cb

I went to the bookstore to get a guide book for Spain and was overwhelmed by the selection. For independent travel, which one did you find the best, particularly on information on how to get to a specific point of interest, how to get from 1 city to another. I'd like to limit to 1 in order to travel light. <BR>Thank you.

Liz

Getting other people's opinions won't help as much as sitting down with them and comparing, because everyone has different tastes. Think of one thing, or place that you are especially interested in- then see how each book handles that one thing. That should go a long way towards a decision. I have no personal knowlege of Spain, but since I travel frugally, I find the Rick Steves guides answer most of my questions (and even list laundromats!)and I have found them reliable.

Tammy

I'm going to Spain in October, and I've been pouring over all kinds of guide books. I haven't decided which book I'll take, but I'm leaning towards Frommers. I also really like the Cadogan guide for southern Spain.

ALW

This may not be a popular opinion, but I really enjoy the Eyewitness Guides. I always buy a "real" (purely factual) guide book with which to do research and planning, but I love to see the beautiful design and presentation -- not to mention the in-depth information -- in the Eyewitness Guides.

marie powell

We got two - Rick Steve's guidebook and the Rough Guide to Andalusia. And we used this website as well as others. Rick is very good for independent travelers but we felt we needed a more in depth guide to Andalusia - and Rough Guide fit the bill. The other thing I would recommend is check a bunch of different ones out from the library - see which one you like best and then buy the newest version from the bookstore. If you go to the Spain tourism site (can't remember the website) there is a 1-800 number for the U.S. I called it and they asked where we were going in Spain and sent us a HUGE package of pamphlets on Spain in general and the specific places we were going - those were awesome too and FREE!

Capo

I really like a book called <I>Discovering Spain: An Uncommon Guide</I>, by Penelope Casas.

Mónica

I don't know whether my suggestion will help, as I am a Spaniard myself, so I don't have any problem with the language. The best one I've ever seen is one published by El País-Aguilar; you may buy one for the whole of Spain or only for the place you intend to visit. Some of them are published in English (but I'm not sure about which ones), and they have lots of photos, suggested itineraries, useful tips... Enjoy your visit!

Jean Valjean

"El Pais-Aguilar" is the Spanish edition of Eyewitness guides. <BR> <BR>I used one for travelling in Spain, and found it quite useful. <BR> <BR>Perhaps you may wish to carry more than one guide. Time Out for Barcelona and Madrid are, IMHO, the best guides available for those 2 cities.

cb

Thanks to all with your suggestions. I have tons of free materials from the tourist office which I used to decide what to see, where to go, where to stay, and even include maps. Now, just need info on how to get around by public transportation (which bus or metro to take) which seems to be lacking in most guide books.