I'm planning a 24 day trip of Germany with a 3 day stop in Colmar. Obviously I purchased Rick Steves Germany 2017 guidebook, which of course does not include Alsace region in France.
Seems like a waste to get Rick Steves France 2017 guidebook of 1153 pages for 1 chapter on Alsace. Any suggestions, like can I buy the chapter electronically?
In my day, we just found the book at the public library and photocopied, but maybe I'm dated and that era is over. The net is full of information on Alsace.
We're planning 16 days in Germany with 3 in Colmar, too! I already had RS France from a previous trip. Do you have access to a library where you can check it out? I checked out 3 or 4 on Germany to decide which were worth buying (besides RS of course...) and ended up purchasing the electronic copy of Fodors. If you don't have convenient access to a library, send me a private message and maybe we can work something out (without violating any copyright laws). :)
I think Lonely Planet may sell electronic versions of individual chapters of its books.
Another possibility is to check with your local library. Many have electronic versions of guide books, though getting your hands (figuratively) on one at the right time can be tricky.
Michelin has green guides that are more focused. I have one for Burgundy and another for Alsace-Lorraine-Champagne.
As far as I'm aware the only guides on French regions that small that are in English are the Michelin guides. They're generally good, but because they're traditionally aimed at people with cars they tend to have very limited information on public transport.
If you can read French, the Routard guides are very good indeed.
Even though I may be visiting just a small portion of the country, I always buy the guidebook. I feel that it is a small price to pay for Rick's excellent advice. Plus, I usually end up using that guidebook on another trip!
I found the Rick Steves driving routes through the Alsace priceless. Some of my favorite drives of all time. We spent two days visiting villages and hiking with three nights with Domaine Martin in Colmar as our home base. I can't imagine the routes have changed much so buy a used Rick Steves on Amazon if needed.
Thank you for all the advice and tips. I did find Rick Steves France 2017 at my library. I'm looking into the other options as well.
