Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Discover Europe (Full Color Country Travel Guide)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This "Discover" books are very different from the usual Lonely Planet's guides. Yes, they came in full color, have great pictures and are easier to read. Therefore, they are excellent as a first reading, if you are interested only in the top highlights, or if you are not sure about your destination. Do not expect an usual Lonely Planet's guide, specially if you are looking for detailed information and aiming to longer stays. Of course, as a multi-country book it is not supposed to have too many details, however I was expecting something like the Western Europe guide in colors, but it is definitely not the case. One last thing: Portugal is not comprehended in Discover Europe!

I've always found 'Lonely Planet' books to be thoughtful and full of good information. The "Problem" with this book is that it's really not an overview of Europe. It's mostly Western Europe with Greece and Turkey added, and with Denmark, Scandinavia, Luxembourg and Portugal subtracted. I find this to be irrational in that if you go to Europe you see the Benelux countries and can's without Lux, or Spain without Portugal.

Don't expect any of the countries to be very comprehensive. For example: France only includes the Riviera and Languedoc and Provence in the South, Paris and the north of France above the Seine; Italy has nothing on the Adriatic coast, the South or Sicily/Sardinia. It's for people who haven't gone to Europe before or expect to go on guided tours and want to learn about some off the common ground, but not much.

What makes 'Lonely Planet' worthwhile is that it takes you off the beaten path, but in this case it beats-its-feet all over the beaten path. This is not for independent travelers who want to see the 'real' country. Think of this as a "Cruise" itinerary without the boat.

Zeb Kantrowitz

Having visited 11 of the 16 countries profiled in "Discover Europe," I was hoping for a book that would be useful not only as an armchair reference, but also as an on-the-road guide for any future European trips that I might undertake. When I first hefted the heavy, 816-page volume, I was impressed. Surely, I thought, this massive tome contains lots of useful information.

Unfortunately, my first impressions turned out not to be true. On further examination, as I paged through the sections covering some of the countries that I've most enjoyed visiting, such as France, Greece and Turkey, I became disappointed with several aspects of the book. First, there are not many maps in it, and those that do appear are small, not very detailed and hard to read. They may be okay if you're on an organized tour and just want to get an idea of the "lay of the land" where the bus is going to take you next, but they are useless for the independent traveler. Second, the country sections are poorly organized. Information is shotgunned onto each page in various colors, in sidebars, with different fonts and type sizes, etc. Third, and to me the cardinal failing of "Discover Europe," is the lack of depth of the information it presents. Most of the memorable experiences that I've had on my European trips, such as visiting the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, trekking through fields of lavender in Provence and pub-hopping in England, get at most a sentence or two of text. Attractions such as museums and galleries are often glossed over, and there is virtually nothing useful about eating, drinking and lodging. Some of this information is perishable, of course, and the prudent person will do a lot of research on-line before traveling, but the paucity and shallowness of such material in this book make me wonder why any is included at all.

I've concluded that "Discover Europe" would have been of no use to me on the kinds of independent trips that I take, and likewise will not be my guidebook of choice for future trips. Given the number of countries that it covers, superficiality is inevitable, and for that reason I don't understand who makes up the intended audience. One or more country-specific travel guides for the itinerary you plan would, in my opinion, be far more useful. "Discover Europe" is the "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium" guidebook (if you're familiar with the movie, you'll understand the reference). It will not be in my suitcase the next time I travel to the Continent.

Years ago when I first toured Europe with a month-long Eurail Pass, I relied on a multi-country guide covering highlighted sights and cities from AAA. In addition, I brought along a couple of country guides from Lonely Planet, for countries I planned on staying longer. As a backpacker, all these extra books and guides became very annoying. Flipping through the LP Discover Europe, I feel in addition to a smartphone equipped with GPS and WiFi, this book is all one needs. The book is concise, colorful, easy to read and informative on a busy schedule.

Excuse me; are Poland, Romania, and Portugal in Europe? But they are not in the book!

This book does not equally cover European countries. For example, United Kingdom and small country like The Netherland are excessively discussed. The sample itinerary of Amsterdam and surrounding cities are 11 days, but for Munich and South Germany, it recommends 3 days. There are many things to do and see in Germany. Three days are not sufficient.

Update:

I change the rate from 1 to 2 stars because it covers Turkey.

This is a good starting point. It gives you great information on the logistics of where to go...when...how...etc... but, this not like a city tourism book. You will need to purchase a small city supplement book to learn more about the history and significance of the locations that you visit. Which worked out well for us. We could choose to purchase books and information on places we were most interested in, and chose not to purchase when we were less interested :-)

Imagine a travel guidebook to the planet -- how huge it would be and, by necessity, how broad and superficial its coverage would be. Then take about half of the European portion of it (sixteen countries from Ireland to Turkey) and you have a good idea of this 800-page book.

It opens with Europe's top attractions and some suggestions for themed itineraries (e.g. a sampling of cities; or of countrysides; or of libations). Then each country is similarly explored: highlights and suggested itineraries; practical information; and limited coverage of regions/cities -- mostly iconic attractions and entertainment, less about restaurants and shopping, very little about lodging. Maps and color photographs accent the text, which is already very busy with headings in so many fonts and colors that it's hard to tell where sections begin and end. My favorite feature is the Get Inspired page for each country, with its suggestions for getting acquainted with the popular culture through published fiction and nonfiction, film, music and websites/blogs.

But I prefer much more context (history, commentary) and depth (off the beaten path) in a travel guide, so this one left me unsatisfied. Even when the text did delve, it often came up unfinished, for example this from a section about Turkey's Dangers and Annoyances: "Probably most important, however, you should be aware of the long-standing scam involving men, bars and women." But then there's nothing more. What scam?? -- is it a general caution against being picked up in bars or something else entirely?

Recommended only for travelers who are 1) planning an extended trip through much of Europe AND 2) desire just a veneer of travel guidance.

Lonely Planet's "Discover Europe" is mainly mainly useful for those who have never traveled to Europe, with each chapter providing only a brief summary of recommended places to visit. Each chapter is devoted to a region: Britain & Ireland; France; Spain; Italy; the Netherlands & Belgium; Germany, Austria & Switzerland; Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary; Croatia; Greece; Turkey. Each chapter is color coded, which is a helpful tool, but the maps are small & of limited value. There are some interesting side notes aimed at travellers who have only 2 days in a certain city or country.

"Discover Europe" will not be useful to the seasoned traveller, and, personally, I feel that even those just beginning their travels would benefit from a more in depth book.

How can the authors of LONELY PLANET DISCOVER EUROPE provide a comprehensive travel guide for sixteen countries complete with illustrations in just a little over 800 pages? Well the answer is they can't but this attractive book is still a nice overview of some of Europe's most popular destinations appropriate for both the armchair traveler and the serious potential tourist who is just beginning to plan a dream trip. The sixteen countries specifically discussed are Britain (including Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales as well as England), Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Greece and Turkey. Note no Scandanavian, Polish or Russian information is included. The book does include an index, maps and quite a few color pictures. A nice reference book but anyone would need a lot more information to plan a full and successful trip to Europe.

Planning a trip to Europe but not quite sure where to go or what to see? This guide is a good place to start when planning your trip. It gathers many of the Western European and a few Eastern European and Mediterranean nations into a single guide.

The guide is loaded with color pictures and maps with summaries of many of the most popular sites and attractions, including the pertinent details such as hours, price, contact information and a brief summary of the attraction - just what you would expect from such a guide. However, given that it covers 10+ nations, the reader should not expect the real depth that you might get in a single nation guide.

I can see using this guide to get started on a European trip plan, but would not rely solely on it for any detailed plans. It should also be noted that Luxembourg and Portugal are notably absent among the nations presented. P-)