Bon jour
I'm just about to put in an order with Amazon, and I'm a bit confused (nothing new there) about which map to buy. Could anyone recommend a good large scale map for plotting my itinerary?
I basically know where I want to go, I just have to figure out how to group places together and find my way there.
Merci beacoup
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12,063 posts
110 reviews I use a Berlitz Flexi Map "Monuments and Museums"
It has all the "must sees" in large graphics and the metro with a fairly good street index as well. It's really sturdy and laminated... so you can open it in the rain and I use post'it stickers to point out things I need to be able to find easily, like our apartment. We paid 5.50E and bought it in Paris. I do know you can get them in the travel section of bookshops here in Australia so I presume you can in the states also if you want to check them out.
The only Berlitz maps I can find are out of print or very old. :( Thank you anyway.
Take a look at what's on offer at Stanfords in London. The link below is for maps of Paris. If you click on the links you will get a short blurb abut what info the map displays plus a small small sample or part of the map.
I am not sure what the online shopping arrangements are but at least you will know what to look for in the US once you have decided.
My favourite and 'never travel to Paris without' is the Paris Mapguide by Michael Middleditch. Note it comes in thin booklet form which may or may not appeal to you.
There is a great pamphlet sized map booklet that fits easily in a purse called Paris Pratique Par Arrondissement. It is found everywhere here, in news stands, bookstores, touristy souvenir stores, tabac, supermarkets and many other places:
amazon.com/Atlas-routiers-Paris-pratique-arr…
The only down side to this map is unlike a large fold out map you can't see the entire city laid out in one glance. But the same places that sell the Paris Pratique will sell the fold out maps as well. This is the type of map I use and prefer. You want one of the scale 1:12,000. The maps I mentioned will show the sites, gardens, parks, attractions, museums, monuments and the location of all the métro and RER stops. My map is an IGN map (Institut Géographique National).
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12,063 posts
110 reviews Just to let you know... even though we have a couple of pocket maps we use ... the metro stations have large maps on street level. So they are pretty much everywhere when walking around.
I always visit a good bookstore to look at the actual maps on hand there before I buy anything online. You could just find a Paris overview map online and print it out, write on it, or use a number system to plot things (1, 2, 3 = Eiffel, Louvre, Notre Dame...)... or you could do your plotting by customizing a personal Google map, and then buy one of the Paris Practique books in Paris, any newstand or book store...
I have a larger version (purse size, not pocket size) called 'Le Petit Parisien - 3 arrondissements', which has separate street, metro and bus map for each Arr.; the metro and bus lines are shown as overlays on the streets. It is excellent for combining bus w/metro use.
DJKBrooks posted this in their trip report. I ordered it, and it arrived in 3 days. I think it's what FM is suggesting
"For using the buses, and getting around in general, best resource is
massin.fr/plans-de-paris/754-le-petit-parisi…
Someone verified recently that code MASSIN13 works for no S&H and you'll receive it in about a week."
There are three two-page spreads for each arrondissment. One shows metro info, with taxi ranks, velib, post offices, police - all sorts of things. Another shows bus routes. Another is a detailed street map. It's fantastic and will fit in any medium or larger purse. The total was E5.85
Edited: 28 April 2013, 15:15I can order a used "Paris Pratique...." from Amazon, and I shall. As far as maps, all of those suggestions are unavailable or very old. Middlemitch is 2002. Here's a brief list of what comes up on an Amazon search in the USA: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Paris+maps
I don't know what would be better: Streetwise, Michelin, Borch, Knopf, Nat. Geo, etc. I only want this map right now to plan at home. I'm trying to group the things I want to do in half a day together and figure out the metro/bus stops from my hotel to them, by seeing what's in the same vicinity. I'm sure I'll pick up another map in Paris for the metro/bus and/or use something on my iPhone.
Hmmmm, I'm getting "that page no longer exists"
This map might be useful:
