Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Best of Valencia

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I went to Valencia with my little book and it was the best idea I had in a long time.
The guide is extremely helpful, informative and up to date with the necessary information to enjoy the beautiful City of Valencia.
If you're planning to go there, don't leave your home without it!

I have two books on Valencia; Frommer's Day by Day and Lonely Planet's Valencia Encounter. Each has a different slant, both are guide books for tourist stays of a week or so. The subtitle on the Frommer book is "16 Smart Ways to See the City," and their approach is the "best of" categories: best shopping, best neighborhood walks, best full-day tours, best of the outdoors, best dining, best nightlife, best lodging, best arts & entertainment, best day trips. This approach is the "what do you want to do?" method vs. the Lonely Planet guide's approach of breaking down the city by areas and devoting pages to each so it is more of a "where am I and what can I do/eat/shop/see around here?" style. Lonely Planet also offers walking tours.

The lodging accommodations section in Frommer's contains more entries and is more helpful. The Frommer's map in the back of the book is much better than the LP map: sturdier, better detailed, wider view of the city, points of interest noted, a pocket in the book to carry it in. Both books are small enough to be carried around. Valencia's biggest festival of the year is Las Fallas; more than a festival it is actually an industry during the year preparing for the four day event. Frommer's devotes 3 pages to it, LP almost one page.

I would give Frommer's five stars and LP 3.5; both are useful, Frommer's is my choice if I had to chose only one, but I suggest buying both if you are going.

I was looking for a small handbook for my daughter who was going to Valencia. She loved it.