Insight Guide Barcelona

This was a comprehensive guidebook that gave enough information on all subjects to get you where you were going, tell you how to do things, and alert you to diverse sites and events that were especially interesting. Most important was its way of presenting enough historical, cultural, and political information to make one aware and able to navigate Barcelona's unique environment while at the same time exponentially increasing curiousity. We were working up until the time of our flight and skimmed the book en route. We had never been to Spain, didn't speak Spanish and yet spent two weeks in Barcelona without any difficulties and used only this book as our guide. As a direct result of the ease of use and interest the guide book piqued we bought and read many books on Catalonian history, political history, social culture, Picasso, Gaudi, architecture, etc. while we were exploring the city, making our two weeks of travel instead of a tour of cities into one of the more in depth, interesting trips we've ever taken. In three months we've given a copy of the book to two other families going to Barcelona, tracked down the other Insight Guides and begun to plan next summer's trip around one of them.

The separate, removable map which is included makes this book worth the purchase. The map lists all sidestreets, which is necessary to navigate the city. The book itself gives just enough history to familiarize yourself with Barcelona and Catalonia, and then takes you on a neighborhood by neighborhood tour. Lots of good photos throughout. More detailed than the smaller compact version from the same company. Not quite as detailed as guides from other companies (e.g. doesn't include much for phone numbers or tourist tips), but is easier to read than they are.