Lonely Planet Portugal

Paperback - 15 March, 2005 - Lonely Planet Publications
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By: Charlotte Beech and Abigail Hole
ISBN: 174059682X

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About this book

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

You won't miss anything Portugal has to offer with this lively guide at your side. You'll learn where and when to eat, where to stay--from cheap pensões to renovated manor houses, important historical and cultural facts, enough Portuguese to get by, and practical tips ranging from proper attire for visiting a church to suggested itineraries. --Kathryn True

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Reviews by readers

I enjoyed the book Lonely Planet Portugal. I will be taking it along on my upcoming trip and I am sure it will be a great help to have with me. Lot's of great information!

The Best or Second Best Available

There are two strong books on Portugal - my opinion - and the two books are the Eyewitness Travel (DK) guide which I personally prefer or Lonely Planet Portugal. These two books are both approximately 500 pages and both are tremendous efforts. They are well balanced guides with lots of photos, maps, history, etc. Both are clearly 5 star guides.

I would rate both (and DK Eyewitness Travel and Lonely Planet) head and shoulders ahead of Frommers, or Rough Guide or similar books that are less well balanced. Overall, the DK guide has better photos and visuals and makes for a better souvenir so it gets the nod as the better book, but it is a close call.

Portugal is an old country with lots of fun things to see and do. I prefer to Algarve region but also enjoy visiting Lisbon - which can be expensive. Also I like to go well armed with maps and books because unlike the USA or Canada some areas have no English signs so the more information the better.

This book is well balanced and like the DK guide it pulls a lot of things together such as history and culture, food, towns and lots of interesting information on Lisbon. The book brings it all to life with just magnificent photos and maps.

Either case this is an excellent buy. 5 stars.

Overweight, stale, out of date

I have used the Lonely Planet guides in Asia, the Middle East, and in Europe. Lately, they seem to have lost their way. Originally, the LP guides were for people who had travelled at least a little bit before and needed some pointers to an area. The guides usually had some sort of walking tours in the cities they indicated. Their guides have become filled with useless colour photos of generic scenes, The quirky, fresh information has disappeared -- In the summer of 2004, I used the LP guides for both Portugal and Spain. I was traveling for about three months. I had been in both places before and had used a LP guide. The most recent guides are stale and minimally updated. They are also occassionally misleading; especially concerning food. Sadly, the LP guide to Portugal is not worth the weight that goes along with carrying it.

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