Review: Rule no 5: No sex on the bus

Brian Thacker is an Australian tour guide and travel writer. The book covers his day job of herding tourists on a bus trip through Europe but is really a lot more entertaining than it sounds.

It’s quite amusing to read about Brian’s endeavors across Europe as he takes his herd into the strip clubs of Amsterdam’s Red Light District, manages to mistake the Münster of Freiburg with another church (an impressive feat since the Münster is quite large) and searches all over Florence for that special gelateria with “orgasmic flavours” and “sinfully rich meringue”. He even finds time to hassle David Hasselhoff.

View of Freiburg from the top of Münster.

I only have one tiny issue with this book. While it sure is entertaining to read about Brian’s crazy activities, it sometimes tends to get a bit one-sided with everything being constantly over the top, everyone bonking and drinking nonstop for a month. Just to be sure I asked a friend who’s been on a similar tour ride across Europe (who also kindly lent me this book), and she agreed that it was a bit exaggerated (surprise). However, I suppose it wouldn’t be half as funny without all the sex, drugs and German folk music.

If you’ve ever considered cramming together with 40 strangers on a smelling bus while never knowing what to expect around the next corner, this book is a fun read.