lunatiger's Full Review: Inc Let's Go - Let's Go 2008 France
I was pleasantly surprised when looking through the numerous Travel Guides in the bookstore for my trip to France. This book was the best to fit my needs as a budget conscious youth who is not so keen on spending a fortune on a trip. And with the dollar slipping in Europe, it’s good to learn a few tips on getting great deals while still having a great time.
This book greatly caters to students. And we all know that students are the most budget savvy of them all. It’s written entirely by student researchers who traveled all around the world to find the best bargains and deals. It’s as well written as the next Fodor’s or Lonely Planet Guide and chalk full of information on getting the most out of your money.
Travel guides can be a hit or miss for many since every individual has their own particular vacation plan and comfort zone. This book knows how to rough it, in some sense, even suggesting camping grounds to sleep in instead of a hotel. This is great for the young and adventurous or the lone backpacker, but not so great for the ones who want room service or satellite TV. It’s the kind of book that suggest you go 4 more blocks outside of the tourist areas for a cheaper local café.
What I love the most about this guide book in particular is the great recommendations of hostels and cheaper more accommodating hotels that cannot be found in many other guide books. It goes far beyond the other budget guide books that I’ve searched through, because when they say cheap they mean it. I’ve gotten great places to stay for as little as 30 Euros per person. And that’s with a twin bed with private shower. Not a dorm or shared bath like in a lot of hostel places in France.
Another particular goodie is the various discount websites suggested in the book that really helped me plan and book my trip. I got cheap plane tickets from a small airline company called Ryanair that travels domestically to one major European city to another. I hear it’s the newest way to travel on the cheap, even beating out Europe’s railway system at competitive prices. I would have never known this nor get some great discounts with the suggested websites, if not for this book.
Divided Sections in the Book:
-Discover: (including suggested itineraries and recommendations for places to visit over a certain period of time)
-Essentials: Advice on weather, packing, booking flights, staying safe, passports, food, transportation, suggested websites for booking hotels, flights, student discounts, etc.
Life and Times: Discusses the culture, history, the arts, and the modern day for the Parisians.
Beyond Tourism: Suggestions on extended stays, working overseas, volunteers, study aboard. Also lists international volunteer organizations, schools, and long term work.
Regions of France: The book divides France’s major regions for easy reading. Each has their own Accommodation, Food, and Sights section
-Paris
-Loire Valley
-Brittany
-Normandy
-The North
-Champagne
-Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comte
-Burgundy
-Rhone-Alpes
-Massif Central
-Dordogne and Limousin
-Poitou-Charentes
-Aquitaine and Pays Basque
-Languedoc-Roussillon
-Provence
-Cote D’Azur
-Corsica
-Appendix: Basic French Dictionary + facts
-Index
The downside of this book is the maps are small and a little hard to read. This wasn’t an issue since I hate carrying a heavy guide book with me and would just bring a free map and a list of interesting places from the book. But for many who do want to carry it around it’s not the best book to read a map from. The accommodations, food, and attractions are all separated each with its own map. This can be a hassle to look up, since you would have to flip back and forth to each section if you want to do multiple things in an area. But all in all it’s one of the better travel books in the bookstore.
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