Published in Britain and typically British, Footprint Handbooks are a tremendous source of information for serious, and experienced, travellers. Not known for hand-holding, the guides provide little guidance for first-time travellers. Instead, the books are no-nonsense, succinct and authoritative guides to history, cultural and the practicalities of travel. The flagship book, the South American Footprint Handbook has been published annually for 77 years and is considered the Bible for travellers to South America.

These guides are as complete as they get. They cover all the major sites in great detail yet also provide excellent coverage about what is just round the corner off the standard route. No town or village seems to be omitted. Satisfying a wide range of budgets and tending toward the higher end, these guides also provide decent coverage of hotels and restaurants.

Among the special features of Footprint Handbooks are:

• In-depth, quality coverage - many Footprint guides have up to 40% more information than any rival publication.
• Because of the depth of information, you can get off the beaten path and away from away from the well-trodden tourist paths
• Clear, colorful descriptions and in-depth coverage make these books highly functional for both business and vacation travel, and for mainstream and backpack travel.
• Excellent general maps and dozens of local town and site maps.
• Super-tough binding and paper plus hard wearing paperback covers - these guides won't fall apart. They're meant to be well-used.

FOOTPRINT POCKET HANDBOOKS

These are portable packages that include everything you need to visit a city -- from reviews of restaurants and hotels to descriptions of the attractions, from the 'must-see's to the hidden gems.