Top 25 and Serie Bleue

The French equivalent of Ordnance Survey Maps

 IGN Top 25 maps cover areas of particular tourist interest, mainly around the coast, and have a map number ending in T. The maps have an overprint highlighting local footpaths, long-distance GR routes and, where appropriate, ski routes. Other tourist information includes campsites, equestrian or canoeing centres, huts, mountain refuges, etc. Map legend is in French and English. Each TOP 25 map covers an area of approximately 28 x 21 km (17 x 13 miles).

The rest of France is covered by Serie Bleue maps, which have no overprint and map numbers ending in O or E. The legend is in French only but is fairly self-explanatory. Each Serie Bleue map covers an area of approximately 20 x 14 km (12 x 9 miles), with some maps slightly larger.

Both series have similar cartography, with contour interval of 5 metres, except for mountainous areas, where the maps have hill shading and contours at 10-metre intervals. Scale 1:25000

Generally, Top 25 Maps are £8.99 and Serie Bleue £7.99 but prices do vary and offers apply from time to time.

Oise/Paris/Val-D'Oise, Michelin Local Guide - Detailing the Oise / Paris / Val-D'Oise region of France, this laminated fold-out map includes a complete index of place names and covers all regional specialities, heritage and traditions. It offers clear and concise mapping for stress-free travelling. Published March 08

Eure-et-Loir/Paris/Yvelines, Michelin Local Guide. Published March 08

Essonne/Paris/Seine-et-Marne, Michelin Local Guide. Published March 08

Topo Guides with Day Walks - The extensive list of topo-guides to the long-distance footpaths in France published by the Federation Francaise de la Randonnee Pedestre has now been expanded to include guides to local walks, the PRs (Promenades et Randonnees). Each guide offers a selection of walks of various length and difficulty, overprinted on extracts from the 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 topographic survey. The text is in English or French.

Several of the guides listed in the "Topo-guides to Long-distance Footpaths" series also include day walks in addition to the long-distance routes, as indicated in the description of each title. Some titles will have limited availability - in case of difficulty please email.

Paris Insight Step by Step - Take a fresh approach to Paris with this "Step by Step" guide, part of a brand new, stylishly designed series from Insight Guides. Lavishly illustrated in full colour, this book features 20 irresistible self-guided walks and tours, written by a local expert and packed with great insider tips. Whether you are new to the city or a repeat visitor, whatever your interests, and however long your stay, this book is the perfect companion, showing you the smartest way to link the sights and taking you beyond the beaten tourist track. Published June 08

Paris (City Walks with Kids), Natasha Edwards - Guides adults with children ages 5 and up through the best child-friendly attractions the city has to offer. Each card outlines a self-guided walking adventure, with an illustrated map on one side and insider information on the other. Noteworthy sites and attractions are numbered on both sides of the card for easy reference. Information on using public transport and where to find child-friendly food and recreation en route is also included. Published April 08

Frommer's 24 Great Walks in Paris - Follow Frommer′s for an up–close and personal look at the City of Light′s most culturally rich areas, from famous places to lesser–known gems. Filled with color photos, easy–to–follow maps, clear route directions, and helpful commentary, this guide makes it easy to find your way around. Published July 08

City Walks: Paris, 50 Adventures on Foot, Christina Henry de Tessan and Martha Fay - Skip the dull tour guides, ditch those unruly maps, and experience Paris or New York like a native - on foot! The City Walks Deck: Paris and City Walks Deck: New York will give you an intimate view of these fabled cities. Each deck has 50 cards, and each card has a detailed map on one side and insider information on the other for 50 self-guided walking adventures. Published March 04

Paris Movie Walks: Ten Guided Tours Through the City of Lights! Camera! Action, Michael Schurmann - Ten walking tours let you be the star on the greatest movie set in the world. From Truffaut and Godard to Hanks and Hepburn, Paris has been a magnet for filmmakers and movie stars, whose careers don't seem complete unless they've made at least one film in the world's most romantic location. Now see it from a whole new angle through the lenses of famous directors. Four walks take you past all of Paris's famous sites while telling which stars walked these same streets before you and where they paused to kiss or kill. Four more explore hidden nooks that tourists often overlook, and two offer a taste of the "Old Paris" of '30s and '40s film classics. In addition, a "Further Afield" chapter features locations that allow you to explore some of Paris's flea markets, green spaces, suburbs, and other areas of interest to visitors and filmmakers. Along the way, the author provides commentary to enrich your appreciation of what you're seeing as you sip a glass of wine or enjoy a coffee at a sidewalk cafe. Published Aug 09

Walks Through Napoleon and Josephine's Paris, Diana Reid Haig - The author recreates five "walks" through Paris that recreate the world of Napoleon, including the prison where Josephine was imprisoned during the revolution and the path to his final funeral procession. Published Feb 04

Walks in Hemingway's Paris, Noel Riley Fitch - After two important introductory chapters, the seven walks take the reader or tourist to every Hemingway (and Fitzgerald) site in Paris. These walks were tried/previewed by many classes of students at the American University of Paris. Although a few details date the book, it holds up today! The walks, by the way, include wonderful quotations from many of Hemingway's novels, short stories, and his memoir of Paris. Buy the book and come to Paris!! Buyer Review. Published July 06

Picasso's Paris, Walking Tours of the Artist's Life in the City, Ellen Williams - Nearly half a century after Pablo Picasso's arrival there as an unknown Spanish teenager, Paris still bears the mark of his presence. Four walking tours follow the painter from the gaslit garrets of fin-de siecle Montmartre to the Left Bank where he sat out the Nazi Occupation. Published April 00

Impressionists' Paris, The, Walking Tours of the Artists' Studios, Homes and the Sites They Painted, Ellen Williams - A text combining art history and anecdotes about the painters complements the colour reproductions. Listings for restaurants, many from the Impressionist era, round out the tours. Published April 00

In Paris with Jane Austen: Three Literary Walks, Vera Quinn - Visiting the one-time premises of the translators, printers, publishers, and booksellers of the French translations of Jane Austen's novels. Published March 05

The Definitive Guide to the DA Vinci Code: Paris Walks, Peter Caine - No other guide book to Paris and its surroundings will allow you to explore Paris as an intriguing insight into Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE. All the sights of the story are covered and explained in full: The Louvre, St Sulpice, The Ritz, The American University, Place Vendome, the chateau de Villette and even Chartres. This guide takes the reader, step by step, through the main sights of the novel and gives numerous keys to decoding the enigmas and puzzles that Dan Brown has woven into his book. It gives the history and background to all the important places and events, offering practical advice as well as information on mysterious and esoteric Paris. THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE DA VINCI CODE is, without doubt, a must-have for anyone interested in both the novel and this most intriguing of cities. Published April 06

Wandering Paris: A Guide to Discovering Paris Your Way, Jill Butler - Paris is a city of wonder, its many faces welcoming creative exploration. For travellers searching for the city's soul who want more than the tried-and-true tourist sites, "Wandering Paris" is the ticket to discovering their own true and authentic Paris. Through charming illustrations and evocative text, artist Jill Butler (Rendez-Vous with France) presents her beloved city in myriad moods, allowing a perfect match for any particular day. Each outing starts with a point of departure and a map, and ends with suggestions for dinner or an aperitif. Examples include: A water adventure; ; An art day; A flea market expedition; Shopping Parisian style; A bakery moment (or several!); A tour of exceptional design; An early morning adventure; Late-night people-watching; and much more! Whether rollerblading through the streets of Paris late into the night or combing the flea markets for hidden treasures, this artist's notebook shares a Parisian's inside knowledge, much as a friend would tailor a visit just for the reader. Published Dec 05

Paris Reflections, Walks Through African-American Paris, Christians Anderson, Monique Wells - Paris, one of the world's great cities, has a long and rich tradition of embracing people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. For over two centuries, African Americans have been among the racial and cultural mosaic that has thrived in Paris and helped to make the city a world-renowned centre of imagination and creativity. Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Ada 'Bricktop' Smith, Sidney Bechet, Victor Sejour, Josephine Baker, Henry O Tanner, and numerous other African Americans have lived, worked, and played in Paris, and while doing so contributed significantly to the city's legacy of achievement in art, literature, science, business, sport, social reform, political science, and numerous other fields. This book takes the reader on six walking tours through historic districts of Paris where the African-American presence has been prominent. The authors have assembled a vast amount of information about the lives and works of many of Paris's most prominent African Americans, and all who walk the city's neighbourhoods with 'Paris Reflections' in hand will become intimately familiar with the stage and exact locations upon which so much of the area's vibrant African-American history has played out. Each walk is accompanied by a clear and detailed map that will help the reader easily navigate the intricate streets and buildings of the City of Light. The book provides a pithy introduction to the African-American experience in Paris. A selection of original colour art by Christiann Anderson, and a listing of sources of additional information about the subject of the book, contribute additional dimensions to this handsome and graceful handbook. Published June 02

Walks Through Marie Antoinette's Paris, Diana Reid Haig - From her grand arrival in France in the spring of 1770 to her macabre journey to the guillotine in 1793, Marie Antoinette spent her life at Paris and Versailles. The author takes us on a guided tour in the elegant pages of this book, giving us the history, telling us the anecdotes, and showing us where Marie Antoinette spent good times as well as bad. Published July 06. Limited availability.

Paris Walking Guide, Jeanne Oelerich - This compact guide provides five in-depth walking tours of Paris, including the Champs Elysees, lle de la Cite and lle St-Louis, the Marlais, the Left Bank, and the Louvre; plus two more walks just for shoppers, one for clothes and one for accessories. Travellers will appreciate the large, easy-to-read maps with informative listings of sights, restaurants, and shopping areas along each route. Once the trip is planned, travellers can leave heavy guidebooks at home and carry only this convenient, lightweight walking guide. A list of dos and don'ts is especially helpful. Published May 03. Limited availability.

Walking Paris, Gilles Desmons - This fully revised and updated edition of Walking Paris is a fascinating guide to the highways and byways of one of the world's most intriguing and romantic capital cities. Thirty meticulously planned, original walks, designed to be taken at an easy pace and allowing ample time for personal exploration, reveal Paris in all its many guises. Each walk, accompanied by a detailed route map, offers a tour of discovery: following bustling boulevards and narrow mysterious alleyways; passing well-known landmarks and places steeped in history and culture; winding along the banks of the Seine and through parks and palace gardens; exploring markets, squares and hidden stairways. Written by a Parisian who has spent many years getting to know his native city by walking and absorbing its every detail, this book is the perfect introduction for the first-time visitor and a rich source of fresh delights for those already aware of the endless fascination of Paris. Published April 08

Haute Cuisine Paris, A Culinary Walking Tour, Various - There are many reasons why Paris is one of the hottest travel destinations in Europe; its rich history, unique architecture, fine restaurants and wine are just some of the things that attract visitors seemingly from all corners of the world. Focusing on 10 Parisian restaurants that hold Michelin's rating stars, which rank them among the hottest dining destinations in the world, Haute Cuisine Paris provides a comprehensive, in-depth look at each of these fine eateries. Included in the book is the history of each restaurant, interviews with the chef as well as recipes from their kitchen. A complete section is devoted to each restaurant with gorgeous photographs of the restaurant's interiors as well as its food offerings. For tourists, Haute Cuisine Paris will also take readers on a walking tour of the sites of interest in the vicinity of each restaurant. Whether it's a nearby museum, park, or romantic cafe, the book will provide readers with all the information they need to explore the district surrounding the restaurant and at the same time work up an appetite in anticipation of dining at one of the world's hottest restaurants. Above all, this book will appeal to Francophiles as well as those looking for the best in fine dining in one of the most visited cities in the world. Published July 06

Paris Walks, Sonia and Alison Landes - An updated traveller's guide provides seven enchanting walking tours through the historical and cultural centres of Paris, including visits to the back streets, hidden wonders, secluded courtyards, unusual restaurants and cafes, hotels and inns, and unique shops of the Place de la Bastille, the Boulevard St.-Germain, and the Place de la Concorde. Published June 05

Historic Paris Walks, Leo Hollis - The history of Paris through 10 walks - from the Roman settlement of Lutetia to the delights of Paris-Plage. It will appeal to everyone, from the first-time stroller to the knowledgeable enthusiast, whether for a lunchtime saunter or a full day's exploration. From the author of the acclaimed "Historic London Walks", the story of Paris is told through a series of entertaining and revealing walks that will bring to life the many histories of the French capital for both seasoned visitors and first time tourists. Inside, there is a map for each walk, together with clear instructions and author recommended cafes and restaurants, and 16 pages of stunning colour photography. Recreating over 2000 years of the city's history, from the ancient catacombs to Le Defense, "Historic Paris Walks", takes the reader on ten specially commissioned rambles around the celebrated metropolis; each walk will introduce the people, personalities, events and ideas that have defined the city through the centuries and give the metropolis its unique identity. Discover the lost generation's favourite bookshop on the Rive Gauche, how the Louvre came to be built, the difference between a boulevardier, a flanuer and a pyschogeographer, and where to find the Isle of the Cows. Published June 06

Paris Walks, Fiona Duncan - Exploring Paris with this guide is like being taken by a friend who knows all the best restaurants, shops and attractions. It will introduce not only the famous sights but the atmosphere of the city as a whole. The beautiful mapping is uniquely easy to use because it shows the street plan as well as the look of your surroundings. The routes are in all the most interesting areas of central Paris, plus a few on the outskirts. Most are about an hour long, but can be joined together easily for longer expeditions. Published May 06

Walks Through Lost Paris, Leonard Pitt - Chronicles Paris's great periods of urban reconstruction through four enlightening walking tours. Detailed maps lead the traveller on an itinerary to the perspectives of the photographers and artists who captured Paris through with their lenses and pens decades ago. In full-colour, hundreds of photos, diagrams, and engravings further bring to life the massive transformation that resulted in the Paris we know today. When he discovered that the city he lived in for many years was actually a city rebuilt during the mid-1800s, Leonard Pitt plunged head first into Paris's history, and began photographing what he learned had changed. Eventually, he lead tours and gave lectures on the demolition and reconstruction that changed Paris forever. With a special focus on the work of Georges-Eugene Haussmann, each site is provided a history along with the motives behind the urban redesign and the reactions of Parisians who witnessed it. Comparing today's Paris with images of a Paris that no longer exists, the traveller can experience first hand the dramatic evolution and discover the impact of succeeding generations. This book is for the Francophile, travel-minded, history buff, architecturally-curious-or anyone interested in learning about one of the world's great cities. Published Jan 09

Frommer's 24 Great Walks in Paris, Follow Frommer′s for an up–close and personal look at the City of Light′s most culturally rich areas, from famous places to lesser–known gems. Filled with color photos, easy–to–follow maps, clear route directions, and helpful commentary, this guide makes it easy to find your way around. Published July 08

Paris Made Easy, Sights and Walks on the Open Road, Andy Herbach - Open Road's two-colour, small format travel guides, for travellers looking for a lightweight companion to take them to Paris's best sights and walks! Like Open Road's series of foreign language menu-readers, our new compact, lightweight travel guides are for those travellers who already know where they're staying and don't want to lug around a huge book during the day. With a sprinkling of restaurant selections arranged by neighbourhood, our Made Easy series focuses on taking readers to the best, as well as the most different and unusual, sights and walking tours in each city. Published Oct 04. Limited availability.

Adventure Guide to Paris and Ile De France, Heather Stimmler-Hall - Written by a Paris resident, here is every neighbourhood of the city, the forests and parks, plus recommended day-trips to majestic chateaux and authentic medieval villages. Shopping adventures, wine and food, dance and drama, language and literature, nightlife and entertainment - the author shows you how to get involved in it all, whether through cooking classes, dance lessons, language courses, luxury spas or wine festivals. Each book offers an ideal mix of practical travel info along with activities. And the fun is for everyone, no matter what their age or ability. Comprehensive background information - history, culture, geography and climate - gives you a solid knowledge of each destination and its people. Regional chapters take you on an introductory tour, with stops at museums, historic sites and local attractions. Places to stay and eat; transportation to, from and around your destination; practical concerns; tourism contacts - it's all here! Detailed regional and town maps feature walking and driving tours. Then come the adventures - fishing, canoeing, hiking, rafting, llama trips and more. Published April 04

City Walks Architecture: Paris, Michael Herrman and John Spellman - An exciting addition to our best-selling "City Walks" series, the "City Walks Architecture: Paris" deck offers the best way for visitors and adventurous locals to experience the world-renowned architecture of the City of Light. Packaged in a redesigned deck format, 25 folding cards outline a variety of walking adventures that introduce users to such landmark architectural sites as the Eiffel Tower, the Centre Pompidou, and Notre Dame as well as lesser-known gems like the modernist Immeuble Molitor, the majestic Opera Garnier, and the art nouveau inspired Castel Beranger. Published Oct 09

The Country Round Paris Companion Guide, Ian Dunlop - This is a second, revised and updated edition of Ian Dunlop's essential guide, originally published under the title of The Companion Guide to the Ile de France.This guide is a labour of love. It is a key that will open many tiny, hidden, forsaken places, a ruined keep in a farmyard, the remains of an arch in a field, an escutcheon, forlorn and heralding nothing but desolation and an old Revolution, a triumphal entrance leading to emptiness, a stone stag in an autumnal forest that has heard the French horn for 200 years, and the infinite sadness of the Petit Trianon. Published May 96. Limited availability.

►An Hour from Paris, Annabel Simms - a guide to the Ile de France for people without a car. It is aimed at the leisurely, rather than the dedicated walker, and includes historical detail and restaurants, as well as maps for walks starting and ending at a railway station. Order direct from Author's website - click on link.