Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [0]
THE AUTHORS
GETTING STARTED
BACKGROUND
NEIGHBOURHOODS
SHOPPING
EATING
DRINKING
NIGHTLIFE & THE ARTS
SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
GAY & LESBIAN PARIS
SLEEPING
EXCURSIONS
TRANSPORT
DIRECTORY
LANGUAGE
BEHIND THE SCENES
WORLD TIME ZONES
MAP LEGEND
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THE AUTHORS
Steve Fallon
Steve, who has worked on every edition of Paris and France except the first, visited the ‘City of Light’ for the first time at age 16 with his half-French best friend, where they spent a week drinking vin ordinaire from plastic bottles, keeping several paces ahead of irate café waiters demanding to be paid, and learning French swear words that shocked even them. Despite this inexcusable behaviour, the PAF (border police) let him back in five years later to complete a degree in French at the Sorbonne. Now based in East London, Steve will be just one Underground stop away from Paris when Eurostar trains begin departing from Stratford in 2010. C’est si bon… Steve was the coordinating author and wrote the Introducing Paris, Getting Started, Background, Sleeping, Gay & Lesbian Paris and Directory chapters. He also cowrote the Neighbourhoods, Shopping, Eating, Drinking and Nightlife & the Arts chapters.
Nicola Williams
For Nicola, a British journalist living and working in France for the past 12 years (home is a hillside house with Lake Geneva view in Haute Savoie), it is an easy flit to Paris where she has spent endless amounts of time eating her way around and revelling in the city’s extraordinary art and architecture. When she’s not working for Lonely Planet, she can be found in the Alps skiing or hiking, strolling around Florence or having fun with family in Britain and Germany. Nicola has worked on numerous other Lonely Planet titles including France, Provence & the Côte d’Azur and The Loire. Nicola wrote the Sports & Activities, Excursions and Transport chapters. She also cowrote the Neighbourhoods, Shopping, Eating, Drinking and Nightlife & the Arts chapters.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Will Salter
In the last 12 years, Will has worked on assignment in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific region as well as Antarctica. He has produced a body of award-winning work that includes evocative images of travel, portraits and sport. He sees photography as a privilege, a rare opportunity to become intimately involved in people’s lives. Will is based in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and two children. His website is www.willsalter.com.
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LONELY PLANET AUTHORS
Why is our travel information the best in the world? It’s simple: our authors are passionate, dedicated travellers. They don’t take freebies in exchange for positive coverage so you can be sure the advice you’re given is impartial. They travel widely to all the popular spots, and off the beaten track. They don’t research using just the internet or phone. They discover new places not included in any other guidebook. They personally visit thousands of hotels, restaurants, palaces, trails, galleries, temples and more. They speak with dozens of locals every day to make sure you get the kind of insider knowledge only a local could tell you. They take pride in getting all the details right, and in telling it how it is. Think you can do it? Find out how at lonelyplanet.com.
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GETTING STARTED
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WHEN TO GO
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
COSTS & MONEY
INTERNET RESOURCES
BLOGS
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Paris is a dream destination for countless reasons, but among the most obvious is that it requires so very little advance planning. Tourist literature abounds, maps are excellent and readily available, and the staff at tourist offices are usually helpful and efficient. Paris is so well developed and organised that you don’t have to plan much of anything before your trip.
But this is fine only if your budget is unlimited, you don’t have an interest in any particular period of architecture or type of music, and you’ll eat or drink anything put down in front of you. This is Paris, one of the most