Fodor's upCLOSE Paris, 2nd Edition: Fine Dining for Few Francs, Hotel Finds, Great Deals and Best Bets, Strategic Sightseeing, What's Worth It [Paperback]

Fodor's (Author)

Book Description

Series: Fodor's upCLOSE | Publication Date: February 8, 2000

Fodor's upCLOSE Paris"Good writing and a sassy attitude." -- Chicago Sun-Times

"Takes you places locals love and tourists don't know about." -- American Way magazine

"Perfect for finding bargains." -- Shape magazine

Designed for people who want to travel well and spend less: With candid reviews and a fresh outlook, Fodor's upCLOSE points the way to authentic experiences that will take you away from the crowds and close to the culture -- without having to spend a fortune.

Great places to stay that don't cost a fortune -- From top-floor garrets and family-run inns to hostels and foyers in medieval palaces and 18th-century houses.
The best places to eat, drink, and play with the locals -- From bistros and brasseries to film, festivals, cabaret, concerts, theaters, and bars.
On-the-money insights into local culture, history, and sights.
Great side trips and adventures beyond the obvious
Packed with savvy tips and practical information -- From airfare deals to tips on losing the crowds.
Clear, readable maps

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Fodor's upCLOSE Paris"Good writing and a sassy attitude." -- Chicago Sun-Times

"Takes you places locals love and tourists don't know about." -- American Way magazine

"Perfect for finding bargains." -- Shape magazine

Designed for people who want to travel well and spend less: With candid reviews and a fresh outlook, Fodor's upCLOSE points the way to authentic experiences that will take you away from the crowds and close to the culture -- without having to spend a fortune.

Great places to stay that don't cost a fortune -- From top-floor garrets and family-run inns to hostels and foyers in medieval palaces and 18th-century houses.
The best places to eat, drink, and play with the locals -- From bistros and brasseries to film, festivals, cabaret, concerts, theaters, and bars.
On-the-money insights into local culture, history, and sights.
Great side trips and adventures beyond the obvious
Packed with savvy tips and practical information -- From airfare deals to tips on losing the crowds.
Clear, readable maps

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Traveling upCLOSE

Stay in a turn-of-the-century hotel. Try a hostel. Shop for a picnic. Have lunch on a hilltop park bench. Take the métro. Prowl the flea markets. Go up the Eiffel Tower. Memorize the symphony of the streets. And if you want to experience the heart and soul of Paris, whatever you do, don't spend too much money.

The deep and rich experience of Paris that every true traveler yearns for is one of the things in life that money can't buy. In fact, if you have it, don't use it. Traveling lavishly is the surest way to turn yourself into a sideline traveler. Restaurants with white-glove service are great -- sometimes -- but they're usually not the best place to find the perfect pâté. Doormen at plush hotels have their place, but not when your look-alike room could be anywhere from Düsseldorf to Detroit. Better to stay in a more intimate place that truly gives you the atmosphere you traveled so far to experience. Don't just stand and watch -- jump into the spirit of what's around you.

If you want to see Paris up close and savor the essence of the city and its people in all their charming, stylish, sometimes infuriatingly arrogant glory, this book is for you. We'll show you the local culture, the offbeat sights, the bars and cafés where tourists rarely tread, and small, family-run hotels and other hostelries where you'll meet fellow travelers -- places where the locals would send their friends. And because you'll probably want to see the famous places if you haven't already been there, we give you tips on losing the crowds, plus the quirky and obscure facts you want as well as the basics everyone needs.

Our Gang

Who are we? We're artists and poets, slackers and straight arrows, and travel writers and journalists, who in our less hedonistic moments report on local news and spin out an occasional opinion piece. What we share is a certain footloose spirit and a passion for the City of Light, which we celebrate in this guidebook. Shamelessly, we've revealed all of our favorite places and our deepest, darkest travel secrets, all so that you can learn from our past mistakes and experience the best part of Paris to the fullest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's; 2 edition (February 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679003851
• ISBN-13: 978-0679003854
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,655,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great book to show you unexpected treasures, February 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Fodor's upCLOSE Paris, 2nd Edition: Fine Dining for Few Francs, Hotel Finds, Great Deals and Best Bets, Strategic Sightseeing, What's Worth It (Paperback)

This book may be a little dated (1998 publication), and perhaps that's why I found it so useful, as I was traveling in early 1999. But one memory--one of my favorites of the city--was thanks to this book. We were looking for a place to eat and I suggested this West African place I had bookmarked. The guide described hearty dishes served family-style in a friendly neighborhood setting. We found our way through the winding Parisian streets and came upon a very unassuming storefront in a dark alley. My companions were hesitant but I insisted. What we found inside was exactly how Fodor's UpClose described it. The food was some of the best we had on our entire trip and cheap too. We were kids on a budget! And the book was right on with the rest of its content. I recommend this series and only hope a new edition is put out before my summer backpacking excursion! I give it only 4 stars because of the two-year-old edition.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, compact, detailed, March 30, 2000

By 

Amrit Tiwana "www.bus.iastate.edu/tiwana" (Decatur, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fodor's upCLOSE Paris, 2nd Edition: Fine Dining for Few Francs, Hotel Finds, Great Deals and Best Bets, Strategic Sightseeing, What's Worth It (Paperback)

I was looking for local travel information, and there was a treasurehouse of telephone numbers and Website listed here. This might not be for the spanking rich traveling with an unlimited budget, but for a budget minded traveler like me, I found the tips indispensable. The book is well bound, and like some other books that I clowsely examined, this one did not *seem* like it would fall apart into three unasked for sections in the middle of my trip. A nice map at the end is an added bonus. For little more than ten bucks, I found this hard to beat. If you only wanrt to carry one guide with you, and like me, you're a first time traveler to France, this should probably be the one. Excellent and highly recommended. END

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Out of Date, March 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fodor's upCLOSE Paris, 2nd Edition: Fine Dining for Few Francs, Hotel Finds, Great Deals and Best Bets, Strategic Sightseeing, What's Worth It (Paperback)

We found several problems with the information in this book. Places that were recommended were no longer in business or not as described. Some of the information about reservations, lines, etc. were written for peak season travel so we did a lot of things to avoid lines that were not there. Interesting background and some good tips, but if you have time to prepare, I would recommend something more in-depth and written more recently.