Guide Books

There are thousands of guides to every continent, country, region, city and neighborhood. There is something of value in each. The amount of time one gets to spend in a particular spot should determine the type of guide to purchase. Cruises generally afford you a day or so in each port; I have found the DK Ëyewitness Top Ten Travel Guides to be the most helpful. They run about 12 bucks each and are packed with pictures, maps and information in a relatively small easy to handle format. I particularly like the 3-dimensional drawings of neighborhoods and the "exploded" views of churches, galleries and such. Each has a pull-out map, eating, sleeping and shopping recommendations as well as a "phrasebook." DK also publishes an Eyewitness "Cruise Guide to Europe and the Mediterranean." It includes ports of call for Northern Europe as well as the Mediterranean. There is a practical "Survival Guide" and a directory of cruise lines. They even include a "Glossary of Nautical Terms." Time to read.