Which travel guides are best

United States Nashville. India New Delhi. United States New Orleans. United States New York City. Hawaii Oahu. United States Orlando. United States Palm Springs. France Paris. United States Philadelphia. United States Pittsburgh. United States Portland, Oregon. Canada Quebec City. United States Rhode Island. Brazil Rio de Janeiro. Italy Rome. United States San Diego. United States San Francisco. Mexico San Miguel de Allende. United States Seattle.

China Shanghai. Caribbean St. Sweden Stockholm. Australia Sydney. Japan Tokyo. Canada Toronto. Mexico Tulum. Caribbean Turks and Caicos. United States Vail. Canada Vancouver. Italy Venice. Austria Vienna. United States Washington, D. What to read: If you're looking for a new insight into Africa, take a look at the recently published guides on Gabon and Zimbabwe.

After the significant political upheaval of recent years, Zimbabwe is an excellent guide for travellers wanting to dip their toes into the country's attractions, covering everywhere from Victoria Falls to the Zambezi River. What are you waiting for? If you're looking for an easy way into a destination, Rough Guides ticks all the boxes. Famous for its 'tell it like it is' approach to places, the guidebook series initially provided founder Mark Ellingham a way out of getting a 'real job' — but now offer thousands of readers practical and hands-on advice on more than countries across the world, as well as being strong on cultural insights..

What to read? Fans of Japan should look out for the Rough Guide to Tokyo out on 1 April which promises comprehensive coverage on everything from the dizzying neon lights of Shinjuku to sushi and sake. Or you can look out for new releases on Rough Guides' online shop here. Who: Insight have been in the business for more than 45 years, so it's safe to say that these guides know what they're talking about.

Detailed maps, accurate information and beautiful photography combine within to connect readers to places through their history and culture. What to read: Look out for one of Insight's latest offerings — Insight Guides Pakistan — to uncover the country's turbulent past and present, and encounter its people and politics from an interesting new perspective.

You'll find more books online here. Who: Time Out's city guides have long been a trusty travel companion for those of us seeking the freshest take on a city — especially in Europe — but we nearly lost them for good back in Now those dark days are over, they're back and better than ever, proving that we still want to discover the latest trends on art, culture, design, food and hotels. What to read: Delve into the latest guides online here — there's some excellent European coverage, including Time Out: Amsterdam , the brand's most recent offering, highlighting all that's afloat in the city of canals.

Detailed street maps will help you find your way when your phone battery dies, leading you to best museums, restaurants, bars and coffee shops to recharge in the city. Who: Travelling to Latin America? Footprint Guides are your best bet, having specialised in all things under the South American sun for nearly years. That's not to say they don't specialise in other parts of the world, though — their shelves include books on the Caribbean and South Asia, only written by expert authors who have lived in that region and can truly capture its essence.

What to read: Footprint's iconic South American Handbook is your new best friend for any adventure to the continent, with advice on everything from swinging from the treetops in epic rainforests to dancing in Andean villages and exploring the plains of Patagonia. First published in , it's now in its 94th edition, so you're sure to find the answer to any of your burning questions. If you've already crossed that continent, you can explore Footprint's latest releases online here.

Who: With more than a century of history to back them up, Blue Guides are the go-to guides for cultural capers. From art to architecture and archaeology, these guides aim to inform travellers unsure about where to go next or who want to know more about the museum they're visiting with a series of award-winning maps, diagrams and photographs at your disposal — a great source of knowledge for any trip you're planning.

What to read: Don't worry if you can't get to Rome at the moment — you can still plan your next trip to the Eternal City with the help of Blue Guide: Rome , the brand's latest updated guide.

Finally, we looked at the size of the book, in order to assess how convenient it would be to carry around while on your travels. The issue here is that the more information included, the larger the book, particularly if it includes a number of detailed maps that take up several pages.

The Lonely Planet Guide to Italy, for example, is nearly a thousand pages long, while the Spain edition is just under , meaning it would be very difficult to take them with you on your trip, especially as it would mean using up a significant amount of room in your luggage, not to mention weighing a lot. That being said, all the guidebooks are available as eBooks, therefore if you were hesitant about transporting the physical copies around, you could always opt for one that was downloadable for an eReader.

Alternatively, the Lonely Planet Guides to London, Tokyo and Paris are far smaller as they just focus on one city, saving you from having to lug the entire country guidebook with you containing information on cities you have no intention of visiting.

Overall, this list provides a selection of the top ten travel guidebooks offered by Lonely Planet, including Japan, Scotland, Ireland, Spain and Italy. By considering all the aforementioned factors, we went through and reviewed each guidebook to make sure that we only presented the very best ones that are guaranteed to help you take full advantage of your travels away. Plan itineraries, find restaurants, discover hidden gems, learn some local phrases and more, all with these fantastic guidebooks.

TravelSites Travel Guides. Lonely Planet Iceland Read review Open website. Lonely Planet Ireland Read review Open website. Lonely Planet Italy Read review Open website. Lonely Planet Japan Read review Open website. Lonely Planet London Read review Open website.

Lonely Planet Paris Read review Open website.