Here’s a new guide that’s close to my heart: my old hometown Helsinki, which also covers a few favorite of my favorite spots nearby, including Nuuksio National Park and the delightful little town of Porvoo, soon to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Finnish phrasebook also comes in handy for amusing the natives and scaring everybody else (kalastajamaisuudettomuudellansakaan, anyone?) — but don’t worry, virtually everybody in Helsinki speaks English.

The Porvoo chapter is available as a free download, while the printed book is now available in our online store. Tsekkaa jos et usko!

If you’re not going to the conference, or you are going and want to read up a little before you go (always a good idea), you can order the Wikitravel Guide to Cairo and Alexandria online through our bookstore. The guide also covers the Egyptian capital Cairo, with a special supplement on the Pyramids at Giza, and includes both an Egyptian Arabic phrasebook as well as a detailed reference section of traveling to and around Egypt.

Interview with Jani Patokallio, Wikitravel Press

We’re all proud at WTP headquarters about our announcement that Wikitravel Press has published a Paris guidebook. Paris has been one of our most important locations in Wikitravel for years, and it’s good to get a print version available from Wikitravel Press.

Of special interest for the Paris guide is its use of OpenStreetMap geodata to create the guidebook maps. Previously, Wikitravel maps have either been hand-drawn or borrowed from other, inconsistent Open Content sources. The move up to OSM data has meant we have a considerably better-looking, more consistent map style.

Special kudos to Mark Jaroski, who edited the Paris guide, and to all the Wikitravellers who’ve put time and effort into making this a world-class reference book. And of course great work, Jani, in getting this guide out.

You can order the Wikitravel Guide to Paris online through our bookstore.