Phrase/guide book rec for Daube cruise

[gladgirl]

What phrase book and guide book has been most useful for you on a Danube river cruise? (Budapest to Deggendorf)

 

Thanks!

[6rugrats]

Phrase book? You honestly will be just fine if all you know is English. We did use google to translate English into German one time, but that’s it.

I always like DK books for travel, but there are many good ones. Look on Amazon.

[Valley Girl of VA]

None is needed. The only problem we had was taking the subway in Budapest to the Central Market. I had a picture ofd the market and a man stood by the subway board and held up his fingers telling me when to get off and then motioned "up". The younger people have learned English - for the older ones, it was not allowed. You'll be fine, trust me.

[Roz]

When you figure out Hungarian, let me know. It's a Uralic language, and very difficult.

 

As previous poster said, you'll do fine with English. Even if you do learn some German, if you visit Austria on your cruise they speak an entirely different dialect.

 

Roz

[TravelerThom]

I am lousy with other languages (and NOT proud of it), but have travelled on my own (no tour group) in many countries where I could not speak the language and only barely make out a little of the written non-Roman-alphabet signs. Unless you believe that everyone can understand English if only you speak it loud enough, most people are quite helpful especially people who want to sell you something. Most ATMs, Metros, etc will provide instructions in English. The Shanghai Metro has fares based on distance and I couldn't figure out how much; with the trusty Metro map in both English and Chinese I walked up to the ticket window, smiled, pointed on the map to both the station I was in and the one I wanted to go to, and the sales person held up 3 fingers (for 3 yuan). Easy-peasy. IMO it is more important to understand the local currency than the local language (but I do wish I understood both). Enjoy!

[CPT Trips]

It takes little effort to learn: gruss Gott, szia, Bon jour, and dobla don. The rewards frequently are tremendous . . . good English in return.

[xmaser]

If you speak any German, they can understand you in both Austria and Germany. They are accustomed to travelers from each other's country. English is rarer in Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary.

[gladgirl]

Thanks for all the feedback!