Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

You can get to Europe, even travel around it, without help. But without a little pre-trip planning, you’ll make mistakes – wasting both time and money. This book won’t tell you where to go, but it will give you the tools to custom design the best possible journey for your time frame and budget. There are some things, such as rail passes, volunteer projects or cooking courses, that need to be booked in advance. This book will explain which things to plan for, which are best done on the fly, and how to do it. It will also help you pack what you need, so you don’t end up carrying around items you never use and give budget tricks and skills so you can save £5 - £15 per day with minimal effort (which can add up to £900 on a two-month trip). Essentially, this book contains the sort of information you could probably figure out on your own after about four or five years on the road. Just seems a little easier to get it in an hour or two.

Prepare for the adventure with The Rough Guide First-Time Europe.

Average Customer Rating:

What an excellent book! Not like any other usual boring guide book!

Customer Rating:

This is a terrific book - I was a bit hesitant at first but since I got it I haven't been able to put it down. Not only is it honest and informative but it doesn't include all the complicated where to go, what to see info you usually find in normal guide books. This book tells you as it is! Definitely a big help as it is my first time to Europe and I really didn't have any idea what to expect except for what people have told me. Must buy on top your Lonely Planets/Eyewitness Travel books.

Excellent place to start planning

Customer Rating:

Although this book is aimed at backpackers planning to spend 1-3+ months in Europe, it applies to low-budget backpackers on shorter trips as well. The book is divided into two main sections: the first section (about 2/3 of the book) is the information you'd use for planning, the second is a snapshot of 20-30 individual European countries with highlights and facts for each. There aren't more than a few pages per country, so plan to buy country- or region-specific guide books in addition. I am planning a 10-day trip to Italy and I found the packing, transportation, and pricing information most helpful. The book has comparison charts of the costs of hotels and food in each country, which help you figure out where (in what countries) your money will go the furthest and help you calculate a realistic budget. It also has a whole chapter devoted to packing, with suggestions on what to take (and what to leave behind!) and a sample packing list. This isn't a book you would take on your trip, but I think it is an invaluable resource before/while planning a trip. I'm just planning my flight and figuring out the rest of my agenda on my own, and this really helped give me an idea of what to expect.

Not a book to take with you, but ...

Customer Rating:

... definitely a great one to start with. The Rough Guide to First-time Europe tells you all the things you need to know about travelling in Europe, before you get there and make the mistakes you don't want to. It has excellent ideas about packing, sample itineraries, and how to avoid cultural faux pas' in most places. It does have recommendations about what to see in various places, but it isn't necessarily a book to take with you, especially if backpacking!

The Rough Guide First-Time Europe is the item of choice

Customer Rating:

If you've never been to Europe before and are looking for an easy starting place to plan a trip, The Rough Guide First-Time Europe is the item of choice: it's a pre-trip guide for destination-bound visitors and covers everything from planning an itinerary and budgeting and packing to traveling the continent. General tips blend with country profiles throughout, maps to help plan, and insights on European history and culture, making this a top recommendation any general library with a strong travel section will want. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch