Customer Reviews

The Rough Guide First-Time Europe 8 (Rough Guides)

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

 

 

Although this book is aimed at backpackers planning to spend 1-3+ months in Europe, it applies to low-budget backpackers on shorter trips as well. The book is divided into two main sections: the first section (about 2/3 of the book) is the information you'd use for planning, the second is a snapshot of 20-30 individual European countries with highlights and facts for each. There aren't more than a few pages per country, so plan to buy country- or region-specific guide books in addition.

I am planning a 10-day trip to Italy and I found the packing, transportation, and pricing information most helpful. The book has comparison charts of the costs of hotels and food in each country, which help you figure out where (in what countries) your money will go the furthest and help you calculate a realistic budget. It also has a whole chapter devoted to packing, with suggestions on what to take (and what to leave behind!) and a sample packing list.

This isn't a book you would take on your trip, but I think it is an invaluable resource before/while planning a trip. I'm just planning my flight and figuring out the rest of my agenda on my own, and this really helped give me an idea of what to expect.

When my college-age sister declared she wanted to backpack Europe but, "it just seems so big," this is the first place I turned. In the introduction, the author tells you that this book is based on his personal experience, that it is aimed towards budget traveling, and that it was never intended to be a comprehensive guidebook. Use this to get a rough game plan and supplement it with other more detailed Rough Guides on specific personal areas of interest. The full-color, glossy "20 Reasons to Visit Europe" in the Introduction will give anyone more than enough ideas for exploring the continent.

The guide open with invaluable advice about prioritizing your itinerary, the importantance of flexibility in your itinerary, and a reality-check on how long it takes to visit and travel to the hot spots. His budget chapter is not to be missed, along with the finance info scattered throughout the book. Unlike many other authors, the author doesn't use the cop out of saying "prices change and I'd hate to quote you wrong, so I'm going to be intentionally vague." He doesn't quote prices for specific locations, but he lets you know that an insanely cheap hostel is $6, while the most expensive he's seen is $28. This gives the novice travel a reference point to do a reality check on any price a vendor quotes them. He provides realistic, economic, and rock-bottom overall itemized trip budgets up front, so the reader can decide how to scale their travels and expectations.

Other topics covered include a detailed packing list (don't wear brand new shoes!), transportation info to Europe and once inside, accommodations, communications, medical information, safety information, and references to tourist bureaus, airlines, insurance providers, and online resources. The text is supplemented by CasaBianca's own personal narratives and examples of tourists who made mistakes.

One of my favorite sections reads as follows [p. 39]: "You WILL go to and eat at a McDonald's when you are in Europe. If you are an American, yes, I know that you wouldn't be caught dead in one in the States. Yes, I know that you are going to Europe to experience authentic foreign culture, not transplanted American food. Why [will you go]? The bathrooms will be the initial lure. Semi-clean, free, convenient bathrooms with guaranteed toilet paper will be few and far between in some cities. Once you have crossed the threshold...the battle is all but lost...Smells pretty good, and I can get something familiar, in a hurry, and it's not too expensive....' The Golden Arches will triumph in the end."

This book is aimed very much at budget travelers looking to spend a long time wandering around Europe (i.e., students on summer vacation, people who can take 6-12 months off work). It is fine as a general primer, although much of the specific advice you can pick up through country-specific guidebooks or google searches. If you are thinking about heading to Europe next summer (for the whole summer), and want a book to help you to start thinking early about the process, then this is a good starter, especially if you're thinking about trying to find a way to pay for your vacation while you're actually in the middle of it (lots of suggestions on how to find work). There is a modicum of surprising and fresh advice in the book - it strongly discourages traveling with others; it tends to find that the disadvantages of being tied to someone else outweigh the advantages - and the best advice in the book for budget travelers I think is that it stresses that bargain-hunting shouldn't be the raison d'etre for your vacation - so don't let penny-pinching quash your fun. On the other hand, if you are looking to travel to Europe for just two weeks (because, despite the book's fantasizing, your boss actually wants you to come back when you've used up your vacation days if you want to avoid being fired), you want to know more specific info about sights, or if you don't think staying in a 2 or 3-star hotel is the height of luxury travel, then maybe stick with the guidebooks for your specific countries (or a Europe guidebook more focused on countries, not basic logistics). This book really only features a few pages truly useful for the latter class of traveler, and you can probably get all of it from country/regional guidebooks, the internet, and conversations with friends.

... definitely a great one to start with. The Rough Guide to First-time Europe tells you all the things you need to know about travelling in Europe, before you get there and make the mistakes you don't want to. It has excellent ideas about packing, sample itineraries, and how to avoid cultural faux pas' in most places.

It does have recommendations about what to see in various places, but it isn't necessarily a book to take with you, especially if backpacking!

The guy below makes an excellent point- This book was not for him. This book is all about backpacking. I personally found all the material to be incredibly useful in planning and surviving for 3 months backpacking. I even read edition 5 before I left (less geared for backpackers). I highly recommend this book for all first time BACKPACKERS!

This is a terrific book - I was a bit hesitant at first but since I got it I haven't been able to put it down. Not only is it honest and informative but it doesn't include all the complicated where to go, what to see info you usually find in normal guide books. This book tells you as it is! Definitely a big help as it is my first time to Europe and I really didn't have any idea what to expect except for what people have told me. Must buy on top your Lonely Planets/Eyewitness Travel books.

I've personally been to Europe now for a few short trips, and always with experienced Europe hoofers. I purchased this book because I'm planning my first solo extended visit. I found that the advice section is reasonably short, very readable, and full of useful information, some of which I did *not* find in other Europe guidebooks. As other reviewers noted, you can find most of this info in other places, but it is really nice to have it all in one book. It focuses on the traveler's planning and outlook more than specific destinations, which I personally think is a wise approach. Here are a few specific tips they give that I haven't seen in every other guidebook: Not the usual and painfully obvious "check the State Department and CDC websites about the countries you want to visit"; instead, it advises that the US State Department can be a bit overcautious and suggests to check with the UK and Aussie equivalents. Yes, you really do want travel insurance (and don't cheap out on it and possibly bankrupt your family if you have a serious accident over there). Bring earplugs, but leave your dress shoes at home. Bring too little and buy whatever else you need on the road--they do have stores over there. Take pictures of whatever you do bring, and photocopy your papers, then leave the pix and copies with a friend or relative; don't take them with you--they can FedEx them over to the nearest embassy if you need them. Good stuff overall in a reasonably sized book.

This is a great book for planning your trip. There's tons of great information in here. The second half of the book has profiles of European countries that are really great for a quick idea of everything from climate to costs including languages, things to see, transportation, and the best and worst times to go. All of the tips in this book will help travelers make the most of their time abroad. While the book is definitely aimed towards backpackers, much of the information provided would be useful for anyone going to Europe. Don't think you can't get anything out of it if you're not spending three months backpacking through half the continent.

This is a great book... Gives you o many helpful hint an things to do from teh time you 'think' of a trip to Europe. Everything from what to wear, what to take an what not to take from how to start saving for the trip an money saving tips.

i.e. I never realise that carrying a denim jeans would add weight as well as takes two days to wash and dry while you are on the move while simple cotton trousers would be more easy when you travel in the summer.

If you've never been to Europe before and are looking for an easy starting place to plan a trip, The Rough Guide First-Time Europe is the item of choice: it's a pre-trip guide for destination-bound visitors and covers everything from planning an itinerary and budgeting and packing to traveling the continent. General tips blend with country profiles throughout, maps to help plan, and insights on European history and culture, making this a top recommendation any general library with a strong travel section will want.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch