enRoute


	ENROUTE TV ENROUTE FM MEDIA KIT AIR CANADA LINKS WRITERS' GUIDELINES

BUSINESS OR PLEASURE?
Both, of course. Our essential picks from this year’s best guidebooks corner the market on travelling in style — so you can seal the deal.

Everywhere you look are vibrant street scenes, colourful markets, striking ancient temples and – best of all – smiles that are so genuine and so innocent, they prove that hope can spring from tragedy.

Here at enRoute, we’re sympathetic to the plight of the business traveller for whom time is at a premium. After all, we know that these days, you have to justify every expense to the weasels in accounting, and that in spite of the long voyage, you’re expected to emerge at your destination a model of composure and professionalism.

You need concise travel information, whether you’re looking for a centrally located hotel, a jazz haunt for that bebop-loving client, or a place to take your foreign hosts out for a deal-making pint.

That’s why we created the enRoute Awards in 2000.

Every year, our expert panel goes through the latest guidebooks to choose those best suited to your distinct business travel needs. This year’s judges were Deborah Stokes, travel editor at the National Post; Louise Roberge, past president of the Canadian Business Travel Association; Lynda Friendly, president of the Design Exchange in Toronto; and René Vézina, editor-in-chief of Commerce.

And the winners are…

ART OF THE MEAL
BEST RESTAURANT GUIDE
The Red Guide/Michelin (series)

Someone should commission a study about the percentage of business deals sealed during dinner. A good guidebook, then, is mandatory to master the art of the meal. For the second year in a row, the judges chose the thorough restaurant listings in Michelin’s Red Guide. Without gimmickry or pretence, this guide covers all aspects of eating out, from wine vintage ratings to the best places to dine alfresco. Louise Roberge was impressed, saying, "Michelin includes lots of details, and the thin paper means travellers have more content." In hardcover.

DESIGNS ON SUCCESS
BEST DESIGNED GUIDE
Eyewitness Travel Guides/Dorling Kindersley (series)

When the table of contents makes no sense and you spend too much time straining your eyes at the illegible text, you’ve got a poorly designed guidebook. Let our panel ease your pain. Beautiful photography, historical timelines, colour-coded sections and an array of maps make Eyewitness Travel Guides this year’s winner for best design. Our design expert Lynda Friendly gushed, "It’s easy to read and a pleasure to hold. The quality of the paper stock and cover is first class."

ROOMS AT THE TOP
BEST HOTEL GUIDE
The Red Guide/Michelin (series)

Business people may not need child care at their hotel, but they would certainly like their rooms to have high-speed Internet access – not to mention a health club. Again, our judges favoured The Red Guide. True, this isn’t your average travel guide with points of interest and FYI sidebars. The Red Guide simply lists hotels and restaurants, with smart, minimal texts. René Vézina admired its subtlety, calling it "The kind of classic that will never go out of style."

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
BEST OVERALL GUIDE
Time out/Penguin Books (series)

Penguin’s Time Out series provides a thorough overview of its destinations, which are brought to life with stunning colour photography. This series won’t just tell you where to eat; it also provides menu glossaries, meal prices, house specials and suggested attire. And that’s not all. If you want to know who mixes the best drink or spins the best mix, Time Out has the inside scoop on what’s hot in cities around the world. "Hip and practical" is how René Vézina described it. "They even list which taxi companies accept credit cards!" All the little touches made an impression on Deborah Stokes, prompting her to say, "It’s a good read. This guide covers it all and pays attention to detail."