Germany Books

Daytrips Germany: 60 One Day Adventures by Rail or by Car in Bavaria, the Rhineland, the North and the East (Daytrips Germany)

Earl Steinbicker

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hastings House / Daytrips Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 4 new & used starting at $12.89

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Subjects -> Travel -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Fantastic memories 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

We, my wife and I, found the daytrips very informative.How else would we have found the famous "Rauchbier" in Bamberg? It alone was worth the price of the book. We went to several of the trips explained in the book during our three week stay in Bavaria. I will definitely take it again if we can make another trip to Germany.

Daytrips Germany 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Useful but boring, the same format over and over. The 2002 edition I just received is really out of date. Maps are less useful since part of the print becomes part of the binding. Rick Steve's book, Germany and Austria 2007, is so much more enjoyable to read.

Editorial Review:

Now in its sixth edition, Daytrips Germany has long been a favorite guidebook for adventurous travelers who prefer to make theor own tours. This latest revision covers the tremendous changes taking place, especially in Berlin and the East. Each of the 60 one-day adventures is complete with a do-it-yourself walking tour, a map, full travel directions, time and weather considerations, restaurant suggestions, background information, and concise descriptions of all worthwhile sights.

Germany (Country Guide)

Andrea Schulte-Peevers

Amazon Price: $18.47 List Price: $27.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lonely Planet Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $15.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

It's an enormous place with overwhelming tourist options. Smack in the middle of Europe, Germany's got the Bavarian Alps, windswept North Sea islands, the Black Forest and the castle-dotted Rhine. And there's Berlin, a city where you could easily spend all your vacation and not see a tenth of what it has to offer. Germany has history aplenty, an enormous variety of museums, cosmopolitan sophistication and rural quaintitude, camping, beer gardens, and music of all kinds. In short, Germany is the kind of place where a guidebook makes all the difference.

Lonely Planet covers the country diligently and entertainingly, leaving nothing out. With maps of all 16 states, over 35 city maps, and a fold-out transportation map to Berlin, the daunting becomes comfortable. There are the background chapters on history, government, climate and ecology, the people, the arts, society and language, and a big fat chapter covering all the necessary details of visas, money, Web sites, electricity, festivals, health, and accommodations for special needs, plus how to get there and how to get around once you've arrived. Then for every city and burg, Lonely Planet provides the stuff a traveler needs to know, all about where to stay, eat, sight see, shop, and play. And scattered in and among the guiding text are little nuggets of interest, telling the stories of witches and warlocks, Bertolt Brecht, Marlene Dietrich, and the sad tale of Queen Caroline. Not prohibitively large, Lonely Planet's guidebook packs enough into its pages for 100 good trips. --Stephanie Gold

Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2008 (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $15.80 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Avalon Travel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $1.94

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

For Rick Steves sycophants only 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This book is typical Rick Steves. He has preordained that only certain places are worth visiting and has therefore excluded all others. It is true that his coverage of the Rhine and Mosel valleys is the best of any English-language guide book, but his omissions are many. He completely avoids any mention of the many castles and palaces in Bavaria, save the overly popular Neuschwanstein and a handful of others. Gems like Eisenach's Wartburg Castle, Coburg's Schloss Ehrenburg, Gotha's Schloss Friedenstein, and Kempten's Residenz are given a miss. Could it be that his guide books only cover the places his tours visit for obvious personal financial reasons? If you are a Rick Steves groupie, then feel free to buy his books. But if you want to see the best of Germany, read Eyewitness Travel Guides, Lonely Planet, or Rough Guides, and decide for yourself.

Editorial Review:

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers how to take the Do-It-Yourself Dresden Baroque Blitz Tour or the Short and Scenic Black Forest Joyride? With Rick Steves’ Germany and Austria 2008, travelers can experience Steves' favorite destinations in Munich, Bavaria, Baden-Baden, Rothenburg, Würsburg, Frankfurt, the Rhine Valley, Dresden, Berlin, Vienna, and the Danube Valley — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, this guide includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans, walking tours and trip itineraries, and clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Steves' time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Frommer's Germany 2008 (Frommer's Complete)

Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Frommers Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $8.39

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go--they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!

• Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Germany features gorgeous color photos of the dazzling baroque architecture, picturesque villages, and beer gardens that await you. Come along with us and discover some of Europe's most spectacular scenery, from the medieval towns and half-timbered houses along the Romantic Road to lovely vineyards along the Rhine River. Frommer's offers up-to-date coverage of all the country's highlights--music festivals, hiking in the Black Forest, Oktoberfest, cafes, castles, and Berlin's vibrant, cutting-edge cultural scene.
• Inside you'll find candid, detailed reviews of the very best dining and accommodations for any taste and budget. We offer a wealth of sightseeing, sports, shopping, strolls, and special moments--from highlights for the first-time visitor to off-the-beaten-track discoveries that will impress even the most seasoned traveler.
• From beergarden to Bauhaus, charming villages and über-modern cities, the Alps to the Zeppelin Museum, our authors help you plan your perfect trip to Germany.

Streetwise Prague Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of Prague, Czech Republic - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated metro map featuring ... routes (Streetwise (Streetwise Maps))

Streetwise Maps

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Streetwise Maps Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $3.87

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Must Have Map 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

In typical Streetwise fashion, this is an excellent map that is key to exploring the city of Prague which has many confusing streets with confusing names.

This is a map not a guide and while it does point out places of interest it is obviously meant as a map first and foremost. None of the free maps I found came close to be as legible and understandable. The fact that it is a trifold lamninated map makes it very easy to keep in your jacket and use.

A definite must have for Prague in my opinion.

Great for 'streetwalking' 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

There are maps with even more detail, but this map is an essential. Lightweight, laminated (waterproof), pocket-sized, and with almost all the detail that most visitors need. Fully-opened, it is still small, unobtrusive, and easy to use. A handy gazeteer lists many streets and monuments, with map grid locations. There are some very tiny streets/alleys that are hard to make out, but that is true for almost any
pocket-sized folding map. I buy a Streetwise for any city destination.

Editorial Review:

Streetwise Prague Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of Prague, Czech Republic - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated metro map featuring lines & stations - trams, streetcar routes

This map covers the following areas:
Main Prague Map 1:10,000
Prague Metro Map

Munich & The Bavarian Alps (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

DK Publishing

Amazon Price: $16.50 List Price: $25.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK Travel Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $8.55

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

As a resident... 5 out of 5 stars.
28 of 28 people found this review helpful.

...I can affirm the genuine worth of this book. The maps are convenient, easy to use, and marvelously clear. Furthermore, the organization of the guide is wonderfully helpful in assisting the traveler (or resident, as the case may be) in finding cultural destinations, culinary spots, that may have otherwise been missed.

This guide is, like most all of the Dorling-Kindersley series, geared toward helping the traveler ascertain what things might be of particular sightworthiness. Unlike the Michelin guides, this isn't particularly into the business of rating destinations, and it certainly isn't going to provide the standard domestic AAA guide service of pointing the traveler toward "hot" restaurants. For a diverse, wonderfully cosmopolitan city, this guide provides a marvelous introduction, and though it neglects a few potential interests in outlying regions, does an admirable job of hitting all the highlights, and even including pictures of most.

The material was current as of late spring 2003.

Editorial Review:

Includes: Munich, Upper Bavaria (North, East, & South), Lower Bavaria, the Allgau, and Northern Swabia.

Rick Steves' Germany 2009 (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $16.29 List Price: $23.95 Not yet published By: Avalon Travel Publishing

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Editorial Review:

Rick Steves’ Germany 2009 offers up the best of Deutschland, from the otherworldly castles of Bavaria to the rowdy beer halls of Munich. Rick covers the must-see sights of Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt, and also includes a healthy dose of little-known destinations in the Black Forest and Mosel Valley. With Rick’s expert advice travelers can save time, money, and avoid the crowds. Float through Munich’s countryside on a party raft, sample wine in the Rhine Valley, or take a wild ride on a luge—it’s all possible with Rick Steves’ as your guide.

German Survival Guide: The Language and Culture You Need to Travel with Confidence in Germany and Austria

Elizabeth Bingham

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: World Prospect Press Amazon Marketplace: 15 new & used starting at $12.65

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

German Survival Guide is a down-to-earth, bare-bones introduction to German that aims to make a trip abroad as smooth and enjoyable as possible. This information-packed mini-course concentrates on preparing readers to travel in Germany and Austria in a limited time by focusing on what is most useful or interesting to travelers and cutting out unnecessary vocabulary and grammar.

This Survival Guide helps readers communicate in the German language and culture. It prepares travelers for what to expect and how to deal with it, what to say and when to say it. It's like three books in one--a phrase book (so you know what to say), a grammar book (so you know how to say it), and a culture book (so you understand daily social expectations)--all focused on a traveler's needs.

Learn how to greet people and introduce yourself in German, how to line up lodging, order food and pay properly, how to shop and ask for directions in German, how to drive a car or take the train in Germany and Austria, how to get help in an emergency or talk about your family or discuss the weather, and much, much more!

Get key insights into German and Austrian social conventions: why not to use first names, how not to look like a tourist, how to tip, how to have good table manners, how to be a gracious guest, how to act on a nude beach.

Discover the fine points of ice cream parlors, grocery stores, train stations and the Autobahn. Read how to handle tricky room windows and grumpy bathroom attendants. Learn insider German words so commonly used that you will want to know them even though you don t have to.

This book is packed with culture notes, study tips, travel hints, and reality checks galore. It includes optional exercises for practicing material from the lessons, German-English and English-German dictionaries, and inside-the-cover Survival Summaries travelers can use on the spot. In addition, German pronunciations are written throughout the book, so users always have guidance on how to pronounce new words and phrases. Includes an extensive index to help readers find the topics they want, fast. All this packed into one volume small enough to tuck into a bag and take along.

Berlin (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE)

DK Publishing

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The worst DK guide out there 1 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I hate the thought of writing a bad review for a DK Travel Guide - they are by far the best travel guides available. But I feel I have to warn everyone about this one. There's always at least one bad apple in the barrel, and I've found the 'bad apple'.

First up, the good things. The background, history and descriptions of all the buildings are typical DK - first class, and better than every other guide out there. You can get the background story to the city and its art and architecture before you arrive.

I took the 2008 edition away with me to Berlin in April 2008. You'd expect up-to-date information, wouldn't you? I agree that some things do change; opening times change, museum regulations change etc. BUT - so many things change in a single city, in such a short time since this updated version was written?

I ended up missing so many things due to this book's wrong opening times to so many museums. Here are just a few things that happened -

- It states that all museums are closed on Mondays, and I arrived on a Monday at 9:30am. So I took my time spending the day wandering around the city. At 4pm I had a look at the Pergamon Museum, and saw its open on Mondays. I found that there are many museums open on Mondays. I could have spent a large chunk of my first day in one of the museums.

- I missed the Picture Gallery at Sanssouci because this guide stated the wrong closing time, even though I had paid for entrance to it.

- I lost a lot of time, in the first 2 days there, getting lost on Berlin's train system because the plan at the back of the book is wrong in so many places. Lines aren't shown, wrong line numbers are shown, several lines now go further than shown in the guide. Use the maps on the ticket machines.

- I wasted 2 hours traveling to a combined bookshop/art gallery that is a massive department store at the stated address. After this, I stopped relying on the practical information giving about anything.

- I nearly missed the magnificent Gemaldegallerie (Picture Gallery) in former West Berlin because the guide stated that photography isn't allowed inside. (One of my criteria for visiting a museum is to take photos.) I went there to visit the gallery's bookshop, and discovered that photography IS allowed, just without flash - and I should hope so! Luckily I went to the gallery's shop first things in the morning.

As another reviewer has already said, the 'Four Great Days In Berlin' suggested intinaries on page 10 and 11 would be impossible to do. The writer of this small section obviously has never done their own itinary. How can anyone take a 1 hour train journey to Wannsee, then walk for an hour in the forest to an art gallery, then walk further on to a lake, then take a boat trip on the lake to an island, then walk around the island, then get back to the train station to take the train to Potsdam, to 'enjoy the lovely Park Sanssouci ...' All this in the morning before lunch! (I spent an entire day at Park Sanssouci.) If anyone follows their itinaries, they wouldn't see anything at all - their trip to Berlin would be a huge blur in their mind.

Clearly DK have just reprinted the first edition of this guide, dating from 2000, and are passing it off as a newly revised edition for 2008. There is no way that entire buildings can be changed and train lines extended in the space of a few months since this newly revised guide was 'revised'. (Not even the efficent Germans could manage that feat). I have no idea what errors are in the restaurant and hotel areas of this guide as I didn't use them.

I have always used DK Guides whenever I travel, and will continue to do so. They are the market-leaders in travel guides. But my experiences with this one will make me very cautious in future. I'll be double checking the practical information given in all their guides in future.

* Just treat this guide as a book written in 2000 - don't trust any opening times or other practical information.

Editorial Review:

As Berlin is laid out on an epic scale, this travel guide is organized so that you can take in as much of the city as possible. It will guide you to all of the interesting monuments, museums and art collections Berlin has to offer, as well as giving you ideas for family fun and where to go shopping. The maps, photographs, detailed illustrations, the 3-D aerial views of Berlin's most interesting districts and a huge selection of hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment venues makes this guide the ultimate travel guide.

Streetwise Berlin Map - Laminated City Street Map of Berlin, Germany - with integrated metro map including S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines and stations

Streetwise Maps

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Streetwise Maps Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $4.20

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

good, durable, but a little out of date 3 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I got this map last year as a gift before I moved to Berlin for a short time. It was nice to have when we were in the Center of Berlin, but there are large parts of Berlin that are not on the map, so we also had another more extensive map of Berlin. Keep in mind that they also changed the subway system a bit in December 2004, so the map I have has the old map on it. There are subway maps on all the trains, so you can find your way around very easily.

Its a useful and durable tourist map, but any good guidebook will have the same included.

Even Berliners thought it was a Great Map 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

The Streetwise Berlin map was convenient even though it does not cover the outer limits of Friedrichstein and basically does not cover outside of the S/U Bahn A/B zone. However, the area it covers is what a tourist generally needs. The best part of the map, in addition to it's size, was the S/U Bahn map which made it convenient and quick to figure out which train to take and the proper direction. It doesn't cover the street trams, but we could figure this out easily and did not find a map that covered that anyhow. We used this Streetwise map constantly. And, like I said, the Berliners I met, all said that the map was fantastisch. Small sized, it fits right into your bag or pocket and notes museums and other great sight in pink.

Editorial Review:

Streetwise Berlin Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of Berlin, Germany - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated metro map including S-Bahn & U-Bahn lines & stations

This map covers the following areas:
Main Berlin Map 1:23,000
Berlin Metro Map