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Marco Polo guidebook review & giveaway

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Marco Polo Athens guidebook. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Marco Polo Athens guidebook. Copyright Gretta Schifano

I was delighted to be sent a new guidebook to review just before my first trip to Athens. The guide to the Greek capital is published by Marco Polo and I’ve enjoyed reading it and finding out about the city in preparation for my trip.

Marco Polo guidebooks

Marco Polo have more than 100 guidebooks covering everywhere from the Algarve to Zakynthos. Each Marco Polo guidebook is written by a local who knows the destination intimately. They all include specially highlighted ‘insider tips’  which are are personal tips from the author.

The book is a good size, just right to fit into a handbag. The cover is plasticised so that it’s waterproof and hard-wearing. There’s a handy pull-out map of the city in a plastic wallet inside the back cover as well as a street atlas within the guide. The guide was published in 2013 and so is pretty much up to date.

Marco Polo Athens

I find the book easy to navigate. I like the fact that the photos in the guide aren’t just of the tourist sites but also of different aspects of the city such as the flea markets and kids skateboarding. The book is divided into clear sections such as Sightseeing, Food & Drink and Where to Stay. The Travel with Kids section covers the attitude to kids in Athens (apparently they’re given a lot of freedom and are allowed to go out with their parents in the evening) and suggests some attractions which kids will particularly enjoy such as the planetarium and the zoo. There’s a helpful section called Great Places for Free which gives tips such as which museum is free on Thursdays and where to catch the free buses which serve the harbour area. If you’re in a rush then head to The Perfect Day section which shows you how to see the city’s highlights in just 24 hours. I like the list of Do’s & Don’ts which is placed prominently inside the back cover next to the pull-out map. It offers local advice such as places to avoid and how to get the best deal on a hire car. The Travel Tips section gives useful, practical information such as how to get from the airport to the city centre.

Image courtesy of Marco Polo

Image courtesy of Marco Polo

Giveaway

Marco Polo have 10 guides to give away to Mums do travel readers. If you’d like a chance to win a travel guide and you live in the UK then go to the Marco Polo website and decide which one you’d like. Then enter your details on the Rafflecopter widget below and write the name of the guide you’ve chosen in the Comments section. 10 winners will be picked at random and Marco Polo will send them the guide book which they’ve chosen. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  13. Tobys proud mummy says

    I would love the Florida guide as its been years since I last visited and I guess a lot has changed as I would love to take my little one in a couple of years so would be great to get prepared and get some inspiration and tips from a wonderful guide

    Reply

  18. Alison clark says

    New York – I have wanted to go since i was 18 – I have waited for 18 years and I’m going in may – i can not wait !!

    Reply

  44. joanne thomas says

    i would love to win the Australia one please as i have been lucky enough to win a holiday there and would love to read up before we go

    Reply

  90. melanie stirling says

    I would like the Athens one please,my son’s girlfriend lives there so it would be useful to us when we visit.

    Reply

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Disclosure

This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.