I am just wondering what are everybodies favorite guides and why. I realize that different guides provide different info. so more than one is okay.
My favorites are Eyewitness for attraction planning, Let's Go for Hotels, and Fodors for Dining....
How 'bout you?

Michelin Green for attraction planning and information. Time--tested, accurate, and detailed without any silliness or political commentary.

Rufus is right on.

I'm another big fan of eyewitness,,,but I also really rely on some internet sites for particular areas..www.jack-travel.com for France and Belgium are personal and excellent. I'm not sure that is the right web address...I'll look it up and post it later

I love the Eyewitness Guides--they're just so gorgeous to look through. Also like Frommers, Rick Steves, and Fodors. Plus, of course, a huge list of websites now available, especially this one!

I like to check out most of the books out there as all have some redeeming qualities, however I probably refer to frommer's most often. I find their break down of hotels by cost to be helpful and they usually have accurate info on attractions. And I have to say that I like those walking tours that Rick Steves include in his city guides.

Eyewitness gets a big vote here, the guides to Rome and Paris are brilliant. EW books are good for planning before and just reminding yourselves of places after you've been. I usually check out which guide book is most up to date also as some might have been printed a couple of years. I know this is a European forum, but I find the Lonely planet series very good for US and Canada but not so great for Europe

Fodor's is the one for sights information, they capture the practical information very, very well. The Fodor's Prague was the best guidebook on Prague the year we visited (1998). Let's Go for dining and public transport info. I have some Frommer's, which I use for lodging, Dorling Kindersley when concentrating in one major city (i.e. Rome, London, Paris).

I think there was a thread just like this about two months ago.

I use a variety of guides. I usually like the green Michelin for content and ease of use and a shape and weight that make it easy to carry. If I were going to archeological sites or if I wanted to be very serious about examining the details of a cathedral, I'd refer to Blue Guide, but would not carry it with me because it's too heavy. If I wanted to see pictures to help me choose destinations I might use DK Eyewitness. I've also used compact city guides that are easy to carry and have a decent map, but I don't remember the publisher. Occasionally I use Rough or Lonely Planet. Generally, I make double-sided photocopies of relevant pages in several books, organize them by area or town and staple the pages on a particular site or town or bit of coastline or mountain range together, so I can carry a few sheets around with me each day.

If I had to choose just two: green Michelin and Cadogan.

The Travellers series is great. Good size to take along and great detailed maps.

i've never been let down with Let's Go.

I really like Insight guides and have more of them than any other series - I like the essays on history, geography, people, politics etc that precede the destination information. I also like the high ratio of pictures and the low ratio of pages that deal with getting there/ finding accommodation.

I also find EyeWitmess guides a pleasure - especially their aerial hand-drawn maps. But I tend not to use them as sole guides to a destination as they do sometimes lack detail.

I have also enjoyed _some_ Bradt guides (the ones for Bologna and Estonia were useful). On my travel book shelf I also have a few each of Travel Bug, Fodors, Frommers, Michelin, AA and a lot of non-serial guides.

I tend not to like text-only guides - I do want that detail in the text but it's the visuals that often inspire and excite me.

I tend not to want pages upon pages of information of how to get there, where to stay and public transport. I guess that's why I tend not to like Lonely Planet and Rough Guide books though, to be fair, I'm not at all their target audience.

Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guides are the best, in my opinion. What other travel guide gives you the floor plans of major museums, palaces, etc.? A picture is worth a thousand words.

This is great! I had never even checked out Cadogens or Travellers. Thanks

I second Cadogan guides as the guide I actually carry around with me when I travel. They are informative on the sites and also list good restaurants. I tried carrying the DK or Eyewitness guides with me a couple of times but they are very heavy and who needs the photos when you are actually at the destination. I limit DK and Eyewitness to pre-trip planning. I think Fodors and Frommers have the best hotel listings. I find the Frommers format easier to read. As someone else pointed out the Blue Guides are good for detailed art and architecture info. The Companion Guides (they are pretty old) are great pre-trip reading. I know there are books on at least London, Rome and Florence.

Cadogan and Time Out are great all around guide for sights, resturant, and hotels. I also like books that are written by some who is living in that area, or who is obsessed with that area...Eating in Italy, Faith Willinger...Born to Shop..Italy/Paris ect. Suzie Gershman...CheepEats/Cheep Sleeps, now called Good Eats/Good sleeps..she has good tips on neighborhoods. Karen Brown's web sight is good for places to stay.

Another vote for Eyewitness for sights with some context via pictures. Lonely Planet for a perspective on crowds, value, gotchas, etc.

Don't use guides for accommodations or dining. Accomodations usually come from recommendations and website research. Dining is generally found by luck and good/bad fortune which I kind of like.