Frommer's Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island: with Newfoundland & Labrador

Rating:
Summary: 2002 update now available
Review: I am planning my first trip to Nova Scotia for October 2002 and have been haunting the book stores in Boston for good guides. Near the end of my book search, I came across the 2002 (4th) edition of the Frommer's guide and it has been a regular companion for me as I plan the details of my trip.

Let me make a few things clear here. There are still NO good maps in the book. And there are still NO nice sidebars filled with local tidbits.

But then again, this is NOT that type of book. This Frommer's guide is the nitty-gritty, the essence of what you would want to know for each of the major areas in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The guide does a good job of giving you information on at least a few places to stay (if there are any in that area), places to eat, tours, and any major landmarks or places to visit in a number of cities and towns, even the smaller ones. And the price range is mostly geared for low-budget to mid-range values. The book is also a smaller size, allowing you to easily carry it around or stash it when you travel. The format is easy to read, and the layout is clean and uncluttered.

I know other reviewers have complained about the guide. To get over these complaints, I suggest augmenting the Frommer's with the official Nova Scotia travel guide (a behemonth, comprehensive thing) that has great photos, maps, and the like; request it for free from the tourism office. (Why would you buy only ONE guidebook for a place you've never been to before?!) There are also some other good guidebooks on the market that will fill in some of the (small) gaps of the Frommer's. And please!--anyone with access to the Internet can easily do web searches for websites that have tons of info on Nova Scotia, including the official Nova Scotia website.

Give it a try. At the very least, if you get it and don't like it, you can return it. I look forward to making my trip and then verifying the info I've gotten from the Frommer's guidebook.

Rating:
Summary: 2002 update now available
Review: I am planning my first trip to Nova Scotia for October 2002 and have been haunting the book stores in Boston for good guides. Near the end of my book search, I came across the 2002 (4th) edition of the Frommer's guide and it has been a regular companion for me as I plan the details of my trip.

Let me make a few things clear here. There are still NO good maps in the book. And there are still NO nice sidebars filled with local tidbits.

But then again, this is NOT that type of book. This Frommer's guide is the nitty-gritty, the essence of what you would want to know for each of the major areas in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The guide does a good job of giving you information on at least a few places to stay (if there are any in that area), places to eat, tours, and any major landmarks or places to visit in a number of cities and towns, even the smaller ones. And the price range is mostly geared for low-budget to mid-range values. The book is also a smaller size, allowing you to easily carry it around or stash it when you travel. The format is easy to read, and the layout is clean and uncluttered.

I know other reviewers have complained about the guide. To get over these complaints, I suggest augmenting the Frommer's with the official Nova Scotia travel guide (a behemonth, comprehensive thing) that has great photos, maps, and the like; request it for free from the tourism office. (Why would you buy only ONE guidebook for a place you've never been to before?!) There are also some other good guidebooks on the market that will fill in some of the (small) gaps of the Frommer's. And please!--anyone with access to the Internet can easily do web searches for websites that have tons of info on Nova Scotia, including the official Nova Scotia website.

Give it a try. At the very least, if you get it and don't like it, you can return it. I look forward to making my trip and then verifying the info I've gotten from the Frommer's guidebook.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing..
Review: The guide is very informative on accomendations and restaurants of any price level BUT and this is a huge BUT..the information given doesn't always show up on the LESS THAN CLEAR maps. Some of the towns aren't even on the maps provided and the ONE full color map is more like a road map instead of a detailed one that should have been included. I like the fact that it is informative about Attractions but how do you get there and where are they? Also, needs more information on the parks. I wouldn't buy this book as my only guide but as a appendix for a true tour guide of this gorgeous region.

Rating:
Summary: Needs better maps and ferry info, overall very good.
Review: The strength of this guide is the reviews of accommadations and restaurants, since they include everything from budget to plush. Unfortunately, the information given isn't always represented on the maps. A few times, towns listed next to attractions don't appear on the map! There is ONE full color map, the rest are pink/red and not very detailed. However, I do believe this is the best guide for the region simply because the information is very accurate and the book is well-organized.

Rating:
Summary: maps please!
Review: Very informative, readable, portable and current. I particularly appreciated web references which led to a wealth of information I had previously been unable to find . However, I was frustrated in being unable to locate exciting places and trips mentioned in the text on the maps. Often I had no idea at all of the general vicinity of an attraction not to be missed. A more detailed map of Nova Scotia would have made planning our trip much easier. Also there was little information on the provincial parks.

Rating:
Summary: There are much better guides to this region available.
Review: Wayne Curtis has done his homework and his recommendations are the best out in guides today. This is the primary, and only, reason for getting this guide. Otherwise, in all other areas, it falls flat.

There is NO mention of web sites to help travelers gain more information, even with a publication date of 2000. There is only scant reference to web site and email addresses for accommodations. This is an area that has become as essential as physical addresses and phone numbers. By using the net you can view the venue, get real time price quotes and make reservations. The time and significant cost savings is evident and should be in all guides by now.

There is NO information explaining the region's land, ecology, history, government, economy, climate etc. There is NO "recommended reading" section. There are NO 'boxed' vignettes that usually embellish other Guides and explain unique and interesting aspects of the region (and Maritime Canada has a ton of titillating facts and stories).

But, most unbelievable, is that this guide has virtually NO maps! A guide covering five Canadian Provinces that has ten maps of marginal quality (compare to 61 maps in Moon's Atlantic Canada) is woefully sad. A good guide will have a plethora of easy to read maps. A great guide will have city maps that note the location of restaurants and accommodations.

If it were not for Wayne Curtis' "spot on" recommendations I would give this guide a "not Recommenced". But if you choose to purchase it, you will need to supplement it with another quality guide like , Moon's "Atlantic Canada Handbook", then Curtis' recommendations can help. Conditionally recommended.

Rating:
Summary: There are much better guides to this region available.
Review: Wayne Curtis has done his homework and his recommendations are the best out in guides today. This is the primary, and only, reason for getting this guide. Otherwise, in all other areas, it falls flat.

There is NO mention of web sites to help travelers gain more information, even with a publication date of 2000. There is only scant reference to web site and email addresses for accommodations. This is an area that has become as essential as physical addresses and phone numbers. By using the net you can view the venue, get real time price quotes and make reservations. The time and significant cost savings is evident and should be in all guides by now.

There is NO information explaining the region's land, ecology, history, government, economy, climate etc. There is NO "recommended reading" section. There are NO 'boxed' vignettes that usually embellish other Guides and explain unique and interesting aspects of the region (and Maritime Canada has a ton of titillating facts and stories).

But, most unbelievable, is that this guide has virtually NO maps! A guide covering five Canadian Provinces that has ten maps of marginal quality (compare to 61 maps in Moon's Atlantic Canada) is woefully sad. A good guide will have a plethora of easy to read maps. A great guide will have city maps that note the location of restaurants and accommodations.

If it were not for Wayne Curtis' "spot on" recommendations I would give this guide a "not Recommenced". But if you choose to purchase it, you will need to supplement it with another quality guide like , Moon's "Atlantic Canada Handbook", then Curtis' recommendations can help. Conditionally recommended.