Customer Reviews

Let's Go Europe 2010: The Student Travel Guide

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was partial to the Let's Go series, primarily because the 2006 version kept me alive on my last backpacking trip to Europe. I'm looking to go back this summer and so I naturally sought the 2010 version. What I found was very disappointing.

A new company is producing the books and they appear to have cut back on the content big time. The 2010 Europe book is noticeably thinner in what appears to be a business ploy to get you to buy one of the other Let's Go region-specific books. Unfortunately for me there's no Let's Go Scandinavia, and the only book that even mentions Norway, Sweden, or Denmark (Let's Go Europe 2010) only has information for Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. That's it. They don't even bother with the quick and dirty one paragraph round up of smaller cities and towns at the end of the country section anymore. Sorry Stavanger, sorry Gothenburg.

I refrained from giving this book 1 star because it appears the other more "mainstream" European backpacking destinations (Italy, France, etc) still have a pretty good deal of information with the young budget traveler in mind. Even there, though, the detail is not what it once was with this series. I had no choice but to go Lonely Planet this time. Hopefully Let's Go gets their act together next year.


**UPDATE 05/07/10**
I couldn't help myself and I bought Let's Go Europe 2009. I decided to compare Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm (The only cities covered in 2010 for their respective countries) and found that it's virtually verbatim. 2010 added one bar for Copenhagen. The places to stay are exactly the same. I think it's safe to say that the new company probably recycled 2009 in their transition year. I recommend getting 2009 for now and Lonely Planet: Scandinavian Europe, which tries to cater to both the mid to high bankroll as well as the lowly backpacker, is worth a look as well.

I've still got a Let's Go Europe from 1999 which I found to be extremely helpful and by far better than Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and everything else that was around at the time. I travelled most of Europe in 2000/01 and it provided information on big cities, small towns, popular destinations and also suggested great places only residents usually go to which were better than the places a lot of the time the mass numbers of Australian, American, UK and other similar tourists frequented. Now I'm off to Europe again and unfortunately the 2010 edition has pretty much lost all but the capital or main city of each country, and a lot of European countries such as the Baltic countries for example aren't even in here. What an insult to the people who live there. This should be retitled, Let's Go to Britain, Germany, France and Italy and a Couple of Other Countries (but only the most popular cities of those countries). To call it Europe and pretend it represents that is ridiculous.

Not only have most towns, cities and countries gone but so have the majority of backpacker hostel listings of the places which are actually still in here. There's heaps left out, do they have to pay now to be listed or something?

It seems no recent research has been done at all, even stuff that obviously needed to be updated hasn't. For example Porvoo a popular day trip destination from Helsinki, Finland. I hadn't been there before so I thought I'd go there this time (page 226 for those unfortunate to already have bought a copy of this book) we have and I quote (remembering now that this is the 2010 edition) "The cathedral fell victim to an attack in May 2006, it is being rebuilt and will reopen in December 2008." Now if I was the editor, wouldn't you think I would bother to at least make a phone call and see if this actually did reopen in 2008. Is it open now? You won't find out with Let's Go. Prices and departure times for modes of transport are sometimes out of date but if they can't even be bothered to update obvious things like this, it makes you wonder how much even more inaccurate those types of more essential things are.

I sent my 2010 edition back for a refund it is seriously that bad. You're better off to get an old copy of Let's Go. Sure some of the prices (even the currency) may have changed but you'll get more hostel listings, more destinations, more countries and basically a lot better written book. Some visa requirements will no longer exist (but you can pretty much do a Google search to see if you need one). Or simply forget about Let's Go and try a competitor instead.

I admit, prior to getting a copy of Let's Go I swore by Lonely Planet. Needless to say I am converted. Having just graduated college I started planning my dream trip through Europe. The problem with all the other guides is that they were completely concentrated on just places to stay or visit. Let's Go is different, my intentions for Europe were to take in all the sights that the continent has to offer but also bask in the nightlife and social activities of each country. This is the perfect book for people who like to balance out their sightseeing by letting loose at night.

I already recommended the book to all my friends who are looking to travel. A must have!

I don't know how I would have gotten around Europe without it. It arrived just in time to take with me on my tour.

I recently travelled through Europe and although "not a student" this book helped immensely especially in the larger cities like London and Paris.

This book is easy to read. It provides tons of useful and interesting information. It does an excellent job of guiding youths through Europe, form the best clubs and night life, to budget hotels and restaurants.

I bought this book in preparation for a a three-week trip and was not disappointed. The coverage was good (maybe not for obscure towns in the middle of nowhere, but for where 99% of people need to go, it's perfect), the writing was witty, and the recommendations were spot-on. It was especially handy in picking out good spots for night-life, something pretty much all other travel guides leave out. For anyone who doesn't go to bed before 8pm, this is the only travel guide worth having, in my opinion.

I think this is good for someone staying in youth hostels or backpacking around Europe but little to no help for most adults doing regular travel.

I enjoyed all the maps, metro plans and places in an earlier edition from our local library and decided to get my own copy for our Europe trip. Could not find a copy in Australia and worked through your site. However, I was very disappointed to find the front maps and plans were not in the 2010 guide - nor were Interlaken, Switzerland nor Innsbruck, Austria mentioned- two key places to visit in Europe and they turned out to be our most exciting and enjoyable places to visit and explore. "We flew with the birds" and took a train journey of a life-time to Jungfrau - the top of Europe.

Interestingly enough - a full page advertisment just after the content page of the 2010 edition has - 'Interlaken / Switzerland - Centre of Europe ' and it never got a mention in the book.