Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Iceland

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Prior to my latest trip to Iceland I purchased a vast array of travel guides: The Rough Guide to Iceland; Insight Guides Iceland; Globetrotter Travel Guide; and Travellers Iceland (Thomas Cook). All of these titles are good and each provided some unique insights. However, when it was time to head to Iceland, and luggage space was at a premium, the only book I took with me was Lonely Planet Iceland. Quite frankly, I can't think of any other praise that would convey so much. Minimal b.s. and concise descriptions, this is as good as it gets. Essential. Highly recommended.

We've been waiting for 1.5 months for this book to arrive. Despite delayed publication it arrived yesterday - 5 days before we leave for a month-long trip to Iceland and Greenland. To keep others from being equally misled by Amazon's sub-title "Lonely Planet Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands") I'm writing to notify all that this book has a combined total of TWO (count 'em!) pages on Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. This is solely an ICELAND guide book (and probably a very good one). Amazon needs to remove reference to Greenland and the Faeroes in the title as this is very misleading. Lonely Planet has a 2004 edition on "Greenland and the Arctic" which we will be forced to rely on, despite its dated information, for the Greenland segment of our trip.

We just returned from a family vacation to Iceland (July 2007) and this was easily the best guide book out there. Very current (no other guide was nearly as up to date), fairly comprehensive and quite spot-on in its observations, it was truly indispensable at times.

The book was helpful as a reference, but lacked in the type of photography I have enjoyed in other LP guides. As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words- I find pictures are helpful for me to identify the must-see places whether they are the most popular or not. I thought the book was a great reference but it didn't necessarily help me plan my trip. I'd seek out a book with more pictures, or search blogs to pair with the information in this guide.

Having been to Iceland several times, and having tried out multiple guides, I think this one is easily the best all-around book. It's certainly a lot better than the 2007 Rough Guide, which just lifted everything from the 2004 edition with very few updates. Yes, it's a small country, but things do change.

The maps are good, the recommendations provide as much variety as possible, and the historical/cultural information that LP guides always provide are interesting. My only complaint about the book is that the authors' enthusiasm for Iceland occasionally spills over into gushing about the wonderfulness of it all. I happen to agree, but I prefer more unbiased reviews.

I picked up a few books to plan my trip to Iceland but this was the one that made it into the bag. I referred to it constantly and found the information to be dead-on. It was also handy that Lonely Planet used the Icelandic letters for street and place names, e.g. Þorsgata instead of Thorsgata.

My family and I have visited Iceland 4 times, and the Lonely Planet guide has turned out to be 100% accurate. If you're an independent traveler looking to avoid the touristy spots,shop and eat like a local, the fish coffee and desserts are the best, , and enjoy the less publicized and commercialized places- this book is for you.

Excellent guide; well written easy to use, not BULKY. My trip was cancelled this year but plan to create my itineray based on information in the guide. Particular points that I enjoyed are the historical background section, business practices and hours, language, culture and environment. It is concise but not overwhelming.

This is a fabulous book. I can't believe the amount of detail in it and the honesty. It was the only book we needed and it really enhanced our whole trip. No matter where I go I will always get the Lonely Planet guide to the place I'm visiting.

I like Lonely Planet Guides for their thorough and helpful details. But I have always found them lacking in the pictures that I personally want to have when planning any trip. So,I purchased this book in conjunction with the Insight Compact Guide to Iceland.