Austria 7 (inglés) (Lonely Planet)

I traveled to Austria last fall and this book was very helpful finding lodging and with general information. It's one of two I carried.

Most people think of Austria as a southern extension of Germany, but nothing could be further from the truth. Crossing from Germany into Austria, heading southeast from Munich, the traveler crosses a frontier at Salzburg. Many things change once we cross the Salzach River. Any remains of the Teutonic aesthetic from further north are gone, and the Gothic gradually starts to blend with the Romantic Baroque more profoundly. The geography shifts from fertile foothills to mountains and lakes almost immediately. Yes, we have certainly left the lands of the Hohenzollern and found the lands of the Hapsburg. I like this book for recognizing that though these countries share a language, they are from different mothers. What you get here is a guide that includes comprehensive coverage of this little country so immediately dependent on tourism for its economic well-being. The coverage is not only comprehensive in a geographic sense, but also in diversity of interest. Austria has many wonderful cultural attractions, but it also has an extraordinary number of outdoor attractions too. This guide covers them well. The balance between cultural and outdoor attractions is just about perfect. Unlike many travel guides that are abandoning these chapters, the historical and cultural contexts in the back of the book are very good and will enhance the authenticity of your trip. Maps are very basic but are accurate and reliable. Listings of hotels and restaurants aren't ENTIRELY comprehensive, but they DO include the best and recommended options. Suggested itineraries are excellent, if a bit long. You're going to need at least two weeks to give Austria a fair shake. Because the country can really be overrun with tourists, and can be overrun with tourist traps (think Mozart, The Sound of Music, etc...), you need to take your time and get off the beaten track a bit. Let it soak in over a longer period of time rather than trying to "power visit" as many sights as possible. That's the approach this guide recommends. Despite some negative reviews I've seen here (?), I believe this is the best single-volume guide to Austria you can buy.

It is a nice overview of Austria but I found it unhelpful for specifics. It did not answer many specifics on actually making the trip, such as driving rules etc. it did give a review of top spots in some common tourist cities.

Great guide! Used it to spend a week in Austria.

good, useful. and small enough to carry along.

The Lonely Planet reviewers seem to think that European history began with the rise of the Nazi's. They blithely skip over 2,000 years of civilization. They prefer cable cars to hiking. Their emphasis on gay and lesbian culture is blatantly separatist. It's as if they are saying that gay and lesbian tourists aren't welcome in other establishments. It's a guide book for the television age couch potato who cannot focus on text longer than a paragraph.

A personal must have for scouting out a country/city before travel. Sure internet information if more timely but I like the feel of a book in my hand and the reminder of trips past looking at the spines of the book on my travel shelf.

I bought this because I unfortunately couldn't find a Frommer's guide for Austria. I didn't expect it to be as good as most Frommer's guides, but even then this book as a disappointment. The chapters for each city are way too short and lacking details. There No pictures of scenic regions to get yourself visually interested in them. I found myself browsing online for more information after finishing each chapter. On the plus side, the town maps seem pretty good, with the right amount of detail for a tourist.