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Books : France (Lonely Planet Country Guide)
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Rating: 
- Outstanding
A fantastic book, which you really should buy if you plan on seeing France. The amount of information in here is vast, and yet readable (I read it cover to cover as bed time reading to plan my travels!). On the one hand it is full of practicalities such as telephone numbers, opening hours, travel information etc. but it also uses good descriptive language so vivid as to give you a good 'feel' for places, stirring up mental images of those Parisian cafes and Provencal meadows that possess a certain je ne sais quoi...
Rating:
- Lonely Planet misses the mark
Always been a very big fan of Lonely Planet guides... they have helped me round India, Nepal, Pakistan, France, Italy and Ireland. As my old copy is pre-Euro I thought I'd get a new up to date copy. Wish I hadn't. I've been looking at the Paris section... we are taking our children and I was interested in Parc d'Asterix... no mention. Several pages on Disney. Lots of other destinations on our 'tick list' are missing.
Nice photography as ever, and the usual clear concise style. I realise they cna't put everything in the guide but these are major omissions. Not recommended. Sorry Lonely Planet!
Rating: - well researched for facts etc
I found this to be well researched, if a little formulaic. Useful when touring round France and making the best of a rail rover ticket. But suggest you buy an independent guide book if you are staying anywhere for more than a couple of days. I found it complemented the readable and invaluable foodie guides (Bradt, Patricia Wells, Gault Millau) with the stats and practical getting around info.
Rating:
- A great series of books!
As me and a friend are planning a round the world trip this series of books has been a great help.
In picking places where to go it's helpful to know whats there!
Were mainly backpacking and using hostels so specific country guides aimed at this was essential. We needed to know campsites, country entry requirements, cost of living, activities, etiquette, transport options, do's and don'ts and most importantly what the food was like! As well as info on touring in campervans, car or footslogging.
The book has it all and more. It covers all such topics and then reviews each place in the country individually. It has topics on law, car rental and purchase and so much more. If your travelling to this country then this book will be very useful. I don't think there is one thing I could think of that it does not cover. It even has places to rock climb in it! There are even phone numbers and addresses of hostels and hotels. Local culture and etiquette is covered, which is very useful in order that you don't upset the local inhabitants. Loads of major city centre maps and tons of colour pictures all add to the books appeal.
In addition their website www.lonelyplanet.com is a great site containing a lot of invaluable information.
The books are very durable and will stand the test of time. I now own five in total, including a Thai phrasebook, as the LP guides are an extensive series, covering more than just travel.
A very worthy and essential purchase, money very well spent indeed!!
Rating: - Too many museums!
While most of the information in this book was factually correct, I found that it didn’t add all that much to my holiday experience. The overviews of the towns and areas were too brief and didn’t concentrate enough on the practicalities of getting around, buying food and getting a feel for the places.
If you want to spend time in museums, art galleries and opera houses, then this guide is for you! If you want to see the real France without spending a fortune, I’d look elsewhere.
It’s all a matter of taste (and budget!) I suppose!
- OutstandingA fantastic book, which you really should buy if you plan on seeing France. The amount of information in here is vast, and yet readable (I read it cover to cover as bed time reading to plan my travels!). On the one hand it is full of practicalities such as telephone numbers, opening hours, travel information etc. but it also uses good descriptive language so vivid as to give you a good 'feel' for places, stirring up mental images of those Parisian cafes and Provencal meadows that possess a certain je ne sais quoi...
Rating:
- Lonely Planet misses the markAlways been a very big fan of Lonely Planet guides... they have helped me round India, Nepal, Pakistan, France, Italy and Ireland. As my old copy is pre-Euro I thought I'd get a new up to date copy. Wish I hadn't. I've been looking at the Paris section... we are taking our children and I was interested in Parc d'Asterix... no mention. Several pages on Disney. Lots of other destinations on our 'tick list' are missing.
Nice photography as ever, and the usual clear concise style. I realise they cna't put everything in the guide but these are major omissions. Not recommended. Sorry Lonely Planet!
Rating:
- well researched for facts etcI found this to be well researched, if a little formulaic. Useful when touring round France and making the best of a rail rover ticket. But suggest you buy an independent guide book if you are staying anywhere for more than a couple of days. I found it complemented the readable and invaluable foodie guides (Bradt, Patricia Wells, Gault Millau) with the stats and practical getting around info.
Rating:
- A great series of books!As me and a friend are planning a round the world trip this series of books has been a great help.
In picking places where to go it's helpful to know whats there!
Were mainly backpacking and using hostels so specific country guides aimed at this was essential. We needed to know campsites, country entry requirements, cost of living, activities, etiquette, transport options, do's and don'ts and most importantly what the food was like! As well as info on touring in campervans, car or footslogging.
The book has it all and more. It covers all such topics and then reviews each place in the country individually. It has topics on law, car rental and purchase and so much more. If your travelling to this country then this book will be very useful. I don't think there is one thing I could think of that it does not cover. It even has places to rock climb in it! There are even phone numbers and addresses of hostels and hotels. Local culture and etiquette is covered, which is very useful in order that you don't upset the local inhabitants. Loads of major city centre maps and tons of colour pictures all add to the books appeal.
In addition their website www.lonelyplanet.com is a great site containing a lot of invaluable information.
The books are very durable and will stand the test of time. I now own five in total, including a Thai phrasebook, as the LP guides are an extensive series, covering more than just travel.
A very worthy and essential purchase, money very well spent indeed!!
Rating:
- Too many museums!While most of the information in this book was factually correct, I found that it didn’t add all that much to my holiday experience. The overviews of the towns and areas were too brief and didn’t concentrate enough on the practicalities of getting around, buying food and getting a feel for the places.
If you want to spend time in museums, art galleries and opera houses, then this guide is for you! If you want to see the real France without spending a fortune, I’d look elsewhere.
It’s all a matter of taste (and budget!) I suppose!