5 comments about Prague (City Guide).

1. Lonely Planet Prague provided a great synopsis of the historical sites, with descriptions often better than those provided by our formal tour guides. The detailed information regarding transportation, costs, and hours were right on. Without the book we would have missed some off-the-beaten-path activities. Our only complaint was that some key restaurants were not included but this is the only area which I believe needs to be improved.



2. The Lonely Planet series was recommended to me, and the guide to Prague was the first one I purchased. The recommendation was right on, the guide's reputation is well deserved. Everything I needed to know is included, the places and restaurants were exactly as described, and the maps and walking tours were easy to follow.



3. Better than most books on Prague. In British dialect - so not always easy to understand.



4. I lived in Prague for a month and relied on this book if only for the maps. Of course, it was also quite helpful when it came to recommending English book stores! I've learned not to trust LP's judgment on food, but otherwise they're a handy source.



5. Great resource with great walking routes too (excellent directions!). When traveling I usually bring two, maybe three guide books. On this trip to Prague I brought two, and ended using this extensively, as the other book was found to be nothing more than extra weight to carry around the city.
   
   Highly recommend this book, plus one other (not fodor's). The only minus of this book was the metro map. But other than that this book is seriously dog eared, written in, and cherised as a great memoir of my trip to Prauge.

5 comments about Italian Country Hideaways: Vacationing in Tuscany's and Umbria's Most Unforgettable Private Villas, Castles and Estates.

1. This is a wonderful Italian guide book that provides the reader a selection of off-the-beaten- track inns in the very scenic and culturally rich regions of Tuscany and Umbria. We used Ms Hurst's "Italian Country Hideaways" to book a glorious stay at a 19th century, castle-estate in Umbria. Her description of the Titignano estate accurately captured its atmosphere, our stay there was the highlight of our Italian vacation.

   The audience for this book is anyone who has an appreciation for Italy and is looking for information to go beyond the typical tourist staples of Italy, i.e. Rome, Venice and Florence. Ms Hurst impeccable research provides the reader a rich resource to discover the hidden splendors that a non-native Italian tourist would not find. The books starts with a short introduction in which Ms Hurst describes her criteria for featuring the 30 unique inns. The text is well written by someone who knows her subject and obviously enjoyed doing her research. "Italian Country Hideaways" is filled with splendid photos that aptly portrays the scenic and immensely civilized Tuscany and Umbria regions and its featured inns. In essence its a tourist guide and coffee table book in one. Included is all the prerequisite information on how to contact (phone, fax and email addresses) the inns. The only quip I have is the lack of an updated map, it would have been helpful to provide an idea where these inns are relative to the say Florence and Rome. Otherwise, this is a great travel resource for anyone contemplating a trip to the Tuscany region and who wants to interact with the local culture.




2. This is not only a beautiful book, with gorgeous pictures of Tuscany's castles and countryside, but also provides an excellent service by relaying contact information for all of the castles profiled in the book. My husband and I stayed at Castello di Ripa D'orcia this past fall and it was the highlight of our Italy vacation. We chose the castle as our base since the pictures were so magnificent--and we were not disappointed. It was well off the beaten path and it was the only time during our vacation that we were exposed to a real slice of Italy without the onslaught of tour buses that seemed to invade many of the other small villages in the area. If you are planning a trip to Italy, I highly recommend that you comb through this book and choose one of the country estates to stay in. It will make your trip much more memorable and enjoyable.



3. An excellent guide that takes you off the beaten tourist trap path. This warm and wonderful book invites you to the most unforgettable private villas, castles, fortresses, and farmhouses-places most of which you can actually stay. This book also is a good introduction to each region's local food and wine, sites, festivals, and other points of interest. The book continues to a selection of unique estates memorable that are known for their meals, architecture, grounds, and history. Opening this book is like the owners of these preserved and fully functional estates opening up their ancestral homes many of whom actually do and this book shows you how. The book further lays a full featured and detailed appendix providing all the practical information you'll need for planning your visits, including complete contact information, prices, amenities, and dates of availability, plus helpful facts and advice on transportation, seasonal considerations, and making reservations. Ever think of traveling to Italy and seeing the romantic heart of this beautiful country. This is the book you will need. ...



4. A beautiful book that takes travelers to places in Italy that are not generally publicized. An excellent travel guide.



5. This was such a fun book to read and the photography is absolutely beautiful! Italy is much more fun off the beaten path anyway...and I'm so glad to see more and more books that take the traveler to the unknown places!
   --Vicki Landes, author of "Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal"

2 comments about Frommer's Croatia (Frommer's Complete).

1. The book was very imformative and helpful. I referred back to it daily on my trip.



2. There are not too many Croatia guide books out there that are up-to-date. Most of the restaurant information and hotel information was accurate. There were a few places that no longer existed (this is a May 2006 version and I was in Croatia in October 2006). My biggest complaint about this book was the lack of maps. There were no good city maps to help you get around. If you want some basic information about Croatia and what to see this is a good guide. But if you need more help in selecting places to stay, what to eat, how to get there and what you are looking at this isn't the guide book for you.

4 comments about Cruise Guide to Europe and the Mediterranean (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. Its a pretty boring book, its exactly like the 2001 version...its 1 page longer than the 2001 version. So save your money and buy the older version or check it out at the library. I was expecting it to be more detailed, its just so basic and elementary. I was disappointed to say the least.



2. In the past, I've had great success with Eyewitness Travel Guides--but after taking the Cruise Guide to Europe and the Meditarranean with me on vacation, I was very disappointed. Heavy, shallow and lacking any useful port information, I found I left it in my room most of the time. I'd have preferred a guide that told me some useful logistics about each port (like how to get to any of the sites mentioned), and suggested itineraries for each location. I would not recommend this book at all.



3. I bought this book hoping it would help plan our days in port for an upcoming trip. The book only dedicates about 2 to 4 pages per port of call. It does have a lot of pictures (which aren't bad and will be useful for identifying the sites), but overall it isn't much help and doesn't provide enough information to really be useful. You can find more information just on the internet.



4. This guide,as will all DK guides, provides good, basic information on the most popular sites in each area. I suspect that the material is reused from other DK gudies.
   
   What this product lacks is good, detailed information about information that would be relevant to cruisers. For example, there are sections that deal with cruise selection, packing, etc.; but there is no information about the port facilities, distance from the port to the main part of town, local public transportation options, etc. Apparently, it is assumed that passengers will book shore excursions from the cruise line and not go off on their own.
   
   This limits the guide's usefulness for those who would like to simply ramble through a town and get a little closer to the local culture. This is possible in many European ports, but not all. (Passengers will need some help getting from the port of Civitavecchia to Rome, but what about Naples?)

4 comments about Insight Guide Finland (Insight Guides).

1. With vivid descriptions of cultures and places, superb maps, expert historical discussions, and delightfully charming photographs from cover to cover, this guide offers the reader everything needed to visit this magnificent, magical country.



2. I lived in Helsinki for 4 months and traveled around a bit (to Kuopio, Karigasniemi and Ivalo, as well as eastward to St. Petersburg). This is the best guide to Finland I've seen in English. They give not only important tourist information (maps, restaurant and hotel recommendations, attractions, tips, etc.), but also great cultural and historical information that will help put all the tourist stuff in perspective for you.

   Finland can seem surprisingly foreign if you're expecting it to be just like Scandinavia or the rest of western Europe. But with a little help from the Insight guide you'll find it unique and exciting and beautiful rather than frighteningly different. Get ready for all the stereotypical pleasures (like the sauna and amazing architecture) and some less stereotypical ones like cutting edge, world class design, beautiful birch forests, spectacular lakes, and really weird yogurt-like stuff and juustoleipä!

   Finland, here you come!




3. All too often, Finland has been unfairly treated by many snobbish travel writers - too clean, too expensive, too Northern. For many of those identifying Finland only with mobile phones, the history, the architecture and the landscapes of this brave, spectacularly handsome and exceedingly talented country is largely unknown. This guide tells the story and shows the pictures in a friendly, seemingly effortless and hugely informative way.

   The book - in common with other Insight Guide publications - is as beautiful as the cover picture suggests. They do not cut corners on buying top quality photos or commissioning informed articles, and it shows. The writing does not have the cynicism and grumpy attitude of shoestring-travel guidebooks: instead, it offers warmth and genuine attempt to look into the country and its people (not only to list its cheapest accommodation).

   Insight Guides is quite laconic about basic survival within the country, but the pages that are there fully fit the task suffice. Moreover, in Finland, where the knowledge of English is practically universal and the system of public information about transport and other facilities is second to none, you do not need too much hand-holding anyway.

   This beautiful and informative book is worth every penny.




4. Good value, well written and with pictures os good quality.
   And,...nice country.
   JA

5 comments about Italian Journey: 1786-1788 (Penguin Classics).

1. This was billed as a good introduction to Goethe. I don't know, since this is the first Goethe I've read--but I'm delighted. It starts as a sojourn south, with detailed notations of rocks, geologic information and topography. Don't let that deter you! His description of eating just bread and red wine on his sea voyage to Sicily (because of his rolling seasickness) had me running for a bottle Italian Barbera! As my late great aunt would have said: "A nice, nice book."



2. Goethe comes alive as a very real person, not just the famous German author, in this travel memoir detailing the two years he spent in Italy in the 1780's. A wonderful description of travel before airplanes and cameras. Somewhat tedious descriptions of geology and of his works-in-progress are frequent, but never too long.

   It might be helpful to read (or re-read) the introduction after having read part of the book (say, into the first Roman visit).




3. In preparation for a trip to Italy, I began reading the accounts of famous travellers to that land: D.H. Lawrence, Charles Dickens, Tobias Smollett, and now Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I had no great expectations but was knocked for a loop from page one.

   Never before had I encountered a questing mind quite like Goethe's. Almost from the moment to left Carlsbad in September 1786, he was noticing the geological structures underlying the land and the flora and fauna above it. He sits down and talks with ordinary people without an attitude -- and this after he had turned the heads of half of Europe with his SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER. Here he was journeying incognito, apparently knowing the language well enough to communicate with peasants, prelates, and nobility.

   One who abhors marking books I intend to keep, I found myself underlining frequently. "In this place," he writes from Rome, "whoever looks seriously about him and has eyes to see is bound to become a stronger character." In fact, Goethe spent over a year in Rome learning art, music, science, and even sufferings the pangs of love with a young woman from Milan.

   Bracketing his stay in Rome is a longish journey to Naples and Sicily, where he becomes acquainted with Sir Warren Hamilton and his consort Emma, the fascinating Princess Ravaschieri di Satriano, and other German travelers. One of them, Wilhelm Tischbein, painted a wonderful portrait of Goethe the traveller shown on the cover of the Penguin edition.

   The translation of W.H. Auden and Elizabeth Mayer is truly wonderful. My only negative comments are toward the Penguin editors who, out of some pennywise foolishness, have omitted translating the frequent Latin, Greek, and French quotes. I am particularly upset about the lack of a translation of the final quote from Ovid's "Tristia." In every other respect, this book is a marvel and does not at all read like a work written some 215 years ago. It is every bit as fresh and relevant as today's headlines, only ever so much more articulate!




4. This is a remarkable book which well deserves the praise other reviewers have given it. However, the translation is very flat; it makes Goethe sound far more like an English gentleman than like himself. For those who are interested in reading Goethe's thoughts on Italy, I recommend searching for a different translation.



5. Goethe went on a somewhat spontaneous journey to Italy to reignite or find his passion, his muse. He never quite recaptured his creative impulse to the standard of his expecations after writing the book that shot him into international superstardom "The Sorrows of Young Werther" and he wanted to be with young artists in Italy and incognito to reignite his muse (although the forward suggests something quite different may have been responsible for igniting his muse which his journal only hints at). The success of Werther might have left an almost stiffling weight on his creativity and his journal also discusses situations where he has to get past the legacy of Werther on his creative process, just through the sheer weight what people want to talk about and identify him with. After Goethe came from his Italian journey he did go on to complete many works, or revise ones in progress, and further his artistic gifts to mankind; also completing at least one while in Italy.
   
   Following along with the help of the internet probably made this book more interesting: getting easy access to pictures and the obscure references made to this or that. Goethe also came across some amusing people as well. Goethe's insights and observations are of course quality but it is also remarkable how normal he was and susceptible to the same sorts of sentiments and feelings, prejudices as most have. I think his notions about dolphins would have changed if he were alive now. It also takes one to a different time and place and takes one, I think, into the mind of a great genius at rest.
   
   The 10 pages on the the relationship of Goethe's favorite Saint Filippo Neri and Pope Clement VIII is worth the price of the book.

5 comments about Streetwise Vienna Map - Laminated City Street Map of Vienna, Austria - with integrated metro map featuring lines and stations.

1. This handy-size map of Vienna will be a big help during my visit to ViennaPrinted on sturdy, laminated fold-up paper, the streets are easy to find with the street index chart.
   I'm using it to select my hootel, the restaurents I'd like to visitbefore I leave home. It will be invaluable to me once I
   m in Vienna. Well worth the price.



2. I used this laminated map extensively on my recent trip to Vienna. I was staying in the Inner Stadt which can be very confusing to get around. I managed to get lost on a regular basis and with this map managed to find my way to my hotel and wherever I needed to go in the central part of Vienna. It includes the subway map and subway stops, a very useful feature. It folds up and fits easily in your hand, making it easy to refer to it while walking. I would not go to Vienna without this map!



3. The Streewise series of maps are my favs....so once again I invested my $$ and I am delighted. The maps fold just right, fit into pockets and purses and best of all, don't tear or get rain soaked!!! Heavy enough not to blow away either!!!! It's all good. Can't say enough positive about the vendor. Map arrived very promptly, well packed and in brand new conditon. Look out Vienna!!!!



4. This is a handy map for planning your trip as well as getting around the city. Due to the size and lamination, it is easy to carry with you and use as you tour.



5. Unfortunately, this map was not as helpful as I thought it would be. The map we received direct from the Austrian Airlines travel agent showed everything, not just the super-touristy points. We did not even use this map and I plan to return it - very disappointed.

3 comments about Munich Laminated Pocket Map by Pocket-Pilot.

1. We just used a number of Pocket Pilot Maps on a recent trip; Munich, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin. We carried them everywhere and they were very helpful. They aren't enough to use on their own when planning a trip, and their list of "must sees" didn't agree entirely with ours or other travel books, but I still highly recommend having this map with you for every city you go. We wish we had had them for every city we went, but they don't all exist. The easy-to-fold-in-different-directions flexibility was great, as was the fact that it was laminated (we did have some rain and snow, and would even look at the maps over meals or drinks). Overall, I say these are a must buy, but don't rely on them on their own. We enjoyed using the Rick Steve's books to help with our planning, and then found the Knopf MapGuides a perfect match with our pocket-pilots. Both are fairly small and both are helpful in different ways. Don't forget to check out your local libraries for the Rick Steve's and Knopf guides, but you'll definitely want to buy your own personal copy of the pocket-pilots. Happy travels!



2. Great map for pedestrian and subway travel. Very durable. Perfect size to carry in pocket.



3. After going over many options for maps in my local bookstore, and several chain bookstores I choose pocket pilot. It is made from a tear resistant/water resistant material, its the perfect size, very readable and easy to fold.

5 comments about The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook.

1. I bought this book in 2003 before embarking upon the Camino Frances. It turned out to be a marvelous multi-faceted reference. Due to weight considerations, I left it at home, instead of schlepping it 800 KM across Spain. Then, outside of Burgo de Ranero, I see THIS BOOK, waiting for me on a roadside bench. "That's my book!", I exclaim. Needless to say, it traveled with me the rest of the way to Santiago. Regardless of weight. If there's only one book you get about the culture, history and architecture of the Camino, this should be it. Buy this book!



2. I did the Camino in 2003 using this book as a guide. In fact it was the only one I brought with me.
   
   It's strengths are not in the trail directions it gives. There are much better guides for that. I suggest you consult one of the Camino web sites to find out the most current and recommended version of those. the operative word is current. The Camino does change from year to year, new alberges open, others disappear, the trail moves, street names change (Franco related ones are definitely on the outs), etc.
   
   That said, this is a wonderful book for the historical background and descriptions of the countryside it provides. I read this book and I became fixated on doing the Camino. If you are going to do the Camino or are just interested in the Camino, read this book. If you know someone who is going to do the Camino, get them this book. It is the best book I've ever read in terms of Camino cultural information.



3. For anyone planning to walk The Way of St James pilgrimage across Norther Spain, this book provides fascinating local history. I read it after I walked, and wish I had done it the other way around.



4. I walked the Camino in the Fall of 2004 and took this book along with a much thinner more practical guide book. I loved, loved, loved having this book! My thin, practical guidebook told me of the trail, and places to stay and eat. This guidebook brought the experience alive for me. Everynight before I went to sleep, I would read the passage about the day I had just walked, and then would read the passage about the next day's walk. I saw and experienced things I would have totally missed if I did not have this book. I would walk along and think of the millions of pilgrams that had walked this path for over 1000 years. In this books there are excerpts from journals of medieval pilgrams, which really made me feel the history of this pilgramage. I too worried about the weight of the book, but found that in the long run it was really worth the added pound in my backpack. I do recommend taking a more practical guidebook as well. I found the guidebook put out by the Confraternity of St. James to be great! If you are not one bit interested in the History and Folklore of the Camino, then skip this book. But if you are, this book is invaluable. I found that I was sharing it with other pilgrams all the time, who wanted more info on what we were experiencing.



5. My wife and walked part a portion of the Camino Frances (Leon to Santiago de Compostela) in May of 2004. In walking the Camino, I think one must consider several sources. One of these should be topographical and describe the lay of the land, one logistical and describe where you may find comfort, and one cultural. This book is the best that I know of in fulfilling that last category.
   
   While some may find this a useful guide to carry, I agree with some of reviewers who suggest not taking this book on the road. [Hopefully the authors will never read this review... ] I did carry this book, but I ripped out the irrelevant portions of the journey before I began, and every night I ripped out the pages covering the day's journey so as to lighten the load. [ I should point out that I bought another copy when I got home, so as to make amends for the destruction of the book. ]
   
   Even had I never walked I still think what I learned about Spain, the history and cultural of the regions covered by the Camino, and aspects of the architecture and other features covered in this book to be fascinating.

5 comments about Europe's Monastery and Convent Guesthouses.

1. We were very pleased with the format of this book. Not only is the book practical (it has the monastery contact information we were looking for), but it also approached the subject from a spiritual perspective - very important. The only disappointment, however, was that it didn't have any maps, which made it more difficult to find out where many of the places were located. But nonetheless, it's been very helpful for us, and we've also loaned the book out to friends who have also found it very helpful in making their travel plans. We give it four stars.



2. I bought Kevin Wright's book before a trip to Europe. The idea behind the book is a winner; unfortunately the execution leaves much to be desired. (Largish) monasteries that do exist are not mentioned, Wright would have at least one monastery be in a town in which it most certainly has not been for the last 500 years; accuracy is not always Wright's strong point.
   
   It's a huge shame that Wright didn't approach the right offices in Rome, as can easily be done done, and assemble a much more comprehensive and authoritative guide to Europe's monasteries and their guesthouses. Instead, he seems to have largely done his research on the web.
   
   It may well be cheaper to buy this book than to do tons of web searches, but before doing so, you ought to be apprised of this book's limitations.



3. I found this book to be very helpful in detailing the options available to travelers in Europe. I know I will utilize it for and upcoming trip to Italy.



4. If you have the time to travel Europe, you can use this book to check out some very interesting, and unusual housing.



5. I bought this book hoping it would be all it promised - the definitive guide to convents and monastery guesthouses in Europe. There are no maps and no indexes. The descriptions are very lazy, nearly a copy/paste. The lack of an area maps with the guesthouses marked makes this guidebook very diffcult to use.
   
   To the author: try to use this book to find places to stay in any given city - you'll quickly see, it's no help. You need an area map with the guesthouses plotted. In the description, tell us how far the location is from the largest, closest city.