What Travel Guides to Buy??

You might want to change your user name, as I'm not sure that name will be accepted under the forum rules.

I'll reply to your question once you've done that.

That was weird. Fixed it :) thanks !

Munich, Bavaria, and Salzburg are all in one small book, without the rest of Germany, so you might want that one, and the Paris guide.

Chwk,

One method you might use is to check your local Library to find the appropriate Rick Steves guidebooks for your trip, and make a note of the pertinent information in your Itinerary. You could perhaps take a Laptop along, to make it easier to take notes. Based on the locations you listed, these books would provide the best information....

• Paris - either the Paris or France guidebooks
• Berner Oberland - Switzerland guidebook
• Füssen, Munich - Germany guidebook
• Salzburg, Vienna, Danube - Vienna / Salzburg / Tirol guidebook
• Prague, Cesky Krumlov - Prague & the Czech Republic guidebook
• Amsterdam - Amsterdam & the Netherlands
• Baltic Cruise - Northern European Cruise Ports guidebook

If you're going to be travelling with a Tablet or Laptop and decide to pack one (or more) of the books along, note that many are also available as E-books in several formats (Kindle, iBooks, etc.). Of all the books, I'd probably pack along a copy of the Northern Cruise Ports since you'll be visiting several locations and it would probably be useful for reference during the trip, to plan day excursions.

It would help to know whether this is your first trip to Europe?

One other point to note is that for driving in some countries, each driver listed on the rental form will require an International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. You can obtain one of those easily for a small fee from any BCAA office. The IDP is absolutely required in France. If you rent a car outside of Switzerland and Austria and then drive into those two countries, you'll need to purchase the compulsory highway tax vignette, or risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! I'd suggest using the excellent train system as much as possible.

Good luck with your planning!

First trip to Europe...renting car in Switzerland for week to travel to Fussen, Munich, Salzburg. I have read all the country books and looking to know of the best of Europe would be better than the Pocket books in kindle format...not really interested in taking hundreds of notes or hauling a bunch of books in the backpack. :) looking for best overviews of the best of.

ebook versions of guidebooks is a good solution. The RS versions allow you to bookmark pages and take notes. You can also cut out just the section of a book you are interested in, like the Munich chapter of a Germany book.

As this is your first trip to Europe, it would also be a good idea to read Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. That provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel well in Europe.

Be sure to get the Austrian highway vignette as soon as you enter the country. Also, Salzburg can be difficult to find parking, and it's not cheap. For your car rental, you may want to contact Gemut.com as they can provide lots of good information. They have a toll free number or you can send them an E-mail.

I borrow guidebooks from the library and photocopy pages that cover places I'll be visiting. That cuts down on weight and definitely saves money, though someday the copyright police may come knocking. Kindle or another e-reader is another option, though it can be hard to find specific items if you can't turn physical pages. It does seem like a few well-chosen guidebooks would cover most of where you're going, as Ken suggested. I hate to carry that much weight though.

And while the Rick Steves guides are excellent, they're not the only good ones out there. I also like Lonely Planet, which isn't as selective about the places it covers (i.e. you're not relying on the authors' choices as much). The DK series are beautiful but too heavy to take along, I think, and have few useful hotel or restaurant listings. The Michelin Green Guides may be the most complete for sights, but like DK they don't give you much in hotels or restaurants.

If you are driving, check the Michelin guides.

There's no substitute for a good guidebook and since you have a Kindle, why not take all you need since there is no weight issue? Yes, there is a $ cost, but compared to what you are spending on 2 months in Europe, a couple hundred bucks is a minimal investment to have the info you need when you need it.

I end up bookmarking tons of sites for our travels, but when out-and-about away from the laptop and WIFI, I turn to the guidebooks.

Great that you are going for two months. It looks like a very comprehensive trip with the cruise too. The only travel guide I buy now is "The Rough Guide" In the past I bought that along with "Let's Go" If I use others, I go to the public library. I don't use Kindle.

One other thought, given your location......

If you have a free day, take a leisurely drive to Edmonds (Seattle) and use the free Library at RS headquarters (during business hours). They have not only the most current versions of the RS guidebooks, but also many others including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, etc. You could also make an appointment with one of Rick's expert European travel advisors for a consultation to iron out the details in your travel plans (small fee for the consultation).