scott

Just returned from three weeks in Europe. We found Rick Steve's picks to be right on target. We loved Woodville House in London. VERY convenient to the tube. We alos loved Champs de Mars in Paris. Very nice neighborhood and subway access. The Hotel Staubbach in Latterbraten just up from Interlaken was super, and the Villa Steno in Monterroso in the Cinque Terra was the best of all. We also loved the Minerva in Sorrento, and the price we got from Rick Steves book was the best. I would recommend all of these hotels.

StomachAche

I hope you didn't stoop to eating at the restaurants he recommends.

Harvey

I too have been very impressed with his hotel recommendations: The hotel Castex and hotel de l'Esperance in Paris, Vicarage Private hotel in London (Notting Hill Gate) and Daltiens guest house in Bruges (this one was especially great!). Some of his restaurant recommendations have been less than great however.

Dianne

Did you have to reserve far in advance to get rooms at his recommended hotels?

xxx

<BR>StomachAche, please go back to Snob Hollow.

StomachAche

xxx_ take some TUMS, cuz you're gonna need 'em. Rick Steves is the cheapest SOB on the planet and hasn't a decent taste bud to write home about. His restaurant recommendations are uniformly atrocious. You heard it here, baby!

xxx

<BR>Uniformly atrocious in the opinion of food snobs like yourself, yes.

Elana

Sigh.<BR><BR>Rick Steves is often far off the mark (try showing his recommendations to someone who actually lives in one of the countries he writes about, and then stand safely back). However, you can't TELL his advocates that. Just a word of caution, for people who are considering using his books for the first time - start small, like with a city guide perhaps. You'll get used to his style and see if its style is compatible with your own. If you don't know any Europeans, I suppose it won't matter what inaccuracies he utters, but it would be a shame to avoid some of the more interesting/subtle venues as they are off HIS "beaten path". Sometimes, it's better to consult an indigenous source -Cadogan, Rough Guides, and Time out (for cities) are all worth looking at.

xxx

And you're a snob. A rude uncouth snob.

Doug Weller

I had some of the best duck I've ever had at a Rick Steves pick in Paris.<BR><BR>Doug

philip

The bottom line is all the people that slam Rick Steves are simply jealous that he has been able to make his passion, travels in Europe, the way he makes his living (and I am sure he lives quite well). I find his guide books to be quite useful, but I do not depend on those only. They are one of several I use. I do find his hotel suggestions usually good, but if you are looking for 4 star places you won't find him staying there. As to eating, I have tried some of his ideas and they were always OK. Again, don't expect Michelin stars. So the snobs can rant and rave all they want.

xxx

I think his restaurant picks are usually really good. That is, until the masses descend on them and they start to take the customers for granted. I think the biggest downfall of his recommendations are that you're surrounded by other Americans toting his books.

Eric

Rick Steves books are as good as any for first timers.<BR><BR>I have been traveling for a number of years and always pick up a Rick Steves book.<BR><BR>

marianne

I find that Rick Steves focuses on the areas and topics that interests him only. For example, in the Paris tour guide, the hotels he lists are only in the Rue Cler, Contrascarpe, and Marais neighborhoods. He totally ignores the St. Germain and Latin Quarter.<BR><BR>In his Italy book, regarding Florence, as an example, he does not list any shops. Instead he refers the reader to other tour guides for shopping.<BR><BR>At first glance his books look appealing until one reads in detail that there are quite a few things he doesn't cover.

Wayne

Not every travel author can cover every aspect of every subject that every traveler wants to know about. Rick Steves is no exception. Generally, I have found his recommendations for hotels and restaurants to be on the cheap (and sometimes shoddy) side; but that is his shtick. As for sights to see, he makes his own picks and again, he can't cover them all. What he does pick in the way of sights is accurately described, IMO. <BR><BR>My only concern about Rick Steves and all other travel authors is that as soon as they recommend a place (and this seems to apply to Steves even more than others) it becomes mobbed by Americans. As already pointed out, the proprietors of some places lose their perspectives and begin to slack off on their services. That brings a big wail from all the travelers who say Rick Steves puts out garbage recommendations. <BR><BR>The other aspect we all need to remember is that when Rick goes anywhere, he has a contingent with him; and he is treated (generally) much better than common folk like you and me. So a place he finds great might be only mediocre when we go there, and it might already be mobbed to boot.<BR><BR>As I've said on this forum before, there are no "undiscovered" places if they are described in guidebooks by Steves or other authors. If you want an undiscovered and unique place, you have to get out into the countryside and find your own.

janis

His books and TV shows are wonderful for their target audience - folks who really want to go on a "guided tour" without being on a tour bus. His recommendations are safe, cheap, and hit the highlights of each area. Not really anything wrong with that. And he is amazingly successful.<BR><BR>But that success is a big problem - EVERY single place he mentions will be overrun with other American Steves fans. A couple of wonderful B&Bs in the UK actually went out of bisiness BECAUSE they were mentioned in a Steves book. Both were on working farms and the B&B were basically side businesses to make a go of the farms. After Rick "outed" them with recommendations it became intollerable. One of them I had stayed at long before it had been in the book - but afterwards they literally began receiving between 10 and 100 phone calls every day. They only had 3 rooms for rent and it became a zoo. They finally gave it up entirely and quit renting rooms.<BR><BR>Same goes for restaurants/cafes - 90% of the people sitting around you will be reading the same Steves guide.<BR><BR>And a few of his ideas are nutty - you can tell a Rick-reader because they are the ones asking how to get from LHR to Bath to rent a car, or the ones asking about putting a learner plate on their rental car in the UK.

Jacko

Rick Steve is on the take, like all those PBS liberal scum bags.

mark

Poor, Rick.<BR><BR>You seem to be slamming the guy a bit too much.<BR><BR>He may not all of the answers, but for the majority of people out there that have no clue whatsoever about where to, he does serve a purpose.<BR><BR>I have no interest in taking his advice. I've been to Europe plenty of times. But to the majority of people that read these travel books and travel forums, they all serve a purpose.<BR><BR>Be glad that alot of you know what you are doing. Just take a moment, look back on your first time alone in Europe and try to feel for some of these people. They really have no clue. They need Rick's help.<BR><BR>

Sue

What struck me about Rick Steves is not necessarily that I agree with his priorities, but that he was the first guidebook author that I ran across who actually addressed the reality that all of us, on any budget of time or money, have to make choices and determine priorities. <BR><BR>Some see his itineraries as simplistic and unsophisticated. Whereas to me, to design something that is simple and inexpensive and almost foolproof, something that incorporates a maximum number of constraints and yet still works well, is to me a feat of engineering worth praise. The sophistication of the design lies in the difficulties surmounted in the process, not in its being suited only to a select few. It's like designing a millionaire's mansion as opposed to designing low-cost housing that is liveable. The first is a more glamourous project, but to me, the second is the greater challenge, the true mark of sophistication.<BR><BR><BR>

x

Janis: What place ever went of business because of TOO MANY customers? Back up what your saying with some facts...otherwise it is unbelievable unless the owner's of these establishments are too stupid to take advantage of this publicity.