To travel light, we take photocopies of the portions we will need, then toss the copies when we are done.

Woody

I usually try and find a book that concentrates on a specific area. I find the guides that cover an entire country will not always go into great detail as more ground is covered. Rough Guide has a good book for Tuscany and Umbria and Eyewitness has an even more detailed guide for Florence or Rome which is great for museums and cathedrals as it describes everything in much detail with beautiful photographs. I go to the library and take out the Fodors and Frommers to get an idea of what they include and I also spend time at the book store before I make a purchase.

We use several at once to gather information. Each one can differ dramatically like leaving out villages.

Christina -- Over the last year Fodor's has upgraded the quality of paper the books are printed on. It's brighter, smoother, and doesn't show age the way the old stuff did. A much-needed improvement.

Your note made me realize I should introduce myself. I'm not Doug -- my name is Matthew. Doug is a fellow Fodor's editor. He works a few steps down the hall from me.

I'm sorry, Matthew, I said Doug by mistake because I was used to seeing him around on these boards.

I'm glad to hear they upgraded the quality of the paper. I haven't looked at them in a while so now I will check them out again when I am looking for a guidebook.