New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (etc etc!) is a fact of life, the Eyewitness Guide makes all that extremely straightforward so navigating your way round each section is a breeze.

Also, unlike a number of other guidebooks, aside from numerous photographs this guide provides immensely useful illustrations of key attractions. So you don't find yourself pouring over endless pages of text - as a guide it's therefore clear and very easy on the eye.

All in all, this is probably the guidebook I've found the easiest to use and would highly recommend it.

Standards seem to have dropped. Disappointing!!!, 11 Apr 2008
One of the beauty that I like about DK guides is not only the colourful illustration of sites/buildings that you need to visit, what I treasured most is their recommendations to where to eat and where to stay. I used several DK guides and it seems what they recommend are spot on(at least to my taste). Having had the same guide book for Paris for the last 11yrs, I have decided to upgrade to the latest version which was published this year - Feb 2008. I have recently travel to Paris (beginning of April) using the new version of this guide, I managed, in 1 day, to find 2 restaurants which they have recommended is no longer there. How disappointing!!!! I would not recommend anyone to pay the Retail price to buy this book. If you can get it for a fiver, go for it. Otherwise I would use another one.

New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (etc etc!) is a fact of life, the Eyewitness Guide makes all that extremely straightforward so navigating your way round each section is a breeze.

Also, unlike a number of other guidebooks, aside from numerous photographs this guide provides immensely useful illustrations of key attractions. So you don't find yourself pouring over endless pages of text - as a guide it's therefore clear and very easy on the eye.

All in all, this is probably the guidebook I've found the easiest to use and would highly recommend it.

Standards seem to have dropped. Disappointing!!!, 11 Apr 2008
One of the beauty that I like about DK guides is not only the colourful illustration of sites/buildings that you need to visit, what I treasured most is their recommendations to where to eat and where to stay. I used several DK guides and it seems what they recommend are spot on(at least to my taste). Having had the same guide book for Paris for the last 11yrs, I have decided to upgrade to the latest version which was published this year - Feb 2008. I have recently travel to Paris (beginning of April) using the new version of this guide, I managed, in 1 day, to find 2 restaurants which they have recommended is no longer there. How disappointing!!!! I would not recommend anyone to pay the Retail price to buy this book. If you can get it for a fiver, go for it. Otherwise I would use another one.

Another typically excellent installment in the Eyewitness series, 29 Aug 2008
Having used the Florence and Venice volumes earlier in the year, when I was asked to travel to Rome, the DK Eyewitness guide was my first port of call. I am used to its clear and ordered style, the wonderful aerial illustrations of particular areas (most useful when lost!), and, given the amount of space it would otherwise take), the information details for each venue.

Wouldn't be without it.

Roam Rome, 18 Jul 2008
As a general introduction to any of the many cities covered by this series, the DK Eyewitness books are invaluable. I own several. However, in common with others in the collection, the accuracy of hotel, and notably restaurant, recommendations in Rome is poor. On several visits to Rome and using the most up-to-date version of the guide at the time, restaurants had closed and in one case, the building no longer existed at the stated address! For food and accommodation try something else.

One final gripe. The series provides information on principle sites. Excellent information. It seldom, however, provides adequate information on how to find the site in the first place.

New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (etc etc!) is a fact of life, the Eyewitness Guide makes all that extremely straightforward so navigating your way round each section is a breeze.

Also, unlike a number of other guidebooks, aside from numerous photographs this guide provides immensely useful illustrations of key attractions. So you don't find yourself pouring over endless pages of text - as a guide it's therefore clear and very easy on the eye.

All in all, this is probably the guidebook I've found the easiest to use and would highly recommend it.

Standards seem to have dropped. Disappointing!!!, 11 Apr 2008
One of the beauty that I like about DK guides is not only the colourful illustration of sites/buildings that you need to visit, what I treasured most is their recommendations to where to eat and where to stay. I used several DK guides and it seems what they recommend are spot on(at least to my taste). Having had the same guide book for Paris for the last 11yrs, I have decided to upgrade to the latest version which was published this year - Feb 2008. I have recently travel to Paris (beginning of April) using the new version of this guide, I managed, in 1 day, to find 2 restaurants which they have recommended is no longer there. How disappointing!!!! I would not recommend anyone to pay the Retail price to buy this book. If you can get it for a fiver, go for it. Otherwise I would use another one.

Another typically excellent installment in the Eyewitness series, 29 Aug 2008
Having used the Florence and Venice volumes earlier in the year, when I was asked to travel to Rome, the DK Eyewitness guide was my first port of call. I am used to its clear and ordered style, the wonderful aerial illustrations of particular areas (most useful when lost!), and, given the amount of space it would otherwise take), the information details for each venue.

Wouldn't be without it.

Roam Rome, 18 Jul 2008
As a general introduction to any of the many cities covered by this series, the DK Eyewitness books are invaluable. I own several. However, in common with others in the collection, the accuracy of hotel, and notably restaurant, recommendations in Rome is poor. On several visits to Rome and using the most up-to-date version of the guide at the time, restaurants had closed and in one case, the building no longer existed at the stated address! For food and accommodation try something else.

One final gripe. The series provides information on principle sites. Excellent information. It seldom, however, provides adequate information on how to find the site in the first place.


London, 16 Dec 2007
I bought this in combo package with Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Guides). However, I think it is not worth to have them both as Great Britain travel book cover quite a lot in London part. But if i were coming to England and only visit London then i will consider to buy this book.

However, I live in Central London and I found this book quite useful source of travel around outskirt London. In addition the Great Britain travel book only cover the main tourist attraction.

Pro: Great graphic, Maps, good sources of facts, good size

Con: none

Summary: Buy this if you only visit London. If you want to travel around Great Britain then Great Britain travel book is a better choice.


A great help for travelling!, 25 Aug 2001
This book is a helpful source for travellers to London. It contains all sorts of information to help you find the highlights of the city, wether it be attractions or hotels this book comes with all the info. The Maps are also very helpful to plan you trip. This is a number one buy for traveller's to London.

Excellent but no attitude, 01 Oct 1998
This is the tour book equivalent of the one volume encylopedia. Covers the topic well, but not much in the way of attitude. However, if you have limited time to see the tourist attractions, this is probably the best on the market. If you want to see the "real" London, get a Rough Guide or the Time Out Guide to London. You'll find out not only what to see, but what's not worth the bother.

The most comprehensively helpul London travel book ever!, 21 Jul 1998
This book and the others in the series (e.g. for Paris and Rome) provide photos, drawings and diagrams of what other books only tell about in print. Beautifully designed and easy to use, this is the one superb resource to read before your trip; you'll know London before you arrive. And during your visit you'll refer to it continually. You'll get a satisfying balance of information about the city's history, culture, arts, neighborhoods, customs, traditions, shopping, events, transporation and more...plus an excellent "survival guide" section...and detailed street and subway maps and recommendations about carefully screened lodging, restaurants and shopping. We don't travel without the Eyewitness Travel Guide. While this book is similar in style and layout to the equally excellent Knopf guides, I find a better balance of information in the Eyewitness Guides.

You must have this book before traveling to London., 17 Mar 1998
This is the best book for travel to London that I have found. Don't bother buying any of the other books, this one has it all! It has convient maps of London, maps of all of the museums, and it even makes sure you won't look like a tourist using the Tube.

New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (etc etc!) is a fact of life, the Eyewitness Guide makes all that extremely straightforward so navigating your way round each section is a breeze.

Also, unlike a number of other guidebooks, aside from numerous photographs this guide provides immensely useful illustrations of key attractions. So you don't find yourself pouring over endless pages of text - as a guide it's therefore clear and very easy on the eye.

All in all, this is probably the guidebook I've found the easiest to use and would highly recommend it.

Standards seem to have dropped. Disappointing!!!, 11 Apr 2008
One of the beauty that I like about DK guides is not only the colourful illustration of sites/buildings that you need to visit, what I treasured most is their recommendations to where to eat and where to stay. I used several DK guides and it seems what they recommend are spot on(at least to my taste). Having had the same guide book for Paris for the last 11yrs, I have decided to upgrade to the latest version which was published this year - Feb 2008. I have recently travel to Paris (beginning of April) using the new version of this guide, I managed, in 1 day, to find 2 restaurants which they have recommended is no longer there. How disappointing!!!! I would not recommend anyone to pay the Retail price to buy this book. If you can get it for a fiver, go for it. Otherwise I would use another one.

Another typically excellent installment in the Eyewitness series, 29 Aug 2008
Having used the Florence and Venice volumes earlier in the year, when I was asked to travel to Rome, the DK Eyewitness guide was my first port of call. I am used to its clear and ordered style, the wonderful aerial illustrations of particular areas (most useful when lost!), and, given the amount of space it would otherwise take), the information details for each venue.

Wouldn't be without it.

Roam Rome, 18 Jul 2008
As a general introduction to any of the many cities covered by this series, the DK Eyewitness books are invaluable. I own several. However, in common with others in the collection, the accuracy of hotel, and notably restaurant, recommendations in Rome is poor. On several visits to Rome and using the most up-to-date version of the guide at the time, restaurants had closed and in one case, the building no longer existed at the stated address! For food and accommodation try something else.

One final gripe. The series provides information on principle sites. Excellent information. It seldom, however, provides adequate information on how to find the site in the first place.


London, 16 Dec 2007
I bought this in combo package with Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Guides). However, I think it is not worth to have them both as Great Britain travel book cover quite a lot in London part. But if i were coming to England and only visit London then i will consider to buy this book.

However, I live in Central London and I found this book quite useful source of travel around outskirt London. In addition the Great Britain travel book only cover the main tourist attraction.

Pro: Great graphic, Maps, good sources of facts, good size

Con: none

Summary: Buy this if you only visit London. If you want to travel around Great Britain then Great Britain travel book is a better choice.


A great help for travelling!, 25 Aug 2001
This book is a helpful source for travellers to London. It contains all sorts of information to help you find the highlights of the city, wether it be attractions or hotels this book comes with all the info. The Maps are also very helpful to plan you trip. This is a number one buy for traveller's to London.

Excellent but no attitude, 01 Oct 1998
This is the tour book equivalent of the one volume encylopedia. Covers the topic well, but not much in the way of attitude. However, if you have limited time to see the tourist attractions, this is probably the best on the market. If you want to see the "real" London, get a Rough Guide or the Time Out Guide to London. You'll find out not only what to see, but what's not worth the bother.

The most comprehensively helpul London travel book ever!, 21 Jul 1998
This book and the others in the series (e.g. for Paris and Rome) provide photos, drawings and diagrams of what other books only tell about in print. Beautifully designed and easy to use, this is the one superb resource to read before your trip; you'll know London before you arrive. And during your visit you'll refer to it continually. You'll get a satisfying balance of information about the city's history, culture, arts, neighborhoods, customs, traditions, shopping, events, transporation and more...plus an excellent "survival guide" section...and detailed street and subway maps and recommendations about carefully screened lodging, restaurants and shopping. We don't travel without the Eyewitness Travel Guide. While this book is similar in style and layout to the equally excellent Knopf guides, I find a better balance of information in the Eyewitness Guides.

You must have this book before traveling to London., 17 Mar 1998
This is the best book for travel to London that I have found. Don't bother buying any of the other books, this one has it all! It has convient maps of London, maps of all of the museums, and it even makes sure you won't look like a tourist using the Tube.

Barcelona!, 09 Apr 2006
I loved my stay at Barcelona, I tried to cramm in as much as I can in 3 days so I got 3 travel guides and this was one of them.

It contains 3 important maps: A map of Barcelona, a map of the gothic quarter, and a subway map. These maps are clear and well detailed.

By using the top 10 guides I managed to plan out all the must see places and the best places to eat - I definitely recommend the sagrada famiia. + there are top ten guides for each district so you can find out what is near you.

Out of the guides I have seen, this and the AA one are easily the best.

A useful guide to suit everyone, 12 Aug 2004
A guide that recommends the top 10 places to visit and stay, whether it be for culture, art, history, places to eat or entertainment. It is guaranteed to suggest some of the best places in the city and often the most hidden and without this guide you may never come across such nice places.

It has an easy to follow grid referencing system with clear maps at the front and back of the book.

I swear by these guides and will not visit a place without taking a Top 10 guide with me.

Great for those with limited time, 01 Sep 2003
The Top Ten guide is perfect if you have limited time in Barcelona. Not only does it tell you the top ten must see sights, but also breaks those down into the top ten thigs that you should notice at that sight. As well as the touristy big hitters there's a helpful section on top ten hotels, bars, restaurants etc as well as parks, shopping and things to do with children.

Travel advice is spot on, including roughly what you should pay for a cab from the airport and a neat menu decoder. The teeny Catalan phrasebook is handy even if you have a basic grasp of Spanish.

Size wise it's perfect, fitting neatly in a pocket with discreet fold out maps so you don't look like a tourist silently yelling 'mug me'!

New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (etc etc!) is a fact of life, the Eyewitness Guide makes all that extremely straightforward so navigating your way round each section is a breeze.

Also, unlike a number of other guidebooks, aside from numerous photographs this guide provides immensely useful illustrations of key attractions. So you don't find yourself pouring over endless pages of text - as a guide it's therefore clear and very easy on the eye.

All in all, this is probably the guidebook I've found the easiest to use and would highly recommend it.

Standards seem to have dropped. Disappointing!!!, 11 Apr 2008
One of the beauty that I like about DK guides is not only the colourful illustration of sites/buildings that you need to visit, what I treasured most is their recommendations to where to eat and where to stay. I used several DK guides and it seems what they recommend are spot on(at least to my taste). Having had the same guide book for Paris for the last 11yrs, I have decided to upgrade to the latest version which was published this year - Feb 2008. I have recently travel to Paris (beginning of April) using the new version of this guide, I managed, in 1 day, to find 2 restaurants which they have recommended is no longer there. How disappointing!!!! I would not recommend anyone to pay the Retail price to buy this book. If you can get it for a fiver, go for it. Otherwise I would use another one.

Another typically excellent installment in the Eyewitness series, 29 Aug 2008
Having used the Florence and Venice volumes earlier in the year, when I was asked to travel to Rome, the DK Eyewitness guide was my first port of call. I am used to its clear and ordered style, the wonderful aerial illustrations of particular areas (most useful when lost!), and, given the amount of space it would otherwise take), the information details for each venue.

Wouldn't be without it.

Roam Rome, 18 Jul 2008
As a general introduction to any of the many cities covered by this series, the DK Eyewitness books are invaluable. I own several. However, in common with others in the collection, the accuracy of hotel, and notably restaurant, recommendations in Rome is poor. On several visits to Rome and using the most up-to-date version of the guide at the time, restaurants had closed and in one case, the building no longer existed at the stated address! For food and accommodation try something else.

One final gripe. The series provides information on principle sites. Excellent information. It seldom, however, provides adequate information on how to find the site in the first place.


London, 16 Dec 2007
I bought this in combo package with Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Guides). However, I think it is not worth to have them both as Great Britain travel book cover quite a lot in London part. But if i were coming to England and only visit London then i will consider to buy this book.

However, I live in Central London and I found this book quite useful source of travel around outskirt London. In addition the Great Britain travel book only cover the main tourist attraction.

Pro: Great graphic, Maps, good sources of facts, good size

Con: none

Summary: Buy this if you only visit London. If you want to travel around Great Britain then Great Britain travel book is a better choice.


A great help for travelling!, 25 Aug 2001
This book is a helpful source for travellers to London. It contains all sorts of information to help you find the highlights of the city, wether it be attractions or hotels this book comes with all the info. The Maps are also very helpful to plan you trip. This is a number one buy for traveller's to London.

Excellent but no attitude, 01 Oct 1998
This is the tour book equivalent of the one volume encylopedia. Covers the topic well, but not much in the way of attitude. However, if you have limited time to see the tourist attractions, this is probably the best on the market. If you want to see the "real" London, get a Rough Guide or the Time Out Guide to London. You'll find out not only what to see, but what's not worth the bother.

The most comprehensively helpul London travel book ever!, 21 Jul 1998
This book and the others in the series (e.g. for Paris and Rome) provide photos, drawings and diagrams of what other books only tell about in print. Beautifully designed and easy to use, this is the one superb resource to read before your trip; you'll know London before you arrive. And during your visit you'll refer to it continually. You'll get a satisfying balance of information about the city's history, culture, arts, neighborhoods, customs, traditions, shopping, events, transporation and more...plus an excellent "survival guide" section...and detailed street and subway maps and recommendations about carefully screened lodging, restaurants and shopping. We don't travel without the Eyewitness Travel Guide. While this book is similar in style and layout to the equally excellent Knopf guides, I find a better balance of information in the Eyewitness Guides.

You must have this book before traveling to London., 17 Mar 1998
This is the best book for travel to London that I have found. Don't bother buying any of the other books, this one has it all! It has convient maps of London, maps of all of the museums, and it even makes sure you won't look like a tourist using the Tube.

Barcelona!, 09 Apr 2006
I loved my stay at Barcelona, I tried to cramm in as much as I can in 3 days so I got 3 travel guides and this was one of them.

It contains 3 important maps: A map of Barcelona, a map of the gothic quarter, and a subway map. These maps are clear and well detailed.

By using the top 10 guides I managed to plan out all the must see places and the best places to eat - I definitely recommend the sagrada famiia. + there are top ten guides for each district so you can find out what is near you.

Out of the guides I have seen, this and the AA one are easily the best.

A useful guide to suit everyone, 12 Aug 2004
A guide that recommends the top 10 places to visit and stay, whether it be for culture, art, history, places to eat or entertainment. It is guaranteed to suggest some of the best places in the city and often the most hidden and without this guide you may never come across such nice places.

It has an easy to follow grid referencing system with clear maps at the front and back of the book.

I swear by these guides and will not visit a place without taking a Top 10 guide with me.

Great for those with limited time, 01 Sep 2003
The Top Ten guide is perfect if you have limited time in Barcelona. Not only does it tell you the top ten must see sights, but also breaks those down into the top ten thigs that you should notice at that sight. As well as the touristy big hitters there's a helpful section on top ten hotels, bars, restaurants etc as well as parks, shopping and things to do with children.

Travel advice is spot on, including roughly what you should pay for a cab from the airport and a neat menu decoder. The teeny Catalan phrasebook is handy even if you have a basic grasp of Spanish.

Size wise it's perfect, fitting neatly in a pocket with discreet fold out maps so you don't look like a tourist silently yelling 'mug me'!

Essential guide, 06 Jun 2007
Dont go to venice without this book , it has everything you need . We brought this along with the Lonely Planet Map and they were both excellent. Venice can be really busy but this book has many suggestions of where to spend your time. A perfect guide to a beautiful city.

New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (etc etc!) is a fact of life, the Eyewitness Guide makes all that extremely straightforward so navigating your way round each section is a breeze.

Also, unlike a number of other guidebooks, aside from numerous photographs this guide provides immensely useful illustrations of key attractions. So you don't find yourself pouring over endless pages of text - as a guide it's therefore clear and very easy on the eye.

All in all, this is probably the guidebook I've found the easiest to use and would highly recommend it.

Standards seem to have dropped. Disappointing!!!, 11 Apr 2008
One of the beauty that I like about DK guides is not only the colourful illustration of sites/buildings that you need to visit, what I treasured most is their recommendations to where to eat and where to stay. I used several DK guides and it seems what they recommend are spot on(at least to my taste). Having had the same guide book for Paris for the last 11yrs, I have decided to upgrade to the latest version which was published this year - Feb 2008. I have recently travel to Paris (beginning of April) using the new version of this guide, I managed, in 1 day, to find 2 restaurants which they have recommended is no longer there. How disappointing!!!! I would not recommend anyone to pay the Retail price to buy this book. If you can get it for a fiver, go for it. Otherwise I would use another one.

Another typically excellent installment in the Eyewitness series, 29 Aug 2008
Having used the Florence and Venice volumes earlier in the year, when I was asked to travel to Rome, the DK Eyewitness guide was my first port of call. I am used to its clear and ordered style, the wonderful aerial illustrations of particular areas (most useful when lost!), and, given the amount of space it would otherwise take), the information details for each venue.

Wouldn't be without it.

Roam Rome, 18 Jul 2008
As a general introduction to any of the many cities covered by this series, the DK Eyewitness books are invaluable. I own several. However, in common with others in the collection, the accuracy of hotel, and notably restaurant, recommendations in Rome is poor. On several visits to Rome and using the most up-to-date version of the guide at the time, restaurants had closed and in one case, the building no longer existed at the stated address! For food and accommodation try something else.

One final gripe. The series provides information on principle sites. Excellent information. It seldom, however, provides adequate information on how to find the site in the first place.


London, 16 Dec 2007
I bought this in combo package with Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Guides). However, I think it is not worth to have them both as Great Britain travel book cover quite a lot in London part. But if i were coming to England and only visit London then i will consider to buy this book.

However, I live in Central London and I found this book quite useful source of travel around outskirt London. In addition the Great Britain travel book only cover the main tourist attraction.

Pro: Great graphic, Maps, good sources of facts, good size

Con: none

Summary: Buy this if you only visit London. If you want to travel around Great Britain then Great Britain travel book is a better choice.


A great help for travelling!, 25 Aug 2001
This book is a helpful source for travellers to London. It contains all sorts of information to help you find the highlights of the city, wether it be attractions or hotels this book comes with all the info. The Maps are also very helpful to plan you trip. This is a number one buy for traveller's to London.

Excellent but no attitude, 01 Oct 1998
This is the tour book equivalent of the one volume encylopedia. Covers the topic well, but not much in the way of attitude. However, if you have limited time to see the tourist attractions, this is probably the best on the market. If you want to see the "real" London, get a Rough Guide or the Time Out Guide to London. You'll find out not only what to see, but what's not worth the bother.

The most comprehensively helpul London travel book ever!, 21 Jul 1998
This book and the others in the series (e.g. for Paris and Rome) provide photos, drawings and diagrams of what other books only tell about in print. Beautifully designed and easy to use, this is the one superb resource to read before your trip; you'll know London before you arrive. And during your visit you'll refer to it continually. You'll get a satisfying balance of information about the city's history, culture, arts, neighborhoods, customs, traditions, shopping, events, transporation and more...plus an excellent "survival guide" section...and detailed street and subway maps and recommendations about carefully screened lodging, restaurants and shopping. We don't travel without the Eyewitness Travel Guide. While this book is similar in style and layout to the equally excellent Knopf guides, I find a better balance of information in the Eyewitness Guides.

You must have this book before traveling to London., 17 Mar 1998
This is the best book for travel to London that I have found. Don't bother buying any of the other books, this one has it all! It has convient maps of London, maps of all of the museums, and it even makes sure you won't look like a tourist using the Tube.

Barcelona!, 09 Apr 2006
I loved my stay at Barcelona, I tried to cramm in as much as I can in 3 days so I got 3 travel guides and this was one of them.

It contains 3 important maps: A map of Barcelona, a map of the gothic quarter, and a subway map. These maps are clear and well detailed.

By using the top 10 guides I managed to plan out all the must see places and the best places to eat - I definitely recommend the sagrada famiia. + there are top ten guides for each district so you can find out what is near you.

Out of the guides I have seen, this and the AA one are easily the best.

A useful guide to suit everyone, 12 Aug 2004
A guide that recommends the top 10 places to visit and stay, whether it be for culture, art, history, places to eat or entertainment. It is guaranteed to suggest some of the best places in the city and often the most hidden and without this guide you may never come across such nice places.

It has an easy to follow grid referencing system with clear maps at the front and back of the book.

I swear by these guides and will not visit a place without taking a Top 10 guide with me.

Great for those with limited time, 01 Sep 2003
The Top Ten guide is perfect if you have limited time in Barcelona. Not only does it tell you the top ten must see sights, but also breaks those down into the top ten thigs that you should notice at that sight. As well as the touristy big hitters there's a helpful section on top ten hotels, bars, restaurants etc as well as parks, shopping and things to do with children.

Travel advice is spot on, including roughly what you should pay for a cab from the airport and a neat menu decoder. The teeny Catalan phrasebook is handy even if you have a basic grasp of Spanish.

Size wise it's perfect, fitting neatly in a pocket with discreet fold out maps so you don't look like a tourist silently yelling 'mug me'!

Essential guide, 06 Jun 2007
Dont go to venice without this book , it has everything you need . We brought this along with the Lonely Planet Map and they were both excellent. Venice can be really busy but this book has many suggestions of where to spend your time. A perfect guide to a beautiful city.


Comprehensive and Fascinating, 19 Nov 2007
This truly is a thorough and comprehensive travel guide, giving readers not only a great idea of what to expect when they visit Cuba, but also a great deal of other information regarding the scenery of Cuba, it's social and political history, it's key political figures, and a wealth of information on it's art and culture.

All of which is rich and fascinating, creating a picture of an intriguing country of great warmth and openness; a country which is well worth visiting, if only for the pure white sand and the nature which is a veritable feast for poets and painters. This book will tell you pretty much everything you could possibly need to know about Cuba. Read it and read about an entirely different way of life.

BEST TRAVEL GUIDES IN THE WORLD!!!, 05 Nov 2007
We bought this guide at the airport on our way to Cuba. Having purchased Time-out & Berlitz guides and been underwhelmed by them, we were thrilled with the content of this guide. Not only do you get excellent pictures, the writing is really descriptive and very helpful to those tentative travellers who want to see a bit more of the country they are visiting. I imagine they would also be perfect for seasoned travellers and backpackers with sections dedicated to Havana and main province towns. It also gives invaluable tips that even our tour guides missed out, like the old man on the steps of Capitolio who takes black & white pictures of tourists for 2 Pesos. As it is small enough to be carried about with you in a bag or long pocket and also gives tips on good souveniers to bring back we think this is the perfect travelling companion to take to on your Cuban holiday. We will be purchasing more of the Eyewitness guides, whether we intend visiting the country/city or not as they make fantastic reading!!

New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (etc etc!) is a fact of life, the Eyewitness Guide makes all that extremely straightforward so navigating your way round each section is a breeze.

Also, unlike a number of other guidebooks, aside from numerous photographs this guide provides immensely useful illustrations of key attractions. So you don't find yourself pouring over endless pages of text - as a guide it's therefore clear and very easy on the eye.

All in all, this is probably the guidebook I've found the easiest to use and would highly recommend it.

Standards seem to have dropped. Disappointing!!!, 11 Apr 2008
One of the beauty that I like about DK guides is not only the colourful illustration of sites/buildings that you need to visit, what I treasured most is their recommendations to where to eat and where to stay. I used several DK guides and it seems what they recommend are spot on(at least to my taste). Having had the same guide book for Paris for the last 11yrs, I have decided to upgrade to the latest version which was published this year - Feb 2008. I have recently travel to Paris (beginning of April) using the new version of this guide, I managed, in 1 day, to find 2 restaurants which they have recommended is no longer there. How disappointing!!!! I would not recommend anyone to pay the Retail price to buy this book. If you can get it for a fiver, go for it. Otherwise I would use another one.

Another typically excellent installment in the Eyewitness series, 29 Aug 2008
Having used the Florence and Venice volumes earlier in the year, when I was asked to travel to Rome, the DK Eyewitness guide was my first port of call. I am used to its clear and ordered style, the wonderful aerial illustrations of particular areas (most useful when lost!), and, given the amount of space it would otherwise take), the information details for each venue.

Wouldn't be without it.

Roam Rome, 18 Jul 2008
As a general introduction to any of the many cities covered by this series, the DK Eyewitness books are invaluable. I own several. However, in common with others in the collection, the accuracy of hotel, and notably restaurant, recommendations in Rome is poor. On several visits to Rome and using the most up-to-date version of the guide at the time, restaurants had closed and in one case, the building no longer existed at the stated address! For food and accommodation try something else.

One final gripe. The series provides information on principle sites. Excellent information. It seldom, however, provides adequate information on how to find the site in the first place.


London, 16 Dec 2007
I bought this in combo package with Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Guides). However, I think it is not worth to have them both as Great Britain travel book cover quite a lot in London part. But if i were coming to England and only visit London then i will consider to buy this book.

However, I live in Central London and I found this book quite useful source of travel around outskirt London. In addition the Great Britain travel book only cover the main tourist attraction.

Pro: Great graphic, Maps, good sources of facts, good size

Con: none

Summary: Buy this if you only visit London. If you want to travel around Great Britain then Great Britain travel book is a better choice.


A great help for travelling!, 25 Aug 2001
This book is a helpful source for travellers to London. It contains all sorts of information to help you find the highlights of the city, wether it be attractions or hotels this book comes with all the info. The Maps are also very helpful to plan you trip. This is a number one buy for traveller's to London.

Excellent but no attitude, 01 Oct 1998
This is the tour book equivalent of the one volume encylopedia. Covers the topic well, but not much in the way of attitude. However, if you have limited time to see the tourist attractions, this is probably the best on the market. If you want to see the "real" London, get a Rough Guide or the Time Out Guide to London. You'll find out not only what to see, but what's not worth the bother.

The most comprehensively helpul London travel book ever!, 21 Jul 1998
This book and the others in the series (e.g. for Paris and Rome) provide photos, drawings and diagrams of what other books only tell about in print. Beautifully designed and easy to use, this is the one superb resource to read before your trip; you'll know London before you arrive. And during your visit you'll refer to it continually. You'll get a satisfying balance of information about the city's history, culture, arts, neighborhoods, customs, traditions, shopping, events, transporation and more...plus an excellent "survival guide" section...and detailed street and subway maps and recommendations about carefully screened lodging, restaurants and shopping. We don't travel without the Eyewitness Travel Guide. While this book is similar in style and layout to the equally excellent Knopf guides, I find a better balance of information in the Eyewitness Guides.

You must have this book before traveling to London., 17 Mar 1998
This is the best book for travel to London that I have found. Don't bother buying any of the other books, this one has it all! It has convient maps of London, maps of all of the museums, and it even makes sure you won't look like a tourist using the Tube.

Barcelona!, 09 Apr 2006
I loved my stay at Barcelona, I tried to cramm in as much as I can in 3 days so I got 3 travel guides and this was one of them.

It contains 3 important maps: A map of Barcelona, a map of the gothic quarter, and a subway map. These maps are clear and well detailed.

By using the top 10 guides I managed to plan out all the must see places and the best places to eat - I definitely recommend the sagrada famiia. + there are top ten guides for each district so you can find out what is near you.

Out of the guides I have seen, this and the AA one are easily the best.

A useful guide to suit everyone, 12 Aug 2004
A guide that recommends the top 10 places to visit and stay, whether it be for culture, art, history, places to eat or entertainment. It is guaranteed to suggest some of the best places in the city and often the most hidden and without this guide you may never come across such nice places.

It has an easy to follow grid referencing system with clear maps at the front and back of the book.

I swear by these guides and will not visit a place without taking a Top 10 guide with me.

Great for those with limited time, 01 Sep 2003
The Top Ten guide is perfect if you have limited time in Barcelona. Not only does it tell you the top ten must see sights, but also breaks those down into the top ten thigs that you should notice at that sight. As well as the touristy big hitters there's a helpful section on top ten hotels, bars, restaurants etc as well as parks, shopping and things to do with children.

Travel advice is spot on, including roughly what you should pay for a cab from the airport and a neat menu decoder. The teeny Catalan phrasebook is handy even if you have a basic grasp of Spanish.

Size wise it's perfect, fitting neatly in a pocket with discreet fold out maps so you don't look like a tourist silently yelling 'mug me'!

Essential guide, 06 Jun 2007
Dont go to venice without this book , it has everything you need . We brought this along with the Lonely Planet Map and they were both excellent. Venice can be really busy but this book has many suggestions of where to spend your time. A perfect guide to a beautiful city.


Comprehensive and Fascinating, 19 Nov 2007
This truly is a thorough and comprehensive travel guide, giving readers not only a great idea of what to expect when they visit Cuba, but also a great deal of other information regarding the scenery of Cuba, it's social and political history, it's key political figures, and a wealth of information on it's art and culture.

All of which is rich and fascinating, creating a picture of an intriguing country of great warmth and openness; a country which is well worth visiting, if only for the pure white sand and the nature which is a veritable feast for poets and painters. This book will tell you pretty much everything you could possibly need to know about Cuba. Read it and read about an entirely different way of life.

BEST TRAVEL GUIDES IN THE WORLD!!!, 05 Nov 2007
We bought this guide at the airport on our way to Cuba. Having purchased Time-out & Berlitz guides and been underwhelmed by them, we were thrilled with the content of this guide. Not only do you get excellent pictures, the writing is really descriptive and very helpful to those tentative travellers who want to see a bit more of the country they are visiting. I imagine they would also be perfect for seasoned travellers and backpackers with sections dedicated to Havana and main province towns. It also gives invaluable tips that even our tour guides missed out, like the old man on the steps of Capitolio who takes black & white pictures of tourists for 2 Pesos. As it is small enough to be carried about with you in a bag or long pocket and also gives tips on good souveniers to bring back we think this is the perfect travelling companion to take to on your Cuban holiday. We will be purchasing more of the Eyewitness guides, whether we intend visiting the country/city or not as they make fantastic reading!!

Good but not completely up to date., 21 Jan 2008
Despite saying that this book was revised in 2006, some entries were already out of date. For example, it lists "James Bond" Bottoms Up in Tsim Sha Tsui. This bar closed in 2004 (and is different to the bar with the same name which is now operating in Wan Chai).

Apart from a few exceptions, most things are still accurate, and the "10 best..." format works well for a concise and pocket-size guide, and with several thumbnail pictures per page, is light and easy to dip into.

It ranges in detail from "10 Highlights of Hong Kong" to "10 places to People Watch in Tsim Sha Tsui", with pages on bars, places to eat, 10 Security Tips, the 10 best sights in each region etc. Around 85 "10" lists in all (by my reckoning), plus overview pages and some "one day itinerary" ideas.


Ideal book with no fuss, 11 Jan 2008
Having travelled to many places I love the Eyewitness top 10 books. They dont go into massive detail - just enough for the virgin traveller to the country/city. The information given is clear and very easy to understand, especially if you are short on time (we were in Hong Kong for 3 nights) it gives you ideas on the top (surprising 10!) places to see from tourist spots to hotels to places to eat and drink. They also come with handy hints of what to do and dont do. I think these Top 10 books are great, they have never failed me - perfect to fit into a small bag and they dont overload you with too much info. I buy one for every city or country I go to. Top 10 marks!

Better than Lonely Planet, from a LP fan, 06 Nov 2006
I've always bought Lonely Planets before, whether i'm going somewhere for a long weekend or a month. So I got the Lonely Planet to HK, but this guide also caught my eye for its compact format.

And I have to say, it works much harder. Although it may look at first glance like one of those cheap airport Berlitz guides with photos of places from the 70s, its packed with information and written in a very consise, witty way. The 'Top 10' format could be a restriction but actually encourages the writers (of this guide anyway) to be selective.

Against this, the Lonely Planet seems much more long-winded and, with its new revised target market of more up-market vacationers and well as its core backpacking fraternity, much more like simply a directory of places to eat, drink, shop, sleep.

The detailed maps on each inside flap and each mini-map for places to eat and shop in each district are also very handy to refer to in the street without looking like a complete tourist, and much easier than the LP's enless cross-referencing

Aside from a few absent practical facts (exact addresses, websites etc.) which is inevitable in a book less than a quater of the page count, this served me very well for a full week in Hong Kong and easy to slip into a small bag or, like me, your back pocket. So this book would be ideal for the majority of people who spend a few days there.

Good basic guide, 13 Feb 2006
Good basic guide, covers all the standard items with good text overviews and great little pictures. Well structured and overall very good.

New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (etc etc!) is a fact of life, the Eyewitness Guide makes all that extremely straightforward so navigating your way round each section is a breeze.

Also, unlike a number of other guidebooks, aside from numerous photographs this guide provides immensely useful illustrations of key attractions. So you don't find yourself pouring over endless pages of text - as a guide it's therefore clear and very easy on the eye.

All in all, this is probably the guidebook I've found the easiest to use and would highly recommend it.

Standards seem to have dropped. Disappointing!!!, 11 Apr 2008
One of the beauty that I like about DK guides is not only the colourful illustration of sites/buildings that you need to visit, what I treasured most is their recommendations to where to eat and where to stay. I used several DK guides and it seems what they recommend are spot on(at least to my taste). Having had the same guide book for Paris for the last 11yrs, I have decided to upgrade to the latest version which was published this year - Feb 2008. I have recently travel to Paris (beginning of April) using the new version of this guide, I managed, in 1 day, to find 2 restaurants which they have recommended is no longer there. How disappointing!!!! I would not recommend anyone to pay the Retail price to buy this book. If you can get it for a fiver, go for it. Otherwise I would use another one.

Another typically excellent installment in the Eyewitness series, 29 Aug 2008
Having used the Florence and Venice volumes earlier in the year, when I was asked to travel to Rome, the DK Eyewitness guide was my first port of call. I am used to its clear and ordered style, the wonderful aerial illustrations of particular areas (most useful when lost!), and, given the amount of space it would otherwise take), the information details for each venue.

Wouldn't be without it.

Roam Rome, 18 Jul 2008
As a general introduction to any of the many cities covered by this series, the DK Eyewitness books are invaluable. I own several. However, in common with others in the collection, the accuracy of hotel, and notably restaurant, recommendations in Rome is poor. On several visits to Rome and using the most up-to-date version of the guide at the time, restaurants had closed and in one case, the building no longer existed at the stated address! For food and accommodation try something else.

One final gripe. The series provides information on principle sites. Excellent information. It seldom, however, provides adequate information on how to find the site in the first place.


London, 16 Dec 2007
I bought this in combo package with Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Guides). However, I think it is not worth to have them both as Great Britain travel book cover quite a lot in London part. But if i were coming to England and only visit London then i will consider to buy this book.

However, I live in Central London and I found this book quite useful source of travel around outskirt London. In addition the Great Britain travel book only cover the main tourist attraction.

Pro: Great graphic, Maps, good sources of facts, good size

Con: none

Summary: Buy this if you only visit London. If you want to travel around Great Britain then Great Britain travel book is a better choice.


A great help for travelling!, 25 Aug 2001
This book is a helpful source for travellers to London. It contains all sorts of information to help you find the highlights of the city, wether it be attractions or hotels this book comes with all the info. The Maps are also very helpful to plan you trip. This is a number one buy for traveller's to London.

Excellent but no attitude, 01 Oct 1998
This is the tour book equivalent of the one volume encylopedia. Covers the topic well, but not much in the way of attitude. However, if you have limited time to see the tourist attractions, this is probably the best on the market. If you want to see the "real" London, get a Rough Guide or the Time Out Guide to London. You'll find out not only what to see, but what's not worth the bother.

The most comprehensively helpul London travel book ever!, 21 Jul 1998
This book and the others in the series (e.g. for Paris and Rome) provide photos, drawings and diagrams of what other books only tell about in print. Beautifully designed and easy to use, this is the one superb resource to read before your trip; you'll know London before you arrive. And during your visit you'll refer to it continually. You'll get a satisfying balance of information about the city's history, culture, arts, neighborhoods, customs, traditions, shopping, events, transporation and more...plus an excellent "survival guide" section...and detailed street and subway maps and recommendations about carefully screened lodging, restaurants and shopping. We don't travel without the Eyewitness Travel Guide. While this book is similar in style and layout to the equally excellent Knopf guides, I find a better balance of information in the Eyewitness Guides.

You must have this book before traveling to London., 17 Mar 1998
This is the best book for travel to London that I have found. Don't bother buying any of the other books, this one has it all! It has convient maps of London, maps of all of the museums, and it even makes sure you won't look like a tourist using the Tube.

Barcelona!, 09 Apr 2006
I loved my stay at Barcelona, I tried to cramm in as much as I can in 3 days so I got 3 travel guides and this was one of them.

It contains 3 important maps: A map of Barcelona, a map of the gothic quarter, and a subway map. These maps are clear and well detailed.

By using the top 10 guides I managed to plan out all the must see places and the best places to eat - I definitely recommend the sagrada famiia. + there are top ten guides for each district so you can find out what is near you.

Out of the guides I have seen, this and the AA one are easily the best.

A useful guide to suit everyone, 12 Aug 2004
A guide that recommends the top 10 places to visit and stay, whether it be for culture, art, history, places to eat or entertainment. It is guaranteed to suggest some of the best places in the city and often the most hidden and without this guide you may never come across such nice places.

It has an easy to follow grid referencing system with clear maps at the front and back of the book.

I swear by these guides and will not visit a place without taking a Top 10 guide with me.

Great for those with limited time, 01 Sep 2003
The Top Ten guide is perfect if you have limited time in Barcelona. Not only does it tell you the top ten must see sights, but also breaks those down into the top ten thigs that you should notice at that sight. As well as the touristy big hitters there's a helpful section on top ten hotels, bars, restaurants etc as well as parks, shopping and things to do with children.

Travel advice is spot on, including roughly what you should pay for a cab from the airport and a neat menu decoder. The teeny Catalan phrasebook is handy even if you have a basic grasp of Spanish.

Size wise it's perfect, fitting neatly in a pocket with discreet fold out maps so you don't look like a tourist silently yelling 'mug me'!

Essential guide, 06 Jun 2007
Dont go to venice without this book , it has everything you need . We brought this along with the Lonely Planet Map and they were both excellent. Venice can be really busy but this book has many suggestions of where to spend your time. A perfect guide to a beautiful city.


Comprehensive and Fascinating, 19 Nov 2007
This truly is a thorough and comprehensive travel guide, giving readers not only a great idea of what to expect when they visit Cuba, but also a great deal of other information regarding the scenery of Cuba, it's social and political history, it's key political figures, and a wealth of information on it's art and culture.

All of which is rich and fascinating, creating a picture of an intriguing country of great warmth and openness; a country which is well worth visiting, if only for the pure white sand and the nature which is a veritable feast for poets and painters. This book will tell you pretty much everything you could possibly need to know about Cuba. Read it and read about an entirely different way of life.

BEST TRAVEL GUIDES IN THE WORLD!!!, 05 Nov 2007
We bought this guide at the airport on our way to Cuba. Having purchased Time-out & Berlitz guides and been underwhelmed by them, we were thrilled with the content of this guide. Not only do you get excellent pictures, the writing is really descriptive and very helpful to those tentative travellers who want to see a bit more of the country they are visiting. I imagine they would also be perfect for seasoned travellers and backpackers with sections dedicated to Havana and main province towns. It also gives invaluable tips that even our tour guides missed out, like the old man on the steps of Capitolio who takes black & white pictures of tourists for 2 Pesos. As it is small enough to be carried about with you in a bag or long pocket and also gives tips on good souveniers to bring back we think this is the perfect travelling companion to take to on your Cuban holiday. We will be purchasing more of the Eyewitness guides, whether we intend visiting the country/city or not as they make fantastic reading!!

Good but not completely up to date., 21 Jan 2008
Despite saying that this book was revised in 2006, some entries were already out of date. For example, it lists "James Bond" Bottoms Up in Tsim Sha Tsui. This bar closed in 2004 (and is different to the bar with the same name which is now operating in Wan Chai).

Apart from a few exceptions, most things are still accurate, and the "10 best..." format works well for a concise and pocket-size guide, and with several thumbnail pictures per page, is light and easy to dip into.

It ranges in detail from "10 Highlights of Hong Kong" to "10 places to People Watch in Tsim Sha Tsui", with pages on bars, places to eat, 10 Security Tips, the 10 best sights in each region etc. Around 85 "10" lists in all (by my reckoning), plus overview pages and some "one day itinerary" ideas.


Ideal book with no fuss, 11 Jan 2008
Having travelled to many places I love the Eyewitness top 10 books. They dont go into massive detail - just enough for the virgin traveller to the country/city. The information given is clear and very easy to understand, especially if you are short on time (we were in Hong Kong for 3 nights) it gives you ideas on the top (surprising 10!) places to see from tourist spots to hotels to places to eat and drink. They also come with handy hints of what to do and dont do. I think these Top 10 books are great, they have never failed me - perfect to fit into a small bag and they dont overload you with too much info. I buy one for every city or country I go to. Top 10 marks!

Better than Lonely Planet, from a LP fan, 06 Nov 2006
I've always bought Lonely Planets before, whether i'm going somewhere for a long weekend or a month. So I got the Lonely Planet to HK, but this guide also caught my eye for its compact format.

And I have to say, it works much harder. Although it may look at first glance like one of those cheap airport Berlitz guides with photos of places from the 70s, its packed with information and written in a very consise, witty way. The 'Top 10' format could be a restriction but actually encourages the writers (of this guide anyway) to be selective.

Against this, the Lonely Planet seems much more long-winded and, with its new revised target market of more up-market vacationers and well as its core backpacking fraternity, much more like simply a directory of places to eat, drink, shop, sleep.

The detailed maps on each inside flap and each mini-map for places to eat and shop in each district are also very handy to refer to in the street without looking like a complete tourist, and much easier than the LP's enless cross-referencing

Aside from a few absent practical facts (exact addresses, websites etc.) which is inevitable in a book less than a quater of the page count, this served me very well for a full week in Hong Kong and easy to slip into a small bag or, like me, your back pocket. So this book would be ideal for the majority of people who spend a few days there.

Good basic guide, 13 Feb 2006
Good basic guide, covers all the standard items with good text overviews and great little pictures. Well structured and overall very good.

Excellent guide, 09 Oct 2008
A huge amount of effort and research has gone into this chunky guide. Just choosing the pictures must have been a mammoth task: they're all up to date, in colour and give a clear idea of the delights of the various cities and attractions.

I used to work in a visitor information office in Wales and found the section on South Wales particularly well done, especially since it's an area off the typical tourist track. The only thing which let it down was the hotel recommendations. They tend to be in areas often way outside of town and city centres, so aren't much use to those travelling without cars.

It may be a little heavy to carry round with you, but it's ideal as a reference source if you're at home researching a trip and want to sort out an itinary. Well done again Dorling Kindersley!

Thumb up, 16 Dec 2007
I had bought a travel book from Eyewitness Travel Guides before, i think it was one on Scotland and it serve me well. So i decided to have another go on this GB one. It was really useful in term of providing map, other interesting need to know and facts.

Fantastic Travel Companion, 17 Nov 2007
I brought this book purely for what was written on the cover.
And I'm glad I did. The pictures make the book far more interesting to read and I've gone through is several times and continue going back to it as soon as I'm bored and need to go somewhere.
Big recommendation.

A Great Travelling Book, 17 Feb 2002
I highly recommend this book.

It is full of colourful diagrams, maps, pictures, routes and valuable tips that made my holiday planning to England most enjoyable and easy.

It is well organised into regions and the introduction information on the history, culture and architecture of England are great.

You will enjoy reading this book even if not visiting England.

A Brilliant guide ... just heavy to carry!, 04 Dec 2001
For those new to the DK Eyewitness books I cannot recommend them highly enough for their clear guide content, pictures, diagrams and information. I have found that it replaces the need to buy a guide book in many attractions (eg Westminster Abbey) as there is sufficient info contained to satisfy most travellers' interests. The guide is broken down neatly into regions with basic maps which makes it easy to use when on a driving holiday or planning your day's itinerary. On the downside, the 672 glossy pages, though beautiful, get very heavy in your backpack etc when you are on your feet all day.

In summary, I love these guides and search for them first when visiting anywhere new.

A final note to answer another's review, there are separate guides for Scotland, Ireland, London etc that cover those areas in more detail.

New Edition for 2008 but not actually updated!, 03 Dec 2008
I purchased this after having owned a number of previous eyewitness guides for various cities.

I already owned the old paris guide but decided to get the 'new' 2008 guide, Updated is a very loose term for what has happened. The guide is hopelessly outdated and the author who is supposedly a Parisian should be ashamed that they have done an injustice. The book contains outdated information regarding the public transport system and the maps used in the book are truly terrible. There is no mention of the 'free' for hire bikes, Velib which were introduce in 2007 well before the Feb 2008 print date.

All in all i would avoid buying this book until it is totally re-written from front to back, the updates are useless and they are still using the photos from the original edition which means the photos date from the early 90's. How hard is it to have someone walk round paris for a week retaking photos?

Save your money and buy a pocket map and use online guides to decide what you want to do during your visit!

Detailed, but extremely easy to use - essential..., 02 May 2008
If time is tight, or you just like to arrive at a holiday destination very well prepared, a guidebook is a valuable and important investment. So choosing the right one is crucial.

Whilst I suspect that "Time Out" and "Lonely Planet" books probably sell in greater volume, having looked through them both I'm extremely glad I opted instead to use this Eyewitness Travel Guide for my recent trip to Paris. It helped me make the most of my trip.

As with most guidebooks this breaks down Paris into a series of districts - but then very clearly labels the key attractions, how to find them and even proposes short walks that will enable you to get the most out of your time in that area.

Accepting that flicking between pages as you try to find different streets, where to eat, where the nearest Metro station is (