The Indispensable Plan De Paris

I know we live in the digital age and all, and that a lot of people have iPhones to help them out when they get lost. But what if you don't have an iPhone, or if it just isn't loading when you're in a jam, or if you're like me and love to get a little bit lost? To me, one of my most prized possessions is the Plan de Paris Par Arrondissement.

Carrying around this lovely little book is like having the secrets of every Paris nook and side street at your fingertips. It has an index of street names, so if you're lost you can just look up the street, which directs you to the proper page and grid number/letter at which you'll find that street. It also contains Métro, bus and RER stops if you need to find the nearest train, as well as a transportation map in the front.

All this info in a beautifully sturdy, leather-bound book small enough to fit in even my littlest evening bags. This way you can always pull to the side of the street and double-check your route without looking like a tourist, more just like, "Oh, no big deal, I just felt I HAD to do a little light reading here on Rue... er... which Rue is this anyway?" A Parisienne friend of mine, born and raised in the city, even keeps hers in her car and has been known to peek at it when the going gets lost. I never go anywhere without this gem, and if you're visiting Paris for a week or for a lifetime, neither should you!

You can get it at Paris bookstores and even Monoprix, or if you want to have it the moment you touch down in Paris you can also find it more expensive on Amazon.