No comments about Lisbon and Portugal Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Packs).

1 comments about Lonely Planet Catalunya & the Costa Brava (Lonely Planet Catalunya and the Costa Brava).

1. I'm a big fan of Lonely Planet guides, so carried this (and the LP Spain guide as well) on a recent trip to NE Spain. This is a relatively recent edition, and so I found it to be largely accurate, though (understandably) some prices and hours had changed. Every phone number I tried was accurate, and the guide led me to some cheaper/better than the usual hotels. Of course, the flip-side of that is that the cheaper/better hotels are more likely to be booked up because they are mentioned in LP.

   There were a few bars or restaurants in Barcelona that had either changed names or closed (or I completely missed them) that were in the guide... And if you are focusing on barcelona, maybe carry the LP Barcelona city guide also, since as the title would lead you to believe, the focus of the book is on the entire province, with only about 1/4 to 1/5 of this volume devoted to the city of Barcelona.

   Recommended.

No comments about Frommer's Spain 2009 (Frommer's Complete).

No comments about Among the Pilgrims: Journeys to Santiago de Compostela.

1 comments about Portugal Spiral Guide (Aaa Spiral Guides).

1. My wife and I bought this book prior to a trip to Portugal. The book gave us really great information on the history, major sights and attractions during our drive through the country broken up into very organized sections (by region). It also gave very useful information on rules of the road, emergency numbers and even a road map. Where we think the book fell a little short was in lodging info. Use it as a guide only, because often the listed lodgings were not numerous enough in this book to be useful. A quick Google yields more lodging info, or even a chat with a concierge or a local travel agent or the local welcome center (in Fatima for example). We basically went with the wind and booked lodging on the fly based on local information and recommendations rather than this book (we were glad we did). Our suggestion, rent a GPS with your rental car, pack this book, get a real road map and ask the locals for recommendations, and do some Googling before you go. Great guide book to have with you though. Enjoy your trip!

2 comments about You & the Law in Spain.

1. I bought this book back in February 06 when we were in the process of buying a property in Spain. Not being a native and not speaking spanish very well, it is sometimes an overwhelming idea to buy a property in a foreign country. There are thousands of people each year who are purchasing properties but I have found that not many really understand the process involved. Many hire people to take care of all those details but go into it blindly. When you ask them questions, they do not know how to answer.
   
   I found that this book exceeded my expectations. It is very well written and gives thought to many details of the entire process, giving the reader a better understanding of what to expect.
   
   Reading this book helps you make informed decisions and not leaving it up to chance. A must have book!



2. This is a great book to get you pointed in the right direction about the law in Spain. Searl has a plain English style of writing and is easy to understand. It's regularly updated and well worth buying the newest edition as the laws here change frequently!

No comments about Sunflower Landscapes Madeira: Car Tours and Walks (Sunflower Guide Madeira).

No comments about Barcelona InsideOut (Insideout City Guide: Barcelona).

No comments about Madeira & Porto Santo, 3rd (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan).

2 comments about Michelin the Green Guide Spain, Balearic and Canary Islands.

1. I bought this book but didn't have time to read it until I was on the plane -- my mistake in buying it in the first place -- there are so many other great guides that do such a better job than this ridiculous guide -- the maps are horrible, the entire book is superficial in it's descriptions and the restaurants it recommends were all recommended by other guides -- as if they had plagarized the lists of places to go. Save your money!



2. If you use this guide for what it was intended (a sightseeing guide for people with relatively limited time in Spain), it is excellent. On my last trip to Spain I used it as my main tool for deciding what to see (the star ratings really help you to prioritize), but I didn't even consult it when deciding where to sleep or eat. My recommendation is to use this guide along with another one that is loaded with painfully detailed hotel, restaurant, and price information, but doesn't really help you decide what to see with your limited time (e.g. Lonely Planet).

   My only real complaint was that I thought that, generally speaking, the guide's star system for rating sights/attractions underrates Spanish attractions relative to those in other countries. For example, cities like Caceres, Ronda, and Cuenca would surely get 3-star ratings if they were located in France or especially the United States, instead of Spain. Overall, I guess I felt that the raters were relatively "harsh" when assigning stars to attractions in Spain, when I compare this guide to some of Michelin's other guides for other countries I have visited. The nice thing is that when you visit "two-star" sights in Spain, expecting to see what you would normally see in a Green Guide two-star sight elsewhere, you'll be pleasantly surprised!