If you’re planning a tour of the...

If you’re planning a tour of the nine Eastern states, Marilyn Wood’s “Wonderful Weekends” selects almost all of the worthwhile attractions, events, lodgings, restaurants and activities needed for a delightful trip. All the fun and pleasure opportunities listed are within a 200-mile radius of New York City. Maps are included (Prentice Hall: $11.95).

“Guide to Recommended Country Inns” offers books on seven regions of the United States. For starters, three are: “Arizona, New Mexico and Texas” by Eleanor Morris, ($9.95); “New England” by Elizabeth Squire, ($10.95), and “Rocky Mountain Region” by Doris Kennedy, ($9.95). They list a good selection of inns and B&Bs; personally visited and considered the best by the authors. The text is informative and detailed, and touches upon nearby amenities (Globe Pequot).

Frommer’s “Dollarwise Guide to Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg,” by Susan Poole, will help vacationers get the best value for their money. Currency exchange, price ranges for various lodgings, restaurants, transportation and much more are mingled with cultural facts and insights about places to see and things to do. The book includes French, Dutch and Flemish vocabulary phrases; some maps but no photos ($11.95).

Sunset Books has three new, above-average travel guides: “Oregon,” “Washington” ($8.95 each) and “Maui” ($6.95). They have splashes of color photos and detailed text that include vignettes of past and present, helpful maps and clues of what’s going on.

“San Francisco to New York I-80” puts you within two miles of most sources as you travel on this coast-to-coast highway. You’ll be at ease knowing where there are gas stations, rest areas, food, lodging, etc. It is cross-referenced for fingertip convenience, as are the important facts and figures (Fodor: $6.95).

“Europe for Free,” by Brian Butler, calls attention to virtually thousands of no-cost things to do in 18 European countries. Museums, brewery and winery tours, art treasures, special tours, festivals, etc., are exceptionally detailed. Larger towns have paragraphs about history and present tone. The guide is well-organized and printed in easy-to-read type (Mustang: $9.95).

How to find a different adventure at a moderate cost for lodgings is available in “Home Exchange,” by James Dearing. Home or abroad, it unravels the processes for those wanting an insight to the methodology. It includes a complete index of who to contact with numbers, costs, etc. (Globe Pequot: $16.95).

Almost any traveler would find “Painted in Blood,” by Stuart Miller, an information bridge for a better perspective of Europeans. It’s a study of a continent and its people torn between past and present. As a refresher of the former home base of many of us--culturally, politically and militarily--it is a fascinating compendium (Atheneum: $17.95).

Kenneth Hudson and Ann Nicholls have compiled comprehensive information in “The Cambridge Guide to the Museums of Britain and Ireland.” The practical text is interwoven with 2,000 capsulated entries and 368 illustrations (31 in color), and includes locations, hours, parking, etc. From the giant museums and galleries to the tiny Laurel and Hardy Museum, it is an authoritative compilation (Cambridge University Press: $24.95).

The complete schedules for one year of more than 100 ships is available in Ford’s “International Cruise Guide.” It provides a wealth of information about luxurious living and gracious service on board. Each entry details the amenities, ship size, capacities, etc., including photos, ports of call, sailings and much more ($8.95).