CZECH & SLOVAK REPUBLICS
Lonely Planet, 150 Linden Street, Oakland, CA 94607. Price: $22.99

This 5 x 7 1/2” 496-page softcover book is well organized to give the reader a quick—or exhausting—look at these two adjacent republics which lie north and east of Vienna, and are squarely located in the middle of Europe. Both countries joined the European Union in 2004.

Family is the center of most everyone in these two countries: Czech Republic has 10.2 million people and Slovakia has 5.35 million. Big cities the average person would recognize in these countries include Prague and Bratislava. “If you envisage the mystical Gothic buildings of Prague’s historic center, you’re not alone,” the introduction reads. “In two compact countries you can climb eerie sandstone rock formations, hike alpine slopes, enjoy what some argue to be the world’s best beer, soak in a hot spring spa, watch swordplay by firelight at a medieval castle, and down a shot of slivovitz (plum brandy) with the locals.”

The book offers information on itineraries, history, culture, environment issues, outdoor activities, food and drink, as well as numerous sections on the larger cities and areas of each country, There are also sections on transportation, health concerns and language. In fact, there are sections for subjects that you probably didn’t realize you needed, but that is the sign of a good guidebook.

“Spectacular landscapes dotted with the ruins of audaciously located castles make this maze of sandstone ‘rock towns’ and basalt volcanic fingers a rugged contrast to the prettified backdrops found elsewhere in Bohemia,” reads a paragraph in the East Bohemia section. To point out the extensive detail the guidebook provides, it goes on to say, “The sandstone formations at Prachovske skaly are renowned through Europe for rock climbing. Your best source of local information is Hudy Sport in Jicin which hires all necessary gear including harnesses, karabiners, ropes and helmets.

There are maps to show the railways of the countries, driving distance chart, helpful language phrases to learn, information about postal rates, shopping, legal matters, a list of embassies and consulates--even a section on mountain huts for the adventurous. There is also a nice selection of city maps to guide you and a tip for Bratislava: while away the hours at one of the many street cafes in the ‘rabbit warren’ old town.

For the larger cities, a list of attractions is given along with a number which locates that attraction for you on the accompanying map. Festivals are also listed with the months they are held, and suggested walking tours are offered.

In all, a handy and helpful guidebook for these two not-yet-mobbed-with-tourist countries.

 

KAREN BROWN’S SWITZERLAND
Distributed by National Book Network and available in bookstores. Price:
$19.95.

Karen Brown has a clever way of writing about the
special places she’s visited and stayed at over the
years. In her book Karen Brown’s Switzerland (2007),
she writes about exceptional places to stay and offers
itineraries for this beautiful country.

“From the Blausee, continue to Kanderstag, a small
village tucked at the end of a box canyon where the
only means of further transportation is to put your
car onto one of the trains that tunnel through the
mountains. Although this suggested itinerary goes on
to Zermatt, if you have time to linger, Kanderstag is
an idyllic place to spend a few days...Kanderstag
nestles in a flower-strewn meadow dramatically
embraced by towering Alpine peaks,” she writes.

Makes you want to buy an airline ticket right now and find this
place.

And another review: “The Hotel Edelweiss (Blatten im
Lotschental) is right in the center of town with a
glorious position overlooking the valley and up to
mountains. The exterior of the hotel is very
appealing: a three-story chalet-style house with a
dark wood facade, balconies and window boxes with
cascading red geraniums.”

Between the accommodations and the itineraries listed,
travelers can virtually plan an entire trip with this
one book. For European travelers, Karen has published
a number of travel guides, all similiar, for France;
Italy; Germany; Austria; Ireland; and England, Wales
and Scotland, as well as several more specialized
books for European destinations.

This 278-page 7” x 7” softbound with color covers is
an ideal way to cover a lot of territory when you’re
searching for just the right spot to stay, and the
right places to see, without spending days and weeks
scouting out locations. Brown has done the legwork for
you. The overnight accommodations have been personally
selected, and each is chosen for its ambiance. There
are overnight lodging ideas in categories for
budget-minded travelers as well as for those who enjoy
deluxe stays.

The book features a color map of Switzerland and six
additional regional maps showing five recommended
travel routes as well as train, boat and bus
adventures.

The front portion of the book is devoted to describing
general travel information in the regions covered
(everything from making telephone calls to currency
and car rentals to reminding you to bring along an
electric converter). It also describes attractions,
walking tours, museums, boat trips and other things to
do to make your trip fun and exciting.

Besides elongated paragraphs describing the 90 hotels
and pensions in this book, there is a nice pen and ink
sketch of each hotel listed, as well as contact
information, and other operational details of the
hotels/pensions.

Karen wrote her first travel book in 1976, so she’s had
plenty of experience in finding just the right
accommodations that offer a bit more to the traveler.

ITALIAN PHRASE BOOK AND CD

Penguin Publishing
Company (DK), 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014.
Price: $7.00.

This 4 x 5 1/2” 144-page perfectbound book is divided
into chapters with titles such as Everyday Phrases,
Colloquialisms, Days/Months/Seasons, Numbers, Time,
Eating Out, Stores and Services, Emergencies and
Health, among others.

The book begins, “The pronunciation of an Italian word is very similar to the way it is written.” And once you progress beyond “Si” for “yes and “Come sta?” (how are you?), you can start to tackle the 2,000-word English-Italian dictionary located at the back of the book.

Now a book is great, but an additional helpful guide
that comes with this book is a 70-minute DVD which
guides you through the book, beginning with the easy
phrasing. This gives you a good foundation for the
later, harder words and phrases. The CD features easy
to hear and follow narration, and likely cuts the
time by half that it would take to learn Italian.

This doesn’t mean you don’t have to “work” at learning
Italian or any language: a daily dose of any foreign
language will improve your skills dramatically over time.

I found the book and CD well-thought-out, and the book
is easy to hold if you’re taking it along on your trip
(which you should).

Now let’s see, prego (please) pass the dolci (dessert)
because I need a bit more food after that filetto al
cognac (fillet of beef flambe).

 

A ROUGH GUIDE TO BRUSSELS

Rough Guides, published by
The Penguin Group, www.roughguides.com. Price: $19.99.

I could have used this book before and during my
recent trip to Brussels. All I was thinking about were
the 700 kinds of beers, the delicious dark chocolates
I’d see and taste, and the charm of The Grand-Place,
called one of Europe’s most beautiful squares (it is).

What I would have learned, had this book been in my
hands at the time, was that besides being home of the
European Union and having a street full of men in gray
suits, Brussels offers a dynamic business and pleasure
combination. And you can see most of this if you don’t
get much farther than the city center.

There are wide boulevards and grand mansions in the
Upper Town, while the larger part of the city--the
Lower Town--fans out from the Grand-Place. This 5 x 7
3/4” 298-page softcover guide covers the basics about
getting there, city transportation, crime and personal
safety, traveling with disabilities, the EU quarter,
accommodations, eating and drinking, shopping and
sports, kid’s attractions, festivals and events, and
clubs and live music, among many categories.

Maps and color photographs help depict areas of the
city and attractions that are worthwhile to visit, such
as the Gare du Nord, the Marolles district with its
antique shops and weekly flea market, the Palais
Royal, and the Cathedral, with its Gothic edifice and
beautiful stained-glass windows.

For an enjoyable afternoon, perhaps when it’s raining
(as it often does in Brussels) stop by the Musees Royaux
des Beaux Arts, Belgium’s best collection of fine art,
or visit some of the city’s swankiest shops at the
place du Grand Sablon. Opening and closing times, and
prices of museums and attractions are included in the
book, along with complete information on the public
transportation system of the city and suburbs.

The book says Brussels’ food may rival that of the
cuisine in France, and you’ll want to have a plate
full of moules-frites, of course, a Brussels
favorite. Don’t forget the beer, which the guidebook
recommends with the phrase, “It’s one of the city’s
greatest pleasures.” (The book lists the top 20
Belgium beers.)

The heart of the book is chock-full of so much
information that you’d need several days to read and
digest it all--everything from describing attractions,
to directing you how to find specific spots to where
to go for the best food, shopping and museums. Don’t
forget to see the Manneken Pis on the rue de L’Etuve,
but personally I enjoyed the Belgium waffles on that
street much more.

This book also covers three other Belgium
cities--Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, and Bruges is a
must if you’re in Belgium. Take the time to see it!
But buy this book first, so you know what it’s all
about so you can appreciate it.

 

100 PLACES EVERY WOMAN SHOULD GO.

By Stephanie Elizondo Griest, published by Travelers’ Tales, Palo Alto, 853 Alma Street, California 94301,
telephone 904-310-6274, www.travelerstales.com.
352 pages, softcover.

“Despite its name, Llanddwyn Island is attached to the mainland in all but the highest tides, so is technically not an island. It is, however, a romantic place with endless coastlines, rolling dunes, sea cliffs, salt marches and mud flats.” And so writes Griest in her new book that “points the way to places of inspiration and enlightenment…”

Some of her European trip tips include champagne tours of France; Lesbos, Greece (Greece’s third largest island); County Mayo, Ireland; Amsterdam; and the Czech Republic, among others.

The book encourages women to see what pleases them: she recounts where to go for ice cream, for the sexiest lingerie, for dancing the tango and even surfing sites, places to swim with sea creatures and famed teahouses: not all of these are in Europe, however. In fact, the list of destinations for these activities are far-ranging.

Why go to Sweden? Well, it is the best place to be a woman, she says, because of the number of women who graduate from college, hold a job, win public office and serve as cabinet members.

Morocco, she says, is a “full throttle assault on the senses and there is no better way to put it.” In Essaouira, Morocco, you should explore its bustling souks “tucked within the whitewashed medina, where surprises await behind every azure door.”

It’s a wide, daunting and thrilling world out there, and we could use a bit of direction, she writes. With a good bit of road dust under her nails, and the years flying by, she says traveling with a reason now seems more important than ever.

After this read, you’ll find out what reasons there are to go to places she describes.

FIRST-TIME EUROPE.

Rough Guides, distributed by Penguin Group, 416 pages, $16.99, available in bookstores.

This is a pre-trip guide that offers advice, practical tips, comprehensive country profiles and a full-color introductory section that features a map of Europe, info on the largest countries, the ones with the most rainfall, lowest temperatures, biggest economy (Germany, naturally), and biggest coffee consumers (Finland). Also, it says the Vatican, with .44 square kilometers, is the smallest country in Europe.

This book answers such questions as:

• Where art the best places to go in Europe?
• Ideas of unique things to do in Europe
• Explanation of adventure travel
• When to go and when not to go
• Getting to Europe
• Traveling by train within Europe
  (along with Eurail pass costs)
• Hitchhiking
• Women traveling alone

It also covers discount cards of different kinds, calculating a daily budget, lodging, museums, food, restrooms, changing money, obtaining a passport, and what to take on a trip.

“The Euro may have simplified pricing in Europe, but it hasn’t made your money any safer from theft,” offers the chapter on Carrying Valuables. The book even covers how to ask for help—if you run into a jam-- from your embassy while overseas.

Finally, the book has a detailed index at the rear, and brief but helpful glances at each of the European countries with maps, cost expectations, accommodations, transportation, eating and drinking hints and websites for more information on each country.

This book is a valuable one for those who need a lot of answers and haven’t been able to gather the basic facts about European travel. If you’ve been wanting to go, but just haven’t made up your mind, or have some reservations, this book is very helpful. Europe’s riches are waiting….

Venice Pocket Map & Guide,
$8.99 USA; $8.99 Canada.

This is a 2 3/4" wide x 6" 80-page guide with a pull-out map that illustrates Venice's major sights. The tall, slender guidebook fits in your pocket quite easily. The booklet is divided into sections such as Introducing Venice, Venice Area by Area and Practical Information, along with color photographs that show some of Venice's highlights,
including Basilica San Marco and its details.

In the Castello section, the copy reads, "Castello is the largest sestiere of the city. Its industrial hub was the historic Arsenale, where warships were made," and proceeds to tell about churches, historical buildings, streets, bridges and squares, museums and galleries. It even shows the vaporetto (water boat) boarding points in the sestiere.

There is also an index and Phrase Book section. The all-color pull-out map measures 14 1/2" x 11 3/4". This handy book is nicely done and features a laminated cover. Published by Penguin Group USA (DK Publishing).

Europe By Rail, $26.95

This one-pound 5 x 7 1/4" softcover book will keep you up all evening planning your next European rail trip. Every kind of train trip in England, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Scandinavia, Baltic States, Poland, Czech Republic and many more countries (28 in all) is contained in this handy guide.

The book is packed with trip ideas, types of trains/cars available on routes, history of towns and regions, travel journey times, connection information, where local tourist offices are located, hotel and other accommodation addresses, night-time events, local transportation ideas and fares. As an example, Germany's famous castle Neuschwanstein is accessible by train to Fussen, "an attractive old town beneath the mountains, served by trains from Augsburg (2 hours, ETT table 935)," reads the copy in a rail tour the book suggests between Munich, Heidelberg and Konstanz.

In Milan, most trains use the very huge Stazione Centrale, says the book, and continues, "Lodging in Milan is expensive, but there are ample small pensions..."

A very up-to-date, informative book. Thomas Cook Publishing (www.thomascookpublishing.com)

Rough Guide to Britain, $29.99

This 1,222-page 5 x 7 3/4" softcover is chocked full of everything from how to get there to where to go, what to see, information on visas, health concerns, costs, money and banks, getting around, lodging, eating/drinking, mail/phones//internet service, public holidays, festivals and events, sports and other outdoor activities, personal safety, travelers with disabilities, and more.

Some of the key locations the book covers include London, Surrey, Kent and Sussex, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds, Bath and Somerset, Cornwall, the Midlands and Yorkshire, as well as Wales and Scotland.

In the London section, the book details the more famous churches--including St. Paul's Cathedral designed by Christopher Wren and completed in 1711. The book also details Leeds castle, 15 miles north of Sissinghurst, and tells the admission fees, hours and what to see there.

A number of pictures (black and white and color) are interspersed within the book. A very detailed, thick book of good information. Rough
Guides (www.roughguides.com)

100 Greatest Trips, $34.95
This 288-page hardbound book is a pleasure to have and to hold.

While divided into U.S. and Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America, Western and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand, our readers will want to concentrate on the locations in Europe.

"Europe's Most Livable City," reads one chapter on Zurich. There are two sides to Nice, France, reads another section, and proceeds to tell you about them. This all-color hardbound is a good, easy read and features great photography, as you'd expect from a Travel & Leisure publication.

In Rome, try Cafe de Paris or Harry's bar, two of the featured spots in this book. In Greece, the cosmopolitan Cycladic Island has a history of wild nightlife. Not a guide book, per se, this 8 1/2 x 11" title offers snippets of good reading and "seeing" of locations.

Croatia, Poland's Krakow (Cool Central), and Christmas in St. Petersburg are also highlighted. At the rear of the book is a section that highlights hotels, dining experiences and other attractions in the countries mentioned. Travel & Leisure
(www.travelandleisure.com/guides/)

Teach Me German...and More German, $29.95
Taking your children to the Germanic lands soon?

This two-pack of softcover 8 1/2 x 11" books--plus a CD with German songs--is one way to get your children involved in the language before you go.

Each book is full of drawings and words to songs that you and your child can look at and read as you play the songs on the CD. Songs featured include Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht; Ringalayoi; Marias suBes kleines Lamm; and Oh! Susanna. Translations of the songs are located at the rear of each book.

The publishing company sells language books for French, Spanish and Italian, as well as for other languages as well. This is a clever way to get the kids to learn a foreign language! Teach Me Tapes, Inc. (www.teachmetapes.com)