Why Doesn’t Rick Mention Dijon in his Books?

He misses a lot of memorable, worthwhile places. There is only so much he and his crew can cover and keep up with. After all, they are covering all of Europe, cruises, 100 art works. Since the basics were set out years ago, they have varied little.
Go for it and report for others. It’s a great city, capital of Burgundy, but he wrote about Beaune and left it at that. I’ve been to both, have friends born and raised in Beaune but think Dijon has more to offer and Beaune should be a day trip.

I agree that there is only so much that he can cover in his books. I know that he does not mention one of the neatest villages in Switzerland, it's well over a thousand years old an within its walls are some of the most magnificently frescoed buildings you will ever see. One way or another, it just didn't get into Rick's book but it is in others ... that's the way it goes.

And, amazingly, his Best of France book doesn't even include Lyon or Strasbourg - two of the more popular cities in France outside of Paris.

@Irv, do tell. . . Aren't the guidebooks somewhat consistent with the areas/cities he uses for his tours? And there are a lot of great places RS doesn't cover. I've watched all the RS shows many times, but when I start to plan a trip, it's not the RS guide I look at first. What he covers, he covers fairly comprehensively, but I've enjoyed many places that are not in his books.

That’s why the internet these days is more useful than any guidebook can ever be, as books are limited by size. The RS website will be led by the book.

That’s why the internet these days is more useful than any guidebook
can ever be, as books are limited by size.

And a website can be updated as things change.

I haven't used a guidebook for a number of years now as I find the information available on the internet is often more relevant and up to date plus there's a wide breadth of views and opinions that simply cannot be found in a single guidebook.

We've always used Rick's books and downloads of places like Versailles, Sistine Chapel, etc but we've also used Tripadvisor.com for specific cities or destinations we're considering. Rick can't cover all of Europe but TA and Frommers are also very useful websites. Google Maps or Google Earth Pro provide street views of specific restaurants, hotels, museums, shops, etc so you can see the surrounding areas before you book anything. Good luck.

I second all those regarding the internet. I have only purchased one guidebook ever. However, I do utilize the library. The amount of travel information on the internet is far more extensive then all guidebooks put together. Having said that, it is important to pay attention to the author of the site you are on. Just Googling "things to see in Dijon" will give you a great insight as to what is there and will either peak your interest or make you decide to pass. I enjoyed Dijon for 2 nights.

For hotels, I use Booking.com and Trip Advisor and I read only negative reviews. I decide whether or not the comments affect me. The decorations in the room I ignore. I look for clean, noise and AC. If I see a comment that says "the AC was broken when we were there" posted over several months, I know the owners are lying about having working AC. I once saw this comment listed over a 3 year period and people thought they happen to be there at an unlucky time.

For restaurants I use Yelp, Google and several different sites.

If you enjoy guidebooks, by all means buy them, but there is so much UPDATED info on the internet today, I would save your money for your trip. Please RickNicks, don't bash me on this suggestion, I mean ALL guidebooks, not just the RS ones.

No source is perfect. I have used guidebooks. I look at common suggestions from several books to help me plan. I do further research on the internet. Guidebooks, hopefully, are based on actual visits, while the internet is less edited, both good and bad.

I use various booking sites to check out hotels and then try and book directly with the hotel.

In every country there are cities to visit that are as memorable as those mentioned in guidebooks that never receive publicity. I think, to some degree there is a herd instinct with travel experts, who tend to suggest the same places. It takes effort when updating a website or travel guide to go and explore. Easier to edit and update.

Go explore. Find a highly recommended city and then do a search of towns nearby to see what there is in those cities. Often there is a church, town square or historical site that you can see, while not as famous as the nearby city, but are as spectacular.

We have traveled by car, which makes exploring easier, but I am sure those who prefer train or bus will find options.

Rick must not like mustard!!! We've had great experiences using the RS guidebooks but I don't understand why they aren't more comprehensive in the areas they cover. The competing guidebooks seem to be able to include more places. If the book gets too big then split it in half (i.e. one for Northern France and one for Southern France).

Irv, we are all waiting for your big reveal!

We were on a RS Switzerland trip a few years back, and the tour went to Mt. Titlis in Engelberg. It was a fantastic experience, a trip highlight! There was no section the the RS Guidebook on Engelberg.

I don’t think the RS guidebooks ever claimed to be comprehensive in coverage. They do focus on places he includes on his tours rather than including every visit-worthy city or town. That is certainly true of Switzerland as well as France. Some of us like it that way. 😏

As for Lyon, his new (filmed in 2019) French Alps program includes Lyon (as a gateway town) as well as Chamonix. And the Tour du Mont Blanc hike! So he is expanding his coverage a bit.

Note that Rick’s several books on France vary in what they cover. The “Best of” book series is abridged and condensed, so Lyon didn’t make the cut, as Nancy mentions, but it’s in the regular France book. On the other hand, the Paris and Provence/Riviera books both cover destinations not in in the regular France book. There are only so many pages available and Rick has always been purposely selective. https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/guidebooks/france

I think the company likes to stick to what they cover and do it well. They like to stick to certain areas, but the Internet makes it easy to find info on other areas. Forums like this are great for finding current information and suggestions. I have noticed in recent years that his tour hotels are not always listed in his guidebooks and that applies to some of his tour visits as well. It would probably be hard to get reservations for the tour groups if everything in the guides is all the company uses. On our first RS tour years ago, the guide said he had to move after RS made Varenna famous because it got too busy. I think it was tough-in-cheek, but …

For those who use Yelp remember it’s full of fake reviews and unless you pay them monthly they don’t post many reviews for a business, and unless you pay them monthly your business is not positioned well. I have experienced this with my own business.
I do not trust Yelp.

It would be helpful if he listed some of these cities under the heading ‘places to look into’ or ‘cities worth visiting’

I understand that his company can’t cover every town. One of the things I like about Rick is that he calls a spade a spade (usually) and is pretty clear when he thinks a place is tacky touristy, not worth one’s time, etc. Steve Smith is even from Burgundy! That leads me to believe he doesn’t seem Dijon worth a visit since he has never mentioned it in 20 years

That said, it is probably easiest to go back year after year and update guidebooks versus adding a new place from scratch. And… like someone noted Lyon made it to a recent television show. Maybe we will see Dijon next!

I see it his co-author preferred Beaune, RS had a visit he liked, rode a bike in the vineyards and called it a day. In addition to Dijon, Autun is a fascinating town to visit, or in the most southern part of Burgundy, closer to where Steve Smith has his house, there's La Charité sur Loire. Next to Beaune, Nuits Saint Georges is very nice and has a good museum and hiking. Auxerre and Chablis in northern Burgundy aren't mentioned either. But Beaune was chosen 20+ years ago. The same is true with rue Cler when there are numerous shopping streets in Paris. Why was that one chosen. Or, in Germany Ms. Jo has been rightfully singing the praises for years of a small walked city outside Frankfurt that I went to with her.
In an unfamiliar country, I'd be asking exactly this question, wondering if something was less than suitable about places that are omitted. But, I think the simple answer is it's just a question of limited number of pages.

The basic principle that RS has always promoted is "find your own backdoors" so its never been the intent to provide an (unsustainable) comprehensive guide to everywhere. The books are good for Americans making a first, unpurposed visit to a country, but clearly people with experience have their own ideas. This forum makes a good supplement to the books.

Dijon is a very interesting place to visit, but it will almost never make the cut on your typical 2-week France itinerary, especially because the high speed train between Paris and Lyon / the Med bypasses the city.
Same if you are on a road trip: Beaune is right on the highway between Paris and Lyon and between Alsace and Lyon, whereas Dijon is not.
So the omission is perfectly understandable to me!

Why doesn't Rick mentions Dijon in his books? He prefers Guldens.

(Sorry, someone had to do it.)

Irv's not sharing his secret. Anyone want to venture a guess on Irv's Swiss walled city with the frescoes?

When Rick doesn't include a city or town in his guidebook it should NEVER be taken as a negative comment about it! He does not write a "comprehensive guidebook", an all inclusive one. Dijon is a small and wonderful city. The mustard there is fabulous and known around the world! I bet Rick would agree.

If you want to read one of those comprehensive guides get a Fodors or Frommers or the even more detailed Cadogan's. I always use a comprehensive guide book for trip planning and research along with internet sites if I am using a RS guidebook.

The comprehensive books we use for France are the Michelin green guides.

In Rick's (and Steve Smith's) own words, from my 2005 copy of RS France, "Destinations covered in this book are balanced to include the most famous cities and intimate villages..." "We've been selective, including only the most exciting sights and romantic villages..." "We cover just the best... The best is, of course, only our opinion. But after more than 35 busy years between us spent travel writing, lecturing, guiding tours, and satisfying our Francophilia, we've developed a sixth sense for what touches the traveler's imagination..." "Since this book is selective, covering only the places we think make the top month of sightseeing..." (my bold, not his)

Adding my own thoughts, I believe the Rick Steves books are best for travelers who are visiting a country for the first time. As some of the other posters have said, and as quoted above, your average traveler, on a first trip to France, and having just two weeks to fill, will not be spending time wisely if they go to Dijon (or fill in the blank with any other city or village not covered in any of his other books). If one is fortunate enough to visit a country more than once, there will probably be a need or desire to supplement RS's book, but one will probably continue to find his book useful for many trips. It's only after 18 years of visiting France nearly every year that I'm beginning to feel that I almost don't need his France book anymore! And, I finally made it to Dijon only during one of my most recent trips.

On the topic of comprehensiveness, I would point out that my 2005 edition of RS France is 654 pages. My 2020 edition, which has a nearly identical Table of Contents, is 1203 pages! Somehow he has nearly doubled the pages, while dropping an entire region (Basque Country). In France, I supplement RS guides with the Michelin green guides (and many other resources). There are over 30 regions, each covered by its own green guide, 400-600 pages in length. For my upcoming trip in the Charentes region, using one of these guides, I'm still finding gaps in coverage. It's just impossible to write a book that covers everything.

Really good information! Thanks for the all of the insight.

I am considering adding Dijon to my itinerary. I have three nights after leaving Aix-en-Provence before I need to be in Paris. There are sooo many places I haven’t been to, thus the contemplation around Dijon. A couple people on tlFodors say it is their favorite citiy and the most gorgeous, most French city ever seen. Others include:

Lyon
Beaune
Colmar
Montpellier
A village in Provence
Would love to get to Tours and see A see a couple chateaux but it is quite a trek from Aix by train.

Almost finished planning! September is around the corner! ✈️

On the list you are making:
- I have a personal dislike for Lyon but this is 100% subjective; most people seem to really like it and it is the logical choice for a 3-night stop between Aix and Paris
- Colmar is too much of a detour
- Montpellier is fine, but nearby Nîmes is better in my opinion (it has great Roman ruins and a new museum, you can use it as a base for Pont du Gard, and you can still visit Montpellier from there if you want)
- Beaune and Dijon are lovely, but unless you have a strong interest in wine, I would suggest Lyon
- "Village in Provence" is a great idea if the earlier part of your trip does not let you explore; L'Isle-sur-La Sorgue and Saint-Rémy would both fit the bill for 3 nights and are reasonably easy to reach without a car.

I think Irv's secret is Stein Am Rhein!!!

For those who use Yelp remember it’s full of fake reviews and unless you pay them monthly they don’t post many reviews for a business, and unless you pay them monthly your business is not positioned well. I have experienced this with my own business.
I do not trust Yelp.

Susan, are you confusing Yelp reviews with Trip Advisor. Yelp has always been spot on for me. Never been paid for a review or even asked.

Not sure how good your French is, but Lonely Planet and Le Petit Futé in general have great city guides.

CaliMom, Dijon is one of those places that benefits from an attractive hinterland, so it pays to look at it as a whole. And what a whole!
And now, a bit of a personal rant. A few years ago, I had reason to contact RS staff with a long-since-forgotten logistical query. In the final sentence, I also asked an additional, unrelated question, "Are there some places that Rick & co deliberately leave out of their guidebooks in order to avoid a repeat of the Cinque Terre effect?" I presumed that the answer to my query would be a simple yes or no, and did not require any mention of specific locations--my own obsessive research was thorough enough.

The RS staffer who responded, told me that yes indeed, there were such omitted places. Fine.
Months later, I casually mentioned that same fact here and was immediately called out by another, female RS staffer (webmaster? moderator? gatekeeper?--don't recall) as not telling the truth. I explained that had I not been in the habit of deleting most emails, the aforementioned email exchange in question, could absolutely be shown as proof of my trustworthiness in this regard.

It felt unseemly to be called a liar (and also 'naive' if memory serves) by someone representing Rick Steves, after having championed RS as a brand for decades in the countless semi-pro travel articles that I'd once written back in the '80s and '90s. Her smug, condescending attitude and associated snark was not in keeping with the norm here.
Anyway, back to the OP: travelers who might choose to include Dijon as a base would not regret that.
I am done. The end.

@Alexander, my high school French should be great given that I've had another full year to practice since this month in Provence was originally scheduled for September 2020, however, I have fallen down on my practice.

@Gregg, you always have such great insight and information. I love your trip reports. I looked at Hotel Saint Paul in Paris but it is a bit over our budget. Where did you end up staying when that didn't work out for you?

Thank you!

CaliMom,
On that trip we ended up spending too much at Hotel Jeanne d'Arc le Marais. Great location. Spacious family triple (for just us two). One-way ticket to Debtor's Prison.
On a subsequent visit, we did waaaaay better with a private rental in the 20e just below Pere Lachaise cemetery. Super value in a comfy lil house (yes a house) behind some condos in a residential neighbourhood.
Btw, if you go to Dijon, you may want to check out Coco's centrally-located apartment. It has become justly popular with travelers and she will take good care of you. Her rates are infinitely more reasonable than say, those at the abovementioned Parisian rip-off err, hotel.
Has not this covid era been an exercise in delayed gratification?
Jayzus.
et merci pour des bon mots aux TR et comme ca
I am done. The end.

As noted further up in this thread, Rick comes right out in his books and says they are NOT comprehensive guides to every city, village and burg in Europe. He makes editorial choices as he is certainly allowed to do and runs with that, but I think perhaps he might want to highlight that info for people who are using his books for the first time.

Several years ago I thought I had somehow received a rejected test copy of the Switzerland guidebook because there was absolutely no section on Geneva. Eventually I saw in the book he mentions that he doesn't find it worth a visit. In cases like that, turn to the F books because they are intended to be encyclopedic in their coverage.

Hello from Wisconsin,

I use guide books. Rick's hand drawn maps really work well for me. But mostly I use guide books as a way to avoid tourists. If a place isn't in the guide books, that is where I go. I have had great luck. The least touristed areas have been the most 'real'. The market days are designed to locals. And people are often pleasantly surprised and ask, "Why did you come here?"

wayne iNWI