Absurd, if you think Rick Steves made Brugge into the huge tourist site it is today, you are VERY much mistaken. The majority of the visitors to Brugge are European, particularly English, French, and Italian, and they most certainly pay NO attention to anything Rick Steves says, if they have ever even heard of him!
We were in Brugge yesterday; it was filled with British and Italian tourists--not Rick Steves toting Americans.
Giving Rick Steves the credit for Brugge's international popularity is absurd!
FWIW, I have been to Brugge many, many times and always find something new and interesting to see and do. It's popularity is well deserved, not overrated.
BTilke (Brussels)

Re: "He serves an audience--some of us outgrew his style years ago."

I'm curious, Bob; what do you see as the main elements of Steves' travel "style" and which of these did you outgrow? Thanks.

I don't really want to continue this thread, but Gino brought up a point that made me think about how I started to travel. I also started at about the time the Frommer's books on various countries at $25 per day were popular.

Now I see how Frommer's back then was to me what Rick Steves is now to a much newer set of travelers. I wouldn't say I've outgrown Rick, I'd just say that I don't need him or his style any more. Looking at it that way, I can also conclude that although he has overdone his special discoveries through expanded media coverage, he is really quite acceptable as a guidebook author. But I still wouldn't use his recommendations without some cross-checking.

I hate to say this, and I really am not that old, but when I went to Europe in '73, I took Europe on $10 a day.

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, by my confession is that I've never read a Rick Steves book nor have I ever seen an episode of his show. Strange because I've read a pretty fair array of travel guides on different places we've gone and I pause everytime I browse past a travel-ish looking show on the DirectTV guide. I've heard of him, just never crossed paths so to speak - but then again, it took me ten years to get around to seeing E.T. too, so there you go.

I will say though, anyone who can make a life out of doing what they love, be successful at it, and have fun in the process, gets a nod of approval from me. He must be on to something.

I'd think it's not unlike anything else. Computers (my world) became much more an everyday part of life once Microsoft aggressively pushed out Windows. Nothing at all way original about this, or DOS before it for that matter. Each of these were variations and stripped down versions of the Macintosh and Unix operating systems, respectively. Gates didn't revolutionize the world through invention, he did it through marketing, yet the effect is still that people had their hand held and were led into the digital age. Many, many computer geeks (it's ok - I am one), remain unhappy at the loss of their private and specialized domain, and quite put out at the commercialization of the internet, but, what are you gonna do? Life goes on and you adapt. Maybe even discover a new place for yourself in the attempt to avoid the crowds.

Hi, Capo! The main way I "outgrew" Frommer's Europe on $5/day (oh, yes) and Rick Steves is that I got old and arthritic and found that a greater level of comfort made the trip more enjoyable for me. I remember the first time we went to Avignon in 1981, we stayed at a hotel with the bath down the hall and quite enjoyed it. Now I want my own bath. :-)

I have never read Rick Steves but I watch him as he follows Rudy Maxa, my favorite travel show on PBS. But really who cares if Rue Cler is crowded, go see it. I love provence in the summer, everyone says don't go then. If you want to see the lavender,fields, and the tournesels(sunflowers), you go in june, july, august. If you want to go to Giverny and see the wisteria over the bridge, go in May. Your experiences are yours, ask for the basic advice but go when you want to.

Capo, I think you know exactly what I mean--it is a generation gap !
Backpacking
Hiking
train travel
hostal living
1 star hotels
standing at pizza bars

Sorry, at 66 I am not doing this anymore and can afford better--but you knew that.

As we aged many of us prefer the private WC/shower in room rather than down the hall. I think Rick has added more in that category.

Another thought. - I really like Rick's opinionated views on locations. You may or may not agree, but it is out there for assistance in making your own decisions. I planned an independent driving tour of Australia and NZ and missed Rick. There are one or two places that Frommers and Fodors raved about that I would have by passed. There is also one place we missed because of weather problems. The books did not mention that a recommended option to see it is cancelled probably 80% or more because of weather.

Rick would have given the pros and cons and I believe better notice about cautions on options.

I really do not think anyone uses one travel book exclusively but feeds off of several. Even Rick mentions looking at other books and adjusting your choices to your perspective.

I have some retired friends who work on RS tours during the summer; schleping baggage, etc. They have said with the aging of his followers and demand for more comforts, RS has upgraded, slightly, the hotels he uses on his tours. I have also noticed his books are using more listings and listings with more comforts.

I still consult his recs, but use other sources to cross reference and upgrade to my more mature tastes!!!

Thanks, Bob. I don't quite see it as a generation-gap thing like you do. Perhaps that's, at least in part, because I live near Steves' travel center (in Edmonds, Washington), have been there many times, and have seen the number of older people there that (apparently) agree with his travel philosophy, or at least certain elements of it.

I see Steves' as having two main points in his travel philosophy: that one can successfully travel to Europe on their own (even though his company, of course, also leads tours), and that you don't have to spend a lot of money to do it. I have little doubt that many of the older people I've seen at Steves' travel center *can*, like you, afford "better" (i.e. pricier) accomodations, etc. but simply choose more "budget-oriented" travel.

You listed a number of items -- Backpacking, Hiking, Train Travel, Hostel Living, 1 star hotels, Standing at pizza bars -- but I'm not sure whether those are what you see as the essential elements of Steves' travel "style" or whether they're just the particular elements of what you see as his style that you feel you've outgrown.

Let me pick just one of the above items to comment on, the one you referred to as "standing at pizza bars." What Steves is pointing out to his readers is simply the differently-tiered pricing in many European cafes/bars/etc., how one pays less if one stands at the bar, rather than being seated and served. And I've seen countless *older* Europeans do this in cafes and bars. Perhaps you've outgrown this -- and, of course, no one, old or young, should stand if they're not comfortable doing it -- but all those older Europeans I've seen seem to be quite happy continuing to do it.

I agree with Capo, it ISN'T age-related.

I'm still in my 40s, but I suspect I will ALWAYS like picnics, and hiking, and 1-2 star hotels. I have no use for room-service, etc., so why pay for it?

If you don't care for Rick, that's fine, enjoy your style of travel, I'll enjoy mine.

RE: CAPO

Great post. I think you summed it very well. In my mind, Rick's style leans more to being smart, organized and efficient rather than being cheap. And I've seen plenty of folks in thier 50's and 60's riding the train or on a hike carrying one of his books. Sure, he often tries to pack too much into a trip and is not one to linger, but his advice usually gives you a B or B+ travel event. Starting with his books and adding some others plus a little internet research is a good way to go.

Thanks.

Perhaps, in light of thinking about generalizations on another thread, I should concede that there probably is a *general* rule regarding age, that people who are older do *tend* to prefer more creature comforts, and less physically-demanding activities, when they travel.

But, as alluded to earlier, I also think there are plenty of exceptions. After all, it's certainly not only young people who you see hiking up to the top of the Schilthorn, or along the Cinque Terre trails.

I do take issue with one thing that Steves kind of implies...at least as I recall it. As I recall**, he seems to imply that by traveling "low to the ground" (staying in 1 star hotels, etc.) one will be more likely to rub shoulders with "real" Europeans or to see the "real" Europe. I think the Europeans one would encounter at a five star hotel or a pricey Parisian restaurant or in a first-class train compartment would be every bit as "real" as those in a one star hotel or at the counter of an inexpensive cafe or in second-class. It's just that they likely have different tastes, or priorities.

** A quote from the San Francisco Chroncile at this website -- http://www.travelmatters.com/ricksteves.html -- says "Steves preaches a low-cost, low-to-the-ground style that not only saves money, but gets you closer to the real Europe, the way Europeans experience it."

Points well taken, Capo. Understand that I own most of his books, have taped at least 15 of his TV shows, and even use his planning maps for Italy for some of my clients. I am not anti-Rick and have been a big fan in the past. But after 22 trips to Europe, and having aged a few years, I now feel that I have my own style that fits our travel goals--I just do not need Rick any longer. We are typical 3 star travelers who almost always drive for the majority of our trips and stay in mid-range places that average 100E.
I assure you we get into close touch with local culture. Rick serves a real demographic and a true niche market, I am just one who does not need his guidance any longer.

I think that the problem with Rick Steves is not whether the accomodations he recommends are fancy. It is his intense megalomania - he has to have his face in every shot. Admittedly, he is not as bad as Ian Wright of "Globe Trekker" - Ian's relentless schtick and grating voice make those programs totally unwatchable.

It is hard to imagine as much comment on any other line of travel books/programs as on R.S. Rick Steves, Inc. is virtually a fanatic religious cult. ("It's a cult - there are always cults" -I, Claudius) If someone were to post that they preferred "Lonely Planet" to "Let's Go" guides, no one would notice, but one critique of Rick Steves, and his legion of groupies crawl out of the floorboards of a dingy Euro-hotel on the Rue Cler with the bathroom down the hall. I am alway suspicious when anyone is called by only their first name (as in "Rick's dream" in the first post). Rick's true dream is to shove as many greenbacks/Euros/quid into Rick's pockets as Rick can for as long as Rick can. Rick must get his motto from P.T. Barnum...

I think of him like "audio books" - but I know how to read, and prefer to do it myself, rather than have someone do it for me like I did when I was a two-year old.

Reading one Rick Steves book was more than enough for me. This guy will nickel and dime you to death. I'd rather get travel tips from my local newspaper's travel section or a guide book that actually gives you all the information about a country in the book you purchased instead of using it as a shill to sell another guide.