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

1. I found this book very useful for it is pocket size and easy to carry around. It can also be used a reference book, skipping the sections that may not apply to you. I think, however, that this book provides a great all-around insight into the life and culture of Germany and each section is just as useful and interesting as the next.
   
   Tomalin starts with a map of Germany and an introduction, followed by a useful chart of key facts. It ends with an appendix of simple vocabulary as well as a list of further reading. One aspect of this book that I liked in particular were the shaded boxes or `bubbles'. These were areas throughout the book in which the author goes above and beyond to provide us with extra commentary, explanations, or suggestions.
   
   It was very informative and I felt that it gave an accurate depiction of German life and culture. The author's writing style is very easy to read and often humorous. He provides short real-life stories to make the reading more interesting, understandable and easy to relate to. I would give this book five starts and recommend it to anyone wanting to travel to any German country as well as those simply interested in learning about other countries and cultures.

1 comments about Fodor's Munich & Bavaria, 1st Edition: Plus Salzburg (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. I haven't taken my trip yet so I can't judge the recommendations or the accuracy of the details. I also bought "Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2008" (which I think is near-great), so I will highlight Fodor's strengths. This book is well-organized. It's easy to quickly find what you want: Use the thumb tabs to get in the right region, then thumb through looking at the orange page and section headings. The font styles and symbols are easy to read. The maps are excellent. The sightseeing map location numbers are repeated by the sight descriptions. The "Where to Stay & Eat" maps are similar but the location numbers are not carried over to the description section. There are more recommendations for hotels and eating places than in RS. For Munich, they are subdivided by neighborhood. The menu guide translates ingredients such as meats and vegetables. Also this book probably covers every town that a tourist might want to see in Bavaria (more than you see in the Table of Contents) while RS covers only the "best". RS is much better for describing the sights, history, and practical details such as the transportation systems, but I think Fodor's will be a good supplement.

5 comments about The Beer Drinker's Guide to Munich.

1. I have gone through 3 versions of this book, been to Munich 6 times, and I still find new and exciting things to do by reading it.
   
   The BDG2M allows you to sample the best Munich has to offer, and to go to places that tourists and locals love. Reading the book gives you a good idea of the wonderful culture, that IS Bavaria. It's not all about drinking beer, but the unique sense of community, family, and history you will find.
   
   The directions to the beer halls are great. They are simple, easy to follow, and close to infallible. Of course, when there is beer at the end of the road, you tend not to get lost. ;-)
   
   I applaud Larry in his everlasting devotion to this subject. Every edition is fresh, and new adventures await every turn of the page.



2. I went to Munich for Oktoberfest this year -- got there on a Thursday night and left the following Wednesday. Monday was spent at Oktoberfest. That meant Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday we needed to find beer gardens! This book was the perfect guide -- you can find them by S or U-Bahn stop, even! The 2-for-one certificates were a special bonus. I logged all the beers I drank on the inside cover -- 35 beers in 5 days. Nine of those were the masse size. Burp. Highly recommended.



3. This book more than pays for itself with the coupons for free beer in the back! Great book too. Has directions to a lot of amazing beirgartens!



4. I know Larry Hawthorne as a comptetitive ballplayer who hits a lot better than your average pitcher. Knowing him this way, and being a writer myself, I recommend his book because I know he is honest, a clean player, and would not steer you wrong. Not a good enough reason to buy the book?
   I could say, as the old joke goes about politicians, that he has never done a mean, rotten thing that he hasn't been sorry for, but I haven't known Larry long enough to know if he has ever done a mean, rotten thing. I know he is generous with baseball tips and has the best cooler on the sidelines. If you met him on the street he would greet you with a smile. In fact, if I asked him, he would autograph your book for you. That's how nice a guy he is. What more do you want from a book about beer in Munich? Check the excerpt and other reviews and see for yourself. If he is reading this right now, he is slapping his head with his hand and saying, "The next time Steve comes up to bat I'm pitching him a slow fat one right across the plate so he can hit it out of the park for the first time in his life!" That's how nice a guy he is.
   I met him in the high deserts of south california, out where Jesus lost his boots, where right field is littered with gopher holes, where the 'Swingin' Steves' try to give him fits by getting line drives, and I'm glad I got the chance to get to know him. He made my first year as a softball player a lot more enjoyable, which was real special to me because I hadn't played since high school and needed all the help I could get. If you are still reading this then you are a serious beer drinker and if you are planning on going anywhere near Munich you need Larry by your side. From the other reviews you can see he is a great guide and knows his stuff (and his hops, he's always talking about the hops) so I will tell you the one flaw I found in Larry. He swings at everything. But he has a respectable batting average so I'm not going to knock what works for him. I'm a little shorter than him so maybe that makes me want to wait for the best pitch because I dont have the strength he does to drive the ball into the gaps. Well, I was kidding about Larry giving me a big fat pitch for this rambling review, in fact he might just hunker down and feed me low inside pitches because he can and he wants his team to win as much as I do. Like I said, a great competitor and if I still drank beer (diabetes) and had an urge to visit my great-great-grandparents homeland (apparently one of us was a king in Denmark around 1000 ad) I would still buy the cheapest version of this book I could find (that's just me, I'm cheap) but I would read it cover to cover because I trust this guy to give me the real deal. Hoist one for Larry, beer and book fans, and just for your information I wrote this cold sober. Honest. Why would I lie? And if any reporters for the National Enquirer or da Globe, etc. want the real inside dope on Larry I would be willing to supply even more colorful anecdotes to prove it.



5. This book is suprisingly good and gives extended information about various interesting locales in Munich. The beer locales are a kick. One could spend the whole trip visiting these occasionally quite interesting and cozy dispensers of comustibles and brews.

No comments about Munich, Bavaria & the Black Forest (Regional Guide).

2 comments about Michelin Green Guide Alsace-Lorraine-Champagne (Michelin Green Guide: Alsace Lorraine Champagne).

1. This was a great companion to our (my husband & I) tour of the Alsace reagion of France which is worth the trip! It is a beautiful not-well traveled region of France. We visited this French/German area on a trip where we visited Mont Blanc and the French Riveria as well. We were greeted with only friendliness from the wineries and other French people that we met on our visit to Alsace.



2. Maps are good, but could be a little more complete. Found a typo or two on it, but worked for me to navigate to more obscure parts of Alsace.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2007 (Rick Steves).

1. In selecting this book, I indicated I wanted a book about bicycling in Germany and Austria. I did not manage to get a thorough look at the index, but saw some rivers & towns mentioned and assumed that the book would cover the area that I was interested in.... it does not!



2. This guide provides two things that I really like and miss in other guides, off the beaten path sites/activities and adjustable itineraries based on the length of your trip. This book provides itineraries of what to do, what to see, how to do it and in what order. I highly recommend this book along with a standard "travel" guide for those occasions that you stray from his "plans". The days we followed his "guided" tours exactly, were the days my family enjoyed the most. We have been to Austria/Germany several times before this last trip when we used Rick's book. This book is like having a tour planned for you for $20 instead of thousands.



3. We used this book to travel to southern Germany and Austria this past summer. We visited the medieval towns along the German Romantic Road including Rothenburg. At Mad King Ludwig's castle, we were surrounded by a sea of Rick Steves' guidebooks. Rick's tips were helpful as always. My only quibble with the book was the estimated drive times between destinations were very optimistic.



4. If you go anywhere without a Rick Steves book you are missing out. It has great directions, maps, and information about tourist attractions as well as restaurants and tours of the city. I would imagine a younger person would like more information about nightlife. Young or Old, the traveler will get tons of information for sites and dinning. Wouldn't go to Germany without it.



5. On our two week trip, the book was always with us. Being originally from Berlin, I still needed the updates form my time. In the Rhine and Bavaria areas we just followed Rick's advise and had a great time.

5 comments about Time Out Berlin (Time Out Guides).

1. Time Out's 320-page guide is both compact & comprehensive. I've used it to plan a visit to Berlin & will be in a much better position to assess how well its savvy-sounding advice pans out in actual practice after I've put it to the test. If Rimmer's opinions turn out being ill-informed, I'll post an update. So far, I'm satisfied that for $13 I got good value for money.



2. I bought this guide before going to Berlin to study German for a summer. I had no experience with Time Out guides before this, but I just knew I was sick of the bland and sometimes out of date recommendations I kept getting from Lonely Planet guides and ready for something new. Well, what a great decision--I lived in Berlin for 11 weeks, and this guide was the only thing I ever needed. Ideal for the 20-40ish crowd, it definitely has a younger, more hip (or maybe "cosmopolitan" is a better way to describe it) focus than any guide I'd encountered before, and I loved that. For one thing, because of that kind of focus, I found all these great, inexpensive "art hotels" listed in the book, and the experience of staying in those amazingly unique hotels absolutely made my trip.
   
   The guide also has great suggestions for fun bars and clubs, restaurants and cafes, shopping, and English-language bookstores. The history and sightseeing sections were thorough and fascinating to read, there's a section on the city's fabulously modern architecture, and there's a great guide to museums and art galleries. There are also sections on music (classical and opera), things to do in Berlin with children, sports and fitness, gay and lesbian Berlin, day trips (Potsdam, etc.), overnight trips (Dresden, Leipzig, etc.), and even a section on visiting Hamburg or Prague. Especially important is the guide's directory, which provides basic information about everything from the climate, to driving in Berlin, to health care providers, to public toilets. The vegetarian restaurant suggestions (important to me, personally) were reasonably ample, but as it turned out I mostly lived off falafel from street vendors anyway.
   
   My copy is tattered and written all over after almost three months of continuous use, and I never found a single mistake in the book. Berlin has so many treasures, and this guide helps you to the best of them all. Highly recommended!



3. I was in Berlin for two weeks, and this guide helped a lot. Its not a heavy book, easy to carry in a day bag, and all the tips for sightseeing etc were helpful.



4. I chose this over the other guides for my recent trip to Berlin based on the reviews here. Normally I use Let's Go! or Lonely Planet guides. The layout took getting used to: it's arranged by category (hotels, restaurants, sights, etc) then by district within the category.
   
   The biggest complaint I have with the book is that it's not targeted at the on-a-budget traveler. It was hard to find restaurants listed that were inexpensive - maybe 1 out of every 3 or 2 of 5 was less than 10 E for meals.
   
   Also, the book has no mention of the (frequent!) German holidays, when businesses and museums have altered or no opening hours.
   
   But it helped me in planning out what I wanted to see, so it wasn't a total wash.



5. This is the best guide for you if you've think you've outgrown the Lonely Planet books or aren't getting enough detail and insight from the Eyewitness Guide. The color pics and maps outdo the LP guide and the variety of touristy and off-beat sites beat the EWG. While LP is best for the younger/collegiate, budget traveler and EWG is great for broad overviews in a colorful format, the Time Out is the ideal prep for a grown-up trip to Berlin and even better to have in your pocket.

5 comments about The German Way : Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and Customs in the German-Speaking World.

1. I really enjoy this book. The average tourist may not get as much from it, if only passing through. I am an American, living in Germany. I found much of the book incredibly helpful. Yes, some sections are dated with the intro of the Euro, but it's true, stores close by 1800, some open til 2000. Nothing open on Sunday, except at the train station.
   
   Highly recommended if you will be living or travelling for an extended time!



2. This slim volume presents dozens of aspects of German culture. For example, why do Germans value privacy? Why do they always close windows when they feel a draft? I definitely learned a lot from this book. My only complaints is that it could have gone a little more in depth about the causes of German behavior. Also, this book is a little out of date. It was published in the 90's, so there is a lot of talk about Marks rather than Euros, and you read a lot about the reunification of Germany, which is not as hot a topic as it was in the 90's. Even with these weak points, I think you'll be able to learn a lot. I wish that the author would release a more up-to-date version, though.



3. Just to let everyone who is reading this know, I was assigned this book for a class I took while studying abroud throughout Europe. I was specifically interested in using this book for information on Austria. Here's what I think:
   The book wonderful for providing a reader/traveler with basic information about the three predominately speaking German countries. It is broken down in a form that a reader of any age can comprehend. Hyde Flippo simplified the navigation process by putting the chapters in alphabetical order and not the order of importance. The book does a good job of briefing a reader on Germany, Austria and Switzerland--giving very basic information and history on each country. Some of the specifc topics covered in the book include climate, culture, family, gestures, transportation, money, communication, etc. Germany clearly appeared to be the main focus of this book, and seeing as how I personally was looking for information on Austria, I did not find it to be quite as helpful.
   The book was published in 1997 and again in 1999, and after reading it anyone should notice that it is very outdated. The book talks about currency as the Austrian schilling and the German marks, yet both countries have converted to the Euro over five years ago. It presents information in a manner that is too brief for one to actually benefit from or sustain a substantial amount of knowledge after reading. The book is written very factually, and consequently has little or no enthusiasm present. Additionally, it is difficult to read from start to finish. However, it would serve as a good guide and is a quick and easy reference to virtually anything one could want to know about the German-speaking world. Therefore, I would only recommend this book to anyone who may be traveling to Germany in the near future.



4. This is a great book even though it is ten
   
   years old and slightly outdated. It gives
   
   really good information on everything from
   
   shopping to food. You will surprised on how
   
   different the United States is from Germany.
   
   
   .Skurvy.



5. This book is loaded with pertinent details, and the information is presented in a readable, interesting style. The book is well organized so that you can use it to reference particular subjects, like dining, public transportation, the government, etc., or you can read it like a book, chapter by chapter. Very well done. Inside Germany would have been a great title too! I discovered many new things that should have been apparent to someone who has lived in Germany as long as I have.

2 comments about Berlin Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay).

1. This book is a good size, and photos are given full priority on each page. It's kept nice and simple with old on the left, new on the right, and with just as much informed commentary as you'd need running along beneath.
   
   Only a few of the 'then' pics are from the 50s and 60s; the majority show the Berlin streets as they were before the devastation of the Second World War, and as such are as fascinating as looking at pictures of ancient Rome.
   
   An excellent book from an excellent series.



2. All I can say is awesome.I did a now and then tour of Berlin last year in October and I can only wish that I had the book with me then. There is nothing like knowing where you stand if you are a history buff on ww2 like I am. Going over to do the Bulge at the end of April. Berlin Then and Now is money well spent.
   Greg
   greg@54.co.za

5 comments about Streetwise Budapest Map - Laminated City Street Map of Budapest, Hungary - with integrated metro map including lines and stations.

1. It's a good map but considering that most people will take public transport and see the well marked general tourist atractions, you don't really need it. It gets two stars as it's a good map but not really required for a trip to Budapest.



2. The map is nice but does not cover the entire city. If you are serious about traveling in Hungary, you probably need to go to Europe to get a good enough map. This isn't it. I wrote them asking if they had a better map and they didn't even answer.



3. An excellent map - easy to read and to fold. Highly recommended.



4. I purchased this map for a friend that was visiting Budapest this summer. I was fairly disapointed to find that it was only the map along the river and missed out of the major atractions in Budapest. Where's the castle, Heros square, Parliment, or the historic bath house spas.
   The delivery was fast and efficient. I had very high expectations having just visited Budapest with a Hugarian guide to show the hot spots.



5. The problem with this map is that in trying to be so small it limits its usefulness. You can't track a whole trip on one page, or easily find a street by name. I should have learned my lesson about these Streetwise maps by now.