Lonely Planet New England Trips (Lonely Planet Regional Guide)

The Lonely Planet series of travel guides takes a different approach to the itineraries it includes in its books. While this approach may not appeal to all, I find it refreshing and the book made me enjoy the process of choosing an itinerary for an upcoming trip to New England. What I really enjoy about this book is the personal anecdotes the authors inject into the trip commentary. The text is written in a very entertaining yet informative way that I like a great deal. The trips themselves are grouped into different "themes" and actually the same trip can be found in any of several possible different classifications. For instance, Trip 1 is the Coastal New England trip. This is classified in several areas...Trips by Season, Trips by Theme (Route), and Iconic Trips. Depending on what type of trip you are seeking, that particular trip might show up in several areas. I like that because depending on what type of trip you are looking to take, the most appropriate trips are shown. This is a conveniently sized book easy to shove in the glove box or just to keep handy anywhere. There are maps, not particularly helpful maps, interspersed throughout the book, but you'd definitely want a better set of maps once you begin your travels to supplement what's in the book. Overall I found this book highly entertaining and informative. It made planning our upcoming trip an enjoyable experience and I give high marks for the manner in which it was written and the unique approach it takes. 5 stars.

This book includes Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. It has 53 themed Itineraries and 1012 local places to see. The trips are planned for you and tells how many hours it takes for each one and where to stay, where to eat, and the most interesting things to see on that trip. For instance, if you like lighthouses there is a trip called 60 lighthouses in 60 hours. You cover a distance of 375 miles and start in Kittery (just over border from New Hampshire) and end up in Calais. There is footnotes of interest too; like on this one it says that only a few man made things can be seen from space but evidently Nubble Lighthouse in York can be seen. If you are into architecture, there is a trip that includes Cape Cod and Nantucket. It takes 3 days and covers 150 miles and starts in Sandwich and ends in Truro. There are Food Trips, Fall Foliage tours, coastal trips, Book Hunting in Pioneer Valley, Cape Ann Curiosities, trips to offbeat Vermont, arts and galleries, hiking trips....all kinds of trips for whatever your interest might be. A really interesting tour book! Easy to read and great to plan by.

When this one came up, it certainly struck me as an interesting choice -- I am a New Englander, but I've not seen as much of the area as I'd like. That said, I have to put in a good word for this based just on the areas it covers that I know. As the title shows, this isn't just a travel reference, but a book of itineraries, some fairly short, some rather long and even a little scattershot. Some are themed (food trips, bookstore crawling in central Massachusetts), some are geographic sightseeing tours. All are meant to be self-guided -- you don't buy a Lonely Planet book when you're expecting to be on and off a bus. The book is pervaded with a gentle informality, even going so far as to provide suggested music mixes for each trip, and each chapter is summed up with things to do, places to eat, and sights to see. There isn't a whole lot to say about travel books; either they're good or they're bad. This is definitely a good one.

I really enjoy books like this. I've been to some of the places in this volume. I've enjoyed my trips to New England a great deal, and this book will enhance future visits. Some examples. . . . I once had the pleasure of climbing Mount Washington in New Hampshire. To get there, a friend and I traveled much of the route selected here--although in reverse order. The Kancamagus Parkway was a delight, featuring great scenery. As I recall, we had a late lunch in Conway, then camped just a short distance away from Mount Washington. A wonderful short trip, and the description here would be a nice guide for any future trip to the Mount Washington area. Another vacation had its center in Burlington, Vermont, a delightful city. The description of a tour of the city here suggests that quite a bit has changed since then! But that whets my appetite for a return visit, with the guide to steer things to see and places to go. As I look at the front of the book, it looks like there are about 49 separate trips described. Boston, of course, features a number of trips, as there is a lot to see there. From Connecticut to Maine, from Rhode Island to Vermont. . . . This is a little treasure of a tour guide. If you're interested in a trip to New England, this would be a welcome resource.

One glance, that is all it took and I fell in love. This New England Trips by Lonely Planet could be the best travel book I have read. I devoured this book. I live in New England and I thought I knew most everything there was to know about traveling in my favorite states. But Ohhh Nooooo, was I ever wrong. I can't wait to plan and follow one of these delectable trips. The book is separated by the most marvelous themes and titles. 1. Iconic Trips (what a treat) Must do trips that represent the region. Trips that follow a well known route, with insider detail. Trips to diners, wineries, breweries, dairy farms and seafood shacks. National Park drives, coastal hikes, and bike trips. Trips to historic towns, museums, and more. Trips that contain the kitsch, haunted, creepy or bizarre. Trips for urbanites. Trips up to an hour away from a hub city. 2. Best Trips Trips starred with the Best Trip icons are the hand downs favorite. 3. Trips separated by states Massachusetts Cape Cod Area Rhode Island Trips Connecticut Trips Vermont Trips News Hampshire Trips Maine Trips 4. Trips by Theme Routes Food and Drink Outdoors History and Culture Offbeat] Cities 5. Trips By Season 6. Expert Recommended Trips Each trip is detailed with a map, the places you can't go because they are a figment of someone's imagination. Detours, Getting there, eat and drink, sleep and useful websites. Regional music play lists are also provided. Family friendly and pet friendly listings are given. There is even a Green Index giving the areas environmentally friendly options. The Ivy League Secrets and Superstitions trip is the Best Iconic Recommendation. The book explains the tours of each Ivy League school, where to eat, sleep and useful websites. And, then there are links to your trip- art galleries,cities and fun places to see. There are 352 pages in this marvelous book. I am planning a trip on Raid Riding in the Cape Cod Area and Book Hunting in the Pioneer Valley- the state's best second hand bookstores are pointed out near the Connecticut River. The Maine Lobster Tour looks sensational and delicious! This is one of the most comprehensive travel books I have read. It is fun and surprising;. The book cover is a beautiful scene of an idyllic farm in the countryside, in the fall. The leaves are red and orange and full of vim and vigor. I can hardly wait to begin my trips! Highly Recommended. prisrob 04-22-09 The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World