Guide Books and Maps. Tomes for Europe Travel. John Bermont.

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You are not Lewis and Clark. Somebody has been there before, marked the trail, and left an account. Get a copy.

GUIDE BOOKS FOR TRAVELERS

To see Europe through a window on somebody's tour bus is so ridiculous that it should be unimaginable, except that it happens. Let me assure the meek and timid that Europe is at least as civilized as the USA, and more so in many respects. You don't need a jungle guide to show you around.

The logical approach to budget travel is to travel independently, on your own. Get some guide books and study up a little. Then you can go where and when and how it pleases you. Like the Momas and Papas song from the 60s — "go where you want to go, do what you want to do." Here is a rundown on many guide books and other publications that empower you to do just that.

This Year's Crop

Travelers face a significant challenge in finding the right information from among the hundreds of guide books listing hotels, restaurants, and sights to see in Europe. Bookstores are loaded with books titled Europe, Ireland, France, Holland, Germany, and etc., followed by this year's date and either the author's or publisher's name in the title. How do you know which to choose?

The traditional Frommer's, Fielding's, and Fodor's of travel publishing have been going strong for decades. They have been joined by editions from many other authors and publishers over the past 30 years. Many European publishers, e.g. Baedeker and Michelin, have been going for over a century. Generally they are the best guide books, though these books are not as well known in the USA.

Pounds of Fluff

Guide books provide information on the sights to see — museums, castles, ancient artifacts, and natural wonders. Most also include listings of hotels and restaurants. Some provide information on other subjects of interest to travelers, e.g., local transportation, night life, and significant events during the year. Costs of hotels and other services are sometimes included, but these figures are usually off because most books are written a year before the date on the cover. Many books with a date on the cover are in bookstores in late summer — more than four months before the year on the cover actually starts. They were researched, if at all, during the previous winter and spring.

When purchasing travel guides, keep the rule of pack light in mind. Many travel writers aspire to be novelists. Writers often include plenty of extraneous information — for example, the name of the "charming" owner of the "marvelous" hotel. Patronizing exaggerations, possibly written under the influence of a free bottle of wine or a free room, will lead you astray. The best known guide books are the worst on this score. A major publisher once asked me to be a researcher for one of their books. The pay was minimal and the expense budget was even less. I was expected to negotiate with hotels for better prices. You know what that means. The offer fell through.

If you are going to visit only one or two countries then do not buy one of the really fat "Europe" books. Buy a guide(s) that is specific for the country, region, or city you will visit. These will be easier to carry and will be far more detailed on the places of interest to you.

Kudos and Knocks

The first edition of How To Europe (1982) included an "Annotated Bibliography" appendix with a short review of some 110 travel titles. In the second edition (1985-1987) more than 140 travel books were reviewed. Nowadays there is at least an order of magnitude more titles. At one point in the late 1980s a book was published which consisted entirely of travel book reviews. The author has probably given up in frustration with the tsunami of books now coming out every year.

I have used a number of guide books in my travels and herewith offer a critique of most of the better known books. My library has well over 1,000 books on Europe. My comments here focus on the section of each book which covers the Netherlands, a.k.a Holland, and more specifically Haarlem. I know it very well since I've lived in Haarlem for about four years in various stints since 1975 and visit frequently. Some people might consider this examination of coverage of Haarlem as too narrow a focus. I think not. Haarlem is a popular day trip for Amsterdam visitors, and is actually a less expensive and more pleasant base for discovering Holland. Holland is a small country with excellent and well marked public transportation. Most of the people are fluent in English so there is no communications barrier. If a writer can't get it right on this country (s)he has no business being in the travel book authoring business. Sometimes they don't get it right. Sometimes you even wonder if the writer actually went there as you'll see in some of the hoi polloi examples below. Don't waste your money and good humor on incompetent writers, no matter how famous the name on the cover.

THE CREAM OF THE CROP

Herewith is a paragraph or a few on specific guide books, authors, and/or publishers giving a general description of the guide book and/or a critique. I haven't written a guide book so I can be objective in judging many of those available from the consumer's point of view. The books described here are those you are likely to find in your library or local bookstore. My favorite source is Amazon.com. The advertising column on the right has links to a small sample of books available.

Michelin

The Michelin Tire Company of France has been publishing road maps for a century. More about their maps later. They also publish their annual "Red" guides to hotels and restaurants, and their "Green" guides to the sights and sites with updates every 5 years or so. Michelin has logically chosen to publish two books, one with the frequently changing information on hotels and restaurants and one with the fixed site information.

Michelin Red: For guide books describing where to sleep and eat, the Michelin Red Guides are excellent. Annual updates are published for France, Germany, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), Great Britain and Ireland, and other countries. Instructions for using the guides are printed in French and in English and in the language(s) of the country covered in the book. The books are set up as a directory, alphabetical by city, so it is a snap to find what you are looking for. Addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers are given. Locations are indicated by grid coordinates which are keyed to adjacent maps for many cities. Icons indicate which credit cards are accepted, if off-street parking is provided, or if the establishment has a particularly pleasant ambiance. Michelin Red books are published in the spring of the year on the cover so the price information is more accurate than hoi polloi guides (see below) which start showing up in the bookstores in the summer of the year before the date on the cover. You know that must be stale information, especially for anything to do with prices.

The Michelin Red Guide Benelux lists hotels and restaurants in every city and village. The hotel selection for Haarlem lists only two hotels within the city, two of the more upscale establishments. It rates each of them as two star, with five stars as tops. The hotels themselves say they are four star. Backpackers would feel a little out of place in the lobbies in either case. But Michelin does include less expensive rooms in nearby villages. The restaurant selection is much wider, listing 15 eateries from one spoon to three spoons, pizzerias to coat and tie type places. Having eaten in several of those listed I think that their selection is very representative of the city.

Michelin Green: For guide books describing what to see and when the Michelin Green Guides are superb. These books are convenient to carry and are crammed with maps, sketches, historical background, data, and general commentary on the countries covered. There is nothing even in tenth place behind these books.

The Michelin Green Guide Netherlands includes a generous few pages on Haarlem. Paragraphs describing the monuments and sights are coded to an excellent map of the city center pinpointing each place. Probably everything worth seeing is described, including some of the hangings at the Frans Hals Museum.

One of the most interesting sights in Europe, in my opinion as an engineer, is the "Cruquius Expo." Michelin is probably the only book which describes it and shows you how to get there. The Cruquius is one of three huge steam engines built around 1850 to pump the water out of the Haarlemmermeer (Lake Haarlem). When you land at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport you are in the middle of this former lake, now a polder, about 15 feet below sea level.

Michelin books rate five stars in my book. Michelin also has a beautiful web site with maps, hotels, restaurants, and listings of sights to see on line. See the "Maps and Time Zones" section of enjoy-europe.com.

Fodor's

A very good travel series is published by Fodor's. In addition to descriptions of the things to see, these guides recommend selected hotels and restaurants which you will find comfortable and enjoyable. Rather than put in specific prices, this series wisely indicates the general cost of things by $, $$, and $$$ signs. They don't need to update this kind of data every year. Hotels and restaurants listed are usually between two and four star quality. Budget travelers see below.

Fodor's Europe is nicely organized. Chapters cover individual countries and each gives a good introduction, including a map with north arrow and distance scale. The sights are well covered. The page discussing Haarlem is right on. This is one of the few guide books which mentions the Café Brinkmann, one of the best situated in Holland. Café Brinkmann serves good food, including a great burger and fries, though the service is even slower than the typical Dutch slow service. If you are sitting on the terrace overlooking the Grote Markt on a busy day, order your second beverage when your first one arrives. I've been a patron for decades.

Fodor's book on Holland titled The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg goes into far more detail on the Low Countries. If you are planning a visit to this area only, skip the Europe book and get this one, even though it doesn't mention the Café Brinkmann but now you know anyway. It does include a trio of good restaurants and two of the better hotels, neither of which are mentioned in most of the other books. One of these is the Hotel Lion d'Or which is also recommended by Michelin. The Lion d'Or is a long established hotel designed for business travelers, and is only a stone's throw from the train station. Fodor's books do not include a map of Haarlem so pick one up at the tourist office.

Fodor's employs good writers. This series is arguably the best written of any on the American market and a pleasure to read. You're on the right road with Fodor's.

Lonely Planet

The first thing you notice with Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoestring is that it has no date on the cover. That's a good sign. Geared to the budget traveler vis-à-vis eats and sleeps, this series of books also contains good advice on sights to see and things to do for everyone.

This book appears to be independently written. It is not a knock-off from another guide as so many seem to be. Thus you get a fresh perspective on the lay of the land, and you won't be breathing the exhaust fumes of other travelers using the hoi polloi guide books with nearly identical hotel and restaurant listings. I've been using this guide book in my travels around Europe for at least the past five years and it hasn't let me down. I give Europe on a Shoestring an extra star because it mentions one of my favorite cafes in Amsterdam, the Hoppe. The Hoppe is especially active after office hours till mid evening. I have met many locals there but never a tourist.

Each chapter begins with a map and general introduction to the country at hand. Major cities are illustrated with good maps keyed to excellent tables listing eats, sleeps, museums, laundromats, and all manner of other establishments of interest to the traveler, especially the younger traveler on a tight budget. Lonely Planet probably covers more countries and cities in more detail in one book than any other guide. The appendices include weather data and essential phrases for many languages.

Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoestring is unquestionably the best of the budget guide books, and one of the best for any budget. This book is encyclopaedic. To top it off it has a spine ribbon for marking your page.

Unfortunately Lonely Planet started publishing a book in 2010 with a somewhat similar title, Discover Europe: Experience the Best of Europe. I received an email from a reader complaining that the Lonely Planet book I recommend had no mention of Portugal. That was a surprise. I went to the local bookstore and found the culprit. Sure enough, the Discover Europe book has no mention of Portugal. Actually this disaster with the pretty pictures has no mention of over half of the countries of Europe. It is just about as bad as another "best of Europe" book discussed in the Hoi Polloi section below.

Baedeker

Baedeker is almost synonymous with travel guide book. This publisher has been at it for going on two centuries, and does it right. This brief review covers the Baedeker Netherlands book, edition 2000.

The first thing you notice about Baedeker is the display of color photographs. I was thumbing through and getting slightly homesick with all those beautiful images of The Netherlands. Then I was pleasantly surprised to find a photo of the Gravenstenen Brug, an old counter-weighted lift bridge right in front of the house I lived in when I first moved to Holland. Check it out on page 209 for a "Typical view of Haarlem," according to Baedeker. Actually it's not very typical since old bridges like this are hard to find these days. See chapter 1, What's It All About?, for a different view. The oft photographed Magere Brug, a.k.a. the "Skinny Bridge," in Amsterdam is very similar.

The book also includes a photo of the magnificent Basilica (the other Sint Bavokerk in Haarlem), a decent city map, the floor plan of the Frans Hals Museum, and details on many other things never reported on by most travel guide writers. Baedeker might be criticized by some for having no hotel or restaurant listings. It's a guide to the sights, and what a good one.

Eyewitness Travel Guides

This series is published by Dorling Kindersley, abbreviated DK, in London. DK publishes guides to a number of countries in addition to one book on Europe which is commented on here, the First American Edition 2001 revised and reprinted 2010.

DK's Eyewitness Europe covers a number of countries in individual chapters. All of former Western Europe is covered, plus Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary. Each chapter begins with a brief article on the history and culture, and an overview map of the country. Main features of this book are the selection of outstanding photos and the excellent maps of major cities.

Considering the chapter on Holland I have just a few complaints. It left out Maastricht, certainly a slight to this fun loving capital of Limburg, the southernmost province of The Netherlands. On Haarlem, it left out the Tylers Museum, the oldest in Holland, but did include the Amsterdamse Poort which is omitted from most books. The Amsterdamse Poort is the only remaining piece of the 14th century city walls. As you stand inside this miniature fortress you can just picture the city's defenders shooting their arrows through the slits. It seems to me that this place should be preserved as a national monument but it is simply used as an everyday walk through for residents on the east side of Haarlem.

DK's annotated selection of hotels and restaurants is set aside in a section at the end of each chapter. The selection is not very large but it includes establishments in all price ranges.

THE HOI POLLOI

There are hundreds if not thousands of other guide books available. Spend a few hours at a good bookstore or at your library thumbing, reading, and comparing before you buy. In fact, you might borrow several older editions from your library to get a feel for the coverage before buying a current edition.

Some of these books were written by people who very obviously did not go to the places they write about. Most readers won't know that until they get to Europe with a book of errors and bull. Examples of many uh-ohs are described below. Also, the same few restaurants and hotels show up in several of the books. In general these are the places to avoid. It looks like anyone could write a European guide book from their bedroom in Kansas City by plagiarizing the other books.

How do you know which author or publisher to trust? That's a good question, especially if you haven't been to Europe yet. It's a fact that many travel writers are provided with free meals and free rooms in exchange for whatever compliments the writer can give them in print. The writers rarely reveal this. Michelin and Lonely Planet send out anonymous researchers to avoid the conflict of interest. Their researchers actually pay for their own dinners and rooms so they have the privilege of speaking candidly and objectively. Me too. Here goes.

Frommer's

People usually associate travel guide book with Frommer's Europe on $5 a Day, now much higher.

There are some problems with this book. The 2000 edition of Frommer's Europe From $60 a Day stated "Haarlem is only an hour away from Amsterdam by train, and one leaves every hour from Centraal Station." By 2002 Frommer's Europe From $70 a Day had reduced the time to 20 minutes, but still only one train per hour. Another Frommer's book, Europe 2002, says that there is a train every half hour. What's going on? Actually there are six trains an hour from A'dam to Haarlem, taking from 15 to 18 minutes each. Did the writers really go to Haarlem? Look back at Frommer's Europe on $20 a Day published in 1982. This one says that the train from Amsterdam to Haarlem leaves "every 15 minutes" and takes "15 minutes for the trip." That is much closer to the facts of 2002 than either of the current books. The good old days were the days when the cover said "by Arthur Frommer."

Another issue with this book is the disingenuous title. On page 2 the writer says that the price on the cover is for "accommodation and meals only" (emphasis Frommer's). When you add in the cost of a trans-Atlantic ticket and a rail pass or rental car the $70 goes up by at least 100%. Then you still have to pay for entrance fees, postcards, film, afternoon espresso, evening beverages, and 20 or so other items. See chapter 2, On Budget in Europe: Travel Costs. When you add it all up your cost will be at least double the figure on the cover. Frommer's would have been better off to keep the original title of Europe on $5 a Day as a trademark. Then we would just recognize it as a budget guide book, and the mamma of them all.

Europe on $20 a Day was getting very stale as far back as the early 1980s. I regularly used it in the mid-1970s but by 1982 or so the updating was falling way behind. Frommer's still puts a new date on the cover every year and boasts about the improvements. Hard to find those improvements, but the errors sure do pop up. One of the most experienced travel book publishers in the business should be able to get it right after all these years. If you use this book, or one of the other popular budget books, be aware that thousands of other travelers are using the same book, and trying to get a room in the same cheap hotels. Good luck.

Let's Go

Let's Go Europe is the Harvard students' project. It looks like they hired the sophomores for the 2000 edition. It says "The Netherlands is 6hr. ahead of Greenwich Mean Time." I don't know their definition of "ahead" but here's a secret for you Harvard student writers — at high noon GMT it's 13:00 (that's 1:00 pm) in Holland, except during "summer time" when it is 14:00 in Holland at noon GMT. Harvard students have fixed the error in 2002 by omitting any mention of the time zone in Holland.

Haarlem is covered in a page, recommending the Carillon hotel and the Stayokay HI hostel, and two eateries. The 2009 edition reports that "trains depart from Amsterdam every few minutes." Duh? Looks like another author who didn't check the departure board. You can pretty much ignore this book so I won't waste more space on them, and don't waste your money and good times. Get a better book from among those mentioned above.

The maps are an exception. Inside the front and back covers, Let's Go Europe has great color maps of many major cities and metro systems. It is one of the best collections of maps I have seen in any guide book. Buy a used edition and tear out the maps for your trip. One of the Paris maps even shows the petite street I lived on, the 100 yard long rue de Trois Portes.

Rick Steves

Best of Europe by Rick Steves has no mention of Greece, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, and many other countries, and leaves out significant cities in the countries he pretends to cover. There are about four dozen countries in Europe but Steves mentions only 10 in the 2011 edition. Duh?

His chapter on Holland is mostly Amsterdam but includes 13 pages on Haarlem. That's it. Nothing at all on The Hague, Maastricht, Utrecht, or Delft. This is certainly a skewed selection of the "best," even though Haarlem is a charming city. As mentioned above, Haarlem has been my home town in Europe for over 30 years. I love it but there are scores of other cities and villages to see. Buyers of Steves' book are likely to be disappointed by his omissions, if they ever find out about them. In previous editions Steves included Rotterdam. Why he ever put this crime ridden industrial port city in a "Best of Europe" book is at least suspect and certainly stupid. Rotterdam was reduced to dust by the German Luftwaffe in May 1940 and then rebuilt after the war in Dutch mayhem architecture.

Much of the Amsterdam and Haarlem material is simply reworded from his Europe 1997 book. Steves says that he spends 100 days a year in Europe and that his book is therefore the most up to date available. Laugh, unless you already paid for this paste-up. The 100 days are probably consumed in leading his package bus tours (how's that for a guy who preaches independent travel) or in producing his TV shows that he donates to PBS to publicize himself. How do I know that? He told me. Infomercials on commercial cable TV are paid advertisements. Steves gets his commercials broadcast for free on taxpayer supported public TV.

Steves' hotel selections are basically the same as those in most of the other hoi polloi guides. He has added a few hotels to the 2011 edition. These are for hotels which give a discount just for mentioning the guru's name when you show up. The hotel gives a discount and gets mentioned in the book. Is this payola? Kickback? My tip for travelers — every hotel in Europe will give you a discount or an upgrade if you ask for it and if they have a room available. I have been offered 50% off the "rack rate" at hotels throughout Europe and across the price range. Haarlem has a number of B&Bs but Steves mentions only the same one he has been touting for years.

Steve's restaurant selections are a joke. I wish I could put it more kindly. Thankfully he has not "discovered" my favorite place in Haarlem, nor my favorites in Amsterdam. His nightlife section is very general and very thin for both Haarlem and Amsterdam. I think his researchers got second hand information because the only cafe that is named is one of the deadest in town. Steves calls it "the hot spot." Maybe his researchers don't drink beer. One of his "four basic zones" in Haarlem is nothing but a single modern bar, not a classic "brown bar" that distinguishes the Netherlands. He missed several other traditional "zones" in Haarlem.

Steves mentioned the "Lover's Train" service between Amsterdam and Haarlem in his 2002 book and said of it: "a misnamed private train that runs hrly." His 2003, 2004, and 2005 books had exactly the same wording in them. It is evident Steves is slinging it with his assurances that his book is the most up to date available. Anybody can make a mistake but Rick lies. Actually he misnamed the train himself and it hasn't run in this century. The real name was "Lovers Rail." Service stopped in September 1999. I was living in Haarlem at the time and used this train once in a while. Steves' 1999 book did not mention the "Lovers Rail" even though it had been in operation since 1996. The train came and went before he knew it, and he still recommended it six years after it went out of business! He finally removed the misinformation about the "Lovers Rail" in his 2006 book.

The 2007 edition of Rick's book could have cost the innocent reader a lot of money and embarrassment. On page 1190 Steves writes: "Remember, you can use strippenkaart on any train that travels within the Netherlands." That is an inexcusably wrong statement. The Strippenkaart was valid only on buses, trams, and the metro throughout Holland, plus in-city portions of the NS rail system in a few metropolitan areas, e.g. Amsterdam Centraal to Amsterdam Sloterdijk. Strippenkaart was not valid on "any train that travels within the Netherlands" as he claims. If you are found without a valid train ticket on any train the conductor is required to collect full fare plus a fine of 35 euros from you, on the spot. That's about $50. Ouch! And the chance that you will be caught by an efficient Dutch conductor is about 100%. The identical false statement is on page 966 of his 2008 edition. Ouch again. I guess that Rick has been reading my website because he has corrected these errors in the 2010 edition. [Note: As of 2012 a new system called OV-chipkaart has replaced the Strippenkaart throughout the country.]

By the way, the exact same false statement about using Strippenkaarten on trains is in his book "Amsterdam, Bruges & Brussels 2007," along with virtually all of the other pages from "Best of Europe" about Holland, word for word. The academic commnity has a name for this practice. It is called self-plagiarism and is cause for dismissal from any university teaching position or an F on your thesis. Rick boasts that he writes and/or updates 30 books every year. This publicity is solely to boost his credentials as a travel writer, but self-plagiarism is as unethical as a writer can get, except maybe for hotel payola.

On September 1, 2010 I received my copy of his 2011 edition. The errors in his Haarlem chapter are mostly still there from 2010. I won't correct them again. His researchers can go back and find their mistakes. If they dig a little deeper they will find some of their many omissions, assuming that this book is the "Best of Europe."

Steves has two maps of Haarlem. Each one has the red light district prominently highlighted and he says "Wander through a little Red Light District that's as precious as a Barbie doll ..." Isn't that a sweet pimp for indentured prostitutes? Maybe Steves has been getting free service from the ladies? I used to live on the edge of this whore district and was once asked by a Dutchman to help finance import of a plane load of Thai girls to become "sex workers" in Holland. I declined. White slavery is not my thing.

In previous editions of Best of Europe, Steves says that most publishers update their guide books only every two to three years. Then he crows "my research partners and I update it in person every year." That is fresh horse droppings galore as you can see from the above. Huckster Steves goes on — "If you're packing an old book, you'll learn the seriousness of your mistake .. in Europe." Oops, if you're packing a Rick Steves book you have already learned the seriousness of your mistake by the foregoing. Maybe he has been reading my website because this bull is no longer repeated in 2010. In 2010 he said of his guidebook series that "most are annually updated," a step back from his earlier claims. In his 2011 Best Of Europe he says "This book is updated every year — but once you pin Europe down, it wiggles." I'll agree that he updates the date on the cover every year but 99% of what is between the covers is basically the same year to year. I guess that his 2012 edition carries on in the same infamy but I didn't waste my money on it this year. I could go on and on but this is far enough. Steves is very strong in self-promotion but very light in substance. Do yourself a big favor and forget Rick Steves.

Rough Guides

The Rough Guide to Europe 2002 edition reports that there are four trains per hour from Amsterdam to Haarlem. My gosh, haven't these travel writers been there? The hotel, eating, and drinking establishments are pretty much the same as the other hoi polloi budget books. There is no map for Haarlem. The Amsterdam map is OK for a general layout but using it to find anything would be a challenge. The rest of their material on Holland, and more, can be found in one of the better books.

Cadogan

The Cadogan series includes about 50 guides to countries, regions, and major cities in Europe. This brief review is focused on the Holland book, 2000.

The author includes a section on Haarlem but it appears that he didn't spend much time in the city. He says that most visitors to Haarlem stay in Amsterdam or Zandvoort, and then lists two hotels in Haarlem. These, including the aforementioned Carillon, are the most frequently mentioned in every other guide. The author selects only a few restaurants and cafés, but these are some of the better ones. There is no map for Haarlem. The map of Amsterdam is difficult to follow.

The author has dug up some historical footnotes which make for interesting reading. But there are better, and worse, guides to Holland.

Dummies

Well, this book can't get it right about the train schedule between Amsterdam and Haarlem either. "Every half hour or so a train makes the 20-minute jaunt from Amsterdam," says Europe for Dummies 1st Edition. They got that dummies part of it right. One new but not especially popular café is listed. The Carillon is the only hotel mentioned. If nearly every book is recommending the same old hotel do you think you are going to find a room available? If you did would you want to stay in the same place as every Californian, New Yorker, and Texan who went to Europe this summer? This is a book you wouldn't want to be seen with.

Summing It Up for the Hoi Polloi

It is obvious that many travel books have some utterly inexcusable errors. These are among the most popular books. This is really disconcerting. If you are buying a guide book to plan your dream trip to Europe you expect the book to be accurate — especially with the rudimentary information that any fool can read from a poster in a train station. If the book is wrong you are better off with no book.

MAPS

Before buying maps, look at several. Make sure that the information is presented clearly. Make sure you can read the title block. And make sure it is relatively new.

Map Scales

European maps rarely have a distance bar in the legend. Instead, the scale is stated on the cover as 1:10,000 for city maps, for instance, and maybe 1:500,000 for country maps. Here is the metric system put to good use. Simply multiply a distance measured on the map by the scale factor to find the actual distance.

On a map with a scale of 1:100,000, one centimeter on the map is one kilometer on the ground. Here is how you figure that:

There are 100 centimeters per meter,expressed as 100 cm/m. If this is hard to remember, picture the fact that there are 100 cents in a dollar.
Multiply the one centimeter by the scale factor 100,000 to get 100,000 centimeters.
Divide the 100,000 centimeters by 100 cm/m and you get 1,000 meters.
1,000 meters by definition is one kilometer, abbreviated as 1 km. Bingo.

If that is too much advanced math for you, use the approximations in the following table:

Table 10.1. Map Reading: Distance Scales.
Map Scale	Kilometers per Centimeter	Miles per Inch	Typical Map on which you find this scale
1:10,000	0.1	0.16	City Map
1:20,000	0.2	0.3	City Map
1:100,000	1.0	1.6	Regional or Country Map
1:500,000	5	8	Country Map
1:10,000,000	100	160	Europe
For details on the metric system see chapter 27, Europe's Metric System: Grams, Meters, Liters, Centigrade.

COUNTRY MAPS

Michelin

Michelin publishes a large map of Europe, individual country maps, regional maps, and some city maps. These are among the finest maps available for travel in Europe. Roads, rails, and ship lines are indicated. Interesting sights and exceptional cities are highlighted. Some detailed regional maps, e.g. the yellow maps, have a scale of about four miles to the inch. These show every farmhouse and ditch, plus train stations, boulevards, and through routes in the major cities.

National Geographic

For the big picture in a small format, a great map for making travel plans is the National Geographic map "Europe." National Geographic Magazine publishes beautiful maps which are included in the magazine pretty regularly. Every few years or so they include an updated map of Europe. The reverse side contains a wealth of information, which might include population and language maps, a satellite image, and other information. Those editions of National Geographic which contain maps indicate that fact on the spine with the name of the country or region in red. Garage sales and used book sales in your home town usually include hundreds of old copies of National Geographic so shopping is easy and cheap. Make sure that the magazine still has the map before you pay 10¢ for it. Also be on the lookout for maps of Italy, Spain, and other countries in old editions of National Geographic.

European Map Makers

Besides Michelin, prominent map makers in Europe are Mair, Kümmerly+Frey, Hallwag, and Falk. Except through specialized travel book stores, these maps are not very easily obtained in the USA. Look in the TRAVELERS YELLOW PAGES category "Guide Books for Europe" on the enjoy-europe.com site for sources.

Falk Plans have a variable distance scale, showing the center of cities larger than the fringes. Some Falk Plans have a special cut and fold which makes them difficult to use when crossing the cut. But they fit in your pocket and are very handy.

Official National Tourist Offices

Pretty decent maps are given away free by many of the official European government tourist offices in the USA. Look in the TRAVELERS YELLOW PAGES section National Tourist Offices for direct URL links to several dozen of these offices.

The Auto Club

The AAA Planning Map Of Europe has seriously deteriorated over the years. Editions published years ago showed traffic signs, including the all-important Do Not Enter sign. I can't imagine why they would erase such critical information. Parts of this map are so cluttered that it is nearly worthless. AAA should trash it and start over.

CITY MAPS

Heavy Duty City Maps

City maps published in Europe are bulky. They often include a small booklet with a street index and addresses for police, hospitals, museums, libraries, theaters, camping places, and other public sites. All of this is in the local language and often in two to six additional languages. In some cases it's almost as if they have drawn a map and then written a city guide book around it.

Maps from City Tourist Offices

"Official" maps issued by city tourist offices are not quite so comprehensive as the ones you can buy in the stores, but they are easier to stuff in your pocket. Many of these maps list and locate hotels, museums, and other establishments of interest to the traveler. Another nice feature is that they are usually free, or at most only a fraction of the cost of the name brand maps.

It is better to request city tourist information by mail or via internet web sites prior to going over. Do this a couple of months prior to departure by writing to the tourist office of the city you plan to visit. The information is free and you will have time to study it before arriving in the city. Internet addresses for many city and regional tourist offices are given in the TRAVELERS YELLOW PAGES section City Tourist Offices.

City Public Transit Maps

If the city tourist office levies a charge for their map and you want a freebee, go to a bus or metro station and request a route map. These maps are even less detailed but may be all that you need, especially if you are using the public transports to get around town. You are doing that, aren't you?

Bus, tram, and metro stops usually have a map of the routes for lines making that stop, plus neighborhood maps. If you get lost these are very handy.

City Map Challenges

Using maps in Europe isn't exactly like it is at home. When looking for a street address, have patience. Here are some examples.

In some French cities the buildings are numbered, but not all store fronts get a different number. One building may occupy a whole block and each store will have the same street address.

In Amsterdam, there is just no correspondence between the addresses on opposite sides of the canals. If you are looking for an odd numbered address, you'd better be on the odd numbered side of the canal.

In Geneva I found odd and even numbers on the same side of the street.

In map street indexes in Germany, remember the interchangeability of umlaut ä, ö, and ü with ae, oe, and ue, respectively. The street index may put ärk in front of ajax, and then again, it might not. There are alphabet aberrations in other European countries also, as you'll see in chapter 26, Languages, Numbers, Alphabets: Encounter The Tower of Babel in Europe .

When looking for a street in Greece, you'll be confronted by the dual alphabet problem. The city maps I could find only had the Latin alphabet. This is no problem in Athens where the street signs are in both alphabets. But outside Athens, usually only the Greek alphabet is to be found on the street and road signs.

The maps I found in Kiev show the street names and public places using the western alphabet. The street signs are only in Cyrillic so good luck finding anything.

TRANSLATING BOOKS

There are two generic types of translating books to help us through the foreign languages of Europe. You can use the small phrase books specifically designed for travelers. And/or you can use a paperback pocket-size dual language dictionary. I like to carry one of each. The phrase books sometimes include a dictionary, though it is barely adequate. A real dictionary, pocket size, is much better.

Berlitz

Reading menus will be your most frequent need for a translating helper. My favorites are the pocket size books published by Berlitz. Most of the languages of Europe are covered in a long series of books. The books include many common phrases, but also contain a great deal of other information. For example the Berlitz Swedish for Travelers includes phrases for greetings, directions, menus, shopping, and other situations. It also includes the common road signs, essential for driving in Europe. An oversight in the Berlitz publications is that the pronunciation guide is given for the British accent and not for the American. But you can survive with it. Simply point to the phrase in the book if all else fails.

Berlitz publishes titles for the individual languages of western Europe, plus their Eastern European Phrase Book. A typical title is the Berlitz French Phrase Book and Dictionary. Put Berlitz in your pocket unless you know the local language.

Barron's

Barron's Educational Series publishes excellent phrase books for many languages. Typical titles are French at a Glance and German at a Glance. Because they are published in the USA the pronunciation guide is keyed to the American accent. These books also include a tremendous amount of basic information and a mini dictionary as do the Berlitz books, plus a few maps.

Dictionaries

Except in England and most of Ireland you will probably need some form of translating dictionary. A good reason to carry a Foreign/English & English/Foreign dictionary is that you will often get into conversations with foreigners who are nearly fluent but don't know the English word for, say, smuggler. The dictionary helps to keep the conversation going. If you are out shopping it's also handy.

But if you are on one of those tours where you are stuffed into a bus with 20 or 50 other bovine Americans you'll never talk to a European so you won't need a dictionary. Pity, you went to Europe to look through a bus window.

Dictionaries for a few popular languages are available in the USA. If you are going to Italy, France, Germany, Austria, or Nederland you should have little trouble in finding a pocket dictionary in a large bookstore at home.

In Switzerland you will need three dictionaries. Actually the Confoederatio Helvetica has four official languages — German, French, Itallian, and Romansch. I've never run across that last one, reportedly spoken by less than 1% of the Swiss population. And if you can believe it there is a box full of other languages spoken in CH, normally known in Europe as Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Swizzera (Italian) etc., etc..

It is called the European Union but see chapter 26, Languages, Numbers, Alphabets: Encounter The Tower of Babel in Europe to learn how disunified Europe is regarding a common language. A common European language has not existed since Latin and never will again, unless the Esperanto linguists take over and rule the world. More likely eveybody finally admits that American is the de facto lingua du monde. Sorry Brits, you are history.

Irregular Verbs and Sexual Nouns

Pocket-size translating dictionaries are very helpful. However many words on signs and posters are not in these books. Conjugated forms of verbs are not usually included, and the most common verbs are the most irregular, giving no hint to the root. English is similar, e.g., the verb to be becomes am, are, is, were, was and others depending on case, number, and tense.

Nouns are generally easy to find, though not always easy to use. Many foreign languages assign a gender to each noun, masculine or feminine, and some use neuter. French, Dutch, and some other languages use special feminine endings to denote female persons. Adjectives may have different endings depending on gender, number, and on the function of the noun. Thus, in the extreme case, German has 16 potential versions of the simple pronoun the, starting with der, die, das for subject singular masculine, feminine, neuter, and die for all subject plurals. Not all forms are unique. It can get confusing, mighty confusing.

Greek

Greek dictionaries present a couple of problems for the user that you won't appreciate until you try to use the things. The Greek, as opposed to the Latin, alphabet is used in all of them of course. Entries may be in lower case letters. Most signs in Greece are in upper case letters, which are something else again. Then you have to know the order of the alphabet in order to find a word in there. Would you expect z to come before i in a dictionary?

Fortunately, learning the phonic Greek alphabet is not especially difficult, and pronunciation is feasible after that. Double fortunately, so many people in Athens speak English that you don't have to worry about any of this. But outside Athens you can find as many people who speak English as you would find speaking Greek in Kansas.

Cyrillic

Turn it up a notch in Ukraine and Bulgaria. Talk about alphabets! These folks have a couple that are similar to Greek, but different. The Bulgarian alphabet was invented by a couple of monks, Saints Cyril and Methodius, who are consequently national heroes. Bulgaria is probably the only country which so honors its cryptographers.

Much more on the subject of alphabets can be found later in chapter 26, Languages, Numbers, Alphabets.

GUIDES FOR DRIVERS

AA Motoring in Europe

Someone about to begin an automobile vacation in Europe should begin by reading the AA Motoring In Europe book. This is published by the Automobile Association, Hampshire, England, the equivalent of our AAA. Of course, British drive on the wrong side of the road so what do they know about driving in Europe? Plenty.

Chapter 18 of How To Europe

If you can't get the AA Motoring In Europe book make sure to read the four parts of chapter 18, Driving in Europe. Photos of many of the road signs are included. The all important Do Not Enter sign is also illustrated in chapter 1, What's It All About. Know your European road signs or you may lose your life, as I almost did. American road signs are not used in Europe, except for occasional sightings of our red octagon.

RAILROAD SCHEDULES

Rail travelers will find a schedule of all arrivals and departures posted at each station. This is OK as far as it goes, but most travelers need more.

Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable

For EurailPass travelers, your own copy of train schedules is invaluable. The best available is the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. This baby takes a bit of practice to use, but the average traveler will learn quickly. The front of the book has a page of operating instructions to get you familiar with using it. With the maps and schedules in this timetable, you can plan connections and detours at your leisure and be independent. Thomas Cook also publishes large fold out maps of the rails of Europe, Rail Map Europe and Rail Map of Britain & Ireland.

Having a copy of the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable eliminates the need to wait in line for a bureaucrat at a train station to get you on the right train, which they don't always do very effectively. Rail information offices are normally jammed with a long line waiting. Sometimes the office is not open when you need it. If you are planning tight connections ask the conductor on board your train for advice. They are always very helpful and more accurate than agents in the train station information offices.

Another advantage of carrying the timetable is that pulling it out of your bag usually finds you with new friends wanting to take a look at the schedule or asking about the next train to Dijon.

Train numbers shown in the European Rail Timetable are not always the same as the official train number, so don't use these numbers to get you on the right train. Use departure time and destination as a guide and always check the information on the departure platform. Platforms for scheduled trains can be changed at the last minute if a train is running behind schedule.

Do not fail to study the legend in the front of the European Rail Timetable and the small print notes following each schedule.

There is a city index in the front of the book, along with city maps showing the various train stations in those cities with more than one station or dock, and a wealth of other information. The European Rail Timetable is published quarterly and monthly, but the only major differences in train service are between summer (June through September) and the rest of the year.

Eurail Timetable

A timetable definitely worth bringing with you (it's free to those who purchase a EurailPass) is the Eurail Timetable. This timetable has a great rail map of Europe and schedules of trains between major cities. It is very easy to use and makes a handy supplement to the Thoms Cook European Rail Timetable, which is not so easy to use because it is so comprehensive. The booklet also has some valuable information for train travelers in the front. The Eurail Timetable comes with your EurailPass and is also available at any Eurail Aid Office in Europe. These offices are indicated on the Eurail Map which comes with your EurailPass.

National Railroad Timetables

All of the national railroads of Europe publish timetables of various sorts. Some are tables showing all the trains between two cities, as in the French Horaire which can be picked up at train stations at no cost. Notes regarding fare supplements, days when the train does not run, and other special conditions are in French, and you'd better read those notes.

At stations in Holland, you can pick up a small booklet called Intercity: Belangrijkste Treinverbindingen in Nederland (Important Train Connections in The Netherlands). Notes are in Dutch, and you'd better read those notes. A complete schedule of all Dutch trains can be purchased at many stations for a nominal cost. Explanation of the symbols is in English, but those dangerous footnotes are in Dutch.

The DB (German Rail) publishes a booklet titled Städteverbindungen (City Connections) showing timetables for selected major city routes. On named trains in Germany the conductor passes out a guide to the train named Ihr Zug-Begleiter. This shows arrival and departure times and trains connecting from each stop. The symbol translation table is in German and in English.

There is plenty of other literature put out by the various national railroads of Europe showing schedules, routes, and special deals. Virtually all of it is in the local language. So unless you can read it you will not know that a train might only run on weekdays, but on Friday only goes halfway, and on Tuesday and Thursday it starts an hour earlier.

Chapter 17 of How To Europe

There is much more about trains in chapter 17, Trains in Europe: A Traveler's Rail Primer. Over the years I've traveled the rails from the north of Norway to southern Portugal and to the eastern end of the Ukraine. Traveling by train is a great way to see Europe.

PERIODICALS

National Geographic Traveler

The National Geographic magazine has arguably the best travel photography published and has an article on a European destination in virtually every issue. It's companion, the National Geographic Traveler, is also extremely valuable for travel planning. There is usually one article on Europe in every issue, supplemented with sidebars providing information on travel arrangements and sources for further information.

Condé Nast Traveler

Condé Nast Traveler is one of the best of the travel magazines available at most magazine racks. It's a monthly and regularly features articles on Europe. It also has very good information on general travel topics, e.g. credit cards, jet lag, and other news bits.

Transitions Abroad

Another of my favorites is Transitions Abroad, a bi-monthly targeting the university oriented audience with extensive information on study abroad programs, working overseas, and general travel information.

International Travel News

Saving the best for nearly last, the International Travel News is unquestionably the one journal every traveler should read. The ITN is a monthly and features extensive letters, articles, and photos by the readers, probably the most traveled group of any journal's readership in the world. You'll get more first-hand, inside, and upright information about every place on the planet than you'll find anyplace else on the planet.

Weekend Travel Sections in Major Newspapers

Major metrolopitan newspapers feature a large travel section on Sunday. You usually see a full color picture of a tropical beach on page one. Inside there is usually one article on a European destination, along with scores of adverts for airfares, package deals, hotels, and other travel services. The articles are there to support the advertising so they rarely mention an overcast day, much less anything seriously wrong with any of the destinations written about.

AUTHORS NOT TO MISS

Georgia Hesse and Ed Buryn

There are very few books by people who have traveled and who know how to write about it. Two that stand out are: Going My Way by Georgia Hesse (1975, Chronicle Books, San Francisco), and Vagabonding In Europe And North Africa by Ed Buryn (1971, 1973, The Bookworks, Berkeley). What these timeless books have in common and what most books do not have is personal experience, an honest straightforward presentation, and a wealth of information in a small volume. While I take issue with a few points in each book, I strongly recommend both to every traveler.

Ernest Hemingway and Peter Mayle

These are two of my favorite authors because of the way they write and what they write about. Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast recounts some of his life in Paris decades ago. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle describes his life in the south of France more recently. These are two first hand accounts of living in Europe that will entertain and enlighten every traveler. Both authors have a number of other books of interest to those who love faraway places and peoples.

TYPICAL SOURCES

Bookstores, libraries, tourist offices, commercial travel businesses, and our own federal government all provide information of value to travelers. Much of the best and most important information is absolutely free.

Bookstores

Regular bookstores in your home town usually have a section with this year's selection of travel guides. Certain publishers seem to hog much of the shelf space. The local outlet of a national chain has reduced its inventory to only four publishers of Europe guide books. The regional manager told me that these are the best sellers and corporate headquarters has scratched the others off the list. Unfortunately, the best guide books were among those scratched off and the hoi polloi is about all that is offered. Hype sells.

Travel books are sorted alphabetically by country or by continent or whatever, depending on the store manager. A few Michelin books are often placed on a nearby rack, if they are stocked at all. There is sometimes a haphazard assemblage of foreign maps in the vicinity of the travel books. The foreign language dictionaries and phrase books are usually in the reference section of the store. Rail timetables are nowhere to be found.

Used Guide Books

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris hasn't moved for eight centuries and the Coliseum has been parked at the same place in Rome for two thousand years. No additional monuments have been discovered in decades. Why do you need a new guide book with this year's date on the cover? You don't. These "updated" guide books are usually reprints of old material in a new cover. The purpose of a new cover date is simply to sell more books, the primary goal of the travel guide book industry. The most popular books are the most prone to this scam. See the section titled the Hoi Polloi above for examples.

Used books are sold at used book stores, on-line with specialists like Alibris, on-line with Amazon.com and others, at garage sales, church rummage sales, library used book sales, Salvation Army stores, AAUW used book sales, and other events.

Travel Book Specialists

There are a few bookstores which specialize in information and supplies for travelers. The current editions of Michelin, Berlitz, AA publications, and European maps, may be ordered from a number of mail order travel bookstores. These stores also carry many other guide books.

Amazon.com

My favorite source of books, except for used book sales, is Amazon.com. Amazon.com seems to have just about eveything and provides fast reliable shipping. My green advertising column on the right has many links to good travel books at Amazon.com.

European Book Stores

Bookstores in Europe are convenient sources for dictionaries, maps, and for other locally published guides to hotels and restaurants. European department stores usually have a large, well stocked travel bookstore. When traveling light, you might consider packing only the literature for the first country on your itinerary. On entering a country, buy a pocket translating dictionary and anything else that you couldn't get for free from the city tourist office. Now and then, as the load on your back increases, mail home the materials you don't need any longer. See chapter 24, Shipping Your Treasures Home from Europe for intelligence on using the post offices in Europe.

European Rail Timetable

This monthly schedule of the trains throughout Europe, discussed above, is published in England and is not easily purchased in the USA. In the past I have ordered my European Rail Timetable direct through the Thomas Cook Publications web site. It was delivered in less than two weeks at a cost, including postage, less than the American price. The American distributor never responded to an email.

I have included a link to this timetable in the right hand column for advertisements. Amazon.com can get this out to you in less time.

Once over there, Thomas Cook and Wagon-Lits offices in France, Germany, and England are good sources for the Timetable. I bought a current copy in Paris for half of the United States list price. I've also bought it in Frankfurt at the Wagon-Lits office, ordered it from the publisher when I lived in Geneva, Switzerland, and bought a copy when I was in London, April 2009. This book will save you headaches and time if you are traveling the rails anywhere in Europe.

PUBLIC LIBRARY

A good public library will have most of the popular travel guide books, though they will probably be two to ten years old. No matter. See the comments on used books above. For my last trip I checked out a couple of books and brought them with me. My library allows a month.

914 in the Dewey Decimal System

Books on Europe are in classification 914 of the Dewey Decimal System. Check them out and make notes on subjects of interest. For instance, if you want to visit all the ship museums, or wine festivals, or war memorials, research the literature and compose your personal guide book. Save yourself $20 or $50 and benefit from using a half dozen guides rather than one. Writing down the information you need will burn it into your memory.

Reference

In addition to guide books, you will find dozens of other books and references to Europe and specific countries. Start with the encyclopedias, and then go to the book and magazine shelves and reference files. Look for history books, geography, art, and other specific subjects. Personal travelogues in dusty covers can be fascinating and informative. The more you know about the places you are going to visit, the more you will enjoy them.

Language Training

Language tapes, videos, and texts are also available in most libraries. If you don't know any French, Spanish, or Russian before you head for their countries, some ear acclimatization beforehand would be a good part of your preparation. Also, have a good look at chapter 26, Languages, Numbers, Alphabets: Encounter the Tower of Babel in Europe, for much more about languages.

Telephone Books

Major libraries may also have telephone books for selected countries and cities of Europe. These might help you locate a hotel or restaurant that one of your friends has told you about. However, using European phone books is not easy. They're all so different that I won't go into this in detail.

Foreign Newspapers

Libraries, especially university libraries, also carry major foreign newspapers. These can help you brush up on your French or German, tell you what's on stage in London this week, or give you some idea of the price of used cars and apartment rental rates. The daily newspapers of many large cities can also be found on the Internet.

TOURIST OFFICES

Do not confuse travel agencies with tourist offices.

Your home town telephone directory lists travel agencies. Their business is selling tickets for air travel and package tours. For good personal service, instead of telephone menus and/or internet radio buttons, see your travel agent. They have some great brochures, also.

Tourist offices are something else.

Official National Tourist Offices

Official tourist offices are maintained in the United States by each European country to provide information to prospective tourists. Most countries have tourist information offices in New York City with additional offices in other major American cities.

Write or phone and request hotel lists, sightseeing information, and maps. Replies will be forthcoming in days to weeks. The information is free. All you have to do is ask for it. Most of the information is surprisingly objective in describing the country and various customs, but do not expect every day of your journey to be filled with the clear, sunny skies that you see in the photos.

Most countries also have a web site where you can get voluminous information. For a full list of current URLs see the category National Tourist Offices in the TRAVELERS YELLOW PAGES.

Many countries maintain tourist offices in other European capital cities. I was able to get hotel lists, maps, and tourist information on Ireland when I was in Paris, on Italy, Portugal, and France in Madrid, on Germany in Amsterdam, etc. Finding these offices is not always easy because the local name of each country is usually not the American version, e.g. Holland is Pays-Bas in French. Check your foreign language dictionary. Some or all of the literature will be in languages other than ours, but the city maps and hotel lists are easy to follow.

The Small Print

The most important information provided by these tourist offices is generally set aside in several pages of small print in the back of the full color brochures. This section discusses important items of legal and cultural concern to visitors, particular to each country. Typical subjects are: passports, visas, entry requirements, customs duties, currency, driving laws, alcoholic beverage laws, shopping, taxes, holidays, tipping, weather, banks, and addresses for further information.

City Tourist Offices

Almost every city in Europe has a city tourist office. These offices provide maps, hotel lists, and calendars of events. This information is free, though there is sometimes a nominal charge for the better quality maps, and always a charge for t-shirts and for other "Yeah, I've been there stuff." Even if there is a charge for maps, it is usually less than the cost of maps and guides in the bookstores. City tourist offices are normally located in or near the main train station, the town square, or on a major boulevard. City tourist offices are also very helpful when you have a misunderstanding with your hotel The tourist office can act as translator and help you get the problem straightened out or find another hotel for you.

When picking up maps and guides in the city tourist offices, get the English version and the local language version. The reason for this is that the English version will usually have an English translation of the names of buildings and sights (e.g. "Weigh House"), but the buildings and sights themselves have only the local language name on the front door (e.g. Waag in Holland). With both maps you can figure out what is what. Some guide maps are in six languages in which case you don't have to get two of them.

Prior to going, you can also write directly to the city tourist office of the cities you plan to visit, advise them that you plan on a holiday there in a month or so, and request a map, a hotel list, and sightseeing information. Most cities will send you a two pound packet of full color brochures. Though "tourist office" usually goes under local language names, e.g. Verkersamt in Germany, addressing your letter simply to "Tourist Bureau" will probably land your letter in the right place.

COMMERCIAL TRAVEL BUSINESSES

Railroads, hotels, and other businesses sometimes provide gratis information to help you travel.

Railroads

The railroads are to Europe what the airlines are to the United States. Most of them promote vacation packages including accommodations and supplemental transportation. Brochures describing these packages include information helpful to the free-lance traveler. You can also obtain schedules of major routes and connections from the railroad information offices for point to point travel. This service is usually free, though most railroads charge a fee for their printed schedules.

Buses

Metropolitan rail and bus lines issue free route plans and city maps. Pick them up at bus depots, main train stations, or at city tourist offices. The bus and tram route maps can be particularly helpful because bus and tram stops usually have a sign board showing the route numbers and maps for the routes which stop there. If you get lost, the route map and any nearby bus stop should get you found.

Hotels

First class hotels in major cities usually have booklets with city maps, calendars of events, restaurant lists, etc. A typical title is This Week In Stockholm. These booklets are freely available in the better hotels. Even if you're not staying there, just go in and browse the registration counter and the brochure rack in the lobby.

There are a number of better quality hotel groups in Europe that are composed of independently owned and/or chain-managed hotels. Examples are Golden Tulip, Etap, and Ibis. To obtain a free directory, ask the national tourist office when you write for information.

European Department Stores

Even department stores can provide tourists with helpful maps and information. In Paris, the Galeries Lafayette provides a good street map and plan of the Metro on the back side of its perfume advertising flyer. The Stockmann department store in Helsinki has an excellent free city map and four language guide on the back of their advertising flyer. Look for others as you travel and shop through Europe.

UNCLE SAMMY

The Federal Government publishes a number of pamphlets of value to travelers. These are primarily concerned with what you are allowed to bring back into the country, but also concern your health and safety while overseas. One of these, Know Before You Go, is a must read — before packing your bags. Download it from the U.S. Customs Service at Know Before You Go.

THE WORLD WIDE WEB, WWW

The Internet is now the information source of choice for many people, probably including you because you've found this web site. There are thousands of web sites dedicated to travel in Europe, to individual countries, and to individual cities.

Search Engines

The easiest way to locate information is to use a search engine such as Bing.com, Google.com, or one of the others. Type a word or phrase into the little box and hit your return key. Voilà you'll have thousands, maybe millions, of hits.

The problem is that you'll probably get too many hits unless you narrow your search to a set of key words. For example, try something like europe travel independent if you're looking for sources of information on independent travel in Europe. Typing just travel europe will give you over a million hits.

Travelers Yellow Pages

In an attempt to bring you the information you need without wading through those pages and pages on your screen, my TRAVELERS YELLOW PAGES has links to dozens of pages with information directly pertinent to travel in Europe. For example, the airline category includes direct links to the airlines flying to Europe. Other categories currently on site include discount travel, auto rental, official national tourist offices, city and regional tourist offices, and much more. The eclectic sites and personal web pages give you some unique perspectives on Europe. The guide books page links you to sources of books and maps for your travels.

If you came to this chapter 10 without going through the home page, click How To Europe to access additional chapters free on line. On my home page you'll find other essential information, for example, Prime Travel Data for many countries of Europe, and more about the weather, money exchange, and maps. It's all free, quick loading, and easy to use. No plug-ins required and no pop-ups allowed!

Have a good trip!

NOTE TO READERS

I welcome questions, comments, and complaints. If you have any concerns about your trip to Europe that have not been covered well enough on my web site please do not hesitate to write. Ask, cuss, discuss, or whatever. I read every email and update my pages when I see a question repeating, Then I will not get that question again, hopefully. In some cases readers have been so generous with their time and talent that I have included their emails verbatim, e.g. chapters 22 and 25.

I do not open attachments. I do not click links to web pages of any kind. If you have an item you want me to comment on please send the name of the manufacturer and the model number, or the Amazon.com ASIN number. I will reply in a day or two, usually.

My email address is [email protected].

Do not forget to smell the hyacinths. At your liesure scroll through the Table of Contents of How To Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook and read all 30 chapters, FREE on line. Good deal! You'll probably find the answers you seek, and some you didn't know you needed.

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My book will get you started. How To Europe The Complete Travelers Handbook by John Bermont

HOW TO EUROPE: The CompleteTravelers Handbook by John Bermont

This rail timetable is produced by the compilers of the former Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable, my bible for decades of train travel in Europe. European Rail Timetable Summer 2015

European Rail Timetable
Summer 2015

Europe by Rail:
The Definitive Guide for Independent Travellers
Thomas Cook Rail Guides

Europe by Eurail 2015:
Touring Europe by Train
by Laverne Ferguson-Kosinski

Rail Map of Europe

The best travel guide to all of Europe. Europe on a Shoestring, Lonely Planet

Europe on a Shoestring
Lonely Planet

A comprehensive guide to 3,000 hotels and restaurants in 44 major cities throughout Europe, in English. Separate books in the Michelin Red series cover individual countries in greater detail. This is a must have for frequent travelers. Michelin Guide 2014 Main Cities of Europe

Michelin Guide 2014 Main Cities of Europe

Main Cities of Europe 2015
Michelin Guide

Keep a travel journal, so you can write your own travel book. This is my favorite pocket size note book.
It is 5½"x3½"x½".

Markings by C.R. Gibson Brown Ruled Paper Bonded Leather Journal, Small (MJ3-4792)

Rolling luggage sure beats lugging a pack on your back.

Travelpro Luggage Maxlite 2 20 inch Expandable Spinner

Travelpro Luggage Maxlite 2 20" Expandable Spinner

A shoulder bag for your daily walk-about.

Travelpro Luggage Maxlite3 Soft Tote

Keep your stuff organized. eBags Medium Packing Cubes - 3pc Set

Luggage Packing Cubes
eBags 3pc Set

The two gallon size is excellent for packing your clothes, but it is hard to find in Europe. Two gallon plastic ZipLoc bags

Two gallon plastic bags
ZipLoc by SC Johnson

Inconspicuously lock your zippered luggage with a black wire tie.

Cables to Go 43036 Cable Ties - 100 Pack (Black)

Write your own. Here's how. Dan Poynter was the godfater of writing and self publishing. Unfortunately, Dan died in 2015 subsequent to a minor accident.

Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual, 16th Edition. How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book

The details on driving in Europe may save your life.

Driving in Europe 101 by Curley Bowman

A selection of travel guide books. Michelin Green Guide Holland

Michelin Green Guide Netherlands, 5e

HollandFodor's

The Netherlands Lonely Planet

Germany Baedeker's

Italy Eyewitness Travel Guides

Michelin produces superior maps for nearly every place in Europe.
Michelin Maps
London
Paris
Rome
Madrid
Lisbon
Brussels
Berlin

Netherlands Michelin

Pocket Map and Guide Amsterdam (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Amsterdam Pocket Map and Guide Eyewitness Travel Guides

Here is a combo dictionary and phrase book for your first trip to France. French At a Glance, Barron's Educational Series

French At a Glance Barron's Educational Series

Spanish/English English/Spanish Larousse Mini Dictionary

Greek Oxford Mini Dictionary

The classic journal of a Brit who moved to southern France. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

A Year in Provence
by Peter Mayle

During World War II in Nazi occupied Haarlem, Holland a Dutch Christian family risked everything to save Jews. This is a gripping story. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

The Hiding Place
by Corrie Ten Boom

Michelin Battle of Normandy Map No.102 [Facsimile, Folded Map]

A Travel Guide to World War II Sites in Italy: Museums, Monuments, and Battlegrounds

The 25 Essential World War II Sites: European Theater: The Ultimate Traveler's Guide to Battlefields, Monuments, and Museums

Fields of War: Fifty Key Battlefields in France and Belgium

The Holocaust Sites of Europe: An Historical Guide

A spot-on humorous introduction to Holland. The Undutchables by Colin White and Laurie Boucke

The Undutchables
by Colin Whiteand Laurie Boucke

A compact guide to the heart of Europe's wine districts. The Wine Roads of Europe by Marc and Kim Million

The Wine Roads of Europe
by Marc and Kim Million

A fascinating peek at a bit of British history. Treason: Famous English Treason Trials by Alan Wharam

Treason
Famous English Treason Trials
by Alan Wharam

The story of the first and greatest financial "bubble" in history. Tulipomania by Mike Dash

Tulipomania
by Mike Dash

Two that will get you started in Italy. The Last Italian by William Murray

The Last Italian
by William Murray

Under the Tuscan Sun
by Frances Mayes

Look sharp and be comfortable.

Hot Chillys Women's Peach Skins Solid T-Neck Shirt

Wear a scarf for comfort and style. Nobody will ever suspect that you are an American.

Very soft houndstooth neck scarf, Kanye West style, different colors available

My favorite T-shirt undershirt has a pocket for securely carrying passport, cash, and credit cards. Hanes 6.1oz. Tagless Pocket T-Shirt

Turfer Tagless ComfortSoft T-Shirt with Pocket

For leg comfort on the plane.

Arriva Travel-Tec Travel Legwear with Smart Compression Technology

An RFID blocking wallet protects your passport and credit cards from identity theft in public places.

Travelon RFID Blocking Passport Case

This carry-on liquids kit meets TSA airline rules.

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Custom Travel Bottle Set

Make sure that your electrical appliances are 110-220 dual voltage so they will work in Europe.

Note:
These appliances require a plug adapter, NOT a converter, for the countries you are visiting. See plug adapters above.

#E-130

Vagabond Compact Styler
Conair's Dual-Voltage Ionic Hair Dryer

#E-140

Conair Flat Iron Ceramic Straightener Dual Voltage

Conair Flat Iron 2" Ceramic Straightener
Dual Voltage

#E-150

Remington H-1015 All That Quick Curl Travel Hair Setter

Travel Hair Setter
Dual Voltage
Remington H-1015

#E-160

SteamFast SF-717 Home-and-Away Mini Steam Iron (dual voltage)

#E-170

Braun Series 1 150 Men's Shaver with Automatic Worldwide Voltage Adjustment

For light sleepers here is an international "white noise" machine. Includes a Continental plug adapter.
#E-180

Marsona TSCi-330 White Noise Travel Sound Conditioner For both USA and International

For coffee or tea in your room, without waiting or paying for room service.
#E-190

Lewis N. Clark Immersion Heater 120/240V

Plug adapters are needed throughout Europe. There are at least five models used in different countries.
Note: The highlighted #E number is purely arbitrary. It is meant to help quickly identify products in this advert column when you write in for electrical advice.
See NOTE TO READERS.

This adapter is for the standard grounded plug in France, Germany, and northern Europe. It does not fit in outlets of Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, and Britain.
#E-010 Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Schuko Plug Adapter Type E/F for Germany, France, Europe

Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Schuko Plug Adapter Type E/F for Germany, France, Europe

Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter
European Schuko plug.
4.8 mm prongs.
Equivalent to type E and F.

You can use this ungrounded Euro plug in some European countries.
#E-020

Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter
Euro Plug
4.0 mm prongs.
Equivalent to type C.

This is a universal plug adapter for the UK and Ireland.
#E-030 Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter Type G England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland

AC Adapter Plug for use in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland
Equivalent to type G.

Here is the Swiss version.
#E-040

Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter
Type J for Switzerland

Here is the grounded Italian model.
#E-050

Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter
Type L for Italy

This 110-250 volt power surge strip has three universal outlets and an American grounded plug so it needs a plug adapter for the countries you are visiting. Make sure your gizmos are rated for 110-240 volts.
#E-060

SM-60 Universal 3 Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector for Worldwide Travel. 110V-250V with Overload Protection.

If your gizmos charge through a USB port this can keep you going. European cars have the same 12 volt system as American cars.
#E-200 Scosche Dual USB Car Charger

Scosche Dual USB
Car Charger

The links in this pink field take you directly to a page at Amazon.com. The Amazon page details the item, and in most cases includes candid and critical comments from others who have bought the item.

Amazon pays my site a small commission when you click and order an item, if you put it in your shopping cart within 24 hours based on the cookie they set on your computer. If you don't want to make a quick decision just put it in your shopping cart, think it over, and come back later. The revenue covers the cost of maintaing this web site and keeps it free to users.

You benefit when buying here because Amazon has:

20% - 30% discount on many items,
free shipping deals, direct to your door,
no sales tax on internet purchases in most states,
zillions of products, well almost,
fast delivery even when it is free,
shipment tracking in UPS, USPS, FedEx,
easy returns if you are not happy with the product.

You win we win. Thanks for your support!!
Have a good trip in life,
John Bermont

Note: Italicized notations by the author.

Absolutely the best battery for digital cameras which use AA batteries. Energizer - AA Lithium Batteries - 4 Pack

EnergizerAA Lithium Batteries4 Pack

This charger is good for worldwide voltage and comes with 4 pre-charged batteries. It requires a plug adapter for the countries you are visiting. Sanyo Eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargable Batteries w/ Charger

Sanyo Eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargable Batteries w/ Charger

Sanyo SEC-MQN064 Eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargable Batteries with Worldwide 110-240 volt charger

This kit includes a pair of rechargeable batteries with a USB powered charger.

SANYO NEW 1500 eneloop 2-AA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries w/ USB Charger

This is my favorite pocket size travel journal.
It is 5½"x3½"x½".

Markings by C.R. Gibson Brown Ruled Paper Bonded Leather Journal, Small (MJ3-4792)

For reading maps and other stuff with fine print. Bausch and Lomb 819013 2X Folding Lighted Handheld Magnifier with Acrylic Lens, 4 Inches x 2 Inches

Bausch and Lomb 819013 2X Folding Lighted Handheld Magnifier with Acrylic Lens, 4 Inches x 2 Inches

Bausch and Lomb 2X Folding Lighted Magnifier

A Swiss Army Knife is unquestionably the handiest item a traveler can carry, except not on a plane.

Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman II Knife

enjoy — europe.com
Travel with John Bermont
The original do-it-yourself travel guide to Europe ℠

Guide Books and Maps

Tomes for Travel in Europe
Michelin, Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Fodor's, Frommers, Let's Go, Rough Guides

Carpe diem. Vivere bene! Gratia Deo.

HOW TO EUROPE: The Complete Travelers Handbook
John Bermont

Sacagawea is not available.

Have a good trip!

To like and like not:

Adverts

To support this site:

Bon voyage on site, and all over Europe!

enjoy — europe.com Travel with John Bermont The original do-it-yourself travel guide to Europe ℠

Guide Books and Maps

Tomes for Travel in Europe Michelin, Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Fodor's, Frommers, Let's Go, Rough Guides

Carpe diem. Vivere bene! Gratia Deo.

HOW TO EUROPE: The Complete Travelers Handbook John Bermont

Sacagawea is not available.

Have a good trip!

To like and like not:

Adverts

To support this site:

Bon voyage on site, and all over Europe!

enjoy — europe.com
Travel with John Bermont
The original do-it-yourself travel guide to Europe ℠

Tomes for Travel in Europe
Michelin, Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Fodor's, Frommers, Let's Go, Rough Guides

HOW TO EUROPE: The Complete Travelers Handbook
John Bermont