The Rough Guide to Europe 2002

I used the Rough Guide Europe as my guidebook for a three-month trip through twelve countries. There are seven advantages the Rough Guide has over its competitors: 1) The breadth of coverage -- 32 countries with info on tons of cities and towns, reviews/descriptions of the sights, and options for hiking, cycling, paragliding, and other adventurous pursuits. 2) Thorough listings and reviews for accommodation (hostels primarily, but also hotels and B & Bs), eating, drinking, and nightlife. 3) It's small and weighs next-to nothing. 4) The intuitive, aesthetically-pleasing, user-friendly layout makes it easy to find what you're looking for. 5) Fantastic maps. 6) Everyone else seems to use either Let's Go or Lonely Planet -- this is a tremendous advantage. 7) Loaded with travel details that include basic timetables for trains, buses, and ferries. This guide book is designed for those who seek to get off the beaten path, and explore Europe on their own. Rough Guides have never let me down. More to the point, they have enriched my travels more than any other guidebook available. If you are an independent budget traveler planning on a trek to Europe, you would be hard-pressed to find a better guidebook.

The Rough Guide to Europe is excellent in providing a lively overview of every country in Europe (plus Morocco). Rough Guide is unafraid to put in the good with the bad, giving a clear critical analysis of what's worth seeing and what isn't. All the cities and destinations one would expect to find--from Slovenian resorts to Paris to Santiago de Compostela--are included in here.Of course, putting all the relevant information for the whole of Europe would require several dozen 2000-page travel guides, so travelers to a specific country will also want to pick up one of Rough Guide's country-specific books. Yet if I had to backpack across the whole of Europe with a single book, this would be it!The maps for such cities as Sevilla, Venice, and Lisbon are excellent for the brief visitor, and really give a feel of how to distribute your all-too-often limited time.If there is any minor issue I have with this guide, it is that the hotel selections are limited and generally inferior to what you might find in a full guide to a particular city. Of course, this goes back to having to squeeze in several dozen nations in one book.All in all, if you are planning on visiting several countries or just meandering through Europe, Rough Guide to Europe is a one great buy.

What I like best about the Rough Guides is that they give critical reviews. They will point out the tourist traps and will give negative reviews. I find that Frommer's and Fodor's rarely point out the negatives to a particular... The rough guide is very critical and is a great balance to these other guides.If you aren't interested in "roughing" it and staying in lower priced hotels.. the guides are still very useful in rating attractions, and areas in which to stay... but you will need another book to look at more moderate and luxury hotels.I would definitely read this book before going to Europe.