Synopsis
The Rough Guide to Paris is the definitive handbook to one of Europe's most glamorous and romantic destinations. This edition includes a 24 page full-colour section introducing the city's highlights. There are evocative accounts of all the sights, from the magnificent Louvre to the atmospheric streets of the Marais. The guide includes incisive and up-to-the-minute reviews of all the best cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels and hand-picked listings of shops and markets, clubs kids' attractions - presenting the reader with the bestParis has to offer, for every budget. A further chapter includes in-depth coverage of day-trips from the city, including Versailles and Disneyland Paris. "All the help and advice you'll need" Business Traveller Magazine
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About the Author
Ruth Blackmore is a senior editor at Rough Guides, co-author of Paris Directions and a contributor to the Rough Guide to France and the Rough Guide to Classical Music. James McConnachie is a writer and photographer from London. He is author of the Rough Guide to The Loire, co-author of Nepal and Paris Directions and contributor to the Rough Guide to France.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
WHEN TO GO The best time to visit Paris is largely a question of personal taste. The city has a more reliable climate than Britain, with uninterrupted stretches of sun (or rain) year-round. However, while it maintains a vaguely southern feel for anyone crossing the English Channel, Mediterranean it is not. Winter temperatures drop well below freezing, with sometimes biting winds. If you’re lucky, spring and autumn will be mild and sunny; in summer it can reach the 30s°C (80s°F). In terms of pure aesthetics, winter sun is the city’s most flattering light, when the pale shades of the older buildings become luminescent and long shadows criss-cross the parks. By contrast, Paris in high summer can be unpleasant, with the fumes of congested traffic becoming trapped within the high narrow streets, and the reflected light in the city’s open spaces too blinding to enjoy. One of the quietest times of year to visit is during the French summer holidays from July 15 to the end of August, when large numbers of Parisians flee the city for the coast or mountains. However, a lot of Paris’s shops and restaurants will be closed during this period. There is, too, the commercial calendar to consider – fashion shows, trade fairs and the like. Paris hoteliers warn against visiting during the months of September and October, and finding a room even at the best of times can be problematic. Early spring, autumn if you book ahead, or the midwinter months will be most rewarding.
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