DK Eyewitness France

I've been a fan of DK for years. It's just now that, in searching for travel books, I found this DK Eyewitness Travel Guide series. This is a great book! All the high-quality pictures, illustrations, diagrams you expect out of DK - and the whole of France in clear, easy-to-comprehend chunks. We haven't traveled to France, but this book has definitely helped me get my thinking cap on ....

I have to confess up front. I love these books. I must have over a dozen. I really like the Paris book, and the one for Prague, and Stockholm, and South Africa, and .... You get all the detailed material similar to other great travel books plus you get great visuals. I strongly prefer the book to those available from Lonely Planet, or Frommer, or others. Michelin of course has excellent guides but the visuals are better in the DK Eyewitness Guides. On a cold day back here in the USA (or Canada) or elsewhere, have a glass of French wine and sit in a nice chair or in the garden on a warm day and read this book. For a moment you will be back in France. You are back in a small restaurant or museum. The photos and descriptions and cutaway drawings are excellent. But there is lots of detail here. The book includes the history of Paris and France and many details on the art, art galleries, parks, cutaway views of historical buildings, and many other things of interest. The history is summarized at the beginning of the book with historical time lines and cross referenced to the culture and political figures. A solid 600 page effort - lots of stuff to see and absorb. It has the other things too such as maps, accommodations, transportation, and the rest. This book is one of the best for a visitor. You will be pleasantly surprised with the depth and quality of this book and it makes a nice souvenir to refresh your memory. Buy extra maps plus this book and you will be set.

Organized by region, the descriptions and illustrations of the different sites very helpful for planning what to see. Overview maps of each region are provided showing the approximate locations of the sites, but to get to most of them you will need more detailed maps. Unlike the US, signs at intersections and roundabouts in France typically tell you what the next village is, not the name of the road, so it is important to have a map that shows that level of detail. Renting a car with GPS is not a bad idea either.

.Summary:Every Dorling Kindersley Guide has been a great and interesting book... and delightful to have and use, even if you are not traveling to that location, but are only interested in learning more!The Guides are well organized in a logical and easy to follow manner. They are beautifully illustrated, well developed with accurate information (it is unusual for hotel and restaurant information to be that accurate), have enough history to help the reader understand the people and cultural background, and have a lot of useful travel information and useable maps in the appendixes.But, the really great attraction to this book is several fold; it is:............Very complete............Easy to read............Beautifully and artistically completed............Good shopping, safety and other tips............Gorgeous photographs too numerous to list.Summary Negative:The country books are too general to really satisfy all your needs in any given location. So, if your entire trip is spent in Champagne, or Brittany, for example, you will also want to get the specific guide for that city (but, the Paris Section is fairly good)Guide Specifics:The guides are organized as follows:How to use this guideIntroduction to France............Intro. to France............Portrait of France............France Through the Year............History of FranceParis and Ile de France, Area by Area............Intro. Paris and Ile de France............River View of Paris............Ile de La Cite, Marais, Beaubourg............Tuileries and Opera............Champs-Elysees, Invalides............The Left Bank............Farther Afield............Shops and Markets............Entertainment in Paris............Paris Street Finder............Ile de FranceFrance by Region............Northeast France........................Specific Cities / Towns............Western France........................Specific Cities / Towns............Central France and the Alps........................Specific Cities / Towns............Southwest France........................Specific Cities / Towns............South France........................Specific Cities / TownsTravelers Needs............Hotels............RestaurantsSurvival Information............Practical Info.........................Police, safety, buses, trains, etc.............Travel Info.........................Maps, tours, currency, etc.............General Index............Phrase Book Discussion:The book begins with "A Portrait of France", including a complete map, a review of France, it's history, and France thought the Year - including events, etc., and France's History (very interesting).The Paris section is very good supports this book for those on a general tour of France (see Negatives below). But, one should get the alternative "Eyewitness Guide to Paris" if you wish better information on that city.Region with an "At a glance" overview, then has subsections of Cities / Towns, then specific locations, churches, historical monuments, bridge

I have just returned from our 3 week family ( & Hector) vacation in France and I loved the book!! It is very insightful and easy to follow. The pictures will lure you to the wonderful locations in France. Buy the book you will never regret it!! After your trip the book and the pictures will bring back all the great memories of your trip. I had some other books as well with me, however this book was the best. Au revoir