Margie Rynn - Frommers EasyGuide to Paris 2014

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margie Rynn has been living and writing in France for over 13 years, mostly in Paris. The author of Pauline Frommers Paris, she has also written features for several travel publications, including Budget Travel Magazine, EasyJet Inflight, Ryanair, and Wizzit, as well as other magazines like Time Out New York, The Amicus Journal, and Yoga Journal. In a previous New York life, she acted in a Broadway play and performed her own one-woman show at the HERE performance space. Margie is married to a kind and understanding Frenchman and they have a lovely 11-year-old son.

ABOUT THE FROMMER TRAVEL GUIDES

For most of the past 50 years, Frommers has been the leading series of travel guides in North America, accounting for as many as 24% of all guidebooks sold. I think I know why.

Though we hope our books are entertaining, we nevertheless deal with travel in a serious fashion. Our guidebooks have never looked on such journeys as a mere recreation, but as a far more important human function, a time of learning and introspection, an essential part of a civilized life. We stress the culture, lifestyle, history and beliefs of the destinations we cover, and urge our readers to seek out people and new ideas as the chief rewards of travel.

We have never shied from controversy. We have, from the beginning, encouraged our authors to be intensely judgmental, critical--both pro and con--in their comments, and wholly independent. Our only clients are our readers, and we have triggered the ire of countless prominent sorts, from a tourist newspaper we called practically worthless (it unsuccessfully sued us) to the many rip-offs weve condemned.

And because we believe that travel should be available to everyone regardless of their incomes, we have always been cost-conscious at every level of expenditure. Though we have broadened our recommendations beyond the budget category, we insist that every lodging we include be sensibly priced. We use every form of media to assist our readers, and are particularly proud of our feisty daily website, the award-winning Frommers.com.

I have high hopes for the future of Frommers. May these guidebooks, in all the years ahead, continue to reflect the joy of travel and the freedom that travel represents. May they always pursue a cost-conscious path, so that people of all incomes can enjoy the rewards of travel. And may they create, for both the traveler and the persons among whom we travel, a community of friends, where all human beings live in harmony and peace.

Arthur Frommer

P aris is a magnificent city, worthy of all the superlatives that have been heaped upon it for centuries. Its graceful streets, soaked in history, really are as elegant as they say. Its monuments and museums really are extraordinary, and a slightly world-weary fin de sicle grandeur really is part of day-to-day existence. But Paris is so much more than a beautiful assemblage of buildings and monuments. It is the pulsing heart of the French nation.

But if you look beyond its beautiful faade, youll see that this is a city where flesh-and-blood people live and work and a place where there is a palpable urban buzz. Not only is Paris the capital of the country, but if you include the suburbs, it is home to 20% of the countrys population and the source of almost all French jobs. Paris is Frances financial, artistic, and cultural center.

Not all that long ago, Paris was not only the navel of France but the shining beacon of Europe. All the continents greatest minds and talents clamored to come here: The city seduced Nietzsche, Chopin, Picasso, and Wilde, just to name a few. Since the end of World War II, the city has lost some of its global luster. Parisians often moan about Frances place in the world and whether or not globalization is a good thing; behind the hand-wringing are some very legitimate concerns about a disappearing way of life.

But despite these concerns, or maybe because of them, Paris is still a bastion of the best of French culture. The culinary legacy alone is enough to fill several books. You can eat your way to nirvana in the citys restaurants, gourmet food stores, and bakeries. The architecture ranges from the lavish opulence of . And lets not even get into the citys concert halls, nightspots, parks, gardens, and cafesat least not just yet. Even if you have time to see only a fraction of what youd like to see, in the long run, it really wont matter. What counts is that youll have been to Paris, sampled its wonders, and savored the experienceand that counts for a lot.

MOST unforgettable PARIS EXPERIENCES

Seeing the city from above: Whether its from the top of the sing. There are no skyscrapers in the city center (OK, theres the Tour Montparnasse, but we try to forget) and you can scan the cityscape and see many of the most famous monuments poking out above the elegant Haussmannian buildings.

Strolling across the Pont Neuf: The view from here is dramatic. To one side, youll see the Ile de la Cit, to the other, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Its a little like standing in the navel of the Parisian universe, and in fact, you are: The island that this bridge straddles dates back to the citys earliest beginnings.

Walking along the Seine at night: Paris is beautiful in the daytime, but at night, when many of the monuments are lit up, its positively bewitching. Strolling along the banks of the Seine at night is about as romantic as it gets. A boat cruise is another great way to enjoy the magic.