I've just been into the Rick Steves website and had a look at his UK section.
I'd take it with a very big pinch of salt.

I quote "We hopped out of our big black cab under the statue of the one-eyed, one-legged and single-minded English naval hero, Lord Nelson, on the square named after his greatest battle: Trafalgar."

The thought of Nelson hopping about on his quarterdeck like Long John Silver creased me.

The last time I was in Trafalgar Square, Nelson had what I thought was a pigeon on his shoulder.
Perhaps twas a parrot, Jim Lad!

So when did Nelson lose his leg then?

Someone needs to study both history and anatomy. Nelson lost an arm...not a leg.

Not only did the good admiral have two legs but he also had two eyes although he was blind in one of them.
I get the impression that Mr. Steves is like the travel guide portrayed by the late Gerard Hoffnung. The tip I remember was "try the famous echo in the British Museum Reading Room".

Dear old Rick really isn't very knowledgeable about the UK at all. And he gives some far more useless info than not knowing about Nelson's leg/arm. Some advice he offers is nutty. (and why was he in a cab in the first place - isn't he always extolling buses/metro/tube to save money? )

I assume his stuff about Italy and some other places on the Continent is better - but if you are going to the UK save your money and don't buy his books.

Rick Steves (the hero of the novice and ill-informed traveler) doesn't stay anywhere long enough to learn much about the history or culture of anyplace. He does however find enough time to proclaim three restaurants in the same neighborhood as his absolute favorite in said city. (example: Paris, 7th arr. rue de l'Exposition area)

Let the Rick bashing begin.

Larry J

I've used RS guidebooks many times (including the UK) and have found them VERY helpful and accurate. I don't always agree with his take on this attraction or that restaurant, but that is the nature of opinion.

I actually saw Rick staying at the same hotel that I was staying in one trip.

I was staying at the Airport Movenpick Hotel in Zurich when I spotted Rick checking in at the main desk.

I do know that Rick started this anti Grindlewald, Switzerland idea for overnight lodging.

I don't know if it is anti Grindlewald, but I got the feeling as if Grindlewald was not one of his favorite spots in the Jungfrau region.

Now he is correct that many people use Grindlewald as their homebase and tons of big shiny tour busses come in there dropping off tourists by the droves, but despite all of that,Grindlewald is a good base for the serious hiking and outdoor person.

You all do know that Grindlewald is more than just the main street don't you? You can still find more out of the way places to stay such as the Gletchergarten hotel which is up the far end of the street close to the church.

Steves likes Gimmelwald and I do as well. For day trips!

Once nightfall happens, Gimmelwald pretty much closes down. If you want go find a lively bar or something, you're out of luck there. Yes, some pretty nice hikes are in and around Gimmelwald.

Steves does a nice job showing the novice traveler areas that will not break their budgets. For that, the guy is to be applauded.

I'm a pizza and beer kind of guy also,and I do not need to dine out at some snooty place everynight, but I know the area well enough to determine where the tradeoffs on hotel luxuries begin and end. I want a mini bar or at least a cooler stocked full of frosty cold delights.

3 star hotels usually do fine with me. The family run places are usually immaculately clean and offer a mini bar and a place to watch the news. Although I wish Euro hotels offered The Fox news channel (fair and balanced). Most do have skynews owned by Murdock.

Some of the places in the Jungfrau area Steves tells his readers and viewers about do not provide even those services, but again he steers people away to more budget friendly places.

Euro on the backroads.

So, Steeves is pretty cool even though I do not subscribe to everything he holds true to his belief system.

I liked his AOL profile several years ago about having a fondness for cannabis.

>>>I liked his AOL profile several years ago about having a fondness for cannabis.
<<<

Ahhh, you know what Cheethz and Chong were so fond of

Marjahweena

What I don't understand is, why people who dislike Rick Steves so much spend so much time on his website.

A New York Times Magazine article about Steves relayed that historically, as a tour grop leader, he booked Americans into very modest European hotels because he felt they needed a broader perspective. This American appreciates him for that, if nothing else!

Touche, LAWoman!!

Oh please lighten up! I travel quite a bit and use this site often. I also read and buy many of Rick Steves guidebooks and DVDs. He is knowleageable and very helpfull. I read recently in his Postcards from Europe that he has spent part of every year of the last 25 years traveling through Europe (including the UK) which is more time than many travelers here can state. His humor is tounge and cheek in many instances and you can either like or dislike his comments, but that doesn't diminish his knowlege of Europe. Quoting him out of context is not fair. In his younger days he did promote low budget travel - as many of us did when finances were less. But as he grows older his opinions and his wallet has changed. He advocates cabs, sleeping in hotels (3*) and suggests resturants where the food is local fresh and reasonalby priced. What is wrong with that? At this point in my life I can afford better than I could in my twenties but I still rely on RS for good practical advice about European travel. Pick up a book of his or catch a progam on PBS sometime you may learn something in the process laugh a little too!

I certainly do not dislike Steeves.

His Swiss video series was superb!!

I have to admit that when I get to the part of the video where he kind of takes a shot at Grindlewald, I kind of close my ears to that part.

I know that most of the Swiss posters in here do not agree with me on my preference to stay in Grindlewald, not that I dislike Wengen or Murren, because those are some great areas to stay in.

Sometimes I get amused when some travel writer will tell people that certain places in Europe offer the traveler an opportunity to immerse themselves in Euro culture or to hang out with the locals.

I found this pizza place once where there was nothing but local Swiss and there was not an American within blocks Most Americans would have never gone to this place because some snooty travel writer would not have written about such a place.

So Steeves is not unlike most travel writers. You might agree with some things of what they write about and think other aspects of what they write about is incorrect. JMO!!!

I enjoy Steeves travel videos!

I suspect its not so much Rick Steves that a lot of people object to, but the whole idea of parading through Europe on the guidebook path. At his best, he takes the surprises out of travel. But is that a good idea? Not in my book.

On the Gimmelwald-Grindlwald debate, I think it depends on what you're looking for in your trip by the time you get to the Oberland. Both have fantastic scenery and are great starting points for hiking, so nothing separates the two in those respects.

If you've been doing big cities and you need a break from yet another crowded scene, then Gimmelwald is the place to be. If you want a fancier room and/or clubs and bars at night, then Grindlewald is where it's at.

But it's not true that Gimmelwald has no night scene. That's at the Mountain Hostel and at the Hotel Mittaghorn.

At some point in my trips I usually want to just get the hell away from mobs and tourists. Gimmelwald offers that opportunity in the Oberland.

Wait a minute.
This is the European forum where us "natives" would neither be able to pick out Rick Steves in an identity parade or care.
If anyone wants to have a debate about this man, please go back to the US forum as he does not feature in any European's antenna.
Now, talk about the very orange Judith Chalmers and we'd know what you are talking about. LOL

AR,
RS Guide Books are sold in the UK.

"RS Guide Books are sold in the UK." -- But hopefully only to Americans who forgot and left their copy at home . . . . .