Customer Reviews

Fodor's German for Travelers (Phrase Book) (Fodor's Languages for Travelers)

5 star:		(3)
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2 star:		(1)
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I bought these tapes before going to Germany, and found them useful in asking questions, such as, "Do you have a room available", but the only problem is that they don't really brief you on responces...understanding what people would answer back was quite confusing.

This phrasebook should see you through most encounters you are likely to have as a tourist in the German speaking world. Easy to follow and well laid out, it certainly helped me through a recent trip to Germany. Apart from a minor misunderstanding with a Stuttgart hotel clerk whom I mysteriously told "I am not normally flaccid" in response to a routine credit card inquiry, I coped marvellously.

My native German friend was my personal translator but since I knew I'd be on my own half the time, I wanted to have a grasp of essential German words and expressions. I asked around for a good German program for travelers and a coworker recommended this program which didn't disappoint! The audio was great for helping me with pronunciation. What I learned in the "finding your way" section came in very handy when I was lost and needed to ask for directions back to my friend's place. The phrasebook also came in very handy especially when it came to dining out by myself. I knew I didn't want "hasenpfeffer" (spicy rabbit stew) or "eisbein" (pickled pig's knuckle)!

I found this to be a well written, detailed, and easy to use language guide. I have used a number of the Fodor language guides and travel guides over the years, as well as the ones by Lonely Planet, and I think they offer the best value for the price.

I plan on going to Europe soon, and hopefully, this guide will make it a smoother trip than the one I made to the eastern bloc some years ago.

While we're at it, I hope you don't mind if I recount a funny story that happened the last time I was in Europe.

I was in Sophia, Bulgaria, trying to ask a Bulgarian policemen where I could buy a map, which in Russian sounds like "Gedzye ya pokupaiyu carteeriye? and instead I pointed to the phrase in the Russian phrasebook which said, "Where can I find a mild laxative?" He gave me a look that indicated I hadn't quite communicated my real intent, and then I noticed where I was pointing in the phrasebook, and I guess the expression on my face did the rest, because at that point he basically realized I didn't know what the hell I was doing.

Anyway, hopefully my next trip will go smoother in the cross-cultural communication department.