“What are the best Travel and Guide Books For Visiting France?” We looked at 101 of the top French guidebooks, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
The top 14 titles, all appearing on 2 or more “Best French Guidebook” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 75+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.
Happy Scrolling!
The DK Eyewitness France Travel Guide is your indispensable guide to this beautiful part of the world. The fully updated guide includes unique cutaways, floorplans and reconstructions of the must-see sites, plus street-by-street maps of all the fascinating cities and towns. The new-look guide is also packed with photographs and illustrations leading you straight to the best attractions on offer. The uniquely visual DK Eyewitness Travel guide will help you to discover everything region-by-region; from local festivals and markets to day trips around the countryside. Detailed listings will guide you to the best hotels, restaurants, bars and shops for all budgets, whilst detailed practical information will help you to get around, whether by train, bus or car. Plus, DK’s excellent insider tips and essential local information will help you explore every corner of France effortlessly. DK Eyewitness France Travel Guide – showing you what others only tell you.
From the Most Respected Names in Travel and Language Instruction Fodor’s French for Travelers makes it easy to speak and understand French, even if you’ve never studied it before. And it’s all backed by the experience of Fodor’s, the most trusted name in travel, and Living Language, publishers of best-selling language courses for more than half a century. •2,200 words and phrases •A 1,600-word two-way dictionary •Speak French right away — Just read straight from the book. Accurate, easy to use phonetics help you speak like a native. •Find what you need right away — Words and phrases are grouped by topic. •Handle every situation — You’ll find all the words and phrases you need for every part of your trip, from arrival to departure. •Travel Smart — Fodor’s correspondents share their know-how throughout.
A strong case can be made that Paris leads the world’s other cities in art and cuisine, in architecture and history, in music and sculpture, in philosophy and political ferment, in nearly every other area on interest to the visitor. It has to be seen and experienced, and with the euro dipping in value, now is an ideal time to make a visit come true.
Lists It Appears On:
Written by outspoken, authoritative experts, Frommer’s France shows travelers how to experience the country the way the locals do. This classic Frommers series includes exact prices, candid reviews of the best and most authentic restaurants, attractions and hotels in every price range (from hostels to guest-welcoming chateaus), and dozens of detailed maps. We also include advice the tourist board wouldn’t approve of: which sites to skip, how to avoid the crowds, and how to stretch your travel budget further, whether you’re on a lavish honeymoon or backpacking it. Vive La France!
From the heights of Sacre Coeur to the gently rolling Seine, feel the joie de vivre of Europe’s crowning glory. Watch Parisian life pass you by from an outdoor cafe, deck yourself out in fashion finery or escape on an enticing excursion to a chateau. With discerning information on everything Paris has to offer, this guide gives you the city at your fingertips. Be Awestruck – the city is an open-air gallery and this book your private tour guide. Flash That Credit Card – from “haute couture” to flea markets our expert authors take you inside the Parisian shopping scene. Rest Your Tete – we’ve trawled the streets of Paris to bring you this hand-picked selection of sleeping establishments. Devour the world’s finest cuisine with our delectable eating reviews. Find Your Way around with our 32 easy-to-use color maps.
The location of France in Europe and its tumultuous history have shaped the nation into a land of many regions, each with its own distinctive traditions. This diversity, the wealth of cultural heritage, and the great variety of natural landscapes offer the visitor an array of destinations to meet every desire. THE GREEN GUIDE, the perfect travel companion: a discerning and up-to-date source of information. Practical and comprehensive, it offers suggestions on what to see and what to do, background on history and cultural heritage and a selection of hotels and restaurants. Ideal guides for the independent tourist, THE GREEN GUIDE explores destinations both near and far. Sights are rated – 3 stars “worth a journey, ” 2 stars “worth a detour” and 1 star “interesting.” Map itineraries make planning easy, whether visiting the highlights or venturing off the beaten path. Travel with THE GREEN GUIDE for an exciting and memorable experience.
The bestselling story of Julia’s years in France–and the basis for Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams–in her own words. Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, Julia Child was not always a master chef. Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work for the USIS, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her newfound passion for cooking and teaching. Julia’s unforgettable story–struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year long marriage that took the Childs across the globe–unfolds with the spirit so key to Julia’s success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of America’s most endearing personalities.
There’s so much to see and do in Paris that it’s hard to know where to start. With this friendly guide, you’ll see the light. You’ll take in the dazzling nightlights and vibrant nightlife… the historic sites and monuments and the tres chic boutiques…the treasured art masterpieces and tomorrow’s fashion trends. Linger over a gourmet French meal, relax in a sidewalk cafe, or enjoy a picnic in the park. Stroll beautiful formal gardens or pick Monet’s Water Lilies at the newly opened Musee de l’Orangerie. Take a boat tour of the Seine or a bike ride to Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes. This friendly guide gets you in a fun, French fame of mind with info on: How to use the fantastic transportation system and make sense of the euro Must-see sites, including the Louvre, the Eiffel Tour, Musee d’Orsay, the Cathedral de Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and more Incredible parks and gardens, including the Jardin des Tuileries, the Jardin du Luxembourg in the Latin quarter, Parc de la Villette with its theme gardens, and more Where to shop for over-the top luxury items, find discount or overstock stores, and buy kids’ clothes Culture and entertainment options, ranging from theater, opera, symphony, and ballet to live comedy and inexpensive organ recitals in glorious churches Diverse clubs in different neighborhoods, including Barrio Latino, Batofar (an Irish light ship docked in the Seine), Red Light where the trendiest kids wear the latest fashions, Le Wax with its psychedelic decor, and more Like every For Dummies travel guide, Paris For Dummies, 4th Edition includes: Down-to-earth trip-planning advice What you shouldn’t miss — and what you can skip The best hotels and restaurants for every budget Handy Post-it Flags to mark your favorite pages Whether you would rather tour cathedrals with glorious stained glass, explore quaint neighborhoods, hit the happening scenes, or sip fine French wine overlooking the City of Lights, this guide will help you experience Paris with joie de vivre.
The Greater Journey is the enthralling, inspiring – and until now, untold – story of the adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians, architects, and others of high aspiration who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900, ambitious to excel in their work. After risking the hazardous journey across the Atlantic, these Americans embarked on a greater journey in the City of Light. Most had never left home, never experienced a different culture. None had any guarantee of success. That they achieved so much for themselves and their country profoundly altered American history. As David McCullough writes, “Not all pioneers went west.” Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor in America, was one of this intrepid band. Another was Charles Sumner, who enrolled at the Sorbonne because of a burning desire to know more about everything. There he saw black students with the same ambition he had, and when he returned home, he would become the most powerful, unyielding voice for abolition in the U.S. Senate, almost at the cost of his life.
Walking his two young children to school every morning, Thad Carhart passes an unassuming little storefront in his Paris neighborhood. Intrigued by its simple sign — Desforges Pianos — he enters, only to have his way barred by the shop’s imperious owner. Unable to stifle his curiosity, he finally lands the proper introduction, and a world previously hidden is brought into view. Luc, the atelier’s master, proves an indispensable guide to the history and art of the piano. Intertwined with the story of a musical friendship are reflections on how pianos work, their glorious history, and stories of the people who care for them, from amateur pianists to the craftsmen who make the mechanism sing. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank is at once a beguiling portrait of a Paris not found on any map and a tender account of the awakening of a lost childhood passion. Praise for The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: [Carhart’s] writing is fluid and lovely enough to lure the rustiest plunker back to the piano bench and the most jaded traveler back to Paris. San Francisco Chronicle Captivating .
Like so many others, David Lebovitz dreamed about living in Paris ever since he first visited the city in the 1980s. Finally, after a nearly two-decade career as a pastry chef and cookbook author, he moved to Paris to start a new life. Having crammed all his worldly belongings into three suitcases, he arrived, hopes high, at his new apartment in the lively Bastille neighborhood. But he soon discovered it’s a different world “en France.” From learning the ironclad rules of social conduct to the mysteries of men’s footwear, from shopkeepers who work so hard not to sell you anything to the etiquette of working the right way around the cheese plate, here is David’s story of how he came to fall in love with–and even understand–this glorious, yet sometimes maddening, city. When did he realize he had morphed into “un vrai parisien”? It might have been when he found himself considering a purchase of men’s dress socks with cartoon characters on them. Or perhaps the time he went to a bank with 135 euros in hand to make a 134-euro payment, was told the bank had no change that day, and thought it was completely normal. Or when he found himself dressing up to take out the garbage because he had come to accept that in Paris appearances and image mean everything. The more than fifty original recipes, for dishes both savory and sweet, such as Pork Loin with Brown Sugar-Bourbon Glaze, Braised Turkey in Beaujolais Nouveau with Prunes, Bacon and Bleu Cheese Cake, Chocolate-Coconut Marshmallows, Chocolate Spice Bread, Lemon-Glazed Madeleines, and Mocha-Creme Fraiche Cake, will have readers running to the kitchen once they stop laughing. “The Sweet Life in Paris” is a deliciously funny, offbeat, and irreverent look at the city of lights, cheese, chocolate, and other confections.
France is a country that seduces travellers with its unfalteringly familiar culture woven around cafe terraces, village-square markets and lace-curtained bistros with their plat du jour (dish of the day) chalked on the board. – 10 months of research in France and thousands of calories consumed along the way – clear, easy-to-use maps and 3D plans of iconic sights – 70 evocative châteaux – comprehensive planning tools Coverage Includes: Planning chapters, Paris, Around Paris, Lille, Flanders, the Somme, Normandy, Brittany, Champagne, Alsace, Lorraine, The Loire Valley, Burgundy, Lyon, the Rhône Valley, French Alps, the Jura Mountains, Massif Central, Limousin, the Dordogne, the Lot, Atlantic Coast, French Basque Country, The Pyrenees, Toulouse Area, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, The French Riviera, Monaco, Corsica, Understanding and Survival chapters.
Explore every centimeter of Paris, from the top of the Eiffel tower to the ancient catacombs below the city: with Rick Steves on your side, Paris can be yours! Inside Rick Steves Paris 2018 you’ll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Paris Rick’s strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from Notre-Dame and the Palace of Versailles to where to find the perfect croissant How to connect with culture: Chat with artisans in open-air markets, take in the works of Degas, and browse the multi-colored displays of macarons Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick’s candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax over a glass of vin rouge Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums and churches Detailed maps, including a fold-out map for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, French phrase book, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 500 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Annually updated information on the Historic Core, Left Bank, Opera Neighborhood, Champs-Elysees, Marais neighborhood, Montmartre, and more, as well as day trips to Versailles, Chartres, Giverny, and Auvers-sur-Oise Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Paris 2018. Spending just a few days in the city? Try Rick Steves Pocket Paris.
Wander the lavender fields of Provence, climb the Eiffel Tower, and bite into a perfect croissant: with Rick Steves on your side, France can be yours! Inside Rick Steves France 2018 you’ll find: Comprehensive coverage for planning a multi-week trip to France Rick’s strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from Louvre and the Palace of Versailles to neighborhood restaurants and delicate macarons How to connect with local culture: Stroll through open-air markets in Paris, or bike between rustic villages and local vineyards Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick’s candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax over a vin rouge Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and museums Vital trip-planning tools, like how to link destinations, build your itinerary, and get from place to place Detailed maps, including a fold-out map for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, French phrase book, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 1,000 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Annually updated information on Paris, Chartres, Normandy, Mont St-Michel, Brittany, The Loire, Dordogne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, The French Riviera, Nice, Monaco, The French Alps, Burgundy, Lyon, Alsace, Reims, Verdun, and much more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves France 2018. Planning a one- to two-week trip? Check out Rick Steves Best of France.
| # | Book | Author | Lists |
| (Titles Appear On 1 List Each) | |||
| 15 | 13 Paintings Children Should Know | Angela Wenzel | Santorini Dave |
| 16 | A Bite-Sized History of France… | Stephane Henaut | Barnes & Noble |
| 17 | A Jewel In France: Montpellier | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 18 | A Moveable Feast | Ernest Hemingway | Santorini Dave |
| 19 | A Sport and a Pastime | James Salter | CN Traveler |
| 20 | A Year in Provence | Peter Mayle | Barnes & Noble |
| 21 | Adèle & Simon | Barbara McClintock | Santorini Dave |
| 22 | Arthur Frommer | Experience Plus | |
| 23 | Avignon, Nimes & St. Remy de Provence | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 24 | Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris | A. J. Liebling | Santorini Dave |
| 25 | Bright Lights Paris | Wiki.ezvid | |
| 26 | Cadogan Guides | Experience Plus | |
| 27 | Camargue, La Crau and Les Alpilles | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 28 | Carcassonne | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 29 | Cathar Country: Carcassonne and Aude | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 30 | Chic Shopping Paris | Paris Escapes | |
| 31 | Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris | Paris Escapes | |
| 32 | Collins Gem French Phrasebook” | Fluent U | |
| 33 | DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Paris | French Culture | |
| 34 | Down and Out in Paris and London | George Orwell | CN Traveler |
| 35 | Eastern Pyrenees Footprint Focus Guide | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 36 | Eyewitness Travel Guides Phrase Book” | Fluent U | |
| 37 | Fodor’s Around Paris with Kids: 68 Great Things to Do Together | Paris Escapes | |
| 38 | Food Lover’s Guide | Wiki.ezvid | |
| 39 | Forever Paris | Wiki.ezvid | |
| 40 | France Bed and Breakfasts: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries | French Culture | |
| 41 | France Eyewitness Travel Guide | Trip Savvy | |
| 42 | France Hotels: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries | French Culture | |
| 43 | French Phrases For Dummies” | Fluent U | |
| 44 | How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City | Joan DeJean | Santorini Dave |
| 45 | I’ll Always Have Paris | Art Buchwald | Santorini Dave |
| 46 | Insight City Guide: Paris | Love To Know | |
| 47 | Katie Meets The Impressionists | James Mayhew | Santorini Dave |
| 48 | Languedoc & Roussillon | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 49 | Languedoc-Roussillon: Another World | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 50 | Le Divorce | Diane Johnson | Santorini Dave |
| 51 | Let’s Go: France on a Budget | Love To Know | |
| 52 | Letters on Cézanne | Rainer Maria Rilke | CN Traveler |
| 53 | Little Black Book of Paris | French Culture | |
| 54 | Lonely Planet French Phrasebook | Fluent U | |
| 55 | Lovers at the Chameleon Club | Francine Prose | CN Traveler |
| 56 | LUXE Paris (Luxe City Guides) | French Culture | |
| 57 | Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles | Rupert Kingfisher | Santorini Dave |
| 58 | Madeline | Ludwig Bemelmans | Santorini Dave |
| 59 | Markets of Paris | Frugal First Class Travel | |
| 60 | Mastering the Art of French… | Ann Mah | Barnes & Noble |
| 61 | Me Talk Pretty One Day | David Sedaris | Santorini Dave |
| 62 | Mission Paris Top-Secret | Wiki.ezvid | |
| 63 | Montpellier and Beyond Travel Guide | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 64 | My Twenty-Five Years in… | Peter Mayle | Barnes & Noble |
| 65 | Narbonne et la Narbonnaise | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 66 | Nightwood | Djuna Barnes | CN Traveler |
| 67 | Nîmes | Creme De Langue Doc | |
| 68 | Paris flea markets | Frugal First Class Travel | |
| 69 | Paris for Foodies: Your Ultimate Guide to Eating in Paris | Frederic Bibard | Santorini Dave |
| 70 | Paris in Stride: An Insider’s Walking Guide | Jessie Kanelos Weiner & Sarah Moroz | Santorini Dave |
| 71 | Paris to the Moon | Adam Gopnik | Santorini Dave |
| 72 | Paris Trance | Geoff Dyer | CN Traveler |
| 73 | Paris: Made by Hand | Frugal First Class Travel | |
| 74 | Paris: The Novel | Edward Rutherfurd | Santorini Dave |
| 75 | Parisian Chic | Frugal First Class Travel | |
| 76 | Parisian Chic City Guide | Frugal First Class Travel | |
| 77 | Provence and the Cote d’Azur:… | Janelle McCulloch | Barnes & Noble |
| 78 | Pudlo Paris | Paris Escapes | |
| 79 | Quiet Paris | Frugal First Class Travel | |
| 80 | Rick Steves’ French Phrase Book and Dictionary” | Fluent U | |
| 81 | Rimbaud: A Biography | Robb Graham | Santorini Dave |
| 82 | Romantic Paris | Paris Escapes | |
| 83 | Rough Guides | Experience Plus | |
| 84 | Seven Ages of Paris | Alistair Horne | Santorini Dave |
| 85 | The Discovery of France | Robb Graham | Santorini Dave |
| 86 | The Elegance of the Hedgehog | Muriel Barbery | Santorini Dave |
| 87 | The Flaneur: A Stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris | Edmund White | Santorini Dave |
| 88 | The Invention of Hugo Cabret | Brian Selznick | Santorini Dave |
| 89 | The Little Black Book Of Paris | Wiki.ezvid | |
| 90 | The Only Street in Paris: Life… | Elaine Sciolino | Barnes & Noble |
| 91 | The Paris Mapguide | Paris Escapes | |
| 92 | The Paris Wife | Paula McLain | Santorini Dave |
| 93 | The Penguin French Phrasebook” | Fluent U | |
| 94 | The Riviera Set: Glitz,… | Mary S. Lovell | Barnes & Noble |
| 95 | The Sun Also Rises | Ernest Hemingway | CN Traveler |
| 96 | This is Paris | Miroslav Sasek | CN Traveler |
| 97 | Time Out Paris | Paris Escapes | |
| 98 | Top 10 Paris | DK Travel | Barnes & Noble |
| 99 | Travel Planning Page | Experience Plus | |
| 100 | WiKIDly Awesome Travels | Wiki.ezvid | |
| 101 | Your Great Trip To France | Wiki.ezvid | |
| Source | Article |
| Barnes & Noble | France – Travel, Europe – Travel, Books | Barnes & Noble® |
| CN Traveler | 10 Books to Inspire Your Next Trip to France – Condé Nast Traveler |
| Creme De Langue Doc | Travel guide books on Languedoc-Roussillon, south of France |
| Experience Plus | A Guide’s Guide to the Best Travel Guide Books (and… | ExperiencePlus! |
| Fluent U | 6 French Phrasebooks to Get You On Your Feet Abroad – FluentU |
| French Culture | Best France Travel Guides – French Culture Adventures |
| Frugal First Class Travel | The best Paris guidebooks you’ve never heard of – frugal first class travel |
| Love To Know | Best Tourism Guidebooks for France – Travel – LoveToKnow |
| Paris Escapes | Recommended Guide Books for Travel to Paris, France – Paris Escapes |
| Santorini Dave | 26 Best Books about Paris – Updated for 2018 – Santorini Dave |
| Trip Savvy | France Travel Guidebooks – Best Books on French Travel – TripSavvy |
| Wiki.ezvid | Top 10 Paris Travel Books of 2018 | Video Review – Ezvid Wiki |
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