Insight City Guide Boston

Finally the summer has come and yet another long academic year has gone by. Exhausted from late night cram sessions and final taking, the thought of getting away for a bit and just relaxing enters the mind. Whether it is nearby or far away, traveling is a great way to explore new worlds, learn new things, and best of all to take a break from everyday life. But, there is a catch. Being a student, there is not much money to spare and not a lot of time to waste. So the best idea is to check out a travel guide to come across important information about where to stay, what to visit, and where to eat. Now all that is left is picking a location, checking out any old travel guide and being on your way, right? Wrong. Choosing the wrong travel guide might lead to an awful experience and a fear of future traveling. Luckily, Insight Guides provides tons of valuable information in a number of travel guides they publish, which can give travelers confidence in any of their explorations. Insight Guides has almost everything and anything a visitor may need when planning a trip to a new place. Each guide is studied and written by natives of the respected location, so the information provided is authentic and practical. The travel guide has an easy to read, understandable text for teenagers and up. Most of the activities listed and locations suggested may seem geared more toward adults, but the guide also provides activities and local "hot spots" for young adults, such as clubs and musical venues. For students, this guide is helpful because it includes many historical locations and tourist attractions along with sufficient information on each. For example, the guide on the city of Boston includes a thorough two and a half page description on the Museum of Fine Arts. Therefore, students get the full experience out of their travels. Insight Guides does a great job with informing, entertaining, and best of all - guiding. The guide's descriptions and language do the job of persuasion to draw in visitors to the attractions they provide. For instance in the guide on the city of Sydney, Australia, says in the beginning of one chapter: After ticking off the quintessential Sydney sights - the Opera House, the Botanic Gardens, Darling Harbor - take time out to explore the less renowned aspects of city life. In the Kings Cross district, enjoy the decorous rows of terrace houses, many of which were once brothels but have now been converted into elegant restaurants, then enjoy a genuine Italian coffee in trendy Darlinghurst. (63) The guide indirectly intrigues readers to explore and uses a variety of adjectives to add interest to the places noted. Near the back of the guide is a complete list of anything needed when in the city including their address and phone number, helpful for contacting a location when tightly planning a schedule. Things such as restaurants, clubs, transportation methods, hotels, shopping, and music venues are mentioned along with m

I really like this book - BUT it seems as if they omitted certain landmark restaurants (like Abe and Louie's which every other guide raves about and IMHO blows away Morton's and any other steak house in Boston), hotels (Marriott Back Bay), etc. and I wonder if there was a reason (like sponsor money). That said the writing is really good!

I recently attended the American Political Science Association meeting, held in Boston. This visit reminded me of how enchanted I am with this historical American city. To remind me of its many pleasures (historical sites, restaurants, sports, etc.), and to provide for advance planning the next time I take a relaxed few days in Boston, I purchased this volume. I am rather pleased with it. While I think it gives short shrift to the multitude of fine restaurants in Boston, for instance, overall this is a valuable guide to the city and the surrounding area. Some nice features: a series of maps of the city; a nice little insert with a summary of restaurants that one could put in one's shirt pocket to serve as a brief guide; a summary of "The Best of Boston" at the outset; description of a number of walking tours in different parts of the city and its environs. After an introduction to Boston, there is a brief but useful history. Then, some comments about sports, art, literature, and the like. Following is a section by section discussion of the city--from Beacon Hill & Boston Common to Cambridge. For each area surveyed, there is a nice discussion of key sites, a brief summary of the best restaurants and bars. Some sites that I would recommend: the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides is still pretty awesome); Paul Revere's house; the Art Museum; Quincy Market; Boston Common and the Public Garden (take a ride on the sawn boats!); Duck Tours; Bunker Hill; Harvard Yard; and so on and so on. It is nice to wander around a city that has so much history. . . . Not too many places in the United States radiate such a sense of our past (others might include, by the way, Philadelphia and Charleston, SC). Anyhow, this is a useful work for those who want some ideas about what to do, where to go, and where to eat in Boston.

Excellent guide to Boston for the first timer or the native who wants details for great day trip. Filled with clear and informative maps, fun photos and wonderful descriptions of different areas of Boston and the many surrounding attractions. It contains a terrific history section, practical tips on planning your trip, accomodations, restaurants, shopping and sports info and more and even a list of good books about Boston. The book is scattered with helpful tips and recommendations to enhance your visit. A very attractive book, it's size (about 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 and about 3/4 inch think) makes it easy to carry around and substantial enough to save as a great souvenir of your trip. I work at a Global Training Center and we use this book consistently to help our visitors plan their sightseeing. I highly recommeded this guide.