Lonely Planet Paris: Detailed Itineraries | Travel Like a Local | Insider Tips | Covers Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées & Grands Boulevards, Louvre & Les Halles and more

by Alexis Averbuck

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

If you have to choose one book to take to Paris, this fully updated Lonely Planet guide will cover all your bases. Whether you're camping, planning to splurge on a chic hotel, picnicking, or set on haute cuisine, this book gives you thousands of options. Also included is a useful 12-page overview of Parisian architecture, detailed entertainment information, notes on day trips to nearby châteaux and villages, plus 20 pages of detailed city maps, including the Metro. --Kathryn True

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, France, History

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Alexis Averbuck is a painter and writer. She earned her degree at Harvard University, and has travelled and lived all over the world, from Sri Lanka to Zanzibar. Alexis crossed the Pacific by sailboat, lived in Antarctica for a year, and paints, photographs, and publishes books on her journeys for Lonely Planet travel guides, the BBC, magazines and online platforms. She’s had solo exhibitions of her oil paintings and watercolors, and also promotes travel and adventure in video and on television, recently starring in a program on Catalunya.

Through her travels, Alexis fell in love with Greece and made the island of Hydra her home; she now also lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful, readable guide filled with attraction, restaurant and shopping recommendations. I would have liked to see more extensive practical tips, especially for the novice traveler, who is not necessarily fluent in French. A good companion to this guide is Rick Steves' Paris Guide, as well as a travel-oriented French phrase book.

[Susan White-Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paris! What can I say- planning 2019 trip to Paris!!

[Margaret Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lonely Planet does the best job!

[Ferio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voy a repetir lo que he dicho en otras guías, porque la reflexión es la misma y la estructura también:

Las guías de viaje de este estilo ya solo tienen sentido en el siglo XXI por la conveniencia de tener casi toda la información necesaria en un único sitio porque, por lo demás, carecen de la fluidez y la velocidad de actualización (particularmente en lo hostelero) que nos pueden ofrecer nuestro portal favorito de hoteles, Yelp o TripAdvisor. Evidentemente, el modelo está cambiando y, por muy actualizada que esté una guía, las ciudades son conjuntos que evolucionan cada día más rápidamente y lo que ayer molaba puede que hoy no: la única forma de saberlo es a través de Internet.

Pero a mí me gustan mucho las guías Lonely Planet porque te dejan bien claro cuáles son las cosas que no debes perderte a nivel cultural en cada sitio y, siendo cosas que muchas veces tienen siglos, es difícil que su importancia cambie de un día para otro; también me gusta mucho que te dicen en qué atracciones compensa comprar la entrada previamente para evitar horas de cola, los trasfondos artístico-históricos de todas y cada una de ellas, sus horarios y precios... De otra manera, es muy complicado que todo estos datos se ofrezcan en una única página.

También hay que tener en cuenta que una guía de estas características no se lee de cabo a rabo como un libro cualquiera, sino que se usa para organizar un viaje pero no para aprendértelo y, llegado el momento de estar allí, leer con mucho más detenimiento las descripciones de cada lugar. Lo bueno que tienen estas es que también tienen un acercamiento histórico y artístico completo de cada región que sirve como introducción a todas las especifidades que se desarrollan. ¡Es material valioso!

Supongo que, con el paso del tiempo, este tipo de guías desaparecerán completamente en beneficio de páginas web que ofrecerán lo mismo a través de GPS, incluyendo audioguías y otra serie de cosas muy beneficiosas. El progreso es imparable pero, mientras tanto, cada vez que salgo de viaje me llevo mi Lonely Planet, que tampoco está de más.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was invaluable on our trip to Paris last year! However, this year when we spent a week in Picardy (an hour outside Paris) I was sad none of the awesome places we visited were featured as a daytrip. I know Lonely Planet works its butt off in a world of constant changes and in competition with social media it's impossible to fit in every thing everybody loves everywhere, but even though there are millions of sites that give travel info, I still love this series and want it to stay current and robust!

[Ahmed Nabil · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got the book as a gift by redeeming Vodafone loyalty points and it was the only Paris guide in stock. The guide has way too many listings for eating, drinking, shopping and accomodation at the expense of more important information on the arrondissements and their points of interest. Also, for a travel guide, the book is severely lacking in photos and illustrations; you either have to use your imagination or Google. If you want a good travel guide to Paris, try the DK Eyewitness series istead.

[Carol Bakker]

I got three guidebooks from the library: Rick Steves, Fodor's, and Lonely Planet. I like them in that order. Lonely Planet's intended audience doesn't include me: too young, too hip, and too many coarse references.

However, it did have a section about the neighborhood we'll be staying at that the other two didn't have, so I'm thankful for those two or three pages.

[Theut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utile ripasso in previsione della visita. La lonely planet conferma pregi e difetti (poco chiara sulla disposizione dei posti da vedere in caso di prima visita a una città/paese).

[Jeff Beardsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family and I are long-time travelers around the globe, and have developed definite opinions of travel guides over the years. Along with planning travel over the internet, we've basically settled on two different guides to take with us as we go. The Eyewitness Travel Guides are my preference for advanced planning and reading on a particular destination. The Lonely Planet Guides are perfect for our travels while we are on the road. Lonely Planet fills in many of the details that Eyewitness leaves off the pages of their travel guides. Eyewitness gives us the visual for where we are heading, Lonely Planet gives us the filler. Between the two, we've settled on a routine that has suited us well for our travel purposes. Highly recommended!

[Andreas Stamatopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ καλός οδηγός για το Παρίσι. Περιέχει αναλυτικές πληροφορίες για ένα ευχάριστο και αξέχαστο ταξίδι στην πόλη του φωτός. Περιέχει χάρτη της πόλης και χάρτη του μετρό. Περιγραφές των αξιοθεάτων, ιεράρχηση, ποια στα αλήθεια αξίζει να δούμε κλπ Επίσης, προτάσεις για ημερήσιες εκδρομές εκτός Παρισίου (Βερσαλλίες, Ντίσνεϊλαντ κλπ). Παράλληλα, αναφέροντα προτάσεις για ψώνια, για φαγητό, για καφέ, νυχτερινές εξόδους, ξενοδοχεία κλπ Δεν υπάρχει κάτι για το Παρίσι που ο οδηγός του Lonely Planet δεν περιέχει.Το μόνο αρνητικό είναι ότι ενώ αναφέρει τη στάση του μετρό που εξυπηρετεί κάθε αξιοθέατο δεν αναφέρει ποια από τις 14 γραμμές του μετρό πρέπει να πάρουμε...

[Fede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adoro le guide Lonely Planet
Queste guide sono scritte davvero molto bene, ti portano esattamente nel punto in cui vuoi andare come se ti trovassi a passeggiare con un abitante del luogo. in più ti danno suggerimenti e soluzioni alternative salva file o evita traffico. Suggerimenti utili per tutti i gusti e interessi. Sono semplici, schematiche e suggeriscono itinerari a piedi divisi per zone o, in alternativa, le singole attrazioni sono spiegate così bene che, come faccio di solito io, ci si può organizzare la vacanza su misura secondo i propri desideri.
Consigliatissime

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended travel guide, for its exhaustive lists, helpful and up-to-date information, and thoughtful recommendations. Small enough, and current enough, to tote along on your travels. Although it is a travel guide, it also includes short chapters about “Paris Today,” (plans for the 2024 Summer Olympics; recent attention to greener living); “Paris History;” and fashion, architecture, literature, and the arts. For anyone interested in Paris the guide serves as rather entertaining reading.

[Fra Ttura]

Ho finito adesso di pianificare i primi 4 giorni di interrail.
Ragionamento effettivamente avvenuto nella mia testa: "ok, se questo posto apre alle 8, considerando il tempo per prepararmi, mangiare al volo e i trasporti dovrei svegliarmi per le 6. Ok, si può fare." 💀
Comunque se controlli i ristoranti e i negozi che propone, almeno la metà ha meno di 4 stelle su Google maps :/

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Lonely Planet Travel Guides and I get one for every travel destination I've been to. The plan is to have a shelf full of them that represent the places we've been to. The guides themselves are beautifully put together and they're second to none in terms of quality. This one for Paris is no exception.

[donna giaquinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guide to paris

I always rely on lonely planet to help me plan my next independent travels. Extremely informative and up to date info. Lonely planet Paris travelled with me and helped me plan and navigate a large city like Paris.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid overview of Paris, as far as I can tell. Really geared towards first-time visitors, which is not the case with all guide books (though it seems like it should be?). I guess everyone goes to Paris multiple times but don't need the guide book later? I don't know.

[Ieva Andersone · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, if you ever buy a travel guide book, get Lonely Planet. The hotel and restaurant sections are somewhat outdated (Google maps serve better), but the history, food and culture sections as well as itinerary suggestions are brilliant as always.

[Suzanne Reymer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guide book. Used in combination with some covering all of France. Can't say I used a lot of the recommendations. But I found it useful for orientation and background.

[Mondakranta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh, it's been so good reading this, and not getting lost in all the paraphernalia of things to do in Paris. Time taking but worth it. Something for every type of traveller out there.

[Alyssa W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gateway book to learning more about Paris. Not the end all be all by any means, but a great jumping off point for anyone that's planning a trip to the city.

[nici · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bocciata! Se mai tornerò a Parigi, e lo spero, ne comprerò una diversa.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for: foodie tips and restaurants, hotels

[Genevieve Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful, but I feel like the Kindle format leaves something to be desired particularly when it comes to maps or diagrams.

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time in Paris for Nicky T

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

2017 edition. I checked out this Frommer's, Paris in Stride, Fodor's and Rough Guide and found the LP most helpful. Good walking tours and interesting information.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful but surface level

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got lucky enough to talk to people have been, that google and writing out a plan made me not need this as a reference.

[GiuCo5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guida davvero ben fatta per prepararsi a un viaggio indimenticabile!

[Maarten Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always a pleasure!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt too much time was spent on restaurants and bars and shopping. I would prefer more on the many sights in Paris.