Books and Plans for Paris Trip

I've finalized the plans for the twelve days in Paris.  I was finally able to design the master map that I wanted to build. The street map, complete with wonderful chocolate shops, cafes, secret gardens, and hidden passages and galleries.  I can now plan the path that we take from museum to museum to be able to take advantage of all that Paris has to offer.

I've used several books to find my "best places", as well as independent internet surfing.  Here is the list from my library. These are all Amazon affiliate links for me.

Rick Steves' Paris 2011 - Nicely organized walks, sites. Rick has great advice for making a trip awesome.

Rick Steves' France 2011 with map - I used this for the day trips that we are taking to some of the chateaux.

Knopf Guide: Paris (Knopf City Guides) - This is a great book to have once you return home too. It's beautifully illustrated. Even though it is small, it's a little heavy to carry on the trip.

 City Walks: Paris, Revised Edition: 50 Adventures on Foot - This is a little box of 50 cards...walks.  It is easy to take one of the cards with you as your leave your apartment.  The walks start and end at a Metro station.

Historic Paris Walks (Codogan Guides: Historic Walks S.) - Provides historical background on various areas. I used it to compliment the Versailles Gardens walks.

Frommer's Memorable Walks in Paris - I got some great ideas for the Marais district from this book.  These walks also start and stop at Metro stations.

The Patisseries of Paris: Chocolatiers, Tea Salons, Ice Cream Parlors, and more - This is the reference that I used when I marked my map so that I know where the closest chocolatier is located at any given moment.

The Authentic Bistros of Paris - This is my reference for the bistros and cafes.  As with the Patisseries book, this support my cause to sample the cuisine throughout the trip.

Markets of Paris: Food, Antiques, Artisanal Crafts, Books & More, with Restaurant Recommendations - We have an apartment during the trip, so we often eat a nice sized lunch at a cafe or bistro, and then shop the markets for fresh cheeses, meats, fruits, breads, wines...and of course, deserts.  Arms are loaded as we make our way back to the apartment to enjoy our at home meal.  Shoes off, we can enjoy the new tastes while we marvel at what we saw during the day.

These books are great references to use as you plan your trip, remember your trip, or just dream of the trip to come.