Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20119 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1052 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Of all its virtues, the one indispensable aspect of Lonely Planet: Britain--and indeed the whole Lonely Planet Guide series--is the unprejudiced frankness of the opinions that may always be relied upon. Of course, the guides are massively comprehensive and packed with all the hardcore information that any traveller will need but it's the fashion in which the information is dispensed that makes the guides unique. Take the very welcome new edition of Lonely Planet: Britain: what other guidebook would list (among the areas covered) "timeless villages, kitsch seaside towns, historic cities..."? Most guides would opt for "delightful" as an adjective for the seaside towns rather than the more honest one chosen by the guide. But this rigorously truthful approach to the subject would go for little, if it were not backed up by the usual invaluable selection of maps (147 in this edition), rigorously road-tested places to stay (from barns and B&Bs to upscale inns and even Georgian mansions) and a cutting-edge guide to the best of modern British cuisine, from multi-starred restaurants to the best of pub food.

Where the distinctive voice of the guide comes most into its own is in the sections on the cultural life and the individual character of each place: take Liverpool, for instance. While we are enthusiastically persuaded that the Walker Art Gallery (on the splendidly preserved William Brown Street) is one of the finest regional galleries in the country (with an important collection of Italian and Flemish paintings, along with canvases by Degas, Cézanne and Matisse) and the river Mersey estuary is evocatively conjured up with its shining light, its fogs, its gulls and its mournful emptiness, we're still told about the city's contrast between grandeur and decay, along with a warning that Liverpool's economic collapse has given the whole city a sharp edge you do well not to explore. In fact, this unflinching approach almost always has the effect of making one even more keen to visit the cities discussed.

From Hadrian's Wall to the London Eye, it's all here, with a useful capacity to update the guidebook by visiting the Lonely Planet Web site for regular upgrades. An unmissable travel guide, for Brits and non-Brits alike. --Barry Forshaw

Customer Reviews

Not a guidebook for the British
Being British myself I was looking for a comprehensive guidebook. Unfortunately the Lonely Planet Great Britain falls short. There are a number of alarming omissions; Coventry, for example. I'm no fan of the city but surely it should get at least a mention for its Cathedral alone. It is as important for a guidebook to tell you what's bad and not worth seeing, just as much as what's good.

Aside from the above the articles in the book are comprehensive, informative, well written and often accompanied by maps (although these could be clearer). The guide lists hotels by category (budget, mid-range and top end) and usually gives a telephone number and website address for each. Restaurant and bars are also listed, together with a critique.

I think that this guide would be a good companion for a foreign visitor who is looking to spend a few weeks in the country, but is only of small use to British nationals. Since buying this guide I have bought Fodor's Great Britain 2006 - this has far fewer omissions and is the one I would take with me on a trip. It's still heavily aimed at the American market but as long as you can put up with that it is a better guide.

Don't travel Britain without it !
Another great guide book from Lonely Planet. Honest reviews of the main cities and towns of Britain with some quieter backwaters to explore. This is the book to have to travel Britain even for those of us who live here...I was surprised to see how many towns I'd been to but never visited the main tourist attractions. It offers a comprehensive guide of places to eat, visit and stay (and those to avoid !)wherever you are in the country.

Yet another travel 'Bible'
I am a great believer in travel guide books, never go anywhere without one, someone called their travel guide book a Bible once, I totally back that! I have been travelling to Britain for the past 17 years but I still found this guide (2001) a useful travel companion. Very well written, a little humorous too, very well compiled. I especially found useful the section on London which is cleverly divided in sub-sections. Each section has a separate map with sights and other places of interest, restaurants etc marked on. I found that very convenient and time-saving too. Also found this guide listed small towns as well as big cities, maps of the area and the towns too. There is a lot of information on how to get from one place to the other, prices and all the necessary information. Definitely a great investement, I am sure to be using it for many years to come.