How often do you find errors in guide books? Not just outdated information like old prices or bad recommendations, but real factual errors. I've just got a new copy of 'Rick Steve's ROME 2004' and I found 8 errors in the one chapter on 'St. Peter's Basilica Tour'.

Now I'm curious - what are these errors? I wonder if they have persisted from previous versions.

Example of an error in Fodor's Naples guide page 305. They state the ceremony of the liqufication of San Genaro's blood is the first Sunday in May, when it is actually on the first Saturday. We scheduled to arrive there on Saturday PM and subsequently found out we were a day too late. Boy was I upset. Still had a great time in Naples and would reco a 2-3 day stay.

Yes, I have found errors. In an edition of the the Let's Go: Paris guide, it gave the wrong year for the horrible shooting of several people at a Jewish deli in the Marais. Since I was a student in Paris the year it had occurred and had actually thought about going to that deli the same day of the shooting, the error made a big impact on me when I read a reference to it a decade after the event. I called the Let's Go people to tell them of the error. It was corrected.

I haven't used a guidebook yet that didn't have factual errors. Michelin Green seems to be one of the least error prone.

What were the errors? Our guide gave a different window that the Pope speaks from than Rick Steves said. Was that one of the errors? I didn't know who was right...Rick or our guide. I want to know the errors because I used that book in St. Peter's and want to know what was wrong. Email me if you don't want to post it.

Rick Steves often gets attacked on message boards. The mean reason is that people are jealous of his success. His guidebooks are good for first time travelers and/or those lacking confidence in their ability to do it on their own.

Having said that, if you are so concerned about the errors you found, you can either write the guidebook so they can correct it. All guidebooks have mistakes and any good one is happy to hear about them so they have the opportunity to fix them.

Another thing you could do is write your own guidebook and see if you can sell it.

I've seen numerous errors and typos in tour books. Just this morning, I found a large map in the fabulous DK Madrid book that labeled the big square in the city center as the "Plaza Mayo." I swear I'm not making this up.

The only error of great consequence was 12 years ago, when the normally reliable Hachette Italy book told us about the wonderful inn at the small, delightful village of Portole. It took a lot of driving to get there, only to discover that "Portole" is comprised of that inn plus a woodshed. Take my advice, folks...if you can't get a room in Cortona, push on through to Perugia.

Chris, *LOL*!

(Sorry you had to experience it, but thanks for passing your experience on to us!)

BC

Rick Steves' web site also has a page where you can submit errors, whether factual or practical (restaurants that have closed or moved, opening hours that have changed, etc.) That might help others in the future.

Since you've asked for the errors I'll provide a list. Some of these are minor:
1. It states 3 times that the painting of the 'Crucifixion of St. Peter' is a true painting, when it is actually a mosiac.
2. That the central door (by Filarete)was melted down from an old door in the basilica. It was actually taken from the old basilica.
3. On Christmas morning in 1972 the Pieta was attacked, when it happened in May of '72
4. The corkscrew columns were looted from Solomon Temple in Jerusalem, Not.
5. Wooden confessional booth are in the apse, when they are in the north transept
6. Incomplete translation for the words at the base of the dome, "You are Peter..." More incomplete than mistaken.
7. The walking tour map takes you through a place (apse) that's been closed off for years.
8. Wrong number of steps to the dome, 300 instead of 323. Very minor.
9. The new basilica was built around the old one which was dismantled and carried out the doors of the new one. Again a minor error.
Having stated all this, I actually like Rick Steve's and find him very readable. They have also been very nice about accepting the changes when I contacted them.

As a writer, I sympathize somewhat with the writers of guidebooks. There are a zillion details to attend to, and check and change each year. Of course the publishers keep as much of the old verbiage as possible, so when the world changes sometimes they don't keep up. I was amused when I read a recent Fodor's on Lausanne in their Switzerland guide. It sounded familiar. I looked on my shelf and found a 1978 edition--same description.
Please do write to the guidebook editors and let them know of changes. They count on travelers' help. And DO post the sloppiest guidebooks. WE travelers count on each other.

Vera

Rick Steve's Scandinavia listed an overnight train from Oslo to Copenhagen and vice versa. Needless to say, that route was discontinued in 2000, so we took the overnight boat (which was a nice change). I did report that to the website.

Time Out's guide to Los Angeles (which I bought out of curiosity to find out what others are looking for in my home town), 1st edition, reported that the Northridge earthquake took place in 1993 (those of us who lived through it will never forget it or the right date!); it also said there were only 3 area codes in the L.A. "area", which at the time of printing was twice that. Still a really good guidebook, as all of the Time Out Guides seem to be.

Even the Fodors website has L.A. restaurants that have closed down, but Fodors seems to actually read our "closed down" comments and does a great job of updating it.

My Paris guide book clearly stated that the french smelled of cheese and garlic.
However, during my visit to Paris in 1985 with my husband Walter, I found that the Parisians didn't smell at all.
Perhaps because they had no noses.

I think you have to first realize that to write the guidebook your research is at best 6 months old by the time the book comes out. Secondly you have to realize things change. Just because a museum used to be open from 2-6 on Mondays doesn't mean it always will be. I know Rick Steves advises in his books to always call ahead and check schedules and I am sure most of the other books probably do the same.

The guide books probably really do appreciate your input on mistakes you find, they can then ivestigate it and fix it in the next edition.

This forum is probably one of the best up to date info sites you can have. Before you leave, run the important stuff by the people of this forum.

I also found that by reading 2 or 3 guide books before I go, I can compare the info on things important to me and if I find a descrepancy I can investigate futher.

I did go one stop too many on the Circumvesusviana Train because a guide book had 2 stops listed for Herculaneum and acutally there is only one now, but another stop used to be marked for Hercuaneum also. It was a learning experience. I should have read the route on the poster on the train instead of having my head in the book I guess. Oh well!!

April

Compared to the errors that people on this board make, the errors in the guide books are minimal.

One usually pays in some way to read the contents of the guidebook, even if it's only to take the time to make the trip to the library. This site, however, is FREE, and not necessarily everyone posting on it professes to be an expert.

I brought the Frommer's Rome Guide 2002 edition to Jenifer Howard Forneris, who owns Casa Howard in Rome. While Jenifer was pleased with the glowing recommendation given to Casa Howard, she was amazed to find it listed as a "bed & breakfast", when it is actually a guest house. Complicating matters, the publisher was purchased by another publication house shortly after this error appeared.

BC