Customer Reviews

Fodor's Paris 2004 (Fodor's Gold Guides)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i recently returned from my first trip to paris. in preparation, i reviewed multiple guidebooks and took with me two. the four i considered most promising were let's go paris, rough guide paris, frommers paris from $90 and fodors paris. it was frustrating that i could not find a comparative review of guides which is why i share this info with you.

of these, after the trip, i must say that let's go paris was the most helpful with copious useful maps and tips, in addition to accurate and abundant recommendations on housing, dining and entertainment. frommers was the second most useful in planning and understanding the city.

although i thought that the rough guide would be beneficial, the maps were limited in detail and annotation. also, dining etc was not listed by arrondissements which made searching very difficult.

fodors was nice, but not particularly useful for the moderate income traveler compared to the others. frommers paris i briefly reviewed but found much less useful than the other frommers guide.

I bought this book because the Fodors 2002 Italy guide was superb! Well, so much for crossing countries and years. First of all, the Paris guide contains no color photos (no photos at all)! That might be acceptable, but the lack of color extends to the map of the Paris Metro as well, rendering it useless because the various metro lines, only shaded with an orange or gray, are virtually indistinguishable. Indeed, had I tried to utilize it for my travel, I'm convinced I would surely have routed myself to Berlin! Furthermore, the meat of this work seems to have been gutted: although there are brief one-page inserts called "CLOSE UPs", which provide handy concise tips, the restaurant and lodging guides are limited, with very few if any inexpensive recommendations. More disturbing is that the text often, if not always, refers the reader to somewhere else for the essentials. To wit: " . . to research prices, get advice from other travelers, and book arrangements, visit [...]." Are you kidding? I don't have access to the internet when I'm on the street. That's why I bought a guide BOOK, Stupid! While prices for goods and services understandably often change, this edition should at least have supplied those that are accurate up to the publishing date. Why else would someone buy the 2004 Fodors as opposed to the 2003, etc.? Unfortunately, too often these particular items were absent.

The book does possess some merit, found primarily in the various walking tour sections which provide helpful itineraries for what can be covered in a day (or two or three or more), each including a map. Trouble here as well, however. An adroit editor would have numbered these sections for easy reference. Instead, the reader is forced to constantly flip back and forth through pages in order to find the appopriate section (paste-up book marks are not supplied in this edition, either). What's more, even the respective maps are only practical to a point. Supposedly micro-views of the area being discussed, such as the one for the "Bastille to Nation" section, just a few major streets are named, and there is no supporting detail (- what sense does it make to have a magnified map without labeling more streets?!?). Conclusion: the uninitiated traveler had better have another resource close at hand in order to navigate the various rues and boulevards. As for travel advice in general, there is some accurate information here, but woe unto those who rely on it exclusively. Indeed, more than a few of the explanations are downright confusing, and a tourist surely can do without anything that is more confusing!

Overall, I'd have to say that this book is not worth its price. The publishers obviously pinched and skimped on their costs, and the result was an inferior product. Even the page paper wrinkles and tears very easily because it's composed of the cheapest weight and quality available! I certainly expected a lot more in a much better package. Thank goodness I chose to bring along other guide books and maps with me to the City of Light [by the way, that's City of LIGHT, not Lights]. I suggest therefore that you pass on this supposed traveler's "aide" and opt instead for either the Frommers Paris or the Paris Eyewitness Guide (which among other things contains an exceptional street guide index, well worth the extra money). You'll then be more prepared for the daunting, though exhilarating, experience of visitng one of the most exciting cities in the world!

Of all the larger guidebooks, this one is not very heavy. You must forgo all color and glossy pages, since this book apparently has been printed on newspaper paper. This a good thing, as the book is very light, which is a major bonus when you are lugging stuff all over Paris. It is an adequate guide. It seems, in general, poorly researched but organized well. The hotel recommendations seem as if they were pulled off the internet and nobody even bothered to check them out in person.

I've looked at a lot of books lately for Paris vacationing. The Fodor's book beats them all, hands down.

This book explains the sites, gives a little historical perspective, and suggests itineraries. It also suggests off-the-beaten-path places, and things you might not realize are even there.

The eating and hotel parts don't just give you lists of hotels and restaurants. It lists by arondissement (important in Paris, where you'll be walking a lot), and lists by price group. It also lists what is a particularly good value. This book doesn't just give a generic blurb. All places are evaluated by the people writing the entries. You get honest, up-to-date appraisals by people who've been there. They tell you what to look out for.

The book lists good travel suggestions, such as how to pack, what to take with you on an international flight, etc. Overall, it's a good preparatory instrument for a trip that is such a big undertaking.

I enjoyed reading the book. It is comprehensive, well-written, and very informative. And I love being told where to look for the best deals.

Definitely a must if you're planning a trip to Paris.