Anyone planning to travel to London has a wealth of material available for their Kindle, to help research the trip before they go. Many of the titles are free, or relatively cheap, and there are also Kindle versions of many of the most popular travel guidebook series that are less expensive than the printed versions.
Guidebooks on ereaders such as the Kindle may not necessarily be as practical and easy to use as the printed version, but many travelers like to have more than one guidebook. Having one or two guides on the Kindle might be a good way to do research before leaving home. Some guides are better on background than on practical information, so you might want to buy Kindle versions of these, and printed versions of London guides like the Rough Guide and the Lonely Planet guide, which you’re more likely to want to refer to as you travel round the city.
Rough Guide and Lonely Planet
The Rough Guide to London isn’t available as a Kindle edition anyway, although the Lonely Planet London guide is. By way of price comparison, the Kindle edition of the Lonely Planet guide costs $9.99 in the USA, while the printed version is $19.99 (though discounted to $13.59 at the time of writing).
Other Kindle London Travel Guides: Rick Steves and Time Out
Fans of the Rick Steves series can get the 2010 edition of his guide for $9.99 on the Kindle, though the latest 2011 edition is only available as a printed book. That costs $18.95, but is currently discounted to $12.89 so the Kindle option isn’t so tempting.
One of the best overall city guidebook series is Time Out, and as they are based in London you would expect their London guide to be authoritative. The latest edition is $7.99 on the Kindle compared to $19.95 for the printed edition ($13.57 discounted price) – a considerable saving. The Time Out guide does have comprehensive listings but it also provides a lot of London background reading, and is less good for maps than Rough Guides and Lonely Planet, so it could be a good candidate for downloading to your Kindle and doing some advance planning for that London trip.
Frommer’s London Kindle Guide
London guides from Frommer’s are ones you might want to buy in print. They don’t seem to like the Kindle much. The only one available for the Kindle is the 2009 edition of the guide, at $9.99, whereas in print you can buy the 2011 edition (cover price $19.99, discounted to $13.59) or the London Day by Day Pocket Guide, published in 2009 ($12.99, discounted to $10.39). The photo-heavy layout of the Day by Day guides makes them much less suitable for adaptation onto the Kindle.
Free Kindle Book of London History
The 212-page History of London by Sir Walter Besant is currently available for free for the Kindle, and highly recommended for anyone planning a visit. Although the book was written over a century ago, Besant was a respected historian and novelist who lived in London and wrote several books about the city.
Kindle Prices and Locations
Prices quoted are correct at the time of writing, and apply to the Amazon.com website only. Discounted prices may well change, and will be different on different Amazon stores around the world.
Mike Gerrard - Mike is an award-winning travel writer who has worked for National Geographic, the London Times, and many other clients. ...
