Description:
Beautifully ornate Neuschwanstein Castle, frothy beer at Oktoberfest, skiers schussing down the slopes and dodging snowflakes in the Tirol, Julie Andrews and the The Sound of Music--Germany, Austria, and Switzerland conjure up countless fairy-tale images. There are so many, in fact, that making decisions about how to spend your time in the region may be difficult. Enter Rick Steves. He began traveling, and writing about travel, at the green age of 14. Since then, his ineluctable Eurocentric passion has developed into his livelihood, with a series of guide books, a Web site, a tour company, and a public television program. Steves believes that you should use your travel time--and your money--wisely; see what's representative of the countries you plan to visit; and allow room for "magic moments." To that end, Rick Steves' Germany, Austria & Switzerland 1998 provides just enough information to guide you to "the best" attractions, but at a reasonable cost. Each country section begins with quick facts--size, currency, population--then quickly gets into the meat of the guide: ranked lists of sights (from "worth getting up early and skipping breakfast for" to "worth knowing about"), maps, and recommendations on transportation, accommodations, and where to dine. Those whose wanderlust must be confined to a period of days should follow one of the suggested itineraries; they're intended to give you a taste of the region without pushing you into sensory overload. If you're staying for five days, visit Munich, Bavaria, and Salzburg; if you've got a full week, then add Rothenburg and take a breather. Or, in the name of Rick Steves, find a "Back Door angle" and create your own plan. For those who expect their guide books to entertain as well as inform, Steves's high-on-life approach will be a good fit. (If you detest puns and can't tolerate occasional hyperbole, then you should probably try a guide of a different flavor.) Of the Swiss, he writes that "like Boy Scouts ... [they] count cleanliness, neatness, punctuality, tolerance, independence, thrift, and hard work as virtues, and they love pocketknives." He also expounds, briefly, on the virtues of German cuisine: "Nutella is a chocolate-hazelnut spread that may change your life." Who can argue with that? --Heidi Robinson
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