Hello wise travelers, <BR> <BR>Well since we have a nice Rick Steves thread going, I have another R.S. related question. <BR> <BR>I have been using his books a lot for planning my upcoming trip, and I like them a lot. (So far his prices for hotels has been exact to the cent, so I did not find them outdated at all) <BR>In his books and on his TV shows he covers what he thinks is the best stuff and leaves out the what he considers a waste of time or money. <BR> <BR>For those who have used his Italy and Paris books, what did you find missing from them that you are glad you did not miss? <BR> <BR>Thanks <BR>Tim

is tempting, but this is a family-oritneted website.

I just think he sacrifices information <BR>for the sake of including more humor as proof that he's not too serious. I even agree with some of his opinions, but I think he tends to offer only the highlights and a few oddities, but not enough detail for me. As just one example in the Mona Winks book he discusses the Uffizi briefly, but makes no mention of being able to order tickets in advance to avoid waiting in the line. <BR>I'm of the "there's no such thing as too much information" school so I found his "Mona Winks" book pleasant and useful as a supplement, but I can't say I thought it is worth the money. Owning that book plus having browsed through his other more general guides would never sell me on using his books as my sole or even primary resources, and I'd be unlikely to spend any more of my travel book money on them. This is just a matter of personal preference, if you like his books, then you like them. Whatever works for you.

My biggest difference of opinion would have to be concerning Paris. Rick is very very fond of the Rue Cler neighborhood, to the point that he really doesn't discuss a lot of the other areas in Paris where you could stay. If you're making your first trip and you want somebody to tell you "absolutely definitely you will like this area, and this is why" then having really limited recommendations is great. But when you're making your...8th, 10th, 12th trip someplace, you look for a wider range of information. <BR>In all fairness, Rick makes no bones about his books being opinionated and limited - for many readers, that's the charm of them. They just don't work for everybody. No guide book does. For what he sets out to do, he does a great job - just not what I need. One woman's humble opinion...

Hi Tim! I remember browsing his Italy guidebook before our last trip to Italy. I think it might be a good guide book for someone who is visiting Italy for the first time, as he includes a lot of information on the "big 3" - Rome, Florence, and Venice. However, he completely ignores MOST of the country in his Italy guidebook! If it's not your first time in Italy, you will find that many places that you find interestsing are not included at all! If I remember correctly, he also included Cinque Terre, the Tuscan Hill towns, and some limited parts of the Dolomites, including Castelrotto (which is where we based ourselves in the Dolomites). He gives readers a specific "tour" or "loop" of the areas, but if you are not interested in following that "tour" you will definitely need a different guide book to fill in the gaps when you pass through other towns or regions. For example, in Northeast Italy, I think he did not include Ferrara, Ravenna, or Trento. I also remember browsing the book with an eye for future trips to Italy and I think it was pretty weak on Southern Italy. In conclusion, unless you plan on following his suggested Italy itineraries, you will definitely need at least one other guidebook!

The best thing Rick Steves does is encourage people to travel on their own: you don't need an organized tour, you don't need a small fortune, you don't have to speak the languages, you don't need to be afraid. I also think his suggested itineraries are great for first-timers: doable and lots of things to see and experience. Even if you don't want to stick to that itinerary, it gives you a general idea of how much territory you can cover in X days (how many threads have asked "help me plan a 10-day trip through Italy, France and Germany"?). <BR>Both his TV shows and books are clearly for first-timers to either travelling or a region; I saw a show recently about Bulgaria, which was a great overview, and showed how different it is from western Europe as a positive thing. Having never been to Bulgaria, all the information was new to me; on the other hand, his suggestions for packing light was old information for me.

Tim-- I have used Rick Steves' Paris, London, and Italy books extensively. I can agree with the messages you have received to date that Steves gives you countries and cities through his very idiosyncratic prism, but they are terrific for the first-time traveler (as I was to Paris): he gives very specific strategies to see many of the highlights of the places in question, and he emphasizes a "close to the ground" means of travel that is generally easy on the feet as well as on the wallet. His walking tours are good, and he does recommend that you check out English-language tours that are available in many big cities and attractions. I bought more-detailed maps (I have found the "Streetwise" brand very helpful in larger cities) to augment Rick's map/diagrams, and I would recommend a visit to the library to sample a few other guidebooks (Eyewitness, Fodor's, Rough Guide, etc), to get an alternate view of things. If anything, he recommends a more-modest level of hotel than some would like-- I would second the recommendation to check out Karen Brown (but it sounds as though you are all set with hotels). Rick Steves's books make for a good launching point (they are nice and light, too). I did not feel as though a reliance on his books caused us to miss much-- we have enjoyed very full days with his book in hand. And yes, you occasionally see someone else with them, or, as in Venice, an American couple approached us in a restaurant and said, "did you hear about this place from Rick Steves?" It is arguable that one reaches a point when one might not wish to follow his particular touring path, but I expect that this would mean that one has simply become a more-confident independent traveler. --Lou

Rick concentrates all his writing on what he thinks you should see. He seldom even mentions those areas in a country he isn't recommending unless it is to state "don't bother". For a new traveler, this is great. Saves tons of time. He makes no bones about this and always recommends reading other travel books in conjunction with his. We have moved up a bit on restaurants and places to stay over the years, but we adhere almost without exception to his philosophy about traveling close to the people of the country you are visiting. We have found three star hotels, carefully researched, to be a good way to go and have had some great experiences this way. He doesn't pretend to be all inclusive or everything to everybody, but he has served us well.

Rick is right on the money about some parts of Paris not being quite as atmospheric or moving as you might imagine - such as the Latin Quarter, Monmartre, and the Place de la Bastille. However, if you have time I would not skip important areas such as these based on such statments. Go see for yourself just like Rick did. Monmartre and the Latin Quarter may have lost some charm, but I think Rick would agree that they are still worth some time. The Place de la Bastille leaves a lot to be desired for those interested in history - but I didn't expect them to rebuild the Bastille; I still had to see it. <BR> <BR>Rick's books are great on the main sights and how to get around and how to travel "low to the ground." However, I agree they are not very detail oriented regarding places and things. I would use it in combination with another guide, such as Fodors or Frommers.

So far I've found that he left out Poland and Romania. <BR>

Haven't used his Italy book, but we used his Rome book recently -- along with a couple of other guidebooks -- and didn't find anything missing. I believe he's not that enamored with the Spanish Steps but, while I certainly wouldn't say they're the most fascinating sight in Rome, we really liked them. We also enjoyed one of his restaurant recommendations in Trastevere (the name of which escapes me at the moment.) <BR> <BR>Haven't used his Paris book for a while but I agree with Janice's comment about the Rue Cler neighborhood. I stayed there once and while I think it's a fine neighborhood in-and-of itself, I found it too inconvenient. It would be nice if he suggested a few places in other parts of the city besides Rue Cler and the Marais.

If you only travel by train, you will miss the delights of wandering through the countryside, the impromptu decision to follow an unknown road, to explore a cluster of stone buildings, a tower or fortress. You will miss the deeply satisfying natural setting, for villages perched high on hilltops, for the pleasure of finding piazze where old men sit beneath the shade of a gigantic tree. Many small towns often make it easy to imagine life in their streets during the Middle Ages when most took the form by which we see them today. <BR> <BR>I suggest that you consult Rick's books only when traveling through one of the larger cities mentioned therein.

<BR> <BR> Just understood why there was so much posts about hotels in the rue Cler area. Until now it was a great mistery for me....