Fantastic Guide for a Trip to Sydney
583474
I love this travel guide. It is just the kind I look for, with many local tips on what to see, exactly how to get there and where to eat. I look forward to visiting Sydney sometime soon...
2462190
The Lonely Planet Guide to Seattle is a great asset to anyone headed to the Emerald City.  We found our transportation from the airport, hotel, restaurants and shops all from this book. And the trip was wonderful. The  information is up to date and the maps are accurate.  I relied so heavily  upon this guide for my trip over a year ago, I plan to purchase another for  my mother, who is headed to Seattle with me soon.  This book helped to  convince me that the Emerald City is definitely a place I look forward to  calling home soon. Thank you Lonely Planet.
4151976
There's a lot of good information in this book and it was in my experience timely and relevant.  I'd recommend the Lonely Planet series to anyone touring Australia, and I recommend Australia as a destination even more highly!  One of the bet bits of advice from this guide was to buy a local SIM card for my phone and Ipad as soon as I got there.  Armed with that, these guides, and Yelp you are all set anywhere Down Under.
4498041
This is a fantastic travel guide.  As someone who has made several treks throughout Asia, I was looking for a book specifically about traveling to Beijing and Shanghai.  This book greatly helped with my recent trip.  I really think there isn't a finer imprint than DK for exotic travel.
4165153
We host lots of overseas visitors who are travelling around NZ.
I will be recommending this book as a valuable resource for anyone who is thinking of coming to NZ and to travellers that are here and about to embark on their journey.
It's a well written,practical and  realistic guide with many tips to staying safe while here
Great and easy  to follow advice.
4758155
I truly enjoyed this book! My brother recently visited Tokyo, and a lot of his advice mirrors what was shown in this book!
I particularly enjoyed the Author's unique voice in writing this book. Very few travel guides offer this kind of frank, conversational style that makes it so enjoyable to read.
I will say I was overwhelmed by the information just reading it through in order, but that is to be expected, especially for someone who has never visited the city. My advice for a reader, besides getting this book right away, would be to read it briefly, and then use it for a reference guide once you're in town.
All in all, this book is money well spent! A good travel guide can get to be pretty pricey, so I'm very glad I found this!
2828189
This DK guide makes for great armchair travel. It's far more comprehensive than many guides -- it includes history, famous New York City residents, and floor plans and cutaway illustrations of museums, parks and other venues. It's a largely visual book -- 1070 photos! 110 illustrations! -- but contains plenty of information to get you excited about your visit.

One unique feature is the audio walks app that you can download to your phone. With the purchase of the book, you get seven narrated walking tours, which are described at the back of the book. Personally, I wouldn't walk the streets of New York wearing earbuds and unaware of my surroundings. But maybe that's just me. The other downside to this book is that it is very heavy. The paper stock is glossy and the cover laminated with fold-in flaps. It makes for eye-catching photos, for sure, but to schlep around the city for an entire day? No.

Instead, I would use this as a planning guide. It has a section of suggested day trips and it breaks the city up into 15 areas and includes brief treatments of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and other "farther afield" destinations. Most of the photography is eye candy, and some of it entirely unnecessary. (An interior of an art gallery, with people's backs to the camera? Photos of an ambulance, a firetruck and a police car?). But I do appreciate the many photos and suggestions of visits to historical buildings and sites. It can be hard to see history in the city; it's more hidden than in, say, Boston or Philadelphia.

In some sections, the lack of detail is unfortunate. In the fitness section, for example, I would have liked more information. You can't tell which facilities are open only to members and which offer day or short-term passes. Specifically, I would like to know where a person can swim laps. No one ever addresses that! I do appreciate the inclusion of website links throughout the book, where you can find more detailed information about your destination.

All in all, this is a great book for dreaming, but you need more detail for actual planning. If you want to spend time in Brooklyn, you might try the more comprehensive&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Fodor-s-Brooklyn/dp/1101878231/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Fodor's Brooklyn</a>.
3935324
I love to travel by armchair, and Frommers Greece Day by Day, gives me an outstanding holiday every time I open it. Its 700 pages are loaded with color photos and information and trivia that make me come away knowing that eventually I want to hold that book in my hand as I travel to the island. (Once I'm there, this heavy guidebook would remain in the hotel room by day, to be studied again each evening.)

Because I am rarely able to travel, I have to pick my holidays carefully, and I love using travel guides to make my decisions.  Frommers' guide has really sold me on Greece.  There are so many details, so much history and lore in the pages that this guide quickly put Greece on my short list.

Plenty of attention is paid to the cities, but even more is paid to the coast and smaller islands, detailing where to find ruins, museums, food and fun. You'll find so much information here that your only problem will be picking your ideal itinerary from all the choices presented.
4693854
I ordered the Analogue Guide because visitors to New York (where I live) often ask me where to go, and it's nice to be able to just hand them something. This book more or less captures the advice I'd give a friend.

It's a portable guide that's not exhaustive and doesn't cater to everyone, and that's the point. You won't find mention of the Empire State Building or Times Square. You will find the cooler spots and cooler neighborhoods worth visiting. If you are a more sophisticated traveler you won't go wrong by letting this book be your guide.

The one glaring omission would be the Staten Island Ferry, which I always recommend. But don't get off in Staten Island(!!), just turn around and get back on the boat. Then go eat at the Mercer Cafe or somewhere else in the Tribeca section of the book.
2190032
This guide book was amazing.  Great recommendations for shopping, dining, hotels and sites.  It also provides step by step directions on how to get to the stores recommended in the shopping section, which is critical for a city like Tokyo.  The recommendations are not just high end but affordable as well.
2859535
This book is a very quick read that is packed full of great tips and funny, yet informative, stories. If you're thinking about taking a trip, or want some inspiration to get going, this is a great place to start! There's so much planning that goes into international travel and Jackie makes sure you don't miss anything along the way.

She leads the way from start to finish providing everything you'll need to plan for a trip. If you've never been abroad before, you will feel prepared and confident to travel. If you're an experienced travel, I promise there's something in there for you too! I can attest to that - I have been to 30+ countries and just returned to the states after living in Australia for most of 2013. I read Jackie's book shortly after returning and found some great advice I wish I had known before! It also made me want to travel again, even though I'd only been back for 3 weeks...

I highly recommend this for anyone who is even remotely interested in travel. I've also given a few away as Christmas gifts :) A fully prepared/planned, well budgeted travel adventure - gifts don't get much better than that! (whether for yourself or others!)
1843704
If you are planning a trip to Australia or wish you could, this book should top your reading list.  It's not a travel guide, it collects 39 articles or book excerpts from diverse sources that get to the heart of Australia.

You hear first-hand accounts of back packers, travel writers (Paul Theroux, Bruce Chatwin), Australians, adventurers, vacationers, and just ordinary people.  Such a wide selection lets you see Australia from many angles from the food to the people to the animals and the landscape.  This is so much more in-depth than a guidebook could possibly be.

Read the harrowing account of a woman canoer who survived a crocodile attack, experience learning to surf at Bondi, ride after brumbies in the Snowy Mountains, etc.  Not all stories are heroic, as these are real people writing their impressions of a country and its amazing animals and hardy people.  Each gives their own viewpoint which makes for fascinating reading.

The selections vary from 5 to 20 pages, making it a great book to dip into when you don't have extended reading time.

I highly recommend this book.  After living in Australia 3 1/2 years, it brought back many memories of a wonderful country and showed me why I need to travel there again.
2641216
On my recent trip to Australia, I only visited the typical big American tourist spots: Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns (Great Barrier Reef).  This book had great information about where to stay, what to do, and great places to eat.

LP Australia provides lots of background and history for each city as well as information about what's been going on.  It's almost like having your own personal tour guide.  (Of course, when I was there this last December, they were having race riots at the beaches - so I avoided those.)

The only draw back is I think that the maps could have been a bit more clear as sometimes it was difficult to see where a hotel, site or food establishment was.

All on all, a great book.  It came in very handy on my two week trip.
119770
This little book is jam-packed with a lot of great info! You and your child can learn all about Australia's cities and states/territories, from the well-known like Perth to the more obscure like Phillip Island. And the pictures are amazing!
I officially disclose that I received the item for free but am leaving an unbiased review.
2027659
I live in and run a website about NYC and author my own Printable NYC Guide with detailed maps, however I often review other NYC travel guides to see the recommendations they make to vacationers. While I do prefer the Fodor's Top 25, this Fodor's New York City guide (hard copy) is laid out extremely well with single pages of attractions, experiences, food, photo spots and shopping on the first page of each section. Then it goes into more detail within the section. Personally, I think there was the right amount of background, history and facts about New York. As a local, I was definitely in sync with this book-their dining choices, sights, etc.  A little background on my travel style - I generally like lighter tourist guides. I like to be told the must-sees, what to do, where to go, where to eat and how to get there. Preferably all together in an easy-to-follow format and without having to carry a huge book around all day on vacation.
4868210
I am a big fan of DK books! I have used this book with pleasure on two recent trips to Israel and plan to use it again on my next trip. It was such a hit that my colleagues have borrowed it as well. It fit easily inside my medium-sized purse. Each of the major tourist areas is detailed in a 1-2 page spread, which is packed with lots of info, beautiful photos and maps as applicable. I was able to learn all I needed to know about currency, traveling within the country, regional food/wine, security, etc. The Via Dolorosa and Old Jaffa maps were particularly useful. The map of down-town Tel Aviv did not cover enough area, but local maps were available in my hotel for free and purchase. It does not contain the particulars on hotels and restaurants that are typical of a Fodor's guide. However, if you are traveling with a tour group, then you won't need this detail as most of your trip will be prearranged. Due to security precautions, you probably will want to get restaurant recommendations from a hotel concierge anyway. This book is also a great visual tour for someone who wants to experience Israel but is unable to travel there.
3309390
Though I've changed planes at O'Hare many times, driven through the outskirts on I-80 more than once and even ventured to drive through Chicago one Saturday afternoon to see some of the more iconic sights I've really never been to Chicago.  This summer my family and I plan to spend at least a day there near the end of a long road trip so I was delighted to receive Frommer's latest Chicago travel guide.

There are ten chapters in this 372 page volume and they cover the topics that are prevalent in most travel books.  Chapter titles include" "The Best Of Chicago", "Chicago In Depth", "Suggested Chicago Itineraries", "Where To Stay", "Where To Eat", "Exploring Chicago", "Chicago Strolls", "Shopping", "Chicago After Dark" and a chapter of practical tips called "Planning Your Trip To Chicago".  There are twenty-four maps within the book covering walking tours, restaurant locations, attractions in Hyde and Oak Parks as well as several specific to "The Loop", the downtown El and Subway stations and more.  There is also a large pull out map of the city included.  The photographs are fairly plentiful and all are in color and the book has an easy to use index.  Since I don't know the city at all I can't vouch for how accurate the information in FROMMER'S CHICAGO is but it certainly presents the city as a vibrant and exciting destination.