My son will be studying in Rome next semester and traveling around Europe on weekends. Can anyone recommend books that might include info on hostels and budget travel? Thanks!

Let's Go is an excellent series that is geared towards young, budget travelers. Lonely Planet is also helpful and practical.

I studied in Rome last semester and used Fodor's Let's Go - it was terrific. I would also recommend Rick Steve's Europe guidebook for your son's travels - that was also helpful for budget travel.

I took lets go europe years ago. There are some new ones that are great too though, Rough Guide, lonely Planet guides are all great. Think it is helpful to do a cross section of reading when planning a trip like this.

Let's Go, absolutely. Buy him a Streetwise Rome map as well!

Another vote for Let's Go, which combines good information on budget travel with strong cultural content. Written by Harvard students. You might want to get both the Rome and the Europe books.

..Don't forget the youth hostel association web sites. There are lists of the hostels as well as programs (hiking skiing ect).

I'd go with the Rough Guide series as it's aimed a younger audience and therefore is better on budgeting and more appropriate bars/clubs etc.

When I travelled as a student I found Lets Go the best for really cheap accommodation and places to eat. Time out covers a range of budgets and is good on bars and clubs.

I used Rough Guide to Rome which was good. Lonely Planet is pretty good too, with good maps.

A strong vote NO for Rough Guide. We basically had to throw away Rough Guide Europe because it lacked vital information. Part of the problem was that in a book covering so much it will inevitably undercover much of the continent. But even given that, it was truly horrible.

Oops, I misspoke, should have said Let´s Go Rome is what I used and liked.

There were some suggestions here that may also help you

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34710156

Let's Go
Lonely Planet
Rough Guides

And for prep pre-trip definitely send him on over to www.lonelyplanet.com and their forum similar to this one called The Thorn Tree. Excellent resource.

I was in Florence last semester. I used Let's Go Italy and Let's Go Europe, both great books. I also had Fodor's Europes Best Cities. Fodors was easier to read, and had nicer hotels/restuarants in them that I often used to cross-check with Let's Go to make sure I wasn't staying in really crappy places.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions!