Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides


Back ] Next ]


I've discovered the DK guides only recently. I tended to leave them on the shelf for a number of reasons: they are more expensive than e.g. Lonely Planet or Michelin. Worse of all, they tend to be heavy. But I had to admit that they have some strong arguments in favour: they are well written, full of information but very concise and, most important, they have stacks of illustrations. Of course, Insight Guides have lots of illustrations as well - but DK guides use lots of high quality small pictures, schematics and three dimensional maps, which really help you to navigate the streets of unknown cities.

I don't know about you, but I travel to see beautiful things. When I have to decide whether to go to a country, city or monument, having an idea of what I can expect to see, helps me in making my decision - in a matter of minutes.

Also, I love seeing those cutaways and floorplans - they really help to understand the structure of a building.

A section at the back contains practical information on "Travellers' Needs": where to stay, where to eat. A "Survival Guide" contains practical and travel information, including pictures of electrical sockets, taxes, tipping, personal security, etc.

The guides are the nearest thing to a multimedia experience, without the hassle of carrying around a laptop. I don't have all of the guides, but my collection is growing with each new trip.

 Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides: Italy
Eyewitness Travel Planner: Italy

Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides: Venice and the Veneto

Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness City Map to Venice
Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides: Milan & the Lakes

Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides: Florence and Tuscany
Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness City Map to Florence
Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides: Rome
Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides: Sicily