Eyewitness Travel Guide to France

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive, engrossing, and just plain fun-to-read guidebook than the Eyewitness Travel Guide: France. Spilling over with all sorts of useful information for the traveler, you'll find three-dimensional drawings, floor plans, and detailed neighborhood maps, as well as timelines, charts, even Metro stations. Broken into four sections--"Introducing France," "Region by Region" (covering Paris quite impressively, as well as the Loire Valley, Provence, Brittany, and Normandy), "Traveler's Needs," and "Survival Guide"--the guide paints a complete picture of the country. Readers will especially appreciate the hundreds of color photos of everything from ski towns in the Alps to the beaches of St. Tropez to vineyards of the Rhone Valley. You'll also find street-by-street illustrated city walks (Paris's Champs-Élysées and St. Germain-des-Pres are two good ones), not to mention the best brasseries, bistros, and boulangeries. --Jill Fergus

1 Best Planning Guides I have used
We have traveled to France the past 3 years and are in the process of planning the 4th at this writing. As always (since discovering these guides)I started with this guide to determine which part of France we will visit and the potential route. I also own the guides to Paris, Loire Valley and Provence. The Green Guides offer much more detail but are infuriatingly arranged in alphabetical order. Eyewitness guides are arranged by area and include some theme tours (wine,cheese,troglodyte, etc)This and the beautiful pictures make planning a joy. I just wish they published an area guide for Southwest France, where we are headed in 2003!!

2 Great Travel Guide, Beautiful Coffee Table Book!
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Summary:
Every Dorling Kindersley Guide has been a great and interesting book... and delightful to have and use, even if you are not traveling to that location, but are only interested in learning more!

The Guides are well organized in a logical and easy to follow manner. They are beautifully illustrated, well developed with accurate information (it is unusual for hotel and restaurant information to be that accurate), have enough history to help the reader understand the people and cultural background, and have a lot of useful travel information and useable maps in the appendixes.

But, the really great attraction to this book is several fold; it is:
............Very complete
............Easy to read
............Beautifully and artistically completed
............Good shopping, safety and other tips
............Gorgeous photographs too numerous to list.

Summary Negative:

The country books are too general to really satisfy all your needs in any given location. So, if your entire trip is spent in Champagne, or Brittany, for example, you will also want to get the specific guide for that city (but, the Paris Section is fairly good)

Guide Specifics:

The guides are organized as follows:

How to use this guide
Introduction to France
............Intro. to France
............Portrait of France
............France Through the Year
............History of France

Paris and Ile de France, Area by Area
............Intro. Paris and Ile de France

............River View of Paris
............Ile de La Cite, Marais, Beaubourg
............Tuileries and Opera
............Champs-Elysees, Invalides
............The Left Bank
............Farther Afield
............Shops and Markets
............Entertainment in Paris
............Paris Street Finder
............Ile de France

France by Region
............Northeast France
........................Specific Cities / Towns
............Western France
........................Specific Cities / Towns
............Central France and the Alps
........................Specific Cities / Towns
............Southwest France
........................Specific Cities / Towns
............South France
........................Specific Cities / Towns

Travelers Needs
............Hotels
............Restaurants
Survival Information
............Practical Info.
........................Police, safety, buses, trains, etc.
............Travel Info.
........................Maps, tours, currency, etc.
............General Index
............Phrase Book

Discussion:
The book begins with "A Portrait of France", including a complete map, a review of France, it's history, and France thought the Year - including events, etc., and France's History (very interesting).

The Paris section is very good supports this book for those on a general tour of France (see Negatives below). But, one should get the alternative "Eyewitness Guide to Paris" if you wish better information on that city.

Region with an "At a glance" overview, then has subsections of Cities / Towns, then specific locations, churches, historical monuments, bridges, galleries, etc.

Architectural reviews include various views, and cutaways; given greater understanding and better perspective. They are all attractive, if not works of art - honestly.

The travelers' Info. offers good and valid info. on prices, currencies, customs, important words, etc. I used the reviews on resorts, hotel's restaurants and nightclubs, etc. and found they were useful and accurate, and helpful with my touring and site decisions

The books are so well thought out that it has multiple maps, with various lookup tables, and the book's flaps are designed to be used as bookmarks for map pages.

Negative:
The country-wide guides are by definition more general than the specific city guides. So, if you are going to Brittany, get a specific "Brittany" guide for better local specifics. If you decide to get the "France" guide for your 3, or 4 city tour of France, understand that this guide may be a little to general for all your local travel needs.

Conclusion:
As the President, CEO of an International Meeting Planning Corporation we have many resources and techniques to learn about places we have meetings / groups at as well as the cities and sights. But, as a traveler, this book really is top notch and I would recommend it to anyone going on a personal trip, or wanting to learn about a city, or location.

3 A great handbook
We found this book to be compact and yet so complete with information and details about Paris and the rest of France. We used it much more than any other books we'd taken with us.

4 lots of pictures, few opinions
I am planning to return to France and I am looking for information about places to visit as well as cultural sites.

On the positive side, this book has plenty of pictures, though frankly I would go to other sources for information about Chartres or the Louvre. The book is orgainized by region, with quite a bit of information about Paris, including some interesting walking tour ideas.

In my opinion it only deserves 3 stars because it refrains from making the kind of value judgements that I am looking for in a book like this. Should I make time on this trip for Versailles or Fontainebleau? This book provides information about both but little that helps with this decision.

I strongly recommend the Lonely Planet guides for someone trying to plan a trip.

5 A picture is worth a thousand words...
How is this travel book different from all the others? The pictures. Compare it side-by-side with the competition, and you'll see how this book is helpful in making choices for travel in France. I also found it useful in family-collaboration settings for selecting venues and attractions.

6 The only thing that is better, is being there!
My favorite part of this guide is the Notre-Dame cathedral which was commissioned by Bishop de Sully in 1159. Being inside the cathedral is amazing. We lit a candle and then went outside and just gazed at the architecture. The South rose window and the Flying buttresses make this a unique site.

Like all the guides, information on how to use the guide and maps to show where the areas are located make the guide very useful. After viewing the maps, you can learn about the way of life and why the food is so celebrated. A lovely pictorial guide shows a classic French menu. If you are interested in artists, then you can see an overview of all the famous artists from France.

Architecture is discussed in great detail and is helpful for analyzing cathedrals. A complete "France Through The Year" guide will help you to plan your vacation to avoid or enjoy the festivities. An extensive history section follows and then you will see street guides, the Musee de Louvre (don't miss this it is magnificent and there is a food court close by which is equally impressive. You can spend a whole day wandering about looking at art alone.). The Eiffel Tower is explained in detail and if you don't go to the top, then you will miss a spectacular photo opportunity.

You could literally spend weeks traveling around in France and never see it all. This book will make you wish you lived there! Since you will need places to stay, there is a complete list for lodging in all price ranges.

If you are heading to France, I would recommend taking a tour or two in Paris and then keeping a day or so just to wander about and have a more leisurely time. The tours were great fun, but I also enjoyed just driving around in Provence to find quaint little towns and gaze out at the Mediterranean sea at my leisure. Being in Paris was quite fun, but I don't recommend driving there. It is pretty wild. It is much easier to drive around in the countryside and find a fun town when you least expect it. With this guide you can find secret little places like Cassis which I loved.

You won't regret this guide or visiting France. If you have returned from a visit, this will revive all those wonderful memories. The food is also the best I have ever tasted and I can't wait to travel in France again.

7 Don't Go Home Without It!
I have just returned from our 3 week family (& Hector) vacation in France and I loved the book!! It is very insightful and easy to follow. The pictures will lure you to the wonderful locations in France. Buy the book you will never regret it!! After your trip the book and the pictures will bring back all the great memories of your trip. I had some other books as well with me, however this book was the best.

Au revoir

8 La belle France
This book is certainly comprehensive, and was a fine companion through many parts of France, some not receiving very much coverage in some other guidebooks. The glossy paper and high quality colour reproductions are the usual Eyewitness standard.

I have used a variety of guidebooks in France - let's Go, The Rough Guide, Baedeker's, michelin, and this combines the best of them all.

To contrast one place, two books: Chartres. The Baedeker's includes a photo of the cathedral, and a smallish diagram showing the main structures internally and descriptions of the Royal Doorway and stained glass. There is some brief locational and historical material about the city of Chartres and mentions the well-regarded Museum of Fine Arts. Eyewitness, by contrast, gives the address, phone no and opening times of the museum (might or might not be helpful, depending on accuracy!) as well as its main attractions, as well as some brief info about Chartres. Then follow two double pages on the cathedral - one containing a 3-D type photo with cut-away, discussing all the important features (with some pictured), and a double-page spread on the stained glasses, including a colour diagram and key to all the windows. Eyewitness wins hands down. It is the same story with the general Michelin Guide to France, which also tends to be quite dry. Nevertheless, the regional Michelin guides are good if you are going to spend a lengthy time in one region. The cutaways, diagrams and maps in Eyewitness make it really special.

Eyewitness also includes great information about aspects of French culture and history, listings on where to stay and eat. If you want budget accommodation, it's a good idea to carry a Let's Go , Rough Guide or Lonely Planet type guide as well. The Practical information section is really a treat in Eyewitness guides, and this one does not disappoint : pictures of money, a pic of a standard French electrical plug even, how to operate one of the automatic, self-cleaning toilets (don't allow children under 10 to use them alone!), using phone card telephone, or a coin-operated one, and really useful for the driving tourist, typical road signs etc.

It' easy to rave about Eyewitness, with good cause. I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed with it (as long as you aren't using it as a prime source for accommodation, unless you have money to spare).

9 Great photos and descriptions; not good for hotels
I used this to plan my recreational activities but not hotel reservations on my vacation to France and found it to be very helpful. I especially appreciated the historical tidbits on different areas. My complaint is that the hotel recommendations are severely limited and the ones that were recommended were quite pricey...not what I would recommend for a traveller on a budget. The other complaint I have is that the book is heavy and for someone who is doing much walking, especially in Paris, this is too much to lug around. It's small but weighs a little over two pounds.

10 the essential guide book to Paris-Eyewitness Travel Guide
I do not speak French and this was my first trip to Paris. My girlfriend and I are both over 40 and were going to spend 10 glorious days in Paris. Eyewitness was the most important item we brought with us. We were able to easily locate every place we wanted to visit and the most simple way to get there. The subway guide was absolutely the best. We were able to ride the subway all over Paris without the least problem and view all the attractions listed in the guide along the way. The guide gave us tips, like buying one pass for all museums, which we would not have known otherwise. I was amazed at how many other tourist had the same guide. It was more or less the bible for most tourists. I would highly recommend this guide to anyone planning a trip to Paris.

11 Incredibly accurate and helpful!
I just returned from three-week trip to France. I was in Paris about four days and the rest at Reims. This book is so helpful and accurate. Amazing. I don't think there is any better one out there.

12 I like this book very much.
Dear anyone who read this book,

hi, i'm Justi Icezzy in 6th grade. I have a lot of experienes on Paris or France. These pictures are realy amazing and fancy. I couldn't take my sights on these articles and pictures. I was working on my report for France, and I found this book, this book have so many exact details. And i would never forget the day of this book:)

13 too heavy
this would be an ideal book if it (and all the others in the series were'nt printed on VERY heavy paper stock. As a result, it is not comfortable to carry...so it gets left at home or in the hotel. A guidebook in the hand is better than a guidebook in the hotel so it must be rated down several stars!

14 A must for traveling this region
I was introduced to the Eyewitness series when our family traveled to New York City. I find these guides indispensible, and great reading. The maps and illustrations helped me, an compulsive planner, to be comfortable with the travel plans even before arriving in France. During the journey, it helped me with key phrases of the language, and with being confident of directions. The iillustrations are so very thorough, that you seem to have a 'feel' for where you are at the moment. Using an Eyewitness Guide before travel, I feel prepared and ready to enjoy the destination. After returning home, the Guide is an excellent way to share your experience with others.

15 Succinct layout, detailed maps, full info on all regions.
An absolutely incredible book for value. Thoroughly accurate details. See every Region of the country. Hotel/Freeway info, sightseeing tours, costs, best times of yr to visit, open/closed dates for sites. Absolutely invaluable. The best pocket guide which takes you there through photography & accurate info.

16 Perhaps the best of its kind
This gorgeously illustrated guide to the whole of France is just as interesting for the browsing armchair tourist as for the traveller who actually plans to go abroad. It provides not only standard tourist information but fascinating background on French history, lifestyle, etc. The maps in the Appendix are perhaps a little difficult to use, but the book is worth the price just for the thousands of full-color photos and cutaway diagrams.

17 Another great "Eyewitness" book. Beautifully illustrated!
This book is nothing but fantastic!! I was most impressed by the high quality images that SHOW what you are supposed to be looking for, the thorough explanations of WHAT you are looking at and WHY it is supposed to be important. The book takes a "peeling the onion" approach to travel, starting by dividing the country into several regions. After an introduction, each region is divided into its most important cities or villages. Each city is further broken down into different neighborhoods or areas worth visiting. Each area, in turn, contains a detailed map and thorough descriptions of all of its attractions. In the case of the most important ones, like museums and churches, it even has maps of the buildings showing you where the most important works are (anybody that has spent half a day at the Louvre looking for a special piece, would appreciate the value of this feature). In addition, the book has very clear and thorugh practical advice on how to conduct oneself in the country in question, how to ask for help, which restaurants and hotels to use, phone numbers, travel tips, etc., etc. I couldn't fiind ANYTHING missing. The book is beautifully illustrated and becomes a fantastic reference tool and a vehicle for you to re-live your trip in all its glory. Its construction is sturdy and practical and it will survive almost anything. Finally, I couldn't help noticing how almost everybody in Europe seemed to be carrying it!

18 Good Picture book. Good for planning.
When I was assigned an ex-pat position in Europe, I bought a bookshelf full of travel guides. The Eyewitness series attracted me because of their colourful, graphic pages. Now that I'm here and actually using them, I confess I find them actually useful. I am able to plan excursions, get rates (using the provided phone numbers) and such. Of all the ones I bought, this series is the one I come back to over and over again. Look for their Paris book for more specifically on Paris. The Great Britain book is good as well. I would also highly recommend the Michelin Green (& Red of course!) Guides.