General Travel Tips and Advice Have you traveled before?- Please share your tips and advice with fellow Tpunks! |
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02-13-2005, 10:27 PM
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#1
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So of the people who have tried both of these guidebook companies, which do you prefer? Im talking more city/country guides as opposed to the europe guides, as i'll be looking for Paris, London, and Spain in the near future. Ive only used rick seves but I think he is more geared towards older people, no disrespect, he is a great guide and is who got me interested in travel, just not my kind of book. Also if you think another book is better, tell us why it is better and compare it to one of the mentioned books. Thanks for the opinions. -Kyle
ps. happy valentines day everyone
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02-13-2005, 10:51 PM
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#2
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I like LP myself, never really gave lets go a try, just breezed through them somtimes.
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02-13-2005, 11:35 PM
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#3
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lonely planet has always done the trick for me. They do ahve a great web site as well.
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02-14-2005, 01:27 AM
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#4
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I have used both and feel indifferent. I found using one for a while and then changing to the other was frustrating as you got used to one particular format. I can comment on a couple of specifics. Let's Go seemed to have better Nightlife write-ups. A few maps in Lonely Planet have been pretty dodgy but!
Lonely Planet has a market dominance in Australia (its aussie made) so its hard for me to get a hold of Let's Go anyway.
ev
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02-14-2005, 08:02 AM
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#5
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I like Lonely Planet b/c they seem to have the little tip bits of info that I am really looking for.
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02-14-2005, 02:50 PM
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#6
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To Smart For Mensa
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i took both
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02-14-2005, 08:56 PM
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#7
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I live by Rick Steves' as well and will say that Let's Go compliments his books the best. Let's Go is geared towards backpackers while LP tried to cover it all. If you're only going with one guide, I'd say LP, but if yo0u have the advantage of knowing Rick Steves, I'd say Let's Go cuz they'll fill in the blanks.
If you have questions on any of them, let me know.
P.S.--- LP has a great website if you're looking for info, unfortunately, there is no personality whatsoever. That, coincidentally is the reason I started checking out Tpunk. I have stayed here ever since, trying to instill a LP-level of info if anyone would ever ask me a question.
Luv ya,
Jason
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02-14-2005, 09:22 PM
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#8
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To Smart For Mensa
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Well done Jason!
Else you could just come on here everyday before going to new town and between all of us we can more than likely name a hostel and the sights!
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Adventure needs to be as much about discovering yourself as it is about discovering the world.
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02-15-2005, 06:32 PM
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#9
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I used LP europe, found it OK good to check out where you want to go but far too few hostels and you can be sure everyone in the hostel has the same book. good bits about big citys but you will miss alot using just this, also just as a point i would get a europe hostel guide for association hostels as they are much cheaper and have a lot more of a range of people staying there.
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02-16-2005, 09:49 AM
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#10
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I think either one is fine. Just keep in mind that whatever one you get, there are thousands and thousands of other travelers also reading what you are reading. I like to use the guide books as a base of knowledge, or refer to maps as necessary, but I also try to dig up a lot of other places to see, places to stay, etc. as there is a mighty big caravan of people traipsing to all of the places mentioned in the guidebooks. I think they are helpful to give you a general lay of the land...telling perhaps what parts of a city are nightlife hotspots, where do backpackers hangout versus where are the upscale places, how to get around, local customs, etc. and generally they are all equally fine for that. I would avoid trying to stay and eat and see all of the specific individual places mentioned in the guidebooks, however, due to sheer volume of other people going to those places and also because things can change rapidly, hostels, restaurants and clubs come and go in the blink of an eye. Explore and find your own hotspots.
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02-16-2005, 10:00 AM
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#11
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Yoda
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My "2004" Let's Go Spain book was pretty much damn near useless on my trip last spring. I think it was probably just issues with that particular book but it's since caused me to be a little skeptical of LG in general. The information was so out of date or so completely WRONG that it was baffling, especially for a version that was theoretically published in 2004, only about a month before I went on my trip. Hmph.
*edited to add: I ended up leaving it in the nightstand drawer of the little hotel we stayed at in Valencia. Deliberately.
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02-16-2005, 10:49 AM
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#12
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Quote:
edited to add: I ended up leaving it in the nightstand drawer of the little hotel we stayed at in Valencia. Deliberately.
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You tell 'em Jeanie! Those bastards won't soon be screwing with you again, that's for sure! :greenguy:
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Live life so there is standing room only at your funeral
The beauty of this world will last
Much longer than its men
No need for man to test this fact
Enjoy the view instead----Me(Part of a longer poem)
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02-16-2005, 01:49 PM
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#13
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Yoda
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haaha! Actually I left it there because I didn't want it taking up any more room in my pack since I was done with it, and also I thought maybe someone else would get *some* good information out of it. It wasn't completely bad.
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02-16-2005, 05:19 PM
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#14
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I looked through both editions of london and paris this week and I liked the format of the Let's Go a lot more. I dont like glossy pages which is what the LP had and I seemed to like the feel of the LG more. Also im planning on finding my hostels on here tho like last time so im not worried about those. Does anyone see anything wrong with me trusting the LG for general sights and clubs? That worries me tho SV as one of my books is going to be spain.... hmmm. Thanks for the discussion everyone. -Kyle
P.S. does anyone have any opinions on rick steves? I have good things to say about him except no good restraunts, clubs or anything geared for anyone under 35.
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PSV Eindhoven Simply The Best 2005
Europe July5th-Aug 20
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02-16-2005, 10:30 PM
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#15
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Quote:
.S. does anyone have any opinions on rick steves? I have good things to say about him except no good restraunts, clubs or anything geared for anyone under 35.
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That's why I said to pair him with Let's Go, which is pretty much strivtly under 35 based. Can't beat him for entertaining reading and his travel philosophy is killer. I made it my own.
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Live life so there is standing room only at your funeral
The beauty of this world will last
Much longer than its men
No need for man to test this fact
Enjoy the view instead----Me(Part of a longer poem)
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02-16-2005, 11:43 PM
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#16
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Rick steves seems to make it easy, and gives all the info I need to find and get to crazy places. Other than that I just ask a few locals about whatever im looking for. I dont always like to be totally informed about each city I stay. I enjoy searching for things.
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02-17-2005, 03:42 AM
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#17
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I'll rock your socks off
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I like Rough Guides. They are pretty cynical and sarcastic, very much on target (that I've found) and they have all sorts of personal comments on everything. Rough Guides. I have to replace mine because some jackass took mine. I guess I could be worse off.
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-T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom
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02-20-2005, 08:13 AM
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#18
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I like the Let's Go books as they are suited more toward the backpacker set. The book is an easier read that Lonely Planet and since Lonely Planet seems to be a lot more popular, you might not see as many tourists when you go to places that the Let's Go book suggests. Having said that they do have their problems. Some of their directions are just terrible, especially the Czech Republic section from last years Let's Go Europe book. I find the food suggestions to be pretty bad (I usually just ask someone who works at the hostel for a suggestion), but as mentioned earlier their nightlife sections are pretty good. They also update the books every year, which I don't believe Lonely Planet does so you will have more up to date info from Let's Go.
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02-21-2005, 12:09 PM
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#19
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Yoda
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Rick Steves is a really cool guy in person, too. I always thought he was kind of a doofus from his tv episodes, but he's not like that at all in person. It could also have something to do with the fact that he looks pretty unassuming on tv, but he's 6'4! lol He lives in my "hometown" and his travel center is located there, not 5 blocks from my old house, and his kids went/go to my old high school. Secretly I want to get a job working for him, I think I could even handle being a tour guide if I "HAD" to.
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02-21-2005, 12:22 PM
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#20
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Drifter in the making.
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I have to put my vote in for LET'S GO! I have just found that when a Lonely planet fails they are there and so eventually I've stopped using lonely planets and made the switch. This could be because Let's go is catering a younger backpacking population (college/university age) and I really like that anywho just wanted to get my two cents in (as always)
Cya!
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