Customer Reviews

Michelin Green Guide Spain (Michelin Green Guides)

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I bought this book and thank goodness I didn't read the reviews first. First, I have to give it major points for being in a slim format, far and away preferable to other bulky travel guides. Slim however doesn't mean lacking in content. Primarily, this guide is about the sights. It gives you history, context , and culture to the things you will see. It also tells does a great job in explaining travel logistics. It also rates sights through a three-star rating system making it easier for you to prioritize things on a short trip.

The main shortcomings are the non-existent discussion on how to get around using public transportation (this is Michelin after all) and the scandaluously limited lodging and eatery options. You must be good with maps for this guide to be fully useful to you because that's how sights are organized, and I don't mind that at all. I recommend getting this book in tandem with a guidebook that focuses in on budget travelling.

Always been impressed with Michelin guides even though the newer versions are heavier on graphics and pictures than the older versions. This particular issue on Spain appears to hit all the high points and hopefully give enough of a background to have a good time when visiting.

Whatever other guides are out there for Spain or any other country, I still feel the need to have a Michelin Green Guide along for more comprehensive background information on routes/itineraries, architecture, customs, language and history. Although, the English version of the Green Guide to Spain has been slimmed down a bit over the years, it still supplies a lot of information about small towns, national parks and other places of interest that most other guides don't think to include. It's good also for detailed historical and cultural information. Another signature feature that it still provides and that you can't get elsewhere is the "at-a-glance" map reference (inside the back cover) that ranks the principal sights of Spain by level of interest. You can argue the rankings, but it is generally a very reliable tool in planning in-country travel.

Michelin does not include a lot of photo illustration, but it's great on city maps for smaller, regional centers. This has been very helpful to us over the years as there aren't a lot of other sources for this kind of information.

Overall, if you're going to drive in Spain (or elsewhere), the Michelin Green Guide is a good companion to take along. It's valuable even if your travel is done by train or bus. And don't forget the Michelin Red Guide which is still the best for hotels and restaurants.

The Michelin green guide is a very useful publication but unfortunately in some ways it is dumbed down to what it used to be in years past. Rather than providing a thorough and complete coverage.I think the authors tailored it for the serious but casual tourist. Therefore, you need to have a Spanish Michelin, as well.

I have several Michelin Guidebooks and recently purchased the newest edition of the one on Spain. This book is a real disappointment and I hope it does not reflect the approach that Michelin is taking to their other guidebooks. I have a 1982 edition of the Michelin Spain green guide and it is far superior to the current larger edition. The previous layout and design is superior and lists a larger number of cities and towns with comments. For a person who is driving throughout a region, the previous editions provide a more thorough and organized approach. It was far more easy to navigate. Since 1982 to the present edition is a long time, I am not certain when Michelin decided to change their format. The current book lists many cities alphabetically and not by region (i.e., Alicante is not in the section on the Levant or Costa Blanca and it is difficult to find that region in the index). If you have access to earlier editions, I would not spend the money on the current guide. Maybe Michelin forgot to survey their readers to find out how they appreciated the previous guidebooks and they would have continued what was a tried and proven format.

I am not sure if I like the size but the book is informative and helpful