Rick Steves' Paris had great information and wonderful tips. It was very helpful to have organized vacation plans, but also had enough ideas and favorite destinations that it allowed us to pick and choose which would work with our schedules. I especially liked the walking tour guide. It made getting from place to place fun, informative, and a good use of time.

The maps and insider tips are Great. I will take a current copy every time I go to Paris.

I really have to compliment Rick Steves for making a tour guide book fun and informative at the same time. There were moments when I was reading a description of something and started laughing out loud from humorous description he would give. Besides being fun, there is plenty of information in here...I would recommend trying to get the 2008 version after 10/07 because the Euro has jumped up in value (or did the dollar drop?) and some prices went up also. But I would certainly recommend this book to friends and family because you will be enthused to get informed.

I really have to compliment Rick Steves for making a tour guide book fun and informative at the same time. There were moments when I was reading a description of something and started laughing out loud from humorous description he would give. Besides being fun, there is plenty of information in here...I would recommend trying to get the 2008 version after 10/07 because the Euro has jumped up in value (or did the dollar drop?) and some prices went up also. But I would certainly recommend this book to friends and family because you will be enthused to get informed.

My husband and I used this book on our recent eight-day trip to Paris. It was a very helpful guidebook, giving several insights into how to get around Paris--such as where to buy the Museum Pass most efficiently, to navigating the Metro, to saving some money, etc. I found it very easy to use, with a good index that led us immediately to the information we needed. I would definitely recommend reading the book before you leave in order to maximize its information. We appreciated his starred ratings of sights big and small, which were helpful in planning our time. We didn't find his restaraunt and cafe suggestions too helpful, as "cheap" to him was "pricey" to us. Particularly of note were the tours of some of the major sights. We had our iPods with us, and we were able to download the audio versions of the written chapters as we toured the sights. At Versailles, we rented the audioguide, but in the end we found the Rick Steves tour (in the book and downloaded from his Web site), to be more interesting and informative than the palace's audioguide. I feel that we got a thorough and wonderful "tour" of Paris with this book--coupled with a good map of Paris, it's really all you need to enjoy your trip.

Rick Steves is an expert on European travel.
I am a great fan of his PBS show, "Rick Steves in...".
His information is as complete as one might want; he covers the basics plus some: how to go, where to stay, dine, explore, etc.
There is also the in-depth information on the people, the customs, the "inner side" of Paris that gives one more than
the "typical touristy" perspective.
His book is well organized and easy to read...I'm still reading it and enjoying my "chairside travel" in preparation for the real thing.

This book was very helpful for the walks section. On a repeat trip to Paris recently we had visited most of the obvious tourist sites. The walks section was very handy especially with the little maps which were easier to read than the street one we had. We felt we had covered the areas thoroughly and did not get too lost in the winding streets. The book was well organized, locating information easy with the clear index.

I've been a long time fan of Rick Steve's but this is the first time I've based a trip solely on his books. We stayed in Paris for one week and would've run out of places to visit if it weren't for this book. This was my second time visiting Paris and like always, the big name places are awesome but the lesser known corners described in this book made the trip complete. Read the book thoroughly and read it in advance. Also, don't forget to check out the discussion forums on Rick Steve's website and download museum audio tours for your iPODs.

A very extensive guidebook to Paris including the major sights, suggested walking tours through the main neighborhoods, reviews of numerous hotels and restaurants, and numerous hints for managing money, the language, transportation, local customs, and dealing with vicissitudes like the pickpockets on the Paris Metro. Lots of historical references and tips for major artworks worth seeing. All text with a few maps, line illustrations, and a very few photos--you'll want to supplement this with an illustrated guide--but jam-packed with information and helpful details that can make or break a trip.

we bought rick steves' rome and florence books for our italy trip last summer and thought they were wonderful guides, so we didn't hesitate to get this one before we went to paris. the book is very informative and it gives you a lot of tips on how to get the most out of your trip. i enjoy his recommended walks very much. especially the walks that take you into the daily lives of the locals. afterall, part of the traveling experience is to learn how people of other cultures live. of course, you won't miss any of the major sights either. rick steves usually mixes in a must-see sight w/ other more relaxed, local-feel activity, so that you don't feel like you're just a tourist, get in, take photos, and get out. overall, i enjoy his books. i think it's perfect for a first time visitor, but if you're a seasoned traveler, this book may not be what you're looking for.

I thought all the info was great, but wish that there was a shorter version (booklet style) that you could bring with you instead of such a heavy book when you're being a tourist and trying to travel light.

I just returned from a week's trip to Paris. Brought this guide and the Michelin Green Guide.

I'm not often a fan of Rick Steves but bought it on the recommendation of Amazon postings. My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised. His reviews were interesting and often amusing. As usual, his maps were insufficient (hence, the Green Guide). But his was definitely the guide we turned to first for information on the various sites we saw.

I still don't think he's good at country guides precisely because he follows such a set path that if you stray, you're in trouble. But for a city guide, turns out he's great!

I just came from my first ever trip to Paris. The book is great for self guided tours. Clear descriptions and historical notes are enough for the first visit, since there is no way you will be able to visit all interesting places within 7-10 days. Prices for museums are up to date (yes, get Museum Pass after all) as well as business hours.

I got a Rick Steves Paris book last year when I visited. Because of the success of his program on PBS, I thought his guidebook would be full of insight when travelling. I was sorely mistaken. The book was full of common knowledge for anyone who has traveled any distance away from home. His suggestions were dull and hackneyed, basically has you hit all of the tourisic commonplace areas. Better to go with a TimeOut guide or Lonely Planet than this guy. I'd only reccommend this book to the unseasoned or unadventerous traveler looking for a superficial journey.

I found this book very easy to read and interesting - and helpful when traveling, with a few caveats. The walking tours look great, although we didn't do any. The book is well organized and with an index you can't go wrong.

I found it the most useful when wanting to know how to do something... for example: what RER stations you can buy tickets to Versailles at, what are they called so you can ask for the right thing, and what kind of tickets to buy to save time and money. He also gives great recommendations on what to see when so you can avoid crowds or closings, etc.

What I found most disappointing was the restaurant recommendation section. We brought the book out with us one day, and without looking ahead of time, we thought we would be able to select a restaurant in the area we were in from the book. The area we were in that particular evening had only 3 recommendations: one very upscale and pricey, one sandwich shop and one cafe. We just wanted a nice, quaint restaurant to have dinner. No luck... we did however find the most perfect place on our own... sorry I don't remember the name!

So I would recommend this book for ease of getting around, insider tips on where to go when and walking tours. Just get another book on where to go to eat!

I love Rick Steve's guidebooks. They are so easy to read and he gives great advice. I used this book to plan part of my BAR trip and it was so helpful.

We haven't visited Paris yet. We have plans for the spring and were apprehensive about how to spend our time and money wisely while we are there. Rick Steves' spelled it all out for us and now we know we will get the best vacation for our money and will experience the most that we can of Paris. Thanks Rick, for doing our homework for us. Now, can you just help us lose the weight we plan on happily gaining there while checking out the great resturants?

All of Rick Steves' guides are amazingly accurate and helpful. I always use his books as a tool to book reservations and am never disappointed.
Feel free to use his suggested "walks" loosely. You can use your own creativity to decide exactly where and what you want to see. You can think of this book as a compilation of great reccommendations from a friend who's been there.....RECENTLY!

I picked this up instead of the Let's Go guide because the latter got terrible reviews on amazon. Big mistake. The bulk of this guide is a sort of hyper-planned series of walks through varous districts. I don't know about you, but my idea of fun is not having someone tell me "now turn right, and look upwards."

The guide also has a big habit of repeating information that is presumably on the walls of museums that it guides you through. What on Earth? The Louvre walk is fine, but Steves on the Centre Pompidou (the main 20th century art collection) can only be described as juvenile.

What I look for in a guide is for someone to give me the layout and must-see parts of a few of the central districts. Paris is not some dark corner of the world that nobody's heard of -- so why do we get pages and pages on the history of Paris as described in a museum? There's so much extra weight here that the book could be literally slimed to 1/3rd the size.

Finally, the section on nightlife -- i.e., good bars, what's up with the music scene, etc. etc. -- is literally HALF a page. I am not joking. You will know nothing about what to see and what to avoid if your idea of fun doesn't stop when the Louvre closes. (Steves' other nightlife suggestions are to repeat walks from the day -- and he has the surreal suggestion that you try to "tour" Paris by taking a Taxi! That's right, everyone pile into a cab, hand the driver a (translated) series of directions, and off you go -- sounds miserable.)

In the end, it seems this guide is useful only for families and more sedate folks who plan to religiously follow the walks and go to bed at eight. Even if that's you, beware: the information in the guide is organized in such a way that makes it hard if you want to deviate from "the Rick Steves way." This is NOT a guide for those wishing to experience Paris in a spontaneous fashion.

Two stars because the "sleeping" section is actually very good at giving helpful advice on finding a hotel in the right neighborhood.

I picked this up instead of the Let's Go guide because the latter got terrible reviews on amazon. Big mistake. The bulk of this guide is a sort of hyper-planned series of walks through varous districts. I don't know about you, but my idea of fun is not having someone tell me "now turn right, and look upwards." The guide also has a big habit of repeating information that is presumably on the walls of museums that it guides you through. What on Earth?

What I look for in a guide is for someone to give me the layout and must-see parts of a few of the central districts. Paris is not some dark corner of the world that nobody's heard of -- so why do we get pages and pages on the history of Paris as described in a museum? There's so much extra weight here that the book could be literally slimed to 1/3rd the size.

Finally, the section on nightlife -- i.e., good bars, what's up with the music scene, etc. etc. -- is literally HALF a page. I am not joking. You will know nothing about what to see and what to avoid if your idea of fun doesn't stop when the Louvre closes.

In the end, it seems this guide is useful only for families and more sedate folks who plan to religiously follow the walks and go to bed at eight. Even if that's you, beware: the information in the guide is organized in such a way that makes it hard if you want to deviate from "the Rick Steves way." This is NOT a guide for those wishing to experience Paris in a spontaneous fashion.

Two stars because the "sleeping" section is actually very good at giving helpful advice on finding a hotel in the right neighborhood.