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Rick Steves Gave Me a Personal Tour of Paris — Here’s How You Can Get One, Too

This informative guided tour of Paris might just be Rick Steves Europe's best-kept secret.

Kelsey Fowler

As someone who doesn’t mind spending time alone on vacations, I find some of my favorite travel memories include walking around a city or exploring a museum on my own. On a recent trip to Paris, I wanted to experience the history and atmosphere more than the last time I had set foot in the City of Light, when I was focused on checking off the “must see” tourist attractions.

So, driven by the mindset of traversing the city more as a traveler and not a tourist this time around, I decided that, rather than hiring an expensive personal guide, or hopping along on a packed group walking tour, I would turn to one of the most trusted guides in European travel: Rick Steves . Steves is a renowned travel writer, synonymous with European travel and his philosophy of embracing local culture while abroad. The Rick Steves guidebooks are hugely popular — in fact, I picked up the pocket version of the Rick Steves Paris book specifically for this trip.

While I couldn’t book Steves to guide me personally through Paris, I did have the next-best-thing : his audio tour. As I set out to explore the Left Bank, I had the convenience — and added company — of hearing Steves directly in my ear as I started my walk. Great audio guides allow the listener to explore cities at their own pace without needing to map out an itinerary in advance. Simply download the audio tour, head to the first landmark, and hit play.

Steves spent a lot of his 2022 travels talking to himself, carefully noting updates and changes for his 60 self-guided audio tours. In April 2023, Rick Steves Europe republished updated versions of these tours , with guides in Athens, London, Salzburg, Paris, and more. The walking tours are excerpted from Rick Steves guidebooks, and the free Rick Steves Audio Europe app includes bonus features like a companion map, tips, and the full script of each tour.

I opted for the Historic Paris Walk audio tour , as it covered a lot of the neighborhood near my hotel . The tour is advertised as a three-mile journey, and Steves recommends two hours for walking, and another two hours if you choose to go inside the sights.

Zachary Scott/New York Times Magazine/Courtesy of Rick Steves' Europe

Starting out at Notre-Dame de Paris, I was instantly immersed in the story of Paris that Steves tells, building on the history of the city and religion that led to the construction of the cathedral. Even though the Gothic landmark is still undergoing repairs from the 2019 fire, I was able to listen to a good portion of the tour anyway, as Steves hits on a lot of the history and architecture on the outside.

One of the great things about the audio tour is each chapter of the narration has a separate title and picture, making it easy to navigate forward or backward in the audio to find the right location. Walking through the center of the city, I enjoyed having Steves as a companion, bringing me from spot to spot with enough insight to keep even my jet-lagged self interested. His style of narration is friendly and informative. 

The tour also includes verbalized step-by-step directions, so, if you have a good sense of direction, you can easily follow the turns and head to the next landmark or street without missing a beat. (I did have to pause once or twice to look around and make sure I was headed in the right direction.) But it’s easiest to follow the tour in the order Steves has laid out, as I completed almost a full loop around Île de la Cité, from Notre-Dame, to Pont Neuf, the Left Bank, the Latin Quarter, and Place Saint-Michel.

Of course, when I got to the famous bookstore Shakespeare and Company , I had to pause the guide to go inside. And that wasn't the only time I deviated from the tour: when I reached Sainte-Chapelle, I decided to skip that section as well. Because of Notre-Dame’s closing, this nearby church is even more popular now, and the line was too long for me to wait that day. In the updated tour found in the Rick Steves Audio Europe app, Steves does point out this is the one place to get an advance ticket for.

But as I walked through Paris, it truly felt like I had a personal guide with me. I didn’t feel like a tourist at all — I never had to pull out a map or a guidebook, and it made me appreciate walking through the city while learning its history.

The next day, I went to the Musée d’Orsay , one of Paris’s most popular museums, perhaps best-known for its extensive Impressionist collection with works by Van Gogh and Monet, among many others. Here, I pulled out my pocket-sized Rick Steves Paris guidebook (and quietly read it aloud to a friend as we walked the vibrant maze of Manets and Picassos). Steves also has an audio tour of the museum, and others, like the Louvre, if you’re more inclined to listen rather than read. 

If you — like me — are not an art student, but still want to appreciate these masterful works, Steves’s guides are helpful in pointing out which works are important to stop at, and what to look for once you’re there. I loved hearing more about the art world throughout history in Paris, and Steves is able to compare and contrast differing styles and movement, and build on that knowledge as you progress in time throughout the museum.

The Steves guides allowed me to explore landmarks and places I wouldn’t have otherwise known about, and get a great understanding of the city without any language barrier. Plus, self-guided tours offer flexibility and independence, while still offering a rewarding and informative experience. 

The Rick Steves audio guides are all completely free. Interested travelers can install the Rick Steves Audio Europe app to download the latest versions of the tours.

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Best of Paris in 7 Days Tour

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• Visits to a pair of the world's most significant medieval Gothic churches
• Enjoy guided neighborhood walks through the city's historic heart
• See the world's greatest collection of Impressionist art - almost next door - at the Orsay Museum
• Enjoy a farewell feast together, sharing travel memories

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Travel themes.

• Hiking & Walking
• Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

Attractions.

• Louvre Museum
• Historic sightseeing
• River cruise
• Wine Tasting

Trip includes

• A small, friendly group of 24–28 people — half the size of most tour groups
• Full-time services of a professional Rick Steves guide and local experts who will make the fascinating history, art, and culture of Paris come alive for you
• All tours and admissions — at no extra cost — covering at least 13 group sightseeing events, 7-day Métro subway and bus transportation pass, Paris bus orientation tour, 6-day Paris Museum Pass, allowing free admission throughout the city, Seine River cruise, Louvre Museum tour, Orangerie Museum tour, Orsay and Cluny Museum introductions, Montmartre walking tour, Historic Paris walking tour, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle, Marais walking tour, Versailles tour… and more
• All group transportation during the week in and around Paris
• 6 nights' accommodations in a memorable, centrally located hotel
• All breakfasts and half your dinners
• All tips for guides and driver
• Rick Steves Travel Store credit to use toward guidebooks for your trip
• Guaranteed tour price, locked in the moment you make your deposit
• Optional single supplements — this tour has a limited number of private rooms for solo travelers for an additional fee
• Tour alum discount of $50 for each tour you've taken prior to 2017
• 50% discount on a consulting appointment with our in-house experts to assist with your pre- or post-tour travel plans
• Flexibility should you need to transfer, or cancel/interrupt your tour
• Fine print: You are responsible for the cost of your drinks and free-time sightseeing

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We'll gather at our hotel in Paris at 3 p.m. for a short meeting and orientation stroll around our neighborhood, followed by a panoramic tour of the City of Light aboard a private bus. Then we'll get acquainted with one another over a delicious "Welcome to Paris" dinner together. Sleep in Paris (6 nights). Bus: 2 hrs. Walking: light.

Breakfast is provided, but there are no group activities today. It's a breeze to reach Paris' airports by taxi, shuttle, or public transportation. Your guide will help you with any post-tour planning, leaving you well prepared for the road ahead. Merci et au revoir!

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Dates & Availability

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Rick Steves .

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Rick Steves Reviews & Ratings

This was my first rick steves tour. the hotel was comfortable . . i was underwhelmed..

First, I’m an experienced traveler. I found the group tours to be sluggish and slow and larger than I like, about 25 people. One woman disappeared, not bothering to...

MontvaleTom

Great Tour of Paris

My family and I took the seven day Paris tour run by Rick Steves and had a great time. Excellent guide and perfect mix of scheduled events and free time. The special...

Other Rick Steves Reviews

This is about the store not the tours.

We purchased two backpacks from Rick Steves Europe. One of them arrived damaged and unusable. Their website says that you must contact them if you receive damaged me...

A Perfect 10

Sicily is Pure Eye Candy :: Will Leave You Wanting More :: Seamless Way To Travel The Island

A perfect "10" for the Rick Steves' Best of Sicily 11-Day Tour. My 1st tour with any company. This was a perfect combination of scheduled time and free time .. with ...

Longtime Travelers

Terrible Covid Experience

We are in Ireland now, traveling with Rick Steves Tours and a group of 27. Two days ago a member of the group tested positive for Covid, and we had all been exposed....

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Tour operator, rick steves.

Our mission is to inspire, inform and equip Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable and culturally broadening. We value travel as a powerful way to better understand and contribute to the world in which we live. We strive to keep our own travel style, our world outlook and our business practices consistent with these values.

About Rick Steves

Guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves is America's most respected authority on European travel. Rick took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting piano factories with his father, a piano importer. As an 18-year-old, Rick began traveling on his own, funding his trips by teaching piano lessons. In 1976, he started his business, Rick Steves' Europe, which has grown from a one-man operation to a company with a staff of 80 full-time, well-travelled employees at his headquarters in Washington state. There he produces more than 50 guidebooks on European travel, America's most popular travel series on public television, a weekly hour-long national public radio show, a weekly syndicated column, and free travel information available through his travel center and website. Rick Steves' Europe also runs a successful European tour program. Rick Steves lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington. His office window overlooks his old junior high school.

--We research and write European guidebooks, produce a public television series and a public radio show

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Your tour deposit is 100% refundable for 30 days from the date it is received, unless noted otherwise below. After 30 days your deposit becomes nonrefundable, and will be forfeited should you decide to cancel your reservation. Deposits made 60–90 days before a tour departs become nonrefundable on the final payment due date. If you book a tour less than 60 days before its departure date, the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after 7 days

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Rick Steves Paris (Travel Guide) Paperback – Folded Map, September 20, 2022

There is a newer edition of this item:.

Purchase options and add-ons

• Fully updated, comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more in Paris
• Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites
• Top sights and hidden gems, from Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and the Palace of Versailles to where to find the perfect croissant
• How to connect with culture: Stroll down Rue Cler for fresh, local goods to build the ultimate French picnic, marvel at the works of Degas and Monet, and sip café au lait at a streetside café
• Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight
• The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a glass of vin rouge
• Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums and churches
• Detailed maps, including a fold-out map for exploring on the go
• Over 700 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down
• Coverage of the best arrondissements in Paris, including Champs-Elysees, the Marais, Montmartre, and more, plus day trips to Versailles, Chartres, Giverny, and Auvers-sur-Oise
• Covid-related travel info and resources for a smooth trip
• Print length 720 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Rick Steves
• Publication date September 20, 2022
• Dimensions 4.55 x 1.7 x 8 inches
• ISBN-10 1641714794
• ISBN-13 978-1641714792
• See all details

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From the brand

What sets Rick Steves apart from other travel guides?

A personal and experienced take - Rick Steves has spent over 40 years traveling Europe and he shares his favorite spots and essential travel strategies with you.

Are these books updated for current travel?

Rick and his team fan out across Europe personally checking and updating each listing in his guidebooks. These are the most accurate guides to Europe!

Why should I use a Rick Steves guidebook?

Rick will point you toward worthwhile experiences and help avoid expensive mistakes. A Rick Steves book is like having a tour guide in your pocket!

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rick Steves; 24th edition (September 20, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 720 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1641714794
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1641714792
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.55 x 1.7 x 8 inches
• #12 in Paris Travel Guides
• #25 in General France Travel Guides
• #117 in Tourist Destinations & Museums Guides

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About the author

Rick steves.

Guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves is America's most respected authority on European travel. Rick took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting piano factories with his father, a piano importer. As an 18-year-old, Rick began traveling on his own, funding his trips by teaching piano lessons. In 1976, he started his business, Rick Steves' Europe, which has grown from a one-man operation to a company with a staff of 100 full-time, well-travelled employees at his headquarters in Washington state. There he produces more than 50 guidebooks on European travel, America's most popular travel series on public television, a weekly hour-long national public radio show, a weekly syndicated column, and free travel information available through his travel center and ricksteves.com. Rick Steves' Europe also runs a successful European tour program. Rick Steves lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington. His office window overlooks his old junior high school.

Customer reviews

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Customers say

Customers find the book very informative and practical. They say it provides helpful nuggets when visiting sites. Readers also mention the book is well-organized and makes planning easy. They appreciate the simple, easy-to-understand way it's presented.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book very informative, practical, and an excellent resource. They say it provides helpful nuggets when visiting sites, great recommendations on walks and history, and covers everything you need to know to get around Paris. Readers also mention the museum guides are better than some of the museum-produced literature.

"His book is chock full of useful , real life information. Incredible compendium of do's and don'ts as well as money saving suggestions on a budget...." Read more

"...Much practical and useful info ." Read more

"...He reviews everything you want to go to, and also gives you pages of practical advice of what to do from how to use the subway how to pay for this..." Read more

"...There is a lot of good information to be had in it. We found it very useful ." Read more

Customers find the book well-organized, jam-packed with information, and useful. They say it makes planning easy and is written in a simple, easy-to-understand way.

"...The Paris book is no different. It's organized in neighborhoods , or as he calls them, walks...." Read more

"...we immediately purchased this guidebook and once again it has made planning so easy ...." Read more

"...It is amazing, I love the way it is organized and I like that there are tour guides that I can read -- not a big fan of audio, but that's me...." Read more

"...They are really well organized , simplify what would normally be an overwhelming amount of information, and offer really practical advice and..." Read more

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The Best Paris Guide Book for Every Kind of Traveler [2024 Update]

Lonely Planet Paris – The Overall Best Paris Guide Book

At press time, the most current edition of the Lonely Planet Paris guidebook was released in 2022 ( order on Amazon here ). This edition still uses the traditional Lonely Planet format (the good one) and is worth buying before the brand switches to their extremely unpopular new format. In fact, if you plan to travel to Paris in 2024 or even 2025, buy this book now.

This edition (with the gold cover, shown above) is great because every single entry in the guidebook was checked to make sure it’s still operating, and the information about opening hours and prices is accurate. A lot changed in Paris in 2020 and 2021, so it’s good to know that the businesses mentioned survived that two-year downturn in tourism.

I was relying on the older edition (published in 2018) when I was selecting a Paris guidebook. Still, it was my favorite Paris guidebook, and the one I’d recommend for anyone traveling to Paris. The Lonely Planet Paris clocks in at 416 pages, and includes absolutely everything you could possibly want: recommended day-by-day itineraries, guides to each arondissement (including attractions, restaurants, shopping and nightlife) and all the most popular day trips from Paris. It has colorful photos, easy-to-read maps and, in the new edition, a detachable card with all the information you need to get from the airport to your hotel.

Rick Steves Paris – The Best Paris Travel Guide for First-Time Travelers

I have such a soft spot for Rick Steves guidebooks, and his 2023 Rick Steves Paris guide book is no exception.  This is a huge book, with 720 pages, but because they use tissue-weight paper it’s hardly any thicker than the Lonely Planet.

Rick Steves’ books are written for novice and first-time travelers, who want a balance of authentic local experiences and can’t-miss attractions during their Europe trip.  This book includes itineraries for up to seven days, with neighbhorhood guides, transportation connections and bistro stops along the way.  A highlight of any Rick Steves book is the self-guided walking tours; the Rick Steves Paris guide book contains eighteen different routes in Paris, complete with detailed maps and information about the sights you’ll see en route.  If I were buying my parents a guidebook for their trip to Paris, this would definitely be my top choice.

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Lonely Planet France – The Best Paris Guidebook for Travelers Going Beyond Paris Too

Released in late 2021, the Lonely Planet France guidebook is the best Paris guide book for anyone whose trip includes Paris and other destinations in France.  Like the LP Paris guidebook, this book is still in the brand’s original format and is worth buying now before it gets updated.

Like their city-specific guide book, this  edition of the Lonely Planet France (shown above) has been thoroughly reviewed to ensure that information is up-to-date and accurate, and reflects any changes over the past two years.

This is a big book, with more than one thousand pages, so it’s not the best choice for people who are packing light.  But for someone like me, with a suitcase and an itinerary that crosses the country from north to south and from east to west, this is the best balance of information about Paris and information about the rest of France. The section on Paris is about 120 pages long, with full-color maps, illustrations and photos.  There’s a further twenty pages about day trips around Paris, including Versailles and Giverny.

National Geographic Traveler Paris – The Best Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood Paris Travel Guide

First, I have to say that this book just feels nice in your hands.  I like the cover design, I like the paper, and the whole thing just feels good. The National Geographic Traveler Paris guidebook would be ideal for gift-giving, if someone if your life is planning a trip to Paris.

This book has about 250 pages, including a brief introduction that leads into eleven neighborhoods guides (starting with the islands in the River Seine, ending with the “ peripherique “, or the less-visited districts outside the city centre). Each section contains the top attractions, recommend restaurants and other useful tips, like walking routes and local history.  On the inside back cover there’s a handy map of the Paris metro, and tucked inside the back cover there is a full-sized pull-out map of Paris to help you get your bearings. The only warning that I have with this book is that the font is tiny, so I don’t recommend it for anyone who has vision difficulties.

Moon Paris Walks – The Best Paris Guide Book for Travelers Who Love to Walk

I like Moon Guides because they don’t try to be everything to everyone.  Instead, they focus on one thing and do it really well.  Here, in the Moon Paris Walks guide book , they highlight the very best of Paris through a collection of six self-guided walking tours.

The routes covered include Montmartre, the area around The Louvre, Le Marais, The Latin Quarter, the Eiffel Tower and Canal St. Martin (plus some of the adjacent districts).  The routes are illustrated on easy-to-read maps and described using turn-by-turn language like “Go back, and facing the direction you came from, take Rue Lepic, which veers to the right.” It doesn’t get much easier to follow than that!  There are about 120 pages of walking routes, plus another 30 pages of general information about the city. This book doesn’t have great information about hotels, transportation or day trips, but it’s ideal for active travelers.

National Geographic Walking Guide: Paris – The (Other!) Best Paris Travel Guide for Travelers Who Love to Walk

It was totally a tie between the Moon Guides and this Paris travel guide. This is a series that I love- in fact, I kept the Berlin edition from this series in my purse on my most recent trip to Germany. Because it’s designed to be used while you’re out walking, The National Geographic Walking Guide: Paris really does fit comfortably into your bag so you can carry it around Paris every day.

Updated in 2020, this guidebook consists of fourteen different walking routes around Paris.  There are “whirlwind” tours showcasing the highlights of the city in just one or two days, or there are more leisurely routes through distinctive neighborhoods and around famous attractions. Throughout the book there are colorful photos, illustrations and maps.  If there’s a downside to this book it’s that there is minimal information about accommodation and dining, but if you’ve already booked your hotel and enjoy finding restaurants en route , this is a great Paris guide book.

Fun fact: There’s a French term for someone who spends their days sauntering around town without a specific purpose. Fl â neur is the masculine form, while fl â neuse is the feminine.

Lonely Planet Discover Paris – The Best Basic Travel Guide Book to Buy Second-Hand

About half the length of the original Lonely Planet Paris guide book, the brand’s Discover Paris guide book focuses on the most essential experiences in the city.  This series used to be updated quite regularly (there are editions from 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 available on Amazon) but it no longer appears to be focus for the brand. So, the most recent edition I could find is the one shown above, which came out in fall 2018 (yes, I know it says 2019 on the cover, but trust me!).

Honestly, I don’t really recommend this Paris travel guide book, since it’s already four years old.  It would be easy to accidentally purchase this, thinking it was the Lonely Planet’s main guidebook for Paris, but you’d be paying almost the same price for half the information that they include in their regular Paris guidebook (scroll up to see that one!).  What you can expect from this book is a two-page spread for each of the city’s twenty or so top attractions, followed by short sections about dining, shopping, nightlife and entertainment. It’s not really organized geographically, and there’s a lot of stuff that’s not included.  That being said, if you can buy a used copy for a good price it might be a nice addition to your Paris trip planning bookshelf.

Eyewitness Top 10 Paris – The Best Paris Guidebook for Visual Travelers

This is one of the few Paris guidebooks to get a fresh update for 2024!  If you’re not much of a reader but love to look at pretty pictures, the Eyewitness Top 10 Paris guidebook is perfect.  Short on text but dense with full-color photos and illustrations, this is a feast for the eyes.  It’s also another purse-sized Paris guide book (it’s actually smaller than my wallet!) so it would be perfect for carrying around during a day of sightseeing.

Like all Eyewitness books, the Eyewitness Top 10 Paris puts as much emphasis on images as it does on text.  The book starts with a quick introduction (including suggested itineraries for two or four days) and then jumps into its distinctive collection of Top 10 lists: Top 10 Museums, Top 10 Historical Buildings, Top 10 Parks and Gardens, etc. The lists are followed by about 100 pages of neighborhood guides and general travel information. This would be an easy book to read on the plane to France, and as one of the more affordable Paris guide books on the list it’s also good for travelers on a budget.

Michelin Green Guide Paris – The Best European-Style Paris Travel Guidebook

Michelin guides are not common in North America, so many travelers coming from the USA and Canada are surprised to learn that oui, it’s the same company making the tires, awarding stars to restaurants and publishing guidebooks, including The Michelin Green Guide Paris .

As with the Lonely Planet Discover Paris, the first thing you need to know is that this book was last updated in 2018, so some of the information may be outdated. Still, it’s interesting to see how the book reflects the tastes of European travelers, who tend to purchase this series most often.  This one opens with about 40 pages of trip planning advice, then spends another 40 pages talking about the history, arts and culture of Paris, and finally it gets into the Paris-specific travel information, including neighborhoods guides, hotel and restaurant recommendations, and tips for partaking in les sports during your trip.

Frommer’s EasyGuide to Paris – The Best Paris Guide Book for Luxury Travel

I have always disliked Frommers guide books, and the Frommers EasyGuide to Paris isn’t an improvement over their other titles. Plus, with this publication now being two years old, it may not be the best source of up-to-date information on traveling in Paris.  To get it out of the way, I don’t recommend you buy this book, but I’m including it on the list since Frommer’s such a well-known name.

The book opens with fifteen pages of color photos of Paris, and after that it’s mostly just a wall of text.  It covers the same attractions as any other guidebook, but with a more upscale perspective.  For example, in the “inexpensive” hotel listings they recommend a hotel where double rooms are €300 per night.  The restaurant recommendations are equally pricey, with a recommended lunch spot costing €90!  The expensive recommendations aren’t balanced out with more affordable options, so this is really only a useful Paris guide book for travelers who don’t look at the price tags.  (If that’s you, please marry and/or adopt me!)

Planning your own trip to Paris? I’ve got a guide to the best areas to stay in Paris , whether you’re backpacking on a budget or indulging in a luxury trip to France, as well as a guide to the best FIFTY things to see in Paris .  Yes, fifty!

You might also like my post about how to find delicious, healthy French food while you’re there!

Of course, I also recommend learning some French for travel before you depart!

Planning a trip to Paris? Pin this post to your trip planning board!

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