Paris 2010Best ways to improve this book: The Montmartre walk map was not clear on how far north is the street to take going west of Sacre Coeur. We took the wrong street and made up our own walk. Travis Well in Dallas, TX USA 11/07/2009 I can't think of any improvements. Your book made all the difference in our trip. Thank you so very much!! evelyn in dallas, tx USA 10/30/2009 We thought the book was great! Thank you for again making our trip easy! We'll never go to Europe without Rick! Dawn in St. Paul, MN USA 09/19/2009 Reprint :-) KK Brown in Phoenix, AZ USA 08/18/2009 My traveling buddy and I (both 20 years old) were able to take advantage of many of the youth discounts for museums and sights (the Pantheon, Musee d'Orsay, etc.). However, only the full, "adult" price and children's price were listed in the guidebook. I'm sure many of your readers would qualify for these "tarifs reduits", which typically covered people 18-25 or -30 years old, and are several Euros cheaper than the full price. Also, by some stroke of luck, we were in Paris from Monday to Sunday, and therefore able to take full advantage of the Passe Navigo Decouverte. The Passe was obviously a great deal for us, but I think it would probably be convenient for many of your readers (particularly repeat travelers, as the card is a one-time purchase). You advise buying a carnet instead, but I found that the Passe was a lot handier, especially since our plans often changed during the course of the day and we hopped on and off the Metro several times per day. Not having to calculate how much each Metro trip cost us was such a relief. And, I was never once questioned by transportation workers for not having my picture on the Passe, so the card could certainly be transferrable. As for cafes, since this was our first time in Paris (or Europe, for that matter), we had no idea how to even initiate getting a table in one (which seems obvious in retrospect, but when you're a clueless American, appears very intimidating). A simple note on where it is appropriate to take your own seat, and where one should wait for the host or hostess would have been helpful. In addition, my friend and I decided to rent an apartment for the week (through Craigslist, which was probably not the safest venue, but worked out perfectly well). It would have been useful if the guide had recommended several reputable sites for securing an apartment for a short stay. For significantly less than a hotel, and about the same as a hostel, we had our own kitchen, bathroom, and bed a couple of blocks from the Eiffel Tower. I would imagine that a number of your readers would be interested in mode of accommodation. Finally, as a student, more recommendations on budget eating/accommodations/sights would have been nice (some of the "cheaper" recommendations were still a little too expensive for us). Thank you, thank you for the excellent guide, and we will be certain to use your books in the future, in Paris or otherwise. We often found ourselves in front of a sight or monument, only to ask "And what does Mr. Steves have to say about this?" Claire S. in Evanston, IL USA 08/17/2009 Quality control-check pages before printing in mass! Ann Shine-Ring in Deming, NM USA 08/15/2009 For the most part I enjoyed the books we have purchased. About the only thing would be to make them easier to tear pages out if you don't want to haul all of the book (or in our case, 3 books) around Europe. I realize that may be difficult to be sure pages don't come out accidentally. Sandi Godsil in Eugene, OR USA 08/12/2009 Small FYI for your consideration for the Vaux le Vicomte day trip: spectacular property and I'm thrilled I went. However, there's a significant wasp problem near the restaurant (and elsewhere throughout the grounds)...during my visit three people were stung (including me). No big deal, except if someone has a problem with allergic reactions. Also, there appears to be only 1 taxi going from Melun station to Vaux le Vicomte in August since most people are on vacation (I and others waited about 35 minutes at Melun). I'm thrilled with your guides (London and Paris) and will never travel in Europe sans Rick Steves books. Any chance you'll expand to other parts of the world?! Holly Rosenblum in Norwich, VT USA 08/12/2009 For our first visit to Paris....you saved our lives. I literally tossed two books and guarded yours with my life. Your transportation information was invaluable to me. Thank you. Terri Bonner in Little Rock, AR USA 08/02/2009 Really work on including physical street addresses for all sites, restaurants, etc. I used a GPS for driving and walking, and it was often difficult to find even fairly well known sites simply by the name, and to look up places by name, it is necessary to write it in French - example: to find the Bayeux Tapestry, you have to write it in French (tapisserie)...seems like no big deal, but it was kind of a pain. John Russell in Charlottesville, VA USA 07/29/2009 More detail on transportation, entering the museums. More detailed maps. Not crude drawings. Eddie Mikell in Charlottesville, VA USA 07/15/2009 It would be nice to see a day trip to the Normandy beaches in future editions of the book. Victor & Pam in Mundelein, IL USA 07/15/2009 No suggestions! Rick and his staff did such a wonderful job on this guidebook and it completely enhanced our vacation. Alaina in Scarsdale, NY USA 07/12/2009 Remove GOLDEN AIR. I cannot express how disappointed I was after years of using Rick Steves guide books. I like other ideas people have given for spiral or perforated as I tear pages out day by day. Mary Kane in North Wildwood, NJ USA 07/01/2009 Include "change" information and upscale hotels. Elisse in Roanoke, VA USA 06/24/2009 More audio tours! Add a map of the entire city for overall orientation. Henry Powell in Millersville, MD USA 06/22/2009 better maps-larger Maybe make a book that you can tear out the pages you need so you don't have to carry the whole thing every time.(Sell a shrink wrapped version at the book stores that has perferated pages!) Have a series that is dedicated on attending events. We were in France for the Le Mans 24 hour race. You could start a whole new series on the best way to attend something like that. Susan in Center Harbor, NH USA 06/20/2009 I absolutely loved the audio tours for the Louvres and Versailles. I see you have iPhone tours coming - can't wait to try those out! Marie-Claude in Ottawa, ON Canada 06/18/2009 We took your advice on the museum pass. Excellent choice....we moved to the front of all lines and used it at least 10 times in 4 days. Well worth the money. I'd seriously consider adding the transportation pass--we used it from the airport, on the buses, the B and C lines and the metro to get around and found it invaluable. Although the transpo system is a little confusing, if you explained it in your guidebook, I think it is an excellent addition to the experience. Paris' metro stations are clean, well lit (unlike the DC metro) and once you get familiar with their configuration--very functional. Thanks for the assistance in a once in a lifetime experience! Melinda Grow in Davis, CA USA 06/13/2009 A map with the metro and attractions shown and drawn to scale. We found one at the hotel that was great. Jim Gauntt in Little Rock, AR USA 06/01/2009 Thank you for all of the help you have given us!!! Even if we didn't like La Varangue! Bonni Tromello in Newbury Park, CA USA 05/30/2009 ? James B. Dailey in Suffolk, Va USA 05/29/2009 The instructions on how to get to Auvers Sur Oise were horrible and did not seem like they were intended for anyone to actually follow. It may seem commonsensical, but the book does not advise that you must purchase a 5 zone metro ticket on the RER to get to Pontoise before transferring to Auvers. Additionally, the guidebook says the buses run more regularly than the train from Pontoise to Auvers, so we left the station for the bus. The book failed to note the bus weekend/holiday schedule. We went on a holiday and there were no buses to Auvers. Once we were in Auvers, we found out that there is a DIRECT train, without stops, from Paris to Auvers on weekends and holidays. There is no mention of this train in the guidebook. We really wasted a lot of time fumbling around because of the poor directions. It would be really helpful if the travel instructions were clarified for future travelers, it is a guidebook after all. Morgan in Seattle, WA USA 05/28/2009 Book was great. Couldn't have navigated or enjoyed Paris as much as we did without it! Mary Lehman in Shepherdstown, WV USA 05/17/2009 too much...too big...smaller books were less cumbersome and easier to handle. Doug Wall in Winfield, IL USA 05/11/2009 Following the maps for the various walks was challenging especially if we picked up the walk in the middle. (Larger map and print? If possible.) Really this is a VERY MINOR problem. Karen Adair in San Diego, CA USA 05/09/2009 Wherever we travel, restauranters ask us to put our "Rick Steves'" out of sight as they complain that you get paid off for recommending certain places. I have agressively defended you and your materials as useful. In face of my guests at Bofinger's, I took some aweful heat. Improve the book?, remove Bofinger's. Doug Hartt in Halifax, Canada 05/05/2009 We are headed to Paris May 8th to take the RS tour of Paris & South of France beginning on May 16th - our seventh RS tour and many more to go. Keep up the good work. Charles M. Carter in Seattle, WA USA 04/18/2009 Add information for people with disabilities including wheelchair travel and people who are visually impaired. In fact it would be a dream to work for your company researching places to travel that accommodate the special-needs factor of travel. I have experience in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with regards to travel. Please contact me as I would enjoy working with the Rick Steves Family. I spend hours watching your shows and I would love to record a program with regards to accessibility in Europe as well as the process getting through the airport to van rentals for wheelchair travelers. Daniel Onn in Sarattoga, CA USA 04/16/2009 Loved the book! Will never go anywhere without a Rick Steve's guide if possible. I have been to Paris many times, but the guide still made things new and exciting for us. Th only tip that I would recommend is to encourage travelers to call the hotel in advance and see if they are willing to make a deal with you. We did that and got a great deal on our hotel. Violaine Romans-Murray in Gainesville, VA USA 03/26/2009 Add "AU NAIN BLEU"! hubert in paris, france 03/20/2009 While researching on the internet, I came across a website that had great information on the arrondissements surrounding the center of Paris. The detailed info about these districts gave me a good idea of what area I wanted to stay in (ie: Latin Quarter for the night-owls). I understand Rick's favorite place is near the Rue Cler area, but focusing just on that area doesn't do the other areas much justice, especially considering that people of all different interests read the book. Katy Hewson in Houston, TX USA 03/01/2009 Other than the changes mentioned above, I can't think of any suggestions. The book is great. Shannon in Wilmington, DE USA 01/20/2009 MAPS! If it were possible to list the names of most of the streets that you pass on these walks, it would save so much time and I would not have to back track to get on the right path! I will always use your guidebooks, they are the best of what is out there. But the maps of your walks every year that I go to Europe (four years in a row) create moments of frustration because only a few street names listed. Meeting other travelers carrying "the blue bible" shared simular frustrations. [Editor's Note: See our note about maps on p. 538 of the 2009 Paris book. We always recommend buying a good local map upon arrival as it is just not possible for any of our maps to show every street in Paris.] Kelly in Gulfport, Fl USA 01/03/2009 I wish you had included information on the natural history/science museum. We found it from info on another map but sadly went on the day it was closed, also our last day in Paris. Diana Deutsch in West Hills, CA USA 11/30/2008 Have perforated pages - I was trying to tear pages out to use for the day so I didn't have to carry the whole book. Amy Schmidt in Omaha, NE USA 11/24/2008 Guidebook has a city map but smaller streets are missing, necessary for such a small map, but suggest pointing this out in advance so walkers can procure a map with more detail. We got slightly lost but got help for a nice local! Michael T Taylor in Boulder Creek, CA USA 11/04/2008 Drop Cafe du Marche on Rue Cler as a recommended restaurant. Barbara Nickerson in Honolulu, HI USA 10/06/2008 An electronic version of the book(s) would be nice. I'm looking for current opening times, closings, current pricing. Resturants, hotels, could update their info online instantly. Hotels could show availability, etc [Editor's Note: Amazon is already testing two of Rick's books for their Kindle electronic book, and there may be more versions on the Kindle next year. In the meantime, be sure to check this website for any guidebook updates before you go.] sam blackman in tempe, az USA 10/05/2008 What your book really needs is a section on the disruptions tourists are likely to encounter that will affect their visit and hints for getting the information in English to work around those disruptions. Our visit was disrupted by a demonstration in the Marais area south of Place Republique. Imagine our surprise when we came around a corner face to face with 40 Robocops and a couple of water cannons. Our other disruption was when a strike shut down the RER line B two days in a row. Getting ourselves rerouted out to Charles de Gaulle Airport was a monstrous task. Mike Metcalf in Poplar Grove, IL USA 09/24/2008 It was SO EXCELLENT and helpful, I think just keeping it up to date is all that's needed. Dianne Lattemann in Seattle, WA USA 07/26/2008 List the arrondissement for each site; this would help navigation with various maps based on those regions. Joe in Mountain View, CA USA 07/09/2008 For people wanting to rent an apartment for a week or longer stay in Paris, www.vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owners) is a wonderful resource. You can get references, detailed information, and save the fee of a rental agency. I've rented 2 different apartments in Paris, an apartment in London, 2 in Florence and a villa in Tuscany this way. All satisfactory. M. Hughes in San Francisco, CA USA 07/03/2008 It is already wonderful. I would like suggestions of a few places to stay away from the center of the city. gail argenbright in beaverdam, va USA 06/28/2008 I love Rick's books! I recommend them to everyone who asks. Kathy in Downingtown, PA USA 06/23/2008 Add a page with alphabetical list of all Metro/RER stops and all lines served for each. Would help find route to sites & locations faster. With just the stop name I find I have to hunt through the metro map and all lines to find the stop I need (unless a very well known stop like Concorde). [Editor's Note: As there are over 300 stops and 14 lines, such a list would be too long for our Paris book. Look for maps in the bigger Metro stations with interactive buttons: you push the button of your destination, and the location lights up!] Jay Moe in Waupaca, WI USA 06/13/2008 That's a tough one; this book was our tour guide almost every step of every day. We did just about every walking tour except the Rue Cler, because we ran out of time and shopped as we did the other walks. We were approached twice with the "found ring" scheme. The second time I said, "Oui, Merci!" She still asked for money, but left quickly when she saw we were aware of her game. We started off each tour with, "What's Rick say about this?" We also used your language translation book - Merci Beaucoup! Jean Hoffmann in Pleasant Prairie, WI USA 06/05/2008 Encourage more use of the buses with Carte Orange. #69 just begins the riches. The RATP website prints custom routing in English and got us almost everywhere by bus. http://www.ratp.info/touristes/index.php?langue=en&rub=reperer&cat=itineraires Cliff Allo in South Hill, WA USA 06/04/2008 More details on some musuem tours, especially the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay. There is so much to see in these but the book glosses over a lot of good stuff. Tom Iarossi in San Diego, CA USA 06/04/2008 I thought it was pefect - I reccommend it to anyone heading to Paris! We're also planning a trip to Spain in May 09 so you can be sure we'll be purchasing those guides as well! Michelle Kelly in Ft. Collins, CO USA 06/03/2008 I really don't have anything, it was a godsend to us. Catherine Roberts in Henniker, NH USA 05/17/2008 The only drawback is the lack of maps. I hope that with improving technology, you'll soon figure out a way to include maps. In the meantime, I plan to try to scan your maps (especially the walking tour maps) into my computer and put those on the Kindle. If that doesn't work out, I will gladly carry hard copies of the maps. Marjorie Solomon in Atlanta, GA USA 05/16/2008 Gosh - can't think of anything. This book, Paris 2008 was WONDERFUL (yep, I'm shouting!) Julie Pickup in Monee, IL USA 05/12/2008 It might be worth noting more clearly that the Orangerie does not open until 12:30. The information is in the book, but I somehow ignored it and went to the museum after a morning at the Louvre only to find that it would not be open for another hour. I know that this was faulty planning on my part, but one sentence noting the late opening time probably would have helped me. Thanks Ashley in Chicago, IL USA 05/07/2008 Suggestion: Add more website links for those of us who want more detail on things you mention, but aren't covered in much detail in the book. I've been on many websites that weren't given; two examples: It took me forever to find a good map of the Tuluries Garden and information on it's history- There's a great map, garden & plant info., and detailed history by dates on the Louvre website. I wasn't that interested in the Catacombs, but we're going since it will interest my boys. Then I found this site with a great map (2008 edition) http://exploration.urban.free.fr/catacombes/zoomI2008.htm It has details not only on the bones section but on the HUGE quarries-goes all the way up to Luxembourg Garden (I was amazed at what a tiny section the bones are in). It shows rooms that were used for different things like HQ for the Resistance in 1944, antiaircraft shelters, etc. and now I'm looking forward to going. I'm sure this info./map will probably be there on the tour, but a website address to detail like this before going would have been helpful. Nancy in Mars, PA USA 05/02/2008 The book is incredible, but do add St. Denis to your locations. It is an easy trip by Metro and a wonderful learning experience. Julie McLendon in Alpharetta, GA USA 04/17/2008 Please make sure you note that the weather is much colder then USA, particulary Southern CA, 40F in CA is NOT the same as in Paris, we froze and ended up buying scarfs, hats and mittens. Toni in Murrieta, CA USA 04/02/2008 Add the Hotel Abbazia to your guidebook. We found it and booked becuase of tripadvisor reviews. Excellent experience all around. Deana in Burlington, ON Canada 03/18/2008 More explanation of how to reach the Arc de Triumph, it was fairly vague. Casey in Landstuhl, Germany 02/21/2008 Remember the Webster's Dictionary with the grooves in the pages so you could easily tab to a letter in the alphabet? Something like that would be helpful for reference in your guidebooks. I bought those colored tabs to label and mark pages of the different things we wanted to do. I color coded Museusm, Walks and day trips for quick reference. Then removed the tab when completed. It kept us very organized. Cheryl Dowdell in Charlestown, RI USA 02/08/2008 We just got back from a fabulous trip to Paris. Between the 4 of us we had 4 different guides but time and again we kept coming back to Rick. One thing I wondered if you'd consider updating. Myself and two other family members have a slight cases of claustrophobia. My daughter had a terrible attack and nearly hyper-ventilated going into Ste Chapelle. I went back to the guidebook thinking maybe I had missed a description that would have told me what to expect. If I had been able to give her a heads up i think she would have been fine and been able to really experience the utter joy of the site. As it was I held her while she gasped and trembled while I tried to be reassuring without missing the experience myself. I wonder if just a few more descriptive adjectives about those winding stairs (length of flight, number of steps, close walls only last a few moments) might really help some of us Americans used to more "personal space"! otherwise thanks for the wonderful guide! Laura Jean Watters in Staten Island, NY USA 01/14/2008 The book was a great help. My only suggestion would be to make the maps as pull outs - that is removable from the book and possibly provide the book with a ring binding so the some pages could be easily removed. e.g. at the Louvre rather than the whole book just the louvre section, same for the walks. Pretty easy to identify the tourists carrying your book. A spring bound book would allow only the pages of the day to be used and removed from the book. Because you redo the book every year it should not matter to your users as they will be buying a new one for the next trip. Dan J Newbold in Kelowna B..C. , Canada 01/02/2008 More of your wonderful recommendations on accomodations and restaurants.
Bernadette Dunn in Madison, CT USA 12/05/2007 I think your book was great. I will be going back as I loved Paris. I plan on staying at the same hotel but will ask not to be on the market side of the street next time as it is too noisy very early in the morning. You & your staff have done an excellent job with the book in trying to prepare us for what to expect. I will certainly purchase your other books for some of the other cities in Europe before I travel there.Thanks again Rick. Patricia Proctor in Mount Vernon, Wa USA 11/12/2007 1) For a first-time foreign-language traveler, specific instructions on getting an RER, then Metro, ticket to get from CDG to central Paris and back would be helpful - if you're reasonably agile (I'm over 65) with light baggage, using RER/Metro leaves a whole lot more money for visiting patisseries. 2) Ease up a bit on Montmartre. I used a vacation apartment on rue Lepic and am glad for the experience of daily shopping at all the little food markets, even with my rudimentary French. I avoided the sleaze on Blvd de Clichy by using Abbesses Metro stop or walking the pedestrian strip down the middle of the boulevard, or catching a bus by the cemetery. 3) Emphasize getting around by bus; they're almost a cheap tour, you get to rest your feet, and most bus stops and buses have clear strip maps showing where they go. 4) Emphasize the hazards of those magnetic Metro ticket strips!
5) Make the Paris Sewer tour easier to find in the book - it gets mixed reviews, but I found this self-guided tour quite enjoyable, partly because many of the signs describing changes from origins of Paris to date are in English. 6) Add occasional notes on winter travel, e.g., many cafes have outdoor heaters or screens. 7) Emphasize just wandering around and trying places. I found enjoyable cafes, cheaper, when I got at least one block out of sight of any major tourist attraction, although I had bad luck with finding several recommended eating places closed on the day I made a special effort to find them. 8) Your book can't repeat too often the value of beginning every encounter, even with a bus driver or ticket seller, with Bonjour, and ending with either Merci or Au revoir, even if that's all the French you've learned.
9) I took the train to Chartres (loved cathedral, Miller tour, and town); it would have saved some travel anxiety to know that the track from which a train leaves isn't posted till about 10 minutes before train time (this applies also to getting back to CDG, and at Gare du Nord, the RER to CDG shares a track with 3-4 other destinations). Also, there may be a ticket seller who speaks English; if so, there will be a Union Jack (British flag) showing at that window. Tell them if you are over 65; I got a significant discount so the potential for age-related discounts could be another emphasis. Anon in Eastsound, WA USA 11/11/2007 Add the mass times for the churches St. Sulpice, Notre Dame etc. St. Sulpice has a web site that you could include. Kathy Nega in Apollo, PA USA 11/10/2007 Recommended reading for Versailles - suggest you review "To Dance with Kings" by Rosalind Laker for terrific background. Both my daughter and I found that it brought the palace and the gardens spectacularly to life. Nancy Burnett in Kitchener, ON Canada 11/07/2007 Please make your index more comprehensive (this probably applies to all guidebooks). We remembered seeing somewhere in the book an organ concert at St. Sulpice, but had a devil of a time locating it again. K. Ockwell in Rent, WA USA 11/05/2007 Only thing I can think would be to add a concise table showing the various tourist sites, museums, etc combined with at least a weekly calendar "dots" to show which are open or closed on a specific day at a glance. The "Paris at a Glance" section was good, but a weekely calendar in combination would allow easier planning. Other than that the suggested itinerary for a one week visit was excellent. You do have to read the book a couple of times to get an itinerary straight in your mind. An extra hint I can offer would be for the person using the book to either write separate directions or add notes to each destination for the Metro or bus connections they need to go from their hotel to the museum, etc. and either on to their next point of interest or back to their hotel. I did this and it saved me a ton of time trying the bifocal squint with the metro map. Also makes it possible to look less like a tourist if you know where you are going and how to get there. Allan Gould in edmonton, AB CANADA 10/21/2007 Love the layout, the commentary, everything. Chris and Mary Ray in Cincinnati, OH USA 10/15/2007 add Quai Branley Museum lucie butler USA 09/24/2007 I have a lot of respect for you experience and opinions, but I respectfully disagree with the recommendation on page 3 of Paris 2007, saying that one should use a travel agent to buy plane tickets. With kayak.com, expedia, etc, it seems just as easy (easier) to order them online. It does pay to shop around online, though. I found the highly desirable, but somewhat more costly Air France nonstop from Seattle to Paris (CDG) on kayak.com, Air France's website, etc. for the same price, but when I checked Delta's website, I found I could fly on the exact same Air France flight, but using a Delta ticket, for 10% less. Anonymous USA 09/22/2007 I find that most of Rick's recommended sights and restaurants as dead-on. However, I would ask that you seriously reconsider recommending Golden Air for airport shuttle service in Paris. We had a terrible experience with them. The shuttle cares more about packing in as many people as possible over getting their customers to the airport on time. We missed our flight while the shuttle is caught in terrible Paris traffic picking up other passengers. In the process, the driver drove recklessly, and could have easily gotten us into several accidents. We did not feel safe at all in the ride.
D Mahashin in Santa Clara, CA USA 09/08/2007 The book is great except it doesn't mention the Institut du Monde Arabe, such an architectural interest. I looked in other guidebooks, but they didn't give the Rick Steves insight, i.e. Are the museum placards in English as well? Brian Seiler in Souderton, PA USA 08/26/2007 RER directions from airport to neighborhood would be appreciated. Aimee in Oakland, CA USA 08/25/2007 have a complete map of paris Michelle Bauman in Edmonton, Canada 08/24/2007 I've been a Rick Steves fan for years - this was my 10th European book (Scandinavia, Italy, Germany/Austria, London, England, Spain, Portugal, France, and Switzerland). Ever one has served as my bible while touring. Rick never disappoints! Books I read and enjoyed in France: Moveable Feast, Paris to the Moon (loved that one), Inspector Maigret series - you may want to add Count of Monte Cristo to your list. I also watched many of the recommended films beforehand including Amelie, Red Balloon, Da Vinci Code, Moulin Rouge. Others I would recommend: PBS series on Napoleon and Marie Antoinette(found them at the local library); Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring; Return of Martin Guerre; Before Sunrise and Before Sunset; Marie Antoinette (kirsten dunst) and the Age of Innocence. Thank you for producing such readable, usable, entertaining, and indispensible guidebooks! I've recommended them to all my friends - they make excellent gifts for travelers. Liz Tanner in Provo, UT USA 07/30/2007 The book was a life saver for our trip. I used it every day as my guide and was never disappointed with the suggestions or explanations of the sites. To really experience another culture/country one must be aware of the history behind their customs. Rick Steves' book held every detail necessary to be emersed in the Parisian lifestyle and feel right at home. Our trip was magical and I would have been lost without my Rick Steves guidebook. Shelley Myers in Deer Park, TX USA 07/23/2007 (1) Provide a link to a website (English or French) where one can find up-to-date information on Bastille Day events. We discovered all the metro stations were closed near the parade route in the morning and near the Eiffel Tower in the evening. Long walks from more distant stations meant that it was impossible to arrive early. We did not know how or where to find good viewing areas. The fireworks are not visible from Champ de Mars, but are over the Seine. The bridges over the Seine also were closed to pedestrians. We had fun, but we could not see either the parade or the fireworks.
(2) Explain why (or how to tell when) some brasseries stop serving food at 7:30 p.m. and only provide drinks. W. B. in Los Angeles, CA USA 07/21/2007 Overall a great book. Bill Gordon in Miami, FL USA 07/12/2007 Improving this book would be very difficult. The tours and walks allowed our family (on our first trip to Paris) to explore the city without guides, giving us a sense of independence. These are the best organized guidebooks I have found to date! I only wish Rick Steves published books for the rest of the world! Wesley Green in Atlanta, GA USA 07/10/2007 Include information on a day trip to Normandy. Joined a Paris City First tour. All day, 175 euros per person, lunch included. Took us to Peace Museum in Caen, Pont du Hoc, Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, American Cemetery, Gold Beach. A long day on the bus, but worth seeing what/where our dads fought. Selma Pierce in Salem, OR USA 07/08/2007 We were sent outside the Louvre to access the African, Oceania, Asia, Americas exhibit however we found the entry to be uncrowded with no security line ups. From the main floor go upstairs to the 1st floor and you can then go straight through to the Mona Lisa and The Weddig Feast without encountering the crowds coming in from the central areas. Ian Marr in Nanaimo, BC Canada 06/17/2007 I would suggest adding the metro line number in addition to stop name when giving a location. I found myself searching the metro map pretty hard to find that stop name for our destination without knowing which line it was on. I'm on my 4th or 5th Paris book as I get one every year we visit. Thanks Rick. Jay Moe in Waupaca, WI USA 06/05/2007 This was a great book - it truly helped us guide our way through the city. Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful tour book! Pam Notar in Fairport, NY USA 06/05/2007 I thought this was one of the best travel guides I have ever used. I travel a lot and typically buy Frommers and Fodors books but from now on whenever I travel I will look for one of yours! Melissa in Hoboken, NJ USA 05/31/2007 Include a section on a daytrip to Mt. St. Michel. We used CityRama, left at 7:15 a.m., and were back by 9:00 p.m. Mt. St. Michel was incredible, and it was definitely worth the 4 hour drive. Angel in Chicago, IL USA 05/29/2007 Just FYI So many travelers had your book of Paris--we had a few conversations and chuckles--holding up our book and the othes would show theirs and we would chat. Susan AUld in Stuart , fl USA 05/29/2007 It's already wonderful -- the museum tours are our favorite feature. However, we prefer slightly upscale hotels and restaurants, so those sections usually aren't very helpful for us. I know it would be a major change, but would you consider adding some "splurge" sections, so those who can, will have your guidance when searching out hotels and restaurants. Thanks very much. Karen Possner in Bethesda, MD USA 05/21/2007 A comment below, posted on 3/25/07 states some things that are not in the Paris guidebook that he thinks are important. Rick does have his favorites. I took the Paris tour and stayed on Rue Cler and went to several of the restaurants recommended. They were fine. On my next trip I stayed in the same area, but on subsequent trips I have branched out and found other areas of Paris I like as well or better than this one. So his guides are very good for first timers for sure, for subsequent visits his guide still has lots of basic info that you need, but as for where to go and what to do -- you can really follow your own lead. BG in San Francisco, CA USA 05/18/2007 Can't think of a thing. This was my first trip to paris. I bought every guide book out there. Rick Steves was the only one I actually used. It presented the City in a way that suited my getting-the-overview attitude. Mary Zikos in Princeton, NJ USA 05/17/2007 It's hard to imagine any improvements to this little book! My wife and I have travelled to Europe extensively since 1982. We have usually relied on Frommer's or other guide books, but since trying the Rick Steve's Paris 2007, I can't imagine using any other publication. We've already ordered your books on Ireland and Prague and the Czech Republic for trips later on this fall. We've been to Prague four times; it's going to be nice discovering things we never knew existed! Keep up the superb work! Ron Kickasola in Hickory, NC USA 05/15/2007 I'd love to see you have an appendix with suggested neighborhoods for certain things, for example between 30 and 80 Rue du Temple are wall-to-wall handbag stores. Other places that have a high density of restaurants or cafes could be listed by arrondisment, thus rather than recommending one particular cafe, you could suggest a few blocks that had many choices. A listing like this for the whole city would be really helpful. Also, put metro line numbers inside the symbols. Lachlan Cooke in Seattle, WA USA 05/14/2007 After 9 days in Paris using your book daily we cannot think of any way to improve it. Kudos to you and your staff. We also purchased a money belt and TSA locks for our luggage from you store. All were well worth it and less expensive than our local luggage shop. Stephen and Dorothy King in Palm Harbor, FL USA 05/11/2007 Better directions, especially at the Louve and Versailles. More information on the metro outside of downtown, prices,etc. Craig Caldwell in Kaysville, Ut USA 05/09/2007 We were quite confused about the trains and could have been better prepared. I don't know if the guidebook could have helped. For our specific trip, it was harder to get train reservations than was implied in the book and website. Ken in Citrus Heights, CA USA 04/29/2007 Several people have lamented the hefty (16 ounces)size of the Paris guidebook and suggested that, perhaps, a spiral binding would help. A spiral binding would certainly make it easier to handle and read and slice out unneeded pages. However, it took me only 5 minutes to slice off the backing of the book with a utility knife (with sharp blade) and a metal ruler, and another 5 minutes to go through the book and eliminate the sections I have no need for, thus eliminating more than 5 ounces of weight. Each of the remaining sections can be individually stapled, making it vastly easier and much lighter to take only the section(s) one needs for the day's activities. Beverly Muir in Laytonville, CA USA 04/28/2007 Please improve the Index! Not only does it need cross references, too many major places discussed in the book are not listed at all. Frank McClanahan in McMinnville, OR USA 04/27/2007 Please add more gay nightlife information. William Greely in Walpole, MA USA 04/21/2007 The maps in the book were a little small and difficult to read for those of us with older eyes, but realizing the size constraints of the book they probably could not be bigger, unless you used fold outs. Richard Brim in Lansing, MI USA 04/11/2007 Since we were there for a month, carrying the book everyday became a bit tedious. I thought how wonderful it would be if you could create some type of binder system for your books with removable sections that one could customize their trip or even customize their days by changing out the sections. I think this would be great as one would need only carry the sections they need each day. Just an idea. One last note...we used the book for the entire month and pretty much did everything in it from page 1 - the end. We can definately say it is a great guide to Paris, regardless of who you are or what you are looking to experience there. Joel Goldsmith in Atlanta, GA USA 04/04/2007 I'm sure you will not publish my comments because they are not at all favorable, but they are based on fact. I have used all the major guidebooks to Paris over the years, and yours has by far the least information. I understand that no guidebook can list everything, but for a Paris guide to omit the Guimet Museum, the Science Museum in the Parc de Villette (or any mention of that interesting park) is really poor. You have room to list the Museum of Eroticism. Is it just poor taste? In the 2007 guide you omit any mention of the huge Quai Branly Museum. Even though it may not have been open when you researched the book this is a museum that has been in the works for decades. You could have mentioned that it was scheduled to open in 2007. You don't list the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes, the largest parks in Paris. These omissions are criminal. I think I came across the Institut Cartier someplace in the book, but it is not in the index, making the information useless for most people. Your space devoted to the Rue Cler area almost sounds as though somebody got paid off for puffing it. There are a dozen streets in Paris more charming than that one. Your list of restaurants is fine, what little there is of it. It feels to me as though the person who wrote this book was just sloppy and lazy. Finally, gesiers are chicken gizzards, not livers. Richard Epro in New York City, NY USA 03/25/2007 Cross references to other sections in the book either bold typed, or in the margins. Many times, I remembered reading something about a sight, but couldn't find it right away. Gregg Maxwell in Grapevine, TX USA 03/22/2007 We followed a suggestion in the guidebook, and took the Air France bus to the Arc de Triomphe. We then tried to get a taxi the rest of the way to the hotel. All ignored us, even though we went to a taxi stand. We had to walk to the hotel on Blvd de la Tour Mauborg. For the return to airport, the hotel ordered a taxi. When the driver found out we were only going as far as the Arc de Triomphe to catch the Air France bus, he harangued us in French for the entire journey; my wife didn't let on that she spoke French. We are both in our 60s and are hikers, so we are used to walking, but there are many people of all ages that would be unable to haul a suitcase for many blocks! Suggest a warning in guidebook. Warren Galloway in Toronto, ON Canada 03/11/2007 I would add a maps for dummies section. I encounter several people with your book who could not read a map. Robert in Winston Salem, NC USA 03/07/2007 We tried to follow the recommended guide for the Louvre, but it was impossible with a stroller. The elevators are scattered about in different places than the stairs. If we had known, we would have taken our baby backpack instead. I suggest when you research a place, find out if they allow strollers or make you check them. Another was Versailles. Our toddler had to be carried/prodded/etc and we had to rush as they made us check it at the door. Deanna Buscema in Vicenza, Italy 01/18/2007 Don't use the word "dovetails" on p. 135 of the 2006 edition: "...the Left Bank Walk dovetails with the shopping stroll." I wanted to do both and I spent so long trying to figure out whether dovetails meant the Left Bank Walk should be done first or second. [Editor's Note: "Dovetails" simply means that the two walks fit together nicely and can be done one after the other, or with the Shopping Stroll as a side jaunt in the middle of the Left Bank Walk. It doesn't matter which one you do first but a comprehensive map, such as Paris Pratique or the Penguin Paris Mapguide, is very helpful for navigating your way.] Ellen Bothwell in Melun, France 01/13/2007 Include a chapter in the books directed to North Americans on how to behave in a hotel. Don't stand outstide a room and yell your conversation. Do you need to slam that door to make sure it's closed, or perhaps could you turn the handle and close it quietly? When you come in at 2:00 a.m. in a drunken stupor, perhaps you could remember to not pound up the stairs and bang around in your room for over an hour. Other people are on vacation as well, and don't appreciate being woken up throughout the night by badly behaving tourists. As well, really stress that it is more than polite to learn some basic French words, such as merci, s'il vous plait, pardon, and desole. And learn how to pronounce those words properly. Merci is not pronounced "mercy". Nothing annoys me more than sitting in a Belle Epoque cafe, and having to listen to harsh North American accents pronouncing loudly how French wine isn't that bad and yelling for their cheque and then saying "mercy". And one more thing. When in a church, particularly during a religious ceremony, pay attention to the numerous signs in various langages that politely ask people not to take photographs or videos. Think about it; would you appreciate if you were at your religious worship ceremony and 10,000 tourists barged in and started taking photos with flash? Then don't do it at a church in Europe.
JC in Edmonton, AB Canada 01/05/2007 |
