Let's Go Europe - Let's Go

Advantages: All in op - please read
Disadvantages: A bulky buy and a little subjective - but that's it!

… Well, maybe not the world but Europe is at least a good start isn’t it? And by the way, this is in the 'right' category for travel books and NOT Europe (in general) - it's just that CIAO haven't presented it that way! Hummpphhh! Grumble grumble! Anyway, I’ve chosen to review ‘Let’s Go Europe’ guide as in many ways it can be described as a travel bible of some form. In brief here, it’s huge (1006 (count’em!) ...
...maps to be found at the front and rear of the book)! It’s up-to-date (every Let’s Go book is revised annually) and it’s also wide-reaching (it includes fairly-detailed reviews of major European cities and regions from (as it says itself (p.79)) ‘Athens to Abba’ – or from Greece to Sweden in my own sketchy translation! To be precise 39 (no more and no less) countries are featured. Content(s)-wise, it does concentrate ... Read review

Advantages: ..
Disadvantages: ..

As Bill Bryson once said, this series should really be called "Let's go get another guide book". This is a review of the Let’s Go guide to Eastern Europe. The guide book covers 18 countries which should immediately tell you that the depth of detail is not that great. Countries covered include the west of Austria (namely Vienna), Slovakia, Poland, Bosnia and Macedonia among others. Never thought Bosnia and Macedonia were top tourist destinations? ...
...books are aimed. The series itself is written by Harvard students and Harvard students alone. Each summer the publishers ship them off all over the world all in the name of research. The problem is, some of the writers have never left the country before and it shows. I always seemed to get the impression that the audience were also supposed to be going on their first non-domestic plane flight which frankly, is not what I’m after. I know how ... Read review

Advantages: Very comprehensive; largely accurate; informative
Disadvantages: Not overly portable; the central tenet of “budget travel” is not adhered to in all sections; significantly more useful for Americans

It was a close call, but in the end, my two would-be traveling companions and I chose the Let’s Go guide to Europe over Lonely Planet, its long-time competitor. This decision was reached because the former appeared to be marginally more comprehensive - it had, for instance, a whole section devoted to Liechtenstein, one of our chosen destinations (though in hindsight, quite misguidedly selected). Let’s Go is, of course, well known as an ...
...Lonely Planet. “Let’s Go: Europe 2001” covers every single country in Europe, including Russia and former Soviet satellites, which of course means that buying the £15 almanac is only worth it if one plans to visit more than a mere handful of European countries, or if the target countries happen to be covered in different regional Let’s Go guidebooks (e.g. one being classed in “Western Europe”, and another one ... Read review

Advantages: Great for "Europe in 3 weeks"
Disadvantages: Superficial, preachy style, not an easy read

...some good accommodation info from Let's Go guides, I have found it quite superficial, and for a similar price would have to plump for the Lonely Planet Guides. The best thing is for the ultra lightweight traveller, it is possible to dismantle the book and take just the bits you want. For a more rugged construction try the Lonely Planet guide - also tends to find better into a rucksack than Let's Go. The thing that really annoys me though is the fact ... Read review