Switzerland / "Marco Polo"

Switzerland
by "Marco Polo"

travel
copyright 2013 ?
read in July 2014

rated 5/10: readable, but only if there's nothing else

Okay, maybe it's not really that bad. It certainly does not suit my requirements.

The book starts with various lists: "insider tips", free places, places worth visiting... Just... lists. Well, okay, a paragraph each of explanation. I mean... no context.

No big picture overview. No sense of a plan. Just a list of places to go, things to see.

Worse yet, it reads -- to me -- like a series of paid advertisements.

So what's it all about ? What is there in Switzerland that makes it with a visit ? That, is not very clear.

Actually, reading the Wikipedia entry gives me a better understanding of Switzerland. Perhaps that's a source of the problem !

The internet has information on history, geography, politics, tourism... you name it, it's all on the internet. So how does a travel book maintain its market edge ? It offers clear advice and " insider tips"...

At least, I think that that's what this book is trying to do.

So. Take the Marco Polo guide as gospel. Read nothing else. Eat, drink, sleep and visit as advised. You will probably have a great holiday.

I prefer to get a lot of information -- then make my own decisions. Unfortunately our own holiday will be to a part of Switzerland which is only ten pages out of 154...

Oh, and the book includes maps with too much detail and not enough information.

Overall, this book is a valiant attempt to condense an enormous amount of information into a small volume. Or it's a commercial advertising brochure thinly disguised as a travel guide.

I'm not sure which.

Either way, for my purposes -- this book is not as useful as the internet.

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