Lonely Planet Europe On A Shoestring [Paperback]

Sarah Johnstone (Author), China Williams (Author), Reuben Acciano (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2005

A very comprehensive guide to Europe, covering 43 countries. Features an easy-to-use language chapter for 29 languages.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Europe is a chameleon; its colours change rapidly. One day you can be on the cobbled streets of a medieval city, the next atop a snowcapped peak. Nowhere else greets you with such a swift succession of different languages and menu changes. With more than 30 national cultures on a modest landmass, Europe frequently dazzles even Europeans.

Dubbed a living museum for the way its past and present coexist, this wealthy continent offers the charms of quaint Amsterdam and Prague alongside the buzz of modern metropolises such as Berlin and London. Postmodern buildings such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao have quickly taken a place beside Barcelona's still unfinished Sagrada Familia and older architectural icons like the ancient Parthenon.

Europe's appeal lies not just in an influential, often bloody past and a largely peaceful present, but also in its mix of culture and nature. Botticelli and Picasso masterpieces aren't far from the countryside or popular beaches. You can follow the footsteps of characters you read about in textbooks or blaze your own trail in the Alps. Whether you dream of experiencing the romance of Paris, absorbing the chaos of Istanbul or downing a few beers in Belgium, this multifaceted continent can satisfy your tastes.

Just as the EU has expanded east, so too has the traveller's itinerary and many formerly communist countries - even those outside of the EU - have been more open to tourism. The new colours that these destinations reveal, show how diverse the European cultural palette is, but for budget travellers there's a bonus. While Europe usually requires a longer, thicker shoestring than elsewhere, many of these recent hot locations are among the continent's cheapest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1324 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 4th edition (February 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740597796
• ISBN-13: 978-1740597791
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #863,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No guidebook is perfect..., December 19, 2005

By 

Julia Webber "nerd" (South Bohemia, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Europe On A Shoestring (Paperback)

... but I find the Lonely Planet guides to be better than most. Obviously this book covers a very large area, so it goes for breadth rather than depth. If you want to explore a country outside the major cities, get a local guide. This book contains a good amount of details about major Western countries- specifically Britain, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. If you are planning on travelling through the Balkans, Eastern Central Europe, the Baltics or Scandinavia, you should know that this guide only provides information about the major cities and tourist centers, and will not guide you away from the beaten path. Also, be aware that the book does not include Belarus or the Ukraine.

Lonely Planet provides excellent maps, directions to attractions, and instructions for using the local transport (very useful), along with a language guide. Their advice regarding where to go and what to see, along with what to stay away from, is usually quite good.

The main problem with this book is price inaccuracies. Naturally, prices change, so it is to be expected that the restaraunt, hotel and attraction prices cited in the guide may not be entirely accurate, but a person should be able to take it as truth when a guide says that ________ is the cheapest place to get food/accomodation/internet access... Lonely Planet misses a lot of budget traveler's gems and focuses mainly on expensive things in city centers. If you take the metro/bus/whatever a few stops away from the center in most of these towns, you can find hostels/restaraunts/internet cafes which are much cheaper than those listed in the book. It's worth the 10 extra minutes of travel time if you truly need to travel "on a shoestring."

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview, September 6, 2005

By 

Carolyn Howarter (germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Europe On A Shoestring (Paperback)

This book is really great for young people seeing Europe on a tight budget, as the title suggests. It is also suitable for families as it gives hotel and camping options in addition to hostels. One of my favorite aspects of it are the quick tips, which are very useful, and the mini history lessons for each country. The book also includes how to say basic words (hello, goodbye, please, thank you) in each language as well as a little phrase book in the back. The book is incredibly helpful in planning trips because it also gives a suggested daily budget and whether or not a visa is needed to enter a country.

However, since it highlights so many countries, it is not ideal if you are staying mostly in one country. None of the sections go very in depth on the small towns in each country. For most travellers, that is not a problem. If you are staying in a country for a semester or a year though, you might want to also buy a book specific to where you are.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief, accurate and useful, April 20, 2005

By 

Daniel Grace (Greece) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Europe On A Shoestring (Paperback)

This is the most useful guide for budget travel in Europe. As it covers all of Europe in one book it is quite brief but every little bit written inside is useful. I would recommend this guide to anyone travelling to more than a couple countries in Europe. If you only plan to travel to one or two countries then buying a country specific guide is a better idea. But for longer trips this is the one.