Customer Reviews

Eyewitness Travel Guide to Great Places to Stay in Europe

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Another wonderful travel guide from Dorling Kindersley, this one covering accommodations in fifteen European countries Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

Great Places to Stay in Europe entices readers with stunning double-page photos prefacing each country introduction, which is an overview of the different types of accommodations, highlights of some of the most interesting places to see, food and drink suggestions, bedrooms and bathroom arrangements, and pertinent practical information such as tipping, telephoning, and currency.

Country sections are easy to spot: each is identified by its own colored thumb tab, and favorite places to stay are designated with a photo, while short entries offer excellent amenities but are rated slightly lower. Nonetheless, they are still "great places to stay." Photo listings have a description of the premises, telephone number and address, email address, map location, number of rooms, and other amenities, all designated by a symbol for easy usage. Price bands and a country map are also included as is a comprehensive index of hotels listed by name and by area. (Check for prices in Euros.)

As with DK's Eyewitness Travel Guides, Great Places to Stay in Europe is an ideal size for travel. Highly recommended.

Truly outstanding publication. Perfectly organized, realistic photogrtaphs help readers select unique, charming, and exclusive inns of character. My wife wanted to stay in a castle with a moat in France. We used the book to find the perfect inn. A memorable chateau (de Boussec) in the quiet countryside, surrounded by fresh flowers, and fields of cattle. Just perfect. The Marquis (de Boussec) greeted us at the door and entertained us for dinner with his lovely wife. Our mouths watered at the homemade tenderloin and fresh berries (from the garden) served in the formal dining room. Our eyes watered when we realized we ate at a 400 year old table, where French nobility dined before us. All the hosts spoke English, all recommended unique sights. Great inns in Provence, and elsewhere. Get this book, and see a side of Europe once reserved for the aristocracy.

If I were to have a few select books on travel, this would be one of them. It is an indispensible tool for finding enjoyable places to stay. It has maps of specific countries with the locations of the hotels it describes on the map. This is really useful when you are travelling (in a car) around as opposed to just staying in one city or two. I agree with another reveiwer that the hotels/inns/palaces with pictures are generally better than entries without a picture. Sometimes the website for the establishment will be listed. One caveat... as many countries in Europe now use the euro for currency, you may have to do some math as the prices listed are in former currencies... but the "star rating" system will give you a rough idea.

One of the most complete and focused guide books written on Italy. Detailed descriptions and guides to sightseeing, hotels and restaurants, certainly something no traveler should be without. Clearly and thoughtfully written descriptions allow the reader to picture their vacation and plan accordingly.

It's such a great book! I followed what the book recommands in a couple of cities when I travelled Spain & Portugal in October 2000 and gradually built my trust on the book. All are great choices. Hints: Those with pictures are better than those without.

Beautiful DK book, printed in Italy. Glossy pages with hotels, inns, chalets, and castles across Europe. Reinforced covers.

We used this travel guide to plan an extended trip across Italy from Venice to Piedmont, and into Switzerland. The information provided was accurate, and we were pleased with every stay, from a monastery-turned-Napoleonic fort in the hills overlooking Turin, to a 400-year-old hotel in the Principality of Liechtenstein. Anyone want to send me on a second honeymoon? LOL

Great Places to Stay in Europe also includes some brief in-country tips, but you will probably want a true sightseeing guidebook for any particular region(s) you visit. I cannot speak to the revised (2003) edition, but if it is anything like the original (First American Edition, 2000), you are good to go. Oddly, Amazon shows the same number of pages (432) for both.

Full list of countries covered:

NORWAY
SWEDEN
DENMARK
IRELAND (includes NORTHERN IRELAND)
GREAT BRITAIN (ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, WALES)
THE NETHERLANDS (HOLLAND)
BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG
GERMANY
AUSTRIA
SWITZERLAND (includes LIECHTENSTEIN)
FRANCE
PORTUGAL
SPAIN
ITALY
GREECE

This book has been a lifesaver. Although there is plenty of hotel information available on the internet, this would require some pre-planning. There is no substitute for simply having the addresses and phone numbers available in a book when travelling by car. The book lists quality places in the various touristic areas of Europe. When traveling in the off-season, you can simply rely on the book for last minute reservation while in the area.

Frank Loomans