Bike Europe

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Rough Guides

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Rough Guides publish guides to hundreds of worldwide destinations, as well as benchmark books on subjects as diverse as Climate Change and Ethical Living to iPods and Opera.

It all started in the summer of 1981, Mark Ellingham, just graduated from Bristol University, was travelling round Greece and couldn't find a guidebook that remotely met his needs. There weren't many in existence - and the choice came down to 20 Dollars a Day blandness, or the academic Blue Guide, whose 800 pages on the ancient sites somehow omitted to mention the existence of a decent beach, or even a taverna.

In a bid to avoid getting a job, Mark and a small group of writers set about creating their own guide. It was a guide to Greece that aimed to combine a journalistic approach to description with a thoroughly practical approach to travellers' needs, a guide that would incorporate culture, history and contemporary insights with a critical edge, together with up-to-date, value-for-money listings. Back in London, Mark and the team finished their Rough Guide, as they called it, and talked Routledge into publishing the book.

Bike Europe contacted Rough Guides for help with guide books and maps after speaking to Luke and Anna from Africa By Bike. Rough Guides lived up to their reputation and sent us guidebooks for France and Spain as well as maps for France and Northern Spain - all for free!!!

Thank you so much Rough Guides, much appreciated!

If you would like to find out more about Rough Guides or indeed purchase some of their fantastic guidebooks visit www.roughguides.com