Book Review: Fodor's Around Paris With Kids - 3rd Edition

As you can imagine, I have many travel guide books for Paris. Two years ago, I bought AROUND PARIS WITH KIDS - 3rd edition (there is now a 4th edition) in anticipation of visiting Paris with my 15 and 9 year olds.

The book is short and sweet (and small) which makes it easy to read the whole thing completely and  easy to carry in your backpack once you get to Paris. AROUND PARIS WITH KIDS covers 68 things you can do with your kids that you both will enjoy. The list includes everything from the Eiffel Tower to the Rodin Museum to the Aquaboulevard!

What I especially appreciated was that with each item in the list, there were helpful hints on how to enjoy it best with your kids. It included hints about eating, making the most of your time, and things to keep in mind (like best times to visit with kids, the hours, rules, etc.)

I loved the parental humor in the book. I also really appreciated the good information about saving money, getting around and resources for more information.

My only criticism was the lack of pictures. With no pictures, it was hard for my kids to stay interested when I tried to get them excited and help plan our visit. But it's a small problem and if you have other guide books, you can easily cross reference or just do your parental best!

No matter how many times you've enjoyed Paris as an adult, it's a totally different experience when you look at if from your children's eyes! I found it exciting to "have the excuse" to see things that the adult me wouldn't have made time for.

We ended up having a great time, sadly missing so much due to our schedule. But I'm using this book now to help plan for my trip this summer with my, now, 11 yr old!

I definitely recommend AROUND PARIS WITH KIDS!

Travel Guide LET'S GO PARIS - Review

I just received my new copy of LET'S GO BUDGET PARIS. I was pretty excited since the LET'S GO series had been my best friend in the past. In 1986, LET'S GO EUROPE got me all around Europe with my backpack and Eurail. In 1992, I scored a hotel room for me and my husband for $35/night using the LET'S GO FRANCE. But it's been a while since I bought a current edition.

So I dug into this one last night. I was really shocked at how skimpy it was - actually read most of it in an hour. I suppose, in internet era, there's lots of information to be had in other ways. So this guide didn't need to have every little detail in writing. 

Things I liked: 

• It made me feel 22 again! And of course, this series is really written for the student crowd.
• If you're young (or young at heart,) you'll find the latest and hippest places to hang out.
• The book was skimpy, but this meant it wasn't overwhelming. It made Paris seem like an easy place to hang out and have fun. And I certainly agree with that!
• Since eating out can really eat into your budget, there are some great suggestions for inexpensive meals. 
• There were some great bargain places to stay including hostels and hotels. Just be warned, there are age limits on the hostels and the hotels are not luxurious, but fantastic for price and other funky qualities. I was happy to see a really hip hotel I visited in 1987 that's still listed!
• It didn't get all hung up on the usual tourist attractions, but pointed out some quicker and sometimes more obscure attractions.

Things I didn't like:

• Let's face it - the humor was snarky. Sometimes I felt it was a bit disrespectful and demeaning. But I'll admit to a snicker here and there.
• I didn't agree with their assessment of many of the attractions. I feel that they weren't always objective and might steer you away from, what I think are, great things to do.
• The book does seem like a whirl-wind Paris party. But when I think back to my student days, I was not anywhere too long. So for people travelling around Europe, it's appropriate. If you're planning on a longer stay and are perhaps older or with your family, you should augment this with some other guides.

All in all, no matter what your age, I think this is a useful book to have in your library when researching your trip. Unless you're on an unlimited budget, you will really like the restaurants they list and perhaps find a bargain hotel.

Check out their web site too - they have good information and mobile tools too (just be sure you have a proper European phone to use it on.)