The Rough Guide to Barcelona

Rating:
Summary: TAKE THIS ONE WITH YOU!
Review: Like most other Rough Guides, I found this very reliable. It is not too heavy to carry round ,even on a night looking for good Tapa Bars! The recommendations in eating out proved invaluable and accurate. They are much easier to follow than the LP guide as the different city areas are conveniently headed up.This enables you to wander around an area and stop off at your leisure sampling tapas. A very agreeable night out. Our favourite bar was El Xampanayet (A Cava Bar). The accomodation recommendation we chose proved good and prices were also as quoted. Time spent browsing the net for accomodation was far less productive than a quick read. The colour maps are an improvementon earlier additions, but you are better with a tourist centre map, not because that in the book is inadequate, but it is easy to have a map which slips into your pocket. The tourist info in the guide is good, the style is easy to read and all the city is covered, including days out from barcelona if you feel so inclined. The section on getting around is useful and includes weekly transport tickets etc. Overall excellent value. If you like pictures your better with Eyewitness, but its much heavier to carry, and in Barcelona you'll be doing lots of walking!

Rating:
Summary: TAKE THIS ONE WITH YOU!
Review: Like most other Rough Guides, I found this very reliable. It is not too heavy to carry round ,even on a night looking for good Tapa Bars! The recommendations in eating out proved invaluable and accurate. They are much easier to follow than the LP guide as the different city areas are conveniently headed up.This enables you to wander around an area and stop off at your leisure sampling tapas. A very agreeable night out. Our favourite bar was El Xampanayet (A Cava Bar). The accomodation recommendation we chose proved good and prices were also as quoted. Time spent browsing the net for accomodation was far less productive than a quick read. The colour maps are an improvementon earlier additions, but you are better with a tourist centre map, not because that in the book is inadequate, but it is easy to have a map which slips into your pocket. The tourist info in the guide is good, the style is easy to read and all the city is covered, including days out from barcelona if you feel so inclined. The section on getting around is useful and includes weekly transport tickets etc. Overall excellent value. If you like pictures your better with Eyewitness, but its much heavier to carry, and in Barcelona you'll be doing lots of walking!

Rating:
Summary: Get the Lonely Planet book instead
Review: The maps in this book are completely inadequate. Barcelona is a big complicated city and needs more than Powerpoint-style graphics that pass for maps. Reading a flimsy Spanish map from the tourist office was better. Pictures... virtually non-existent. Construction of book absolutely pales in comparison to a Lonely Planet book. Poor layout. I do not work for Lonely Planet!