Hi everyone - My husband and I are lucky enough to get to travel to London this coming summer (and possibly Paris if we have time).  Can anyone recommend a good (and relatively updated) guidebook? 

Thanks!

Hi Lisa,  You are so lucky!  London is one of my favorite places.  Instead of a guide book, I would like to recommend a set of cards called CITY WALKS:London by Craig Taylor.ISBN-0-8118-4562-1  Each card outlines a self-tour walking adventure with a map and "inside" information, like places to eat, shop, also tidbits of history.   A great way to see London!  You may also try posting you question under TRAVEL, ADVENTURE in DISCUSSION BY GENRE.  Wishing you all the best!

When I went to London several years ago, I used the Fodors books and Rick Steves' London book.     The Fodors book was useful, but the Rick Steves' book was REALLY helpful.  

I also recommend that you check out the Fodors.com Travel Talk bulletin boards.    Go to Talk, International, & then the United Kingdom and search for London.  These are very active bulletin boards and you'll get more advice than you know what to do with!

We gotten several Frommer's guides for places we've been and I think they are quite good. 

Lucky you!  I'd love to be going to London again.

Please don't let the title turn you off -- but a book my son bought me for a trip to London a few years ago was very helpful to me,

it's called The Complete Idiot's travel guide to London by Donald Olson.  It has many tips and is easy to use. 

The book gives a disclaimer on the back:  "You're no idiot, of course.  But when it comes to planning a trip to London, you may not know where to begin...... this book shows you how to plan and enjoy a made-to-order London vacation from start to finish--and without blowing your bank account in the process."

Doris

I have to vote for the Rough Guides.  They have one for the UK and a mini-guide to just London.  I love the conversational tone and the way it is structured, with plenty of history & cool trivia included with all the sights.  I've also found that it fits my current budget, which is...well, I like to think moderate, but probably more on the cheaper side.  I really outgrew the Let's Go & Lonely Planet series after college, but Frommer's & the like tend to be heavy on the expensive restaurants & hotels.  Rough Guides have a variety, but more in the intermediate/inexpensive range (B&B's & the like).

When in doubt, I've found it never hurts to review guide books for my own city.   When I find a guide book that mentions a bunch of my favorite restaurants & activities (and whose must-see's are the ones I recommend to people visiting my area), I'll look for the same brand for my vacation destination. 

Lisa,

I've been fortunate to visit London several times and I love it.  My most recent visit was in May 2006 and I would love to go back.  I have the City Walk cards that Anna mentioned and they were great.  I also have Fodor's London which was very helpful.  In addition, I love my Eyewitness guidebooks.  I have the one for Great Britian in general but there's also one that is just for London.  They have two advantages - great color photos of the places (and other stuff like the money and the food), so you can find what you're looking for easily.  Also lots of mini maps to help you get around the neighborhoods and find the sites of interest.  The only downside to the Eyewitness Guides is that they are rather heavy so may be incovenient to carry around during the day.  But if you are just staying in London, the London specific guide will be smaller and lighter than the one that covers all of Britain.

Another guide that I just love is the pop-out map.  I've gotten them from several cities.  If you can't find it at the bookstore or travel store you can order them on Amazon or directly from Rand McNally -http://store.randmcnally.com/product/international+maps/europe/united+kingdom+and+ireland/popout+map-+london.do They fold up small and are great for finding sites of interest, tube stations etc.

Enjoy London, I'm sure you will love it.  Just don't forget your umbrella.

We were in London last summer and found Rick Steves' London book and the Eyewitness guidebooks the most helpful. The Fodor's London had the most historical information on sites.  The web was a wonderful resource. Try  Trip Advisor.com.  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g186338-London_England-Vacations.html  You can find reviews for hotels, restaurants and also ask questions and read  reviews from other travelers about places that are off the beaten path and well worth seeing. Hope you have a wonderful time.

this is kind of a sidebar, but if you haven't purchased plane tickets, you may want to check out icelandair. they are usually very affordable and well run. when i went to london last summer, my friend and i flew icelandair and opted for a day-long layover in iceland. it's such an interesting country! you can even have a layover for the afternoon and take a shuttle to a thermal pool/spa near the airport. it's definitely worth considering as you plan your trip! have fun in london!