4 comments about CH is for Chocolate: Individually Wrapped Tastes of Switzerland.

1. Author Mary Ann does a great job bringing her experience in Switzerland to the reader in bite sized episodes. Whether it involves encounters at airport security in her stocking feet, or sledding down the Matterhorn, or milking plastic cows at the cheese festival, or exploring the dungeons that imprisoned her ancestors, her engaging and humorous style makes the moment live. Her Amish background combined with her academic training makes the book both credible and an easy read. It is a keeper!



2. Traveling is almost always a delightful experience, and Mary Ann Miller's writing captures just that sense of adventure and curious observation that embodies the thrill of a new place. Her episodes will make you laugh and further allow you to appreciate the cultural richness that has developed over hundreds of years in the heart of Europe. Miller's academic background is clearly evident in her succinct analyses of the people, customs, and history, though she blends just the right amount of playful humor to make this compilation a pure joy to read.



3. What a cultural delight!!! As an Emmentaler born and raised in the Kanton Bern, then emigrating to the U.S., I shed more than one tear as I was unwrapping each precious nugget to rediscover what I had been taking for granted during my time growing up in Switzerland. I highly recommend this cultural masterpiece to all Swiss, Swiss living Abroad, as well as all Friends of Switzerland! Mary Ann Miller, through her work, has masterfully managed to interlace the new world with the old. This masterpiece will be "mandatory" reading for my children!



4. I've never been to Switzerland, but after reading "CH is for Chocolate" I feel as if I've shared the journey with the author. The journal entry style derived from her newspaper columns really gives a nice taste of each experience and location through which the author travels.
   
   The photographs are great and stick closely to the subject matter. The entries go from the comedic to historical solemnity without getting overly serious. The light tone of the book makes you feel as if the author is writing home to tell you how her trip is going and how she really feels about it.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to get an honest and thoughtful view of Swiss history, food, and culture, while avoiding the typical visit-this-town-while-you're-there tone of traditional travel books.

No comments about Switzerland (Eyewitness Travel Guide).

1 comments about the bernese alps (a walker's guide).

1. I was hiking 8 days in the bernese alps, and this book is almost perfect for it.
   almost - because all of its trips are day trips, but it has in its end a multi-day tours combination (from the 1 day tours) - one of them I did. (Meiringen - Griesalp).
   
   The book is very detailed, and also points out to the problems in the extraordinary marked swiss paths.
   
   one other thing I missed in it, is the lack of map (or drawing) with all the trips of that area.
   
   last thing: since this is not the swiss pass route book, maybe there was a place for more details on the villages them self, and\or attractions in them. (the example I have in mind is the Trümmelbach waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen")
   
   Overall - I am very happy with it and recommend it highly.
   
   one last thing: for the swiss pass route, there are excellent sites with lots of details, which might make this book redundant.

No comments about 100 Hut Walks In The Alps (Cicerone Mountain Walking).

4 comments about Trekking and Climbing in the Western Alps (Trekking & Climbing Series).

1. nice price for a book detailing 22 different Alpine treks. Ms. Sharp includes practical "how to" information on each trek, as well as essentials on technical peaks that are accessible along the way. Her knowledge and love of the Alps is obvious from the text, and the photos are a real motivator to get over to Europe and do them all. Printed on high quality paper, this is a useful take-along resource for anyone who wants to include some adventure in a visit to Europe. Highly recommended.



2. An excellent book that will appeal equally to walkers and climbers.The selection is wide and varied and the format is easy to follow.A detailed and thorough first hand knowledge is much in evidence and the writer does a great job in promoting The Alps.One suspects that there will be more books to follow from this author.I am planning to do the Chamonix--Zermatt trek this summer and Hilary`s description makes it all the more enticing.I can`t wait to get there!!



3. I have perused many guide books on the Alps, but this is the best one for planning a trip. Why? 1.Instead of unintelligible maps and chunks of incomprehensible prose, this guide has clear maps and concise descriptions (plus good pictures) that help you decide which trip is right for you. 2.The author includes a great range of hikes, from day trips to 2-3 days to longer treks. Also summit climbing routes on mountains from easy to moderate difficulty, plus snowshoe hikes for winter. 3. Unlike guide books that are only about getting from point A to B, this one has a lot of really interesting information about the history, flowers, wildlife, architecture, and culture of the alps. It's a complete package for planning a great trip.



4. I ordered this before Christmas and still have not received it.

4 comments about Streetwise Zurich Map - Laminated City Street Map of Zurich, Switzerland - with integrated metro map featuring tram, bus, train, and cable car lines and stations.

1. I happen to like city maps, and tend to feel a bit lost if I don't have a city map riding in my backpack. However, having recently returned from Switzerland, I found that all 6 of the Swiss cities I traveled to, had free city maps "stadtplans" both at the hotels I was staying at and more importantly at the tourist information offices. Fortunately most of these tourist information offices are located inside the main train stations, so if you are planning on traveling Switzerland by rail and arriving in towns during normal business hours, you'll be able to get free stadtplans. I ended up folding my free paper maps in my back pocket and wandering around (in fact, in Zurich and Lausanne I ended up wandering off the maps).
   
   That said, the Streetwise map was still instrumental in my pre-trip planning phase. I used the map to locate the potential hotels I was booking for myself on-line. The map did allow me to get a good feel for how close to the train station and main tourist sites the various hotels were, and most importantly, if I couldn't find an address on the map, I chose to not book that hotel. While I could have also used an on-line service to view the maps, I've found that sometimes US based maps make mistakes in smaller European cities.
   
   Zurich is a small enough city, that you honestly will not need a city map. Furthermore, I was also able to get excellent directions from locals in a mixture of English / German. But I'm still happy I have the map, as I now pull out the map laminated map and use it to point out where my Zurich adventures took me to my family and friends. It makes a nice addition to my Lonely Planet Frankfurt and Paris maps. It is small, sturdy, and water proof. For my next vacation, I'll look for more Streetwise city maps.



2. Terrific pocket map. Ordered same for all of the major cities we visited in Europe.



3. Map is very useful for the immediate downtown section of the city. It doesn't show the business areas to the north of the downtown, We found it usewful.



4. The Streetwise Zurich map folds accordian style, which makes it much easier to pull out and look at with one hand. It's waterproof and creaseproof too. This is my third Streetwise map and I don't think it will be the last one I buy.

No comments about Walking Easy: in the Swiss and Austrian Alps.

4 comments about Take Your Kids to Europe, 7th: How to Travel Safely (and Sanely) in Europe with Your Children (Take Your Kids to Europe).

1. The payoff for reading Cynthia Harriman's "Take Your Kids to Europe" carefully is tremendous. We have a five-week trip to Europe coming up and our copy if already getting dog-eared from overreading. This guidebook is different and better. Most "what to do with the kids overseas" books are filled with things you already instinctively knew - i.e. your kid will like Legoland and here is how to get there and the hours it's open. Harriman's guide acknowledges there is more to a successful family trip than just picking the right things to see, and she uses the reactions of her own actual kids to back up her suggestions. For example, she is a master of managing family dynamics on a trip. Here are a few of her suggestions:
   
   1) Everybody wants to do something different, and nobody likes to compromise. It's just about impossible to agree, so Harriman suggests a "leader of the day" system - each member of the family gets a day or part of a day to pick what the "team" will do, where it will eat. Everybody gets to do some of their favorites eventually. This takes some self-discipline on the part of the parents - if the kids want to spend the morning by the pool, you'll have to agree - but you'll get to see that church you want to see in the afternoon.
   
   2) You are looking for family togetherness but in fact that much togetherness can be stressful. For example, your teenager is all about independence. Go ahead and let said teenager hang out alone in the hotel room for an afternoon if that's what she needs. You and your spouse will argue about giving directions; Harriman encourages you to loosen up and learn about each other.
   
   3) Harriman has a lot of good suggestions about how to make a lengthy trip affordable, and gives good suggestions for budgeting in advance.
   
   In additional to general advice, Harriman shows excellent good sense in sections on what attractions to see - she's frank about things the kids were underwhelmed by (most chateaus just aren't as interesting as you'd think to a 9-year-old), and points out things that are actually more fun than they would sound on paper. So rather than 50 kid-oriented attractions in a country (like other books), all presented with equal breathless interest, she might have 20 - 15 her kids really liked (and why), and 5 they didn't like.
   
   Harriman does not recommend many specific hotels and restaurants (there are other sources for those), so you may find you supplement this book with others. But you can't do without this one - I really love it.



2. This book has great ideas on dealing with budgets, luggage, etc. I especially like that they were keen on the idea of an 'extended' stay in Europe e.g., several weeks, and provided some sound examples of how it really doesn't cost much more to do that if you're willing to be flexible with accomodations & meals.
   
   I lived in Europe for several pre-teen and teenage years, and we travelled widely. At the time I was always amazed at the number of people who take these "8 countries in 2 weeks" style tour packages -- the pace is so hectic there's no time to enjoy or experience the places, and they are wholly unsuitable for children.
   
   The book is also good at pointing out attractions that would appeal to kids, which is helpful since most guidebooks focus on the 'serious' sites that kids would find less appealing.



3. We live in London, and travel every chance we have. This book provides great ideas for structuring trips and helping children enjoy the sights and experiences. It's a good companion for families planning European vacations. I am very glad to have this information and always review it before we travel.



4. This book is indeed a godsend for parents. Although it's geared to Western Europe, over half the book focuses on universal tips that would also be helpful in Turkey or Transylvania, such as how to get kids to try different foods or appreciate museums. I loved this book, and found the author's advice invaluable when I took my two daughters to Europe.

1 comments about Swiss Bernese Oberland - New 4th Edition - A Travel Guide with Specific Trips to the Mountains, Lakes and Villages with New Section Walk Zurich by Philip and Loretta Alspach (Paperback April 2008).

1. A beautiful landscape like no other, unlikely to be topped anywhere in Europe - "Swiss Bernese Oberland: A Travel Guide with Specific Trips to the Mountains, Lakes, and Villages" is a complete and comprehensive guide covering this gorgeous region. Focusing on the needs of the independent traveler, with advice on catching a train through the highest track in the world, hiking through the snowy yet beautiful world, plodding through the cold freshwater lakes, all leading to one of the prettiest sites of all - the sun setting on the snowcapped mountains. Enhanced with over forty full color pictures, countless maps and suggested itineraries, "Swiss Bernese Oberland: A Travel Guide with Specific Trips to the Mountains, Lakes, and Villages" is a must for any traveler who wants to plan a sensual overload in their trip through nature when going through this region, and for community library travel collections.

No comments about Karen Browns Switzerland Exceptional Places 2008: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries 2008 (Karen Brown's Switzerland Charming Inns & Itineraries).