Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe

Rating:
Summary: Europe Lite - Leave Home Without It
Review: ...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. ...

Rating:
Summary: Complete guide for all travelers
Review: Armed with Frommer's Gay Guide to Europe, my partner and I headed for Amsterdam and Rome last month. While he was a seasoned travaler, I was a first-time tourist. We found that the guide was invaluabe to both of us for different reasons. For him, a complete and informative guide to attractions he missed on other trips; for me a vital source of all kinds of new informatiom and advice. We are certain that the Guide enhanced our visit to Europe. It will be of great value to any kind of traveler.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly organized
Review: Having brought this along for not one but two Europe trips where it wasn't even worth the space it took up in my bag, it's time to retire it to a shelf permanently. Frommer's is trying to capitalize on the success of Fodor's GAY USA books which are pretty informative and well organized. Frommer's offering is too little, too late. Now-a-days there are gay mentions in lots of mainstream travel books. Virgin, the same people who bring you the record company, superstores, etc. also make travel books for major European cities which always include gay bars and gay hoods. Dorling Kindersley may not be gay, but they are hands down superior to any other guide out there and worth every cent. Just grab a Spartacus or look online to find out where the gay areas are, or pick up a gay mag or flyers once you get there. By all means, don't plan on this book giving you anything but a frustrating, jarbled mess of vague maps and bland information.

Rating:
Summary: This one goes to the used bookstore ... a too limited view
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: The Most Comprehensive Gay Guide to Europe!
Review: I'm the editor of this guide and would like to comment ... My goal for Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe was to produce a guide that covered all the aspects of a trip and tried to include info for all types of gay/lesbian travelers. Some readers want just the facts, some want a little elaboration, and some want a great deal of elaboration, so we include "length" in our reviews (but rarely, I believe, do we "ramble"). This is true in all our Frommer's guides.

And as this is a gay guide, one of the things we sought to stress was a gay perspective on these cities and resorts. What else should a gay travel guide want to do? Every mainstream guide seems written from a "straight" perspective, so shouldn't a gay guide set out to provide another point of view? It was exactly because the "gay perspective" is ignored elsewhere that we decided to stress it in Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe.

I think we did an admirable job with this guide and provided gay/lesbian readers with a valuable source. I hope to hear from other readers with their comments and suggestions. Thanks!

Rating:
Summary: Poorly organized
Review: Like the description for this book says, there IS more to queer Europe that gay Paris. Unfortunately this book only hits on 7 other countries, so if you're headed anywhere in Scandinavia, forget it. Same with Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland, and a bunch of other European countries. Make sure you're going to one of the Chosen 8, or this book will be worthless.

Rating:
Summary: Limited to a dozen big cities.
Review: Like the description for this book says, there IS more to queer Europe that gay Paris. Unfortunately this book only hits on 7 other countries, so if you're headed anywhere in Scandinavia, forget it. Same with Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland, and a bunch of other European countries. Make sure you're going to one of the Chosen 8, or this book will be worthless.

Rating:
Summary: Frommer Doesn't Deliver For Europe
Review: My partner and I are going to Europe this summer for an extended vacation and were planning on spending a good amount of time in Germany. We were hoping to find a comprehensive guide that would give cultural cues and listing of gay/gay-friendly hotels, clubs, restaurants, etc. We were hoping to find such spots in almost every city were were planning on visiting.

The book was intended to be that guide. However, once we opened it up and started looking we were dismayed. Basically, for Germany, they make the crass statement, "Why call this part 'Germany" when Berlin is the only city included? Well, that's the first place you think of Germany? What German city has the most fascinating (and scariest) history? The widest cultural spectrum? The hottest gay nightlife? The most gays and lesbians? Berlin."

So, Germany's guide was limited to Berlin. I, quite personally, don't give a crap that the Frommer writers think this is the only city to focus on/write about. The book promises to deliver this information, as they do in other cities on their USA guide, yet absolutely don't deliver. [Wow], my partner has spent time in Germany in the past and knew generally of (at least) the gay districts in Frankfurt, Hamburg and other cities.

So, if you haven't figured it out yet, find another guide. Unless you only want to travel to the few cities in Europe that Frommer features, don't buy this waste of a good tree and ink.

Rating:
Summary: Frommer Doesn't Deliver For Europe
Review: My partner and I are going to Europe this summer for an extended vacation and were planning on spending a good amount of time in Germany. We were hoping to find a comprehensive guide that would give cultural cues and listing of gay/gay-friendly hotels, clubs, restaurants, etc. We were hoping to find such spots in almost every city were were planning on visiting.

The book was intended to be that guide. However, once we opened it up and started looking we were dismayed. Basically, for Germany, they make the crass statement, "Why call this part 'Germany" when Berlin is the only city included? Well, that's the first place you think of Germany? What German city has the most fascinating (and scariest) history? The widest cultural spectrum? The hottest gay nightlife? The most gays and lesbians? Berlin."

So, Germany's guide was limited to Berlin. I, quite personally, don't give a crap that the Frommer writers think this is the only city to focus on/write about. The book promises to deliver this information, as they do in other cities on their USA guide, yet absolutely don't deliver. [Wow], my partner has spent time in Germany in the past and knew generally of (at least) the gay districts in Frankfurt, Hamburg and other cities.

So, if you haven't figured it out yet, find another guide. Unless you only want to travel to the few cities in Europe that Frommer features, don't buy this waste of a good tree and ink.

Rating:
Summary: Good general overview
Review: 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.