Reddit mentions: The best european travel guides

I solo traveled through the Balkans quite a bit, and you're going to love it!

When you're in Slovenia, Ljubljana is a great base for day trips. If you have the time, I would highly recommend renting a car and checking out the following places:

• Lake Bled (obviously) -- spend the morning there before the crowd hits and then make the quick drive to Lake Bohinj. It's another gorgeous lake, and you actually get a better view of the mountains.
  
  
• Skocjan caves -- I believe that they are the 3rd or 4th largest caves in the world, and it really feels like the mines of moria when you're walking through. You can see old bridges and steps from original explorers. It's just really cool. There are another set of caves that are more popular, but I actually prefer Skocjan. There are also far fewer people there
  
  
• Piran -- Slovenia doesn't have much coastline, but the stuff that it does have is phenomenal. Simply a gorgeous little town full of atmosphere
  
  
• The Vršič Pass -- This road is an absolute blast to drive through as it winds through the Julian alps near the Italian border.
  
  
  If you rent a car, you can easily do a couple of these in a day.
  
  
  For Croatia, I would try to hit up:
  
  
• Rovinj -- This town is the most beautiful I've seen in Croatia. It's tucked up in Instrian part of the country near Slovenia. You do get a descent amount of tourists there, but nowhere near as bad as Dubrovnik (see below). The town more than makes up for it, though. Seriously, this place is gorgeous. Wake up early and stroll the cobbled alleys as the sun rises then grab a burek and some fresh figs for breakfast. Highly recommended.
  
  
• Zagreb -- I actually really enjoyed Zagreb. It has a really cool vibe, and is mercilessly without too many tourists (huge problem in Croatia). The museums in particular were fascinating, my favorites being the museum of broken relationships and the museum of naive art..
  
  
• Plitvice Lakes -- This national park is simply gorgeous. If you go, get there as soon as it opens to have the park all to yourself.
  
  
  
  Split and Dubrovnik and really beautiful places, but in my opinion they have been ruined by the number of tourists, esp. Dubrovnik. Holy shit number of people in Dubrovnik. You can barely move in that city. Don't get me wrong, it's stupidly cool to walk around the city wall and 'see' kings landing, but it's not really worth it in my opinion. Not to mention that Dubrovnik was easily the most expensive Croatian city that i went to. I would say that I had this conversation with about a dozen people in my hostel, and almost all of them agreed with this. If you have limited time, I'd honestly give Dubrovnik a pass (it is a great launching point to go to Mostar and Kotor, though). Split is better, and I really enjoyed the old palace. Didn't go to Zadar.
  
  If you're trying to hit up an island and have a unique experience, try couchsurfing at Hvar with this guy. You'll be 'camping' at this private beach with other CSers, and it's incredibly cool.
  
  
  For B&H:
  
  
• Mostar -- Forr suuuuure. Awesome, awesome place.
  
  
• Sarajevo -- one of my favorite cities in the world. I stayed at the Ferdinand Hostel (I think), and I had a great time. I've heard good things about other hostels there too. Hit up the Sarajevski brewery and the abandoned Olympic bobsleds. Also go to a football match if you can; their fans are really passionate. The Tito bar by the university is also a good spot to check out.
  
  If you're going to be near Dubrovnik anyway, I'd highly recommend:
  
  
• Kotor, Montenegro -- A criminally underrated city in a gorgeously tucked into a bay surrounded by mountains. Spending two days there is a great decision as you can do a quick tour of the country in a day trip. Stay at the Old town hostel
  ___
  
  General tips, notes, suggestions:
  
  
• Bring some compression travel bags for dirty clothes. They keep in smell and keep your bag small. One of the best travel accessories.
  
  
• All of these places are very safe. There's no need to worry about that
  
  
• The public transport is very good, and hitch hiking is definitely an option if you're comfortable.
  
  
• Bring good ear plugs. Just do it
  
  
• I'd suggest bringing a sleeping bag liner. If you don't have a ton of time (or a ton of backpack room), you might not use it often, but when you need one they are a lifesaver.
  
  
• Get the Rick Steves Slovenia & Croatia guide. It's a phenomenal resource (much better than lonely planet IMO), and it includes sections on both Mostar and Sarajevo.
  
  
• Eat hella burek, Cevapi, and figs.
  
  
  Good luck, have fun, and let me know if you have any questions!

Hope this advice isn't too late for you.

Buy this: http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Scotland-Neil-Wilson/dp/1741793246 (Kindle version available)

Bookmark this: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/scotland/glasgow

And this: http://www.glasgowguide.co.uk/

If you really want to stay near the hotel, check out http://southsidehappenings.blogspot.co.uk/ as they tend to highlight interesting things happening in the area.

However, I'd recommend getting in a cab from the Sherbrooke (ask the front desk to book you one) and getting the hell out of Pollokshields and into the city centre. Ask to go to a central point like The Buchanan Galleries (a shopping mall at the north end of Buchanan Street) or George Square. Mosey around. Use your guidebook to find stuff that interests you.

Alternately, you can use the Subway (our underground railway system, and no, it's not called the Tube or the Clockwork Orange) - http://www.spt.co.uk/subway/ - to go further afield. Walk out of the hotel on to Sherbrooke Avenue, go right (east) onto Nithsdale Road, walking away from the motorway, then after a bit of walking turn left (north) onto Shields Road, then eventually you'll reach the end of Shields Road and you'll have the motorway in front of you; turn right and you'll see Shields Road subway station in front of you (the low brown coloured brick building on the left hand side of the street). I'd still recommend the cab into the city centre and you can jump on the subway from there (from Buchanan Street station at the north end of Buchanan Street (just down from The Buchanan Galleries), or from St. Enoch's station at the south end (in St. Enoch's Square).

If you're politely accosted by someone trying to sell you "The Big Issue", don't panic; it's a street newspaper (actually more like a magazine) distributed by homeless people or people suffering from issues that can lead to homelessness. They are employed by The Big Issue Foundation and have to operate under a strict code of conduct. If you don't want to buy a copy, feel free to politely say no thanks, but if you're interested, it's £2.50, half of which goes directly to the street seller.

(However, if a random person comes up to you on the street asking you for "any spare change?", politely say "no, I don't, sorry" and walk on :)

The best local newspaper to buy is the Evening Times; first editions usually appear around lunchtime, evening editions around 4-5pm. You can get a copy from any newsagent shop or from street sellers on the major city centre streets who usually stand beside small mobile newsstands, bellowing "EEEEEEEEEVNIN TIIIIIIIMES!" at the top of their lungs.

The football (or "soccer", ugh, how I hate that word!) season kicks off in Scotland this weekend, but only one team is playing in Glasgow the weekend you're there (Partick Thistle who play in Firhill Park on the north side of the city; St. Mirren from the west side are playing away at Dundee, Rangers on the south side are not playing that weekend, and Celtic on the east side will be over in Philadelphia playing a friendly against Real Madrid as part of the Herbalife World Football Challenge 2012 tournament), so there shouldn't be a) hordes of football fans out for a pint after the match or b) any trouble.

Then, when you're ready to go back, hail one of these guys - http://www.glasgowtaxis.co.uk/ - to get you back to the Sherbrooke; basically any black hackney-style cab. Taxis that are regular cars with a taxi on top are "private cabs" and won't stop when you hail them - they can only be booked by calling the cab company. Black hackneys with the yellow light on the roof switched on can be hailed - if the light's off, let it go by, they won't stop. Pay the fare when you reach your destination before you get out the cab. If you want to tip, round the fare up to the nearest pound.

If you can, use Google Maps and Street View to get your bearings before hand. Note that Street View imagery for Glasgow is unfortunately about 4 years out of date, but it's still very useful.

Buchanan St. / Buchanan Galleries: http://goo.gl/maps/lJZTR
George Square: http://goo.gl/maps/2h5gE

Have a nice time, be prepared for changeable weather, and enjoy yourself! Glasgow is a great city :)

I'm sure that plenty of people will disagree with me, but I REALLY don't like textbooks for self-study. It's always seemed to me that the authors of textbooks half-ass explaining things since they assume you'll have a teacher who can explain it to you. (Also they tend to be really expensive!)

For getting your feet underneath you, I honestly love phrasebooks (Rick Steves; Lonely Planet) and picture dictionaries.

At the start, I used (still use!) the "Practice Makes Perfect" series. They're not expensive at all, though they might as well be printed on newspaper - these are NOT long term reference works... there are a ton of these in the series that I haven't listed below, but these are good:

• Practice Makes Perfect Basic Italian
  
• Practice Makes Perfect Italian Vocabulary
  
• Practice Makes Perfect Italian Pronouns And Prepositions
  
• Practice Makes Perfect Italian Sentence Builder
  
• Practice Makes Perfect Italian Conversation
  
  These are more expensive but absolutely worth the price:
  
  
• Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide (and the corresponding workbook maybe)
  
• Soluzioni: A Practical Grammar of Contemporary Italian
  
• A Reference Grammar of Modern Italian
  
• Using Italian: A Guide to Contemporary Usage
  
• Using Italian Vocabulary
  
• Using Italian Synonyms
  
  Edit: Forgot this one but it's worthwhile also - Italian Fluency: Twin-Words and Essential Vocabulary.
  
  Avoid at all costs ... "Italian for Dummies"; "501 Italian Verbs" :)

> From Luton Airport to South Croydon, is it better to take a cab,

Between four adults, yes. A train ticket would be roughly twenty quid each anyway, so just get a cab.

>How exactly do the Oyster cards work, in terms of limits?

It's all here, in great depth: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster/using-oyster/price-capping#on-this-page-1

>Would it be better to get these or Travelcards? Or would the Oyster card be more cheaper? Crayton seems to be in the travel zone 5, so with Travel cards, you'll be forced to buy 1-5 zone tickets,

Because you're staying Zone 5, but all the tourist bits are Zone 1/2, you'd be best off putting a certain amount on your oyster and let the capping do its work. Pay as you go, as explained above.

>What would be the best 'starting point' for every day? Mostly getting from Crayton to this spot, and then move about to different locations. Just so you would have something concrete to start with everyday. Considering most basic tourism happens in zone 1-2?

>What would be the best 'starting point' for every day? Mostly getting from Crayton to this spot, and then move about to different locations. Just so you would have something concrete to start with everyday. Considering most basic tourism happens in zone 1-2?

London Bridge train station would be a good starting point, as the trains go from South Croydon to London Bridge.


>Are there any 'preplanned' days available online (or some similar app), that give you a rough outline on where to go when, and basically just guide you through things and show you costs, etc.

I get in trouble for suggesting this but, including here, it seems like people genuinely just turn up without doing any research: buy a guidebook. Read it on the plane on your way here. There is a wealth of information written in every language about London, especially for tourists who haven't a clue what they're doing. Everything I've written above will be detailed at great length in a book that will cost less than a tenner. If this post is your only research into coming to London, you'll get into trouble very quickly. Don't rely on an app, unless you want your phone stolen out of your hand.


Budget: £600 for how long? Each, or between you?

> I'm told that good service is not to be expected. Is that true?

I think it depends on what you mean by "good service". I would say that competent and reasonably prompt service is to be expected, but if by "good service" you mean super friendly/flirtatious or otherwise especially solicitous or overly-familiar service then you will probably be disappointed.

If there are no problems with the service I will usually tip around 10% for restaurant meals (or pay the service charge, typically 12.5%, if it is already on the bill). I have occasionally left a small or no tip if the service was particularly bad. I have refused to pay the service charge on one occasion, when the waiter took each of my three courses away before I had finished eating it (despite there being a very clear cutlery-based signalling system to prevent such incidents)! I can recall no occasion when the service was extraordinary enough to merit a tip of greater than 10%, or a tip on top of an included service charge.

(By the way, speaking of table manners: fork always in the left hand, never the right, with prongs down (stabbing, not shovelling); and napkin on the lap, never tucked into your shirt. There's a lot more rules, but those two and the cutlery-together-when-finished one will be enough to get you through all but the fanciest meals without looking like an uncouth imbecile).

You don't tip the bartender at a pub, not even if buying food, but you could offer to buy them a drink (which they may accept payment for when offered but serve/consume later). This happens rarely, however, and most typically only if someone is a 'regular' at their local.

One additional bit of general advice:

I would very much recommend the Lonely Planet British Phrase Book as a basic introduction to British English for tourists/new arrivals (hint: the things you wear on your legs are trousers, not pants) as well as Kate Fox's Watching the English which is a delightful introduction to English culture from an antropological point of view (it has a whole chapter on how the English behave at the pub, including IIRC some two pages on the subtle protocol for ordering drinks at the bar) - entertaining and fascinating, even in the opinion of many of my actually-British friends.

I work in a popular indie bookshop that is also a bit of a tourist destination in London. if you came into my shop an asked this question, i would suggest these two new books on londons rivers: 1 and 2. Same title, but both different and very good books. Also secret london. I've been a londoner for 15 years, and my parents both are from here, but most of the places in this book i had never come across. My better half, who is training to be a city of london tour guide, and I, have been using the book to get to know our city better for the last few months. Another awesome way to look at the city is through lost london an awesome (an reasonably priced) coffee table book of historic photographs of the city, illuminating for any londoner. If you are looking for any other sort of book on the city (novel, history of a particular period, esoteric guide, etc...), let me know. It's what I do.

P.S. While i have linked to amazon above, if you can afford to, buy from your local independent bookshop! you'll miss us if we go!

Read read read read read. After studying for six months like you, I've set a goal this year to read one book a week. I'm starting book #7 now and it's changed everything for me.

The the best way to master grammar is reading. The best way to learn new vocabulary is reading. There's dozens of extremely common words in German that you might think you know that you actually don't, such as immer, doch, schon, etc., etc.. The only way to learn words like these is to see them in context hundreds of times.

Start with the easiest books you can understand. I guarantee that you are ready to start the book series Cafe in Berlin. That link contains the compilation of the first four books in the series. Go read the reviews and download the sample now. Do it.

Bonus tips:

1. You don't need a kindle to read kindle books. Just use the phone app or web app.
   
2. Try to understand the words and grammar in context before turning to a translation tool
   
3. The app (as well as the google translate app) include a highlight-to-translate if you get stuck.

Never eat English food. Just stick to Indian/Chinese etc. and you'll do just fine.

Try to see Fatboy Slim live at some festival or other; go clubbing in general. The UK scene is great!

Being self-deprecating (especially when joking) will go a long way towards making British people accept you.

Finally, read this book before you go. Godspeed you good Redditor!

EDIT: lol I had no idea that English food would inspire such... passions. All hail the mighty shepherd's pie then!

I don't have an answer to your question but rather a comment on living in the Netherlands, I lived there for years as an expat (I'm American). I don't want to discourage you from learning Dutch but you should know that the overwhelming majority of the population under the age of about 65 speaks English fluently. English is mandatory for all students from early grade school, and most learn a third language fluently as well (usually French or German). They do appreciate it when a non-native tries to converse with them in Dutch, but more often than not they will respond to you in English. Even when I was certain my pronunciation and grammar were correct I would still get responses in English, it can be very frustrating. It definitely makes it more difficult to raise your oral proficiency while living there. The answer I got as to why they would do that is "Well it's just easier for us [i.e. them]". Still, having a basic level of vocabulary was very useful in day to day life as most things are only written in Dutch.

PS - This book is pretty much considered required reading for expats moving to the Netherlands, don't be surprised if some of your new Dutch colleagues try to give you a copy. The Dutch are strangely proud of their cultural idiosyncrasies.

More to tell? Um...In my experience, British people won't automatically be dicks to Americans (or anyone, really). But there's definitely a period I've had with my British acquaintances where they were clearly reserving judgement until they've determined whether or not I was a walking stereotype. At one point I won someone's respect but picking up on sarcasm and responding in kind.

Watching the English was something I read not long after getting serious with my partner. It helped put many cultural differences in context, especially class-related stuff. It's not that Americans don't have a class system, but rules signalling class is primarily based on income, where in the UK it has much more to do with education and social mores.

Romanians are generally pretty cool with Americans and Brits, in my year of experience. However, there are some class differences - people who are reasonably well educated and young have zero problems with Brits/Americans, where as older, working class people tend to be harder to win over (but they're rarely openly antagonistic or resentful). Not being a dick (e.g. not treating taxi drivers or store clerks like robots) and learning some Romanian goes a long way.

There was a programme on recently called Posh & Posher about this, but I didn't think much of it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y37gk

To be honest, the best analysis of that kind of thing that I've come across is this book, which I highly recommend even for British people, it's fascinating. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302431227&sr=8-1

Spanish: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073Z2YJFT

French: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074HDZP3L

Italian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C1692CG

German: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JKG2S5J

Portuguese: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

Russian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MRM7NLM

English: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

____

In these 7 books, you will not find your traditional phrasebooks, grammar explanations, vocabulary lists, nor compilations of short stories. Frankly, there's already an overabundance of these types of books in stores and online.

Instead, you will find an analysis into HOW and WHY some people can get so good at foreign languages and why others seemingly cannot. People are quick to point out that some are built to learn languages and others are not. This is not true at all, however. We have all come to learn and speak our native language fluently, yes?

The issue at heart boils down to studying and reviewing vs. reading and listening in the long term. Of course, when we begin learning a new language, a good amount of studying is required to build a basic foundation of grammar and vocabulary in the new language. Acquiring this foundation turns out to be easy for most people, and it can be done through whatever means you like i.e. coursebooks, Duolingo, or classes.

After the basics have been acquired, it is here that we find the biggest mistake in language learning. As beginning language learners, we relied on studying and reviewing to get us through the early beginning stages, and we use this as a crutch to hobble through the rest of the journey.

Unfortunately, studying and reviewing will not get you very far into the intermediate and advanced stages. You may be able to study and retain a conversational-level of vocabulary (3,000-5,000 words), but you won't be to understand native speakers who are using 25,000+ words to communicate with other native speakers. Many push themselves to study 3 or more hours a day to catch up with native speakers, but this is the inevitable path to burnout. This is why even the most hardcore language learners quit.

Reading and listening (especially to native materials) is the way to go. It can be quite frustrating at first because how little you understand, so that is why this series of books exists. They were designed to give you the tools and strategies to make the learning process much more fun and effective. These techniques are inspired by polyglots who have used these ideas for years to not just learn one foreign language but multiple!

Wherever you move, invest 100% in learning the language. If you are moving into the Swiss-German speaking area, this will be much harder than the French or Italian area, but you must do it.

A customer of mine is originally from India, and he only conversed with his wife in English when they lived outside of Switzerland. When they moved to Switzerland, upon landing she said, "these are the last words in English I will speak to you, from now in it's Swiss-German." He thought she was joking, but she wasn't. It was tough love, and 6 months of hell, but now he speaks Swiss-German like a local, with no accent. This is extremely rare. And even as someone who is clearly not Swiss, he is 100% accepted into his village and really enjoys life here.

I also recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Working-Switzerland-Survival-Handbook/dp/1909282634

It has tips and tricks that even most Swiss don't know.

Copied from U/whatisthesun:

"For anybody living outside of the States:

Spanish:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073Z2YJFT

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B073Z2YJFT

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B073Z2YJFT

ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B073Z2YJFT

IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B073Z2YJFT

NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B073Z2YJFT

JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B073Z2YJFT

BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B073Z2YJFT

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AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B073Z2YJFT

IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B073Z2YJFT

French:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074HDZP3L

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B074HDZP3L

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B074HDZP3L

ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B074HDZP3L

IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B074HDZP3L

NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B074HDZP3L

JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B074HDZP3L

BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B074HDZP3L

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B074HDZP3L

MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B074HDZP3L

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B074HDZP3L

IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B074HDZP3L

Italian:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07C1692CG

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07C1692CG

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B07C1692CG

ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B07C1692CG

IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07C1692CG

NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07C1692CG

JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07C1692CG

BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B07C1692CG

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07C1692CG

MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B07C1692CG

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07C1692CG

IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07C1692CG

German:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07JKG2S5J

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07JKG2S5J

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B07JKG2S5J

ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B07JKG2S5J

IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07JKG2S5J

NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07JKG2S5J

JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07JKG2S5J

BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B07JKG2S5J

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07JKG2S5J

MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B07JKG2S5J

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07JKG2S5J

IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07JKG2S5J

Portuguese:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07MGNXN3Y

Russian:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MRM7NLM

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07MRM7NLM

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B07MRM7NLM

ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B07MRM7NLM

IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07MRM7NLM

NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07MRM7NLM

JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07MRM7NLM

BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B07MRM7NLM

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07MRM7NLM

MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B07MRM7NLM

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07MRM7NLM

IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07MRM7NLM

English:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

NL: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07MJ88SDZ

IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07MJ88SDZ. "

Oh man you're in for a treat... as there is too many to mention - so to make it easier I suggest buy one or both of these books - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edinburghs-Hidden-Walks-Stephen-MIllar/dp/1902910583 and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Edinburgh-Unusual-Jonglez-Guides/dp/2361951487/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H08S08Z2Y3MVSPS3JZH0 . They are both excellent and even though I lived here a number of years now and know pretty much every street and path, these two books still had bits I hadn't found. One quick one, just start in Dean's village and do the water of Leith to Stockbridge and have a pint there - if that doesn't work for you than you're in the wrong city!


As for what a local would do end May - well if its sunny, buy a portable BBQ, ciders and lounge in the Meadows - sunshine is too rare to do anything indoors-y.

Actually, according to this brilliant book it's a class thing.. Some upper middle class people decided that napkin sounded too much like nappy and it would make them seem lower class, so they started using serviette instead. Now, the funny thing is that the proper posh people didn't give a fuck, and kept saying napkin. It is now a fairly accurate way of spotting middle class people with upwards ambition.

The same goes for the word "pardon" btw. Upper and working class find saying "What?" perfectly acceptable if they need someone to repeat themselves, the middle classes find it crude and have adopted the use of pardon instead.

I'm a Swede living in the UK, and my English boyfriend gave me that book. It's hilarious and incredibly accurate. Class is still very much an issue over here. At least a lot more than what I'm used to.

I highly suggest reading this:
http://www.amazon.com/Rick-Steves-Europe-Through-Back/dp/1598806556/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314506131&sr=1-2

This was our bible when the husband and I went backpacking through (Western) Europe for 5 weeks. We started out in Barcelona, then Cannes, rented a car and drove around the mountains in Southern France, dropped the rental off at St. Tropez, took the train to Nice, Venice, Interlaken (Switzerland), took a gondola up to Gimmelwald (stayed at an awesome hostel there), continued to Zurich, then Munich, then Lingen (to visit with the husband's relatives), Amsterdam, Loire Valley, Paris, and then London.

And yes, definitely get a Eurail pass and take advantage of staying in hostels.

Asia's quite a big place, where abouts are you from?

It looks like other commenters have kept you informed about most of your questions, but, as a student here for quite a while, I'd say most people walk everywhere!
The weather's been really rather mild this year, and the summer, if it matches last year, will be absolutely lovely. You shouldn't have to worry about anything but a rain coat/umbrella if you're coming over during the summer.

If you're curious about British customs, a lot of my friends from overseas have waxed rhapsodic about this book which gives a bit of an insight into British (particularly English) culture. The biggest shock for most is the necessity of verbal politeness and queuing. We queue for everything.

> When you are ready to have a conversation based on the facts, please let me know.

Something that's really far better addressed to you. Here's something that will help you settle into the true homeland of the Ashkenazim, molto bene!

I haven't purchased these yet since I've been busy with other things, but another poster recommended them and it looked like a very good supplement to pair with duolingo and memrise.

https://www.amazon.com/Learn-German-Stories-Berlin-Beginners-ebook/dp/B00F33E3C0?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc

He has about 8 beginner German books and a few intermediate to advance ones. You can use click the "look inside" button to see an example of the text. I think I may pick up the audible one as well, because he reads through it very slowly and pronounces everything accurately.

He also bundles the first 4 beginner books here:

https://www.amazon.com/Learn-German-Stories-Collectors-Beginners-ebook/dp/B00W9L9F9A/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=

If you want a whole book on these kind of differences, I'd recommend Watching the English: by Kate Fox It's a great book which is a easy-to-read explanation of some of the linchpins of English culture, and will help you understand how people act differently in the UK compared to the US (one short thing the book explains in alot more detail: it is never the wrong moment to make a joke about something)

I talk to my son (under 1yr), in English and then try to say the same in Norwegian, or the rightful equivalent. I also take him to the store with me and explain to him everything we see and touch (colors, shapes, products). I find that it helps me a bit.

What helped me the most after I grasped the basics (using this book: http://www.amazon.com/NORWEGIAN-10-minutes-day%C2%AE-CD-ROM/dp/1931873089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419271016&sr=8-1&keywords=learn++norwegian+in+10+minutes) I would translate youtube videos and talk shows (I kveld med Ylvis) and watch them a ton.

I want to learn Spanish, because I live in Texas and my son is 1/4th Mexican, but I am not as interested as I am in Norwegian so it's twice as hard for me. So the key is to be fully focused and inspired and you'll absorb the language easily.

Its a bit old, and some of the content is probably a bit out of date now, but I enjoyed London Under London:A subterranean guide by Richard Trench and Ellis Hillman. As well as underground railways it talks about underground rivers, tunnels, etc.

Not sure if its out of print or something as the Amazon link shows it as around £30-£65, but it looks like they have a bunch of near-new/used copies at more sensible prices.

Class is sort of hard to define over here, because it's more of an innate knowledge of what's high class/low class rather than anything that actually affects your life. It's more about the papers you read, the school you went to, and the way you talk than anything else. Oh, and probably the way you vote. I'd argue that it some sense it's still tied to occupation for the lower classes, but once you get to middle/upper middle the lines are blurred a lot more.

A really good book to read that might help you get a better idea of how we work would be Kate Fox's Watching The English.

Hah, you have a lot of 'us' down pat. For further amusing reading, I highly recommend "The Undutchables" and "The Dutch, I presume?" but I'm sure they have been recommended to you by now. ;)

Also post in the stickied thread at the top of the subreddit, where you'll have a really helpful first post with lots of links to our wiki. You'll find a guidebook helpful too - something like Lonely Planet London and the Pocket edition for quick reference while you're out and about. You'll probably find most of your questions (how to get around, how to see the big sights, what to do/not do about tipping etc) are answered in there.

I get that we have a shared history. But we have a shared European history. We have a shared history with the commonwealth. We have a shared world history. The built environment is very different across different parts of the country and even within cities the contrast can be stark.

I would probably have more things in common with someone who lives in Paris, Warsaw, or even Istanbul of a similar class than I would with someone who lives in rural England.

My life would not compare to say someone on benefits or to a millionaire.

Specific English-ness does not really bind us together. I read Watching the English by Kate Fox not too long ago. She spent,I believe, a year basically researching our culture. The main points I remember is that we say sorry regardless of fault when she intentionally bumped into them. And that we queue instinctively. I don't remember reading that much else which we all shared.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867

Do you know the Dino lernt Deutsch series by Andre Klein? It is a series of six books meant for beginners of German and the e-book versions are only 3-4 USD per book. There is even an omnibus covering books 1-4 for 10 USD.

http://www.amazon.com/Learn-German-Stories-Collectors-Beginners-ebook/dp/B00W9L9F9A/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00PPH1TLM/kindle/ref=sr_bookseries_null_B00PPH1TLM

Alternatively this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XJ07X94/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

This one is only 1.16 USD: http://www.amazon.com/Kandis-Zucker-kurze-Erz%C3%A4hlungen-German-ebook/dp/B007XSFTJ4/

I really wish I had a credit card so that I could gift one of those books to your daughter, but maybe another Santa is willing to help out?

Yeah, people make jokes when they're uncomfortable. I read a book by an anthropologist who was investigating British social codes and norms, and in the chapter about sex, she wrote with amused exasperation about how every time she mentioned that particular subtopic of her research to anyone, they always made a joke, and always the same joke: something about "helping her with the practical research".

A Lonely Planet book, like a phrasebook or small guide would be fun! I like these Lonely Planet phrasebooks. Or a guidebook where you use post-its to tag your favorites in the book.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

I moved here 8 months ago from Australia, and work for a tech company in the city - nothing related to your area of study I'm afraid.

After you get here I'd be happy to introduce you to one of our many excellent drinking establishments and natter about how everything's different to back home.

I can even lend you a copy of Watching The English http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867 which I was given by a french coworker after I arrived.

•Duolingo
•Rosetta Stone (there’s free online access available through my local library website)
•The Kindle book Italian Short Stories for Beginners has been great. Only $5. It comes with an audio component. Downloading the Italian-English dictionary on kindle makes defining words really quick.

This is absolutely brilliant :)

​

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867

Calcio if you're interested in Italian football.

A season with Verona about an Englishman who lives in Verona and talks about his adventures following them.

Football, Fascism and Fandom: The UltraS of Italian Football
if you're interested in the darker side of the Ultras in Italian football (and mainly Rome).

If you want to understand English (not all British) mentality, read this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867.

It's a pop-science book written by an anthropologist who studies the English. If foreign, it'll explain a lot of wierd/mysterious stuff: queueing, how queues work in pubs, why English people don't tell you their name, why saying goodbye can drag on for ages, and more... Foreigners living in London have told me it's been the most useful book they've read and they wish they'd read it as soon as they arrived. As an English person it's eye-opening/shocking/depressing how much of our behaviour is determined by our culture.

After reading Watching the English I became very aware of class, where before I was pretty much oblivious. Because class is such an obvious and daily thing in England I thought about it some more, initially out of intellectual curiosity, and now my levels of class awareness are pretty high, and chronic. My life is worse for it.

I cant find the exact one I was looking for though taking a look thru visual dictionaries like this and the Lonely Planet Phrase books for great topic ideas. I really think they cover a wide breath.

Highly recommend London Under London if you needs more of This Kind Of Thing.

There's a good book about exactly that. UK and Japan have both developed similar societies independently. Both value privacy, are well mannered, highly structured and lots more. The author claims that it could be because we are both island nations with high populations..It may be called watching the English..It was quite a while ago that I read it

Watching the English is a fantastic read.
Its written like an anthropologist would study cannibals from the jungles of Borneo except it focuses on headhunters from Epsom.

If you liked this, you'll also like "Watching the English" by Kate Fox - same author and sort of inspired by the pub study (and a similar one commissioned by the horse racing people).

Kate Fox's book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867

It gets better reviews on amazon.com - she understands us, and helps non-English people understand our wacky ways.

Yep.

This is a good book on this kind of stuff

https://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Under-Subterranean-Guide/dp/0719552885

Try reading Watching the English by Kate Fox. It’s a brilliant book, and it sheds a lot of light on our culture and traditions.

I took a sip of something poison, but I'll hold on tight

Need this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1742208088/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3AI2NYW6RQXDZ&coliid=I1ZM4AUUTT2188



used is fine and thank you for the contest!

Is that the Curva Sud?

I'd hope you've all read A Season with Verona by Tim Parks, otherwise, here's a link;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Season-Verona-Illusions-National-Character/dp/0099422670/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314611415&sr=8-1

2. Detergent is detergent. The extras are packaging, including which stores it's stocked in, and perfume.
   
   
3. Staples is your best option, although branches tend to be in retail parks. For town centres, look for Rymans and, perhaps, WH Smith.
   
   
4. No idea. Ask a doctor. It may be that one or more of those are not available "over the counter", i.e. without prescription, here.
   
   
5. http://www.sirc.org/publik/pub.html and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867
   
   
6. Depends, both on whether it's a chain or an independent place, and on what you're ordering.
   
   If it's a chain, then tell them what you need, and let them figure out what they can do without their bosses being arseholes.
   
   If it's independent, then tell them what you're after, and see what happens!

I'm a little late to this party, but I did read a book called Watching The English by Kate Fox. She explains how to determine which 'class' somebody is by the words they use for things, and Settee is one example:
>Settee
Or you could ask your hosts what they call their furniture. If an upholstered seat for two or more people is called
a settee or a couch, they are no higher than middle-middle.
If it is a sofa, they are upper-middle or above. There
are occasional exceptions to this rule, which is not quite as accurate a class indicator as ‘pardon’. Some younger
upper-middles, influenced by American films and television programmes, might say ‘couch’ – although they are
unlikely to say ‘settee’, except as a joke or to annoy their class-anxious parents.
If you like, you can amuse
yourself by making predictions based on correlations with other class indicators such as those covered later in
the chapter on Home Rules. For example: if the item in question is part of a brand-new matching three-piece
suite, which also matches the curtains, its owners are likely to call it a settee.

I have this book without CD. It's still good.

Watching the English by Kate Fox, a social anthropologist and entertaining writer.

Heard that A Season With Verona is a worthy read.

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0340818867/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-nLCCbATQEJ9B might be worth be worth.

Definitely get ths one: Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour

Contents: http://i.imgur.com/Rxxxo.png

I do not own and have never read this book for the obvious reason that I live here, but I've never felt let down by another Lonely Planet book so I suspect it's good.

Good list, but I would add:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Season-With-Verona-Tim-Parks/dp/0099422670

Definitely.

I would add A Season With Verona. Similar in some ways, but more from a fan's perspective. Also a bit more insight to regional culture, political stuff, rivalries, etc.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867
http://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Portrait-People-Jeremy-Paxman/dp/0140267239/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1

They may both help. Or confuse further.

This book would interest you. 'What' is used by upper and lower/lower-middle classes, the latter with a glottal stop. 'Pardon' is used by the class conscious middle. 'Sorry' by upper-middles.

Today actually. A BBC podcast by David Mitchell touches on it a little and Kate Fox's book Watching the English does as well neither are serious but they sing to the same tune about this.

Try and pick up a copy of this it'll be sure to have some suggestions, and it's bloody interesting .

Maybe the anatomy museum at Edinburgh university? They've got Burke's skeleton as he was dissected after being hanged, not exactly secret but not that commonly known either.

Shopping at Waitrose.
Painting your house in Farrow and Ball paints.
Having a large gun dog rather than a small fluffy one in a bag.
Old Volvo rather than brand new BMW

Watching the English is good on this class thing. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867

I would combine Duolingo, which is a fairly fun way to get a decent grasp on basic grammar and vocabulary, with a phrasebook geared specifically toward the type of conversations a tourist would likely have.

Edit: If you're already conversational in Spanish, which is a very similar language, you might surprise yourself with how much you'll learn in 20 minutes a day for two months. Of course you won't be fluent, but I don't think you'll have any problem reaching your goal.

I recommend this book to you. I'm reading it for the first time and, as someone English, it's making me realise that a lot of the stuff we do and the way we think is really really weird.

A generalisation, not an assumption - based on the findings of social anthropology ( this is a good read if you're interested). Again, this isn't a dig at Americans or saying that they are incapable of using sarcasm, but that Brits and Americans (and indeed every other culture) have different normal modes of communication. Brits rely on understanding implicit meanings a lot in day to day conversation, while Americans tend to be more "straight talking". It's not that Brits are "better" at sarcasm, just that they're more used to it.

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Working-Switzerland-Survival-Handbook/dp/1909282634 this book will answer all your questions and much more, it was invaluable when I moved.

A Season With Verona by Tim Parks.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867

Watching The English is the book you are looking for.

I have been given that book when I came in 1999:

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Working-Switzerland-Survival-Handbook/dp/1909282634

Read Watching The English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox. It is unerringly accurate.

Edit: Really? Minus one`d for a book suggestion? Gosh.

Not by an American, but could it be Watching the English?

Here is the mobile version of your link

I read Watching the English . There are so many times I "got it" because of that book.

I know, it's a camaraderie thing, and a whole bunch more besides. It can sure feel hostile if your not used to it - the Brits are a complex lot.

https://www.amazon.com/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867

Kate Fox did precisely this as part of her social experiments. She said queue jumping was the most painful experience of her life. "Watching The English" is her book about English social norms:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867

> I guess I'm just trying to hold these people to higher standards. They're really falling into the constitutional monarchy trap where since they have no power they don't take themselves very seriously.

No English person takes themselves seriously though. It is the secret of Englishness. This book was recommended to me by an English person, and it explains it:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867

Edit: And the higher up the social ladder you are, the less seriously you have to take yourself.

Edit 2: Glad you like the song though!