European guidebooks
The
World Wide Web is an unprecedented source of travel information. In a few clicks, you can
read online features and brochures that might have taken weeks to obtain just a few years
ago, when you had to write to a tourist office for destination literature or flip through
back issues of magazines at the public library.
Still, I'm often surprised by the number of e-mails and newsgroup posts
that ask, "What's the best three-star hotel near the Rialto Bridge in Venice?" or "Can anyone
suggest how to spend a week in Paris?" And
I invariably find myself telling people, "What you really need is a good guidebook,
because the Internet complements guidebooks--it doesn't replace them."
In this article, I'll examine the strengths and weaknesses of the
leading guidebook publishers. You'll want to make your own judgments while browsing the
shelves of a good bookstore or public library, but my comments may help you decide which
books are most likely to meet your suit your travel tastes and budgets.
Baedeker
In the 19th and early 20th Centuries,
"Baedeker" was virtually a synonym for "guidebook." Karl Baedeker's
guides were printed in small type on onionskin paper, with gatefold maps and a wealth of
detail for the leisurely traveler. Today's Baedekers are no match for their predecessors,
but the motoring guides are useful.
Strengths: Good history and sightseeing
information, including maps of larger towns and cities.
Weaknesses: Not updated very often; limited
information on hotels and restaurants.
In a nutshell: Ignore the Baedeker city
guides and stick to the country guides with driving itineraries.
Berlitz Pocket Guides
These inexpensive guides are no larger than a
phrasebook, but they squeeze a lot of information and color photography into a small
space. They're ideal for visitors who plan to spend only a day or two in a city.
Strengths: They really do fit into a
pocket, and they won't strain your pocketbook.
Weaknesses: Not much information on hotels
and restaurants, and most guides haven't been updated lately.
Blue Guides
History, art, architecture, and archaeology are the hallmarks of the Blue
Guide series. Some of the text in current editions dates back to the turn of the century,
and why not? Most 1,000-year-old cathedrals and 400-year-old paintings haven't changed
much in the last hundred years.
Strengths: Nobody offers as much historical and cultural
background on so many places.
Weaknesses: Not your best choice if you're looking for a hotel or
restaurant.
In a nutshell: A matchless resource for the culturally literate
traveler.
Cadogan Guides
This British series is well-written, with a good balance between
sightseeing information and practical advice. Titles are available for countries, cities,
and regions.
Strengths: Solid information, readable text.
Weaknesses: Tourist listings aren't always up to date.
In a nutshell: Excellent for planning your trip, good for toting
along.
Companion Guides
If you're the kind of traveler who spends hours in churches and museums,
studying every painting and statue, the Companion Guides are your cup of very British tea.
They're well-written, informative, and utterly boring to the mainstream tourist who's
longing to visit Gucci or Harry's Bar.
Strengths: Readable, intelligent text by art historians and other
experts.
Weaknesses: Each page is a mass of type, making it hard to follow
the descriptions as you wander from one fresco or pilaster to the next.
In a nutshell: You didn't major in art history? Here's your
chance to catch up on what you missed.
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