If your stationed in Germany then you probably know about the Panther Paws book, if not you NEED to know about it! It’s a great book of travel resources put together by Spangdahlem spouses but there is info for traveling all over and not just Germany. If you don’t know about it read my post which is linked in the first sentence and then come back to see what I think about the 2015 edition.
Yes, my fellow travelers, it’s true the 2015 edition that I’ve so anxiously been awaiting it is now available! You may have picked a copy up at the Spangdahlem Spring Bazaar this weekend like I did, well I even picked up an extra copy…one to giveaway to my awesome readers! If you missed out you can email them at spangpantherpaws@yahoo.com They are working on getting a contract with the BX and getting them back in the BX’s (both Spang & Ram) but not sure how long it will take. The books are $15 BUT before you rush out to get one I want to share some things I noticed when comparing the 2 versions.
According to sources affiliated with publishing the book there are about 260 new entries and old entries that could no longer be verified were deleted. Also know with books like this its hard to say 100% current because since they have had it published a few places have closed, I just note those in my own book. And I also make sure to research everything before we go! It’s expected that the book will be updated around every 2 years.
First impressions were that the 2015 version has a much bulkier binding and it’s plastic instead of metal, I think this may had a harder time holding up with how hard I am on our travel books. I literally carry a copy of the Panther Paws with us on every trip.
The biggest disappointment I’ve found so far that is that there is NO index in the new version 🙁 That makes is time consuming to look and see if things are listed in the book. I use several books (and many websites) when planning our trips (Yes, even our day trips!) so not being able to easily see if something is included is going to be a pain, and personally I’ll probably keep using the old version for this.
The other big difference is that the print is so much smaller in the new version, it does not take full advantage of the whole page like the last version did, above is side by side photos, on the left is the 2015 copy, older on the right. You can see the difference towards the bottom of the page. I don’t need reading glasses but almost feel like I do with some of this small print, LOL!
And another thing missing is the country labels on the side of the page, older version on bottom, 2015 version on top. This would really be helpful considering the now missing index.
I did not see many of the new additions with my thumb through as I was highlighting the places we’ve been, but I did spot this new addition! Croatia is now added! While the info is limited there was zero info in the last version. I did also notice that some things were moved to ‘proper’ places. Such as Versailles it was listed under Paris in the last version but is now it’s own proper listing in this 2015 version. There were also no new additions or subtractions to the Day Trips & Tours which is a great place to start when looking for things nearby to do.
So while I’m excited that the new version is out I’m not sure I’ll be using it instead of my older version but maybe in supplement to it. But if you don’t have an Panther Paws yet this will get you started with some info for traveling! Or you can keep an eye out at the Airman’s Attic and Thrift Store for the 2011-2012 version as people will be starting to get rid of them as they get new copies.
And one lucky winner can get their very own copy right here by entering the giveaway! Open to all US residents and those stationed at APO/FPO as well 🙂
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the new Panther Paws 2015 edition!
I haven’t ever heard about this travel book before. This is just one of the many reasons why I enjoy reading your blogs…I learn about resources that I previously had no knowledge of! Thank you for sharing your experiences and critiques!
It really is a great book because I like tried & true recommendations to check out. They were MIA for awhile because a new squadron had to take over the book and it took awhile to get an update done because it’s a lot of work, in the meantime they sold out at the BX’s and so they weren’t available for those who were looking for them. Hopefully they will be back in the BX’s soon.
I love the panther paws I have the old one and would love the new one.
This is the first I’ve heard of this book. It’s funny because I was just saying how helpful it would be to have a book such as this the other day. On a side note I thank you so much for your blog. It’s so helpful for planning family adventures~
How does this book compare to ‘Never a Dull Moment’ published by AWAG??
Personally, I prefer the Panther Paws, well at least the older version. I liked the layout better of the Panther Paws, however now that it no longer has an index I may be using the AWAG one more. I need to get an updated copy as I have an older version. I will say that the ‘Never a Dull Moment’ is larger in general and has more info. Guess I need to think about doing a post on it huh? 😉
I have the last version of the Panther paws and it has some great info but I’m still partial to blogs because they give a more personal experience.
I agree, I use the Panther Paws (and my many other books) in addition to my online research. Any recommendations I find in the PP I check to see if bloggers have visited or if there is info available from the travel boards as well. We recently used a PP rec for lunch in Amsterdam and it was a huge miss for us, you win some you lose some 😉
I love our panther paws book when I remember to look in it 🙂 I now leave it in the car so I remember to look at it when we decide to take a spontaneous day drive. I’m sad to hear of the things you noticed so far about the new version as those were some of my favorite things about it.
We have 2 copies of the older version, one stays in the car and one in the house for planning. I’m going to keep the older version in the car since it’s easier to go through with the index, etc. I agree I’m a little bummed too! Hoping that future printings will take care of those issues.
Having a book like this would be a neat addition to any travel planning I do once we get back to Germany! My whole family is so excited that we get another opportunity to live in Europe and our travel wish list is already a mile long! We move in September, so I’ve already started tentatively planning a trip for Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas. 🙂 Thanks for doing a giveaway!
We’ve been here almost 1.5 years, traveling like crazy, and our list is still over a mile long 😉 Lots to see & do for sure!
I can’t wait to get there, just a few more weeks! This would be perfect for us!
I hope they left the Postal Codes in the addresses and maybe added gps. I found PP to be hard to find what is close to each other like Vianden & Diekirch museum. Drive for an hour and visit castle and drive home only to find that with an extra 15-30 min drive was another great tour. That example didn’t happen to us but I am sure that type of thing happened to us and we still don’t know about it. Thanks again for the blog. My guess is that we will be keeping our older versions to go along with a new one. GT
I just checked still no zip code for Vianden and no GPS addresses added, which is why I highly recommend researching any PP suggestion yourself before leaving. Your right it is close to several other neat things to do (including the dam which is not in the PP) so also check the cities near where your going as well.