1 comments about Fodor's Switzerland, 44th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. If you like doing your own walking tours of cities, this book has many detailed itineraries. Also good on logistics, like getting in to town from the airport.

No comments about Walking in the Alps (Walking).

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 Also, this book is a little out of date.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.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Germany, Austria, and Switzerland Map: Including Berlin, Munich, Salzburg and Vienna City (Rick Steves).

1. I am generally a fan of the Rick Steves series and just wrote a glowing review of the Paris 2004 guidebook. But this particular entry is simply too much crammed into too small of a space. Germany deserves its own guidebook, and in fact, there are cities in Germany that probably deserve their own guidebook. By lumping all of Germany, Austria and Switzerland together, Steves fails to go into the kind of great detail about any one destination that makes the Paris 2004 book such a winner.
   
   In usual Rick Steves form, this book attempts to answer the questions that you probably wouldn't think to ask before being on the ground in an unfamiliar land, e.g. how to buy train tickets, what the street signs mean, wie sagt man "ATM Machine" auf Deutsch, etc. And it is for this reason that I recommend these books, especially to first-time travellers who are going without a seasoned veteran to guide them.
   
   I ended up travelling around Germany and Austria without using this book much. I bought an ADAC map of the Autobahn and drove around, taking in the various little Alpen towns and having a great time. But when I made it to Salzburg at the end of my trip, Rick Steves once again proved to be a helpful guide and I used his walking tours to navigate the city, and although I ignored his advice about the quality of different sights, I had a blast and I think the helpful tips and navigation aids in this book can get most of the credit for that.



2. Before I moved to Germany from the States I received this book from a friend of my mother's who had spent a few years attending university in Spain and said that Rick Steve's books were what everyone at the university used. Since moving to Germany this book has been great. I carry it around with me whenever we travel because it has so much valuable information.
   
   Some of the other reviews have been extremely negative, but as someone who uses the book on a regular basis and actually lives in the country, I know that this book is great. It is less expensive than others and it gives great suggestions for places to stay. He does spend more time with Berlin and Munich, but considering these are two of the largest cities that have long histories, it only makes sense. The hotel suggestions are great, the last time we were in Berlin we opted to choose our own place that was less expensive. It was neat with all the Bears around (it was called the Bearliner), but it smelled. So, if you plan on travelling to Germany I really suggest getting this book.



3. This was the very first travel book - my mother in law bought it for me right after we were stationed in Germany 6 years ago. I'm still using the 2001 version (yes, I know that's bad!) but it's gotten me all over! The simplified maps and the hotel recommendations have kept my trips easy and fun.
   --Vicki Landes, author of "Europe For The Senses - A Photographic Journal"



4. First and foremost, to clarify, this product that you are supposedly reading reviews for is Rick Steves' MAP of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It appears that the other reviews are of Rick Steves' guidebooks! Again, this product is NOT one of Rick Steves' famous guidebooks (which I would always rate as 5 stars, incidentally!). This map is very basic; don't count on using it to find your way around a country or city. Only the major cities and towns are marked. Likewise, in the city maps of Berlin, Munich, Salzburg and Vienna, only the major thoroughfares are mapped. You should use this map only as a reference to his guidebook of the region to plan your trip. You will want to get a 'real' map that's much more detailed, e.g. Michelin, when you arrive. Best part of this map? The cool water resistant paper on which it is printed. Especially if you have small children who are apt to spill liquid, as mine did on Day One upon receiving it from Amazon!



5. I got this thinking it would get me started on planning my trip to Europe. I had a list of things I wanted to see. When I got the map I was so happy to see that all the tourist attractions were ALREADY MARKED on the map! They were clearly labeled and easy to locate and read. Great product...well worth the money!

No comments about Michelin Germany: Benelux, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic: Tourist and Motoring Atlas (Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas : Germany, Austria, Benelux, Switzerland, Czech Republic (Spiral)).

2 comments about Michelin Map Switzerland/Suisse (Michelin).

1. The map arrived quickly, and in the very good condition it had been marketed as. Smooth transaction.



2. arrived in a timely way. The map is all that I hoped it would be. Easy to read yet with detail.

4 comments about Sweden (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. I usually like Eyewitness Travel Guides, and this "Sweden" issue was also as useful as the others I have owned. I am glad Stockholm has its own chapter and in great detail. The scenery pictures are nice, and graphics explaining detailed floor plans of buildings and museums are very useful. The pictures alone are enough to make me want to go there! I also like the Traveler's Needs section, especially the accomodation divided in categories of location and price. Although accomodation nowadays is easy to find from the internet, Eyewitness has saved me a lot of precious time trying to compare each hotel between websites. I would recommend anyone who is going to Sweden to get this book. You will get all the information you need, and more!



2. No matter where you wander, the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides are the best guides to introduce you to a region. Color illustrations, great maps, with a focus on really neat things to do and places to see. This one is no exception. Although we are frequent visitors to Sweden (bought this as a gift), we still found much that was new and fascinating in it.



3. This guide is the best I've found. Descriptions are very clear. Myriad photos and illustrations give a real advance tour of the country. Maps are excellent. The transportation section clarifies potentially confusing directions for trains, roads, ferries. There's an excellent word list (with pronunciation) in back of the book. Outlined by provinces, it's easy to tell the sort of towns one might want to visit. Our time will be limited, so we will need to plan our trip to Sweden carefully. This book is a big help.



4. All of the eyecandy we expect from eyewitness guides. Some once-over-lightly background (not what I'd call in-depth) - most useful, from this perspective, as a decision tool before you've decided to go. Look elsewhere for real help in planning.

3 comments about Switzerland (Country Guide).

1. Lonely Planet's guide to Switzerland was extremely helpful while travelling to the country. Great detail and updated information on items such as hours of operations and costs were extremely helpful. Additionally, information on excursions such as to Vaduz, Liechtenstein was very up-to-date and an easy read.



2. I recently found myself contemplating a trip to Basel and, never having been there before and, knowing I would be alone without even a gendarme to ask questions of, nor another human being, I thought I should find a Basel guidebook. Amazingly enough it seems there is no such thing available on Amazon so I went with this larger book, which deals with all of Switzerland--in fact, nearly all of Western culture in one fell swoop.
   
   The authors of LONELY PLANET SWITZERLAND have convinced me for the present at any rate that Switzerland (Helvetia) is the most important country on planet earth, not that they suggest we rank countries by importance or anything. It is a handy guide in the sense that physically, the book is constructed so that you could rip out, as I did, the section on Basel and Aargau, and throw the rest of the book away, and the pages you need form a complete little fascicle, due to an amazing new wonder glue that holds different little chapbooksized sections together until you don't need them together any more. Thus armed with my guide, I went to Basel. The authors share not only hotels, restaurants, and train stations, they go all out to make you feel like you can do it too. I learned how to use the phone, where to shop for lampshades, how to buy a single stamp, where the best (and worst) Swiss-Indian cafes are, and what famous medieval scholar is buried in the tombs inside Munster cathedral. Why Erasmus of course!
   
   They have cute sidebars like Basel's most famous guy, Albert Hoffman, still alive at age 102 or something like that--the man who invented LSD.
   
   Later, I met a pair of Basellienne poets, one American born, one educated in the USA, who showed me their Basel, a charming tour of tombs, elevators, shops and bridges, culminating in a magical ferry boat ride across the Rhine from Big Basel to small. The afternoon was clear, like a glass of vodka, and I felt positively drunk with knowledge as I looked across the water and seemed to see my own back, walking away, mever to return.



3. This book was the first item to land in my backpack whenever I left my apartment during the year I spent living in Bern, Switzerland. Like most Lonely Planet guides, this one is well-written, entertaining, and generally accurate and up-to-date.
   Things I found helpful:
   - The suggested walking tours of cities are great for a quick orientation of the place.
   - Brief context and history about locations gives you about the same information as your average tourist brochure, but more concise and convenient.
   - Hiking routes are briefly mentioned with sufficient detail, but for any extended hiking, I would highly recommend Lonely Planet Walking in Switzerland.
   - Information on the best value in train passes and train routes makes eco-friendly travel easy.
   - The section on Liechtenstein is a nice addition since many treat it as a day trip from Switzerland.
   Considering that Lonely Planet typically caters to budget travelers, I was surprised to see how many upscale hotels it includes for some locations. Overall, the book provides something for everyone and is useful for both short trips and extended exploration of the country.
   Mary Ann Miller, author of CH is for Chocolate: Individually Wrapped Tastes of Switzerland

5 comments about Rick Steves' Switzerland (Rick Steves).

1. Rick Steves continues to provide great travel books. The Switzerland 2007 book, like all his other books, tell you everything you need to know to help you plan a trip to Switzerland. He tells you all about the typical tourist sites but he goes farther than that. Rick tells you how to find the "backdoor" locations. These are usually small towns or lesser known attractions that the average tourist would probably not be aware of if it wasn't for Rick's books. One backdoor that he mentions in this book is the small quaint town of Gimmelwald which is close to Interlaken. Visiting towns like Gimmelwald gets you out of the big cities and shows you what life in Switzerland is really like. He also recommends hotels and restaurants that are affordable and full of charm. I travel as often as I can and always read Rick Steves books before I go. You can trust what he says and what he recommends. He has not lead me wrong yet! Buy this book and you will not regret it.



2. I like Rick Steves's approach to travel, and much of this book is helpful. BUT: He purposely, and dismissively, leaves out the entire city of Geneva, calling it "boring." Well, when you're basing your trip in Geneva, that's not really news you can use. I think Steves's success has gone to his head -- this level of opinionated advice is useless at best, irresponsible at worst. If you want a comprehensive guide to Switzerland, try Fodor's.



3. This is the most interesting guide book as is all of Rick Steve's books. A friend planned their trip to Switzerland using this book and their trip was everything they hoped for. I have used the same book to plan my upcoming trip to Switzerland.



4. I'm a Rick Steves fan. In our yearly vacations to Europe, his books were always the most accurate, detailed and useful.
   But this one is really different, as if there is some (political? commercial?) agenda behind it - for example -
   - Gimmelwald as the center of the Bernese Oberland alps? Are you insane? A vilage with two BB and no restaurants... Is someone reviewing these books?
   - And Grindelwald (there) is only mentioned as a side comment while it is the largest resort in that area.
   Not even mentioning that Geneva is poorly covered (not interesting...). And these are only the items I've seen until now.
   If you are going to Switzerland, specially if focusing on the Bernese Oberland, do yourself a favor and don't buy this book. Don't even read it because you will only get confused, specially if you used to believe Rick Steves.



5. I bought this book because I am planning a trip to Geneva--but Geneva is completely omitted from the book! It is not even listed in the index. Buying this book was a waste of time and money for me.

5 comments about Switzerland (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. Ideal for people who are going to Switzerland or for people who want to pretend they are going to Switzerland to impress a lady.



2. I'm not a seasoned or jaded traveler ... yet! So a comprehensive travel guide is critical to my preparation for a trip and a great way of post-filling information and details into some of the holes or places that I might have missed or had to rush through when I was actually on the trip. Along with photographs and trip journals, they're also a wonderful way to resurrect detailed memories of a trip long after you've returned home.
   
   Eyewitness Travel Guides seem to have the market beat by a long margin! That's not to say that Lonely Planet, Frommer, Michelin or the Blue and Green Guides miss the mark entirely but the Eyewitness series, in general, seems to be more informative. The photographs and illustrations instill a higher degree of keen anticipation and provide a better means of choosing in advance between a world of competing destinations and alternative tourist attractions.
   
   Their guide to Switzerland, in particular, was astonishingly accurate and complete - history, food, travel, hotels, geography, destinations, estimated costs, highlights, outdoor activities - every last one of them spot on and accurately described from the perspective of an actual trip through St Moritz, Lucerne, the Bernina Pass to Tirano, Italy and Interlaken. Even now the photographs of Swiss cuisine and cheese can set my mouth to watering!
   
   One noteworthy omission that my traveling companion and I discovered by accident - Switzerland offers a museum pass for 30 Swiss francs that will give admission for one month to virtually every museum in the country. That's a remarkable offer given that the countryside is positively littered with a host of attractive museums, castles and attractions most of which charge a 5 to 10 franc admission. We learned that little tidbit from the concierge of the Palace Lucerne Hotel - kudos to the hotel for over the top service and a great piece of advice!
   
   With that one small suggestion for addition to future editions, the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Switzerland easily earns a five-star review. And Switzerland, by the bye, is certainly a delicious five-star travel destination!
   
   Paul Weiss



3. I had purchased a similar book for my son about France to help him with his French language courses in high school. I ended up spending more time with it than he did, and when I saw the other country titles, I decided to purchase a few more. The Switzerland book is excellent in that it condenses a lot of information into a very portable volume. The photos and illustrations are fabulous and the background historical and cultural information is superb. The listing of accomodations and restaurants also appears to be very well researched and provides a starting point for further Internet research. My favorite part of Switzerland is the Bernese Oberland, and this book provides a genuine sense of what it is really like. I can definitely benefit from this book on future travel to Switzerland. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about the country, as well as for experienced travellers. Well done to the authors, editors, and publisher!



4. Pros: this guidebook has lots of pictures and gives lots of information region by region, detailed cut-outs of major historical buildings. I also found the pictures in the survival guide section useful, where they describe the various Swiss dishes and food/drink products.
   
   Cons: no information on how to get to different places by train (e.g. from Interlaken to Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch). I understand the guide cannot list train numbers and times, but at least it could have described how to, for example, get from Luzern to Mt. Titlis by train. Train travel is a big part of the Switzerland experience so this seems like a big omission. There's also not much information on hiking, even though this is a very popular country with hikers. An overview map of hiking trails would have been useful. However, there are other guides that cover hiking so this is a minor omission by comparison.



5. We had one week in Geneva and this guide pretty much explained everything there was to see. Well written, easy to use, very well organized, it was possible to get a handle on any large Swiss city in about 30 minutes.