The publisher tells us that this new title is a companion to the well‐known World Travel Guide, which is a familiar feature in many reference and corporate libraries. It comes in much the same format ‐ large and glossy and certainly not a guide that can be tucked into a back pocket or even a suitcase. I would assume that it is meant to be a work of reference largely for busy business travellers who want to make the most of their visit to a major city.
As such, it is an excellent source of information and much is crammed its closely packed pages. To quote the publishers “[T]he World City Guide is designed to give travellers everything they need when visiting a city – whether for business or leisure. Each city combines practical information with local insight and includes a detailed street map. Each city write‐up is divided into sections on travel, sightseeing, accommodation, restaurants and entertainment, covering sections on getting there by air to bicycle hire, key attractions and excursions, luxury hotels to budget restaurants, nightlife and literary notes. There are also extra “fact” boxes – including a business profile, business etiquette, city statistics, cost of living, tourist information and special events”. Cities covered are, in alphabetical order: Amsterdam, Athens, Auckland, Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Delhi, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, Miami, Moscow, New York, Paris, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, and Vienna. All the write‐ups are by travel experts who know the individual cities well.
Each city chapter is packed with information, which is the reason why it has taken me so long to review this guide! Every time I sat down to make notes, I found myself reading up on yet another city – either to compare the author's notes with my own experience, or to learn about somewhere that I have not yet visited. Certainly, my own recollections seemed to tie up pretty well with those of the authors: the descriptions are vivid, enthusiastic and pretty accurate in their make‐up. It is also well illustrated with numerous colour photographs of good quality, which will give would‐be travellers a feel for the place.
The features I found especially useful were the sections and boxes giving information on the cost of living, city statistics, business etiquette, eating out and the culture of each place. You can compare the price of a beer in Cape Town (around 40p) to that in Moscow (about £2.50). You can compare methods of travel – try a cycle rickshaw in Delhi and you are in for a white knuckle ride, or use the underground in Tokyo – daunting in the rush hour but safe at night, or hire a bicycle in Amsterdam – but watch out for trams! Under no circumstances take a taxi in Prague because many taxi firms are controlled by organized crime (!); but in London, the familiar black cab and the red double‐decker bus are two of the best ways to get from A to B. In Mexico City, visitors are advised not to carry cash or credit cards or to travel at night – as the number of muggings is on the increase. Barcelona is also another city where unwelcome advances on tourists and visitors are quite common. However, the guide does not dwell on the negative – the city descriptions are fascinating and the few drawbacks should not put visitors off enjoying their stay providing that sensible precautions are taken. Readers should note that no details of necessary health precautions are given and it is therefore beholden to the traveller to check out necessary jabs, medical needs, etc.
Certainly, the amount of information packed in to each city description is impressive and, although a city section will not take the place of a well produced city guide with maps such as one in the Dorling Kindersley or Footprint series, the amount of information given on each place is impressive. If a visitor has only a short period of time to spend at a destination, then this guide highlights the “must do” sights, gives vital information on shopping, history, culture, and getting around and warns visitors of the pitfalls. An example of this is the description of hotels to be found in Delhi, which I found amusing. “Delhi boasts a large number of hotels which offer accommodation ranging from air‐conditioned luxury to cockroach infested squalor”. Imagine strolling into a tourist information centre and declaring, “I'd like a room with cockroaches please!” The mind boggles – though I know from my backpacking grown‐up children that cheaper rooms often come with extra unwelcome occupants.
To be serious, this is a useful reference work for a small travel section or corporate library where staff are frequently sent on assignments and visits abroad. All information comes with telephone numbers, Web site addresses, opening hours, admission prices (where relevant) and e‐mail contacts. Library staff will find following up some of the Web site addresses interesting and informative. Happy travelling!
