France and Italy in the Winter? When to Buy Guidebooks?

I like what RS says about investing so little in the cost of guide books compared to the total cost of a trip to Europe.
In other words, don't worry so much about spending money doing the planning of your trip. Happy travels.

Buy 2009 now and watch web for revisions or wait till 2010 come out?

Buy both, if you can't wait until Oct/Nov. Rick will appreciate the royalties.

Or if you're a bit more frugal (sorry Rick), check the 2009 books out of the library to start doing your planning, then buy the 2010 versions for the most up to date information for your actual trip. Rick usually publishes a schedule of when his new books come out and as I recall, Italy especially comes out early (July maybe?)

ETA: I haven't been to France, but I went to Italy in November and December and it was fantastic. Got a little cold, especially in Florence, but mostly had clear weather and no crowds.

Edit 2: Thanks for the clarification Kent. I was probably thinking of the Rome book. D'oh!

The books don't change that much from year to year, so don't think you're missing that much if you don't have the absolute latest edition.

I have been to Paris in the winter (my preferred time to travel to Europe), but what specifically do you want to know?

and as I recall, Italy especially comes out early (July maybe?)

Not July. This year the book Italy was 7th down the list, in terms of dates for hitting the bookshelves, maybe October (I'm guessing). The individual titles (Rome, etc) usually come out earlier than the overall Italy book.

I always go to Paris in the winter!! I much prefer it. Of c ourse, the days are short and it gets dark early but it is the City of Light!!! Other than Christmas week, when it gets fairly crowded,the tourist hordes are absent and long lines non-existent. You get a much better feel of the real Paris.

Weather...well it has varied on differnt trips. In Jan. 07, it was fairly wet...not downpours but a misty wetness. But we did see some sun anad did the Rodin Museum garden and sat outside at the cafe there. Walked right into the Louvre and Musee D'Orsay without any lines. Another time when I was there mid-January the weather was pretty clear, When i was there right after Christmas in 2003, I hardly saw the sun but it wasn't very cold but rather damp.

In each of my winter trips, I wore a long coat (not a jacket and no down stuff), wool trousers and turtlenecks, a hat (squashable) and gloves. What I really like about winter trips is that you really dont need many clothes.

One of my nice memories is of taking the Seine boat ride at night and sitting outside on the top deck..it was chilly (but I had all the right gear)
and it was packed (late December 03).

If you can, stay on the Left Bank(5th or 6th) where you can walk to the Louvre, the D'Orsay, Notre Dame, the Rodin museum, Les Invalides and lots and lots of great cafes and restaurants. I would NOT stay on rue Cler for love nor money....it is full of Rick STeves Americans and not that convenient to all of the above.

Plan your days so that you do outdoorsy stuff like the Eiffel Tower early in the day when you have good light.

The best part of Paris is just walking about and people watching......

OK guys thanks for the Great Tips! Keep them coming. I will look at our local library for the 09's and then buy 10's when they come out. My wife is a photographer and I am in construction, we have always thought Europe had to be traveled in the summer so we would take really short and crammed full vacations (Scotland, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). When I read about Paris in the winter we thought that would be great as long as there are things to do. I was looking for tips on packing for winter, what is open, closed, and what is special in the winter only and not so great because of the weather. We are doing mostly big cities flying into Rome, Venice, Florence, Paris, D-day beaches, and flying back home from London. I like the idea of city night walks and will do in Paris and Rome for sure. We are in very ealry planning stages so I am looking for general feedback and then dig deeper into them ourselves. Bike tours, Cooking classes, and ice skating all sound great. In the past the trains were very hot and stale in the summer, are the cold and drafty in the winter? Thnaks for any and all help you can give us.

"D-day beaches". These are tough in the winter, because of the reduced hours of daylight, and the weather. You can even expect dense fog during what little daylight is available. Although not Arctic-cold, the wind and rain of a north Atlantic winter can be unpleasent.

My first trip to Paris was in the winter, and since it was our first trip, we did a lot of the big sights (Eiffel Tower, steps up Notre Dame, etc). When I've seen the lines for these sights in subsequent trips in spring and fall, I'm SO glad we visited in winter and saw the biggest sights then! We wanted to see St Chappelle for the second time last year, and the line was around the block. Yikes.

I went to Rome in November 05' and I must have brought the Texas heat with me!
I know someone that went to Paris for New Years Eve, and she said it was so cold, she would never go in the winter ever again. But she's from Texas and couldn't take the cold, but since you're from IL. I bet you will be just fine, and have the right clothes to take.

We went to Paris this last winter for New Years. I loved it because I love Paris but...I froze my %#@& off! It might be better for you since you are from Illinois and used to the cold. Actually, for you it might seem balmy! What I enjoyed about winter - not as many tourists (after New Years anyway) and just being there. What I didn't enjoy - too cold to sit at the sidewalk cafes and people watch or spend too much time outdoors. I thought we were prepared for the cold but no amount of layers could keep my feet warm.

I don't know how long you are planning to go for, but apartments are great, especially if it has a washer and dryer. Our apartment in Paris had both and we were able to pack very lightly.

I never buy new guide books. I do not book hotels recommended in them anyways( well, not specifically, I have by coincidence),, and not much other info changes that much in a year. Prices of attractions may go up a euro, but locations and history do not change!! I have been to Europe many times ,, using info from old books and the internet. Forums, like this one and tripadvisor.com offer more up to date info. anyways. The books are researched and being put together right now,, so by the fall they are not that up to date really..

I do think you should get and read a RS book though, he includes so much good stuff for newbies( and oldies too, LOL ) ,, how to deal with money, how to navigate public transport, how, and what to pack, and a good sprinkling of history mixed with humor,, , I just don't think you need the 2010 version,, the 2009 will be fine,, and likely discounted too!!

Thanks to all of you for the help. I grew up in Northwestern Minnesota (Norwegian decent)so I am not to worried about the cold. 40-50's is tee shirt weather up there. I am more interested in clothing suggestions for my wife as she is a frail little Illinois girl (French Decent). Any suggestions on what to do if it is cold and rainy particularly in the evenings? I think most days will be spent enjoying art and museums. Thanks again for all of the posts.

The key to traveling in the winter months is to bring the right clothing!!! You don't need much but you do need warmth. I have a silk(very light but very warm) silk underwear top that I can wear under my wool turtleneck that keeps me toasty if it is too cold. But if you are from Illinois, you will probably find it much more comfortable than what you are used to in winter. Living in NJ, I always find my winter trips so much more comfortable than staying home in the below-freeing temperatures, wind and snow. In England, it is a big deal if they are going to have a frost at night which I always find amusing(they announce it on the news) as we always have frost at night if not all day in winter.

I wear lined leather gloves, a hat that is squashable
but smart looking, tights and clogs. SOme people might prefer boots but I personally find them uncomfortable to wear all day walking. I also always wear a winter long coat, either wool or a raincoat with a warm liner. Since I wear all this on the plane, you don't have to worry about packing it.

Most cafes now have heaters since the smoking ban!
If you go to Paris in early January, most of the Christmas decorations will still be up adding to the festive air. If it suddenly turns very cold, plan to visit museums for the day. The Louvre not only has a huge collection, but many places to eat, shop and rest!

I think a winter visit depends on one's personal
acclimation to cool weather. For me it is delightful.
EAt Cassoulet and other winter-warming dishes!!

I have some friends who went to Florence in February
expecting nasty weather but they didn't care as they were sick of crowds, lines and the heat. They were pleasantly surprised at how mild it was and how much time they spent outdoors in cafes.

Weather is always a gamble but I would always choose cold over hot, humid days and long lines for everything. I also think January is a safer bet than February.

We are going in 2010 but we bought the books now for planning and "dreaming". I'm going to buy them again when the revised editions come out. Some people might think that's a waste of money but the ability to plan ahead and look forward to my trip makes the wait easier, helps us be better prepared, and is therefore worth the money to us. Considering the number of hours I'm going to spend with the books the cost is very smaller per hour of use... I can't help with Paris in the winter since I've only been in the summer.

Lisa,

I'm from Texas, too (native) and both times I've been to Paris it was chilly, but I survived. ;-) I LOVE Europe in the winter because of the lack of tourists. Now, ONE thing I will happily never do again is hang out around the Eiffel Tower on New Year's Eve. Having stupid young men lob lit firecrackers AT you to try to make you scream isn't fun and since I don't tend to be easy to make scream, it only makes the little b*stards try harder. Then there was the intense let-down as midnight came and all that happened was the same thing that happened at 11:00pm every other night. I was expecting a spectacular show. Ho hum. At least I met a group of nice Canucks and nice family of Brits.