Rick Steves' Paris 2014

What can I say about this series of guidebooks that I haven't said on my other review? Not much. Rick Steves came through for us again with very practical advice and time saving tips to skip the lines on popular attractions. The book is also well-organized and has a good overview of all the popular sights in Paris so you can decide which one to see. He also grades them on which sights he feels you can skip if you don't have time. I thought that was good to help us narrow down the places since we just didn't have enough time to see everything. There are also walking tours that he provided which were also very good. Overall, I think this book was all we used on our trip. We did use a couple of apps to help us navigate the Metro and for restaurant recommendations as I heard his book was not great for restaurant recommendations. However, I think the book is great as a tour guide to see the city.

This book is amazing. It will really help you get the most out of your trip to Paris. First and foremost it is a guidebook so you don't have to read the whole thing to get what you want from it. Simply browse the table of contents for what you are interested in and skip to that chapter and read what you need. The book comes with a few pre-planned itineraries for a short 3 day trip and a longer trip, which with a little thought, can be customized to fit your schedule and desires. The best advice this book gave was to get the Paris Museum Pass. It saves you money, but even if it cost extra it would still be worth it to skip the lines. Want to skip a 3 hour ticket line at the Louvre and walk right up to the security line? Get the museum pass. It's not perfect though because most major sites will have a security line which cannot be skipped, and can still be particularly long especially at Versailles. It is absolutely essential to learn how to use the Paris metro (subway) to get around, and the guidebook will help explain everything you need to know ahead of time. The guidebook covered common tourist scams, two of which were attempted on me which I easily avoided (friendship bracelet and found ring).

I bought this book in hard copy several weeks before our trip to Paris in January 2014. The book is very detailed and well organized, and punctuated with Rick Steve's humor. This was my first trip to Paris, and I needed help to prioritize how we would spend our time since 1 week is just enough to skim the surface of this city rich in history. It was so helpful that I also bought the Kindle version since I would be sight seeing on my own several days while my husband was working. I liked that the URL links in the Kindle version are clickable links and I could zoom in on areas I needed to be larger. Rick Steve's keeps the book updated via his website. What I really appreciated are the interviews and tours you can download from his website for free. I downloaded many of these to my cell phone before leaving and listened to them on the flight over. It was very enjoyable to hear the added perspectives of local guides Rick has invited to his radio program. Rick Steve's provides tremendous value to travelers. His book allowed us to use our time wisely to see most of the things on our list and have an overview of not to miss highlights at each site. He also advised how to stay safe and avoid pick pockets. We followed his advice and recognized them immediately. We will always buy his guides before traveling to Europe in the future. Thank you to Rick Steve's and his team.

I did have a great time reading the guide, it helped me get more insight about the places I was sightseeing, I did love the quick historical summaries and even the art explanations. I visited Paris in the winter, so I would like to suggest that the author includes that during winter you can face 2 other issues not mentioned, fountains not working and many statues (specially on gardens) wrapped up, so you might not be able to enjoy those places fully. The other comment has to do with the guide being too "American", I think the title should mention that, because it certainly is written for the people on the US, jokes, anecdotes and all. And a last reply, when you use the adjective American it refers to anyone who lives in America as a continent, not only to the US citizens, so maybe you (and many others, since this is a very common mistake "Americans" do) should find a better word for this.

Just got back from Paris - we were there Apr 28-May 1. I found the ebook really convenient, carried my iPad everywhere. Rick suggested buying tickets to the Eiffel Tower online to bypass the long lines. I bought the book just a few weeks before we left - no tickets were available then. Rick suggested buying a ticket at least 3 months ahead but to check availability a week before the trip. I did & there were a few slots open so I bought our tickets. He also suggested buying the Paris Museum Pass to bypass lines - we did & he was right. I planned our itinerary based on his diamond ratings - it worked like a charm!!! The book's maps were much better than the maps from the museums & his street maps showed streets not seen in the Paris street map. Whether you're in Paris for 2 days or a week - Rick's books (I also bought his Rome ebook guide - we went to Paris & Rome April 28-May 6) will help you plan to make the most of your stay.

A practical handbook for a Parisian rendezvous. Practical facts about musem passes , modes of transport and Walks makes this a perfect guide to control your budget . A good buy . However harps a lot of certain places and blanks out others .

This was a great guide to Paris, with lots of very practical information. I always use guidebooks when visiting new locations and my husband was very impressed by the information given in this guide. Will definitely purchase from this collection for future trips.

Useful tips and a lot of information, writen with the American reader in mind. Would definitely recommend it to anyone going in Paris for the first time.

Bought as a Christmas present for parents who are taking a trip to Paris in February. Hardly been put down since. Seems to be really good to help plan trips out. Really good tips as to which days are best for all the attractions. Hints to get the best value for money. Good tourist tips. Best ways to travel to and from places. Very accurate prices and times. Just hope its all correct when they go! Would recommend!

Rick Steves gives you a wealth of information, excellent book. The only thing I will say is the book is aimed at American's and could have more information on traveling to Paris from else where in Europe. One thing the book didn't mention which may help out, is that if you are under 27 and a member of the EU many attractions are free, we entered the Sainte Chaplle, Louve and palace of Versaille all free of charge. Bring your passport!