Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet New York, New Jersey and Pennsyvania (Serial)

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

 

 

Of all the guidebooks I've read, I've found this guide to be the most helpful, well setout, motivating book yet. I've been in New York for 1 month now and I have found the book invaluable. I especially like the sections on transport. It offers choices not just a statement of what you need to do. Also, the way the attractions are all logically set out by areas is helpful in trying to plan your days and getting the most out of them. I will be in New york for the next 11 months and I'm sure I will continue to use my 'bible of New York' till I leave. Well done Lonely planet

I was impressed with Lonely Planet's guide to Texas, so I bought this one for a trip to Pennsylvania. It covers the major stuff --- Philly, Pittsburgh, Gettysburg, Hershey, Lancaster --- but doesn't have much more than these major areas. I got ahold of the Moon Handbook for Pennsylvania and was...impressed. It guided me to places I never knew existed: Covered bridges dotting southwestern Pennsylvania, non-tourist infested Amish communities in central and western PA, winieries in North East, and the hiking paradise that I found in the Black Forest area. However, LP did a good job at the places it did cover, and I used it to select accomodations. Guess I justed wanted something a little more in-depth.

I like the information included in this book, but for a such a big, historic state it seems that 300 pages is not enough. The section on New York City is pretty good and the suggestions thoughout the state turned out well. I wanted more information about upstate. The history section doesn't mention the war of 1812 that played an important part in the state.

What a wonderful tool this little book is. This LP guide to the midatlantic states provides information that both a foreign tourist coming to the area for the first time and a local searching for a new experience will find useful. In addition to being chock full of information the text is illuminating and humorous reading as well.

Lonely Planet New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, is a great book to have if you intend to visit all three states. There information is second to none, except New York City (buy Lonely Planet's New York City Guide). The entire Pennsylvania chapter is excellent also, and the guides to specific places like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Lake Erie region is first rate! The only problem is that they skipped Meadville, PA, which is a excellent place between Erie and Titusville, and is near places like Conneaut Lake and Pymantuning.

We took our sons to NYC over their spring break, and we all loved this book. The kids read the introduction parts before we left, and one quoted from the book when we saw our first panhandler. We went to most of the places the book described, and felt we got so much more out of what we were seeing since we already knew something about each place. I especially appreciated the warning about the $20 mac and cheese, the deli speak glossary, the NYC character advice -they're not rude just absorbed-, and too many other tidbits of information to list. Very useful and a good read as well.