Fodor's Exploring Britain, 4th Edition (Exploring Guides) [Paperback]

Fodor's (Author)

Book Description

Series: Exploring Guides | Publication Date: March 14, 2000

Fodor's Exploring BritainPraise for Fodor's Exploring Guides

"Authoritatively written and superbly presented...Worthy reading before, during, or after a trip." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Absolutely gorgeous. Fun, colorful, and sophisticated."  --  Chicago Tribune

Fodor's Exploring Guides are the most up-to-date, full-color guidebooks available. Covering destinations around the world, these guides are loaded with photos, essays on culture and history, descriptions of sights, and practical information.  Full-color photos make these great guides to buy if you're still planning your itinerary (let the photos help you choose!) and they are perfect companions to general guidebooks, like Fodor's Gold Guides.

What to SeeExtraordinary coverage of history and culture
Itineraries, walks and excursions, on and off the beaten path
Architecture and art
Where to StayQuick tips in every price range
Where to EatSavvy picks for all budgets
The BasicsGetting there and getting around
When to go, what to pack

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Fodor's Exploring BritainPraise for Fodor's Exploring Guides

"Authoritatively written and superbly presented...Worthy reading before, during, or after a trip." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Absolutely gorgeous. Fun, colorful, and sophisticated."  --  Chicago Tribune

Fodor's Exploring Guides are the most up-to-date, full-color guidebooks available. Covering destinations around the world, these guides are loaded with photos, essays on culture and history, descriptions of sights, and practical information.  Full-color photos make these great guides to buy if you're still planning your itinerary (let the photos help you choose!) and they are perfect companions to general guidebooks, like Fodor's Gold Guides.

What to SeeExtraordinary coverage of history and culture
Itineraries, walks and excursions, on and off the beaten path
Architecture and art
Where to StayQuick tips in every price range
Where to EatSavvy picks for all budgets
The BasicsGetting there and getting around
When to go, what to pack

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Britain Is... Variety

Britain is by no means a uniform entity: the more you travel around this compact island, the more there is for you to see and enjoy. Within the boundaries of its 88,000 square miles Britain shows an astonishingly rich variety of landscape, architecture, climate, regional accents and cuisine, cultural traditions, social make-up, and economic activity.

Britain constantly reminds us that it is an island. Once a mighty naval power and the center of a huge empire, it still has a rich heritage of its historic past, and plenty of unmistakably British hallmarks. The Industrial Revolution began here, as did punk rock, railways and soccer, and it's only in this country that you will find the quintessentially British village fête complete with striped tents and bring-and-buy stalls, the seaside pleasure pier, the pub, the English stately home in its landscaped park, Scottish haggis, Welsh cakes, and leafy suburbs dotted with Tudor-style semi-detached houses and the odd fish and chip shop. British contributions to world culture include an incomparable and all-embracing literary output, from Shakespeare to Winnie-the-Pooh.

The Diversity

Many newcomers to Britain are surprised by how quickly the urban scene gives way to beautiful urban landscapes. Factors include the compactness of many urban centers, restrictive zoning laws, and the constant variations in the natural environment: low-level arable fens, rolling hedgerow-lined pastures, craggy dales, blustery moorland, post-glacial mountain scenery, and shingle shores.


Britain's major assets for visitors include its sense of history and variety, all of which are packed into one accessible island where the driving distances are never too long between distinctively different landscapes and cultures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's; 4th edition (March 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679004734
• ISBN-13: 978-0679004738
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,837,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Britain with Gusto, April 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Fodor's Exploring Britain, 4th Edition (Exploring Guides) (Paperback)

Anyone who thinks Britain is dull will have their minds changed by this colorful guide book. Shorter but livelier than Folder's more traditional guide to Britain ("Fodor's 2000 Great Britain"), "Exploring Britain" has a color picture or two on every page, clear maps of every region of Britain plus larger cities, and dozens of marginal notes on every topic, from "Waterway Vacations" to "Mountain Safety." The main text opens with a number of introductory topics, such as "The Pub" and "Kings and Queens," and then goes on to provide easy-to-follow touring guides to 10 British regions, including London, Scotland and Wales, as well as England. The information is provided in a brisker, more personal style than the traditional Fodor's Guides, which tend to be encyclopedic but dry. Most tourism sites described in the book are given ratings, from one to three stars, a time-saver when you have to pick and choose. A condensed guide to accommodations and restaurants rounds out the book, making it a guide that could stand alone, although the traveller needing more information in depth really needs "Fodor's 2000 Great Britain" as well. In short, 'Fodor's Exploring Britain" is compact, colorful, and easy to use, and a good way to whet your appetite for travel to Britain.