I took my first trip to Europe last summer, and I'm going again this spring. I can't imagine how I would have done it without this book, which I still use whenever I plan trip #2. For the person who has not traveled extensively, or who has never been to Europe, this book is an absolute must. When I was in Europe I met hundreds of people for whom traveling was the simplest thing in the world--they thought nothing about jumping on a train and visiting another country (or five) for a month or a summer. There is a huge network of trains, hotels and tourist offices to accommodate these travelrs, and I would never have known about it, or how to use it, or how much it would cost, without "First-Time Europe". If you are a teacher or a student or just someone who wants to go to Europe (and you should, it is INCREDIBLE) buy this book and go and you will understand what I mean.