Product Description

Discover Melbourne & Victoria

Go seaside in sultry St Kilda, with a stroll among fishermen on the pier and a beer at the iconic Espy
Leaf through newspapers as baristas bang, pump and grind fresh morning coffees on Degraves Street
Rummage through designer fashion boutiques in the city's up-and-coming shopping precincts
Giggle and gasp as the Little Penguins make the dash from sea to shore on Phillip Island

In This Guide

Four local writers, over 1000 research hours, 126 well-tested bars and pubs followed by 126 restorative lattes
Unique walking tours, created by local legends, that take you beyond the city's famous landmarks
From slowfood restaurants to ecotours: we cover the best green options the state has to offer
Content updated daily - visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveler insights

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #470792 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 328 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781741048629
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
…these smart and exhaustively researched guides have become the gold standard for serious, independent travelers.' --San Francisco Chronicle

Customer Reviews

The Hometown Guide
The Lonely Planet city guide to "Melbourne" was put together by Simone Egger and David McClymont. The guide I am reviewing is the 5th edition of the guide, so please take note that a 6th edition will be out soon, and it is almost always best to go with the latest edition of a travel guide.

I may update my review after my trip, but from my first reading of the guide, I found it to be fairly comprehensive. It covers the city as well as some things to do in the immediately surrounding region. There are sections which cover the culture (`City Life', `Arts',' Food', `History'), the area (`Neighbourhoods'), and most importantly for the traveler, things to do (`Eating', `Drinking', `Sleeping', `Walking Tours', `Entertainment', `Sports, Health, & Fitness', `Shopping', and `Excursions').

I found this guide to be very helpful in my planning, and only found a couple areas where it wasn't accurate. The first was in hotel costs, and that is undoubtedly due to the fact that I am going to be there during a holiday. The guide is also from 2004, so there would undoubtedly be changes each year anyway. The other area where they might want to update is for getting a visa. Tourist visas for many countries can now be applied for online, but they do not mention that. I feel that one of the most useful sections of this book will probably turn out to be the `Directory' section, which covers a wide range of topics from transportation, money exchange, embassies, tipping, tourist information, and much more.

As the city guide for the city in which Lonely Planet is based, my expectations were very high, and so far they have been met for the most part. As I indicated earlier, I may come back and edit this review after my trip, but for pre-planning, these is easily a four star reference. However, I do see that the 6th edition is due out in October of this year, so if possible I would suggest waiting for the more up-to-date version of the guide.

A maze in itself
I think i may be missing the point, but just try and find anything in this book. Try and look up anything (eg Victoria Markets or Luna Park) in the index. The index has more 100 sections, many with a single entry and you have to look in the right one. It's impossible. Elsewhere in the book, The Twelve Apostles get in (as they should), but Hanging Rock does not? It is frustrating read and I'll be looking for something much better.

It was OK
We bought both this guide and the Rough Guide to Melbourne before our recent trip to Melbourne. This one had some out-of-date pricing, but otherwise I didn't find anything to dislike about it. The Rough Guide, however, was most suited to our personal reading styles, because my husband and I both preferred it. This guide requires a bit more ability to focus and read longer essay-type writing on topics. In fact, I may read it now that I am home, more for the interesting data it offers, as opposed to for the guerrilla-style-week-of-Melbourne that I was engaged in when I was actually there.