Knopf Guide: Quebec (Knopf Guides)

This is a "niche" book, not best used as a comprehensive travel guide, but instead, as a tactile and visual appetite-whetter in preparation for a visit to the province of Quebec. It's dense both in weight and illustrated content. The glossy pages are packed with interesting colorful photographs, drawings, and art work focused on modern Canadian and aboriginal culture, history, architecture, nature, and the like. The text isn't extensive but I found it factual and useful. Think of it as a classy children's book for grown-ups. I used it to orient myself prior to travel, and continue to refer to it as follow-up after my trip.

As always, I would have been happiest had it had at least some translations of French place names and common terminology relevant to the traveler, e.g., gite, auberge, and even a very basic pronounciation guide, especially given that Quebecer French is as removed from Parisian French as Texas drawl from the Queen's English. I nonetheless recommend it with...Read more

Great illustrations, to help you picture a place, or have an idea what it looks like so you'll find it when you are near it. I find the knopf guides to be good for places I haven't been to yet, so I can imagine how the whole city is laid out and looks.

Would prefer more history, but hey, it is a pocket guide, and a lot is packed in here considering how small it is.

The hotel and restaurant parts suffer for lack of depth because, hey, it is a pocket guide.

It's a good beginner/first time visitor's guide. For bargain/budget hunters, for repeat visitors, it's probably not satisfying.