Select Paris

Select Paris is a brand-new, full-color guide to this vibrant city, offering authentic experiences, fresh discoveries, and a good dose of local culture, all brought together in an engaging narrative style by a writer who knows the city inside-out.

The guide begins with an inspirational In the mood for… section, filled with suggestions covering a wide range of things to do, places to eat, drink and shop – all grouped by mood. Whether you’re looking for a gourmet blow-out, cutting-edge fashion, views from the top, or a quintessential Parisian experience, there’s a list of options to match your mood.

The heart of the guide, The Selection, offers a collection of over 100 inspiring ideas for a memorable stay in Paris, with plenty of secret gems and off-beat haunts in the mix. Opt for high romance with a night at the Opera Garnier; take a different angle on the skyline from the Eiffel Tower or the gazebo in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont… before plunging down into the Paris Sewers or a flit through the Catacombs; shop for vintage chic in the Marais, then follow the literary trail of Hemingway in the Latin Quarter; tune in to the Parisians’ love of food, everywhere, from street markets and simple bistros to grand dining establishments; be pampered at the spa George V or luxuriate in cake at the Pâtisserie des Rêves; revel in world-class galleries from the Centre Pompidou to the Louvre; take the family on a botanical tour of the Jardin des Plantes and a behind-the-screen tour at the Grand Rex; or make a date with the macabre at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, where Doors legend Jim Morrison is buried. The selections are organized by city neighborhood, from the Ile de la Cité, Ile St-Louis and Marais district outwards to the heights of Montmartre, and finally to Beyond the Centre. So wherever you are and however much time you have, you can dip in for inspiration and insider tips – backed up with clear and detailed mapping, and a wealth of practical information.

Hotels is a separate section offering a hand-picked selection of great places to stay in Paris, organized by theme, whether you are seeking somewhere historic, small and stylish, quirky, luxurious and grand, or with a top-notch view.

Finally, the Essentials section incorporates a user-friendly run-down of information on getting around Paris and other key practical points, plus thematic and general indexes.

Armed with a degree in History from Cambridge University, Natasha Edwards worked in book and magazine publishing – mainly specialising in art, design and architecture – before moving to Paris nearly twenty years ago to cover the city's arts and cultural scene for Time Out Paris. She has been exploring Paris and all things French, from gastronomy and art happenings, to shops and hotels, ever since. She writes regularly for Condé Nast Traveller and the Daily Telegraph travel pages among other publications, and is the author of guide books to Paris, Provence, the French Riviera, Lille, Reims and the Pays Basque, among them Insight Guide Provence and Insight Step by Step Nice & the French Riviera.