Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring

Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great overall guide
  • 2007 Edition: More Complete, Great for Planning
  • Encyclopedic
  • The Bible
  • An impossible task
 Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
Sarah Johnstone , Aaron Anderson , and Sarah Andrews
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:
  1. Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2007: The Travel Skills Handbook (Rick Steves)
  2. Rick Steves' 2006 Europe Through the Back Door (Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door)
  3. Let's Go 2006 Europe (Let's Go Europe)
  4. Rick Steves' Best of Europe 2007 (Rick Steves)
  5. Europe Hostels & Travel Guide 2006 (Bakpak Travelers Guide)

ASIN: 1741045916

Book Description

Party in Tallinn or pose in Cannes; hike the Curonian Spit; be seduced by the Aya Sofia in Istanbul or simply learn the art of the Spanish siesta. Your European Adventure starts here with the most detailed guide available, featuring more than 40 countries, 200 maps and insider tips to help you to go further, stay longer and pay less for the ultimate European grand tour.

GRAND TURISMO - Itineraries to aid your planning and splurge features to help you decide where to splash out, whether it be a night in an ice hotel or haute cuisine in Paris.

BE IN THE KNOW - with a detailed Directory and dedicated language chapter, plus look out for our author picks highlighting the best of the best.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE - A Year in Europe helps you find out what's happening when, from the best music and sporting events to where to chase the northern lights.

DO THE RIGHT THING - travel ethically and lightly with advice from our unique Responsible Travel section and make a positive difference along the way.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great overall guide.......2007-05-16

Europe on a Shoe String is a great guide for ALL of Europe if you are traveling on a budget. It has great hostel and cheap hotel recommendations which I have used to make reservations. It covers every city from London to Moscow. The only bad thing I would note about this book is that is covers so many places, that it is brief on some cities (but obviously, it can't have everything). Overall, the best guide for traveling Europe without spending a fortune!

4 out of 5 stars 2007 Edition: More Complete, Great for Planning.......2007-05-05

So the latest edition of Lonely Planet's Europe guide is out.
Note that most of the earlier reviews posted here refer to the previous edition(s), and there have been improvements in this new one!
Most importantly, this book now covers ALL European countries, including little-visited Belarus and Ukraine. It has basic coverage of European Russia, too.

The prices and other practical details really seem to have been updated specifically for this book - unlike in certain earlier shoestring guides, which simply seem to have been compiled by picking info from the already published (few years old) individual country guides.
So the info in this one is pretty correct as of 2006 state of affairs - that's when it was researched. Be prepared for some changes, of course, especially in some of the still rapidly-changing Eastern European countries.

The contents include the usual practical details all LP guides provide: not just an overview of sights and history, but practical matters like accomodation and transport details, all with actual prices (remember, these do change!), as well as useful info on things like getting visas and crossing borders.
Coverage of individual countries definitely varies though.
You will still find that the most popular Western European countries are covered in pretty good detail, certainly enough for an "All-Europe-Trip", while coverage of Eastern European countries is much more brief, in case of less visited ones really sketchy - hence the 4 stars only.
For more obscure countries like Belarus or Ukraine, this guide only provides detailed info on the capital and at best one or two other towns/cities, or perhaps just a brief overview of the rest of the country.

So this book is great value if you are still in the planning stages of your trip, and simply want to have an overview of the entire continent, prices, visa matters and all, to help you decide where to go.
It will also be an adequate guide to take along if you are planning a whirlwind tour of the continent, concentrating on the more established tourist destinations, with only brief forays to less visited countries.
However if you are planning to spend any length of time in Eastern Europe, I definitely recommend getting LP's separate Eastern Europe guide - it covers it in maybe three times as much detail as this book.
If you have a specific interest in a few countries rather than the whole continent, get the individual country guides to those ones.
But if you have only a summer holiday to tour our continent, you will probably find this book has enough information for you.

Have a good trip!

5 out of 5 stars Encyclopedic.......2007-04-30

I have lived in Europe and traveled just about everywhere over there. Even though I know it well I always carry guidebooks and maps when I travel. Normally I carry Michelin. I used this book for my 2006 EurailPass and Eurolines bus tour of 17 countries. "Europe on a Shoestring" is amazing. It covers more and in greater detail than any other "Europe" book. I have all of the well-known books from the well-known authors and publishers and none of them comes close.

Highlights:
Hostel DJH recommendation in Dresden.
Hotel G9 recommendation in Tallinn.
Excellent country and city maps.

The other big "Europe" books selectively cover some or most of western Europe but none do eastern Europe like this one.

If there is one book to pack this is the one.

5 out of 5 stars The Bible.......2007-04-01

Well for starters ive traveled for years now breaking the 40 country mark and this book may be the best ive ever used. i do carry others that are area specific(i.e. cities etc. NK Top 10) but over all when doing multi country trips. This book is a must, it will assist you in transportation from locations to the next. And from my experience rather up todate on places to stay, currency hot spots, food vendures. The book is a backpackers bible.

3 out of 5 stars An impossible task.......2006-12-28

I have used LP all over the world, and have also used some of their comprehensive guides such as South America and SE Asia, but attempting to write a guide book about as many countries as Europe has is impossible. South America has 13 countries, SE Asia 11 and Europe comes in at over 50. There isn't a big enough book for all that info.

I bought this book thinking that I was only going to hit major cities this fall while living in Europe for four months. Even so, the book just does not cover what you want to know. It is frustrating to open the book and not learn what you are after.

I do give LP 3 stars for trying. There are maps which are great as always and the best thing that I found in this book were the blurbs about how to get into the city from the airports. If you are traveling in Europe, you can't buy every country guide, but honestly, this book is not that much help and I rarely carried it. Better to book your hostel online, check with them, and wing it when you get there. Skip the book this time and just go for it.
Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Terrible, Vague and semi-useless
  • Great For Broke Students or Cheap Skates!
  • Too much, too little, too late...
  • Good overview of Europe
  • Lame and worthless
 Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring
Vivek Wagle
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

GeneralGeneral | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Budget TravelBudget Travel | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:
  1. Hostels European Cities: The Only Comprehensive, Unofficial, Opinionated Guide
  2. First-Time Europe: A Rough Guide Special
  3. Rick Steves' 2005 Europe Through The Back Door (Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door)
  4. Rite of Passage: Tales of Backpacking 'Round Europe
  5. Europe by Eurail 2005, 29th (Europe By Eurail)

Accessories:
  1. Panasonic ES4815S Pro Curve Compact Mens Shaver With Double Blades, Blue/Silver

ASIN: 1740593146

Amazon.com

For years, Lonely Planet resisted pressure to cram the whole of Europe into a single guide. To the delight of backpackers everywhere, they've finally given in--with a vengeance. The first edition of Europe on a Shoestring packs 40 countries into 1,200 pages, while still finding room to brief you on all the aspects of pretrip preparation, from packing right to finding the best airfares.

Of course, given Lonely Planet's youthful irreverence, you shouldn't expect your grandfather's Europe. Coverage of traditional favorites like England is trimmed to make room for pocketbook-friendly destinations in Turkey, Morocco, and the Baltic states. The Eastern Europe coverage journeys beyond the tourist-thronged streets of Prague to lesser-known gems like Riga and Vilnius. Lonely Planet even covers the former Yugoslavia, as it slowly begins to emerge from its days as a war-torn no man's land. No matter where you are, the guide points out regional highlights to help you sift through its wealth of information.

As the name implies, Europe on a shoestring focuses on "budget" travel. Fear not--you needn't resign yourself to meals of bread and water and endless nights on the floor of a seedy flophouse. The 30-odd book contributors believe it's possible to travel cheaply without sacrificing style, comfort, and safety. Though the accommodations sections focus on hostels, there are enough bed-and-breakfasts and guesthouses to keep you a safe distance from rowdy spring breakers, if you so desire. Similarly, the entertainment sections offer everything from pubs packed with rowdy Australian backpackers to the finest theater, opera, and ballet in the world.

If you want to take on only a part of the continent, you're still better off with a less comprehensive guide. But if you're interested in exploring St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Petersburg's Hermitage, and everything in between, this book gives you all you need to see Europe on your own terms. --Andrew Nieland

Book Description

Note from Publisher: This is the old edition of Lonely Planet's guide to Europe on a Shoestring.

Lonely Planet's new edition of Europe on a Shoestring may be found by typing the ISBN number, 1740597796, into the search box.

The spectacular new 4th edition is the most comprehensive guide to Europe, covering 43 countries. It offers effortless planning with a range of travel routes and a 4-page Festivals section, 174 maps, including a full-color regional map, easy-to-use language section with key phrases for 29 languages.

The 4th edition of Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoestring covers Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Britain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg & Kaliningrad), Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Terrible, Vague and semi-useless.......2006-08-27

I'm generally a huge fan of lonely planet books but I've found this one extremely frustrating. It's extremely vague about sites in smaller towns. In some countries (Germany) it uses native language names for sites without translating what the hell half of them are. The section on Greece is comically terrible. If you're going to europe for a very short time and want to only hit the capitals this may be a good idea, for anything even close to depth forget about it.

5 out of 5 stars Great For Broke Students or Cheap Skates!.......2005-02-02

I used this book to get me through Europe as well as plan my backpacking adventure, and I thought it was great (especially for London). I barely had enough $ to afford the plane ticket to Europe, much less spend more on other things. The restaurant recommendations were especially useful in places like Athens. It was condensed enough (probably too condensed for some) so that I didn't have to waste time tracking things down. If you are short on time and money, this is the book for you. If you have money and more time, this book isn't for you then and you should upgrade to Frommer's and the like. I would echo what another reviewer said and make certain you have the most recent edition of this book because things can be out of date (especially prices) rather quickly.

3 out of 5 stars Too much, too little, too late..........2005-01-04

With 17 countries on a 102-day itinerary and a careful eye on our budget, my son and I needed a book like this for our recently completed trip. Although we stuck with it until the end, I gotta say, Lonely Planet's "Europe on a Shoestring" has lots of flaws and you should think carefully before buying it.

THE GOOD NEWS: This is a great alternative to buying a dozen country-specific books. You'll save on pack weight and on dollars (or Euros). Furthermore, since its from Lonely Planet, this book does a lot better job than most of the "mainstream tourist" books of recognizing that a $300-a-night hotel room and a $50 meal are NOT in your plans.

THE BAD NEWS: (a) The prices and lots of info are out of date and getting more so. (b) The maps will taunt you with enough information to get you going but not enough to keep from getting lost, and (c) Overall the book offers a weird combination of too-much and too-little information.

You should consider this book only if you are planning to visit at least 10 different countries in Europe - otherwise you are better off buying individual country guides while in Europe (or sneaking a peek at the freebies stashed at many Hostel reception desks.)

My rating is three stars because you have to realize that there is probably no book out there that does an adequate job of `covering' all of Europe - but there are still lots of travelers, like us, who hope to do just that!

* * * details follow

(A) Check the COPYRIGHT date of the book very carefully before you buy! The one currently for sale is copyright early 2003. This sounded pretty current to us but it apparently means LP wrapped up whatever research they did into updating prices and other information sometime in 2001 or '02; for a trip in 2004 this was WAY OUT OF DATE. For one in 2005 it will be worse. It just gets to be a drag `translating' the prices: every 15 Euro Hostel is really going to be "18 to 20". Every 7 Euro admission fee: "9 or 10". Even expecting this problem, it leaves you feeling like your "shoestring" is getting shredded even more than it already is!

And, of course, prices aren't the only thing that can change in 2 or 3 years! We ran into museums and sights that had been closed for months and even the very strange situation of the LP book saying a museum was going to be closed "until 2004" and then not offering any info about it... as we walked by its open doors! We also bumped up against some hostels and places to stay that were either listed but long-gone or unlisted but two-years-"new."

Consider waiting for a new edition.

(B) The MAPS are a very strange problem. LP has made a clear effort to give you map info for the major cities in most countries and that shows that they realize you will probably be spending most of your time "pounding the pavement." But you won't really need their maps for getting around and touring a city - most major cities have much better maps available for free or cheap and you can usually rustle them up at the train station or hostel.

The REAL REASON you will need the sort of map this book provides is for the tricky first hour in a new city. You've just gotten off yet another train in yet another city and face another new language that's burbling all around you and your first goal is to get to your hostel or hotel and drop your pack.

But the LP city maps are the worst possible compromise of providing not enough info to serve as touring maps but also not enough to get you from that first important point-A to point-B! They trim back on space and printing by only naming SOME of the streets. You'd be surprised how many different ways there are to walk out of a typical European train station! We were unhappily surprised how many times we did that and found ourselves on a street whose name did not grace the LP map.

OF COURSE ASKING strangers is a great part of the travel experience and most of the time it was fun to figure out the best sequence of gestures and pidgin English and pseudo-Eurish to ask someone where the heck we were! But you'll do plenty of that anyways and besides, if, like Blanche DuBois, you've "always relied upon the kindness of strangers", why bring a guidebook at all?

(C) Its hard to whack LP for trying TOO hard; but when you are ending a 20 mile hike knowing that the 4-pound guidebook in your pack has at least 2-pounds of info about countries you aren't ever going to visit, it tends to ring in your mind with every step! This book was TOO extensive for us and I can't imagine anyone with an itinerary that would include even 75% of the countries listed. Do you want to lug around all that info on Lithuania and Latvia and Slovakia and Slovenia ? Our answer was to take a good sharp knife to the pages and hack out about 600 pages of excess. If you're a bibliophile and that prospect makes you shudder, at least think carefully about their "Western Europe" or "Eastern..." books instead.

At the same time, we often felt that the book offered too little information. For most of the larger countries, the book feels incomplete once you venture out of THE MAJOR CITY. I realize that this is the "we can't include everything" problem again, but its no help to understand their editorial challenges when you are lost in Lubeck or trying to find out about a place that's listed in your hostels book but not LP.

(D) Minor but annoying complaints include (1) less focus on hostels than I expected, (2) limited info on money-saving "self-catering" (e.g. where to buy food to COOK) and (3) too much silly self-promotion (it became a joke with us to read the section for each country where they `recommend' other books about the country and somehow only ever recommend other LP guides!

(E) Minor but gratifying kudos for their (1) thoughtful and informative country histories, (2) limited but necessary language guides (you can go far indeed if you just memorize the words for "thank you" in most places)

I guess the fact is that traveling as we did, lots of countries, lots of cities and lots of short stays, isn't a reasonable way to see Europe. OF COURSE its better to spend two weeks in Berlin - and get a "Berlin Book" - or a month zigzagging through France - and buy a "France book." But unless you've got unlimited time (and unlimited money) you'll probably face the same dilemma that drove us to our wacky itinerary and this ultimately unsatisfactory book: how can you sit there and plan to just "skip Italy" or "pass up Vienna"? Like us, like this book, you will probably end up trying too hard to do everything.

Enjoy your trip.

3 out of 5 stars Good overview of Europe.......2004-04-29

I spent three months in Europe (England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium) last summer, and used this book as my primary guide.

It is good for finding the basics (hostels, train and bus stations, etc) but not much else, and with so much area to cover this should hardly be surprising.

As about 2/3 of my time was spent in Italy, I do wish I'd purchased an Italy specific guide... luckily I had access to various other books that were more in depth.

The maps and contact information were accurate. I don't think I ever used this guide for restaurant recommendations, though. It's much easier and more fun to go menu-shopping or ask locals. Hostel operators tend to know what's up too.

1 out of 5 stars Lame and worthless.......2004-01-14

This deadweight trunk of uselessness is better a door stop than a guide. Dont be fooled. Buy each country if you are going to use Lonely Planet. It is not so much the size of the book, but the useless info they include. It did make me think about going to Morocco, though. Still wondering why they would include it in a European guide.
Lonely Planet Western Europe (Lonley Planet on a Shoestring)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • LP is a guide, not an itinerary
  • great guide
  • Not Worth It
  • Europe bound
  • Un buen libro de referencia
 Lonely Planet Western Europe (Lonley Planet on a Shoestring)
Steve Fallon
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:
  1. Let's Go 2006 Western Europe (Let's Go Western Europe)
  2. Lonely Planet Eastern Europe
  3. Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
  4. Lonely Planet Central Europe
  5. Rick Steves' 2006 Europe Through the Back Door (Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door)

ASIN: 0864426399

Amazon.com

Lonely Planet guides pride themselves on going places few other guidebooks ever venture--you'll find Lonely Planet guides to Antarctica, Papua New Guinea, and Cambodia, to name only a few of their more far-flung destinations. But even when this series is covering a more popular destination such as Western Europe, the spirit of discovery that imbues more obscure titles is still present. In Lonely Planet Western Europe on a Shoestring the authors and researchers have done their best to make budget travel both fun and fulfilling. There's plenty of back story on every destination, practical information about embassies, newspapers, bookshops, and medical and emergency services plus comprehensive coverage of sights and entertainments. Though the book is primarily geared toward budget travelers, the authors do include the occasional splurge. Best of all, the book contains 200 detailed maps and brief language guides in the back to French, Dutch, German, Italian, Greek, Spanish, and Portuguese. Whether you're planning a whirlwind tour of 12 European countries in three weeks or intending to stay awhile, Lonely Planet Western Europe will get you started out on the right foot.

Book Description

A comprehensive guide to independent travel in Western Europe: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

Features: 200 detailed maps of countries, regions and cities; the best places to stay and eat on any budget; language guide with useful words and phrases in seven languages; up-to-date notes on the politics, people and economy of each country; all the transport options, from the Channel Tunnel to Rhine cruises; the nitty-gritty on visas, border crossings and currency conversion; and where to go hiking, skiing, cycling, surfing and wine-tasting.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars LP is a guide, not an itinerary.......2006-04-14

I have taken several extensive (3+months) trips to Europe and, having used most of the major European travel guides in the past, I have always been impressed with the relative superiority of LP. I think what most unhappy reviews of these travel guides miss is that these books are all tailored to a very specific market, i.e. "Let's Go" is not for anyone over the age of 30 who wants a serious, non-party oriented European trip; Rick Steves' targets middle-aged and older travelers who need hand-holding because they have little or no experience planning and executing trips abroad; Fodor's is for older adults for whom money is not a real concern; and Lonely Planet is for budget-conscious backpackers of most ages who are looking to spend the least money possible and don't mind roughing it a bit to see the sights. Therefore, you are not going to find the best restaraunts/ hotels in LP, you are going to find the cheapest reasonable local resources that often have an unusual or quirky twist.

From my experience, the LP directions on traveling to/from places, finding train stations, airports, etc. are the most useful thing about the book and well worth the price. However, they don't publish train timetables and don't pretend to give that kind of info because it often changes. You can look that up online. That said, there are some flaws in the books as far as clarity in descriptions for a few point-to-point connections, which can be bit confusing. The book can only cover so much, though. All in all, I've had few hitches in using these guides and highly recommend them to other travelers.

4 out of 5 stars great guide.......2006-02-22

For the price it's worth it. I only miss some full color maps.

2 out of 5 stars Not Worth It.......2006-01-27

This guidebook covers the countries of western Europe. However, it seems that Lonely Planet tried to cover too much in this guidebook, so most of the descriptions of sights are barely more than a few sentences and a phone number. It's better to think of this as a giant checklist of places you could visit while in Europe, but don't rely on this for any amount of information. If you're looking for travel and sightseeing information, it's better to get the individual country books for the countries that you are going to travel to. To tell the truth, I bought this because I'm planning a multi-country trip in Europe, so I was hoping that this would contain exstensive information about getting between countries by train, but I was really disappointed to find that the information on this was severely lacking. If you your looking for something like that, Thomas Cook's Europe by rail books are better. Save your money and buy something else.

5 out of 5 stars Europe bound.......2005-08-18

In planning our trip to England, France and Spain, this book has been tremendously useful. There are endless resources (thankfully, online resources too) which have proven helpful. The maps are also important and valuable tools.
I recommend this series of books for those embarking on a European vacation.

4 out of 5 stars Un buen libro de referencia.......2002-04-11

Recientemente hice mi primer viaje a 8 ciudades europeas (Londres, Bruselas, Berna, Roma, Florencia, Barcelona, Madrid y Paris) usando este libro, usando sus recomendaciones en hoteles, museos y otras atracciones, lo único que deberían mejorar son los mapas, pero se complementa bien con los mapas que regalan en las agencias de información turística. Muy buen libro, muy actualizado.
Lonely Planet Scandinavia and Baltic Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Scandinavian Europe)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent for people on a budget (like me !)
 Lonely Planet Scandinavia and Baltic Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Scandinavian Europe)
Graeme Cornwallis , Steve Fallon , Ned Friary , Markus Lehtipuu , and Nicola Williams
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0864424345

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Excellent for people on a budget (like me !).......1998-07-20

Lonely planet has almost become the Bible for budget travellers. This book contiunes the trend - most people in the youth hostels I stayed at in Sacandinavia had a copy ! As ususal, the book provides good information on places to stay and eat as well as suggested sights. If anything, the book is a little light on detail in some areas. This is basically because it trys to cover such a large area. Therefore, travellers are advised to use this book as a guide only. It does not compensate for making your own enquies and going 'off the beaten track'. As usual, the book is well organised and reference making access to information quick and efficient. This is certainly thes best guide for Scandinavia I found and a must for independent travellers. Enjoy your trip ...
Eastern Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Eastern Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
    David Stanley
    Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0864421168
    Western Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Western Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
      Tony Wheeler , and et al
      Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
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      ASIN: 0864421494
      Lonely Planet Mediterranean Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Mediterranean Europe)
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Pack Your Bags and Get Over There!
      • Mediterranea Europe on a shoestring is quite fascinating!
      		 Lonely Planet Mediterranean Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Mediterranean Europe)
      Colin Clement , Steven Fallon , Helen Gillman , Paul Hellander , Charlotte Hindle , John King , Frances Linzee Gordon , Jon Murray , John Noble , Jeanne Oliver , Corinne Simcock , Dorinda Talbot , David Willett , and Julia Wilkinson
      Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      ASIN: 0864424280

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Pack Your Bags and Get Over There!.......2001-07-30

      The Lonely Planet guides are excellent for any locale..but this edition (covering Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Portugal and even Morocco) is a must-read for the quintessential backpacker jumping on a plane for Europa. These guides excel at recommending lodging of many price ranges (from youth hostels to 5-star hotels) and meal choices of the same range (excellent recommendation for outdoor markets.."buy a loaf of bread, a block of cheese and a bottle of wine here"..which is a plus as many guides catering to this area focus on only older travels with large budgets..or persons seeking to spend only a dollar a day or some insanity..it's always good to have the most information possible..and it's included here. Entertainments ideas from free plaza and park visiting to museums, discotechqes, architecture, boat rides etc. etc. are included..good for young and old. It even lists culture-sensitve information such as appropriate dress for visiting churches and monasteries as well as travel-safe tips for women. Book your Eurorail pass and get going.

      5 out of 5 stars Mediterranea Europe on a shoestring is quite fascinating!.......1998-08-06

      Lonely Planet has great books and this one certainly was. It's very thorough and tells alot about things that interest travellers. They are up to date and tell you the pros and cons of the different countries. I liked it alot and I know that other people will too.
      Lonely Planet Eastern Europeon on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Eastern Europe)
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Extremely handy and interesting to read.
      • An excellent broad look of E. Europe
      		 Lonely Planet Eastern Europeon on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Eastern Europe)
      Steve Fallon , Paul Hellander , Scott McNelly , Richard Nebesky , Jeanne Oliver , and Dani Valent
      Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      Similar Items:
      1. Lonely Planet Eastern Europe

      ASIN: 086442423X

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Extremely handy and interesting to read........1998-11-25

      A great book for those who want to spend a few months covering the entire region. Though a few geographical and historical errors are there, the good tips and listings give a great start for the intrepid traveler.

      5 out of 5 stars An excellent broad look of E. Europe.......1998-05-04

      I am stationed in Germany and therefore have the opportunity to travel frequently throughout E. Europe. For several years now I have been looking for a travel guide that offers detailed travel info as well as historical and regional information. I finally found it all in Lonely Planet's E. Europe. Although it was an older version (1995) with often outdated prices, it provided an excellent source of maps, key sights, as well as a good, country-by-country historical brief. This book was so good, in fact, that someone in Ljubljana, Slovenia, decided they needed it more than I did, forcing me to buy the latest edition. I'm looking forward to seeing this updated edition.
      Lonely Planet Central Europe (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
      Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
      • Lonely Planet Central Europe: Stretched Too Thin
      • Travel Guide
      • Unstatisfied
      • Mediocre Guide, but there really isn't anything else
      • Lots of Countries, Little Information
      		 Lonely Planet Central Europe (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
      Krzysztof Dydynski , Steve Fallon , Anthony Haywood , Mark Honan , Jon Murray , Richard Nebesky , David Stanley , and Ryan Ver Berkmoes
      Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      Similar Items:
      1. Lonely Planet Central Europe Phrasebook
      2. Lonely Planet Western Europe
      3. Prague: A Traveler's Literary Companion (Traveler's Literary Companions)
      4. Lonely Planet Mediterranean Europe
      5. Lonely Planet Eastern Europe

      ASIN: 0864426089

      Book Description

      146 Maps

      Customer Reviews:

      3 out of 5 stars Lonely Planet Central Europe: Stretched Too Thin.......2006-09-21

      Naturally, because of the number of countries this book covers, it is far less detailed about any one country than Lonely Planet guides covering single countries or a smaller number of countries. Still, for my purposes--a 15-day motorcoach tour including Frankfurt, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, and Prague, with just a day and a half or so in each city--it proved adequate. Few people will have room enough in their carry-on or checked luggage to carry a book for each country visited during such a tour, so one is stuck with a single multi-country guidebook.

      I don't understand why Lonely Planet included Switzerland and Slovenia in this book. If one is traveling to Krakow or Prague, one usually doesn't travel to Switzerland during the same trip.

      My basis for comparison was the Lonely Planet guide to Belgium. Belgium's a small country and the guidebook covered just Belgium, so the editors had room for all kinds of fascinating descriptions and inset articles providing detail, such as several articles about beer styles, breweries, and top pubs, battlegrounds, and the scatalogical nicknames Belgians have for people of other cities. That was the best guidebook I've ever used.

      5 out of 5 stars Travel Guide.......2006-08-16

      Bought Lonely Planet's Central Europe guide. Good and fast service. Will use same supplier in future if needed.

      3 out of 5 stars Unstatisfied.......2005-09-11

      My boyfriendand I travel a lot, and we usually take a lonely planet along with us.
      The Central europe one, we've only used it for the Check Republic. It was alright but we think that the tips you usually get in this guide seemed to be missing. For the basics is fine, but we weren't totally satisfied with it. We understand that is not only about one country, that includes other's as well and the information is shortened, but anyway,it was of help only to a point.

      We hope this information is of help for you,
      kind regards
      Lucila Lauda and Ulrik Bechtold

      3 out of 5 stars Mediocre Guide, but there really isn't anything else.......2004-12-07

      There aren't too many guides out there specific to Central Europe. The book was helpful for general reference but, lacked any good detail for traveling. The maps were somewhat helpful, but always seemed to be just limited enough so it didn't show where you wanted to go. The book is great for the tourist that doesn't want to get away from touristy places. If you want to go local this book is not helpful. And what is it about travel books? When are they going to make a travel book that you can seperate out the sections you want? If you don't want to carry around some 10 lb brick of a book and only the sections you need. I know the technology is out there.

      2 out of 5 stars Lots of Countries, Little Information.......2001-12-19

      I have been a faithful consumer of Lonely Planet products for the last five years. However, this collection does little more than offer superficial information on every country in Central Europe. If you want to go anywhere besides the capitals and most well-known tourist "traps", forget it. I was particularly dissapointed with the book's treatment of Germany and Switzerland. Very vague, very minimal. If you want to visit any of the countries in Central Europe, buy the Lonely Planet Guide to that country or look for a different publisher. Sorry guys, this one doesn't go in my travel bag.
      Mediterranean Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Mediterranean Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
        Daniel Robinson , and et al
        Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        ASIN: 0864421508

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