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Post by felschurch on Oct 12, 2007 8:16:07 GMT -5
What a fine morning in Alabama. A cool morning-60 degrees, not a cloud in the sky.
I am surrounded by my guidebooks and a bad map of Paris . I need a better map !!!
Gittek has just given me enough to do in Paris for a month! I really need to stop this planning and ease up. Truth is -I like the planning more than the trip sometimes. There are so many wonderful, helpful people out there in cybertravel. I am pleased as punch when I have an answer!!
Do any of you do any volunteering? --I started a couple of months ago in a medical facility and it is just fantastic--so I need to go
Today's thought
May your passport be full of stamps when you make that final trip.
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Oct 12, 2007 9:02:42 GMT -5
This was a nice post to find with my first cup of coffee early in the morning - thanks for the thoughts!
Map of Paris: try Amazon and if the US one doesn't have much (they often don't when it comes to European maps) go to the bottom of the page and click on the UK link for more European choices. I've ordered a number of travel related books and maps that way - no problem with shipping, just takes a week or two longer to get to you. (I'm guessing you could order from amazon.com.fr as well, but then you'd have to figure out the instructions etc. - although I did order from that site once for something to be shipped within France, and since the interface is set up the same way as the US site I could generally get the drift of things.)
Volunteering: I don't do that right now (other than sporadic fund raising for my alma mater), but I've often thought that when I get to a point of doing something I likely would find an adult literacy program to assist.
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Oct 12, 2007 9:20:11 GMT -5
I have Streetwise Paris, and find it to be a good map. (The only problem is that somehow it manages to hide shortly before trips, so half the time I don't find it again until I return - from a trip where I bought yet another map while in Paris!)
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Post by luvparee on Oct 12, 2007 9:22:44 GMT -5
I love the little booklet map, "Paris par Arrondissement." It lists all the streets in Paris in the front with the arr. and page # and then the location on the page map. I purchased one in Paris on my first trip, gave it to a niece to use and it was never returned, bought another in 2002 and ended up leaving it somewhere in Paris, bought 2 more that trip, loaned one out last summer, and that one didn't return! I'm not loaning my last one out to ANYONE!!
I also have the one that Gitte mentioned above but found that not all the little streets and squares were not listed and those are the places that I so love these days!
Also, I have had great fun with the "Google" maps on line. You can stick in an address and a little icon will pop up in that location. You can spend lots of time "playing" with it or just get a fix on where something is.
Planning is such fun, isn't it?!?
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Post by Happygoin on Oct 12, 2007 9:25:01 GMT -5
My problem with most of the plastic laminated maps (which I love for lightweight carrying) is that they always seem to exclude the outer reaches of the teen-numbered arrondisements. They're fine the first few times you visit Paris, but when you want to venture farther afield, they're really lacking. Does anyone know of one of the lightweight ones that has all of the city on it?
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Post by sistereurope on Oct 12, 2007 9:29:02 GMT -5
Good morning (what a nice greeting felschurch!) luvparee- I also have the Paris par Arrondissement. It's my husband's - I think it's from sometime in the 80's. It's served us well, except that some of the info is a bit outdated (like metro stop names!). I still like it, though, because you can look up the streets and figure out where you are. And it just seems so Parisian to me now - I don't think I can go to Paris without it!  |
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Post by GitteK on Oct 12, 2007 9:31:10 GMT -5
cybee: Plan de Paris L'Indispensable is a small booklet which comes in 2 versions, with or without suburbs. I have both - the suburb version is heavier to carry around, and you don't really need many suburbs, apart from St. Denis. The version without the suburbs is 12 x 18 cm, and is called "PARIS PRATIQUE PAR ARRONDISSEMENT" - L'INDISPENSABLE It contains maps of all 20 arrondissements, plus metro plan, RER plan, bus plan, map of Bois de Boulogne, Bois de Vincennes and La Défense. PLUS a topdollar precise, correct street index - L'Indispensable is simply THE map of Paris. In one of the first pages all the words are listed in French. English, Spanish, German and Italian. You can order it at www.fnac.fr - type "Paris Pratique par arrondissement" in the blank search-field, called Rechercher. It costs 4.66 euros. I think I paid 5 euros for it in the bookshop. Then you click on "Ajouter au panier" - and then "Poursuivre ma commande". ps. you can also (and a bit easier) buy it with www.amazon.fr |
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Post by cybee on Oct 12, 2007 9:34:49 GMT -5
Thanks, Gitte! I just found what I used last time and it was in fact the Paris Pratique Par Arrondissement (L'indispensable) . It is excellent and also discreet to use as it is in booklet format! My daughter (who was then living in France) knew to get it and I highly advise it's use aussi!
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Post by Jody on Oct 12, 2007 9:49:38 GMT -5
Is the Paris par Arrondissements that you are talking about the Michelin one?
If so I have one that I'd be glad to send to anyone who wants it.
I prefer Michael Middleditch's Paris Mapguide.
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Post by geordy on Oct 12, 2007 9:50:34 GMT -5
I bought a little green Paris par arrondissement "Special Pocket" in Paris last February. (In my "local" bookstore..near hotel!) Up until then I used the hotel maps,wore out a few!. I still carry one of those as well to map routes, see distances, etc. and old habit!! But I love my little green book now..it has all the features Gitte listed.
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Post by sistereurope on Oct 12, 2007 9:58:56 GMT -5
Mine's red leather, with silver writing on it - the font is very fancy.
In fact it's very chic (which is why I love it even though it's outdated! ;D)
It's at home though, so I can't give any more details.
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Post by Happygoin on Oct 12, 2007 10:05:39 GMT -5
I just looked on Amazon (the English one) and found 5 new and/or used Paris Pratique par Arrondissements starting at $79.32. Yikes! Am I being dense? (not the first time  ) Is the one listed on Amazon.fr for 5E in French? Is that the difference? If so, I guess I don't care, the maps will still be the same... |
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Oct 12, 2007 10:10:34 GMT -5
LOL, Happy - I think the street names are going to be in French, no matter what! ;D I can't imagine why the prices being quoted are so high, but I would say just order from Amazon.fr! (Besides, then you will get all the promo e-mails in French, which actually is kind of fun.) I have the "Paris Practique" also (found it the other day in some really odd place), which I think I bought in Paris. My recollection is that even the bouquinistes along the Seine often have these (and other maps) so it's easy to get a new one while there. A thought: we should start a thread in the "Visitor Questions" section about maps (if there isn't one yet) just because no newbie is likely to find this whole discussion . . . .  |
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Post by Jody on Oct 12, 2007 10:14:38 GMT -5
HOly Cow! I thought you'd read the English site wrong! But that's the one Gitte posted the picture of. I knew the exchange rate was bad but not that bad!
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Post by Happygoin on Oct 12, 2007 10:26:03 GMT -5
That's what I thought...I figured I was looking at the wrong thing, but then I compared pictures and REALLY wondered what was up...anyone??
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Post by Jody on Oct 12, 2007 10:32:11 GMT -5
We should bring a load of them back from Paris and sell them on eBay!!   |
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Oct 12, 2007 10:49:45 GMT -5
I can only assume it's out of print in the US - and I didn't even see it on Amazon UK - so perhaps you're right, get a supply and sell them for "only" double what you paid, or whatever (as there's no duty on books brought into the US, you can get totally carried away!)
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Post by Penny on Oct 12, 2007 13:48:28 GMT -5
I just bumped up a thread titled Street Signs that has some information regarding Paris Maps. amazon does not like me today, does not like any search terms I use to find this map L'Indispensible.  I found with no problem a couple of months ago. @#@#@#!! |
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Post by Jody on Oct 14, 2007 6:35:18 GMT -5
The offer still stands ..if anyone wants my copy of Michelin Paris par Arrondissements , leave me a message with your address.
And to follow the OP! It's a glorious morning here. We finally got to turn off the A/C last night. First day in months the temperature hasn't been in the 90"s!
Can't wait for some prolonged cool weather in paris next month.
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Post by trechic on Oct 14, 2007 7:14:21 GMT -5
I ordered "The Paris Mapquide by Michael Middleditch, per desmarais recommendation several months ago, and it sounds like it is formatted identically to the "Paris Practique" being mentioned above. I bought it at Amazon for $10.00. I is also in a slim booklet form and there has not been a street I could not find on it ... thus far. I think you will find it to be an excellent mapquide. I plan to buy the abovementioned, "Paris Practique Par Arrondisement" when I am in Paris, because I love the name!! (13 days and counting!! Ohhhhhhhh.....)
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) Is the one listed on Amazon.fr for 5E in French? Is that the difference? If so, I guess I don't care, the maps will still be the same...
I found with no problem a couple of months ago.
hahahha