May 26, 2003
Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring
Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring, 3rd editon, 2003 - at Amazon.com »
Is it truly dead weight if you are just choofing it around in your pack?
My friend Taylor spent a few months in Europe back in 2001. She had reservations about taking along a chunky guidebook – if you aren't using it, after all, it's dead weight, and books can make for heavy dead weight. Desite these reservations, Taylor bought a copy of LP's Europe on a Shoestring, and she wound up being very glad that she did.
But everyone in the hostel has one!
Last night Taylor and her boyfriend Sam came up from Eugene to Portland, and over pints she and I got to talking about this book. She's mentioned it to me a few times before, and I don't want to say that I'm resistant to or against buying it... but well, I dunno, maybe I am a little. Maybe it's just me wanting to really max out talking about BootsnAll or something, but in the age of the Internet, getting a guidebook is something I've wondered about.
From Taylor's standpoint, when she was in Europe she found the LP not only invaluable for finding places to go and such, but also as a way to break the ice with other travelers. "When I'd go back to the hostel at night, everyone in the dorm would be breaking out their Shoestring, scribbling notes and comparing what the book said and telling everyone else where they went," Taylor told me.
Nothing wrong with a conversation piece that's also useful.
So that sounds pretty cool – there's nothing but good to be had by having another way to get to connecting with other travelers. And there's nothing wrong with having a guidebook; they do come in handy. It's good info to have in a pinch, even if it does add a bit of weight to your pack.
The info in Shoestring seems pretty solid from what Taylor tells me, and in February LP put out the 2003 edition. I'm starting to think that maybe I will snag up one of these. The more I ponder it – and the more that friends like Taylor suggest it – the more I think it's not a bad idea. I suppose one book won't hurt...
Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring, 3rd editon, 2003
Find your way around & break the ice with more travelers »
Posted by Ant at 07:29 PM
Related: Advice from others who've gone, Books & Links - Dream & Plan, BootsnAll Travel Community, Europe Travel Info, Packing, Planning My Eurail Summer Trip
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Comments
Comment by Taylor on May 27, 2003 10:33 PM
The other benefit is it has demographic info in the introduction to each country. What kind of money is used, population, capital, national language(s), and so on. And a brief history of that country/ region. So if you don't have anything to read ('cause of course you won't take any heavy books with you) you have something to do in the interminable waits in trainstations (if you ever get sick of your speak and spell).
Tee hee.
Taylor
Comment by Claudia on May 27, 2003 11:16 PM
Ant,
Just get the damned book already. :) If nothing else, you can use it for kindling. Just kidding, I completely agree with Taylor it's a good intro to places. I can't imagine you getting sick of your speak and spell though. :)
Comment by sean on May 28, 2003 04:28 AM
Damn, Claudia and Taylor both bring up good points...but what the hell Ant...can you do without it? Come on, take a risk.
Comment by Joe E. on May 28, 2003 05:06 PM
Ant can always send us an email so that we will scan pages of the book and email them back to him...
Comment by Ant on May 28, 2003 05:11 PM
Guidebooks, well, are what *everyone* uses. If I focus solely on the net though... hmmm...
See, the book sounds alluring - but if part of travel is to break out of your comfort zone, then I shouldn't have it. Anyone who knows anything about me knows how I'm always surrounded by books and magazines and various other printed materials; I can start reading and forget the world exists (well, I do that when I'm not reading too, but still).
It's easier to reach for a book and flip through the pages - than to chance going up and asking some random person on the street.
And I will never get tired of my speak-n-spell!
Comment by Vbrookie on June 1, 2003 08:53 AM
I wouldn't cought dead middle of strange land without a guide book, but I think this could be fun and challenging for Ant to try out. He certainly can buy the book along the way if he feels definite needs for one. My suggestion is this, set up another board exclusively for Ant's trip or suggestion box ASAP, see the quality, detail and response. If the response is great, you can use it to navigate through Europe, if not just buy the book.
Ant, go as you planed, just go, and buy the book there if you have to. Let's see how far you go without something that you shouldn't be without!
Cheers! Have one for me in Europe!!!.
Comment by Ant on June 3, 2003 01:10 AM
Hmmm... this is a good idea - what do you think, Sean?
I'm actually getting more and more stoked at the thought of not having a guidebook with me... it'll help make me more social and willing to go up to people.