Well said Sue! Well said! Too many pompous people like to slam Rick Steves because they think they know it all and do not ever need any advice. That of course is pure bunk.

Several years ago I stayed at a hotel in Paris that I found through some budget travel guides. Since then, it's become one of the "official" Rick Steves hotels for Paris. We'll be staying there again in October, and I'm hoping like crazy his recommendations haven't ruined it!<BR><BR>I love budget travel as much as anyone, but would suggest that no one should rely entirely on one man's opinion. Do your research. There are so many resources out there, I see no reason to adopt Rick's - or anyone's - recommendations in toto.

I think you have to bear in mind that Rick caters to a certain demographic, and he happens to cater to them quite well. I've stayed in hotels and eaten in restaurants he has recommended, and have come up pretty even in my opinions of his choices versus those of say, FODORS. I've eaten and stayed in some sub-par ones, but no more often than the sub-par ones I found in other guides. I also agree with Sue that he does a good job prioritizing activities. He never claimed that he was trying to cover an entire country in vast detail. I think for the size of his books, that'd be obvious.

x: I do not want to specifically identify the two ex-B&Bs since they are still working farms owned by the same families that operated them as B&Bs.<BR><BR>But the story is true. One happens to have been my very favorite place at a world heritage site. It is a working farm in an absolutely unique location. Unfortunately the flood of calls from Steves fans made it impossible for them. It is very hard for a couple to handle 50 or 100 phone calls a day and 100+ letters at week and still manage the farm, cook the breakfasts, clean the rooms, etc. They only had three rooms to let and the return postage alone ate up almost 1/3 of their profits. <BR><BR>It became easier to close than to fight the invading hordes.<BR><BR>the 2nd one I had not actually stayed in. But it is on the edge of a village in which I have rented a cottage 3 or 4 times. I had noted how cute it was and during one stay I stopped by to get their card so I could refer friends and clients. They said that would be their last season in business because they felt they could no longer cope withh the 100's of inquiries after they were listed in a Rick Steves guidebook. With only 2 rooms and in a well known village they were usually pretty full but they still had to reply to all the Americans and it was impossible. They were an elderly couple so they may have been going to retire anyway - but THEY are the ones who said it was the Steves book that did them in.<BR><BR>My point was that you may think Rick is "speaking to you" but his books are read by a million other Americans and they all try to go the same places.

rick, rick, get your head back inside that train window - there's a tunnel coming up! and change that shirt, puleeeze. A 1000+ shows and still that same uncouth blue-green thing. Update, rick-o, you can afford it after saving on all those meals. rick's the only guy we know who went to paris and bought a cafetreia carnet, in the stand-up section (he thought it cost more to sit down). nice back pack too, rick-e.

Janis: I still say you are full of BS or these are two of the dumbest BB owner's of all time. If they acted as nearly all other BB owners in the UK, they would never reply to individuals when rooms weren't available. OR they could made a tidy profit by refering people to other BB's...if they were getting a 100 calls a day, have a deal with other BB owners to get &pound;1 per referal...they could quit their day jobs. Or why not add a couple of rooms? It simply isn't believable. 99.999% of BB owners would kill to have this "problem".<BR><BR>

Janis <BR><BR>I am sorry that your B and B friends were disillusioned with the way things went, but I cannot agree with their analysis as to why their business ultimately failed. <BR><BR>It is most unfortunate that neither your friends nor their local tourist authority took advantage of having God knows how many thousands of pounds of free publicity for not just that BandB in particular, but the entire associated geographic region in general. For example, the local British telephone company representative could have set up a system to redirect calls to that specific B and B’s number to the local tourist information authority. The authority in turn could have redirected would-be patrons to other, alternative BandBs in the area. At 100 calls a day, and with the typical BandB having but 3 rooms, over 30 local families could have benefited from this Rick Steves-initiated embarrassment of riches. The tourist authority could have used such revenue to justify underwriting the cost of such telephone system being implemented.<BR><BR>Your story reminds me of one closer to home. A few years ago, a town in my own home province was the subject of a special on the ‘morning show’ of a major American network. Within minutes of the special being aired, the local T.I. telephone number starting being called by American viewers interested in further information on the town. Alas, the town authorities, despite being alerted to the special’s being aired, failed to prepare appropriately. Not only was the T.I closed at the time the special aired, but the only thing available to handle incoming calls was a ridiculously obsolete system consisting of a $50 answering machine, the tape of which expired after recording all of 10 calls. <BR><BR>At least the town afterward had the grace to admit that NBC (ABC?) had tried to do them a huge favour, but they had failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Had they been your friends, I daresay they would have gone around complaining about how some big American network completely ‘did in’ their answering machine. <BR>

Rick Steves is a wonderful resource~ particularly for inexperienced American travelers going to Europe.<BR><BR>If you think you know more, or better, or have a different style than his... fine. You are already on your way and don't need his advice.<BR><BR>And yes I do agree, I sure wish the guy would pack a couple more shirts or find a nice old lady to iron them once in a while ;-0

If you don't like Steves, try Karen Brown's books. I've always enjoyed the places she recommends, whether B&B, inn, or small hotel.

I am not saying the two families couldn't cope - THEY said it.<BR><BR>Yes now there could be a lot of options - but the first B&B was mentioned in one of Rick's very first books and that was several years ago.As I said it was in a unique location - within 10 miles there was only one or two other small B&Bs so all your great ideas are very good and all - but not very practical. Now there is e-mail, v-mail, websites, etc. - but 7+ years ago few B&Bs knew about these things.<BR><BR>The other one was run elderly farmers, and I think they may have been looking for an excuse to get out of the business.<BR><BR>my point is still valid --- if you follow Rick Steves slavishly you will end up rubbing shoulders primarily with other Americans. He does offer some REALLY good general information - but none of his "off the beaten path" places can remain so once he recommends them.

re: your last paragraph --<BR>so what is it about *his* travel books/shows that makes them different from DK, Fodors, Frommers, Insight, Rough Guides, Timeout, etc? <BR>

Rick Steves books are invaluable for first-timers to Europe, especially people on a budget. He gives good, basic information, and has made a huge success doing just what he does. And this individual who posts as "Stomach Ache" should be such "dork" as Rick Steves!

Karen: exactly - with most any best-selling guide book in the US, you can end end up with the same problem.<BR><BR>I sometimes use these general interest books for ideas of things to see - but NEVER for places to stay.

This is going to sound like a total rant, but he's certainly ruined Gimmelwald for me, by calling it "untouristed" and "undiscovered" he's made it so much more mainstream. <BR><BR>It takes months of 'hard work' to find a relatively 'secluded' bonanza of a place and just one updated guidebook edition to take it all away...<BR><BR>Sorry, end of rant.

I cannot believe some of you. He is still wearing an '80s shirt. That show was filmed in the '80s and you are still watching like the slathering idiot you are. What did your hair look like in 82, the same as today?<BR>He ruined Grimmelwald. Maybe if you had found it '20 YEARS AGO' it would not have been 'touristed'. He encourages people to 'find their own backdoors' not follow like the lemmings you are to all of his. At least his guidebooks mention towns other than the capitols. Nothings disapoints me more than travelogs of 'My Euoropean Trip, my two days in London, my three days in Paris and one day in Rome, any questions?'

20 years? Grindenwald maybe..certainly not Gimmelwald IMHO.

If Rick Steeves can research and plan a trip to Europe, anybody can!<BR>

I'm not much for Rick Steves, although I can see how people could use him for their FIRST trip to Europe. But to keep using him over and over? Show a little initiative and backbone! Break away from the herd! I've lived in one of the places in his guidebooks and he does get some facts wrong, although not major ones. What really grates on my nerves are his descriptions of the places and people--pure cliches!<BR>

My biggest complaint aboutRick Steves is that he has never learned any other language than English... and seems proud of it. Now that's even more embarrassing than his bad wardrobe.

Language Deficient,<BR><BR>since when did learning a second language become a requirement to travel in or provide information about Europe?<BR><BR>And BTW, which one should he learn, German, French, Italian, Magyar,Dutch, Walloon, Polish, Portugese...<BR><BR>My the nits we love to pick!<BR><BR>US