AAA Essential Guide: Andalucia [Paperback]

Des Hannigan (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: AAA Road Atlas (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0658003712
• ISBN-13: 978-0658003714
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,389,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very aptly named, January 24, 2003

By 

Umber76 (Brookline, MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: AAA Essential Guide: Andalucia (Paperback)

I am a big believer in traveling light and I hate to carry around a huge travel book, so this book perfectly suited my purposes. I read up on the history before hand and I just wanted a small book that would fit easily into my purse (and not weigh me down) that would remind me of all the essential places and facts. It does an excellent job at hilighting all the most important aspects of Andalucia. This book suited my purposes very well.

It is surprisingly thorough for its size. I thought it was very well organized and easy to read. There is clever use of symbols and color coding that helps to conserve space yet are easy to understand. It covers all the essential facts about each major city: what to see, where to eat, what to do, local customs and festivals, how to get around, a little background, etc. It mentions minor cities/areas of interest with their claims to fame. The last few pages offer some practical travel and safety information and some common Spanish words. Scattered throughout the pages are various random factoids of interest.

I would not advise this as the only book to read before traveling. One definitely needs to supplement with other information and is not adequate for planning the trip. For instance, for each major city, there are only five or six hotels mentioned. It is not helpful in figuring out where to stay or where to eat or shop in the smaller towns and it is not helpful in finding hostels. The maps of the major cities are very small and are of limited help in navigating the streets (more helpful in getting on overview and general orientation). But then I've always been the type to befriend locals and get the information first-hand about what to see, where to go, how to get around, where to eat and shop, etc. I tend to wander randomly instead of strictly following a map. I focus on fully experiencing a place instead of having my nose buried in a book. This definitely is not the book if you want to understand the significance and history of every statue and carving you see.

I'd say that the biggest advantage of the book is its size. For a few more dollars though, you can probably get a book with a lot more information. Whether you will like this book really depends on your style of traveling and what you want from a travel book.