On more than one trip to Europe it has become almost a mantra to say "god bless Rick Steves" - every time something was just exactly where he said it would be (like a public toilet), or some tip he gave saved us time, or some hotel he suggessted was just fine and very economical, or he'd point us to the best gelato, the best place to see a sunset, etc. He has made our tavels more enjoyable. I wish he'd include more places in his books. I havn't found any of his guidebooks "not up to par". I always check with them before I go anywhere.

The good thing about Rick Steves is he walks you through things in a reasonable way. He also encourages you to read other guides to supplement his. I don't like guided tours so to walk through various sites with his book in hand is perfect. His hints are wonderful.

I use the Rick Steves' guidebooks to determine how much I can plan for each day. He can move much faster than we can, as we travel with kids, so I double the amount of time he allows. I haven't found any other guidebooks that give me this kind of advice.

I took my first trip to Europe 2 yrs ago because of watching and reading Rick Steves. He gave me the courage and information needed to do it. I am now planning my third trip, first trip to Paris/France and Rick's book will be going along. It's very reassuring to know that what he describes will be just where he said it would be. Arriving at train stations, ie. he will describe where to go to get a bus, taxi, food, WC, cash machine or where the nearest TI is. I also use Fodors and CityPacks. Going to see him speak on Jan. 22nd.

Have to jump in with a rave for Rick Steves' guide books. Have used them in London, all over England (stayed in only one bad place in Bath), Paris, and southern Germany supplemented with other guide books and his &quot;Europe Through the Back Door&quot; on a whirlwind Europe tour (I went my own way a few times). When you don't have a lot of time he concisely hits the high spots and I thought in Paris his museum and city walks were great. Also, took his restaurant walk in London which was fun. Have watched his PBS shows and very much enjoyed them. I'm sure he's done much more than he writes about or televises but I think his main purpose is to get people interested in travel. I think the people who bash him are looking for more in-depth coverage which is easily obtainable.<BR><BR>Haven't taken a tour with him because they're too expensive but they look like fun.

His books are very good with the exception of his hotel choices and that's only because at this stage in my life I like to stay in more upscale places. Supplementing his book with another such as Fodor or Rough is helpful. I don't understand why he elicits such nasty comments from some. So he's a bit nurdy, so what. He seems to have developed a thriving business which certainly would fold if he wasn't meeting a important need. There certainly is plenty of competition for his books and tours.

After watching him on PBS, went to his talk when he came to town. Even have signed copy of his tour books. A very personable man. Took our first trip to Europe from Steves' &quot;Europe Through the Back Door&quot; for 22 days. Small group (23). Great tour guides. 3-star hotels. Good food. The best part was the people we met. More than half of the group were alumni. One couple had taken RS tour five times. 3-4 couples took RS for the third time. These people are frequent travelers and have been to many parts of the world. A year later, using his guide books and a few others, we planned and took a 3-week trip to Italy. This year we will be going to Germany/Austria. Will do one country at a time. Using his guide books and other supplement. Plan to have a great time. If you can afford it, go to his tour at least once. If you cannot, his books are very helpful and easy to follow. He must be doing something right to incite such great criticism and praises.

Obviously, he is doing alot of things right! I use many guidebooks to plan my trips, but I always end up taking his along - so much practical, useful information, and an easy book to carry.<BR>I don't use his hotels, as I prefer a little more upscale, but I like his museum guides. Haven't been on a Rick Steves tour yet, as I still want to travel independently - but may try one in the future. Anyway, I'm definitely a Rick Steves fan, and admire what he has done to inspire many people to travel abroad who otherwise might never have done so.

We truly enjoy using ricks book for travel predominantly in Prague, Germany, France and Switzerland. He does save time in pointing you in the right direction. Yes he is opinionated but that is what I was looking for when we sought out references. He does give you the encouragement to do it on your own. We even like most of his 2* with an occasional 3. He is upfront about what to expect. We love walking tours on our own and he provides him. Tried another book for Budapest (which Rick did not have) and missed him.<BR><BR>Used his game plan to plan a 3 week independent tour to Australia and New Zealand. Would have appreciated his objectivity in a few places and it made me even more appreciate his pointed directions of places to see.<BR><BR>We started using him in our 40s for our 2nd trip, have used him on a 3rd, and now planning a 4th. Wish we would have had him on the 1st but I do not think he was around in 1984.<BR><BR>Also our 21 year old daughter did a semester in Germany and traveled all over Europe. She and her friend loved Ricks books, so his appeal is to most ages. She did use some of the hostels and B and Bs in Germany and Switz.<BR><BR>This is not to say it is the Bible and only source. Supplement with good maps, Euroshell for trip tics, this web site for all the advice available, plus checking out additional web sites and books for cross checking.<BR><BR>I think the Europe trips are the best to plan and as they say, planning and anticipation is half the fun.

I tend you use his guidebooks as an overview when I start planning a trip. They don't contain enough detail and list enough sites for my taste, but are a good place to start.

I suspect that the people that are the harshest critics of Mr Steves are in fact just very jealous. Here is a man that turned his love of Europe and travel into a nice business that I am sure lets him live a very comfortable life, PLUS just think all of those trips are in fact business trips and are on his company. What a deal that is. I am happy that he has been able to do this. I keep trying to think of some &quot;business&quot; that would allow me to take 3-4 trips a year to Europe and write them all off as expenses.

First of all, I would like to say how refreshing I have found this thread to be. It is so encouraging to read nice things! I am currently planning my first trip to Europe, and I have found his books to be very useful in helping me decide what to see and how much time to dedicate to each area. In all honesty, I have spent a small fortune on guidebooks but, to me, his are the easiest to follow. I like the fact that he doesn't get so in-depth. There are some things I want to figure out for myself...that's part of the fun. I applaud everything he has done and appreciate the fact that he makes a living by getting others to experience life.

I've used his books in many countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Italy. His guides have excellent time saving suggestions to maximize your time (arriving at St Peter's before 9:00am, reserving tickets for certain museums ahead of time, etc). I personally prefer his style of guide over the more &quot;dry&quot; guidebooks. I like the quirkiness he sometimes adds.<BR><BR>My husband and I went on one of Rick Steve's tours to Turkey in May 2001. We had a great time and had a fun group ranging in age from 16-86, we still keep in contact with quite a few of them. We definitely got more out of the tour than we would have on our own. Our guide Meli was a wealth of knowledge about Turkey, Islam, and Christianity. We were able to see and do things we wouldn't have been able to do on our own, such as visiting a nomad's tent, visiting several homes and talking with the women of each. We have a journal of our trip at<BR>http://kerstentraveler.tripod.com/turkey.htm<BR><BR>My in-laws are going on Rick Steve's Italy tour this fall, we encouraged them to go with Europe Through the Back Door instead of one of the other big operators. We felt they'd get more out of his tour and hopefully more local food and atmospheric lodging. They've gone with a different company to Scandinavia and Switzerland and the food wasn't memorable, while it has always been a highlight of our travels.

WOW.... Thank you all for your replies.<BR>I guess it is safe to say that Rick RULES !! I like him very much and I do take his guide books on each trip...<BR>HAPPY TRAVELS EVERYONE !!!

Sorry guys - I bought Steve's guidebook for Germany et al and when I read one of his suggestions to pop in to the Statsoper in Vienna just to see the finale is when I stopped reading and gave my book away.<BR><BR>Just what we need - an American teaching us to act like the rubes that Europeans suspect us of being.

Yea, Leo his books and even his programs are filled with things like that. On one program he talked about spending the morning at the market and getting free samples from all the poor farmers who are trying to make a living, and then not having to buy anything for lunch.

I'm sad to see anybody make fun of Rick - I just luv the man. In fact, we named our two children Rick and Steve after him.

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To Leo &amp; xxx: How righteous you are. I bet you have never shopped at Costco and sampled any free food they have to offer. I used RS guide books and went to several farmer's markets in Europe. I was delighted for what they had to offer and bought more than enough or sometime too much of the food stuff because my eyes were bigger than my tummy at the time. I would never have gone to these markets if I didn't have RS books. One time we were in Fiesole just in time for lunch. We bought some roasted chicken (roasted on the spot in one of those big trucks) and other fixing at the farmer's market. We ate some FREE sample biscotti and they were good. I offered to buy some, the owner refused to take our money because the biscotti is not for sale. So we didn't get any. While we were eating at the nearby bench, the owner walked over and handed us a small bag of biscotti for FREE. After we finished our lunch, we went back and bought some more drinks from him because he was so nice to us. See how the system works.

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