Footprint Barcelona Handbook

I just got back from my first trip ever to Barcelona . I went armed with the following: 1.) Footprint Barcelona Handbook 1st Edition 20022.) Lonely Planet Guide 2nd Edition 20013.) Lonely Planet Guide 3rd Edition 2003 4.) Eating Out in Barcelona and Catalunya : by (Craig Allen)I'll try and center this review around the : (A.) The FootPrint Barcelona Handbook (FBH) (B.) The Lonely Planet Guides (LPG)Basically, if i had to choose between the Footprint Barcelona Handbook (FBH) and the Lonely planet guide (LPG), the (FBH) would remain my main reference .I carried it with me every day and planned a whole lot of my itenary out using it. apart from the great many sites for hotel reservations on the internet and the ones provided by (FBH) , (FBH) had a greater listing of hostals,hotels and information about their services.I was going on holiday to Barcelona for an entire week. ie: from the end of July to the end of the first week in August -( Peak season ). I booked late ie : 3 days before leaving, so after exhausting all the budget hotels in the (LPG) looking for one to fit my hotel budget at the time ie: no more than 100 Euros p/night, i found that the extra hotels listed in (FBH) saved the day.The FBH has many handy maps of the city , its metro system and an overall map of some of the neighbouring towns & cities in the region. As a quick break down:I spent the first 3 days in Barcelona getting to know the area via the Touristic bus -(Bus Turistic), metro, taxi & bus.sampling the local catlan cuisine , the highly recommended eating spots, bubbly -(wines) etc.. you name it.I then took a south-bound day trip to explore the cities outside of Barcelona ie: to Reus & Tarragona via a guided coach trip organised by the Tourist Information office at Place de Catalunya. (Not to be missed)The rest of my time was spent around the Coastal line, visting relics from the roman era, shopping et cetera. loved it all.These are the key points between the 2 guides:ie:(Strengths,Interesting features,Missing bits of info b/w the two)(LPG) strengths: ---------------(LPG) is strong on walking tours, it features some colorful, glossy pictures to whet the guide buyers appetite for the experience ahead. it also provides you with info on the museums, a bit on the festivals, touches on a few places to eat, where to get entertained et cetera.it was also good on information about Tarragona ie: planning a quick itenary of places to see when you have but a limited window of time to carry out your visit. the eating spot in Tarragona recommended in LPG 2nd edition ie: (L'Ancora) served up a great seafood barbecue. (Not to be missed) (FBH) strengths: ---------------(FBH) is strong on maps by any quarter you find yourself in, including things to do or see while in that quarter, recommended places to eat in the neighborhood, the night life, places to have breakfast, opening and closing times for all restaurants featured -(so you know which ones are open on sundays and thos

This is an excellent guidebook - packed with information, beautifully phrased, and obviously written by someone with a great knowledge and love of the city. The author's enthusiasm is infectious and you feel as though you are strolling the streets in the company of a knowledgeable and delightful friend.