Has anyone ever bought the Unofficial Guide to PARIS??? Bump for DocRafiki

[PhotobearSam]

Have you bought the book?

Was it good?

Would you recommend it?

Are there any other books about France and Paris that you could recommend?

Thanks...Next vacation is my choice so I thought Disney Paris would be good...We could do Disney and parts of France...


P.S.

How long does one need to visit Disney Paris???

 

[DocRafiki]

I bought the Eyewitness guide to France when I was thinking of visiting multiple regions, and then I bought the Eyewitness Top 10 travel guide to Paris. The photos in the Eyewitness series are GREAT. I wound up going only to Paris and was actually probably a little TOO informed. The maps can get a little confusing, but I had a huge map of Paris tacked up to my wall to bring it all together. For getting around the city, the Metro maps actually worked the best for me. I love the Eyewitness series, especially the Top 10 series if you don't want to get TOO involved in detailed planning. I have a little collection of Eyewitness guides going now. I think Eyewitness makes a full book on Paris, but there was plenty of Paris info in the France guide. The "practical information" guide in the back of the book was particularly helpful, and I really got into reading the social & historical notes in the book. They have sections on French society, food, artists, writers, wine, & architecture. That is all in the full-length book, not the Top 10 guide. But even the Top 10 guides have the practical information.

DLP -- I had my fill of it about halfway through the 3rd day. I really wasn't impressed with the studios and should have spent less time there. I could easily have seen DLP in two days, and I spent a LOT of time dawdling and exploring. Of course, I went in the off-season, so there were NO lines. I stayed in the Disneyland Hotel -- a MUST if you can handle the splurge factor. It was GREAT!

You know there's a Disneyland Paris forum here. Lots of UK DISers have a lot of experience with DLP and post there often. And then there are those of us who just like to read and relive. I can't tell you how much I looooooooove Paris! I've got 2 Eiffel Towers and one French flag in plain view of where I'm sitting right now.

 

[PhotobearSam]

DocRafiki...It's really you.

You night not remember this but a little over a year ago you helped me with a problem I was having with my female cat.

She had licked her belly close to bald just before my wedding.

You said it was probably stress...It was...It's a grown back now and she and her brother are goin to be 12 years old this summer.

I tried to find you on the boards to thank you but I think you were moving to Orlando...I can now say thank you...THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

You collect Mickey Ears don't you??? When I was picking up a Mr. Potato Head at WDW I thought I remembered you saying that you wanted a set of those Mr. P head ears...Just in case you still needed a set, I put an extra one in my Box.

If you still need a set I will be happy to send them to you. I will just need to find the box they are in...I moved too...

Thanks for the idea on the book. I did not see it when I was at the bookstore here in Canada...Maybe I'll have to buy it online.

Thanks again for the help with my cat...You actually played a very important role in my wedding day since I was no longuer worried about the cat.

P.S....Moozer thanks you too...Meowww

 

[PhotobearSam]

Bump for DocRafiki

 

[PhotobearSam]

Bump.

 

[DocRafiki]

Awww... that's so nice! (and THANKS Dan Murphy for PM'ing this to me).


I do remember your kitty. So glad everything worked out. Where were you living before?
I never did get any of those Mr Potatohead ears. I still could use some to add to my collection!

Have you seen the recommendations for the Unofficial guide to DLP on the DLP board? I think it's written with the Brits in mind, and you might have to order that one too, but everyone raves about it over there. The author is even a DIS member. I haven't checked it out, myself.

 

[missypie]

I heard that the Unofficial Guide to DLP was awful...very very out of date, and ride descriptions lifted verbatum from the US books. The book that everyone recommended is The Brit's Guide to DLP. Available on UK amazon.com. Simon V. (the author) visits the DIS DLP board and kindly replied to lots of pms from me when I was having trouble getting the latest version of his book. I really liked liked Simon's ride descriptions....they made me really excited about going there.

We spent 2 days at DLP. The first day was all DL Park, the second day was all day at WDS, with the last 3 hours at DL. That was pretty rushed, and with lots of walk on rides. I think you need at least 3, if not 4 days to do it justice. ..but it's hard to balance, since, after all, you're in PARIS.

I posted a trip report in 3 installments on the Paris forum.

 

[missypie]

Sorry - I didn't read your post well enough. I bought the Unofficial Guide to Paris...I read it at home but it didn't make the cut of books I brought with me. I liked the Eyewitness Guide the best. I also brought Rick Steve's book with us; that was the book I saw ALL the American tourists carrying around.

I'd definitely recommend Eyewitness because it has lots of colored picture and easy to read maps, and it really gives you a good idea of what is near what, and makes you interested in a few new things other than the well known sights. Rick Steves is good for walking and museum tours, if you can follow that sort of thing.

The best investment was the Paris Map Guide.

Before the trip I started visiting the European Talk board at fodors.com. A very active and mostly nice community. If you post a question, just be specific in the title (e.g. don't post "Looking for a Hotel"; instead post "Looking for a Hotel for a party of 4 in Paris") or you will be scolded.

We've been back from Paris less than two weeks. If you're traveling with kids, check out my trip reports on fodors.

 

[lentesta]

I think we're talking about two different Unofficial Guides.

"The Unofficial Guide to Paris" (the city) was last updated in four months ago (December 2003), and the edition that's available everywhere should be current.

"The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland Paris" (the theme park) was last published in 2001, and has not been updated since. Bob's talking with the publisher about updating this title. And *sigh* if it means a trip to France for me, I guess it's just something I'll have to do. L'horreur!

Len

 

[Dan Murphy]

Originally posted by lentesta
...And *sigh* if it means a trip to France for me, I guess it's just something I'll have to do. L'horreur!

Len

LOL, Len!!!!!

 

[DocRafiki]

Originally posted by missypie
I heard that the Unofficial Guide to DLP was awful...very very out of date, and ride descriptions lifted verbatum from the US books. The book that everyone recommended is The Brit's Guide to DLP. Available on UK amazon.com. Simon V. (the author) visits the DIS DLP board and kindly replied to lots of pms from me when I was having trouble getting the latest version of his book. I really liked liked Simon's ride descriptions....they made me really excited about going there.

The Brit's Guide is the one I was thinking of... the one by Simon V. I thought it was called "unofficial." I am obviously not paying attention!