Fodor's China, 4th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides) (Paperback)

by Fodor's (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Hike the spine of the Great Wall, examine artifacts from the old Silk Road, pedal around town like a local, rise early and haggle at Beijing markets, sip tea in a garden of orchids, wrap up a slice of succulent Peking duck, or float through a limestone valley —Fodor's China, 4th Edition offers all these experiences and more! Our local writers have traveled throughout this country to find the best hotels, restaurants, attractions and activities to prepare you for a journey of stunning variety. Before you leave for your trip be sure to pack your Fodor's guide to ensure you don't miss a thing.

The San Francisco Chronicle sums it up best —"Fodor's guides are saturated with information."

-New compact trim size make these guides even more portable
-Two-color interior design makes it easier to find the information you need
-Fodor's Choice Ratings flag must-see sights and hidden treasures
-Hotel and restaurant reviews cover all budgets
-Plus multi-day itineraries to help you build the right trip for you and/or your family

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With Fodor’s you get much more than a guidebook–we make it easy for you to customize your dream vacation.

Visit www.fodors.com to find up-to-date travel bargains, mini-guides to worldwide destinations, information on local festivals, dazzling drives, maps, vacation planning tips and much more!

And, for more insider secrets, visit “Travel Talk” and “Rants and Raves” online at www.fodors.com/forums to get advice from other travelers like you.

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's; 4 edition (April 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400013267
• ISBN-13: 978-1400013265
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #851,511 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fodor's 2005 China Guide, September 1, 2005

By	R. Hall "world traveller" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The new Fodor's China guide issued in 2005 has more detail and more useful information than either the Lonely Planet or National Geographic guidebooks. I have found it to be very accurate relative to places I've been in China during my five visits over the past four years. I highly recommend it for anyone who plans to travel in China.

2.0 out of 5 stars Good in theory, not in practice, April 19, 2006

By	element23 "global nomad" (Paris, France) - See all my reviews

Before going to China earlier this month I bought this guidebook based on the single review it had and the reputation that Fodor's has as a good guidebook publisher. However, I was disappointed. This is why:

The good points of the book are:
- It has good overviews of China as a whole and interesting descriptions of each area (good for planning the trip),
- The recommended sights are well selected, and
- There are sample walks which may be good for the traveler at a loss at what to do.

The main problems with this book are:
- No Chinese script within the chapters or on the maps (there is a small section in the back with script for major sightseeing spots). This lack of Chinese could become a nightmare if you tried to show a taxi driver your hotel.
- The way Fodor's prints its maps is strange to say the least. For the bigger cities it prints a separate map for sights, eating, and sleeping, which can be unnerving when you are trying to find restaurants in the same area as your hotel. For the mid-sized cities it only has a map for the sights. Neither post offices nor banks are listed on the maps.
- No photos or pics whatsoever.
- Does not give detailed information for traveling to other locations.

Though I did use it in the planning stages of the trip, once I was on the road I left it in my bag and used my friend's Lonely Planet and Rough Guide instead.

April 20th, 2006
I've decided to add more to this review. In my last one I was a little harsh and I don't want to give the impression that the Fodor's is all bad. On the contrary, it has detailed descriptions of sights and helpful suggestions about what to do and where to go.

However, Fodor's needs to revamp the book. They need to realize that China is not like Germany or Spain, where everyone reads the same writing script. If you get lost in a city in China and you try to use this book, unless you meet someone who speaks English or you yourself speak Chinese, you are in deep water.

Fodor's needs to provide Chinese writing for all the hotels, restaurants, and major sights that it mentions, preferably on the maps as well. It also needs to provide more detailed maps. It would be helpful if Fodor's provided more specifics for travel (like approximate prices). Some photos would also be nice.

If Fodor's improves the book in this wy, it will truly accomplish the goal it has of "cover[ing] the best properties, sights, and activities."