Best Madrid Travel Guides
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My great niece was tickled to have this guied book in advance of her studies in Madrid."
"Excellent travel guide."
"You can't go wrong with Rick."
"Nice size to travel in your day pack or purse."
"Rick Steve's travel guides are the best guide books ever."
"I recommender the free information on the public office of tourist in madrid."
View the marvellous frescoes at Plaza Mayor, see Picasso's Guernica at the Reina Sofia, or have a picnic in Parque del Buen Retiro; all with your trusted travel companion. Full-colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Free, convenient pull-out Madrid map (included in print version), plus over 19 colour neighbourhood maps User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time Covers Salamanca, Plaza Mayor, Royal Madrid, El Retiro, La Latina, Lavapies, Malasana, Chueca, Sol, Santa Ana, Huertas, and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While it's truly pocket size was convenient, at times I wished for a longer, full-size guide that would provide more historical and cultural context for what I was seeing .... hope Lonely Planet will put something out before long."
"Only one correctiion, Estado Puro, which was mentioned several times for tapas, etc has changed entirely."
"Excellent guide, maps are especially appreciated."
"I didn't with this pocket guide."
"Very helpful guide!"
"Before using it on the street I recommend getting some tabs to mark the little maps within the book since the large map does not have all the street names and you want to avoid having to dig through the book to find the area you're in."
"I bought it because the publisher's description said "Full-colour maps and images throughout"; I'm used to that in the Lonely Planet paper books."
"On the inside cover is a map showing the approximate locations of the neighborhoods but the streets are not labeled and no landmarks are shown, so you can't tell where they are."
Inside Lonely Planet Madrid Travel Guide: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including history, art, cinema, music, dance, architecture, politics, cuisine Free, convenient pull-out Madrid map (included in print version), plus over 25 neighbourhood maps Covers Salamanca, Plaza Mayor, Royal Madrid, La Latina, Lavapies, Malasana, Chueca, Parque del Oeste, Sol, Santa Ana, Huertas, El Retiro, and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I appreciate the section on day trips from Madrid and also the little blurbs about where to find quick snacks while you adjust to the traditional Spanish eating schedule."
"Excellent guide, was our savior on our recent trip to Madrid, until we lost it with one day left go to!"
"We are in Madrid right now and have depended on it for all kinds of pertinent information esp the restaurant recommendations ."
"Extensive info."
"It's quite comprehensive as far as museums and tourist destinations and is better than a lot of other LP guides as far as shopping and eating recommendations. The guide is also woefully inadequate to explain the logistics of day trips (e.g. El Escorial, Toledo), and one page maps of the day trip cities are anther woeful omission."
Best Seville Travel Guides
PLEASE NOTE: A newly updated version of this STREETWISE map is available. In the 1970 s, Brown traveled extensively throughout Africa, India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Brown would take a large paper map, cut out the city center, folded it up and slip it into his pocket, thus preventing him from looking like a tourist in areas where discretion is the better part of travel. After many years on the road, Brown settled back in New York and decided to start his own business, based on the adaptations he had made to maps in his travels. Brown sold the maps during the day, zipping around Manhattan making deliveries on his Harley Davidson. STREETWISE® is one of the only, if not THE only map company that conducts research by walking or driving an area to ensure accuracy. This lengthy fact checking results in superior accuracy; in effect, we ve done the work, now you have the adventure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We walked everywhere and this map helped us get our bearings in a city with many old neighborhoods with narrow, winding streets."
"This appears to be impossible because the landmarks on the big map are not reflected on the smaller map, nor are the streets."
"I used this map every day while I was in Spain."
"Good for the 'on foot' tourist and also the "motorized" one!"
"Size is too large to fit in a back pocket, however I think the maps would be too hard to read if they were any smaller."
"In short, it may be good for general references for main attractions like the Cathedral, Real Alcazar & Plaza de Espana but otherwise we found it pretty useless for our needs."
Best Catalonia Travel Guides
A National Review Top Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Century. “One of Orwell’s very best books and perhaps the best book that exists on the Spanish Civil War.”— The New Yorker In 1936, originally intending merely to report on the Spanish Civil War as a journalist, George Orwell found himself embroiled as a participant—as a member of the Workers’ Party of Marxist Unity. George Orwell--novelist, journalist, sometime socialist--actually traded his press pass for a uniform and fought against Franco's Fascists in the Spanish Civil War during 1936 and 1937. Then, after nearly getting killed, he went back to England and wrote a gripping account of his experiences, as well as a complex analysis of the political machinations that led to the defeat of the socialist Republicans and the victory of the Fascists. The audio presentation adds a new dimension to a text which is required reading for any student of the Spanish Civil War.''.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Have heard small glimpses about the Spanish civil war in the context of Franco and WWII (some help from Germany), but I realized I knew absolutely nothing about it. The latter perhaps more guilty of genocide in this case in terms of wiping out the Anarchists and using democratic process as a means to soviet communism."
"As is played out, you can see clearly that the war was the proving grounds for all of Hitler weapons in WWII."
"It is a must read to even just to begin to understand the Spanish Civil war, fake news, and how a great writer war experience shaped his views for 1986 and Animal Farm."
"Good book but didn’t actually serve to clear up confusion about the war."
"A good description of Catalonia durng the Spanish Civil War and his part in it."
"A profoundly memorable account of one corner of Spain's defining civil war."
"Great history read."
"eye opener for and almost forgotten war."
Best Andalusia Travel Guides
DK's insider travel tips and essential local information will help you discover the best of Seville and Andalusia, whether you want to visit the Alhambra Palace and the Plaza de España, explore the Alpujarra villages, or soak up the sun on the beautiful Costa del Sol. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Seville and Andalusia truly shows you this country as no one else can. Expert travel writers and researchers provide independent editorial advice, recommendations, and reviews. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They are our favorite because they have lots of wonderful pictures and history on glossy magazine stock as well as an outlining of the sites one should see when traveling thorough the subject area."
"I love all DK travel guides and they're a must when I'm going to a new country."
"It provided an easy to read walking path for each area as well as the city."
"Beautiful book, well illustrated, came in excellent condition from the seller despite being labelled as second hand/used."
"We only had time for three full days in Seville, and would use this to plan our next trip to Southern Spain."
"This book has a lots of information regarding the history, culture & specialities of the region along with lovely pictures."
"We did find it a little bit heavy for it's size, probably because of the glossy paper, but was worth it for all the beautiful and detailed maps, floor plans and photos."
Best Barcelona Travel Guides
Everything a busy traveler needs is easy to access: a neighborhood overview, city walks and tours, sights, handy food and accommodations charts, an appendix packed with information on trip planning and practicalities, and a fold-out city map. With the help of his hardworking staff of 80 at Europe Through the Back Doorin Edmonds, Washington, just north of SeattleRick's mission is to make European travel fun, affordable, and culturally broadening for Americans.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It was a gift, and the recipients found it helpful for their walking tours of Barcelona."
"With the help of Rick Steves book, we were able to make the most of our 5 days in Barcelona."
"He has helped us miss many a line to get into places because of his advice."
"This is the first time I used a guide book while traveling and I LOVED it!"
"I bought this book to help me plan my trip to Barcelona."
"Handy guide for the visitor to Barcelona."
"Not Rick's best travel book."
"Took this with us to Barcelona and found great restaurant recommendations and guided walking tours."
Best General Spain Travel Guides
Now updated to include newer maps and photos - and lighter in weight to support carefree traveling - this comprehensive guidebook to the Camino de Santiago and its offshoots contains all the information needed by modern-day pilgrims wishing to walk the sacred Way of St. James. John Brierley is a former chartered surveyor and the author of A Pilgrim’s Guide to Camino de Santiago , A Pilgrim’s Guide to Camino Finisterre , and A Pilgrim’s Guide to Camino Portugués .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have only one reservation to make with respect to Mr. Brierley's recommendations: His placing the " Route de Napoleon" as the recommended route for crossing the Pyrenees on the first day from St. Jean Pied de Port. The authentic pilgrims route had always been the Valcarlos/Arneguy route with its connections with the Charlemagne saga and its numerous villages are well equipped to cater to the needs of pilgrims."
"Have just returned from 3 weeks on the Camino and this book was fantastic."
"I read through about 1/2 of this in detail in preparation for making the Camino with 2 of my young-adult kids."
"I really like Brierley's stage maps & his step by step description of the trail especially when signage is sparse."
"Quick shipping, great product, painless transaction - highly recommended."
"Good info."
"We have a friend about to embark on the trek."
"Love the book, lost it, buying again."
Best Balearic Islands Travel Guides
From roaring nightlife to peaceful yoga retreats, Ibiza’s hippie-chic atmosphere is its hallmark. Renu Kashyap is a fashion stylist and editor whose chic and feminine aesthetic has made her a favorite with such magazines as Glamour Netherlands.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Amazing book with wonderful pictures..."
"Awesome book from one Mehariste to another..."
"Paper quality and photography definition poor otherwise a good reference book."
Best Basque Country Travel Guides
Chefs Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero share more than one hundred recipes from Txikito—all inspired by the home cooking traditions of the Basque Country—that will change the way you cook in this much-anticipated and deeply personal debut. "Dining at Alex Rajj and Eder Montero’s Txikito is like reading a love poem to the Basque Country, and their cookbook reflects that seamlessly." " The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito is a gorgeous deep dive into the cooking of this very special region [... ] The book is jam-packed with lovely family stories, rich descriptions of the dishes—some familiar and some that will be very new to you—and excellent tips about what to look for when selecting ingredients, no matter how simple or complex a recipe may be." The only thing more difficult to translate than the Basque language is Basque cooking, and with The Basque Book , you will be able to eat it like a Basque. "Alex Raij and Eder Montero have created an ode to Basque cooking that's as intimate and approachable as their own kitchen. That's why this book is much more than a brilliant recipe collection filled with good ideas, techniques, or surprising flavors from two of the most successful Basque and New York chefs. Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero did an admirable job in The Basque Book providing a large collection of excellent Basque recipes."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Gorgeous book with simple and beautiful recipes."
"The onion sauce that is the base of many recipes is new to me, as is the heavy use of salt and olive oil. There is a chapter on some foundational ingredients and sauces in Basque cooking, on the whole Basque approach. I think it’s something worth reading twice over because it has the potential of shifting how you cook, not just in these recipes but in your daily cooking. There’s lots of recipes with anchovies, though mostly anchovies in oil. However, they recipes call for salting the anchovies to firm up the flesh so there’s that. I have never cooked a steak that way, never heard of cooking a steak that way, but I can almost taste it. If you love to cook, this is one of the cookbooks you simply must have because it will change the way you cook in subtle ways. I am eager to try incorporating the Basque way of preparing onions into other foods, not just these recipes, but into other cuisines to see how elevating that basic ingredient will add depth and richness to those recipes."
"She tells that in Basque food all dishes are equal value - meat is not necessarily the star of the show. While I did find this book a great introduction to Basque food, I am a bit put off by all the strange ingredients that pop up in things I would consider making. Also seen in there are recipes with cockles, crab, shrimp, mussels, sardines, tuna, periwinkles, squid, monkfish, bream, hake,. Also blood sausages, rabbit, garden snails, Recipes standing out for me I want to try are the chicken croquettes, Ham croquettes, Spiced lamb meatballs with warm pea salad, poached leeks, classic spanish tortilla, basque style yeast buns, Breakfast yogurt cake, Spice Cookies, There are not pictures for every recipe. The writer does recommend you buy imported Basque or Spanish ingredients for the recipes in this book."
"From the Lamb Meatballs, to the stew, to the Borscht with a Spanish twist! I love the way Alexandra weaves her personal experiences about and with the recipes into her book."