Wikitravel Press Blog

One of the greatest things about our Paris guide have always been the amazingly detailed maps, lovingly crafted by Mark Jaroski from OpenStreetMap and Wikitravel data, but the regular guidebook format doesn’t really do them justice. That’s why we’ve decided to release a special Paris city map book, containing enlarged versions of the maps (A5 sized, or half a sheet of paper), but in glorious full color with a spiral binding, so you can lay it open and keep it open to a given map page as you wander around town. And I have to stress that detailed bit, just take a look at (say) the 13th arrondissement — click to enlarge!

In fact, it’s so big and detailed, we’ve split it across two full pages. All the listings in the main Paris guide are marked on the map complete with listing index, making the city map your perfect travel buddy. Pick one up now!

One of the pleasures of attending trade fairs and conventions is meeting up with other members of the globally distributed Wikitravel tribe.  On Thursday, User:Sapphire managed to drop in during a fortuitously timed stopover at Frankfurt Airport, and today, User:Mark did a five-hour-one-way odyssey from Lausanne just to attend the Fair.  Pictures were taken, books signed, pictures taken, invaluable travel advice dispensed, obscure details of map generation with XSLT and typesetting with xelatex were discussed, and a few beers quaffed too.

This was also the first day of the Fair open to the public, meaning that, aside from the odd journalist, trade visitors virtually trickled to a halt. Instead, vast hordes of random people more than made up for it in quantity, if not necessarily quality — at least from a businessman’s point of view.  One major group of visitors, however, I did not expect: as Frankfurt’s top event in the comics calendar, the Fair has been adopted by the rabid role-playing manga and anime fans, vast hordes of whom showed up in costumes ranging from simple to incredibly elaborate.  Photography was permitted (with permission, always readily granted), and on a sunny day the central Plaza outdoors and, of course, the Comics area itself in Hall 3.0 provided rich hunting grounds for snaphounds.  Next time, I’m bringing along my 50mm prime portrait lens and an external flash!  Take a look at the gallery on my personal pages.

We’re all proud at WTP headquarters about our announcement that Wikitravel Press has published a Paris guidebook. Paris has been one of our most important locations in Wikitravel for years, and it’s good to get a print version available from Wikitravel Press.

Of special interest for the Paris guide is its use of OpenStreetMap geodata to create the guidebook maps. Previously, Wikitravel maps have either been hand-drawn or borrowed from other, inconsistent Open Content sources. The move up to OSM data has meant we have a considerably better-looking, more consistent map style.

Special kudos to Mark Jaroski, who edited the Paris guide, and to all the Wikitravellers who’ve put time and effort into making this a world-class reference book. And of course great work, Jani, in getting this guide out.

You can order the Wikitravel Guide to Paris online through our bookstore.