I just returned from 3 weeks in the UK and think the reviews over sold this book. It was not at all the travel bible I expected. You know the comments about how weak the maps are? Well....... if it isn't on the map, it isn't in the book. This book is an excellent resource if you are looking for ideas on what to do with your time in Britain but if you know what you want to do and expect it to be in this book you will most likely be disappointed.

If you just want to see the standard tour stuff, you are better off looking up the visitor information center location for each major city you're visiting and heading straight for it when you arrive. You can book your city tours and attractions and get the best deals on city sanctioned accomodations from the visitor centers.

I had a car for half the time and used the rails the other half. This book did not have the detail for either modes of travel. I needed a little more detailed maps, local rail stations and how the underground connected with major hubs in the major cities. I did not even see anything on the Heathrow Express into the London Paddington Station. That is elemental info for getting into London from the airport.

This book is not bad, it just was not right for me and was not what I expected. I knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do and there was very little about those things in this book. They really tried to cover too much in a single volumne. They need to break England, Wales and Scotland into individual volumes.

I still recommend this book but don't rely on it to get you where you want to go and copy just the pages you need (including the area maps at the beginning of each section)instead of lugging the whole book all over Britain. I ended up leaving mine in a the hotel because it was just one heavy item too many.

I just returned from 3 weeks in the UK and think the reviews over sold this book. It was not at all the travel bible I expected. You know the comments about how weak the maps are? Well....... if it isn't on the map, it isn't in the book. This book is an excellent resource if you are looking for ideas on what to do with your time in Britain but if you know what you want to do and expect it to be in this book you will most likely be disappointed.

If you just want to see the standard tour stuff, you are better off looking up the visitor information center location for each major city you're visiting and heading straight for it when you arrive. You can book your city tours and attractions and get the best deals on city sanctioned accomodations from the visitor centers.

I had a car for half the time and used the rails the other half. This book did not have the detail for either modes of travel. I needed a little more detailed maps, local rail stations and how the underground connected with major hubs in the major cities. I did not even see anything on the Heathrow Express into the London Paddington Station. That is elemental info for getting into London from the airport.

This book is not bad, it just was not right for me and was not what I expected. I knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do and there was very little about those things in this book. They really tried to cover too much in a single volumne. They need to break England, Wales and Scotland into individual volumes.

I still recommend this book but don't rely on it to get you where you want to go and copy just the pages you need (including the area maps at the beginning of each section)instead of lugging the whole book all over Britain. I ended up leaving mine in a the hotel because it was just one heavy item too many.

You want a guidebook with a touch of attitude, Lonely Planet books are for you. They may lack some of the warmth and reach of other books, but they also cover things no one else touches. All the big name sites and attractions are here but so are some spots that most tourists never think of. Lonely Planet Great Britain is unique and I'd recommend it to anyone.

This is the third Lonely Planet travel book I've purchased, and as usual, it surpasses every other book. All the information is easy to understand, well organized, and relevant. Don't think it's going to include Ireland though, because it's actually part of the United Kingdom, not Great Britain.

In planning a trip to Great Britain, I have purchased three travel books: Lonely Planet, Eyewitness and Frommer's. I would rank them in that order as far as helpfulness in planning our trip. Here are my reasons: I have found Lonely Planet's sections on "where to sleep" and "where to eat" are much more extensive, informative and include a wider variety in price ranges than the other two books. Also, they have more information on some of the smaller towns, that are off the beaten track. I enjoyed the wonderful photographs, maps and illustrations in the Eyewitness Guide to Great Britain and if you can afford two books, it is a great way to prepare for what you will see. However, since I only have room for one travel book in my small suitcase, I plan to take the Lonely Planet book with me on our upcoming trip.

In planning a trip to Great Britain, I have purchased three travel books: Lonely Planet, Eyewitness and Frommer's. I would rank them in that order as far as helpfulness in planning our trip. Here are my reasons: I have found Lonely Planet's sections on "where to sleep" and "where to eat" are much more extensive, informative and include a wider variety in price ranges than the other two books. Also, they have more information on some of the smaller towns, that are off the beaten track. I enjoyed the wonderful photographs, maps and illustrations in the Eyewitness Guide to Great Britain and if you can afford two books, it is a great way to prepare for what you will see. However, since I only have room for one travel book in my small suitcase, I plan to take the Lonely Planet book with me on our upcoming trip.

This is an excellent guidebook. The only problem with it is the quality of the city maps, which are almost impossible to read. I saw an earlier edition in which they were in color and much better. They must have tried to save money in this edition by doing them in grayscale.

I've spent a year in England and have made >30 visits all together.

Here are my reviews of the best guides....to meet you r exact needs.....I hope these are helpful and that you have a great visit! I always gauge the quality of my visit by how much I remember a year later......this review is designed to help you get the guide that will be sure YOU remember your trip many years into the future. Travel Safe and enjoy yourself to the max!

Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet has City and Out To Eat Guides. They are all about the experience so they focus on doing, being, getting there, and this means they have the best detailed information, including both inexpensive and really spectacular restaurants and hotels, out-of-the-way places, weird things to see and do, the list is endless.

MapGuide
MapGuide is very easy to use and has the best location information for pubs, hotels, tourist attractions, museums, churches etc. that they manage to keep fairly up to date. It's great for teaching you how to use the underground and the double decker buses. The text sections are quick overviews, not reviews, but the strong suite here is brevity, not depth. I strongly recommend this for your first few times learning your way around the classic tourist sites and experiences. MapGuide is excellent as long as you are staying pretty much in the city centre. When you get to be an old London hand, remember that the classic Londoners guide will always be an A to Z (zed) map and guide. If you want to go a bit beyond the central core of the city (perhaps to Windsor, Hampton, or further away) you really need the proper AtoZ to be able to find exact routes and streets.

Time Out
The Time Out guides are very good. Easy reading, short reviews of restaurants, hotels, and other sites, with good public transport maps that go beyond the city centre. Many people who buy more than one guidebook end up liking this one best!

Blue Guides
Without doubt, the best of the walks guides.... the Blue Guide has been around since 1918 and has extremely well designed walks with lots of unique little side stops to hit on just about any interest you have. If you want to pick up the feel of the city, this is the best book to do that for you. This is one that you end up packing on your 10th trip, by which time it is well worn.

Michelin
Famous for their quality reviews, the Red Michelin Guides are for hotels & Restaurants, the Green Michelin Guides are for main tourist destinations. However, the English language Green guide is the one most people use and it has now been supplemented with hotel and restaurant information. These are the serious review guides as the famous Michelin ratings are issued via these books.

Let's Go
Let's Go is a great guide series that specializes in the niche interest details that turn a trip into a great and memorable experience. Started by and for college students, these guides are famous for the details provided by people who used the book the previous year. They continue to focus on providing a great experience inexpensively. If you want to know about the top restaurants, this is not for you (use Fodor's or Michelin). Let's Go does have a bewildering array of different guides though. Here's which is what:
Budget Guide is the main guide with incredibly detailed information and reviews on everything you can think of.
City Guide is just as intense but restricted to the single city.
PocketGuide is even smaller and features condensed information
MapGuide's are very good maps with public transportation and some other information (like museum hours, etc.)

Fodor's
Fodor's is the best selling guide among Americans. They have a bewildering array of different guides. Here's which is what:
The Gold Guide is the main book with good reviews of everything and lots of tours, walks, and just about everything else you could think of. It's not called the Gold guide for nothing though....it assumes you have money and are willing to spend it.
PocketGuide is designed for a quick first visit
UpCLOSE for independent travel that is cheap and well thought out
CityPack is a plastic pocket map with some guide information
Exploring is for cultural interests, lots of photos and designed to supplement the Gold guide

we brought this with us thru london and scotland. i used it to make bed and breakfast reservations before we left and it was most accurate. this is an excellent reference book to have and one which all otherd are gaged against. very recommended.

Now in an expanded and completely updated fifth edition, the Lonely Planet travel guide Britain: One Island, Three Countries, Endless Options comprehensively covers the "ins and outs" of the island nation of Britain, including basics about British history and culture, and enhanced with a vast host of maps, places to stay and eat, sights to see, and a scattering of photographs. A wide-ranging general-purpose guide, solidly recommended, if you are planning a trip to the British isles, begin your itinerary planning with a careful perusal of Britain: One Island, Three Countries, Endless Options.

Soem people buy Lonely Planet guides and use them like bibles. Some people buy Lonely Planet guides so that they can avoid anything that is recommended and therefore avoid the people who use them like bibles. Then there is the middle road, who buy them to fill in the gaps.

My travels in Britain have not relyed on my copy of Lonely Planet. I try not to rely on any guide. But sometimes you need something other than the local tourist brochures, websites and recomendations from friends. You can do a lot worse than this guide for filling that gap.