Getting away to discover new destinations is always a great experience and Mrs Y loves nothing more than to dive in and start researching new destinations. We think that being able to hit the ground running, so to speak, and not have to waste any valuable time getting your bearings or working out what to see while you are there is really important and especially so when taking a short break, we think it’s essential.
Over the years we have trawled countless library shelves and browsed multiple book shops looking for THAT perfect guide-book. That one book that has everything you need in a format you can read and digest. Some books have so much information in them it’s hard to pick out exactly what it is you need and it can get overwhelming
Initially we found that Insight Guides were particularly good. Mostly we’d borrowed these from our local library as they are a little on the expensive side, but they have great in-depth advice and knowledge along with some magnificent pictures. But sadly, these are just way too big to travel with and they’re hard to fit in your pocket when hoofing it around a city. These books are not the sort of tome to be thumbing through on a Metro or while stood on a street corner. The last thing you want to do is LOOK any more like a tourist than you already do.
For Mrs Y and I, Dorling Kindersley have the perfect guide-book in their Eye Witness Travel, Top 10 Travel Guides. These are the perfect size to fit in a handbag or jacket pocket. Good clear pull-out maps that can be easily pocketed and looked at discretely. Concise and detailed information on all the major sites of a city. Information on how to get there, how to get around, where to stay, where to eat, what to avoid and how to stay safe. For us these are pretty much perfect. Of course, we now have quite a collection of them on our book shelves.
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