Rating: 
Summary: Witty, informative, and immensely-readable
Review: "Europe On A Shoestring" is a witty, informative, and immensely-readable guide to making the most of your time and money in Europe.The thousands of recommendations range from French hostels and Turkish pensions to Finnish campgrounds and budget Hungarian hotels. Affortable activities and restaurants are covered also. We learn, for instance, that in Finland, "cheap eateries abound around the market square, especially in the Hansa Shopping Center and the Kauppahalli (covered market)." And that if you're in Galway, you should head to Monroe's Tavern for inexpensive drinks and traditional Irish music (with set dancing on Tuesdays). Culture & Conduct, as well as Dangers & Annoyances, are two more of the many helpful features in this very fine guide.
Rating: 
Summary: Just the facts.
Review: A bare bones, no nonsense approach to Europe. The book gives essential information for visiting all of Europe, and even beyond. There were times though that I would have preferred to have Lonely Planet's individual country guides. If you're planning on visiting a lot of countries on your trip, I'd say that this book will prove indispensable. But if you're visiting a few countries and would like to dig a little deeper into the culture of each place, I'd recommend that you compare this book against other options.
Rating: 
Summary: The only book I'm taking this summer
Review: After spending countless hours at Barns & Noble and reading through almost every Europe guide book, this is one of the very few that I purchased, and the only one I will be taking with me this summer. Lonely Planet gives well organized, detailed information on every country including background info, how to get around once you get there, dinning, lodging, etc. A great book.
Rating:
Summary: The only book I'm taking this summer
Review: After spending countless hours at Barns & Noble and reading through almost every Europe guide book, this is one of the very few that I purchased, and the only one I will be taking with me this summer. Lonely Planet gives well organized, detailed information on every country including background info, how to get around once you get there, dinning, lodging, etc. A great book.
Rating:
Summary: essential for the backpacker
Review: I absolutely lived by this book as my travelmate and I backpacked across Europe during the summer of 1999. Lonely Planet did an excellent job of highlighting the best things to see and do throughout Europe, as well as giving good advice about things that are not worth seeing and doing. I found the information to be nearly 100% accurate including maps, directions, telephone numbers, addresses, and prices. In addition, the book gave useful travel tips including cultural practices, hazardous areas, directions on how to use the public phones, how to buy subway tickets, etc. Honestly, I don't know how I would have made it through Europe without this book - it is truly an essential for the backpacker!
Rating: 
Summary: needs updating.
Review: I bought this book after having a good experience with the Lonely Planet Japan 1999. The Euro Shoesting book was evidently written on a shoestring. The Scandinavian section is lame at best. driving in Sweden, beware that there ARE photo speeding ticket systems in use. Breathalize exams administered at every traffic pullover. Sweden=.01 Norway=.02 Finland=.5 (MUCH more lenient) The book stated otherwise. Sort of a glaring error in the book. If you are going to the main large cities and the overrun touristy spots and you plan to hit them ALL, this is your book. Otherwise the book is cumbersome and far less informative as well as less accurate than the Let's Go equivalent offering. The is a severe shortage of useful maps as well.
Rating:
Summary: Let's Go is better
Review: I found this guidebook really unhelpful as far as prioritizing what to see and do. Rather than helping a traveler sift through what's worthwhile, every place it lists sounds like a brochure advertisement. Part of the problem is the density of the book, attempting to cover forty countries in one volume, so its listings of hostels, for example, are fairly short and uninformative. As for its being on a 'shoestring,' I found a the prices A LOT better in Let's Go Western Europe, which also prioritized things, pointing less-informed reader (me) in the direction of what would be worth his time (i.e. which hostels are better than others).
Rating: 
Summary: don't buy this inaccurate, outdated, superficial book!
Review: I have used several developing-world Lonely Planet books and was fairly pleased with them, but this particular volume is WEAK! I traveled around on it right after publication, and time after time I found the information outdated and inaccurate. Granted, Lonely Planet typically only updates its books every few years, but come on, this was right after publication. This book is also quite possibly the most boring and most POORLY WRITTEN travel guide I have ever used. I ditched by Lonely Planet a few weeks into my trip and picked up a LET'S GO instead -- and may I say that it was spectacular! Next time I'm just going to go straight for Let's Go.
Rating:
Summary: Unnecessary - Let's Go is much better for low-low-budget
Review: I haven't used this book while travelling; I merely read it to plan my trip. It is obvious to me that _Let's Go Europe_ is much better.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I just returned from a month long backpacking trip in Europe and this was the only guidebook that I needed. I had another with me, but never used it. Lonely Planet provided essential information from accurate maps to great restaurant recommendations from Italy to England and everywhere in between. The information is up to date and was a help in every city that we visited. This book is especially useful if you will be visiting several countries during your trip.
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