Amazon.com Price: $23.95
Following a recent whirlwind move to Germany from the States, we were looking for a good travel guide so that we could explore the country. Although I'm usually a loyal fan of the Lonely Planet and DK books, I decided to give this one a go. It was hefty, and seemed to include several itinerary suggestions for trips of varying lengths and focusing on various parts of Germany.
Now that we've been here a while and had plenty of opportunities to use the book, I'm sorry to say that I've found this book very disappointing. This Fodor's is full of information about many things: restaurants, hotels, sights to see in each town, and the nightlife.
However, I've found it lacking in several arenas. For one thing, the maps are pitiful. We've tried maneuvering around several cities with this book and have found the maps utterly useless every time. Also, one of the crucial bits of practical information it misses is how to get from one city to another or what types of public transportation is available within a particular city.
So, in a way, this book is okay, which is why I didn't rate it just two stars. It does have nearly 800 pages of information and suggests plenty of ideas for how to visit Germany. I just think it could've spent more of those 800 pages on more practical information. If you need information about how to get to where you want to go, then look elsewhere. But if you'd like to have more descriptive info about the cities once you're there, then this is your book. It's your call.
