Grant Bourne

This pocket size Frankfurt guide book is a pretty handy tool to have. It's one of the smallest travel guides I've ever gotten, which makes it incredibly easy to carry around with you without it become cumbersome or making your bag too heavy. There's a bit of historical background about the city and details on places to see, stay, and eat. I knew very little about Frankfurt before I left and this book helped fill some gaps.

It also provides ideas for easy day trips from Frankfurt including the Taunus hills area and Mainz. I was a bit surprised it didn't mention Heidelberg as that was only a 40-minute bus trip away and it's a popular tourist attraction. We also spent time in very nearby Dieberg and Darmstadt, both of which had some interesting historical and artistic sites. We actually stayed in Darmstadt and took the commuter train into Frankfurt most days, and I'm surprised the guide book didn't mention this option as it did mention how pricey Frankfurt hotels could be.

The maps in the book are not the greatest ones I've seen, and you have to consult the table of contents or search through the book to find them (although I used sticky notes to easily access them) as they are not all grouped together at the beginning or end for ease of use. But I suppose having some maps are better than having none, although these are not in the end the ones I relied upon to navigate. Other guidebooks often come with a pull-out map, which I find to be a handier option. Still, there aren't many guidebooks on Frankfurt out there, period, and this one is overall pretty useful.… (mer)