
Adventure Guide:
Paris & Ile-de-France
by Heather Stimmler-Hall
(Hunter Publishing, 2004)
ISBN 1-58843-396-X
Paris is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, so there’s certainly no shortage of travel guides available. But the “Paris & Ile-de-France Adventure Guide” combines the best in practical travel planning advice with real insider tips and opinions to help visitors get the most out of their stay, whether it’s their first or fourteenth trip to Paris. In addition to 32 pages of color photographs and 40 maps, here’s what you’ll find inside:
• Unique to this guide is a Cultural Adventures section full of opportunities to interact with the locals in Parisian cultural pursuits such as cooking classes in a private home, tango lessons, wine tasting, sketching in an artist’s studio, French-English conversation group, or getting pampered in the city’s exotic hammams (hot baths).
• As part of the Hunter Adventure series, it includes outdoor activities such as cycling, boating, skating and hiking, and even information on how to participate in Paris marathons or join a moonlit horseback ride.
• The sightseeing section doesn’t just cover the obvious “must see” monuments, but also the lesser-known neighborhoods and sights, while carefully steering clear of tourist traps.
• The guide reveals the best places to get a fabulous meal under €20 and a charming hotel under €100 — because even if you’re not a budget traveler, you still don’t want to be ripped off, right?
• The guide includes the best places to visit within 90 minutes of Paris such as Chantilly, Fontainebleau, Versailles and Rambouillet, with full sightseeing, hotel, dining, and adventure information for each town.
• Finally, it’s written by a resident (yours truly), not someone flown in for a few months. It took over a year of fact-checking, wearing down the soles of my shoes (in rain, snow, and even a heatwave), and scrutinizing every nook and cranny of the city and countryside to bring you the best of the best. I write about the places that I think are really worth visiting, not just because they’re “famous”. And every hotel, restaurant, bar and boutique in the guide was reviewed anonymously, and at my own expense.
Some Reviews
“Hunter Travel Guides Adventure Guide to Paris & Ile-de-France by Heather Stimmler-Hall is certainly THE guidebook we wish had been published before our last trip to Paris. This 450 page book is so well organized and indexed as to teach you everything you want to know about French history and Paris itself before you arrive. With tips of how to plan your trip within your intended budget and to meet your expectations and all you need to know about documents etc., this guide is tops. The book helps you get oriented to Paris and its environs, taking each neighborhood and section and detailing places to stay, eat, and cultural events and activities nearby. There are extensive guide sections to shopping and entertainment, culture, and getting around. Additionally there are about 100 pages devoted to side trips for special sites not to miss near Paris, such as Versailles, Fountainebleu, and others. In the final pages of the guidebook you’ll learn t he necessary phrases in French to help you get through our stay without too much confusion; however, there is no guide to pronunciation of the phrases. This Adventure Guide, like others from Hunter Travel Guides, is THE ONE you’ll be so glad you selected. (…)” – Amazon.com review by Bonnie Neely
“Heather, Bravo! I ran to our university bookstore after reading in Metropole Paris about your new Hunter Guide. It is great! Wonderful photos (they really capture the feeling of the districts) & I can see we have hours of pleasant reading and remembering ahead of us. Job well done!” –
Michael & Susan Peskura, Seattle USA
“Heather, I just wanted to drop you a quick note and tell how helpful your information was for our trip to Paris. My only regret is we didn’t have the opportunity to meet you personally. We found all of your recommendations “dead on” as well as much more enjoyable than the standard “guide books”. We actually used your information for almost everything we did. I will continue to read your news letter as it brings back the enchanting 9 days we spend in Paris. WE WILL BE BACK!!” – Tony & Kathleen Hoagland, Utah
“Heather, Liesl passed on your email exchange to me and I just wanted to add my personal thanks to you for making our trip very special. In addition to our time with you, many of the restaurants, museums, and other activities we enjoyed came straight from your book. The Palais de Tokyo and 404 were a couple of the major highlights, but all of your descriptions were right on target. I can assure you that we will refer our friends to you and your book and trust that our paths will cross again in the future. Au revoir for now and thanks again.” – David G. Tittsworth, Washington, D.C.
Where to Purchase the Book
“The Adventure Guide Paris & Ile-de-France” is available at all major bookstores in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom, or online at Hunter Publishing, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. You can also find it in the following Paris book shop:
The Abbey Bookshop 29 Rue de la Parcheminerie, 5th Tel: 01 46 33 16 24 |
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