How to Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook, Fourth Edition [Paperback]

John Bermont (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2003

This is the new 4th edition:
... 470 pages
... 7"x10" softcover format
... 345 b/w photos
... "Last Call" checklist
... detailed index
... published June 2003, revised 2nd printing September 2003.

When in Europe travel as the Europeans do.
You'll save time, cash, and grief.
Here's how to:
- Master the rails and roads
- Pay less for rooms and food
- Pack light and dress for travel
- Avoid pickpockets and rip-offs
- Find a job in Europe and move over
- Handle European money, metrics, electricity, telephones, e-mail, buses, taxis, languages, the weather, and much more.

John Bermont is an American who has traveled throughout Europe - from Norway to Turkey, Portugal to the Ukraine, and nearly eveything in between. He has lived and worked in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, and lived and studied in Paris.

'... an outstandingly practical handbook.' ALA Booklist

'... exceedingly complete ...' Don James, Los Angeles Times

'Bermont has a knack for picking out and clarifying the things that usually baffle American visitors.' 'The photographs ... are what sets this book a notch higher than others. You will learn as much from his photo captions as from his text.' Jay Brunhouse, The International Travel News

'... ideal for the first time traveler.'Jodi Dell, Travel Agent Magazine

'... one of the best guides to come across my desk in a long time. After living in Europe for 15 years, I still learn things from this book.' Michael Sedge, Family Magazine

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... an outstandingly practical handbook.' -- ALA Booklist

'... exceedingly complete ...' -- Don James, Los Angeles Times

'... ideal for the first time traveler. -- JJodi Dell, Travel Agent Magazine

About the Author

John Bermont is an American who has traveled throughout Europe - from Norway to Turkey, Portugal to the Ukraine, and nearly eveything in between. He has lived and worked in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, and lived and studied in Paris.

Product Details

• Paperback: 470 pages
• Publisher: Imprintbooks; 4th edition (May 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940792699
• ISBN-13: 978-0940792692
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,661,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The first time I drove a car in Europe nearly turned into a disaster. It was my dumb mistake and fortunately there was no damage. That was about three weeks after my boss had asked me to accept a job transfer to the Netherlands. Heck, I hardly knew where Amsterdam was and I certainly didn't know anything about driving in Europe!

My two years of working and living in Holland taught me a lot. And I learned plenty more over the years in travels on business, on my own, and on other extended relocations to France, Germany, and Switzerland. I've traveled throughout Europe by car, train, ferry, and plane -- Portugal to Ukraine, Greece to Norway, Turkey to Iceland, and almost everything in between. These experiences have been distilled down to "How To Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook." There are 30 chapters cussing and discussing everything from finding a hotel or hostel to boarding a train to using a phone to eating good and cheap to avoiding pickpockets and much more.

Having penned a travel book sparks interest in many people. "Oh really! Europe on $5 a Day?" is something I hear often. Well, yes and no. Actually you can travel in Europe on less than that, and even earn a living if you get lucky and land a job over there. I've been lucky a few times. But unlike "Europe on $5 a Day," my book is not a guide to specific hotels, restaurants, and sights to see. I mention very few, and then only as examples. Rather, it teaches you how to find sleeping, eating, and interesting places that suit your individual style of life, whatever that may be. "How To Europe" is a do-it-yourself travel guidebook.

The finesse of "How To Europe" over similar books is my extensive use of captioned photos illustrating every-day scenes in Europe. Parking meters, street signs, rail station posters, and plenty of other mundane but critical information you need to know as a visitor in strange lands are shown in the 345 pictures. I took all of the photos except the few as noted otherwise. One friend told me that there is too much in the book, that it takes the mystery out of the trip. Better that alternative I think than having an auto accident because you don't know a "do not enter" sign from a Santa Claus poster.

If all you know about my book is this blurb at Amazon.com you might like to be better informed before making a $28.50 investment. Most people won't buy a cat in a sack, so to give you an idea of the scope and character of my book I've published about half of it on my web site. Several of the on-line chapters include photographs, basically the same or similar to those in the print edition. The photos in the on-line chapter 17, which explains the rail systems in Europe, are different. All photos in the book are black and white.

I do not consider myself a writer. Actually, I'm a chemical engineer. This is the only book I wrote, or will ever write. Travel in Europe is a topic which I know very well. My purpose in writing was to share my knowledge with others who are planning a trip to Europe. The first edition was published in 1982, and I continue to self-publish the latest edition. Sure, you can buy a travel guide from a well-known author or a publisher with dozens of books written by corporate employees. Some of them have been imitating my first edition for years. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," but the others will never catch up. Buy the original.

I recommend that you study "How To Europe" before you go. Then leave it home because it is too heavy to lug around with you. It is a big 7"x10" with 470 pages and weighs two pounds.

Past, present, and future buyers of my book can contact me by email or phone in planning their trip. This is free so give me a call if you have a question. I'd love to hear from everybody who has read my book. My phone number and email address are in the front of the book and on my web site, www.enjoy-europe.com. You'll find more of my biography there also.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Funny, but definitly not all that useful, November 9, 2006

By 

M. Miller (Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook, Fourth Edition (Paperback)

Pro's: It's heavy and makes a good flower press. It makes one laugh quite a bit.

Con's: Let's see...We live in europe and bought this book when we first got here to try to get more information on living here and getting around. This book was written by a very opinionated and eccentric man and most of the tips that even could be plausible are aimed towards the older crowd. He reminds me of my weird uncle that everyone tries to avoid. A lot of the book is him talking about why he is superior to other travelers, travel writers, and a good part of the human race. His packing light ideas include leaving out most of the toiletries a normal person would use, like shampoo, deoderant, shave cream, etc. and replacing them with vodka and vinegar. They are rather ridiculous for anyone who is not a bachelor (for that matter a rather dirty bachelor. He reccomends eschewing the local laundromats and instead washing your clothes in the bidet, condoms for coin purses, and using vodka to kill crabs.) He tells a lot of stories about traveling before the wall fell in eastern europe. Much of his advice on what to wear is highly inaccurate at least for those under 50. Europeans do wear blue jeans. maybe not in paris, but everywhere else we've gone in northern europe, the majority are wearing jeans. Nicer shirts and darker shoes, but blue jeans. Contrary to his claims backpackers from every country on the map as well as families who may require snacks, diapers, etc. utilize backpacks of all sizes while out and about. He also apparently does not believe in digital cameras and detests cell phones. There are well over 25 chapters in this book but maybe 4 chapters worth of actual information. If you are of the older generations maybe more of this information would be useful but for us most of it was either out of date or out of touch with the reality of life here. If you read anything in this book please double check before coming over here believing all or even the majority of it. I haven't been impressed. It is a good bit of humor however. Especially for those who know better.

Read at your own risk

P.S. Please do not believe him that women over here do not shave. I don't know about all other countries but in the netherlands, they do. Trust me. Hairy legs and pits will make you stand out as being not from around here just as much as they will in most parts of the states.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book for its time, September 13, 2008

By 

Fly Guy (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook, Fourth Edition (Paperback)

...but it's now somewhat dated. The author hasn't kept it up to date so a lot of information is stuck in the 1980s. Don't let this be your first Europe tour book but if you can get a cheap copy do so for another perspective.

4.0 out of 5 stars "How to Europe" is a must for new travelers, April 16, 2010

By 

Richard H. Mills - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook, Fourth Edition (Paperback)

"How to Europe" answered many of the questions that occurred to me as I planned my first time ever trip to Europe. It also answered a lot of questions that would never have occurred to me if I hadn't read the book.

I would have rated the book with five stars except, as a reference book, it lacked a comprehensive index.

Even without the index, I would say that this book is a must for every new traveler to Europe.