France (Eyewitness Travel Guides) 
Product Description: - The chapters of this book have been divided into 16 color-coded regions that reflect the diversity of France. These are based on the country s historical regions that were often defined by their geography and landscape as much as by their influence and power. Each has developed its own special flavor, its own architecture, cuisine, customs, music, dress, dialect and even language. The pages of the Eyewitness Travel Guide will give a taste of these areas and show you what there is to see and do.
Customer Ratings: - Very useful guide - minor tweaks in Paris. Just got back from France, where I carried this travel guide with me all the time (slightly bulky, but good to save some money and get only one travel guide for all of France). Overall, guide is great, giving insights on many different attractions, and even helping save time by drawing attention to key things to see in each attraction. The only setback was in Paris, where the map included doesn t show the area around Gare du Nord (the station where the Eurotrain arrives), which also includes the Sacre-Coeur church (beautiful, by the way).
- Beautifully-photographed and ample history but not much of a guide.. I love DK guides for their sumptuous photos and the attention they pay to the stories behind national monuments and histories of the destination. For a concise read of the above, DK is the best.
However, DK isn t much of a guide to places. I bought this book expecting to use it for a trip around France but that didn t materialize and I only got to use the Paris section. My review is going to be based on the way I used that part of the book. Besides the usual tourist attractions and monuments, DK doesn t really do a good job of immersing travellers in the culture. Most of the accomodation and restaurant recommendations are on the expensive side and are in touristy areas. I must say that I planned for the accomodation and eating parts of the trip better by browsing around blogs online.
Like I already mentioned, this DK book is absolutely beautiful and is perfect for tourists who can afford to live the high life. It is also a nice read of the history of the place, the stories behind the national monuments and such. However, this book isn t suitable for travellers who want to be immersed in the culture of the place (even if it s only for a week) or who are on a budget (like me!). - Gives an overview of France. I ve purchased this book expecting an overall look to France in order to point out some areas that would be most interesting for me. This book follows the usual quality of the series, which I consider best from what is on the market, but i got a little dissapointed, because a huge part of this book is dedicated to Paris (I would have bought Paris if I wanted a detailed guide). Other territories of France are reviewed very briefly, and having in mind my knowledge about some of them, only some, and not always the best landmarks are pointed out. What is more, only some sightseeing points of nature are mentioned, so if you expect some picturesque mountain routes in southern France to be marked you will get dissapointed. So all in all it is a very nice guide of major French towns and chateaus, worth having to discover the most impressive urban sites. However, if you plan to travel in some specific region, it is better to search for more detailed guides ( Provence and cote da zur and Dordogne and Southwest France from the same series are really fantastic).
- Very Helpful. Just returned from a two week visit to Europe, mainly in France. This book was much more user friendly than the typical Michelin guide and I highly recommend it. Places are easy to find. Lots of information makes it easier for you to get an impresssion of a particular place, what to see, what to do, and will it will feel like being there. Highly organized and user friendly.
- Best Planning Guides I have used. We have traveled to France the past 3 years and are in the process of planning the 4th at this writing. As always (since discovering these guides)I started with this guide to determine which part of France we will visit and the potential route. I also own the guides to Paris, Loire Valley and Provence. The Green Guides offer much more detail but are infuriatingly arranged in alphabetical order. Eyewitness guides are arranged by area and include some theme tours (wine,cheese,troglodyte, etc)This and the beautiful pictures make planning a joy. I just wish they published an area guide for Southwest France, where we are headed in 2003!!
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France (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (ID: 0756615410)
