Let’s Go: Europe 2001 (Let's Go)

Member Name: Marechal_Ney

Product:	Let's Go
Date:	30/08/01 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very comprehensive, largely accurate, informative

Disadvantages: Not overly portable, the central tenet of “budget travel” is not adhered to in all sections, significantly more useful for Americans

It was a close call, but in the end, my two would-be traveling companions and I chose the Let’s Go guide to Europe over Lonely Planet, its long-time competitor. This decision was reached because the former appeared to be marginally more comprehensive - it had, for instance, a whole section devoted to Liechtenstein, one of our chosen destinations (though in hindsight, quite misguidedly selected). Let’s Go is, of course, well known as an American-centric guidebook, which is why many may opt instead for Lonely Planet.

“Let’s Go: Europe 2001” covers every single country in Europe, including Russia and former Soviet satellites, which of course means that buying the £15 almanac is only worth it if one plans to visit more than a mere handful of European countries, or if the target countries happen to be covered in different regional Let’s Go guidebooks (e.g. one being classed in “Western Europe”, and another one being either Austria or Switzerland) – in which case purchasing two regional guidebooks might prove more expensive than a single, more universal reference material.

“Let’s Go: Europe” proved to be at least as comprehensive as it had first seemed. In addition to providing general information, maps, and provisional exchange rates for each country, detailed information on accommodation, transportation, sights, restaurants, nightlife etc. in major cities is also presented. Such information is for the most part accurate, and was easily detailed enough for the purposes of our European tour, since we never stayed more than three days in any one location.

Extra features, including a surprisingly comprehensive history of Europe, and rather dubious travel tips, appear to be principally aimed at American travelers. I was not nearly as bemused with this as many might have assumed. If anything, this superfluous advice (most of which is wisely concentrated in an introductory
section) was quite amusing – consider one particular pearl of wisdom instructing the traveler to wear “an Adidas shirt” and “tight jeans” in order to “fit in” as a European!

The volume was at its most useful pertaining to accommodation. Accommodation details were highly accurate, and were indispensable when phoning ahead to reserve places at hotels or youth hostels. City sights are also well described, complete with entry prices and opening times.

Information on restaurants, on the other hand, is often sketchy and inaccurate. One restaurant, that the book claimed was “open 24 hours”, cost us a long walk across Budapest, before we finally discovered that it was undeniably shut. Worse still, the key concept of Let’s Go Europe, “budget travel”, is often ignored in this information category. Establishments are often recommended which barely exceed mediocre status (and are not particularly cheap either), while better, more affordable, and even more prominent eateries are left in the cold. This might have much to do with connections between the staff and the restaurants in question, or with shameless (unprofessional) preferences of individual travel correspondents. In the end, I found out that true, worthwhile budget restaurants are distinguishable through key descriptors like “massive portions” and “first courses for a mere pittance”. In other words, do not expect miracles if the establishment is not unambiguously praised in its description.

The volume’s comprehensiveness unfortunately means that it is bulky and annoying to carry around. This inconvenience, coupled with the guide’s size and visibility, will also nullify any efforts on your part (inspired, perhaps, by the volume’s own categorically-stated advice) to not be immediately identifiable as a tourist.

In the end, though, “Let’s Go: EuropeR
21; was more than adequate for our one month of travel around the continent, and was a great help to our actually seeing as much as we possibly could. Deficiencies in its writing style, and problems with its excessively American tone (complaints frequently brought up by critics) almost entirely passed me by. After all, when it comes down to it, I understandably view such a guidebook as more an encyclopedia than a work of literature – and in such a case, content is infinitely more important than style or method of delivery.

Summary: