Customer Reviews

The Great Paris WalkPack

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm writing as publisher of Frommer's to say that The Great Paris Walk Book is one of the most delightful, honest, reliable travel companions I've ever had. The only thing that makes me sad is that we didn't publish it ourselves. Howard is the ultimate insider, taking you from one "find" to another, and turning tourists into travelers. I never go to Paris without it.
--Michael Spring, Publisher, Frommer's Travel Guides

We've been to Paris at least half a dozen times, and have a small library of guidebooks with walks in them. But the Paris WalkPack is easy to carry, and even easier to read. It's like shopping in a great boutique. Someone else has done the hard work of figuring out what we'd like, and the only choices we had to make were what to eat and drink at the end of the walk.

It also serves up little interesting tidbits that give a lot of flavor, but not more than one would ever want to know.

Any American who wants to feel like they are walking in Paris with a savvy and supportive friend would be well served by walking with the Paris WalkPack.

Having lived in Paris for a number of years and cherishing my own favorite strolls in the mistaken belief that I knew all Paris' hidden treasures, I had no idea that the Howard's Great Paris WalkPack could transform our vacation from merely wonderful to beyond our greatest expectations. The Great Paris WalkPack links marvelous jewels, many unknown to us, along golden paths of delightful Parisian Streets. It provides you just the right amount of information in the handiest of all formats. We look forward to the Howards' takes on Rome, New York, and London. Your best bet for your next trip and the perfect bon voyage gift.

As a professional City Planner, when I travel I love to experience the real City that exists beyond the traditional tourist attractions. In a prior life the Howard's must have been City Planners because their Great Paris WalkPack beautifully balanced expected Paris monuments with the many unexpected personal details that for me bring a city to life. As a bonus, their well designed format, with individual brochures for each walk that I could slip into my jacket pocket, allowed me to do away with bulky guide books that always mark me as a tourist. The design left my hands free to carry back treasures from strolls along neighborhood streets that they helped me discover .... treats such as a jar of apricot jam as delcicious as the 19th century shop "A La Mere de Famille" the Howard's directed me to on Rue du Faubourg Montmartre and the exquisite scarf for my wife I came across among the dozens of distinctly Parisian boutiques in hidden turn of the century glass covered passages that they brought to my attention. Thanks to the Howard's, I now feel that I have not just seen Paris, I know Paris.

I took four of the five tours in one weekend a few weeks ago and am looking forward to taking the fifth on my next visit. The directions are explicit and easy to follow, and the tours take you through paths you would not otherwise notice or uncover. I definitely got much more than I expected for $15.95!

Our trip to Paris was so enjoyable this year. Carole and Geoffrey Howard's THE GREAT PARIS WALKPACK offered us a vision of Paris neighborhoods and a new way to experience that vision with maps, highlights, interesting historical notes and landmarks which were all numbered and summarized. We meanandered down some of the city's marvelous streets on The Left Bank, The Right Bank and LeMarais inhaling the rich sights, sounds, people, cuisine, shops, museums, churches and gardens. I meander with a cane. The Walkpack allowed me to choose walks and segments of those walks that were of great interest to us and manageable in terms of time and distance. We credit our extraordinary trip to THE GREAT PARIS WALKPACK.

Peggy and Tony Cosimano
Warwick, New York

Collectively, we have probably spent more than a year in Paris. And being inveterate walkers, we were doubtful that we would find any surprises in yet another "great walks book". But we did. In addition, the elegant packaging is brilliantly arranged for portability, and the insights and humor definitely make the book unique. We can only hope that the Howards are planning a very extensive series!

I'm geographically challenged so I was a little nervous about using these guides, but I got them as a present before my trip so I knew I had to try at least one. Well, I have many wonderful memories of my week in Paris, but the best ones came on the (four) walks I did have a chance to take. They made it easy for me to have unforgettable experiences.

What a terrific way to learn about Paris -- by walking through its fascinating neighborhoods with an easy-to-carry, fold-out guide to what you are seeing, hearing, inhaling, and otherwise experiencing. The nice thing is that there is a separate guide for each of the five walks, so you aren't burdened by a heavy guide book. These walks are written by people who clearly love the city and know it well, and when I finished the walks, I felt that I had had a real insider's look at things. The text is lively and clear provides cultural anecdotes and interesting background information along with photos and facts. I can't imagine a more effective way to feel connected to a city. I only had time for two of the walks on my too-short visit to Paris and can't wait to get back and do the other three.

There aren't enough good things to say about The Great Paris Walkpack. We've done 4 of the 5 walks over the course of several trips to Paris. By using these pamphlets, we have transformed our experience from wandering aimlessly to making incredible discoveries at each turn. In the description of their Walkpack, the authors tell you that they've designed their pamphlets as the next best thing to being able to walk alongside you. There is no better description of what you will experience with these walks. The Howards are great company, leading you with absolute precision, making sure that you take in all the sights and sounds along each route without missing any of the details. They make sure you are fully immersed each step of the way. These pamphlets are a must have for anyone who wants to truly experience the beauty and depth of this incredible city.