Lonely Planet Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

In common with our Lonely Planet publications, the book is extremely strong on research and honesty; the latter sometimes can border with cynicism, but then I do not see anything wrong with this. It is perhaps a good idea to have realistic expectations.

For getting around, lodging and day-to-day needs, the book is superb (although upon arrival, you will also want to buy one of locally published "In Your Pocket" guides - these remarkable and inexpensive magazines are in the league of their own).

Unless you already know a lot about the history and spirit of the Baltic states, you may long for some more pictures and articles where timetables and opening times are NOT mentioned. In this case, Baltic States by Insight Guides can be recommended as a supplement - but by no means as a substitute.

The Baltic countries, which do not have a streamlined and shrink-wrapped tourist industry, are a destination where a Lonely Planet guide is needed, whatever your budget. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are friendly and well-developed, but even premium-paying customers can seldom expect to be steered through their holiday or business trip without a bit of understanding how things work. This book is a perfect tool fitting this purpose.

In May and June 2000 I used this book to travel through Estonia and Latvia. I found it to be an awesome guide through the area. The people who wrote this book clearly spent a lot of time in the region and did a lot of research. It is geared toward the independent traveler and includes all sorts of detail that cannot be found in other travel guides. It includes information about Internet access while traveling and provides addresses for relevant Web sites. It's the bible for Baltic travel.

Note: some of the listings, particularly in smaller towns, are a little bit out of date. In Haapsalu, Estonia every restaurant listed was now closed. But things change quickly over there.

I am a fairly frequent visitor to Vilnius, and can confirm that this is by far the best guide to Vilnius and the rest of Lithuania, whether as to culture, history, or current attractions. (Leaving aside, of course, the invaluable Vilnius in Your Pocket which you should buy at the airport). I haven't been to Tallin since 1993, but the Estonian section seemed very good too. The Vilnius section of the competing Let's Go Guide to Eastern Europe is riddled with errors.

This guide beats other travel guides for the baltic region by far. It is up-to-date, gives vital information for long-term stays and even points out the "hidden" places and hot spots of Tallinn, Riga and the other major baltic cities.

I enyoyed reading this excellent guide for visitors wanting to visit the Baltic countries for the first time. I appreciate the attempt to include web site addresses.