Fodor's New England [With Map]

I took this 28th Edition with me on my August 10-day tour through Boston, New Hampshire & Maine. I also had with me: Frommer'sVermont, New Hampshire and Maine, However, hands down, Fodor's is the better of the two. Do note, that both Fodor's and Frommer's target those who have some jingle in their pockets. Thus, if you are a student/backpacker/struggling worker/stock trader who specialized in Bear Stearns, you might want to consider getting Lonely Planet 2008. In Fodor's you will find very few restaurants (under $20) and fewer accommodations (under $80). This guide starts out with Boston, the jewel of New England's cities. There is an ample seventy plus pages to get you around this great city. As the guide states, "bring your walking shoes," for much of Boston exists to be explored by foot. Throughout Fodor's when you see a "Fodor's Choice" next to a restaurant, hotel or site, do yourself a favor and take time to imbibe. I found Fodor's recommendations in New Hampshire and Maine to be "right on" and the writing was as informative as it was engaging. Where this guide falters is with its maps (or lack of). There are no city maps for many of the most important cities. In fact outside of the four cities of Boston, Concord, Providence, Newport and Portland, there are no other city maps. This means you are on your own, and most of the time it is not easy find where the restaurants, hotels and sites are. It baffles me why would a quality guide skimp on something as important as maps? Duh. Wait, the worse blunder is the total absence of anything that can help you understand the culture, customs, the people and politics of New England. AND, there is NO mention of history! I mean, New England does have a serious history, right Fodor's? I mean, does the birthplace of the nation ring a bell? Wow this could have been a five star guide if they (editors/writer) coulda/woulda done it right. But, even with these significant shortcomings Fodor's still is a useful and reliable guide. Strongly recommended

Fodor's "New England" travel guide is an excellent introduction to a diverse region offering historical attractions, great scenary, and multiple recreational opportunities. All too many folks know no more of the Northeast than can seen from the I-95 corridor. In fact, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine have hundreds of years of history and a vibrant present to show visitors. Fodor's surveys each state, covering the major regions, noting scenic routes, sites of tourist interest, recreational opportunities, and suggestions for accomodations and dining. Skiing in Vermont, hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, historical Old Boston, and the beautiful coastlines of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine get their due emphasis. Fodor's provides a variety of maps, including diagrams of the downtown areas of some of the major cities and a detachable driving map. Insets highlight items of local history or interest. Commentary on travel to and within New England, along with brief weather and safery considerations, is included. Fodor's eschews pictures in favor of more data; those looking for photographs for a sense of scale must look elsewhere. Inevitably, a survey-level guide for a large area must skim the surface; readers needing more information about a particular area or location can consult the listed web-sites or refer to other publications. This book is highly recommended to tourists planning their first vacation the New England region.

My wife and I travelled to New England this summer and this book was very helpful. We had planned on taking day trips to various areas and we found ourselves referring to the book quite often at the beginning of the day for things to do and see that might not be typical tourist locations. A couple of the restaurant selections were not very good and the maps of downtown Boston could be a little more detailed, but overall the book was an excellent guide.

This book is trully an angel in disguise. We visited some family in New England this spring, and we were a little unsure of the activities in New England. This little book showed us the in and outs, gave great places to stay, food choices, and the "must sees" of New England. We bought a couple other guide books, to be safe. We found this one dog-eared and very used by the end of our trip. I give this book 5 stars for sure.