Let's Go Europe? Europe on a Shoestring? or Rough Guide? I want to give one as a gift for my son will be spending a month or going from Paris to Odessa and back to London. Any opinions among these 3? He's not going to want too much history, and will be on a tight-ish budget.

Thanks

I love Let's Go. I've been using them for years and years. I think they're more geared to your son's age group than Rough Guide. I'm not familiar with EoaS.

I used to like Let's Go when I was that age - has lots of information like hostels, laundromats. I have a Rough Guide for Germany and it's incredibly comprehensive but has more cultural information and less of the nuts and bolts.

Lavandula

Let's Go Europe hands down IMO especially for cheap accommodations.

agreed, I think Lets Go is pretty good. I don't think Rough Guide is the same kind of book or as generally useful for this situation.

Is your son savvy with a Kindle, ipad or similar tablet? You might want to consider to give him the Kindle version of the book (throught Amazon). You can read Kindle version on ipad or other tablets with a "app" that they have. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...cId=1000490441

Lonely Planet is another possibility.

You can also purchase Lonely Planet guides online in pdf version to save to a Kindle, ipad, or other tablet. Directly from www.lonelyplanet.com.

Having a Kindle I would NOT get that version. Why? With the couple of guidebooks I HAVE downloaded to my Kindle the maps are VERY hard to see and read and paging back and forth on a Kindle (as one often does with a guidebook) is not as easy as doing it with a regular book. This has been MY experience and I am sure the experience of others has varied or perhaps I am just not very savvy when it comes to using a Kindle.

The hippiest one is Time Out for either London or Paris.

We still use Rough Guide and Lonely Planet and they are edgy and offer more choices for cheaper accommodations and restaurants.

I'd say Lonely Planet, we've used them for years and they have very good useful information and great maps. Let's Go is very much aimed at the American market so if he wants to stay where there are other Americans....I'm not saying that's a bad thing but he may want to mix with other nationalities.

Kay

For a "tightish budget", I'd suggest that he do some research online before he leaves. There is an excellent website for youth hostels where he can meet up with travelers his own age.

Hosteworld.com

I find that it's much, much better than booking.com or any of the other like websites. The reviews are spot on.

Others may (and probably will) disagree, but I still think Rick Steves' guides are best for novice travelers.

Hostelbookers.com is cheaper than Hostel World; offers the same hostels. Only downside is that if you need to cancel, you'll have to contact the hostel directly where as Hostel World has an option on their site. If you can find the hostel on booking.com, even better.

I used Let's Go when I first started traveling alone (at 19). It's a great guide for young travellers, their focus is definitely for the "young". I think Rick Steves' is more the next age group (although, I'm in in my 30's now and even Rick Steves' Spain 2012 is booooooooring me). Probably a combo of Let's Go and those Lonely Planet mini city guides would be good.

I think Rick Steves is for novice travelers who are a lot older. My mother really liked him. Don't think his ideas and recommendations would be right for a 22 yr old.

I really do like the Timeout books, but they aren't much good if you want a comprehensive one for a lot of places in Europe, and someone traveling light wouldn't want to carry them around in addition to another more basic book, I imagine.

Agree with Dukey1 on guidebooks on a Kindle. Tried that too, and they are useless compared to a proper book.

I agree with Let's Go for that age group.

Thank you all for taking the time to offer your thoughts. Since he had a computer stolen in Ecuador, I don't think he is planning to take an ipad or anything, and he is not a fan of the kindle type devices. When I did my 2 month european jaunt at 20, I had ye olde fashioned guidebook (Europe on $10/day) and tore out countries when I was done with them, to reduce the weight of the book!).

Another vote for Lonely Planet. I buy other guides but LP is the one I take with me when we travel.

PS. I had Europe on $5 a Day--

I always come back to my trusty Lonely Planets. Have used them for years and never been disappointed. (I still cut out guidebook pages before I go, so I only take the parts of the books I need!)