Lonely Planet Toronto

Like all of the "Lonely Planet" titles, this is a great overview of a place with vast amounts of information on how to enjoy the area whether you have tons of cash or very little. I enjoyed the narrative and suggestions which took me a bit "off the beaten trail" and away from many of the "purely touristy" sights. Toronto is a huge and diverse city with so many things to do and enjoy. With help from this book, I was ready to use the subway and public transportation as well as explore areas like Korea-town, China-Town, Kensington, U of T, and the vibrant downtown withouyt spending a lot of money. This is an invaluable resource for anyone planning a trip to Toronto and if you are only going to buy one book for travel there, this is the one to get!

I wasn't expected such a great value! A good brand, lots of helpful photos for a very small price.

I recently just went on a trip to Toronto with my family. Unexpectedly, I was designated the "tour guide", so I had to come up quick with a plan to satisfy them all. I admit, the main purpose of the trip was to shop, but this guide listed a store for everyone, and was accurate and up-to-date with good maps. Not only did they list clothing stores that were typical like Le Chateau and the mall, they also listed the unusual ones like F/X and Fashion Crimes. On top of which, they listed incredibly cool stores like Suspect Video, Bakka-Phoenix Books, and--my especial favorite--Silver Snail. They even had a special section where they put all the book stores in one list for easy browsing! My only trouble was how the maps were handled. They were broken up for a closer view, obviously, but the way they were ordered was a bit peculiar. Just pick the intersection of two streets and you'll be able to navigate with a good amount of ease.

Like all Lonely Planet Guides, this one definitely comes through with accurate, relevant information that you'll need to know about Toronto before getting there. This book contains plenty of maps and pictures and concentrates on the downtown core which is okay because that's where most tourists go. I moved to Toronto more than a year ago and I still use it as a reference. But like other Lonely Planet Guides, this one is skewed to the left politically. The author downplays the amount of begging by seemingly healthy and fit panhandlers which is nuisance too big to be ignored. There are also some negative remarks about the current revitalization. Overall, it's a recommended read.