For our handful of trips to Europe we've used Lonely Planet, Frommers, and Rick Steves. Of late and going forward, we're pretty much just bringing a Rick Steves book supplemented with personal pre-trip research on the Internet. I don't think we've used the France country guide but instead went with the Paris and the Provence/French Riviera books when we visited Paris, Nice/Villefranche sur Mer, Arles, Pont du Gard, etc. last year. I'd expect a good chunk of his Paris guide, which we found great, would be in his France guide.
What I like about the Rick Steves guides
- His commentary. You kind of need to like his style.
- Directions and tips. I think his directions are very good. Very good local and side trip transportation information. And his tips for skipping lines, etc are great.
- Simple maps. This is hit or miss depending on the situation but most of the time I just need a simple map to get me in the right direction and I'll figure the rest out myself or reference a better map
What I don't like about the Rick Steves guides
- I typically don't like his restaurant recommendations. We usually research this ourselves.
- I don't recall shopping being a strong point in his books either.
I think his main audience are middle aged, middle of the road travelers which I think is what the OP is looking for.
The books do include sections for side trips and instructions on how to get there of course
I also have to recommend Sandra Gustafson's Great Eats Paris book. Excellent dining recommendations.