Lonely Planet ISBN: 1-86450-150-2 $24.99 Lonely Planet's Europe is simply the best. Theirs is the self-proclaimed indispensable, all-in-one guidebook for the continent. I would have to agree. Since first using their guides eight years ago, I have rarely found fault with Lonely Planet's format, practical advice, organization, or insight. This edition is aimed specifically at first-time and budget travelers. Valued inclusions like the compact "Historical Background" sections and brief "Suggested Itineraries" are perfect for the first-time traveler. The "Facts for the Visitor" section, found at the front of the book is what really makes Lonely Planet stand out from the crowd; these guys really know and care about their readers. The guide is packed with information (and is correspondingly thick), has decent maps and even includes a special section on how to create a realistic budget. Student travelers can feel at home with a Lonely Planet guidebook nestled in their packs. It is well worth its price (and weight). Rough Guides ISBN1-85828-572-0 $24.95 Rough Guides publishes the most easily readable guidebook, with the best descriptions and most detailed coverage of European culture, events and attractions. Heavily laden with text, I found a substantial amount of useful and original information in this guide. Included are simple and easy to follow accommodation listings and up to date information on clubs and nightlife. The guide is packed tight with information, yet leaves room for the wit we have come to expect from Rough Guide's contributors. Lacking distracting advertisements, the only oversight I found in this otherwise excellent guidebook was the need of a highlighted edge tab, which would allow the reader to thumb to a particular section faster. Rough Guide's style and brutally honest reviews are well appreciated and should make them a favorite among young travelers. This is the essential budget handbook for the independent traveler. Let's Go ISBN 0-312-24673-0 $22.99 Produced by Harvard students, Let's Go Europe assures that their team of on-the-road researchers reviews every listing, every year. Harder to navigate than Lonely Planet, Let's Go is still well organized and thorough. The color maps in the front and back of this volume are superb. Let's Go encourages the reader to be a traveler and not a tourist. One major drawback, however is their insertion of countless advertisements throughout the guide. Exacerbating this annoyance is the fact that these ads are on a thicker paper stock, and therefore tend to stand out when one thumbs through the guide. I do value the budget-minded viewpoint of the authors, and the list of fun (and cheap) activities they include will inspire any frugal traveler. Fodor's ISBN 0-679-03395-5 $20.00 Fodor's Up Close Europe promises a smart, fun and informative read. It gives detailed descriptions and provides superior maps, but when they say "tell-all reviews", they really mean it. Languishing on the long-winded side of verbose; most of the text is overkill in this otherwise adequate guide. There are a lot of advertisements throughout the book and, unfortunately, it falls short on most other criteria as well. While reasonably easy to navigate, it also lacks the highlighted edge tab. For the twenty dollars it costs, I'd spent the extra five on one of the other books mentioned and rest easy, knowing I'd bought the best. This volume will get you around, but it is hard to recommend it as anything but a backup.