really good guide that will make the trip easier
587324
really good guide that will make the trip easier , and not wasted time in the wrong places. We have short visit and this guide is perfect for that type of visit.
3713103
I can't say that the roads are accurate because I haven't made the trip yet. Seems like an easy and obvious thing to check before a trip anyway. Super happy with this guide. It is exactly what it says it is. It is also very easy to use and understand. Like I said, I haven't made the trip out there yet but I definitely have a better sense of what I'm getting into and how I'd like to plan the trip. I wouldn't plan a trip totally based on one guidebook, I will definitely be looking at other sources. For someone in NYC who can't make frequent trips, this is a great place to start.
2906345
The KNOPF MAPGUIDES: HAWAII Book was really helpful in figuring out what to see and do on my recent vacation in Hawaii.

This was my first time going and the Knopf Mapguide, along with&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Out-Traveler-Hawaii/dp/1593500734/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Out Traveler: Hawaii</a>&nbsp;for LGBT interests and the Internet, help plan a pretty decent itinerary for our group.

The KNOPF MAPGUIDE: HAWAII is a small book with foldout maps of different areas in Hawaii. It has sections on Oahu, Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kauai. We went to Oahu and it broke down the different districts like Waikiki, Honolulu Historic Center, Suburban Honolulu & Eastern Oahu, and the North Shore.

Each section has an easy to read map and contains suggestions on where to eat, drink, shop, and must see attractions. There are small color pictures of some of the places, so you'll know what to look for, and the small sized book will fit into a handbag or backpack making it easy to take with you while exploring. The book also provides helpful information on pharmacies, business hours, state holidays, historical key dates, indigenous foods and entertainment--totally preparing you for your vacation in Hawaii.

The pages and cover are of heavyweight paper and feel very durable. Even though the guide I purchased (not from Amazon) was updated in 2007, the places listed in the book were still there in Oahu (at least the places that we visited). I would highly recommend the KNOPF MAPGUIDES: HAWAII book for anyone traveling to the Island Paradise. And I will definitely be buying other KNOPF MAPGUIDES for future trips to other places.
942575
With such an abundance of information on the internet, it might seem redundant to purchase a print copy of a guidebook for travel, but I, for one, still choose to do so.  We have found that it is handy to have a paper guide, either to supplement your internet info or to substitute when internet accessibility is spotty.  And, after beginning our planning for a trip to France this summer, I am thrilled to have the Lonely Planet guidebook as one of my paper guides.

The France edition is well organized and perfect if you are not quite sure which regions to visit, or are planning to hit most of the country.  It is separated into sections, labeled along the right-most edge for easy locating with a flipping motion through the book.  In each region's section, LP includes a table of contents for that section (lists towns in that area with page #s), a brief "Why Go?" (helps with narrowing down your desired areas), a "When to Go" chart that shows temp and rainfall (and major events), and a map of the area.

Especially handy for our family of four, Lonely Planet includes many specific suggestions for families traveling with children, including a symbol next to lodging that lets you know it is family friendly (which, let me tell you, is very important--the last thing you want to do is tramp into a place you are booked to stay for 5 days with two tired hungry kids when they are not very tolerant or welcoming to children).  Also helpful, especially when trying to plan with children, are scattered two-page color-photo spreads of specific sights, such as the Lavender Trail (suggests 5 ways to see lavender on the Routes del la Lavande and presents three color photos to entice you).

Sprinkled throughout are suggested walks, hikes, and excursions, and the all important travel times between destinations.  And there is, of course, also the country overview with all sorts of facts and travel info and requisite pull-out map of Paris included in the back.  Really, I couldn't recommend this more.  And if you have specific questions after reading through this book, try their website.  I've already gleaned some excellent info from their forum page on [...].
4955108
We used this for a recent trip including Paris, Lyon, the Rhone River, Provence & Nice.  It was an excellent guide to what the main attractions were and how to see them (hours, days closed, etc).  I don't know how Stevens keeps all this info current, but it was.

I especially liked how he grouped Paris attractions into days, i.e. if you only have one day, see this; if you have a second day, also see this; similarly for a third day, etc.  That made it much easier to pick and choose among so many wonderful Parisian sights.

I know Stevens also has a 'Paris only' book, but I stuck with the combined book since I didn't want to carry around too much weight.
4054174
My husband and I spent three weeks traveling up the California Coast using this guide and it served us very well. For starters it is of no fault of the authors of this book that the coastal trail is still incomplete (i.e. there are sections along the road) This has more to do with the privatization of the CA beaches and the difficulty to get the right-of-way to travel the coast.

Hiking near to a road may not be a wilderness experience but it allows for a more flexible trip, as we were able to make it to the Oregon border through very successful hitchhiking efforts. The coastal trail, unlike some of the more famous wilderness trail allows for a more European type of backpacking that can include an occasional motel and restaurant, consistent grocery shopping, and people to chat with along the way. It is a great opportunity to a more casual hiker to experience a long-distance hike without the isolation. That said there is still plenty of wild spaces as most of the car-bound world is concentrated and it's easy to step away from it.

The maps on this book are at a very walkable scale, unlike any road atlas you might have, this books' maps shows the turns and bends and trailheads at the necessary detail for traveling on foot. When your whole day only makes up a half inch of map, it's pretty hard to navigate.

This book also lists resources for the area including lodging options, park contact information, places where you'll need special permits and places that are difficult to cross on foot. The whole Lost Coast is away from the road and detailed in this book, though additional maps are helpful.  This is an invaluable resource for traveling the California coast without a car, something everyone should get the chance to do at least once in life.
3968264
We just returned from our trip to Italy and this book came in handy. We used it primarily for the tips for the different regions & exhibits we were visiting. The walking tours and exhibit tours were very helpful and informative. We downloaded Rick Steves app to go along with the book tours.

I also like how he gave advise on ways to save time and money on your trip. His website is also very helpful with tips. We actually used his site to purchase all of our train tickets before we left for Italy.

I would suggest following Rick Steves advice and tear up the book. We did not go to every city in the book so there was no need to bring an almost 400 page book. So, I cut out each section like he advises in the book. Then, we left the at the AirB&Bs we stayed at for the next guests to use. It was a great way to lighten our load as we went.
1817803
A really helpful guide for L.A. travel. I read it on my iPhone Kindle App and could easily link to all of the different restaurants. It's easy to see, and skim through, who has been spotted (and spotted most often) at the restaurants. It's a quick read from front to back, or even easier to skim through quickly and choose a few restaurants. This will definitely help guide my next trip to L.A.
4460649
I found this book to be of a really great help in planning my trip. The book provides difficulty rating for each day of multi-day treks. There are also suggestions on how to split 5-6 days treks into shorter ones with "how-to-get-there" directions.
There are also several suggestions for trekking with kids, which was of a particular interest for me as I am planning to trek in Austrian Alps with my wife and a 3-years old kid.
2405540
The cost of the book alone is repaid by the information about how to get into the city from Heathrow! In fact, the 2013 guide was especially useful with some of the changes in terminals and construction at Heathrow. (I would also recommend checking the website for the tube for changes/closures and he provides this in the book)It's full of very practical tips and informations about London and, especially, getting around and the neighborhoods. I don't usually try his restaurant selections-I prefer to discover these on my own-but I do appreciate his advice on cafes and restaurants at the tourist sites-and these were again solid and useful with good tips.
I chose this on Kindle because it's easy to use on my Fire and has links to sites and it did not disappoint. Easy to carry with me and I was able to bookmark the pages I need. The tube map was perhpas a bit hard to read on the kindle but Tube maps are easy to find. Sometimes travel guides lose something in Kindle format-totally not the case with this one.
489439
I have always found Lonely Planet Guides to be very helpful, and this is no exception. I especially like the Quick Start Guide which gives you great tips for a smooth trip, and lists the top sights so you can start planning. I also like the layout of the book, separating by top sights, then delving into information about the surrounding area. The section of "London's Best..." is great. Choose from Best Eating, Best Walks, Best Museums, Best Gardens, Best for Kids, Best for Free, and much more. There are excellent, detailed maps, great photos, and it even includes a detailed "pull-out map" that you can easily carry in your pocket! I also appreciate the "Survival Guide" at the end of the book which has sections such as Before You Go, Getting Around, and Essential Information. This book has been very helpful while preparing for our upcoming trip to London!
Update 11/19/12 - We just returned from our trip, and I was happy to have this guide with me. Note that a few prices and times have changed since this printing. Good idea to double-check online for current information from different sites. Don't miss Hampton Court and The Tower of London!
2780620
I'm a big fan of Time Out travel guides and this one lived up to my expectations. I like the context section at the beginning which gives you a bit of background on Istanbul. It's not exhaustive by any means, but it's a good intro to the city of you don't know anything about it. There are several maps of the city that cover different sections and include useful stuff like the names of neighborhoods, hotels, restaurants, points of interest and public transportation lines.

What I like about this guide is that it includes stuff that is not in the usual tourist guides. I like to go off the beaten path and really explore interesting neighborhoods that don't have major tourist attractions. You can find sites and restaurants that mostly locals go to in the guide.
2824655
The company from whom I rented my bike for my four days on the Canal du Midi (Mellow Velo, Paraza, A+) loaned me a copy of this book to use. There is no doubt it greatly increased my ease and enjoyment of the trip. Buy it early and read it before you go. It is important to know which side to be on, where side roads go and places to stay. Many other guides can do this, as will a good map, but this guide gives you so much more: history, side trips, useful tips, etc. I would give it five stars but I only have experience with the last third of the route, which it does very well.
3832889
This guide helped us a lot, and was convenient to have available while we were in PV.  We like to discover off the beaten path restaurants for dining, not eating at familiar restaurant chains.  This book listed some great options.
36769
I am currently using this travel guide to plan a trip to New York City next month.  It's great value for money and really easy to read.  It has lots of useful and practical tips for a first time visitor like me and it's really easy to read.
It's broken down into districts and each section has lots of really useful information about where to stay, eat and visit.  The contact information, pricing and opening times is really up to date as the book is printed to order and regularly reviewed.
I have the paper back edition as I enjoy having a book to refer too.  The maps are basic, but have enough detail to help you get your bearings.
780915
As always, his guide is great and super-helpful. His insights about where to eat, sleep and where to be careful with pick-pockets is important to travelers. His maps and walks make one look forward to the experience and enjoy the visit. I especially liked that he did not shy away from the notorious red light district and the use of drugs. He did it in a positive manner without prejudice and just stating the facts.
3716327
Lots of information, perfect for planning a trip