Daytrips Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg (2nd Edition)

by Earl Steinbicker

Book Overview

With this book, travelers can take an intimate tour of the picturesque Low Countries of Europe. The book takes a careful look at 40 of the most intriguing destinations and tells readers how to go... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080389368X
• ISBN13: 9780803893689
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Hastings House Book Publishers
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

The Most Useful Book!

This book rocked! We made last-minute travel plans to Brussles with no idea of what we would find once we got there. The book contains practical and interesting walking tour maps of plenty of towns worth visiting. This came in quite handy when we began taking the trains throughout Benelux using Brussels as our hub. Of all the books we brought with us on the trip (Frommers, Fodor, Time Out and others), This book turned out to be the most useful of all and was the most dog-eared by the end of our two weeks. We only used one of the restaurant reccomendations -- no great shakes, but then again, that was not what the book was for.

Excellent way to see a Western Europe that is undervisited

Daytrips has everything you need to be a do-it-yourself tourguide. Trips are based on major cities in each country with estimated distances and times, so you can see what you want on your schedule. Each trip has at least one, and more often several, walking tours all of which begin at the train station (or bus stop if the area doesn't have one). The maps are detailed and clear; although I would recommend stopping at the local tourist information center and acquiring a map-locations for information centers are always highlighted. Each tour has some historic background on the area, places to visit and some dining suggestions. As a previous reviewer has noted, take prices and opening times with a grain of salt-they can and do change. I was a tour guide in this region (including Germany) for three years, and this book was always in my backpack. Without a doubt, Luxembourg, Belgium, and rural Holland are under visited by tourists. Luxembourg is probably the best-kept secret in Western Europe. The people in Benelux are friendly, especially towards Americans, prices are not outlandish and the scenery is excellent. HIGHLY Recommended.

Accurate maps, good driving directions.

I have made 3 trips to the area covered by this book, and it is the first resource I reach for when looking for ideas on what sights to see. Steinbicker orients his tours to train travel, so if you drive, and park at the train station, which is always easy to find just by following the Station signs in any city, you don't have to worry about finding parking in the right end of an unfamiliar town. His walking tour maps are excellent! On more than one occasion I haven't even bothered stopping at the visitor information office for a local map, as those he provides in the book are quite accurate. He does give the location of the tourist information office in each city/town, along with some history, currency informtaion, eating suggestions, European train transportation information (rail, bus, and Metro pass info), and a driver's glossary (translations) for each country, that are quite helpful. Two words of caution:1) He lists the days of the week and times that sights were open and closed in 1995, when the book was published. Check the current schedules; I have found his information to be dated sometimes. 2) If you buy this book, anyone you know who's planning a trip to this part of Europe, who takes a peek at it, will literally BEG you to borrow it. I've taken my copy on 3 trips, but it has actually been on more than a dozen with friends and co-workers.

A practical way to chart a course through the Benelux region

This book can take the place of a tour guide, allowing you to chart your way through a day's touring and make sure you don't miss the high points