondisment. You watch neighborhood Paris go about its shopping and cafe-sitting as the boat moves through a series of locks. This is a great trip for kids, particularly because it ends up in the Parc du Villette with an enormous dragon slide and play ground and one of the world's largest science museum. We tried to reserve on its website (http://www.pariscanal.com but couldn't get a response. They have an English recording at their phone number and it may help to ask your hotel to call. Doug M in Portland, OR USA 06/10/2007 We went to a creperie off the Champs Elysses that was amazing - called La Creperie Des Champs Elysees. 5 Rue Washington is the address. Swiss-type environment, good prices, and great food/service. Pam Notar in Fairport, NY USA 06/05/2007 Looking for a place to stay in Giverny? I think most people must do this from Paris, so our Rick Steves guidebook did not offer many options in town. We wanted to spend the night there, so we looked through the Gites de France website and cross-referenced with the local tourist bureau. We found a gem we think should be added to the Rick Steves' recommendations! Le Clos Fleuri was just a lovely B&B-- great rooms and breakfast, and your hostess lived many years in Australia so language is never an issue. It is walking distance to Monet's garden, and is in a secluded garden setting within the town limits. A lovely beginning to our trip! http://giverny.org/hotels/fouche/ Le Clos Fleuri Danielle et Claude Fouche leclosfleuri27@yahoo.fr 5 rue de la Dime Giverny Jo Hinsdale & John Robandt in Salt Lake City, UT USA 06/02/2007 The Musee d'Orsay, Louvre and Versailles guides were perfect...the perfect amount of necessary information so I coudl avoid having to take long guided tours! Melissa in Hoboken, NJ USA 05/31/2007 Highly recommended --3 start Hotel Victoire--small room but very clean, very quiet , near the Louvre, the Seine, excellent service. Benjamin, the manager was superior. Front desk person obtained tickets to the Opera for us--just great. dlua@adelphia.net Susan AUld in Stuart , fl USA 05/29/2007 The shopping at the historic Samaritaine is closed now. Our guide, Marie, said that it closed very suddendly one day about a year or so, and that left a lot of people without work! Also, when we got to Paris, I used the guide book, used the Rossy bus from the airport. however, the connection to the Metro-line 8, was closed for repairs at that time ( I believe it has since re-opened) and I was stuck as I didn't know what line to take. I was a newbie and afraid to take an alternate route. We just went back up to the street and found a cab to our hotel. I had even checked the RAPT before we left to be sure everything was ok and on schedule- and their website did not mention that line 8 was going to be be closed! Martha Ramirez in Corpus Christi, TX USA 05/28/2007 An excellent way to spend a full day is to go to the Eiffel Tower first thing in the morning. Then go to Les Invalides and visit Napoleon's tomb and the museums for WWI and WWII. Finally, stroll the garden at the Rodin Museum. The garden visit is only one Euro. Lines at Orsay are long. Go on Thursday night. Visit Vosges in Marais. My tour director is an American who's lived in Paris for 12 years. His opinion is that the museum pass doesn't provide enough value to justify its price. Try to avoid connections through Heathrow Airport. LesLein in Alexandria, VA USA 05/25/2007 Just returned from our 10th trip to Paris -- guidebook extremely helpful -- we tore it to pieces and only carried relevant sections each day. We finally remembered to bring a binder clip this time. Karen Possner in Bethesda, MD USA 05/21/2007 A tip: Learn a few key phrases and try to pronounce them properly! ("Bone-jawer" will get you as much attitude as just saying "Hi".) I speak rudimentary French, and my husband learned a little from me, and we found Parisians to be the nicest people we've met in any European country. I'm convinced it's because we made a huge effort to speak their language. Buy software for beginner French if possible. They really appreciate your trying, and I found that more often than not, they would happily switch to English. One fellow even said, "Parlez-vous francais?" When I said (in French), "A little, but I speak English", he laughed, put his arm on my shoulder and said in perfect English, "Okay let's do it this way, it will be MUCH easier..." At a minimum, start every conversation with a polite, and decently pronounced: "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir". End every request with "s'il vous-plait", say "merci" instead of thank you, and leave them with an "Au revoir!" It did wonders for us. We didn't meet a single grumpy waiter or Parisian. Cat in Charlotte, NC USA 05/19/2007 I'd like to recommend an addition -- Le Relais de l'Entrecote: Best steak frites we had in Paris! Really friendly, great service, about 70 euro for two people with a bottle of wine and two espressos. Locations: 6th arrondisement: 20, rue Saint Benoit, 01 45 49 16 00 and in the 8th arrondisement: 15, rue Marbeuf, 01 49 52 07 17 Cat in Charlotte, NC USA 05/19/2007 Jardin du Luxembourg has a fenced in play area just for children and their parents -- you pay a euro or two, and your kids can run, talk with other children, ride the little rides, and you can relax on a bench (knowing they will not dart off into the street or out of sight)! I had a VERY enjoyable couple hours there with my boys (age 7) before going to more sites! Peggy in Washington, D.C., DC USA 05/18/2007 Marionette Theater in the Luxemborg Gardens Mary Zikos in Princeton, NJ USA 05/17/2007 I found a cafe called Le Drapeau at 10 Rue de Temple was very friendly and a great place to hang out. Also there are two Americans who do Soirees in Paris, Patricia (parissoirees.com) and Jim Hayne. Worth telling people about. Lachlan Cooke in Seattle, WA USA 05/14/2007 Instead of the bus shuttle between CDG and the RER station, there is now a tram-train. It leaves from the same area at CDG-1 as the bus shuttle used to. Swan in Napa, CA USA 05/13/2007 Every recommendation in your Paris 2007 book was right on! From the Hotel Relais Bousquet to what entrance to use at the Louvre was perfect. Stephen and Dorothy King in Palm Harbor, FL USA 05/11/2007 ah paris was great. we had toni clark as a guide and the world was ours. we saw as much as we could walk. having the bus/subway pass was a godsend. Jerry DeWitt in franklin, tn USA 05/09/2007 vacationinparis.com provided me with an inexpensive studio apartment in the heart of Paris. They were informative and helpful, and I loved getting my apartment keys in the mail before my departure! Jeri Cary in Juneau, AK USA 05/08/2007 2 Tips, the week before Easter seems to be a school break in France possibly all of Europe, Paris was very busy. Visa card now offers purchasing in the denomination of the country of the cards origin, in my case, Canada. However there is a 3.5 percent surcharge and as it turns out more expensive than charging in Euros. Ed Lien in Victoria, BC Canada 05/05/2007 Re: Versailles info I traveled w/your Best of London & Paris tour - guide Toni Clark 4/15-4/21. Some of us were in Paris another day or so & decided to use our last day of the Museum Pass to visit Versailles. Directions from the guidebook & from Toni were great until we got there. We weren't sure what line to get in to use the pass. One of the girls & I tried the short line near the chapel & that was it. Maybe you can note this in your next guide book. It would sure save valuable time & confusion. I'm sure glad we didn't get in the long ticket line. Sue Knabel in Louisville, KY USA 05/01/2007 Taking the bus between large cities is a great value. Ken in Citrus Heights, CA USA 04/29/2007 It might be very helpful to remind your readers to notify their credit card companies that they are traveling out of the country. Unless they want to share the experience of my 13 year old daughter last Friday, when she had to wait by a phone booth, thirsty, while her frantic mother (me!) made call after call back to the states trying to reactivate my credit card with ATM capability. (It had been shut down to prevent supposed fraud.) I was using another credit card to make the calls, until I used it once too often, and it was also shut off. At that point I had €30 to get through two days, and wasn't about to spend two of them on a bottle of water! With no credit cards to use, I could only place collect calls to my husband--who lambasted the bank (my wife and daugher are thirsty!) and got the service restored. What a happy vacation memory for a child! One a happier note, Rick Steves had once mentioned getting a hair cut to get a feel for local culture. My daugher did so on our vacation in April 06, and we both had cuts and highlights last week at Coiffirst on Rue de Buci (ask for Guillem) in St. Germain. It was a bit of a leap of faith as our french doesn't include "hair cut works", but it was great fun--and we had the best hair cuts of our lives. I highly recommend it! Jane Egge in Acton, MA USA 04/27/2007 An "attraction", although an informal one, that children may enjoy are the cats that live behind Notre Dame. My daughter an I discovered them on our visit in April 06, and on our return this past week (April 07) we saw that they were still there. They are behind a fence, but clearly visible, at the southwest corner of the cathedral, near a tarp covering some construction. Last year we were there for Easter and noticed that people had left donations of cat food outside the fence. This year we counted 5 cats, who we call the "Notre Dame kitties". Another favorite from both trips is the Cafe Mondrian at the intersection of Rue de Seine, and Boulivard St. Germain. This is a great location for people watching the street market on Rue de Seine (which runs even on a Saturday evening), with great food, friendly staff, and reasonable prices. After about 5 days of suffering with a messenger style Coach handbag, I replaced it with a meduim sized reasonably priced backpack purchased along the Rue Cler. Although it was slightly more difficult to access the contents, this was a lifesaver. The same amount of "stuff" felt like it weighed next to nothing! I then noticed that nearly everyone I saw, natives and tourists alike, had backpacks on. You might explain that at Disneyland Paris your admission ticket is your fastpass ticket. You simply insert the admission ticket into the fastpass machine to get your assigned time to ride. My daughter and I waited about an hour for "Big Thunder Mountain" because we didn't know how this worked. We found out, and saved a lot of time with "Space Mountain". Beware, though, that some popular rides with limited capacity, ie Peter Pan, can assign all of their fast pass capacity fairly early in the day, and will then shut the system down for the day. Get your fastpasses for these kinds of rides early in the day. We were there about half an hour before opening on a Wednesday, and it was faily empty for the first few hours, but became very crowded by about 3 pm, and stayed that way until the 8 pm close. We ate a so so dinner in the park then realized that there are several fun looking restaurants outside the park, near the RER station in the hotel area. I love Paris, love your book, and hope this information helps others have as good a time as we did. Jane Egge in Acton, MA USA 04/26/2007 Rick Steve's audio guides for Paris were the best! I especially enjoyed looking at the artwork at the D'Orsay and the Louvre while listening to his commentary. In the past I had to read, look up, read again, look again, etc. I hope that there will be other audio guides available for other destinations soon! Amy CA USA 04/24/2007 Cafe Le Musset at the corner of Rue St. Honore and Rue de l'Echelle, near the Louvre. Superb food and excellent prices. Jack Massa in Tucker, GA USA 04/23/2007 I just returned from my fourth trip to Paris. Regarding souvenir shopping,I agree that Rue Rivoli is one of the best places for typical tourist items. In particular, I liked the shop Totale Creations. I did not get the exact address but the phone no. is 04-96-124-336. They have a wide selection of attractive items at good prices. The owner speaks several languages (including French and English). Both he and the female assistant were very friendly and helpful. As I told the owner, not only did I make some good purchases, I also had fun shopping there. I will return there on my next trip. Mary B. White in Alexandria, VA USA 04/21/2007 This guidebook was priceless, filled with great and useful information. I wound up carrying this book with me everywhere I went and constantly referred to it. You must absolutely get the museum pass. We bought a 6 day pass and it paid for itself in no time. It was surprising how many sights accepted the pass. Don't leave gift shopping for a Sunday. All major department stores and many shops are closed on Sunday. I waited until Sunday as I was heading home to Seattle on Monday and was disappointed that I had waited and missed out. Larry Murr in Poulsbo, Wa USA 04/17/2007 I love Rick's guidebooks for two reasons - they only cover what Rick thinks is worth doing and you can remove the pages you want to take with you, securing them with a little binder clip, and not have to take the whole book. I'm off to Paris with Rick! judy serie nagy in san francisco, ca USA 04/15/2007 This is actually about the book being available for the Palm PDA. I check PalmGear out frequently for new software and was excited to see that your books are being ported to PDAs. Since I used your books to travel to Paris two years ago, I thought I'd check the quality of the translation to Palm by downloading a trial version of the Paris guide. Unfortunately the trial version is so severely limited - I could not see any text or maps, no detail at all - that I couldn't tell if it was good or bad! You won't sell many of these without a better trial period. I sent this to the developer: "I've used Rick Steves books for years so I was excited to see this available for my Palm. Your demo did not let me see any text, maps, nothing that would let me see how well you translated the book to the Palm screen. I won't waste $15 just to see if your translation meets my expectations." Either allow full access to one area, say Rue Cler in the Paris book, or allow a time trial, say one week, and I'll try it!" TC Curlee in Salem, OR USA 04/12/2007 Favorite culinary discoveries: I ate the best meal of my life at La Cigale Recamier, an outstanding souffle restaurant on rue Recamier. Asparagus souffle with orange sauce and a simple green salad (a bottle of wine and great bread, too, of course), followed by a chocolate souffle for dessert. Words can't do it justice. We also dined very well at Willi's Wine Bar at 13, rue des Petits-Champs. Katherine Gordon in Palo Alto, CA USA 04/12/2007 I used the book and it had great information. One little problem I had however,was after reading and then returning to a section, I could not always easily find the metro stop that was associated with the site. I suggest that in future publications you put a small bold M in a circle next to the Metro stop to make it easier to find. Richard Brim in Lansing, MI USA 04/11/2007 Eglise de St Ephrem le Syriaque on rue de Carmes, just off Blvd St Germain, on the way up the hill to the Pantheon. Candelight concerts performed by conservatory trained musicians bring Mozart, Bach, and Chopin to new heights. The wooden screen separating the priest from the congregation is one of only two that survived the Revolution. Ellen Woods in Menlo Park, CA USA 04/09/2007 Bonjour, We are lucky enough to be traveling to Paris mid June 2007 and are looking for exciting things to do while we are there. Of course we plan to see all the major sites, but being that I am a firefighter here in the United States, I want to possibly visit some of the "fire brigades" as they call them in France. Well, I did a Google search and stumbled upon the following site: http://www.pompiersparis.fr/accueil.htm My French translation is nil, but from what I gather this is a benefit performance for the fire brigade association, and is to be held on June 15, 2007. Apparently this is a yearly event, and I was wondering if anyone knows of this, and if yes, what does the show consist of? From the pictures on the brochure featured on the website mentioned above, it appears to be something like a Cirque du Soleil type performance? Any help you can offer will be helpful. Thank you in advance! John Shelton in Fort Worth, TX USA 04/08/2007 Your 2006 Paris book for a Versailles trip indicated the roundtrip RER fare is 6 euros. On Apr 3, 2007, we each purchased a roundtrip fare of 5.40 euros. By the way, your book should make it clear that, if you want to make a journey via an RER train from a Metro-only station, you can buy and use the same ticket for for both the Metro and RER journey from the Metro-only station, i.e., it's not necessary to buy a Metro ticket from a Metro-only station, travel to the RER station, then buy a separate RER ticket. M.L.Fong in San Francisco, CA USA 04/06/2007 The open air market on Port Royal just east of the Port Royal Metro stop. Sets up on Saturday and has LOTS of great food. Anderson in st. Louis, mo USA 04/06/2007 I just spent one month in Paris (1/15 - 2/15) and carried your Paris 2007 book daily. While I had been to Paris before, the book was invaluable. A day trip I took that is not in the book was to Reims. It was a great walkable town. The churches were incredible and I toured several champagne houses. I set the trip up at the tourist center at the Louvre and it was an extremely easy (40-45 min train ride), informative and fun trip. Also, we discovered a wonderful find for wine lovers. Le Musee du Vin. It is at Caveau des Echansons which were the wine cellars for the Friars of Passay Monestery in the 16th/17th century. The visit includes a wine tasting at the end and you can purchase wines from the collection. It's hard to find, but we found it worth it. Also, there is a great cosmpolitan restaurant/club called Cabaret. We have dined there three/four times and have had great meals. The overall experience is New York meets Paris. Be sure to dine downstairs for a more lively experience. Joel Goldsmith in Atlanta, GA USA 04/04/2007 Bike About Tours. These guys have a cool little bike business in Paris. They're not the typical/boring/touristy Paris tour. That's for sure. Jamie Summers in Chicago, IL USA 04/02/2007 Lots of great sidewalk vendors that sell baguette sandwiches and freshly made crepes by Notre Dame. Debbie in Austin, TX USA 03/26/2007 In Versailles, The Place du Marche was open. A fascinating display of all things the French eat. Ate lunch at A la Cote Bretonne. We spent an hour sitting in the front, watching the lady make crepes, and stuff them with everthing imaginable. Gregg Maxwell in Grapevine, TX USA 03/22/2007 The guidebook was excellent - we used it extensively to select places to visit in our short trip Warren Galloway in Toronto, ON Canada 03/11/2007 The open air markets on Tuesday and Fridays on Rue Operkauf. Tons of locals, selling fruit, meats, cheese, breads, clothes, and other fun stuff. Robert in Winston Salem, NC USA 03/07/2007 As you publish travelling guide books, I thought that this special World Heritage project would interest you. A free night in a UNESCO’s classified city’s youth hostel is part of a special program for citizens from a member city of the Organisation of World Heritage Cities, in collaboration with Hostelling International. Free nights in Youth Hostels! You are interested in world heritage cities? Youth Hostels, a Passport to World Heritage Cities is a new project made for a better understanding of our universal Heritage. Please click here http://www.hihostels.com/web/heritage and learn more about a 2nd night free in youth hostels! The programme Youth Hostels - A passport to World Heritage Cities is an initiative of Hostelling International (HI) and the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC). Spread the word in your books! Participating youth hostels so far : Cancale, Strasbourg, Carcassonne, Paris-Clichy, Lyon, Lübeck, Namur, Mexico, Sucre, Québec. antoine gauthier in Québec, QC Canada 03/05/2007 I have used your guidebooks to both Italy and Paris and find them to be very useful and user friendly. I have a suggestion for the Paris guidebook: please include the Metro line number when mentioning the Metro stop as at times I found myself trying to locate the stop over a very wide geographical area. When listing the museum information in your "Paris at a glance section", please include these same Metro stops. Lastly, in the interest of Franco-American relations, please advise your readers to listen how softly Parisians (for the most part) speak in public areas and advise them to do the same. Elaine Mazer in Richmond, CA USA 02/25/2007 We just returned from Paris and used Rick Steves'Paris 2007 for all of our needs. This was my seventh European trip using Rick's guides and they are wonderfully complete and accurate. We found the following: Hotel Leveque on the Rue Cler is remodeling their dining room and the workers are there 10-3 or 4 weekdays. The funicular at Sacre Coeur was not working due to "an accident." There is a bus which is actually a grand tour of the area which eventually gets you to Sacre Coeur if steps are a problem. The altar of Sainte Chapelle is totally covered and restoration is in progress. It does detract. Dee Littrell in Walnut Creek, CA USA 02/25/2007 Another good option for sleeping on rue Cler is Hotel la Serre, website http://www.eiffeltower-hotel-paris.com/English/Main.htm, across the street from Hotel Levecque. We just left there on Feb. 19 after four great days, and we got a double with bath for 65 euros/night through the Paris tourist board website, http://www.parisinfo.com/en/. Nice room, friendly helpful English-speaking staff, TV (no English-speaking channels). They offer a breakfast for 8 euros each, but we followed Rick's recommendations and put together our own from the shops on the street for 6-8 euros per day total. It's a terrific location, as Rick says. Leo Cotton in Bloomington, MN USA 02/20/2007 I really enjoyed having our hotel across the street from a Metro station. Steve Marsh in Plano, TX USA 02/18/2007 i would like to advise each person riding the metro to keep their ticket until they have exited the metro system at their destination. we were throwing ours away once inside the turn stiles as not to get used and unused tickets mixed up. well, we were stopped inside by some not so nice transit officials who demanded to see our tickets. since we had trashed, them we had to pay 25E for each of us that did not have our tickets on us. they did take credit card or cash. i would like to say in all of our stay in Paris this was the only negative experience we encountered. we have found the parisiens nothing but warm and helpful. nancy meyerdirk in danville, CA USA 02/14/2007 Does anyone know if Le Montagnard restaurant still exists in Montmartre (place du Tertre? Last time we were there the owner, Didier, was in some personal transition and it seemed iffy. We ate there on Rick's recommendation and it was one of the most memorable feast we've ever enjoyed. Just fabulous--tiny, no atmosphere, but the food!! Judy in Hinton, FL USA 02/09/2007 Buy the local mapbook called "le paris pratique" or "un plan de paris." It can be bought at tobacco shops, train stations, even Monoprix grocery stores. It costs about 3 euros and is well worth it if you are planning on spending more than a day or two in Paris. It lays out the city into 20 small maps (1 for each arrondissements or district). All you have to do is look at your nearest street sign, which at the top will say a number and "eme", refering to the district. Turn to that number's page and have a nice close-up view on that district, which helps navigating from metro stations to sights, or if you stray a little bit from one of Rick's walks. Mine is my bible. Vanessa USA 01/30/2007 Hi Rick I feel like we are friends after having visited Paris with you via your guidebook. The detail you provided was incredible. I know we would not have found some places without your help, for example Jim Morrison's grave or the Catacombs. We had saved and planned on going to Paris for years and as scary as it was, decided not to go with any tours. We wanted to experience Paris with it's people, customs and culture and not get labled as tourists. We were throughly pleased with our decision and never got lost or felt out of place, largely due in part to your precise tour book. Thank you, my friend, you're awesome! Looking forward to traveling with you again..... Louise Solomon in Lakeland, Fl USA 01/23/2007 We live in Italy and use Rick Steves everywhere we go. Take a baby backpack to the Louvre if you plan to follow Rick's guide through. The elevators are scattered. Deanna Buscema in Vicenza, Italy 01/18/2007 Gare de Lyon's Le Train Bleu has excellent WCs, all the way to the left as you walk in. No one cares if you walk in and use them, either, I just turn left and walk as if I'm going to the left to sit in that section. I use them every time I arrive or leave and need to (some trains don't have rest rooms). Ellen Bothwell in Melun, France 01/13/2007 Cafe Ruc - 159 rue Saint-Honore 75 001 Paris 01 42 60 97 54 A little bit more money than the average cafe, but the food is brilliant. I cook in the classic French-style, and I can tell you with some authority that this cafe does it right. It is oppulent yet affordable. The staff are typically French, yet polite and more than willing to help struggling foreigners. I highly recommend this cafe and strongly suggest that Cafe du Marche, Tribeca and their other restaurant be stricken from your books. JC in Edmonton, AB Canada 01/05/2007 On a Winter Wednesday night you can find the Louvre practically empty. There were fifteen or so of us in front of the Mona Lisa. The crowd was so small that I ended up recognizing Rick's local guide from the show standing to the right of me and most improbably, an acquaintance from home on my left. I stood in the corner of the Mona Lisa room and talked with my friend for about an hour. You probably can't get that experience in the middle of a July day. Matt in Encinitas, CA USA 01/01/2007 -Great place for steak & fries is Le "relias de l'Entrecote". It's located off the Champs Elysees. Addr: 15 rue marbeauf, Ph# 07 49 52 07 17. The waiteress will just ask you how you want your steak done and then bring out the food. This would go under the higher priced, but they serve seconds. -Angelina's, 226 rue de Rivoli. 01 42 60 82 00. Get there around 12 and you will be able to find a table and not have to stand in line. The service is wonderful and their hot chocolate is the best! I would suit this restaurant under moderately priced. -Laduree, 75 ave des Champs-Elysees. The place looks a bit intimidating when you enter it. But the service is superb! A great place to have tea or a nice lunch. The price would go under monderately-high priced, but they also do take out service with their pastries. I highly recommend their French Kiss-similar to a shortcake with layers of cream and covered with a layer of white chocolate decorated as lips. Jica in Elk Grove, CA USA 12/29/2006 If anyone arrives at Gare du Nord, be sure & change money first. The bathrooms cost 1 Euro each - no exceptions! Also, we worked at learning basic French before our trip and were amazed how much friendlier people were. Stick to Rick's guidelines about being polite and everything works out great. Ann Slemmer in Show Low, Az USA 12/20/2006 We found a great restaurant for a quick, good value lunch near the Pompidou Center -- Le Celtic at 19 Rue Rambateau (corner with Rue Temple). Bill Zell in Southport, NC USA 12/20/2006 I noticed that several travelers have reported long waits for La Chappelle. We finally decided to buy tickets for an early-evening chamber orchestra performance in the chapel, which was a shorter wait (although more expensive, and not a guided tour). It was a beautiful place to hear music. We learned about the performance from PariScope, which we wishes we had bought earlier on our trip. PariScope is available at newsstands. Heather MA USA 12/15/2006 I just returned from Paris using Paris 2006. Honey that is obtained from hives on the roof, is sold in the Opera Garnier giftshop. The hives are tended by staff. They cn be seen from windows on the seventh floor of Galleries Lafayette Susan in Cooper, CO USA 12/12/2006 I'd like to note a bad experience I had with the shuttle company: http://www.airport-connection.com/ I have attempted to get a response from this company in Paris for the past month and continue to get no response from them. I arrived in Paris on October 31 meeting a friend at CDG who was arriving on a separate flight. My flight was delayed by 2.5 hours therefore I arrived in Paris much later than the scheduled 10:15 pickup time, but was not concerned as I knew that the company "tracked the airline schedule" and the shuttle would not be there until we called the provided telephone number. Upon my arrival, my friend, who was there at the pick-up time, told me that despite the fact that we had not placed a call for pick up, a driver was there for us and the driver told her that my flight had arrived as expected. She told him that no, it was delayed and that we had not placed a call for pick up. He said that would be no problem and to call the office when I arrived to arrange for pick-up. She then called the office when I arrived, approx. 12:30 and was told that we had no option but to wait for a shuttle at 4:00pm. Needless to say this was very unsatisfactory and we ended up taking the Rossy Bus into Paris instead. (A service I HIGHLY recommend) I've asked the company repeated to refund my credit card the payment that I made in advance of 42.00 euro, and it's not so much that they have refused to - I'm not hearing response from them at all. After close to a month and a half, there is no excuse. Sandra in Richmond, BC Canada 12/11/2006 We discovered a new museum that's probably worth mentioning. It's called the Quai Branly Museum and features indigenous art from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. It opened late last June between the Eiffel Tower and the Seine river.
When we saw it the landscapers were still there planting the gardens. We actually didn't go in the museum itself, but quite enjoyed looking at the building (very interesting modern architecture) and the grounds were a welcome respite from the busy street it's on. In particular, there's a huge glass front that protects the grounds from both the wind (pretty dang cold in December, especially being right off the river) and the noisy traffic. You can learn more at www.quaibranly.fr.
Chet and Kris Haase in Pleasanton, CA USA 12/09/2006 For Paris 2007, the guidebook suggests purchasing museum passes at "lesser sights" and specifically cites the crypt of Notre Dame as a suggested purchasing spot. In late Nov that location was prominently posting a sign saying they were sold out of all museum passes. velevele in Champaign, IL USA 12/05/2006 There is a pizza place in the Marais that I just love. They have fantastic pizza and other Italian food and it isn't too expensive, either. My husband and I aways go back there when we're in Paris, regarless of what neighborhood we stay in. The restaurant is "Le Jardin du Marais" They are located at 13 Rue Vieille du Temple and their phone number is 01.42.78.80.98.
Lisa J in Boulder, co USA 12/02/2006 Carry a little compass; when we got turned around, it helped a lot.
Euro cash & credit cards are the most accepted; book correct that many places do not want to cash travelers checks anymore. It was not easy to find public toilets when you needed one. Make sure you use the tiny "toilettes" when you are at a cafe or restaurant. Barb Rose in Canton, Mi USA 11/30/2006 Cineaqua, an aquarium across from Eiffel Tower at Trocadero. Very enjoyable and especially appealing for children. Richard Frank in Toronto, On Canada 11/29/2006 I speak some French, so throughout our week-long trip to Paris, we were greeted everywhere by smiles. I'm not fluent at all, but people are very friendly and patient and you can tell they appreciate your effort speaking their language.
Whoever complained about Paris metro does not know how terrible NYC subway is. In terms of the long walks between connections, try connecting from Grand Central to Penn Station. Paris metro is one of the most efficient subway systems I've ever seen, perhaps only secondary to that of Tokyo. It's 10 times better than that of NYC. On average, we never waited more than 5 mins on any platform for a train. Not like NYC, where sometimes the train just never comes. The only thing that's somewhat unpleasant is the urine smell in some stations.
Read the book "French Women Don't Get Fat", you'll see how beneficial walking is to weight loss.
I do agree that Paris is very handicapped unfriendly. I don't know how handicapped people live in Paris. Watching the Tour Eiffel glowing from Torcadeo square is surreal. Highly recommended!!
We found this restaurant FISH LA BOISSONNERIE 69, rue du Seine, Paris 75006. Telephone: 01 43 54 34 69. It's just awesome. It'll run you about 90 euro for 2 (entree, plat, dessert, wine), but it's worth it.
Another place we blew 150 euro at is called ZE KITCHEN GALERIE, 4, rue des Grands-Augustins, Paris 75006. We did the discovery menu at 70 euro per person. It only has a la carte, so entree is about 15 euro each, and plat is 20-30 euro, desserts add another 10. Pretty expensive but worth it. It's a fusion restaurant.
We also tried a couple of traditional French restaurants, not our cup of tea though. We much prefer the modern ones.
When travel to Paris, or anywhere in Europe, take Rick's advice, embrace the difference. The facilities are old and full of history, that's why you wanted to go see. So when you see coffin sized elevator and double-bed sized "king size" bed, just laugh at it. That's just Europe.
Try not to go in November, as we had three very rainy days, which kind of ruined our planned walks. Rick please add Musee de la Musique to your list. It's in the same complex as La Vitelle (unsure spelling), where that whole science exposition thing is. We loved the music museum, for music lovers, it'll be a wonderful visit. It's covered by the museum pass. Both my husband and I play piano, so we drooled all over the exquisitely decorated music instruments, including Lizst and Chopin's pianos. Can you imagine, to actually SEE the pianos these two guys used!!!? Esp after paying tribute to Chopin's grave at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. Janet in Greenwich, CT USA 11/29/2006 We just came back from our trip to Paris during Thanksgiving. I bumped into SO MANY people with Rick's book in hand, a couple at the Louvre, a couple at Cafe Marche, another couple on bus 69 and a family on the metro... I've never run into anyone with any other tour books in their hands, with the exception of Michelin's Guide Verte in different languages. Thanks so much Rick! Heather in New York, NY USA 11/29/2006 Before leaving the US for Paris we checked the graffitti section of this website and found recommendations for La Litote in the Rue Cler area. We loved it. After we had been there a while another American couple came in and said it was their first dinner of their trip and that they came there because they read about it in the 2007 edition. The waiter was thrilled that they had made it from what he called "the Rick Steves blog" into the book itself. We used the 2005 edition constantly and could't begin to tell you how much it added to our enjoyment of Paris. Richard Ault in Alden, MI USA 11/27/2006 Definitely purchase the museum earphones for descriptions of the arts and sculptures. Worth it and it's usally only 5 euros. Elaine in San Francisco, CA USA 11/26/2006 Stick to the "carnet" - a book of 10 Metro/Bus tickets for about 10 eruos - for the cheapest, most efficient means of getting around town. You can even buy them from the automatic machines with your Visa card.
Get a street map that has the exact location of metro stops indicated on it; the Printemps Department Store map is free at hotels and is excellent.
Rick's museum tours are all excellent; only deficiency is there need to be more tours - especially a 2nd Louvre tour for the Richeleiu wing.
Make sure you have a Visa card; MasterCard won't work at many establishments.
Make an effort to learn a little French and everyone will be friendly. We looked hard for a week and couldn't find a rude Parisian. Jim Mansfield in Costa Mesa, CA USA 11/17/2006 Walking from the Musee Picasso to the Seine (Louve) I went into a free Museum that turned out to be the Reunion des Musees Nationeux. It was great - I actually spent four hours there understanding the history of the area and France. Your book should give more focus on this offering. I also found the Saint-Paul Saint Louis cathedrals. Franklin S Westbrook in Lebanon , TN USA 11/05/2006 Bar Brasserie "aux P.T.T" at 54 rue cler was a wonderful find as it was right around the corner from Hotel La Motte Piquette. Ate all three meals there two days running. Wonderful lamb chops. Very cheap breakfast. ROSE ANN CECERE in POMPANO BEACH, FL USA 11/03/2006 Accommodations at Hotel Observatoire Luxembourg: 107 Boulevard Saint Michel; phone:33 (0) 1 46 34 10 12; www.paris-hotel-observatoire.com K. Zednick in Frankfort, IL USA 11/02/2006 Aux Marches du Palais, 5, Rue de la Manutention, 75116 Paris. Tel. 01-47-23-52-80 Fax. 01-47-23-87-20 Cuisine traditionnelle maison serieuse. We "lucked into" this excellent restaurant, and it was our favorite of the entire trip, so we returned on our last night. Our waiter was Fred, and not only was he extremely helpful, he was also enthusiastic. Of all the people "serving the public," he was by far the nicest, friendliest, and most helpful. The food was excellent!! I'm very particular, and our meals were outstanding. The restaurant had a variety of settings: outdoor tables, bar with tables, and dining room. On our last night in Paris, they even gave us champagne on the house. The restaurant is right near Palais de Tokyo at the bottom of a long stairway-Paris' answer to steep hills like those in San Francisco. Please check this restaurant out. I can't say enough good things about it. Lois West in Lynn, MA USA 10/25/2006 We loved the Fat Tire Bike tours, particularly the ones to Giverney & Versailles. We took the Giverney tour on Wednesday and the Versailles tour on Friday. We had our eight year old granddaugter with us and she loved it as well. We took the night train from Paris to Madrid served by the Gare d'Austerlitz. We enjoyed the experience, thought the food was good, and our granddaugter loved sleeping on a train. John E Stransky in Longmont, CO USA 10/17/2006 Be aware that you are not permitted to take a stroller/pram/pusher into the Chateau de Versailles. We had to hand ours over as we entered which made the whole experience quite frustrating - with an 18 month old it's a long way to walk whilst carrying a baby. B&R James in Sydney, Australia 10/17/2006 Please tell people about the wonderful market street near St. Eustache church near Les Halles - Rue Montorgueil - similar in nature to Rue Cler...great browsing, eating street! Sylvia Grant USA 10/16/2006 Paris was fabulous! Don't be afraid to use the Metro. Once you understand how it works, it is an extremely efficient way to travel. Our Rue Cler location was a great one and allowed us to walk to many of the places we wanted to visit. The Eiffel Tour at night is a not-to-be-missed experience. We can't wait to re-visit the city! Fall was a wonderful time to be there. One other quick aside: Many folks have criticized Golden Air Shuttle on previous Graffiti page entries, but we had a wonderful experience with them. We called from a handy phone down by baggage pick-up at the airport and they arrived within 15 minutes. Our driver was excellent and fun to talk to. I tried out some of my newly leanred French and had a lot of fun. Very reasonable also. We confirmed in advance that we'd get the "Rick Steves'" discounted price and carried a printed copy of the confirmation with us, just in case. There wasn't a problem at all. Karen and Hal Phillips in Edgewood, WA USA 10/15/2006 After reading the feedback here, we tried the French Connection bike tours. What a great tour! Christian is a very knowledgeable tour guide and the bikes are great. They have small folding bikes with three gears that are very easy to ride and easily handled my extra large physique. My wife was concerned because she hadn't ridden a bike in years but within five minutes in their training lot she found them very easy to use. The tour takes you through some of the small streets in the old part of the Left Bank - places tour busses can't go and most people don't see. One of the most fun things was riding right through the middle of the Louvre Museum and down to the Place de la Concorde. What a fun way to see the city! The tour has recently changed and now both starts and ends at Notre Dame. The tours will continue until the end of October then start up again in May. Rich Davies in Lynnwood, WA USA 10/14/2006 Be sure your bank does indeed authorize your cards for use at your destination. We were promised this was done and it was not. It caused us no end of problems. Lorie Coon in Redwood City, Ca USA 10/13/2006 I would recommend bringing a menu translator to French restaurants. If we know where we'll be eating that night and have the time, we'll go look at the menu on the window and figure out what everything is first, when they are closed, so I don't have to spend 10 minutes doing this once we're seated. Yes, many waiters speak some english and can help you, and I don't mind asking for a little help if I'm stumped, but I absolutely cringed at the way I saw so many Americans drilling waiters in the Rue Cler neighborhood (Rick's readers, I'm assuming). The waiters were doing their best, but so many Americans couldn't let it go at what the main ingredients of the dish were. They wanted to know (in english) how it was prepared, did it have such and such ingredient, could we make a substitution...People, if you want to get complicated, learn the language. Otherwise, give the poor waiters a break and stop giving Americans a bad name. Christy in Seattle, WA USA 10/13/2006 Visiting Paris in the summer can be a misable experience due to the lack of airconditioning. Having traveled to paris numerous times I knew to book a hotel with airconditioning. I found it by googleling "hotels in Paris with airconditioning"; there are not too many to choose from if you are on a budget. I thought you might find this helpful. Sabine House in Hood River, OR USA 10/10/2006 The Parisians were polite and courteous, even friendly... no negative experiences. What Mr. Steves says is correct with the suggestion of learning a little French--it goes a long way... it was obvious they do appreciate the effort even if you mess it up and laugh. Don't be shy trying. Talk to them! We had people in shops or bakeries we had been to, where our hotel was, waving to us when we passed because we "tried" to talk to them.
I felt it worth it to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower (11 Euros) and I actually liked the view better than the second floor view.
The hop on hop off bus tours ( they have two ) were wonderful and worth every euro. We actually got on the wrong bus tour ( learn your bus color ) and the driver of the wrong bus took us to pick up the correct one we had a voucher for at the Opera House. He did not have to do this. He was so funny and said I will take you there but don't tell! Our L'Open Tour Bus had earphones that give you the scoop on the history of what you are passing.
I liked the taxi drivers but have your address written down where you want to go and hand it to him ( don't forget your hotel address), just be pleasant and know where you want to go and can kind of point to it on his map and try to say it (none of ours spoke English but one taught me a few correct pronounciations in French!). I didn't feel it was that expensive to take taxis even to go back to the airport because the shuttle for three people would have only been about 5 Euros cheaper total.
The Louvre is opened Wed and Fri late and it's at a reduced rate after 6 pm with less crowds.
Read about the history of France and Paris before you go, it makes it so much more REAL while you are there. Just walk around where you are staying, talk to people, smile and be pleasant, if you need help you will find it. Cindy Hause in Waverly, OH USA 10/10/2006 BHV department store (Rue de Rivoli, Metro: Hotel de Ville). Not only was the cafeteria on the 6th floor open before noon, but it was very reasonably priced, friendly, and had a huge selection of hot and cold dishes, a salad bar, huge desserts, wine, and highchairs for the little ones. This seemed to be where the retirees of Paris got their early lunches! We spent a lot of time wandering through the hardware store in the basement (cheaper to buy souvenir signs and enameled house numbers there than at the bouquinistes)and comparing European appliances to American ones. BHV also has a large toy department and clean, free bathrooms. Heather Pisani-Kristl in Norfolk, MA USA 10/10/2006 Your maps are invaluable when arriving in a new city. Your recommendations for the Metro passes were greatly appreciated here in Paris. The metro was the perfect mode of transport to all destinations in Paris. We loved all of your "walks". Melissa Bromby in Newburyport, MA USA 10/09/2006 I was surprised at how much I enjoyed being at the top of the Eiffel tower. We got there at 8:45 AM and it opened at 9:30 AM so we invested 45 minutes to stand in line and it was well worth it. No lines at any elevators and we practically had the top to ourselves. A real unexpected treat! Sally Wagaman in Glenside, PA USA 10/08/2006 We ate at Restaurant Le Dauphin,on Rue St. Honore, right off Place du Palais Royal, and it was wonderful. Jim and Ann USA 10/07/2006 Rick's Paris 2006 Book has two great color maps in the front of the book. Don't forget they are there! Your exposed to so many Parisian maps over there it's easy to forget about these two gems. I got confused around le Bastille and missed a couple of sites in this area. Furnacefighter in West Chester, PA USA 09/28/2006 Just home from France and we followed your advice and visited the Chateaux Vasux le Vicomte. It was terrific! Update to the guidebook -- there are shuttle buses from the Melun train station to the chateaux on Saturdays, Sundays, and religious holidays. The bus departs Melun from a stop directly across the street from the train station (under the yellow awning) and arrives at the chateaux car park. Same stops for the return trip. Cost is 7 E roundtrip. The buses depart Melun at 1210 and 1420 and leave the chateaux at 1730 and 1825. Bill Zell in Southport, NC USA 09/26/2006 No more dog poop in Paris! Recent laws in Paris levy substantial fines for dog owners whose dogs poop on sidewalks/streets. We saw absolutely no dog droppings in Oct 2006. A pleasant surprise. bruce lerner in reno, nv USA 09/22/2006 We had your 2004 Paris book, which was excellent. Your practical tips are very helpful, and we have used them for Italy and Paris. I would suggest adding that at the train platform, there is a video monitor that shows the train car layout (numbered forward or backwards) and at what point to board each car (by letters) at the platform. Also, there is a low baggage area every two cars, that can help one avoid hoisting a suitcase to the high rack above the seats. I have a bad back, and I learned this too late for the outbound trip to the Loire Valley, with some pain for not knowing. keep up the good work. regards, Bill Endelman William E. Endelman in Seattle, WA USA 09/21/2006 La Tasca Restaurant: 5, rue d'Artois (tel 01 43 59 18 54) The restaurant was around the corner from our hotel and was a real mid-week find. The food was excellent, and the service was fantastic. We really enjoyed conversing in broken English with the proprietor while he explained to us the dishes that he had prepared, such as the white and brown scallops. A small restaurant that one would normally just walk by, but this one is worth pausing and visiting. Paul Ranken in Baton Rouge,, LA USA 09/20/2006 Loved the mp3 audio guides to the Louvre and Orsay museums! We also planned to use the Versailles guide, but that side trip was tragically cut out of our schedule because there were too many other wonderful things to see. We passed the iPod around, and my whole family found the audio guides helpful and informative! Laura Wendt in Madison, WI USA 09/16/2006 You recommended eating at a little cafe on the Ile de la Cite, on Place Dauphine. My friends and I went to the location but ended up eating next door at Restaurant Paul, 15 place Dauphine, Tel.01 43 54 21 48. The waitress worked hard to help us understand the menu, and one of the other customers helped her translate the description of the escargot for us as meaning "old fashioned." The escargot was unusual and quite wonderful, and other food was quite good. The little park there is charming. Eating there was one of the highlights of our trip. Thanks for sending us to Place Dauphine, and we suggest you give Paul a try. Diane in Tallahassee, FL USA 09/09/2006 on our recent trip to Paris with my 74 year old mother, we found the metro to have alot of stairs which made navigating it difficult for my mother. She is in relatively great shape but has a touch of arthritis in her knee. Also, the museums seem to love stairs as well with no easy access to escalators/elevators. Great bakery at the corner of rue Cler and rue du Champ de Mars B. B. in Boonton, NJ USA 09/07/2006 We had the best time today in Paris (day #5) with Fat Tire Bike Tours. We should have used this as an orientation but it was still good this late in the game. the tourguide was humorous and knowledgeable. This tour is also family friendly. Our 8 year old son enjoyed it. Please note that Fat Tire offers morning (11 AM), afternoon (3 PM) and evening (7 PM) tours. We wish we had known about the afternoon tours. David, Janet & Spencer Thrope in Acton, MA USA 09/06/2006 Get the museum pass....just plan those things in the days you have it and do other things that are not included in the museum pass when it runs out. m hatch in speer, il USA 09/05/2006 Marie-Cantin Cheese Shop on 12 Rue du Champs de Mars, friendly, knowledgeable (though limited English spoken). They will vacuum pack your cheese to last 48 hours so you can take it home. They will also ship. Although one reader was concerned that carrying your guidearound in the open made one look like a tourist, we actually found it to be a good way to connect with several other people who spotted one another with it. We navigated the Louvre with a family we met. They were also reading your guide and looking for an alternate entrance. Paula in Cambridge, MA USA 08/20/2006 Pomme de Pain, a sandwich counter service type restaurant on the Champs-Elysees. This was by far the best parisian sandwich we had. The bread and sandwiches are made fresh throughout the day. The book needs more inexpensive places for families to eat. Susan Healy-Mills in Barrington, RI USA 08/20/2006 A great restaurant: Cafe d'Enfer, in 14th arrondoisement (22 Rue Daguerre) with excellent English-speaking service and wonderful food, but not feeling like a tourist trap, instead an authentic French restaurant experience. The best meal we had in Paris Summers Henderson in Somverville, MA USA 08/18/2006 There is a free bus between Notre Dame and Invalides which makes one stop at Museum de Orsay david golden in SAN FRANCISCO, CA USA 08/17/2006 I would have liked to see more about Le Guimet de Art Asiatiques, Le Monde Arabe, The African and Oceanic Art Museum, and the new MAC/VAL [contemporary art musueum in the suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine]. Sandra Williams in Lincoln, NE USA 08/08/2006 If you are going to the Eiffel Tour for the fireworks on Bastille Day, you will need to be there no later than 16:00 if you have any hope of finding a place to sit. It is so worth it. Marsha Hudson in Seattle, WA USA 08/04/2006 The carte orange did cover travel by train from Paris to Versailles. The entire trip was free (covered by Museum pass and carte orange) while others in our group paid $75.00 for a "tour" (unguided). Your book gave us all the guidance we needed. Roe Hughes in Philadelphia, PA USA 08/01/2006 La Closerie des Lilas at 171, Bld du Montparnasse. We met our Parisian friends here for dinner. The 'Pleasure Garden of Lilacs' opened in 1847 and many famous people have been here..Picasso, Hemmingway, Getrude Stein, etc... The atmosphere was loud and lively with a piano player. Everyone had a drink in their hand enjoying life on a beautiful, spring evening. We had a great dinner with excellent service. Lisa Valle IL USA 08/01/2006 Rue Mouffetard vs. Rue Cler neighborhood: I'm really surprised that Rick recommends this area so highly. I scouted the area on a short trip in April and my parents stayed there in July when we visited Paris together. Therefore I've visited the Rue Cler twice, and I just don't find it very quaint or interesting or Parisian. Unfortunately I think Rick's popularity has caused this place to be a victim of it's own popularity (sadly, much like the left bank and Montmartre - although we certainly can't blame the Left Bank and Montmartre on Rick's recommendations!). As I wondered the Rue Cler I saw tons of couples wandering the street with their Rick Steve's book in hand and English almost seems to be the primary language. Not exactly an authentic Paris experience for me. Instead, I strongly recommend the Rue Mouffetard market street that Rick provides as a secondary recommendation. Quaint, narrow, cobblestone street filled with shops, restaurants, and cafes. Not to mention a frequent (daily?) marketplace. My wife and I "discovered" this place on the last day of our trip and spent 3 hours in this area and didn't hear a word of English (good for me as I speak French). This area looks like it is still "owned" by the Parisians rather than the tourists. If you want to soak up the Paris of Parisians, skip the Rue Cler and head here! Chris Dayton in Monroe, WA USA 07/31/2006 Sometimes a Museum Pass isn't needed! As this was my fifth visit to Paris, there were only certain museums I wanted to visit and not on consecutive days, so did't want to spend the money on the pass, nor wait in ridiculously long lines. The solution: buy tickets for busy museums at the department store, Gallerie Lafayette's ticket center, or FNAC (similiar to a large record shop, ie Virgin Megastores). We purchased our tickets for the Musee D'Orsay,for about a euro and half add-on fee, and were free to go to the museum any day of our choice, entering Porte C (door c for the d'Orsay!). There was absolutely no line! What a pleasure. Marmottan: We just arrived at opening time, and it was not the least bit crowded. We did not buy a ticket ahead of time. Asked for and got a teacher rate. This is a must-see museum for any Monet maniacs! Andrea in San Diego, CA USA 07/27/2006 Paris accomodations: The Paris Zen Center (contact information is on the website http://www.maisonzen.com) Essentially, these are squeaky clean mini-apartments within the Zen Center - small fridge, stovetop, coffeemaker, private bath, sattelite television, and a small air conditioner. The staff was incredibly friendly and accomodating (and spoke perfect English). The location was very convenient too - right between the Bastille and the Gare de Lyon train station. They do not expect you to be Buddhist; really, the only indication to an outsider that this was a religious setting is the requirement that shoes be removed upon entering. And the best part is that they are ridiculously cheap for the quality of accomodations (as of July 2006, one week for two was 490 euro - about $90/night American). Ruth Fleury-Steiner in Wilmington, DE USA 07/25/2006 My husband, daughter (age 8) and I just returned from Paris. While there, we took the Marais Walk (2hours) from the Fat Tire Bike Company. It was educational, inexpensive, fun and gave us an introduction to an area not covered by Rick's guide book. The company is mentioned in the guidebook for specific contact information. T. Koons in Forest, VA USA 07/22/2006 Hotel de l'Avre: 21 rue de l'Avre, Paris, France www.hoteldelavre.com, email: hotel.delavre@wanadoo.fr This was a great hotel for the price (75Eu rm/night). While the rooms are small, they are very clean. The location is great, too. It's not too far from the Eifel tower, Champ de Mars, Rue Cler and about a two minute walk to the La Motte/Picquet Grenelle metro. It is also on a side street, so it is quieter at night. There is a nice courtyard in the back and there are bakeries and restaurants nearby. The Hotel staff is very nice and accomodating (Let us store our luggage, called us a taxi). I think this should be considered for your next book. Mary in Minneapolis, MN USA 07/13/2006 If you're planning to take the Thalys train out of Paris, be VERY cautious when ordering tickets online. The website is not very user friendly, to begin with, and there is a definite gap between the online people and those you will meet at the Gare du Nord (or any other train station that serves Thalys trains). If you choose to pick up your tickets in Europe, you MUST produce the credit card you used to purchase the tickets, and if you have a problem with the tickets you purchased online, you will be told, "We having nothing to do with the internet sales. You will have to contact them." That's fine if you've got immediate access to the Internet! I am still in "negotiations" to have my online purchase refuned as none of my credit cards were "recognized" in Paris as the one I used to purchase tickets to Amsterdam. I had to purchase 3 more tickets in Paris, at double the cost of the online tickets, and my 2 traveling companions weren't even guaranteed seats! Frankly, the train wasn't worth 660 Euros, or even the original 305 Euros. First class passengers were treated well; second class were treated like--well, second class. The food wasn't very good in first class, the car I was in had poor visibility for looking at the scenery, and the seats faced inward, to each other. Thank goodness I had a couple of books with me!
Hilde in Old Bridge, NJ USA 07/02/2006 Per Rick S. travelling by bus in Paris the best. At each stop a map outline the stops. #69 near the Effiel Tower is like a tour bus.You will be surprized to find there is less walking then taking the Metro and is very scenic. Max M in Rochester, MI USA 06/29/2006 I travelled to Paris in March and this book made my trip! It provided knowledgeable and interesting details, without inundating me with facts. It was wonderful. Everything from the explanation of the metro system to the pronunciation guide was wonderful! I'll never go anywhere without a Rick Steves guidebook again!! Lauren Mitchell in Dallas, TX USA 06/29/2006 My daughter took me to the most famous bouldering site in the world-we took a train south of Paris to Bois le Rois (the stop before Fontainblue) and hiked 18 kilometres (return) to Bas Cuvier (using map from the store on Champs Elysee in guidebook) through wonderful woods (in 30 degree temperature!) Jean Mackie in Nanaimo, BC Canada 06/28/2006 We stayed in the Rue Cler district and took Rick's suggestion of the Roissy bus and Metro from the airport. Big mistake. We waited for an hour for the bus, it was crowded and hot and there was no room for luggage. On our return, we took the Metro and RER. It was faster, cleaner, less crowded and more room for luggage. Made it to the airport in half the time and didn't have to worry about traffic jams. No problems with pickpockets. Jim Ruehman in Marietta, GA USA 06/27/2006 Thanks in great part to Rick Steve's "Paris 2006" our family enjoyed five wonderful days in Paris. There is one unfortunate experience about which I want to warn future travelers. At the end of our trip we arranged with Paris Shuttle for a transfer from our hotel to CDG Airport. I contacted Paris Shuttle two days before our departure to confirm the arrangements. I advised them of our departure time, and asked what time we should be picked up to ensure we would not miss our flight to Venice. They provided a time for the pick up from our hotel. On the day of our departure, the driver arrived at the appointed time. But, instead of driving to the airport, the driver drove around central Paris for the next forty minutes to pick up three other passengers. Thereafter, traffic to CDG was very heavy. After almost two hours, we arrived at the airport only twenty-five minut |
