Rick Steves' Phrase book Series: More Feedback
If you've traveled with Rick's phrasebooks, please help us improve them for future travelers. How can they be more helpful and accurate? Any key phrases we didn't include that you could have used? Or mistranslations that got you into trouble?
Spelling Error
Although I studied French in college, that was many years ago and my vocabulary is "shot." Using Rick's French Phrase Book, I wrote to a B&B in Provence and requested a reservation. Everything went well and I got a nice note back from the owner which I was able to translate quite easily. However, I noticed that the owner spelled a word differently than the phrase book does. The correct spelling for "deposit" is acompte (one "c"), not accompte. I like the layout of Rick's book and plan to make very good use of it when I'm in France in May-June.
Tim <email>
Minot, ND USA Thu 03/24/2005
German, French, Italian
There're a thousand reasons to like, or even love Rick Steves and his team. One of them is that I called to make my bookings/ ask general questions at many convents in Italy, and the nuns actually got what I said. it's simple; I just followed the intonation and pronunciation tips in this phrasebook. Everyone doesn't have to be a pro to get by and to be independent.
Jane Post <email>
Bangkok, - Thailand Mon 02/14/2005
Rick Steve's French phrasebook opened up a whole new world when my husband and I visited the Riviera. Despite having the language skills of French toddlers, we were able to converse with nearly everyone, and had the ability to ask questions beyond the most basic and banal ones that you find in typical phrasebooks. The best part was that this book allowed us to be funny in French...something that is nearly impossible when you don't speak the language.
The map of the u.s. was particulary helpful in generating discussions about where we are from (Chicago) and where our new French friends had visited on trips to the United States. I will never leave home without a Rick Steve's phrasebook again!
Bridget Brennan <email>
Chicago, IL USA Sun 11/28/2004
Phrase books
3Rick Steves italian phrase book is the best. I dont speak italian be had no trouble being understood in the tuscany region were I spent 10 wonderful days in Arezzo. My problem was I couldn't always understand the answers to my questions, but that didn't matter because we still magaged to communicate.The same with your German book, my advice is don't leave home without them, they are wonderful.
Teasipper <email>
Conroe, TX USA Wed 10/27/2004
German
Thanks Rick for compiling the most useful German phrasebook on the market. I've used Rough Guide, Lonely Planet and others for trips involving other languages, but yours covers the most revelant situations that I'm most likely to find myself in. I also like that you're not afraid to be redundant, placing basic and important sentances in different sections. Thanks. Comments for the next edition:The phrase I used the most that wasn't in the RS German phrase book was "Das ist richtig? (Is this correct?)" which was used when handing over the strange Euro bills/coins when making a purchase. Another item; If a waiter can be summoned by calling "Herr Ober" as the book says, how do you get the attention of a waitress?
Paul Kakazu <email>
Walnut, CA USA Mon 10/25/2004
ITALIAN
SINCE I SPEAK SPANISH, IT'S EASIER TO UNDERSTAND ITALIAN, AND THIS BOOK HELPS A LOT, I MEAN THE ITALIAN PHRASE BOOK, IT'S GREAT, ACCURATE AND FUNNY, THANKS!
Enrique <email>
Brownsville, TX USA Wed 09/22/2004
Confidence
I thoroughly enjoy reading through the appropriate phrasebooks before my trips and use them to reserve hotels ahead. I always take them with me in my day pack as security, but then rarely have to use them, relying on some of what I learned from them before the trip. But the security in knowing they are easily accessible gives me the confidence to try! Thanks ETBD & Rick!
Darcy <email>
Lewiston, ID USA Thu 09/09/2004
German, French, Italian
Italian, French & German...essential. I speak Spanish & it is close but not the same as Italian. The french & german were totally foreign to me!We had a 2 hour conversation with 60&78 year olds in Munich @ Haufbrauhaus only using the conversation guide.You don't need expensive translating devices, just this book!Good job, Rick!
rheann <email>
Corsicana, TX USA Fri 07/23/2004
Italian phrasebook
In preparation for our pending Italy trip I borrowed the Italian phrasebook from a friend, and I don't think that I'll use precious cargo space by bringing it. All the possible questions one might need to ask when traveling are in there, but it's useless if I have no idea what the person's response means. A better way to organize the book would be to have common responses listed next to the questions, with phonetic spellings as well.
Tina
USA Mon 07/19/2004
Phrasebook
Just returned from an eleven week trip--seven weeks in France, one in belgium. We have left portions of Rick Steve's Guide books all over Europe. We found the Phrase book to be totally useless, as did another tourist we met on the trip who also had one. We found the organization confusing and often used, common, words missing. The French were patient and helpful. We managed to eat, sleep, and laugh despite the Phrasebook. I would recommend a small dictionary.
Beth Gibson <email>
Seattle, WA USA Thu 06/17/2004
-->
Marling Menu Master
I recently received the Marling Menu Master book (German) and although I haven't finished skimming through it, it looks pretty comprehensive and useful. And it's small enough to take anywhere. As the authors say in the intro, you can use it to figure out the menu posted outside restaurants without having to fumble through everything once you're seated. There is probably a lot more information than most of us would need, but the authors do tie it all together nicely. I think Rick's phrasebooks are a step in the right direction, but I still think he's crammed too much into one book, and should break it down into smaller books like Marlings with more words and phrases in the various categories.
Hilde
Old Bridge, NJ USA Mon 06/14/2004
the French phrasebook is too short. words on signs and ads (e.g. Metro) aren't in the dictionary. organization of menu phrases, numbers, etc. as well as temperature gauge was very helpful.
USA Wed 05/19/2004
Sex and Cuss word phrase book!
We bought one of Rick's phrase books for a Christmas gift and was disappointed to learn that one of the first things listed are all the cuss words and how to ask for sex. Is this really necessary? Is Rick going to lose his appeal after being the travel industry's "poster guy"? Maybe he is maxing out and just like any other product, he is having to turn to vices to keep up the momentum.
USA 01/31/04
French Phrase Book
I just returned from Paris and found Rick Steve's French Phrase book invaluable. By and large, the pronunciation guide is accurate and simple to use. The phrases included in the book are parsimonious, yet fully functional. I've sampled numerous phrasebooks and CDs, most of which are overly elaborate and do not necessarily reflect current parlance. In these books, many of the phrases are outmoded and odd, unlike Rick's book. I highly recommend this book.
Bon voyage!
Kyle
Reno, NV USA 12/04/03
Take dictionary, too
While Rick's phrase books are good, I'd recommend taking a paperback dictionary
along on your trip, for those times when you need to find out what something
means. And if you don't want to carry it home with you, you can usually
leave it your hotel for someone else to use.
bob kingston <email>
portland, or USA 10/20/03
Phrase Books
I've used Rick's phrase books for trips through Italy, Germany, France,
and Austria and found them very helpful. My sister accompanied us on our
last trip to Germany; her undergraduate degree was German and she also lived
and worked in Germany. She thought the book was well organized and would
refer to it for those "on the tip of your tongue" phrases that could be
quickly accessed in Rick's book.
KMB
Lafayette, CO USA 09/19/03
French translations
About to travel to France for the first time, and came to this board to
help decide whether to buy the RS French phrasebook. Having read almost
entirely positive feedback both here and amazon.com, I would encourage other
board readers to take Kelly from Woodstock's comments with a BIG grain of
salt. A quick check of an online translation dictionary (http://humanities.uchicago.edu/forms_unrest/FR-ENG.html
... but there are probably others) showed that, sure enough, train does
= train, station = station, and pork = porc.
Joe
Alameda, CA USA 09/17/03
Good supplement to tapes
I'm trying to learn some Italian for my trip in September. I am using tapes
and cd's I borrowed from the library. The phrase book is very helpful because
you show how the words are pronounced. Sometimes they talk so fast on the
tape, that it is hard to get a completely correct pronounciation. Now if
you could just invent something that would help me translate the answers
a little faster- I practice daily the phrases "I don't understand" and "Please
say slower." Translating "time" has been particurlarly difficult for me-I'll
probably carry a pen and paper and ask them to write it down. Thank goodness
numbers are the same.
C.A. Adams <email>
Bothell, WA USA 07/13/03
Italian Phrasebook
This phrasebook was totally useless on our last trip to Italy. We traveled
to places that, while conversing, you didn't have time to look up what category
the word might be under, you just wanted to know what it meant. They would
be much more useful as Italian-English, English-Italian, as it seems the
new editions are organized. So much for that trip.
Lisa <email>
Sacramento, CA USA 07/11/03
Franch Phrase Book
My friends and I found the French Phrase book utterly useless when we were
in France. We traveled from Paris to the Eastern border with Germany, and
back. We actually got quite a kick out of looking up words that has foolish
translations. Train does not translate to Train, nor does Station+station.
Oh, let's try Pork+Porc.Never saw that one either. Sorry, I would not recommend
that book to anyone.
Kelly <email>
woodstock, NH USA 06/12/03
Menu help
Marling Menu Master is a compact, thin- papered book of 100 pages weighing
only a couple of ounces. It was a huge help to us in restaurants. There
are editions available for France, Spain, Italy and Germany. It still can't
cover everything but half the fun for us language challenged was trying
to communicate with waiters who speak limited english. Some of our best
meals were in the french countryside where we were the only english speakers
in the restaurant.
cc <email>
Ca. USA 05/17/03
Allergies
To Brenda who is allergic to nuts: I do not want to make light of your very
serious problem (and I think many people here appreciate your posting),
but the reason that waiters are laughing might have something to do with
the number of mistakes in that phrase you posted. The most glaring of them: "m'assister avec le menu"... "Assister" in French means "attend" (as in
"attend a conference"), "m'assister" makes no sense at all, and "menu" refers
to the prix-fixe dinner (the actual menu is known as "carte", as in "a la
carte"). Instead of your last sentence, you could ask "Pourriez-vous m'aider
de choisir quelque chose?"
USA 02/19/03
French menu pitfalls
It is simply impossible to include all the words you'll see on the French
menu, and even if Rick did, it wouldn't help. That's because those words
refer not to the way the food was prepared but to the region where it originated.
If something is "bourguignon", for instance, and you'll see it translated
as "Burgundian", would you know what it is and whether it is rare, medium,
and what kind of sauce it's prepared in? Therein lies the problem--it's
absolutely irrelevant how good your French is when you are in a French restaurant.
French cuisine is a language of its own, and you must be fluent in that
language, unless you are fond of surprises. There are also books dedicated
entirely to decoding French menus; you might try that if you are serious
about gastronomy. One last tip on French meat: don't bother learning how
to say "well-done" because it is unlikely that you'll be able to convince
any French chef to do what in their eyes would amount to ruining a perfectly
good piece of meat. You'll either get an inferior slice of meat or incredulous
looks from waiters or a dripping bloody piece of meat or all of the above.
Trust me on that.
USA 02/19/03
Italian phrasebook +
Italian phrasebook great and most helpful, but one comment: some words are
used in the text and are not found in the Italian dictionary in the back.
Frustrating when one remembers the first half of the word and can't find
it. But other than that, keep up the good work- we purchased Italian phrasebook,
London, Florence and Rome guides and found them immensely helpful relying
on them heavily
Jim Eltringham <email>
Prescott, AZ USA 11/14/02
Food allergies
I love traveling! Unfortunately, like 1 out of every 50 people, I am severely
allergic to every nut that grows on a tree (and a few other foods that somehow
didn't merit inclusion in your phrase books.) Imagine explaining that to
every waiter/food vendor in Europe 3-5 times a day! Please, please, include
more of the practical (lifesaving) phrases in your guidebooks and phrasebooks!
In France, the following may prove helpful to others that have tree nut allergies: "Je suis allergique des noix-- toute les noix-- et je ne voudrais pas mourir dans votre restaurant. :) Pouvez-vous m'assistez avec le menu, s'il vous plait?" Translated roughly, "I am allergic to nuts -- all nuts-- and I don't want to die in your restaurant. Can you assist me with the menu, please?"
If delivered with a smile, it is quite effective. (The waiters in Paris
were cracking up laughing, and very kindly steered me away from anything
hazardous.) I'm going to Italy in the spring, and don't speak any Italian,
so if there's someone out there who can translate this into Italian for
me, I'd appreciate it.
Brenda <email>
Denver, CO USA 09/17/02
Italian Phrasebook Missing Foods
The Italian word for foal (baby horse) is palledro I think. Several people
mistranslated it in our group thinking it was chicken and ended up not eating
dinner. The word for Ox should also be added. I took my phrasebook everywhere,
my colleagues borrowed it and it was generally very helpful. Also suggest
adding left, right, straight ahead.
Cathy
Pittsburgh, PA USA 08/16/02
Italian phrase book
I used Rick's Italian book for a 3 week tour from the top to the bottom
of Italy, and people said to me all the time "You don't look Italian", which
I took as a supreme compliment. The best part of a European trip for me
is talking to the locals.
Barbara Ormonde
Ontario, CA USA 07/11/02
Just want to say how great Rick's Italian phrasebook is. In front of
a gelato stand at San Marco Square, just for fun, I decided to order in
Italian. I was able to quickly find all I needed to say to speak "gelato-ese";
number of scoops?, cone or cup? flavors? Such a simple thing but many choices
to communicate. It was like I was a native for a short time...and the overworked
server appreciated not having to figure out hand gestures and broken Italian....the
book worked quickly and efficiently...great work, Rick.
TNB
OH USA 06/28/02
Ger/Fr/Ital phrase book
I used the German/French/Italian phrase book on my recent trip through the
Alps. It was a great help especially in France and Italy (I know some German).
When reading menus though, I rarely found the mysterious word in the phrasebook.
I also found it frustrating that most of it goes English to the foreign
language. When reading signs, directions etc. it would be more helpful to
have it go from the language into English. But still, I recommend the phrase
book because it is well organized and is very helpful in getting the basics
in hotels and restaurants.
Craig Sale <email>
Schaumburg, IL USA 06/19/02
I used Rick's French phrasebook & my hazy memories of 4 years of high
school French to get myself, my husband, & our two friends thru 2 weeks
in France. Most of the time, Rick's book had enough answers. But I totally
agree with the menu comments -- French menus have *tons* more words on them
than in Rick's book! Definitely add more descriptions for how things are
cooked. Also, there were some of road & business signs we couldn't find
definitions for (accuiel?). I really liked the organization of the book
tho -- it was very easy to find what I needed. Thanks!
Trystan <email>
San Jose, CA USA 03/21/02
The French/German/Italian phrasebook is wonderful. It gives helpful
phrases but also entertains. There are some Europeans who probably still
think my sister and I are insane; we would laugh for hours on the trains
learning German phrases [we're French speakers, so all the German was new].
You can't get any better than the one-two punch: "I have body odor." "Is
it serious?" Never used it with a German speaker (who would?) but had a
blast anyway!
Kyla Gurganus <email>
Ypsilanti, MI USA 08/02/01
On those menu translations: It ain't Rick's fault! I am fairly fluent
in French and took a large French-English dictionary this time, because
with the handy-size teeny one the words I didn't know weren't in the dictionary,
either. However, just about every unknown word in the menus wasn't in the
bigger dictionary, either! I might as well have saved the trouble of hauling
it around. A lot of terms are individual to a specific restaurant. Your
best bet is to ask the waiter. Especially in France, waiters like to be
asked to help chose your food, and you'll have a much better dining experience.
Mary from Oregon
USA 07/27/01
The Italian phrasebook was great - but beware, like David (below) says,
you can't find it in Europe. My brother lost his midway through the trip
and had to make do with substitute (well actually, he would just steal my
copy of Rick's book when I wasn't looking).
Erin <email>
santa rosa, ca USA 07/19/01
Hi! I've just returned from France with a copy of your French phrase
book (4th/e). On one long car trip, I pulled it out to help keep my (Parisian)friends'
14 yr. old amused. We had a fine time with the restaurant regrets & with
the Help! section. But, he was shocked when we began the Chatting section
(pg.124). Using "pédé" with a gay person would be insulting as it's a slang
term for "pedophile." Yikes! How about plain old "homosexual" in the next
edition?
Catherine Perlich <email>
St. Thomas, VI USA 07/16/01
Hi! My wife and I just returned from four weeks in Europe and had a great time. We purchased your Italian and German phrase books here in the states before we left and found them VERY helpful! As our trip progressed we realized that we would have some extra time in Paris, but we had forgotten to purchase the Rick Steves French Phrase book.
We looked everywhere and even try to buy one off another Rick Steves traveler who wouldn't even consider giving it up. We finally found a French phrase book with dictionary that was poorly organized and had some of the most lame phrase that we would never use. We really missed all the helpful, and well organized, Rick Steves phrases.
Are your books available in Europe? My search says no...but maybe I was
looking in the wrong places. (If they are not available your missing your
most captive buyer...you should have them stocked in every newstand in
Europe, right next to the "Kinder Eggs". ) Please keep up the good work!
Happy Travels!
David Jennings <email>
Dallas, TX USA 06/15/01
I want to add my praise for the phrasebooks. My wife and I struggled with a couple of different Hungarian phrase books that got us nowhere in Hungary. Once I found out that a lot of people spoke German as their second language I was able to use the Rick Steves' German phrasebook we had bought for our trip to Austria with much better success.
Once in Austria and Germany I was able to use the book to make hotel reservations over the phone relatively fearlessly; and one soft, early summer evening at an outdoor restaurant in Rothenburg, my wife and I had a charming long conversation with the 8-year-old daughter of the restaurant owner using only the phrase book.
Thanks!
Andrew
Ypsilanti, MI USA 02/18/01
Rick's phrasebooks are really useful for a low-key tourist looking to meet people and have fun--not looking for the fax portal or how to send a telegram to Singapore or how to not offend dignitaries (but what fun is your trip if you don't offend a few of them?).
I would suggest the following:
1.) an all-in-one phrasebook for Scandinavian countries.
2.) comments for the experience of getting pulled over by the police; and also, having a car accident (like asking for help from a local, asking what the procedure is, asking how much trouble you're in, asking the rental car company what you need to do, etc.).
3.) some more phrases one could use on the airplane, as well.
While I've only used the Spanish/Portuguese and Italian phrasebook,
they are truly fantastic and very useful--you can tell by how well-worn
they are when they get home. Thanks Rick!
C.S.
Littleton, CO USA 02/16/01
Your phrasebooks are top-notch. We used both the French and Spanish/Portuguese on our month-long sojourn in October. My lifeline phrase that I was able to build using your book: "I speak very little (French, Spanish, Portuguese), and the little I speak I speak badly."
The highest compliment came from one of our hosts in France as I struggled with a particular phrase: "The fact that you try shows your respect. That is more appreciated than getting it right."
One nitpick: More menu translations, especially for French. We found
ourselves on more than one occasion lost with over half the menu. Of course,
we learned as we went along, so maybe it isn't as big a problem as I thought.
Tracy <email>
San Leandro, CA USA 12/15/00
Rick's French/German/Italian phrase book is superb. I found myself boning
up on vocabulary on the tour bus between stops (have a friend give you
the French word, you respond in English, then try in REVERSE). The book
works!
joe santa maria <email>
USA 12/04/00
About relying on finding English speakers in Germany, I'd say you have about a 90% chance of getting by with no problems. HOWEVER, the first German lady I approached for information didn't speak English. So it's a good idea to carry a phrase book and/or to know a modicum of German, if only to ask for directions.
I was surprised to learn just how different Swiss German is from hoch Deutch (proper German).
My advice: get the phrase book sold by ETBD. It's easy to find the information
you need. I found it a great help, even as a student of the German language.
Cathy Clark <email>
Port Angeles, WA USA 11/19/00
Rick, please add these to the beginning of the book, not just in the
dictionary: left, right, straight ahead.
<email>
USA 11/12/00
The books (I have the German and Italian versions) are wonderful aids.
My German friends thought they were having trouble with their brakes on
the way to Italy, and I wouldn't have known it if I hadn't read the book.
I just wish I had the books with me when the Italian police pulled us
over!
USA 11/12/00
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to France in which we visited "our" French exchange students. We had traveled to France last year and learned how valuable your travel books were--and are.
This year, since we were visiting non-English speaking relatives of our students, we purchased the "Phrase Book & Dictionary". I can't tell you how much we used and enjoyed it! Whenever there was a lag in the conversation, we pulled out the book. Our French friends particularly enjoyed the tongue-twister section and "French Romance".
I do have a suggestion: could you include a section on phobias? There were several times (too many I fear) that I needed to say, "I'm afraid of heights," and once I needed, "I'm afraid of snakes." Those of us who suffer from irrational fears thank you.
I appreciate the "up-to-date" nature of your books--that's what makes
them so valuable--and the practical information that you include. I'm
looking forward to my next trip to France and I plan to take you along.
Thank you!
Sally Maxwell
USA 10/30/00
I was reliving my Best of Europe 1998 tour of Venice on Public TV watching
the new show "Great Streets" by Termite Art Productions. The guide, actor
Nathan Lane, was visiting a forcola (gondola oar rest) carver when he
whipped out his Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book to try and communicate.
Brought back great memories.
Joe Watson <email>
Rutland, VT USA 09/04/00
I have Rick's French/Italian/German phrase book and dictionary. Bravo
- this is the best of all rolled into 1. This is so easy to use and all
3 together save space--it's only 6" x 4" and can easily fit in a shirt
or pants pocket. Thanks Rick.
Hasschen
IN USA 06/02/00
I used my Italian phrase book extensivly during my trip and found it very
helpful. I really liked the section on chatting. It was amazing to see
the effect of saying "Have a nice day" to someone in Italian! (The guy
at the ticket window in the train station physically startled, it shocked
him so much!)
Steven Gatlin <email>
roseburg, or USA 05/18/00
Bought the German book for a trip to Germany and Austria this summer.
I sat down this morning to make a call to reconfirm a hotel reservation
with selected phrases ready to go - "dates", "numbers", "reservations",
"speak slowly, please" etc. When the phone was answered the first and
only thing I could think of was "Spriechenze English?" !
Pete M. <email>
Idaho Falls, ID USA 04/27/00
I can't imagine going without my Rick Steves' German phrasebook! It's
a phrase book with a sense of humor. By the way, for the people wanting
to say a certain phrase, go to the translator at www.mytravelguide.com.
Type in what you need, and it will print it in many other languages (or
vice versa). This will not replace the Rick Steves book, of course, but
it will let you translate your own personal needs, beyond what Rick lists,
like "I am a single woman and need a safe, inexpensive room."
Dodie <email>
USA 04/12/00
I love my German phrasebook. I have looked at others, but Rick's is the
only one written for tourists, not travelers or expats. Thank you for
a practical pocket language text.
Insane Matthew
Insane Diego, CA USA 11/15/99
Rick, please add at the very beginning the translations for "I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, you (plural) are, they are." We used your German phrasebook, and like all other phrasebooks it assumes that the speaker always wants to say "I am." So if I was referring to myself and my husband, I was stuck with "I am" and a gesture to convey that I was including my husband in the "I."
Also, a few words used in Germany are actually French words, which were not listed in the German phrasebook. Maybe a section on common French words used in the target country would be helpful? This was especially the case in hotels and on menus.
Why not include all the common international road signs in the phrasebook or country book? Or, at least a tip on where the traveler can get a complete list.
Travelers: We used the Pimsleur System languages tapes, which we checked
out from the library. I listened to them in the car for about a month
and a half before the trip. It made a big difference in my ability to
speak and understand German. Don't make the mistake of thinking you don't
need to know at least a little bit of the host country's language before
you go. Not only is it more polite to try to speak the language, you'll
find that even in the tourist industry there are many people who do not
speak English.
Kathy
Seattle, WA USA 11/01/99
Will there ever be more languages added to the Phrasebook series? Turkish,
Czech, and a combination Danish/Norwegian/Swedish for travel to Scandinavia
would be great additions.
Gina <email>
USA 10/26/99
Carpaccio is raw beef sliced very thin, sometimes served with capers and
onions. It's probably not in the translation book because it's only known
as carpaccio back here in the states.
Chris Blum
MN USA 09/12/99
Overall, my girlfriend and I thought the Italian phrase book was excellent
and would recommend it to other travelers to Italy. But in Florence, couldn't
find "carpaccio" in the book. Anyway, I could tell from "pesce spadea"
on the menu that it had something to do with swordfish. But boy, did we
get a surprise. Carpaccio was raw ham (I think it was ham) over a salad.
I don't know what they did with the swordfish, but it sure as hell wasn't
on my plate. Anyway, a word to the wise, particularly if you're a vegetarian
-- avoid the carpaccio!!
John Hollinger <email>
Portland, OR USA 05/10/99
These are very handy phrasebooks. Not only are they more aimed at the
Back Door traveler, they're also more fun and lively than the dry Berlitz
phrasebooks. I especially liked the conversation guides and the profanity.
(I won a shoving match with an elderly Parisian on the Paris metro solely
by shocking her by using language most tourists don't even know.)
Roy <email>
USA 03/28/99
We recently went to Turkey. The Turkish language is almost impossible
for an American to learn. But a lot of Turks speak German! Many of them
have lived and worked in Germany and the Turkish military has strong historical
links to Germany. If going to Turkey, be sure to bring along Rick's German
phrasebook for use in hotels, restaurants and on the street!
Jeffrey Hill <email>
Salem, Or USA 01/02/99
In September, my wife and I did western France from Paris to Normandy
and down to Arles via Rick Steves in our backpack. I found the Phrase
Book invaluable, however, a left instead of a right turn in Carcassonne
leads me to suggest another phrase. In English it is "If you don't like
the way I drive, get out of the cafe."
Roy Ethridge <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 12/03/98
Zero is a very important number, especially when you didn't order any
sherry and are being charged on the check for two! So, Rick, please add
ZERO to your number lists in your phrase books and your country guide
books. I found myself making all sorts of gestures which mean zero or
nothing in Seattle, but could have meant something far different in Segovia,
Spain.
Jim McElwee <email>
Kirkland, WA USA 11/30/98
While traveling in Paris and Rome, we used your phrasebooks. They were
a great help, made our trip more enjoyable being able to communicate with
the locals . They were invaluable! thanks,
Rhonda Klein <email>
Lubbock, Tx USA 11/28/98
I used the German phrase book on my trip to Austria and Germany. I had
trouble translating menus. I found that there were alot of words on the
menu that did not appear in the phrase book.
E Lee <email>
Houston, TX USA 11/03/98