I would imagine that half of the Americans who venture on the Fodors board knows of TV's Rick Steves. My opinion- 1) He has a lot of important but mundane knowledge. Recently, he told his audience that European drink-and-drive laws are much more strict than America's. That's good to know and a good reason not to rent cars for European jaunts. 2) He almost wants you to do exactly what he does in Europe. A degree of spontaneity is important in getting the most out of travel. I'd never do what he says word-for-word. 3) He's very left-wing and it shows. He just worships the Scandanavian welfare states in a way reminiscent of Garrison Keillor. Of course, he doesn't tell you that the Scandanavian nations have very high rates of illegitimate births (ie. Sweden's is over 50%), divorce, suicide, alcoholism and very low birth rates (incidentally a sign of a society no longer confident in itself and a sad fact of life in most of Western Europe). That said, he is more respectful to historical sites than most lefties. 4) He's highly opinionated and I respect and value it. But I'd value it with a grain of salt. For instance, he just hates the Spanish Steps in Rome. Now I would agree that the Spanish Steps is not particularly notable but I valued one thing by visiting. At the top of the steps one can see how many Italians have adapted their rooftops into pleasant little family outdoor lounges much in the same way Americans love their patios in the summer and early fall. That said, I just would like to read the opinions of others regarding Rick Steves.

Roger <BR> <BR>I think Rick's covererage of the basics of do-it-yourself travel is excellent, particularly for first time travelers to Europe. His website (www.ricksteves.com) is basic, comprehensive and useful. Not to bite the hand that feeds us, this Fodors site is awesome, and I'm totally addicted. <BR>No, I'm not affiliated with Rick's operation in any way.

I use his books to plan my trips. I trust but verify his tips on where to stay before I leave home. Sometimes I have trouble with his directions but he gets me where I want to go. I use his site, this site & others to ensure I have planned the best vacation that I can afford. I don't believe you should follow any guide book 100% but he has never steered me wrong yet. <BR> <BR>It's kinda like having a map & being shown which is the right way to go but then you see this little road and you follow it. Sometimes you get lost & know you should have followed the map, sometimes you find a really nice detour & your happy you tossed the map.

I disagree that Rick Steve's books are comprehensive. If you are traveling to a place that he covers (e.g., Brugge or Rothenburg), there is a lot of useful information. But there are many tourist destinations such as Heidelberg and Delft that he doesn't cover at all. <BR> <BR>I do agree that he over-romanticizes many aspects of European life, but for someone that is in the business of selling Americans on Europe, it is understandable that comes across as an unabashed Europhile. <BR> <BR>I enjoy his television series.

I wish he would learn another damn language instead of bits and pieces of some. I remember reading on his website or something that he monolingual. For some reason that particularly irritates me about him. <BR>I have to agree with Roger that he lets his own personal politics slip in occasionaly and it's really inappropriate. <BR>Over all, though, I like his TV show and his website has pretty good basic info. Nothing can beat that rail map he has that estimates how much a train ticket will cost.

Mr.Nasal has got to be the nerdiest cheapskate around! I'm surprised that he doesn't get beat up. I just can't believe he's as popular as he is. I guess maybe there are alot of geeky travelers out there who think his youth hostel recommendations for grown adults is cool?

I've never seen his show, but I have one of his books and have browsed a couple others. If you don't know anything about the place you're going to, he leads you through a nice out-of-the-ordinary itinerary. Not at all comprehensive, but that's his style. <BR> <BR>What's all this whining about his politics? I don't see it in his books. And you don't have to be a "lefty"(!) to think that the Scandanavian society is saner in a lot of ways than the U.S. I happen to like living in the US, but I'm ALWAYS impressed by ways the Dutch and Scandanavians have tried to make their societies more humane. Maybe Roger should stay home and fondle his automatic weapons. <BR> <BR>And what's wrong with sleeping cheap (so long as it's nice)? A lot of travel books are oriented to those who don't have a lot of surplus funds.

Come on guys. His whole premise is travel through the back door. To travel like a local. I have found if I take his suggestions I don't pay the jacked up tourist price for meals & lodging.

I'm a semi-fan. <BR>Much of what he preaches is sound. <BR> <BR>Unfortunately he also peddles more than a meager share of hypocrisy, and occasionally seems to have oatmeal for brains. <BR> <BR>It's hard to tell a prospective reader which is which, so it becomes increasingly difficult for me to recommend his books. <BR> <BR>His guidebooks are not, repeat not, comprehensive. They build up places his tours take people and completely avoid places the tours don't go. <BR> <BR>His overviews (ETBD, Europe 101 and Mona Winks) are quite good and overall pretty sound. I do recommend them, as opposed to the Best Of guidebooks. <BR> <BR>Ed

I don't know that he necessarily promotes the places his tour covers. I think the books came first, and the tours just included those places he liked best. I have a feeling he is not as genuine as he used to be, since his business has given him the means to travel a lot differently than the way he used to. I do think his popularity has been a double-edged sword. He has added crowds to those back door spots. I do wish he would cover more places. Even on his tv shows, he seems to hit the same spots too much. As far as politics go, I kind of like his opinions. I have seen him be pretty opinionated on some occasions, but he has every right. He is a businessman, not a newsman, so it is up to him how to present Europe to his viewers/readers/customers. He usually tells it like it is, and you know it is opinion. Yeah, he seems like a wimp, and he mutilates the languages, but I like him.

Sounds like Roger is a little bit Republican. I, for one, despise Rick Steves because he is exactly why people in Europe do not like Americans: he displays cheap, obnoxious, and badly dressed qualities which one should leave at home. My idea of a vacation does not include Members-Only attire and bad language skills.

I have seen his TV show only twice, and haven't read his books at all, but it does seem to me that his approach to art and history is a bit shallow. <BR> <BR>I know that two TV shows isn't a lot base my opinion on, but it was enough to make me want to avoid his books in favor of those that delve a bit into what it is that makes a great site great. <BR> <BR>

Anyone age 45 who has been able to spend 100 days of each of his last 20 years in Europe is pretty cool in my book. He had a love, saw a niche then worked very hard to establish himself and those that work for him as best-in-class. Although I personally have a very different 'travelus operandi' than he and am by no means close to being one of his groupies, his zeal has to be admired. I agree that his overview books are the best. The translation phrases he publishes represent very pertinent aid in real world situations - I like them a lot. In closing, the thought that Rick Steves has a subliminal political agenda has never crossed my mind. Also, if the original poster is insinuating that the right-wing is more in tune with historic preservation, then that is just plain laughable.

Roger~ <BR> <BR>One word about the illegitimate children. They don't really see it as that. There are far more couples who just live together permeantly and have children, than get married. I know that this is America's definition of illegitimate, but to them it isn't the same horror, as what many Americans see it to be. Thier rate of teenagers with babies is very very low, I am sure - no way could it be anywhere equal of this country or many other industrialized nations. Maybe this fact doesn't matter to you, but I just don't want someone to come to this message and see "illegitimate" and think of tons of irresponsible teenagers or some such thing. <BR> <BR>One reason they have this mindset might be because religion is not nearly as prevelant as it is here or in other countries. <BR> <BR>Also, scandanavians are perfectly self-confident in themselves, especially Finns. They are very proud of their accomplishments (one of the highest, if not the highest per capita of engineers anywhere in the world, the excellent technology that they possess, great schools with children that speak many langauges and do well in their post-education jobs, to name just a few.) <BR> <BR>The largest reason why Finns and other Scandanavians don't have many children is that they live in an extremely expensive country. I feel it has nothing to do with their confidence levels; probably anyone from that region would laugh at such a comment! <BR> <BR>Have you ever been to Scandanavia or met people of that descent? I was exchange student there and my host family and I talked a lot about these issues and they explained just about everything I have told you to me. Ironically my host family had four children, so it's not like they all have the views that you think they do. <BR> <BR>Just wanted to share another persepective. <BR> <BR>Becca <BR>

My wife and I have taken two tours with <BR>Rick Steves - the first to France which was wonderful and the second to Ireland - which was a disaster. <BR> <BR>The guide in France was extraordinary. He had lived in France previously, was very well informed on French history, customs, food, wine, etc. He was also a nice guy with a sense of humor. He made the tour interesting and fun. <BR> <BR>The guide in Ireland wasa dud! She read <BR>passages from guide books aloud as we drove along in a bus. She was cheap and <BR>pennypinching. <BR> <BR>Never again will we take a Steves tour! <BR> <BR>Upon our return from Ireland, we wrote <BR>to the Steves organization and asked for <BR>a partial refund. FAT CHANCE!!! <BR> <BR>It took about three months to get a <BR>response which was negative. We did'nt get a refund. <BR> <BR>By the way, between the time of our tour <BR>through France and our tour through <BR>Ireland (about 10 months later) we spent a week in Paris which we had arranged ourselves via the internet and we happened to be staying at a hotel frequented by guess who? You guessed it - Rick. We shared a <BR>breakfast table and found him to be as warm and friendly as a Parisian waiter. <BR> <BR>I agree with most of the comments made <BR>by the previous posters. I would not <BR>recommend the tours. The guide books <BR>are helpfull and good for the novice visitor. <BR> <BR>Some of the hotels he recommends are <BR>borderline and I am sure that he negotiates very good rates. If you compare his prices to some similar <BR>competitors he is however not passing the savings on to his customers. <BR>

I expect the man to be what he is - a man, not a saint. <BR> <BR>His mission was to make Europe accessible for many people who might otherwise have been afraid to try it on their own, or for fear that they couldn't afford it. Thanks to him, we now think nothing of using public transportation in a country where we know 50 words of the local language. <BR> <BR>I agree that he doesn't cover many places but that is what makes his books stand out from others; he is selective, which is a must for a first time visit to a country. His itineraries are starting points - I think he'd be the first to endorse the idea of branching out and trying new 'back doors.' <BR> <BR>Yes, his accomodations tend to the low end, but it's a lot easier to find places that cost more, as opposed to costing less. <BR> <BR>I don't agree with many of his opinions, but it is refreshing to find someone in the travel business who actually offers them. <BR> <BR>As for his being as warm as a Parisian waiter, I suspect that he never intended to become a celebrity, and he may find the constant barrage of attention a bit tough to take at times. <BR> <BR>

I must admit that the few times I've browsed through Rick Steves travel books I've immediately put the books back on the shelf. I guess the hand drawn road maps seemed a little confusing to me compared to other travel books. I do love his travel episodes. After hearing about some of the positives - I just may give one of his books a try.

In a way, I like Rick's books. When I'm looking for a budget place he usually tells it straight. I bought a few Rough Guides and had to wonder who the h*ll was writing the damn things! I mean hotels and restaraunts in Amsterdam utterly horrible! <BR>I stayed at a place in Rome that was recommended elsewhere, but not in Rough Guide book- really great place too. <BR>If it sounds like I've an axe to grind with RG, well, I probably do. But hey, it's tough to find just the right book thats going to be tailored to your personality and needs. I think Rick Steves fills a niche- and grudgingly, Im sure Rough Guide does too.

Bought his Germany/Austria/Switzerland book in preparation for our trip this summer, but ended up not taking much of his advice. I suspect if I were 20 years younger, I might be on the bandwagon more. On the other hand, I bought his German language phrase book, and it's excellent. The handiest and most practical such book I've ever seen. <BR> <BR>On the subject of Northern European social trends, I'd like to second Becca's observations. I haven't been to Scandanavia, but I have been to the Netherlands and spoke to a number of people in their 30s and 40s who are quite comfortable with their stable unmarried domestic relationships. With the high rate of divorce in the U.S., we can't exactly brag about our supposed superiority. And Becca is correct about teen pregnacy being much higher in the U.S.

Roger thinks tough drunk driving laws in Europe are a good reason not to rent a car in Europe. Seems like a better idea would be not to drive drunk in Europe (or the US for that matter).