Nicco Schaal

Because of my diverse career experiences and the many countries I have called home, writing about travel, culture, and trivia comes naturally to me.

I grew up in West Berlin, where my professional life began with an apprenticeship in food retailing. At 17, I briefly traded city life for an unusual adventure as a fisherman and sailor out of Cuxhaven before returning to Berlin and entering the hotel and restaurant industry.

That experience eventually opened the door to France. I spent four years there—two in Provence and two in Paris—learning the language and immersing myself in French life and culture. My travels expanded further when Club Med hired me in Paris and sent me first to Tunisia and then to Martinique.

In 1973, I made the biggest move of my life and settled in New York City. After a brief and unsuccessful attempt to find my fortune on Wall Street, I returned to the hospitality industry. Then, in 1978, I earned my New York City tour guide license—and discovered the profession that would become my passion for the next two decades.

What began with sightseeing tours and day trips developed into a career as an international tour director. I traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada, leading everything from local excursions to cross-country tours, with occasional trips to the Bahamas.

Eventually, I moved from New York to Miami, where I lived until 2001. The growing popularity of Florida among European visitors gave me further opportunities to work with international tour groups, putting my knowledge of North America and my German, English, and French language skills to good use.

In 2001, I returned to Germany and continued working in the international travel and hotel industry until retiring at age 70.

Retirement, however, didn't mean I was finished with travel. I realized that decades of experience on the road had given me something worth sharing. That led to my first book, Tour Guiding USA & Canada, a practical guide based on my own experiences in the profession.

From there came my first travel quiz, originally conceived as entertainment for passengers on longer motorcoach journeys. One quiz led to another—and today my Travel & Trivia collection includes 28 quiz books in English and German.

In many ways, my books bring together everything that came before: travel, languages, people, places, history, culture, and a lifelong curiosity about the world.

I hope you enjoy discovering them.

My books are available worldwide on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover editions. You can explore the complete collection at Nicco's Books.