Finland

Good value, well written and with pictures os good quality. And,...nice country. JA

All too often, Finland has been unfairly treated by many snobbish travel writers - too clean, too expensive, too Northern. For many of those identifying Finland only with mobile phones, the history, the architecture and the landscapes of this brave, spectacularly handsome and exceedingly talented country is largely unknown. This guide tells the story and shows the pictures in a friendly, seemingly effortless and hugely informative way.The book - in common with other Insight Guide publications - is as beautiful as the cover picture suggests. They do not cut corners on buying top quality photos or commissioning informed articles, and it shows. The writing does not have the cynicism and grumpy attitude of shoestring-travel guidebooks: instead, it offers warmth and genuine attempt to look into the country and its people (not only to list its cheapest accommodation).Insight Guides is quite laconic about basic survival within the country, but the pages that are there fully fit the task suffice. Moreover, in Finland, where the knowledge of English is practically universal and the system of public information about transport and other facilities is second to none, you do not need too much hand-holding anyway. This beautiful and informative book is worth every penny.

Insight Compact Guides are great. This one has 12 routes for you to follow as you travel through this stunningly beautiful country. All the major sights are featured with pictures and a rating. I like this feature since - as you will find - the authors are pretty good judges of what is worth seeing and what is not. It's also nice to see the Aland Islands included as one of the trips. My wife and I had a tremendous time cycling around them in the early autumn of 1999 - when the sea and sky were deep blue and the myriad forests a swathe of gold and red. There are two big selling points for these guide books. One they are very small, light and easy to follow. Two, into a mere 100 odd pages, the authors have crammed a wealth of info/pictures on the country, its history, culture, customs - as well as 12 unforgettable journey's. Five stars and lots of lovely memories.

Insight Compact Guides are great. This one has 12 routes for you to follow as you travel through this stunningly beautiful country. All the major sights are featured with pictures and a rating. I like this feature since - as you will find - the authors are pretty good judges of what is worth seeing and what is not. It's also nice to see the Aland Islands included as one of the trips. My wife and I had a tremendous time cycling around them in the early autumn of 1999 - when the sea and sky were deep blue and the myriad forests a swathe of gold and red. There are two big selling points for these guide books. One they are very small, light and easy to follow. Two, into a mere 100 odd pages, the authors have crammed a wealth of info/pictures on the country, its history, culture, customs - as well as 12 unfortgettable journeys. Five stars and lots of lovely memories.

The Insight Guide series is, in general, a really good introduction to any of the countries that they have chosen to focus on. This one on Finland, like all of them, is full of great photo's and good historical, economic, social, and political descriptions.The tourist descriptions of what to see, places to stay and eat, etc. always seem to be pretty good and accurate.