Sette_Bello

Hi,

to continue with sharp criticism of tourist guide, I'd like to share
my (negative) experience with Let's Go Austria Switzerland guide.

I thought LG was very convenient and matter of fact. Well, I found it
useful for transportation information but as far as sights are
concerned, I was very disappointed. Information in thaht respect is a
little scant.

In fact, I had two books : Guide du Routard (a French guide for budget
travelers) and Let's Go. I prefered GDR, even if I found LG railroad
information very useful.

I mean to go to the Netherlands in December. I ordered a Rough Guide
(the one dedicated to NL). I hesitated a lot beetwen Lonely Planet and
the Rough Guide, but finally chose the latter for price reasons.

Was I right ?

I could have chosen a Michelin guide but these guides are very serious
but definetely too conservative-minded.

I also saw (in the Rough Guide website) they publish historic guide,
about the History of Spain, France, italy, China, Egypt, the United
States, I may forget countries.

Did someone experience these "historic" guides ?

Best regards,

sb

B Vaughan

On 26 Nov 2004 09:55:42 -0800, [email protected] (Sette_Bello) wrote:

    >Hi,
    >to continue with sharp criticism of tourist guide, I'd like to share
    >my (negative) experience with Let's Go Austria Switzerland guide.
    >I thought LG was very convenient and matter of fact. Well, I found it
    >useful for transportation information but as far as sights are
    >concerned, I was very disappointed. Information in thaht respect is a
    >little scant.

I am a very faithful user of Let's Go, but I admit that it's severely
lacking in tourist information. I use Let's Go mainly for finding
lodging and for other practical information. I use another guide
(often the Michelin Green Guide) for sightseeing.

    >In fact, I had two books : Guide du Routard (a French guide for budget
    >travelers) and Let's Go. I prefered GDR, even if I found LG railroad
    >information very useful.

I used the Guide Routard in Spain, and found it very helpful. I also
had a Rough Guide in Spain, and found it nearly useless, or, worse,
wrong a lot of the time.

As someone else said, a particular series may have a good guide for
one country and a bad guide for another, because different teams may
produce the different guides. I used to have a Rough Guide for Italy,
which wasn't at all bad on accuracy, except that it had a very snotty
attitude. I often travel with Italian friends and I was reluctant to
let them have a peek at the guide because I didn't want to be
associated with some of the snide putdowns. I eventually lost the
guide and didn't replace it. Another problem with the Rough Guides is
that their lodging price categories are meaningless. I often found
cheaper options in the higher price categories.

    >I mean to go to the Netherlands in December. I ordered a Rough Guide
    >(the one dedicated to NL). I hesitated a lot beetwen Lonely Planet and
    >the Rough Guide, but finally chose the latter for price reasons.
    >Was I right ?
    >I could have chosen a Michelin guide but these guides are very serious
    >but definetely too conservative-minded.
    >I also saw (in the Rough Guide website) they publish historic guide,
    >about the History of Spain, France, italy, China, Egypt, the United
    >States, I may forget countries.
    >Did someone experience these "historic" guides ?
    >Best regards,
    >sb

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

Calif Bill

"B Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On 26 Nov 2004 09:55:42 -0800, [email protected] (Sette_Bello) wrote:
    > >Hi,
    > >
    > >to continue with sharp criticism of tourist guide, I'd like to share
    > >my (negative) experience with Let's Go Austria Switzerland guide.
    > >
    > >I thought LG was very convenient and matter of fact. Well, I found it
    > >useful for transportation information but as far as sights are
    > >concerned, I was very disappointed. Information in thaht respect is a
    > >little scant.
    > I am a very faithful user of Let's Go, but I admit that it's severely
    > lacking in tourist information. I use Let's Go mainly for finding
    > lodging and for other practical information. I use another guide
    > (often the Michelin Green Guide) for sightseeing.
    > >In fact, I had two books : Guide du Routard (a French guide for budget
    > >travelers) and Let's Go. I prefered GDR, even if I found LG railroad
    > >information very useful.
    > I used the Guide Routard in Spain, and found it very helpful. I also
    > had a Rough Guide in Spain, and found it nearly useless, or, worse,
    > wrong a lot of the time.
    > As someone else said, a particular series may have a good guide for
    > one country and a bad guide for another, because different teams may
    > produce the different guides. I used to have a Rough Guide for Italy,
    > which wasn't at all bad on accuracy, except that it had a very snotty
    > attitude. I often travel with Italian friends and I was reluctant to
    > let them have a peek at the guide because I didn't want to be
    > associated with some of the snide putdowns. I eventually lost the
    > guide and didn't replace it. Another problem with the Rough Guides is
    > that their lodging price categories are meaningless. I often found
    > cheaper options in the higher price categories.
    > >
    > >I mean to go to the Netherlands in December. I ordered a Rough Guide
    > >(the one dedicated to NL). I hesitated a lot beetwen Lonely Planet and
    > >the Rough Guide, but finally chose the latter for price reasons.
    > >
    > >Was I right ?
    > >
    > >I could have chosen a Michelin guide but these guides are very serious
    > >but definetely too conservative-minded.
    > >
    > >I also saw (in the Rough Guide website) they publish historic guide,
    > >about the History of Spain, France, italy, China, Egypt, the United
    > >States, I may forget countries.
    > >
    > >Did someone experience these "historic" guides ?
    > >
    > >Best regards,
    > >
    > >sb
    > --
    > Barbara Vaughan
    > My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot
it
    > I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

I think the problem / issue with any guide book is author bias. Rick Steves
has some good books, but to really use the book to it's maximum, you also
need to be a museum person. Hiking and beaches are not his forte'. So
review some of the guide books at the book store before purchasing and get
one aimed at you desires.

Sette_Bello

    >
    > I am a very faithful user of Let's Go, but I admit that it's severely
    > lacking in tourist information. I use Let's Go mainly for finding
    > lodging and for other practical information.
We agree on that point.


I use another guide
    > (often the Michelin Green Guide) for sightseeing.
Very serious. A "reference". But in a French mind like mine, it's a
bit daddy's guide.
    >
    > >In fact, I had two books : Guide du Routard (a French guide for budget
    > >travelers) and Let's Go. I prefered GDR, even if I found LG railroad
    > >information very useful.
    >
    > I used the Guide Routard in Spain, and found it very helpful. I also
    > had a Rough Guide in Spain, and found it nearly useless, or, worse,
    > wrong a lot of the time.
The trouble with GDR is that they split all countries for commercial
reasons. Thus, in French, there are two guides dedicated to Spain :
North Spain and South Spain. For Italy : North Italy (except Venice,
Tuscany and Umbria) ; Venice ; Tuscany & Umbria ; Rome & the South ;
and I think they've just published a "Sicily" edition !
    >
    > As someone else said, a particular series may have a good guide for
    > one country and a bad guide for another, because different teams may
    > produce the different guides. I used to have a Rough Guide for Italy,
    > which wasn't at all bad on accuracy, except that it had a very snotty
    > attitude. I often travel with Italian friends and I was reluctant to
    > let them have a peek at the guide because I didn't want to be
    > associated with some of the snide putdowns. I eventually lost the
    > guide and didn't replace it. Another problem with the Rough Guides is
    > that their lodging price categories are meaningless. I often found
    > cheaper options in the higher price categories.

GDR also sometimes has a bias. The French can be "snotty"... too.

thanks a lot for your acurate answer