Budget Books

Developing countries sometimes get into trouble running government or current account deficits. This book outlines the state of the art tools used to assess whether trouble is on the way and provides examples to show how they work. Written for professional economist, but useful to others willing to make an investment.

Austria is bigger than you might think with a history stretching back thousands of years with varied cultures.

This book does a creditable job of trying to give you information over a long span of time and for a wide breadth of peoples. I strongly recommend it before you go on a trip to this marvelous country.

Well researched; the best I've seen for Berlin guides. A+

I always travel with Fodors. They have a very easy setup. They have listings for nightlife, hotels, recreation and shopping. Restaurants and hotels are divided up according to price and reviewed. Maps are given of popular tourist areas. It's great for planning ahead.

This book was very helpful in planning our vacation. I love the Fodor's books and this was no expection. Great help is you're planning to visit cape cod soon- I would definately recommend taking this book with you.

I appreciate guide books that are put together with care, appreciate writing that is fun and interesting and highly informative. "Fodor's Costa Rica 2003" is an inexpensive book and a terrific one!

It was the best book on the country besides the considerably more pricey, "Costa Rica: The Last Country The Gods Made," a welcome addition to any library collection that will capture the interest of travelers, amateur geologists, students, and conservationists .

I had no idea Fodor's guide books were so crammed with excitement! I naturally expected a ton of information, but Fodor's France comes on like a Rolls-Royce: full of elan and poetry, plus precision. Some site descriptions are like tone-poems, restaurant reviews are mouth watering, hotels are frankly yet colorfully rendered. When it comes to the big places---Chartres, Monet's Giverny, Chambord, etc.---the detailed texts really put you there, but Fodor's also lets you in on loads of undiscovered villages and low-profile getaways. There are no photos in the book, but I found the texts to be photogenic enough, starting with the juicy chapter intros. (In contrast, Frommer's France, though adequate, seems topheavy on things like geography and population data.) Here's the opening line for the Brittany chapter in Fodor's France: "You feel it even before the sharp salt air hits your face from the west---a subliminal rhythm suspended in the mist, a subsonic drone somewhere between a foghorn and a heartbeat, seemingly made up of bagpipes, drums, and the thin, haunting filigree of a tin-whistle tune." I nearly picked up the phone and made a hotel reservation on the spot, but that will have to wait until I've checked the calendar and the spare change.

Living in Germany and composing a loose travel book myself, I have seen quite a few in numerous languages, and for the more in-depth traveler who wants a bit more history and depth, this is the book to reach for. The only negative side is that it lacks the budget and student offerings that Lonely Planet gives, and is targeted at an older and richer audience.
But that also means you do not have to deal with the often superficial writing of other books on the market, namely Lonely Planet, that leave you still wondering what there is to offer in the place of your destination and sometimes are factually completely wrong when it comes to almost every nook and cranny of less explored East Germany.
But put against Lonely Planet, the information is much more accurate and reliable, and you can surely thank the editors for that.
The history is well described in each chapter, and the research as far as prices, map detail, and transportation routes is second to none. The best OVERALL English travel series on the market. The editors are really top class!

A complete guide, Fodor's 2002 contains an A to Z travel tips section, covering such topics as cutting costs on air travel, boat and ferry travel, business hours, and all forms of surface travel.

You'll find information on traveling with children, traveling with disabilities, insurance, lodging,gay and lesbian travel, packing, passports and visas, student and senior travel, safety, telephones, and the weather. And there's more. Much more.

Eire apparent gives a fascinating overview of what to expect from your first sighting on land to the phenomenon of the Celtic Tiger. Learn about the friendly people of Ireland, new and noteworthy additions to the Irish landscape. Fodor's Choice contains valuable information on what's best to see if you're on a limited time holiday. Historic buildings, bed and breakfasts, restaurants: this handy section covers them all. Festivals and seasonal events are listed, along with handy telephone numbers.

Dublin has its own section covering history, sights, activities, shopping, dining, nightlife, accommodations, and information on areas to the north and south of the city. The Midlands, Southeast, Southwest, West, Northwest, and Northern Ireland are similarly covered. There's an eight-page section on golf and golf courses for the sports-minded (Irish Greens), also a chronology. Small area maps are located in each section, plus there's a pull-out driving map in the back. The back cover contains conversion tables.

Carry this book with you and you'll rarely have to ask for assistance. Of course, with the friendliness of the Irish, asking is part of the fun. Fodor's 2002 is written in a clear, easy-to-understand style, yet descriptions of the country retain a linguistic flair that will keep you turning the pages. Each contributing editor is a highly trained professional writer living in Ireland. Highly recommended.

In my mind, the Fodor's Italy guide is an excellent resource to help you get around Italy. From its hotel and restuarant suggestions to recommended sights both principal and off-beat, Fodor's identifies wonderful things to visit. I have yet to find a disapointing restaurant suggestion. In particular, their sections on Tuscany, Umbria, and Venice are so spot on that following them closely left me with an enriched aesthetic, culinary, and historical understanding of Italy.

What I so appreciate about this guide is the respectful tone it uses to talk about religious or historical sites. Irrespective of what people may think about Catholicism, Italy is the center of the Catholic Church and has numerous religious shrines. Other guide books often have a sarcastic tone when describing some Catholic sites, almost forgetting that many people visit Italy for religious reasons.