Let's Go Rome 12th Edition

Rating:
Summary: 2003 was _much_ better
Review: I really don't know what went wrong with Let's Go. It used to be a great series, full of the insider tips that excused its occasional snarkiness. Now, quite suddenly, it starts substituting "guy on the street" and other non-sequiters for content. I've used the 2003 Rome and the 2004 Rome, and while 2003 let some of the nasty changes in, it still managed to preserve the spirit of the series. It was also about fifty times better written. I know the staff changes each year, so this isn't all that surprising. My advice: if you can find the 2003 guide used, buy it! Even if it's not completely updated, it had that edge which made Let's Go Let's Go, instead of some bland guide geared towards no particular audience whatsoever.

Rating:
Summary: Found it very poor
Review: I'm writing from Rome. I have the Lonely Planet's Western Europe book but thought since I'm spending some time in Rome I would buy the Let's Go book. But I found it very difficult to use, the index is lacking, the maps poor and not referenced in the text. I have ended up just tossing it and just the few pages of Lonely Planet's guide to get around. I had hoped Let's Go with it's long experience in Europe could compete with LP but not in this case.