Books for Prep | |
 - Great guide to Hungary.This is the kind of book that gives LP the great reputation that it deserves. The guide was generally helpful for both Budapest and Eger, and we used it religiously for our one-week visit to the country. However, it would have been useful to have translations of the phrase "Is service included in the bill" (I have also found many other LP guides also omit this useful phrase). We would have also appreciated a more in-depth historical background. The historical description between the 1960s-90s was a little light. This is a far cry from LP's Romania book, which was decent at best. Rating:  - Useful information and well organizedLonely Planet books are always fairly well organized and this edition of Hungary is no exception. The information is current and doesn't neglect any corner of this very interesting and beautiful country. The book contains information to satisfy a wide range of interests; everything from those interested in winery tours to those looking for a relaxing beach vacation at Europe's largest lake, Lake Balaton. Likewise, the book nicely balances the needs of those who travel by rail, bus or by their own rented car, as we did. One small complaint, not the author's fault, is Lonely Planet's editorial decision to omit good photos, other than the few esoteric token photos near the center of the book. I suppose there is an editorial struggle between pretty pictures versus content, but it can be frustrating if tackling a country such as Hungary where you have no apriori knowledge of the various landscapes in different regions of the country. A picture is in fact worth a thousand words, but Lonely Planet simply does not see it that way. Perhaps pick up the DK guide for photos to inspire and guide your trip planning for Hungary. Rating: - Excellent book with up-to-date and accurate informationsI have visited Budapest and more than five towns around it last summer, and have used this book extensively as my only guide to the country. It was of great help, in it you can find everything you will need to get the full experience of the country, including historical informations, sites to visit, maps, well choosed recommendations of restaurants and bars, informations about accommodation, transport and people. I can recommend this book to everyone who wants to visit and learn about Hungary. Rating:  - Accomodation info already out of dateAlthough this edition was only published 2 years ago, the accomodation sections in various towns is already quite out of date . I suppose the accomodation situation changes quite rapidly in Hungary, even the 2005 edition of LP Eastern Europe has much more up to date accomodation info for Hungary, altough as a whole it has less info on Hungary of course. Rating: - Great Resource on HungaryI lived in Hungary for a while, and this is a great resource for traveling around the country. The author captures the Hungarian spirit and quirkiness quite well, and the reviews of the restaurants, hotels, and attractions are usually accurate. I do caution people that the information isn't as accurate if you're traveling to any of the minor cities. I lived in Szombathely, and many of the hotels and restaurants don't exist any more, and the attractions are rather... er, not quite as they are portrayed. Also be aware that the train schedules change every January, so even if the guide says a certain leaves from Keleti or Deli, this may not be the case. Verify everything before you can make travel arrangements. In association with Amazon.com | |