Customer Reviews

Let's Go 1999: Europe

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was reading through the comments here, and I noticed a lot of people compare Let's Go to other books. I travelled through Europe myself with Let's Go, Lonely Planet and Rick Steves - and found that Let's Go was the best book all around. Lonely Planet had the same unoriginal review for everything, they say everything is "Don't miss" which gives a traveller no insight whatsoever. It's only redeeming value was better maps than Let's Go - however if there is a map in your guidebook (meaning it's a big enough city to have a map in the book) then there is a free map at the train station, airport, hotel/hostel etc... Rick Steve's book was good, but even Rick says to take a Let's Go with you. His books are filler for people with more time. But don't expect his suggestions to be any less crowded - everyone I met in Europe had been to Cinqoterra (only listed in Rick Steve's Back Doors). And they all said it was touristy - imagine a strip of cities jam packed with backpackers - but no tour busses.

I used this guide for my fist european travel experience and it was extremely helpful. I didnt have much experience and didnt have any plans. I found all the accomodations I stayed in this guide and they were very cheap.Another helpful thing is the phone numbers and the museums schedules. It allows to plan your itinerary before you even get there. I had no idea travelling in Europe could be that cheap.I've used twice ever since and it never fails to be very helpful. The information is around 85% accurate because there were places and prices that didnt agree with the guide's info. But in general I am very grateful to this guide for allowing me to take out the best out of my european trips.

If you are looking for an adventure in Europe, I would suggest you look elsewhere- I would suggest Rick Steves or the Lonely Planet. However, if you are interested in staying at the same places and going to the same attractions as every other American college student backpacking through Europe, this is the book for you.

It's more than a basic guide for peopole who wants to travel in Europe with out schedules and on your own. The comments are very close to the reallity of any country or any city, that are include in this book. Of course that you will have to use your brain more than once, but I can garantee you that this book will help you to take the more intelligent decition, even in the most difficult time.

I only used this book to travel in Scandinavia but I found the information incorrect (not just do to seasonal or yearly changes) but things such as the ScanRail pass is only available in Scandinavia when the pass is 50 % more expensive if bought in any Scandinavian country compared to outside Europe The chapter on Norway and Finland were written by people who did not enjoy either of the countries. It is very obvious from the introduction to the countries that both authors would have rather been traveling in southern or western Europe. The chapters are filled with snide comments and indirectly recommend that the readers do not waste their money traveling in such expensive, boring countries. This is completely opposite of what I found traveling in either of these countries. For Scandinavian countries, I would recommend either the Lonely Planet, Rick Steve's, or Frommer's guides depending on the type of travel you want to do. If I could still return this book I would!!

When I was in Europe over Christmas '97, I traveled almost entirely with Rick Steves, whom I highly recommend. But one of my friends had a Let's Go, and so we combined forces.

After this experience, I have a few things to say about Let's Go. On the positive side, everything is cheap. However, often times it isn't only cheap in price but in quality. Because it is so popular, the hostels tend to fill up fast. Also, the directions are foggy at best and the information is not always accurate.

In short, if you are going to Europe alone, don't let this be your only guide. You will wind up in trouble, and your guide book won't help you out of it. Go with Lonely Planet or Rick Steves--much more helpful in tight circumstances, and 98% accurate. If you're traveling with friends, take along a Let's Go because of the prices, but go to the last hostel listed first so you have a place to stay, and make sure you have a complimentary book with you.

I am currently in Holland and nearing the end of 7 months in Europe, 3 of which I have been non-stop traveling using "Let's Go" as my reference guide. Let me start by saying that if you plan on traveling in Europe, a guide book is key. Choosing the right one is the trick. I rate my experience with "Let's Go" as average. It told me what to see which was good but didn't tell me why to see it which was bad. It told me where to stay which was good but when it gave directions, they were either very vague or just plain wrong which was bad. Hence, the new title my friends and I have given the book, "Let's Go Nowhere." Directions such as; Turn right outside the station, then turn right again. When you see the brown sign turn left and you can't miss it. Well more often then not, I missed it. Either don't give directions at all, or if you do, please make them specific and accurate. I must say it gave great reccomendations on bars and pubs and clubs. So, my rating for the book is 3 stars. Talking to other travelers, it sounds like "Lonely Planet" guide books are better, but I can't say from personal experience. My friend had a "Rick Steves" guide book which we found very good, although limited coverage compared to "Let's Go."

Tear the book up. No, not because you've just bought Let's Go Europe and have only now read all the comments here and have given up hope. Rip it up because it's easier to manage when stripped to the essentials: namely, only take with you the sections on the places you actually intend to go. To do this, open the book wide enough to break the spine and carefully pull out sections from the glue binding.

Believe me, the 1st time I tried this I blessed the friend who'd suggested it. Unless you intend to go to some 30-odd countries (whew!), you'll find it easier to manage. Or, if you can't decide at the outset what to leave behind, take the whole brick, but tear out the sections of the places you're departing and leave them behind in your hostel/hotel for other travelers. Your back will thank you for it.

In other news: LGE is a decent book, but people here are right - supplement it with other general guidebooks (Lonely Planet-Europe on a Shoestring or Rough Guide-Europe). And for more history coverage, if packing space is limited, do your history reading BEFORE you go (for the quick n' dirty overview, I really like Rick Steves' Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler), and take notes in your journal on stuff you want to remember later as you go along.

I traveled for one month in Europe with only Let's Go! Europe as my guide. We navigated France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy by this book. As travelers we used this book as a reference when word of mouth went awry. Highly recommended. The only "con" about traveling with such a comprehensive book is the weight when you are only traveling with a 3200 cubic inch bakpack! Doubles as entertainment on cross-country train excursions.

last summer I went to Europe with my friends and we used Lets Go Europe, but 98, and it was fine, but it misses a lot of information, it should warn the travelers, specially the backpackers about the things that can happen there. For example, in Prague, some friends rented an apartment, and the next day, after paying about 250 bucks, a lot of guys came and kicked them out. Well, it sucked, but these books whould warn you about those things. Great bar, pubs and clubs reviews, if you go to Barcelona, go to Maremagnum