Fodor's upCLOSE Paris (1998) [Paperback]

Fodor's (Author)

Book Description

Series: 1998 | Publication Date: December 29, 1997

Fodor's newest travel series is designed for travelers 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 travelers away from the crowds and close to the culture -- without having to spend a fortune.


Fodor's upCLOSE Paris is smart, fun, and informative. It gives you quirky, never-obvious facts about major sights, as well as the lowdown on the minor ones. It's in-the-know about what's going on. It reveals the essence of the City of Light and helps you get the most Paris for your travel dollar. In short, it's the best of all possible travel companions.


All the places to go, from the Tour Eiffel to the Pompidou
Monumental sights, historic churches, and postmodern parks
Museums -- from the ostentatiously grand to the delightfully obscure
Shopping for designer deals, flea-market finds, and Seine-side books
Short escapes to Versailles, Chartres, and Fontainebleau
Tell-all reviews of small hotels and clean hostels
Where to stay that's charming (and doesn't cost an arm and a leg)
Hip discoveries, top-floor garrets, and friendly, family-run places
Hostels and foyers in medieval palaces and 18th-century houses
Best bets on both banks: from the Quartier Latin to the Opéra
The buzz on restaurants, cafés, and Paris by night
Bistros and brasseries, baguettes and brie from open-air markets
Beyond French food: Vietnamese, North and West African, and more
Café culture: neighborhood hangouts and literary legacies
Where to find jazz and rock, film and theater, bars and clubs
Practical info, great maps
Airfare deals and how to get around
Tips on traveling smart and losing the crowds
Clear, easy-to-read maps

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Fodor's newest travel series is designed for travelers 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 travelers away from the crowds and close to the culture -- without having to spend a fortune.


Fodor's upCLOSE Paris is smart, fun, and informative. It gives you quirky, never-obvious facts about major sights, as well as the lowdown on the minor ones. It's in-the-know about what's going on. It reveals the essence of the City of Light and helps you get the most Paris for your travel dollar. In short, it's the best of all possible travel companions.


All the places to go, from the Tour Eiffel to the Pompidou
Monumental sights, historic churches, and postmodern parks
Museums -- from the ostentatiously grand to the delightfully obscure
Shopping for designer deals, flea-market finds, and Seine-side books
Short escapes to Versailles, Chartres, and Fontainebleau
Tell-all reviews of small hotels and clean hostels
Where to stay that's charming (and doesn't cost an arm and a leg)
Hip discoveries, top-floor garrets, and friendly, family-run places
Hostels and foyers in medieval palaces and 18th-century houses
Best bets on both banks: from the Quartier Latin to the Opéra
The buzz on restaurants, cafés, and Paris by night
Bistros and brasseries, baguettes and brie from open-air markets
Beyond French food: Vietnamese, North and West African, and more
Café culture: neighborhood hangouts and literary legacies
Where to find jazz and rock, film and theater, bars and clubs
Practical info, great maps
Airfare deals and how to get around
Tips on traveling smart and losing the crowds
Clear, easy-to-read maps

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

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. If you can't take your best friend on the road or if your best friend is hopeless with directions, stick with us.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's (December 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679034005
• ISBN-13: 978-0679034001
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,569,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)