3 comments about Fodor's London 2008 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. My last "Fodor's London" was five years old, so I figured it was time to get a new one. I just returned from my trip and - once again - Fodor's was invaluable. One thing that I miss from the old guide is having London broken down into 4 day-long walking tours - each with its own map.
   
   To be fair, there are maps aplenty in this book - and you'll need them. I've been to London four times and I still get lost. Without the close-up maps, you'd never find the restaurants they recommend. The most useful map is the detachable one at the back of the book, for when you don't want to look too much like a tourist.
   
   London's most salient characteristic is its price - it has got to be one of the most expensive cities in the world, especially with the current exchange rate. Fodor's helped me find a hotel in my budget range that actually had its own bathroom. For those willing to spend even less money, they have a good selection of B&B's and hostels as well.
   
   I was able to find good, affordable meals and the best pubs in town. (Go to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street for some meat pies!) The book also has great sections on markets, day excursions (I did Greenwich), and activities for those who feel there is nothing new left to see.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. I just purchased this book yesterday. My edition is copyrighted 2008, and it's early '08 now. I was excited to read it because it goes into more depth on the attractions and hotels than some of the guides. But after skimming the book, I feel disappointed and even a little ripped off. I've already discovered errors and hurried work that makes it seem as if they did just enough updates to be able to slap the word "2008" on the cover. For example, in the section on Greenwich they do mention that the Cutty Sark basically burned down in 2007 (restoration efforts are under way), but in the section on day trips toward the back of the book, the Cutty Sark is still alive and well. In the hotel section they list Five Sumner Place, which closed down many months ago and reopened in a different location as the Sumner Hotel, which has no listing.
   
   A few other preliminary quibbles: There is one reference to Jack the Ripper in the index, but in fact Jack is mentioned elsewhere as well in a paragraph about a walking tour. But that paragraph conspicuously omits mention of the most highly regarded J.T.R. walking tour, the one offered by Original London Walks, a company that is, to Fodor's credit, mentioned elsewhere in the book in regard to walking tours more generally. Placement of maps is also not as user-friendly as it could be, but that's a minor complaint.
   
   Fodor's does deserve "props" for daring to include Tipping the Velvet as a recommended novel featuring London, and they offer a terrific self-guided walking tour of Westminster, as well as their good descriptions overall.
   
   Honestly, I would recommend the small but excellent guide from Eyewitness called Top 10 London, as well as Frommer's Best Day Trips from London and Rick Steves' (hey, the apostrophe error is his) London (which has the best touring plans for museums) before I would recommend this guide that certainly does have many merits but that leaves one (or at least me) feeling a little manipulated.



3. I bought both Paris and London 2008 books for my upcoming trip to Europe, and I enjoy both. The guides are easy to read, tell you how to make the most of your time at various locations, tell you how to get to where you want to go and provide a variety of eating and shopping locations for all budgets.

5 comments about The Innocents Abroad (Dover Value Editions).

1. 
   Between June and November 1867, Mark Twain was a participant in an excursion tour of the Mediterranean area of Europe, Asia, and Africa. This book is basically an account of that trip, based on letters he had written for (mainly) the "San Francisco Alta California" during the trip (the paper thus paid for the trip). It's an interesting blend of fact and fiction.
   
   Sailing aboard the "Quaker City" steamship, the journey begins in New York. First stop is the Azores and then Gibraltar, where Twain hears the legend of the Queen's Chair. A short side trip to Tangier gives him his first exotic tastes - right out of the Arabian Nights. The Fourth of July finds him at Marseilles, from which he travels by train to Paris (where he gets a painful shave in addition to visiting the Louvre, Notre Dame, and a theatre that has cancan dancers). He spends a day at Versailles before returning to Marseilles.
   
   The ship is now off to Italy, where Twain spends the next month visiting Genoa, Milan (he tours the cathedral and its sculptures and La Scala), Lake Como, Venice (a big disappointment), Florence, Rome (where he spends a lot of time viewing the Vatican), and finally Naples (which he thought filthy). Greece was their next stop, then Constantinople, where he comments on the slave market there. They sail to Odessa, which really offers no sightseeing opportunities, a welcome respite after Italy.
   
   Traveling then to Asia he visits Smyrna and Ephesus, and then moves on to the Holy Land. In Damascus Twain becomes ill for a day, but continues on to Palestine and the Sea of Galilee (another disappointment). At Nazareth he imagines it hasn't changed since the time of Jesus. Jerusalem seems a very small city to him; it is here that Twain weeps at the grave of Adam, a "blood relation." A week or so later he continues to Jaffa overland where he meets the "Quaker City" and sails to Egypt. He goes to the pyramids and the sphynx, which impresses him greatly. The ship sails from Alexandria for home in early October, making a few stops along the way (one lengthy one in Spain, which Twain found delightful). They stop at Bermuda (most enjoyable to Twain) and land in New York in mid-November.
   
   Twain has a keen traveler's eye, though his humor would sharpen with time. Only his second book after the Jumping Frog sketches, he hadn't yet mastered the sharp satirical observations that graced later books (ROUGHING IT, for example, which is quite a bit funnier). But certain "themes" were already forming - his poking fun at religion, for instance: he observes that the relic of Jesus' Crown of Thorns at the cathedral in Milan is not as handsome as the one at Notre Dame. When he compares things seen on his trip with things back in America (something he doesn't do enough) he can be humorous: he compares the canals of Venice with a flooded river town along the Mississippi - neither which is very appealing in his view. He is always interesting, however, and the book is a joy to read.



2. 
   As the United States was recovering from the devastating effects of the Civil War, a group of "pilgrims" (as Twain calls them) boarded a steamer for an extended five month picnic to Europe and the Holy Land. His passage was paid, about $1250, by a newspaper in California in return for a series of what turned out to be 50 letters documenting this tourist experience. In the process, he got a lot of mileage out of caricaturizing his inner circle amongst the some 65 pilgrims, making them famous...and the book made from the letters made him famous.
   
   Although his humor and irony is not as concentrated as that in "Huckleberry Finn" and later books, the suggestion of great literature is present. "Innocents" is rampant with characteristic understatement. In a day before political correctness, he notes, "The people of those foreign countries are very, very ignorant...in Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language."
   
   In Tiberius, he noted that the women wore their coins of dowry on their headdresses: "Most of these maidens were not wealthy, but some have been kindly dealt with by fortune. I saw heiresses there, worth, in their own right, - worth, well, I suppose I might venture to say as much as nine dollars and a half. But such cases are rare. When you come across one of these, she naturally puts on airs."
   
   He does not sugar-coat his view of the middle east and holy land - a thinly populated barren wasteland whose religion handicapped them then as now. During a trip to Jordan over roads supposedly subject to raids by roving Bedouins, he wrote, "I think we must all have determined upon the same line of tactics, for it did seem as if we never would get to Jerico. I had a notoriously slow horse; but somehow I could not keep him in the rear to save my neck. He was forever turning up in the lead. In such cases I trembled a little, and got down to fix my saddle. But it was not of any use. The others all got down to fix their saddles, too. I never saw such a time with saddles. It was the first time any of them had got out of order in three weeks, and now they had all broken down at once. I tried walking for exercise - I had not had enough in Jerusalem, searching for holy places. But it was a failure. The whole mob were suffering for exercise, and it was not fifteen minutes till they were all on foot, and I had the lead again...We were moping along down through this dreadful place, every man in the rear. Our guards, two gorgeous young Arab sheiks, with cargoes of swords, guns, pistols, and daggers on board, were loafing ahead. 'Bedouins!' Every man shrunk up and disappeared in his clothes like a mud-turtle. My first impulse was to dash forward and destroy the Bedouins. My second was to dash to the rear to see if there were any coming in that direction. I acted on the latter impulse. So did all the others. If any Bedouins had approached us then from that point of the compass, they would have paid dearly for their rashness."
   
   Delightful in every respect, this is still a chronicle of travel, and readers who have experienced any of the myriad of locations will be more consistently entertained. Astute readers may observe evidence of the history and experiences gained on this trip used frequently in Twain's subsequent writings.
   
   His more acclaimed "Roughing It" is a duplication of his travelogue efforts, but in the more familiar United States. Interesting (in "Innocents") is his positive view of stage coach travel in the US in comparison to train travel by steam engine in Europe. Can you imagine in today's world enjoying a thousand-mile trip over rut-filled excuses for roads behind a team of horses?
   
   Anyway, this is a great intro to the early Mark Twain - Five well-deserved stars!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   



3. It was with delight that I picked up Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad. Above all other other authors, it was probably Twain that directed me towards my degree (minor though it is) in English. I also love to travel and see new cultures and places. Because of this I couldn't have imagined a better author than Twain to accompany on a romp through Europe and the Middle East. The first couple of pages alone were entertaining, so I plunged into it with excitement. What I found is that not even Mark Twain can avoid the eventual tediousness that comes with travel memoirs, someone rattling on and on about this place or that place, the art they saw or the cities which are apparently unique but all seem the same. However, if there is anyone you would rather be with throughout all that monotony, it is the master of satire himself. Every time I thought I was descending into the point of no return boredom, Twain threw out some anectdote or image or some completely irrelevent story that made me laugh out loud. Several times I laughed pretty hard, other times I simply smiled, but no matter what, Twain rescued me from not wanting to finish the tour. Some of my favorite moments were the constant naming of all guides as "Ferguson," no matter what their actual name or nationality, the never-ending quest for a good shave from foreign barbers, or reflections on the random, non-sensical thoughts of the passenger nicknamed "the Oracle." By the end, I was interested not only to see parts of Europe, but from the point of view of a very fresh, post-Civil War American. Twain's encounter with the Russian Czar is almost too good to be true, and his insights in the Holy Land are both funny and thoughtful. Something that I had never noticed in his previous writings, either because of my own negligence or his careful writing, was the power of Twain's description. It is with the most passing ease that he masterfully paints a picture of what he is seeing. My brother tells me that Mr. Twain also wrote a travel narrative on a trip around the equator. Europe was fun enough that I don't see a reason to not join him all the way around the world. I'll keep you posted.



4. The book is nothing more than the arrogance of American pilgrims or travelers looking and sounding superior to "foreigners." I could not get through it and I don't regret it.



5. This book is NOT an easy read, but it does have its rewards.
   
   "The Innocents Abroad" is a long and meandering travelogue recounting Twain's 1867 trip to Europe and the Middle East aboard a chartered steamship of American tourists. Twain is observant, droll and amusing, but he also bogs the narrative down with numerous tedious tangents and obscure literary and bibilical references.
   
   It is interesting to see the world of 1867 through Twain's eyes and to find that many of the annoyances of travel then are familiar today -- pushy vendors, long-winded guides, aggressive beggars. But it's also fascinating to see what's different -- the difficulty of finding soap in Europe, for example, or the need to travel partly by carriage, horse and donkey.
   
   A couple of scenes were especially enjoyable. In Greece, the Americans were forbidden to land. Desperate to see the Parthenon and the Acropolis, Twain and others snuck off the ship in the middle of night, crept through city streets and then bribed guards to see the landmarks. Later, at Yalta on the Black Sea, the travelers remarkably got to meet the emperor of Russia simply because they were Americans, and were treated as grand representatives of their country.
   
   While Twain makes it clear that he is a Bible-reading man, he despises those who are excessively pious or who use religion arrogantly. Italy, he says, has built magnificent churches while "starving half her citizens to accomplish it. She is today one vast museum of magnificance and misery." In the Middle East, he mocks those who operate questionably "holy" sites to lure in tourists.
   
   It is hard to imagine any travel writer as blunt as Twain. He describes the Azores as "eminently Portuguese -- that is to say, it is slow, poor, shiftless, sleepy, and lazy." He says Moorish women have "atrocious ugliness."
   
   The most disturbing element of the book is Twain's bigotry toward Muslims. He calls the Muslim turks "by nature and training filthy, brutish, ignorant, unprogressive, superstitious." He calls the residents of Damascus the "ugliest, wickedest-looking villains we have seen." He unapologetically says Muslims will never be the equal of Christians until they learn to repent.
   
   This is a long book (my edition was 495 pages of rather dense type), but I found you don't have to read it straight through. Since there are few continuing characters, you can put it down and pick up later with little loss. To avoid getting bogged down, I suggest you skip over Twain's numerous digressions and instead skip ahead to the parts where he is actually traveling or personally engaged in an activitiy.

5 comments about Savoir Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French.

1. Excellent book.
   Information is right on!
   Read and then enjoy your relations with the lovely French people. When you know the rules, there are no rude Frenchmen or women. They just want to be loved for who they are.
   Polly Platt's books are great!



2. Unless you need fast, specific travel advice, it would be a good idea to read Polly's broad cultural perspective of France first (French or Foe), and then assimilate the more specific tips in this sequel.
   
   Oh, just buy both books at a discount and read them on the plane. It's going to take awhile, since you can't catch the Concorde anymore.
   
   Both books are well-written and useful, but the first is a broad, classical exposition of how to deal with the frog mentality. (By the way, they will not take the "frog" term with any more offense than the Brits resent being called "rosbifs" or Arabs find the term "beurs" offensive in France. It ain't a big deal.)
   
   When she gets specific, Polly is usually at the high end of societal etiquette and decorum. You can't go wrong following her advice, but you can bend her rules a bit. If you aren't invited to a formal dinner party with place cards but a college kid party, taking a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers will not be considered too gauche.
   
   On the other hand, carefully remember not to touch the merchandise in any small boutique where it is artfully displayed. That really ruins their day. The French are funny, and Polly sees the inherent humor -- as well as the logic and history -- of their ways.



3. My husband and I took our maiden trip to Paris in September 2006. I bought Savoir-Flair! about two weeks before we left and devoured it on the plane. Although my husband and I both had studied French in college, we were rusty and unsure what to expect, especially given the bad PR the French seem to receive from Americans.
   
   Ms. Platt's book explains so well the cultural differences between the French and Americans, and we followed her advice to a T. We only encountered one person during the week we visited who was downright rude, and I just think he was a curmudgeon. Everyone else was so gracious, despite our terrible pronunciations and grammatical errors. The fact that we were attempting to adapt instead of forcing ourselves on the people we encountered put everyone at ease, from shopkeepers to waiters. It was a magical experience.
   
   And I put Ms. Platt's tips to use at a Starbucks in La Defense. My husband was having major American coffee withdrawal, so while he was in a business meeting I popped over to the Starbucks to get him a big cup of java. I ordered in French. I know I made some mistakes, but the barista was very nice about it, and we laughed. She spoke English but appreciated my not assuming that she did.
   
   Behind me in line was a very impatient older American woman who was crowding my personal space. When I moved over to wait for my coffee, the older lady stepped up to the counter and asked, quite loudly as if the barista had a hearing impairment, whether the place served cappuccino. The woman was practically shouting. And the barista never offered to speak English, either. I took my coffee and slipped out, lest someone assume I was American, too. In hindsight, I should have offered the older woman my copy of Savoir-Flair!



4. We went to Paris last March and French or Foe was a life saver. It made our trip a delight. I couldn't wait to read Polly's latest, Savoir Flair. It's informative and a great read. If you are going to France, buy it. You won't be sorry.



5. Savoir Flair: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French
   I came to this book AFTER I'd been traveling regularly to France. It's a delight, and I only wish I'd found it before. Polly Platt is an entertaining and insightful writer. With a better understanding of French customs and quirks, you will enhance your experience in France, whether it's a short vacation or a long-term stay.

5 comments about Authentic Tuscany (Authentic Italy).

1. This may be the best travel guidebook I have ever seen. I've been a fan of the so-called "TCI" books for years; they are very popular among those whose hobby is exploring Italy, because of the tremendous insider's detail and information on the interesting small towns, all written from an Italian tourist's point-of-view.
   
   But, this new format is fantastic. The book is divided into color-coded sections. The red "Heritage" section is similar to a classic Michelin Green Guide description of the major cities in Tuscany - the illustrations and maps are outstanding (less spectacular and slick perhaps than the "Eyewitness Guides" but more to my tastes).
   
   What really sets the guide apart are the other sections however. The "itineraries" section includes detailed descriptions on some really intriguing "industrial museums" including such things as the Salvatore Ferragamo shoe museum in Florence and the Piaggio motor scooter museum in Pisa, tourist attractions that were previously unknown to me.
   
   I would give the book 5 stars for the 40-page food section alone, if that were its only contents. Not only do they list and describe all the different cheeses and sausages of Tuscany, I particularly appreciate the fact that they indicate which towns are especially famous for what type of Pecorino (for example). Next time I'm in Grosseto, I'll know what cheese to look for.
   
   This is incidentally, the first guide to Tuscany (or Italy) that I have seen that goes into any kind of detail on Grosseto as a tourist attraction.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading travel guides, even if you have no specific plans to visit Italy. I am really looking forward to additional TCI guides in this new "authentic" series.



2. TCI guides are usually superb for serious and independent travelers. Authentic Tuscany is a bit more mainstream than others in the TCI series, which is understandable given the region's popularity. There are more illustrations and photos, all of which are excellent, as well as sections devoted to food and shopping. The book does provide solid historical information, plus hotel and restaurant recommendations, that will satisfy most tourists. However, if you're driving from town to town (which is the best way to get to know Italy), you'll really miss the detailed itineraries and maps that other TCI guides contain. At the very least, you'll need to pick up a separate map, which isn't always necessary with other TCI books (e.g. the excellent Umbria guide). You may also miss the more in-depth descriptions of towns that TCI is known for. Authentic Tuscany is closer to a 5-star book when compared to other Tuscany guides; it only falls short when judged by TCI's high standards.



3. This guide is written by the Italian Touring Club. That alone should tell you that they know what they're talking about. As an Italian, I love this guide, it's true to reality, essential, useful. Your search has ended! No need to wonder anymore "Do these people know what they're talking about?", because they do. You can take that from a native Tuscan! :-)



4. I bought this book with the hopes of getting some more detailed information about the Tuscany region to better plan a week's stay there. The book is nicely organized with sections devoted to food and history, and the lesser discussed areas of folklore, special events, arts & crafts, shopping and even some info. about activities for children, which is almost impossible to find in other books. This was the first book I found a detailed description of the Salvatore Ferragamo museum (amazing shoes) in Florence. There are tons of websites listed for everything, which will fuel your search into greater depth. There are several maps and expoded views of famous buildings and some nice quality photos of the towns. This is a nicely organized book. There is also info. in the front about joining the touring club of Italy (the sponsor of the book). For 25 Euros you get a one year membership and discounts at a variety of hotels, eateries, and other places which are highlighted throughout the book. Seems like a good deal. I would recommend this book, and I'm interested to see other books put out by this organization.



5. This new format is fine for browsing as part your trip planning. But it lacks the detail on art and culture that the old TCI Heritage Guides have; especially missed are the suggested walking tours. The new format does have more info on food, wine, shopping, etc than the old Heritage Guides, but it is not worth the tradeoff (at least for me.) As a result, Authentic Tuscany will stay on the shelf, while Heritage Guide to Umbria gets to come with.

2 comments about Streetwise Edinburgh Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of Edinburgh, Scotland - Folding pocket size travel map (Streetwise).

1. A serious visitor to Edinburgh (Ed n bur a) would find this most helpful if one actually studies it beforehand, plans by research, instead of willy-nilly browsing. What a wealth of history to experience.



2. This map is durable and, most of the time, quite convenient and useful. However, it shows the Royal Infirmary (the only hospital in Edinburgh with an ER) in its old location, which is a considerable distance from its present location.
   
   Considering that the hospital moved to its present location in 2003, I think they've had ample time to update the map, which is dated as "revised 2007."
   
   Hopefully most travelers in need of emergency aid will call 999 or get a taxi, but woe to those who try to make it there themselves using this map!

2 comments about Pardon My French: Unleash Your Inner Gaul.

1. This is a fun and interesting read if you are curious about the uniqueness of the French and their culture. The entries are organized by subjects such a food, getting about, education, and many others. It is not meant to be a deep analysis of the origins of these behaviors but it does at times appear to be a bit superficial. I have spent a lot of time in France and, overall, I found the vignettes and topics to be pretty accurate. The writer's style is straight forward, humorous, and presented in good context. Anyone planning to be in France for some extended time should find the book enjoyable and helpful.



2. Very lucidly written, insightful & very readable. I would highly recommend it for those interested in more than just the mechanics of the French language.

5 comments about Frommer's Ireland's Best-Loved Driving Tours (Best Loved Driving Tours).

1. This book is a wonderful resource with a person familiar with the type of tour and terrain one wants to travel, NOT for the first-time Ireland visitor. One must be comfortable with the road-marking system and road conditions of Ireland, and one must have a decent comprehension of what one wishes to accomplish during one's visit for this book to be of help at all. That having been said, for the person who is traveling back to Ireland because they just can't get enough of the lush landscape and the many, many things to do this book is a great asset and time-saver. It should never be used as the primary or ONLY resource, however, for visiting Ireland, but it does give one wonderful ideas on where to visit and how to plan a trip



2. I found this book not very helpful. It has more or less unrelated circle tours, but this is not how most people would tour Ireland. Most of the information is readily available in other ways, such as Frommer's Ireland 2006, which is much more comprehensive.



3. This Best Loved Driving Tours Travel Guide is one of the best, if not the best, guidebook to use for planning your Ireland trip before you leave. There is a tremendous amount of useful driving material, it has quite a bit of information,and a number of different driving tours, it is convenient to carry with you or keep in the car. I read about a lot of attractions here that I couldn't find in other reputable publications, and found more details as well. The best way to go...and I learned through experience and the hard way....you want to fly into Dublin and head south, then west and north....and leave out of Shannon...the experience of the City first, with the hustle and bustle is GREAT!!...and then the calming of the countryside and the politness, kindness and friendliness of the Irish people will definitely fill your heart...and leave you with a good feeling.



4. I can't disgree with the reviewers who point out what this book isn't: thorough, detailed and specific.
   
   Having taken two driving trips through Ireland, though, I'd like to suggest that the first time visitor could benefit greatly by taking some of these suggested drives.
   
   Main reason? The reasonable scale of the drives. Ireland looks small and it can be a mistake to plan drives based only on how many miles a certain trip would be. It is very easy for a new visitor to plan a trip only to find that they are in the car for seven hours.
   
   Go easy, plan realistic drives like the ones included here, and have fun!



5. The book has lots of good info for a first-time traveller to Ireland, but I'll know more about how useful the book is in early September. My daughter and I will be travelling to Ireland in late August and hope to put the book's info to use while we're there. Stay tuned....

3 comments about Time Out Madrid (Time Out Guides).

1. If you are going to Madrid there are two books minimum you must read before hand and take with you: Eyewitness Guide Madrid, and this Time Out Guide. I have been to Madrid several times and always take the most current version of the Time Out with me.
   To understand why the books are so good, you need to know that Madrid has the greatest number of bars and restaurants per capita of any city in the world. In Spain, the people of Madrid are given the nickname gatos, which means cats, because they stay up all night. They go to work at 8am, leave at noon, go home and sleep after the big meal of the day, return to work at 5pm, work until 9, leave work and go to tapas bars, where they have one drink and a snack, move to the next. Keep moving until around 11pm, when they stop for dinner, then it is off to a disco club, flamenco club, or a bar. But the same m.o.: in for a half hour or hour, then move on again. At 4:30 am on the weekends there are traffic jams because the streets are so busy. And I saw only one person who was drunk, that person undoubtable a tourist. The locals have fun, but behave themselves.
   
   This is why the Time Out guide is so valuable. Even if you dont want to stay up until 4 am, the Time Out guide assumes that just as important as the monuments and art musems, the lifestyle is a 'must do' part of your stay. The book has 109 pages devoted to details on cafes, bars, arts and enteratinment. There is another 22 pages just on shopping; the 18 pages of hotel listings are detailed and a good source of information. The first 34 pages do a solid job of covering history, architecture, and modern Madird; 44 well done pages on sightseeing sights. Although the Eyewitness Guides usually win the best map award, the maps in this guide I think are acutally a little better. Slightly larger and they include the bus routes.
   
   Two of my favorite places I found by reading this book, both on the same street 4 doors apart. The Time Out guide says "CARDAMOMO, open 9pm-4am daily. If you've got any interest in flamenco or salsa, this is an essential stop. The dancing varies from eye-catchingly sensual to reassuringly clumsy. No one here gives fig about such niceties, and the gitano flavour ensures the music can't be resisted for long."
   
   The other is "EL BURLADERO open 3 to 3:30am daily. A packed two-storey locale off Plaza Santa Anna that's regularly full of copupes swinging each other round to flamenco, shouting Ole, and clapping. On the upper floor its calmer and a bit more space."
   
   The descriptions are accurate, you wont find them in the other books. You would miss alot if you didn't have this book on your trip. When you go to Madrid, use the jet lag to your advantage; sleep in the middle of the day and early evening, get up at 10, go out for dinner, wander the Plaza Santa Ana area, catch a flamenco show, and see if Madrid isn't one of your all time favorite cities.



2. After living in Madrid for six months, I can honestly say this is the best guide that we found for recommendations on local bars, cafes, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and tourist attractions. For people with a limited amount of time in the city it might be best to go with a tourism-focused guide like Rick Steves which gives you specific itinerary recommendations, but Time Out would still be a good secondary guide for those folks. It contains extensive information on all of the usual and unusual tourist sights, including up-to-date pricing and hours, as well as an abundance of listings of bars, restaurants, and cafes that contain more locals than tourists (which I prefer). I know I'm sounding like an ad for Time Out, but this was the first time I'd used one of their guides and I was impressed. It ended up being the one we turned to again and again, when we needed a recommendation but wanted something that would feel truly "Spanish" (and not created for tourists). We also found their day-trip info for the surrounding towns very helpful. I couldn't more highly recommend this guide.



3. The basics are here: what's where, hotels, restaurants, museums, and the rest. If there were no other guides to Madrid, this would probably be OK. If you're a twenty-something party animal, it's probably quite good. This has a strong emphasis on night life, music, and sport. It points out the places that are friendly to same-sex social life as well as the more traditional venues. If you're in the target demographic, you'll probably like this a lot better than I do. I have just a little time away from a business trip to enjoy the city, and I'm looking for a different side of the city.
   
   Irrespective of the book's intended readership, a few things about it annoy me. On the positive side, it's attractively illustrated. Too often, though, an enticing picture has no caption and offers no way to find out more. Worse, although p.7 assures us that "no establishment has been included because it advertised in any of our publications," an awful lot of pages look just like advertisements to me, the kind that you'd see bought and paid for in travel magazines. The most annoying of the ads, though, are the many for other "Time Out" guides and products.
   
   So, decide what you want and what you don't want in a travel guide. If you differ from me in both areas, this guide might work for you. In that case: great! It's just not for me.
   
   //wiredweird

3 comments about Switzerland - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!).

1. I grew up in Switzerland and bought this book out of curiosity to see how others see the Swiss. I found the information in this booklet very concise and easy to read. For the most part the book is very acurate and up-to-date. It is also fun to read and gives lots of information on understanding the Swiss, their history, and their customs. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about the Swiss and their country.



2. it doesn't have much picture inside. But it is really a quick guide if you want to know Switzerland more. It included history, culture, value and also some kinds of usual greeting style. It's a nice pocket size book :)



3. I bought this book as a gift for a graduate student who was going to work in Switzerland for two years. However, I did look through it before giving it away, and I had done quite a bit of research on line before picking this particular item. The book seemed to me a very practical guide for someone taking up residence in Switzerland, and was not so much meant for the casual 2-week vacationer. The sections on cultural differences between the Swiss and other people were particularly interesting, and would head off some awkward moments for a new immigrant. The parts about rules for apartment living sound quite strict for someone from America, but, again, would prevent misunderstandings between Swiss and foreign tenants. There are also the more usual guidebook sections on recreation, such as hiking, skiing, eating in restaurants, etc. The student who received the book proclaimed it "great", and I think it will come in handy in the months ahead.

1 comments about Who Was Marco Polo? (Who Was...?).

1. I agree with reviewers who commented on other books in this series-- these are an excellent introduction to biographies and chapter books. My husband and I have read almost all of these "Who was..." books to our now 11 and 9 year old over the past year. I find them easy to read aloud and appropriately illustrated. They lead our family to deeper discussion of the person or history and politics of the time. Marco Polo is my nine-year-olds favorite bio. I found the Einstein bio to be very interesting, my husband like Darwin, my three-year-old liked Edison, and my nine-year-old son's favorite was Annie Oakley.