Seville & Andalusia [With Map]

I read 2 generic "Spain" travel books and one additional book on Andalusia prior to our recent trip (I was the nominated "planner.") We decided to take the Eyewitness Travel Guide because it was focused and had very good information. This book has more information on Seville than other areas of Andalusia, but even the other areas were adequately covered. We used the book primarily for Seville, but also for Granada and Cordoba. The maps and illustrations were especially helpful. As we booked hotels prior to departing, we can offer no comments about the hotels section. Similarly, not been classical "foodies" we liked to wander and look for a place when we got tired and hungry. These eating/sleeping strategies worked well for us, so the maps, info, pics and history made this book great for our purposes: deciding what we wanted to see, knowing it when we got there, history etc. One minor issue, the way opening dates/times are arranged was confusing to me. In one instance a closing time was listed incorrectly, but I'll take the blame for not checking it out beforehand. The generic sections (types of food, transportation etc.) on travel in Spain were also helpful, although one of the other travel guides (Rick Steves) did a much better job. All-in-all, with the benefit of knowledge from other books, it was a good choice to take this one along.

The Eyewitness travel guides are always a must when you travel. I added this one to my growing collection and was not disappointed!

Eyewitness Guides are beautiful, gorgeously illustrated books on glossy paper that are perfect for planning a trip but not so good for carrying along with you. But they don't need to be! I used the guide to Andalusia to plan my 5-city itinerary, including a stop in Ronda which I'd never heard of but ended up being one of the highlights of our travels. This guide gives you a general view of the sights to see, with many photos and maps. But especially in a country like Spain, the wise traveler makes his or her first stop the tourist office--there's one in every city and many towns. That's where you get your map, the info on walking tours, a schedule of museum openings and closings, etc. I can't resist giving two tips: the tourist office in Seville near Plaza Nueva has FREE internet. And be sure to go to the Alcazar--I thought it outshone the more famous Alhambra, with far less hassle and far fewer people. I agree with the reviewer who says the hotel info is not good, and the author of this guide could probably eliminate it with no loss except excess weight. These days the internet is by far your best source. And as for restaurants, just wander! I loved this guide, but no one source is going to have it all for the independent traveler--and in any guide, info on hotels and restaurants is usually out-of-date before it's printed. But use this guide to dream--it's great

My wife and I used this book and Lonely Planet: Spain book for a week in Seville and Cordoba.We found it to be excellent for the high-points, or must see's, of the area. The photos are excellent in this book. Also, this book is much smaller and easier to carry than either Lonely Planet's or Eyewitness' guides for the entire country.For non-touristy (or less touristy) things, Lonely Planet has much better depth. We found the two books to complement each other nicely.By the way, Andalusia is spectacular! Enjoy!

As always, Eyewitness has the best maps. The coverage of Seville makes it the best guide for that city, period. The coverage of the outlying major areas, such as Granada and Cordoba, should be supplemented with the Cadogan book on Seville, Granada, Cordoba, but the Eyewitness has the best information on eating, shopping, getting around, hotels, and culture survival for Seville. If you are staying in Seville, take this book with you into the streets when you go.