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The Man in Seat 61: A Guide to Taking the Train Through Europe - Mark Smith
by bluestreety
Mark Smith's book and website, The Man in Seat 61, is a work of dedicated love for his passion of travel.
I found it extremely inspiring and informative for my journey last year to Greece, by rail and ferry.
Maybe flying is not for you and you're thinking going abroad is impossible without a plane? Think again. ... This book will tell you in great detail how to get to where ever you want, without the need to fly. It explains what you may encounter and how to buy tickets and the way to explore Europe with railcards.
Recommended routes, avoiding some of the many pitfalls around Europe.
For example : On my journey to Greece I really wanted to go all the way by train, from Manchester. Through reading the book and website I learned that this is extremely difficult. To quote a line from the website, "Greece cut off! Due to its dire economic situation, Greece cancelled all its international trains from 13 February 2011 until further notice, cutting itself off from the rest of Europe. "
So undaunted, I then read up about my alternatives, which were to go by train, to London, Paris, Bologna and Bari, taking the ferry to Patras in Greece. Advised train times, journey lengths and advised ferry times and the best way to get to the port in Bari were all there in the book and on the website.
Even the best way to cross Paris is explained. I caught the RER on line D from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon.
There is an alternative to flying, where you will see so much more out of the train window than the plane window.
If you have been thinking of some serious travel, get a copy of this book and read it and be inspired.
I WAS!
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Rome Pocket Map and Guide
by linzeelou
Straight after booking mine and my boyfriend's trip to Rome, I set out trying to find a couple of different guide books. Looking things up on the internet is all well and good but when you're there, you need something else that you can refer to. I was lucky enough to find this book, the Eyewitness Travel Rome Pocket Map and Guide in The ... Works for only 99p. I figured that even if it was rubbish, the map would come in handy.
This book has a lot more information than I was ever expecting it to have. At the front of the book is a small, colour coded map which explains the different areas of Rome. It also explains that this is how the book is laid out - with attractions explained in each of these smaller sections. I loved how the book was laid out because it made it easy to see things in one area at the same time instead of going backwards and forwards all the time which ultimately, would waste a lot of time.
At the beginning of each section, a larger version of the area being described is shown, with page numbers for certain attractions. The first page of each section gives a brief overview of the area with historical information. Then, different attractions are explained, most of them being given about a paragraph each. However, bigger attractions such as the Colosseum are given more space - sometimes a couple of pages. Again, historical information is given about attractions as well as information about opening times and prices etc. Obviously, as this is a guide, things like prices change so you should be prepared for some things to be a little different when you get there.
At the back of the book is an index of each attraction with page numbers so that you can look somewhere up quickly and easily. The index is very easy to use and it saves trawling through the whole book again trying to find the attraction you want. Also at the back of the book is some very useful information about emergency services and telephone numbers, transport and some space is even given to restaurants. I feel as though the space given to restaurants could have either been left out or given more space as there really wasn't enough there to make it useful. The back of the book also gives some useful Italian phrases like how to ask for the bill in a restaurant.
This book is the perfect size to carry around in a handbag, which is exactly what I did. The map came in extremely handy for some of the harder to get to attractions and it saved carrying around a massive book. Well worth buying!
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Coast: The Walks
by alyson29
A number of book representatives regularly visit my workplace, such as The Book People and as a result, I frequently find myself browsing through the samples and placing several orders. My husband and I are keen photographers and prefer the UK as opposed to travelling abroad although the current wet and miserable weather has placed a ... number of our plans on hold. We are always looking for new places to visit and a book that caught my eager eye a couple of years ago provides fifty tried and tested walks and was inspired by the BBC's BAFTA award winning television series named Coast The Walks and this review discusses my thoughts.
This is a book with a difference, as the sturdy cardboard cover measuring 19 cm x 25 cm x 1.7 cm is actually a ring binder disguised to appear like a thick book. There is a page size thick transparent plastic wallet contained at the front of the book, so that your chosen page can be slipped inside and be adequately protected from the rain. The book begins on the contents page, which is broken down into three sections, namely easy walks, medium walks and hard walks; all of which are allocated a unique colour, which is used throughout the book to enable easy identification. Contained on the facing page is a map of the UK with various numbers scattered throughout, which display the walks available and these are referenced on the grid together with the place number and distance in miles.
We are provided with a brief introduction that discusses a few of the walks contained within the book together with advice on how to use the book, how to get started and respecting the countryside. On each of the walks provided throughout there is a small grid contained on the upper left hand side that depicts the location on the UK map where we are provided with symbols to depict the length of time the walk will take, the number of miles and accessibility symbols, which are identified in the key grid contained at the front of the book.
Each walk is broken down into significant detail where we are advised on where to begin and we are provided with any points of interest along the way. There are supporting coloured images for each of the interest points together with information relating to their history and I find this section extremely useful, as it assists us in planning our visits to particular areas. At the end of each section is an Ordnance Survey map, which clearly identifies the areas discussed throughout the walk together with useful travel advice such as parking or the nearest bus or train stations. It would have been extremely handy if the book had included details of the nearest toilets and places to eat.
An extremely useful feature is that the walks are discussed in great detail where we are advised where we should change direction, so there is no chance of getting lost. I have a terrible sense of direction and if I set out on one of these walks on my own with no directions I'd probably still be there aimlessly wandering around! In addition to the specific walks the book provides us with a little information on the area, both recent and historic together with details of any interesting attractions. Consequently, as well as it being an extremely helpful book for those people that enjoy walking, it is also educational and is a valuable resource when planning a holiday or daytrip. An important point is that a number of the walks are suitable for wheelchair users, buggies and pushchairs and these are clearly identified by symbols. Where relevant we are alerted to situations such as the risk of adders whilst walking in North Pembrokeshire or the beautiful grey seals that can be spotted swimming in two large colonies on Skomer and Ramsey Island.
Our use of the book is mainly as a travel resource as opposed to walking, particularly as my husband has limited mobility and frequently walks with the aid of a stick. However, during our travels we have been able to locate a number of the places of interest that are contained within the book. The book has been of great benefit to us, particularly as we are keen photographers and we have been able to capture some of the picturesque images for ourselves. The majority of the walks discussed throughout the book take you on a journey to offer stunning panoramic reviews of the area as well as spectacular coastline where relevant. It offers a rich source of information for travellers and is a treasured possession in our extensive book collection and for the reasons discussed above it receives my recommendation.
If my memory serves my correctly I paid around £5 for this book and at the time of writing it can be purchased from Amazon at £8 for a new copy inclusive of postage and packing and from 1p for a used copy plus postage and packing.
ISBN - 978-1-849-90029-4
Published in 2008 for BBC Books, an imprint of Ebury Publishing
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