What is your favorite brand of travel guide?
 

I'm going to London and Paris and was wondering which were your top picks with regard to travel guides. I would love a guide with a good restaurant, sightseeing and gay and lesbian nightlife section.

Thank you!

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"Fly High, Fly and STAY *UNITED* - that's the only way to do it."

I have learned after being in over 40 countries that there is no consistency within publishing houses. Some publishers tend to put out good products, but aren't always the best in every geographic area.

In the last couple of years I've searched for travel guides on Amazon, and carefully read the user reviews. Generally they are candid, and will at least focus on areas that the book emphasizes. I also look at the publishing date via Amazon (usually gives month/year). I won't ever buy a book that is a year beyond its initial publishing date, as the data is probably 16-18 months old.

BTW, I do favor "Moon" travel books, all things being equal. Also, I recommend the series Travelers Tales which is not a pure travel guide per se, but gives you the flavor of an area, through short non-fiction stories.






[This message has been edited by Craig6z (edited 12-12-2000).]

I would suggest the Time Out series (particularly for the G and L scene) especially for Paris and London. In London (I'm not sure about Paris), you can also pick up the weekly magazine with all the latest (just like New York).

I am a big fan of the Eyewitness Travel Guide series. I find the hundreds of color photos help me to visualize the possibilities perfectly, and help me to decide exactly what I would like to see and do. Spain, for example, was by far the best of the 5 guidebooks which we used in planning our two weeks in Spain this summer. They are best for places and sites, and a little less comprehensive on descriptions of hotels and restaurants, though, so I usually end up doing additional research for those. However, since my main interest is in the place I am going to, I find them the best for my needs.

Djlawman

I love the lonely planet (LP) series - tons of useful information, starting with a historical briefing, codes of conduct, timely and accurate nightlife info and lots more. I bought my first LP for the baltics in 97 and it looks well travelled (sp?) now - all torn and tattered http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Frommer's books are still #1 in my view.

I like Frommer's also

I would check our www.zagat.com for up to date restaurant reviews/ratings (for a short stay, you could easily print out the 5-10 restaurants you want to check out) and pick up Time Out magazine www.timeout.co.uk) once you arrive for the latest info on events in the city. Choosing a good guidebook for sightseeing really depends on your personal style and whether you've been to London or Paris before. When you visit your local Barnes & Noble or Borders, I would recommend taking a look at the city guides from Michelin, Blue Guides, and LP. If you want just one book, then [gasp http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif] you could always use the Let's Go or the LP Western Europe editions.

I just came back from a weekend trip to London. If you like museums, the Tate Modern is a must and the just-opened Great Court at the British Museum is amazing. You could easily spend a week in London just going museum hopping. The museums were really crowded though, so get there early and try to avoid the weekends.

If you are thinking of going with the Eyewitness guides, go with the Knopf guides instead. If you compare the two, the Knopf guides cover a lot more of the respective cities. For example, Eyewitness refers to Pere Lachaise as outside the city, which is is not. Otherwise, both are great guides. The disadvantage of Knopf is that it isn't updated as much. Depending on what you want to see, though, it usually hasn't been an issue for me. Both run around $20-$25, depending on the size of the book.

Enjoy your trip. Paris is my favorite city that I have had the pleasure to visit. A friend of mine does a website that is pretty useful at http://www.jack-travel.com . There are some interesting things to read up on before you go, and he has some recommendations on hotels, if you don't have one yet. Also restaurants, which is 1/2 the reason to go to Paris. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Thanks much for the info.

I dread the dreary chilly and damp/rainy weather this time of year in London. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

*HIghFlyah*
Boston, MA

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"Fly High, Fly and STAY *UNITED* - that's the only way to do it."

...that is why there is a pub on nearly every corner.

The creature of habit that I am, I always buy Fodor's.

I really don't like Lonely Planet. Go with Frommer's. The standard Fodor's gold guides are pretty good, too.

Have traveled with Frommers for years (almost since $5 a day or maybe it was $10) They are the best that I have found on restaurants. I don't think that I've ever been disappointed after going into one of their selected eateries. I guess their reviewers have the same tastes as my wife and I.
But the last time when in Spain (September) the maps and driving directions for the southern cities were awful.

I agree with recommending the Eyewitness Guides. The photos are a terrific visual reference, and the books cover most of the basics. I would also recommend almost all of the Rick Steves' Guides for Europe. I know they're not for everyone; but for those interested in affordably participating in each country's culture, his recommendations are fantastic! Wherever I travel in Europe, I combine the two guides above and almost always have a great vacation! Happy Travels!