Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring [Paperback]

Scott McNeely (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Series: Europe on a Shoestring | Publication Date: March 1999

Includes more European countries than any other guidebook, plus chapters on Morocco and Turkey. The guide includes loads of tips and advice for first-time college-age travellers, plenty of accommodation and restaurant options, recommendations for getting off-the-beaten-track, and transportation information.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For years, Lonely Planet resisted pressure to cram the whole of Europe into a single guide. To the delight of backpackers everywhere, they've finally given in--with a vengeance. The first edition of Europe on a Shoestring packs 40 countries into 1,200 pages, while still finding room to brief you on all the aspects of pretrip preparation, from packing right to finding the best airfares.

Of course, given Lonely Planet's youthful irreverence, you shouldn't expect your grandfather's Europe. Coverage of traditional favorites like England is trimmed to make room for pocketbook-friendly destinations in Turkey, Morocco, and the Baltic states. The Eastern Europe coverage journeys beyond the tourist-thronged streets of Prague to lesser-known gems like Riga and Vilnius. Lonely Planet even covers the former Yugoslavia, as it slowly begins to emerge from its days as a war-torn no man's land. No matter where you are, the guide points out regional highlights to help you sift through its wealth of information.

As the name implies, Europe on a shoestring focuses on "budget" travel. Fear not--you needn't resign yourself to meals of bread and water and endless nights on the floor of a seedy flophouse. The 30-odd book contributors believe it's possible to travel cheaply without sacrificing style, comfort, and safety. Though the accommodations sections focus on hostels, there are enough bed-and-breakfasts and guesthouses to keep you a safe distance from rowdy spring breakers, if you so desire. Similarly, the entertainment sections offer everything from pubs packed with rowdy Australian backpackers to the finest theater, opera, and ballet in the world.

If you want to take on only a part of the continent, you're still better off with a less comprehensive guide. But if you're interested in exploring St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Petersburg's Hermitage, and everything in between, this book gives you all you need to see Europe on your own terms. --Andrew Nieland

Product Details

• Paperback: 1252 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864426488
• ISBN-13: 978-0864426482
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,450,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good compromise, April 25, 2000

By 

"matt_garrett" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring (Paperback)

My sister and I have almost worn out our copy of Europe on a Shoestring over the past couple of years, and it has been invaluable. Lonely Planet only publishes travel-related books and this experience shows in the class, presentation and accuracy of their guides. If you are looking for a travel guide to Europe with a good balance of detail and portability, LP's Europe on a Shoestring will serve you well.

Positives: As well as a good, clear layout, good maps and an easy to use index, I like the fact that LP also gives you a lot of background information about each country or region. Whereas "Let's Go" will often just give you a line or two (or even worse, a joke) about each country, LP's summaries are accurate and of great interest (and invaluable for passing the time on those long train rides!). Also, if you are aiming to stick to a budget, the many tips for saving money scattered throughout the guide will definitely help you get there.

Negatives: Obviously, there are compromises in compiling such a broad volume: anyone looking for masses of detail about a certain country or planning to spend more than about a week in one region should check out LP's guidebooks to each country instead. Also, with the rapid pace of change in Europe, especially in the East, expect to find that some things have changed since this volume was published (something the editors anticipate in their introduction).

Anyone travelling for shorter periods in Europe will find this book a refreshing and valuable travel companion: it is almost certainly the best book of its size and one which will help you to get the maximum out of your travels in Europe.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars essential for the backpacker, May 2, 2000

By 

GD (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring (Paperback)

I absolutely lived by this book as my travelmate and I backpacked across Europe during the summer of 1999. Lonely Planet did an excellent job of highlighting the best things to see and do throughout Europe, as well as giving good advice about things that are not worth seeing and doing. I found the information to be nearly 100% accurate including maps, directions, telephone numbers, addresses, and prices. In addition, the book gave useful travel tips including cultural practices, hazardous areas, directions on how to use the public phones, how to buy subway tickets, etc. Honestly, I don't know how I would have made it through Europe without this book - it is truly an essential for the backpacker!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars if you buy only one guide book.. this is it!, November 25, 2000

By 

Kat G "kattty" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring (Paperback)

I spent my junior year (1999-2000) in France, and did a fairly extensive amount of traveling in Europe. I would say about nine countries. This book was a GODSEND in each one. Not only is it incredibly accurate in telling you what to expect from each place, how much things cost, etc... it also includes lots of well done maps and an EXTREMELY helpeful language guide in the back. Also it helped me navigate things that would probably never occur to most of us, such as how to get to the airport in Venice (water taxi) or the "correct", local time to eat dinner in Spain (between 8-11pm). Also, this book was a great help with predicting what a lot of restaurants, tourist attractions and nightspots are worth hitting up and which ones are not worth the time/trouble/money involved in going to them. These kids staying across the hall from us at a hostel in Paris lent us "The Rough Guide" which unfortunately, gave a three year old description of a club and its now defunct address, which resulted in about 20 american kids wandering the streets of Paris at wee hours of the morning. Never again did I leave the comforts of Toulouse without my Lonely Planet guide. It also has pretty good descriptions of the attractions in each place, however, the eyewitness books are a little more detailed if you want much more specific information and lots of pictures. As much as it pained me, I left it in France for the next group of students to read since it helped me so much. If you are looking to travel around Europe, with some kind of financial restrictions, and want the best travel book for your money, this is DEFINITELY it.