Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe (Paperback)

~ Haas Mroue (Author), Olson. Donald (Author), Todd Savage (Author), David Andrusia (Author, Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

There's more to queer Europe than gay Paris. Until recently there was no good guide that catered to gay and lesbian tastes and needs. With Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe, gay and lesbian travelers can get the lowdown on transportation and lodging, sightseeing and shopping, food and nightlife. But there are also such issues as comfort levels and cultural expectations, finding gay-owned or gay-friendly establishments, meeting fellow gay travelers, and fraternizing with the locals.

If you're heading to Paris, you might want to know about the rustic gay restaurant that looks like a French farmhouse (complete with dog napping in the corner). Frommer's includes the sightseeing standards, plus extras like the Erotic Museum, Proust's hometown of Illiers-Combray, and Le Marais--the heart of gay Paris. You'll find gyms and bookstores, plus stores that specialize in chocolates, club wear, and gourmet foods. There's a full section on bars--gay, lesbian, and mainstream--as well as cabarets, supper clubs, dance clubs, sex clubs, gay saunas, and leather shops.

There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek cleverness here, with chapter headings like "London: The Queen's at Home," "The Czech Republic: Coming Out of the Past," and "Greece: Where It All Began." There's also sensitive and useful information about what's accepted where, from hotel reservations to public displays of same-sex affection. For anyone who's here and queer but wants to be queer and there, this is the guide to take. --Stephanie Gold

Product Description

Europe is a gay adventure just waiting to happen. Written in a fun, frank, and fabulous style by four travel writers who know all the ins and outs, Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe is the first queer guide to Europe to include coverage on all aspects of your trip--from how to get there to how to get around, from where to stay and dine to where to shop, from what to see and do to where to work out, from where to sip a cocktail to where to cruise.

No matter what your budget, you'll find candid reviews of the best hotels and restaurants--mainstream, gay-friendly, and all-out gay. Are you looking for a plush suite with silk-covered walls and baroque paintings at the Hôtel Costes in Paris, a pleasant room with hand-hewn beams at the Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato in Venice, or an atmospheric room with bondage hooks and a galvanized steel cage at the Black Tulip in Amsterdam? Feeling hungry? You can choose from French haute cuisine, British pub fare, German comfort food, Spanish tapas, Greek specialties, and more.

Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe also offers the dish on queer sights (do you know where Oscar Wilde died and where he's buried, where there's a Homomonument, where there's a Gay Museum?) , neighborhoods, and beaches, plus all the top attractions. The guide also shows you where to shop for everything from antiques to clubwear to toys and sends you to the best venues for the performing arts. And, of course, it gives the lowdown on what to do after dark--bars and cafes, discos, saunas, and more.

If all that weren't enough, there are also fun little features like A Queen's English (on British gay slang), The Queer Quiz (on British gays), and A Toast for the Boys (on where to find toast--not what you think it is--on your way home from the clubs in Athens).

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Product Details

• Paperback: 687 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley Longman; 1 edition (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028626400
• ISBN-13: 978-0028626406
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,550,989 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Europe Lite - Leave Home Without It, October 22, 1999

By A Customer

...As someone who travels to Euroland at least twice a year, and has lived there as well, trust me, you can skip this book - it is a dust-gatherer.

Who was this written for - people who never travel or have never been abroad? How many more bland, predictable descriptions of London and Paris do we need, yet all slanted with the 'queer' and 'gay and lesbian' perspective?

For instance, the section on Amsterdam again discusses poor Anne Frank's house - the 1000th such travel book write-up - but doesn't include any of the new 3-star hotels (mid-level range) on and near NZ Voorburgwal, by the gay areas in the heart of the city, on all the tram lines, between Dam Square and Centraal Station. Cok City and Hotel Inntel are two excellent 5-6 story new mid-priced hotels, whose construction was encouraged by the city government for the tourist class. This guide misses them totally for the same tired old gay guesthouses, and 5-star hotels.

I don't know about you, but when I travel, I can only take one or two books with me, and this would never be my first, second, or third choice.

Between the green Michelin guides, the 'Time Out' individual city guides, and the excellent Euro-oriented Spartacus guide, you will be set for a fabulous trip. ...

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This one goes to the used bookstore ... a too limited view, October 5, 1999

By A Customer

I bought this book on the strength of one of the authors, David Andrusia. His book from a few years ago, 'Gay Europe', was pithy, accurate, targeted, and brief. It was worth carrying along on my trips.

This Frommer guide however, is annoyingly cute and politically correct. Interspersing the phrases 'queer' and 'gay and lesbian' throughout, along with constant 'jokes' and 'in' comments is tiresome. However, the biggest fault is the length and rambling text, and the monotonous 'gay' perspective on these great cities of the world. Must museums, restaurants, and every sight be seen in such a perspective? There really is more to travel than this, and I wouldn't find this book, or even photocopied sections, worth carrying on a trip.

Stick to the Spartacus guide for comprehensive gay listings, that are to the point, and give you the facts you need. Stick to the excellent 'Time Out' guides of cities for the metropolitan buzz and richness, while including the gay highlights.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good general overview, March 10, 2000

By	croll (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This book provides a decent overview of the biggest cities and sites in Europe for the "family" traveller. It gives a nice description of these places, but not as much depth as I would have liked. For instance, only three cities in England were discussed (London, Manchester, and Brighton). It provides a nice, down to Earth, heads-up on what to expect and areas you might want to explore.

If you're looking for cruisy places or sex clubs, this isn't the book you want. If you want touristy information from a gay perspective, then this is a good book to start planning your trip.