changes in Rick Steves "The Best of Europe"

I'll get thumped by a couple of others for not thinking too much of the castle, but Wurzburg is worth being a minor destination. Copenhagen should be on anybody's list of places to go.

Were other places added/substituted and thus these omitted for time constraints?

Ed, consider yourself thumped. ;o)

I really enjoyed the Festung Marienberg in Würzburg as well as the museum in it with the model of the destruction in Würzburg after allied bombing days before the end of the war. I liked the castle in Würzburg better than the one in Nürnberg. I was less impressed with the decadent opulence of the Residenz. Würzburg is a fairly nice city, small enough to be comfortable. I had a couple of nice dinners there, other than the smoke (the German smoking ban was not yet in effect.)

Burg Eltz is one of two castles in the area never destroyed. The Marksburg is the other one and much easier to get to.

I won't comment on Copenhagen, having never been there. Would like to see the little mermaid statue, though.

Thanks for input, Ed. I haven't studied the whole Best of 2005 and 2008 editions well enough to know if anything's been substituted but that had also crossed my mind. This trip is just Germany & Denmark. I haven't studied both bks thoroughly.

lucie,, er,, may I suggest you also look at other guide books,, and on other web sites( tripadivisor.com forums are good) ..

I like Rick,, I like his books and his shows,, I have even taken one of his tours,, BUT,, he is most definately not the be all end all authority on Europe,,, everyone has an opinion on everything,, and there is often no right to wrong way to see things.

I think its a good idea to plan a trip using SERVERAL resourses,, not just one book.

Of all the travel guides series, I have found that Rick Steves has the best hotel recommendations... and I have also found that his books also suffer from a huge lack of scope. Lesson? Use more than one source for your research.

I enjoyed my stay in Wurzburg - both the Residenz and the fortress on top of the hill. Great local wines too! I also agree both Burg Eltz and Marksburg are worth seeing- on the same day maybe since you can train to them or do them separate days. Its was amazing to take the early AM walk in the forest as Rick describes up to the Eltz. THen walk back through the vineyards to the Mosel and train again as I did. The caslets were great complement to day in the life. Marksburg didnt have much in english tourguide but I knew enough german to get by and enjoy it a lot!

Copenhagen was also great - a must. If you are able to spend more time in DK go to Aero as well. If you only need a few chapters of the books - check on Google Books for online version to browse (not save or print usually) and then decide if you want to buy both country books.

As an aside I also like to pair the RS books with either the Rough Guide or Lonely Planet for the same place - whichever is the newer publication at the time.

Good comment James. A 5 year old guidebook is practically useless.

By the way, if you want to see the Copenhagen's mermaid statue, you'll have to visit Shanghai's Expo, which is where she'll be hanging out for the next six months or so...

I'm paraphrasing, but like Rick says, isn't a $20 investment on a guidebook worth it when you're spending thousands on your trip? Amazon.com sells books for less than bookstore prices, too.

The op addressed the apparently changed relative merit (in the eyes of one beholder) of two towns and one castle, none of which have changed since any of us have been alive.

cant believe burg eltz has been edited out as rick says this is among his favorite castles in all of europe...unless that has changed as well...
researching from multiple guide books is the best way to determine your interests/itinerary. they are so subjective. i love ricks for most things and its the one that goes with me but i like looking at DK for the way they prioritize sights and their color diagrams.

For me, you can't beat the green Michelines. They ignore the cutesy stuff and are done by experts, not just travel writers and their limited staffs. Just wish they had the scoundrels for more countries.

I don't buy new guide books every year,, as Ed says, the sites don't change,, and one should always double check things like opening hours and admission prices online just before you go.. those do change,, and sometimes way after book was printed( even if you have the 'new" one) .

I also don't use them for hotels ,, by the time a hotel is in a guide book in the budget - moderate catergories that I favour,, the price has either gone up due to new popularity, or is booked months and months in advance.

So,, frankly,, a guide book that is 5 yrs old can still be useful for describing sites, and maps, and history etc.

Then again,, if a person has money to buy a new book every year,, go for it,, I'd rather go every year and save my 20 bucks!! LOL

The updates are more about where to eat, sleep, transportation information and open hours and admission prices for sites. It's good information and nice to have the latest. Between researching, writing, publishing and selling the new guide book, however, there is a considerable lag in the "new" information (2010 is based on 2009 information).

I like to use guidebooks to get an idea and my computer to get the latest information.

As for Wuerzburg, I really like it. It's one of my favorite stops on the Romantic Road. It has more sites to offer than most of the Romantic Road towns. I'm not sure it would be on my Best of Europe list. Of course that's Rick's list and each of ours will be a little different.

I liked Burg Eltz, especially the walk up to the castle. I like Rheinfels better, the ruins seem to inspire my imagination more.

I'm visiting Copenhagen for the first time this year. It's the most expensive (per day) trip I've ever taken - I hope I like it. My Mother-in-law flew into Copenhagen a few years back - her comment, "Everyone is gay there." She may have been there during their gay parade (early August). I guess I'll get to form my own opinion.