The Rough Guide to Buenos Aires

I used both the Rough Guide as well as TimeOut to research my recent trip to Buenos Aires and the Rough Guide is easily the better of the two. Although TimeOut adds a few things here and there, it became clear early on that it would merely be used to augment the Rough Guide. Rough Guide Buenos Aires simply goes into far better, far more interesting, detail about those sites one really wants to visit. Like any major city, Buenos Aires extends way beyond anything a tourist, even an unconventional one, likely wants to see. (How many Europeans, after all, take a vacation to New York City to spend time in Flushings, Queens?) Neighborhoods like Monserrat, San Telmo, Boca, Retiro, Recoleta and Puerto Madero are not very far from each other. Even Palermo, the happening neighborhood nowadays, is not that far away. Rough Guide provides just the right balance between providing useful and interesting history of these areas while also pointing one in the direction of those sites, common and obscure, that makes a trip to Buenos Aires worthwhile. The sections on restaurants, cafes and such also provides those interesting tidbits that might be of interest. One Argentine author, Ernesto Sabato, may not be that well known in the United States. But I have read two of his books and, thanks to Rough Guide (and no thanks to TimeOut), I found the little cafe where Sabato hung out and did much of his writing (Bar Britanico in San Telmo, for those who are interested). That is merely a little, though representative, example of the differences between the two guides. The maps in Rough Guide are very user friendly. As I explored a neighborhood or walked from one neighborhood to another, these maps were invariably the ones I turned to most. Representative of the guide overall, they provided just the right amount of information, noting landmarks to find one's way. Buenos Aires is a great city. For a guide that is up to the task of making your visit the best one possible, go for this one.

This Rough Guide to Buenos Aires hits the mark. I'll be travelling there in October 2009. It is comprehensive, practical, well written, and fun to read. I reviewed two Buenos Aires DVD guides from the library, but this book was far better for planning. And then two weeks after receiving the book, a laminated "FLEXIMAP" of Buenos Aires arrived in the mail - at no charge. WOW! It's a class act!

I live in Buenos Aires, it came to my attention that many tourists know my city better than me, so I decided to be a Tourist in Buenos Aires. I asked for the best guide in the book shop, and it was in english. It was this one. I loved it, it has a lot of information, it's easy to use and has correct information. I only found 2 spelling mistakes of Spanish words in all I'm reading. Be aware that we are having inflation, so prices change every day, therefore won't be exactly the same to this or any other guide. IF YOU COME TO BUENOS AIRES; THIS IS YOUR GUIDE!

My trip to BsAs without it would have been another. I often found that a lot of the tips given to me by locals where merely repeating what the book had told me before hand. Its attitude and tone is accesible and honest and it really goes out of its way to make sure you experience BsAs at its best, should you heed its advice. What I like the most about it its revelation of nooks and crannies that tourists don't really go to coupled with a little bit history of wherever you might find yourself.