5.0 out of 5 based on 2 reviews. – Customer review on 24/05/2011

If you are looking for a light-weight guide to the best of the best and sometimes a couple of side-streets that traveller's don't generally go down, head to the Encounter's guides from Lonely Planet.
I have now travelled in the US, Europe and Asia on these guides and they are a great pocket-sized guide to the local metropolis.

I was in Paris for 9 weeks with work, and found that the Paris Encounter guide really helped with maximising my days in the city - I used a district by district approach because I had so many separate days and found it really effective with this guide. This was my first Encounter's guide and I swear by them now!

I did find that generally I required several maps to navigate - no one map, including the lonely planet encounter's map is really sufficient and I have noticed this in many cities, but generally, your concierge provided map and the encounters guide together will keep you out of trouble.

As a book you can comfortably hide in your handbag or jeans pocket, with the highlights easily accessible at the front and the by-district maps and guides to let you explore the other elements of interest in and around the major attractions, I recommend these guidebooks to anyone! particularly for short stays (48 hours or less) or for people who maybe have other interests than pure sightseeing (partying and shopping!).

Personal Tip -
I would suggest also taking with you a phrase book, the Lonely planet phrase books are the perfect size for your pocket or handbag and make life much more pleasant when dealing with other cultures!

Also jump in and read some Stephen Clarke ("A Year in the Merde") before you go, this Brit in France is a hilarious read and at the same time prevents you running into the typical tourist blunders whilst in Paris.

Bon Voyage!!

5.0 out of 5 based on 2 reviews. – Customer review on 10/02/2010

This is a good city to one of the most visited cities in the world. Informative guide with plenty of suggestions on sights and must do's. The bonus map is very handy when walking around.