Customer Reviews

The National Geographic Traveler: London

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

 

 

This is a great complement to the Eyewitness Guide to London, with a similar design (glossy pages, ample photos and maps). Louise Nicholson is tremendously knowledgable, experienced at writing about London, and offers the reader well-written text in chapters focussed on London's neighbourhoods. The book features detailed descriptions (1-4 pages) of London's must-see and lesser-known sights, and suggested London walks.

The guide adequately addresses requisite travel details, and is current for 2000. Opening times, contact information, and indication of expense-range of entry charges is included in sidebars throughout the text. The guide's Travelwise section reviews restaurants and hotels, shopping and entertainment, and offers the usual travel advice.

Overall, the National Geographic guide best serves as supplementary background reading in preparation for a first-time or repeat visit to London. Another guide, such as the Eyewitness Guide, would probably better serve as a primary guide for quick reference while touring in London, especially for first-time visitors

My boyfriend and I went to London and took this book and a Fodors and found that *between them* we had the perfect travel guide. The National Geographic guide had better maps, beautiful pictures, and more detailed information, but about fewer things. It also doesn't have exact prices and instead it has a certain number of dollar signs to tell you generally how expensive something is, which was a bit annoying (I know they were trying to stay vague in order to account for changes since printing, but still...). I highly recommend this book in combination with the Fodors, which has more superficial information but about a tremendous number of things. The only drawback about that is- two books get heavy when you are lugging them around London.

I recently found an old copy of this book, filed away on my bookshelf. What a feast of information, what fabulous photographs. I was struck once again at what a great book this is - both for Londoners like me and for friends traveling from overseas. I have given my copy to a recent visitor from the USA and will be buying another.

I have been asked to organise a course for visitors from abroad to London next year. Ideally I would like to give them all a copy of Louise Nicholson's wonderfully comprehensive and definitive guide which I have in my bookshelf and continually refer to. However, my copy is over ten years' old. What is needed is an up-to-date version. Hopefully this is in hand?

We always make sure that our overseas visitors have a copy of this book. It is really well written with lots of practical information - plus great pictures. I really recommend it to anyone touring London.