Do you think it is time for Rick Steves' to mix it up a little?

I'm not going to claim that I have knowledge of the reasons why one location makes the Blue Book and another doesn't... although I'll take a wild guess with absolutely no evidence to back it up. I've never taken a tour with Mr. Steves' company, but from what I've read, the books and tours seem to complement each other (that's the only logical reason I can see for including Reutte and not many other better Alpine towns). So, adding a new location would probably have to involve far more than just doing a research trip. It would have to involve establishing local contacts, arranging logistics, number crunching, etc. Quite frankly, his customers seem pretty satisfied, so why change? Now personally, I think Mr. Steves would be doing his devoted readers a favour by widening the scope of his books, and adding some perspective... ie, Erhenburg is similar to hundreds of other castle ruins, Baden-Baden is only one of many elegant spa resorts in Germany, a large percentage of central and southern Germany is covered in largely rural forested mountain ranges just like the Black Forest, Hamburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the country, etc. But then again, do I really want to see the vibrant student life in Leuven and Ghent replaced with souvenir shops? And something tells me that the Odenwald just wouldn't be the same if a bunch of cuckoo-clock shops opened up there.

Hi Bronwen,
I think that Rick's books are designed for first-time travelers and cover the highlights. Most Rick's "back door" destinations that I visited early in my European travels were fascinating to me. As a more experienced traveler now, I use his books for the basics but branch out to find new destinations on my own as you have done! I love Bologna, Italy, Maussane, France and other places not listed in his books. I think he's smart to stick with what works for him. I'd rather see him branch out to write about South America or Southeast Asia.

Good question. I'd enjoy a supplimental book - something like "New Discoveries". But remember that there are still an awful lot of Americans out there who have never been to Europe. What I would really like is a Blue Book for Central America, South America, Australia/New Zealand, and SE Asia.

He doesn't change it up more because it works. The books are geared toward Americans with limited vacation time. Most don't go to Europe enough to feel like the back doors are stagnant. Those of us that do go to Europe regularly probably also consult other guidebooks, or just explore on our own. This is the case especially the ETBD book; that's really the beginners/highlights guide. I do see some changes in the country books. The Croatia book has morphed into a Balkans book, with much more focus on Bosnia and Montenegro that there used to be. In his latest Croatia tv show he spends almost no time in Dubrovnik, except to warn of the crowds, though previous Croatia shows focused mostly on that city. And lastly there is the issue of keeping the books up to date. That's one of the strong points of his books; they are revised more frequently than any other European guide (did you see the articles where Lonely Planet and Let's Go writers admitted they hadn't even been to many of the places they'd written about?). By keeping the books limited in scope, it is easy to keep them up to date.

I think Rick is doing very good job. He already chooses what he considers cream of the country and most of the time he got it right. I am sure there are many other beautiful places worth visiting; for those we can use other travel guides and this forum. Also he is updating it every year. It's funny when you see hordes of American independent tourists each of them with R.S. blue and yellow book in some little forgotten European town.

"did you see the articles where Lonely Planet and Let's Go writers admitted they hadn't even been to many of the places they'd written about?)." I didn't see that, but one 2010 edition of a Lonely Planet book I own mentions a certain museum that is scheduled to close for renovation "sometime in 2007". I love the scope of the Lonely Planet books, but please, at least proofread your product before releasing it!

"It's funny when you see hordes of American independent tourists each of them with R.S. blue and yellow book in some little forgotten European town." Actually, I've never seen that outside of the locations covered in the Blue Books. Example, you'll see the Blue Book Sign prominently displayed in Brugge, never in Ghent, Antwerp, Hasselt or Leuven.

"The cream of the country" ??? Not when you leave half the country out of the book, like is the case with Germany. How can you leave out the entire northern part of Germany, as though there is nothing worth-while to see there except for Berlin? No Hamburg? No Lübeck or Quedlinburg? No Spree Wald? No North Sea? The fact that Mainz gets left out simply astounds me. Or Wiesbaden, a city that is due to get put on the UNESCO list for its beautiful architecture. Where does everyone with a blue book want to go though? Baden-Baden. There are dozens of charming, medieval, walled towns all over Germany that one can visit, that don't contain hordes of tour buses, towns with atmosphere and no Käthe Wohlfart stores. You also won't see people walking around with those blue books because they don't go to those towns. They hear from Rick that Rothenburg is the best place to go to see, old, traditional Germany and they believe it, lock, stock and barrel. My biggest bone to pick is the looseness of the "facts" that get put in print. Many of them are wrong, and it is not just in the German books. Perhaps he should have his editors double check facts before the book goes into print? Don't get me wrong here, I do like Rick, I like the way he writes and I like that he has gotten people over to Europe, but some honest critique is always good for business.

Tom, what I meant was a little forgotten European town which is in R.S. book. Otherwise of course I would not see hordes of American tourists there.
Jo, cream of the country leaves more than half of the country out, that's why it is cream.

Sorry, gonna have to disagree here. These places are left out of the books due to personal preferences and not because of their sight-seeing worthiness or unworthiness.

Bronwen,
that's a very good idea. Each year new chapter about new place in new guide. That would help to sell new guides. Hopefully Rick or his employees will notice your suggestion.

Rick Steves, like any other tour comapny has developed a circular route which sees certain high spots and also some spots that seem merely to be convenient (or inexpensive ) spots to make his circle work. That doesnt make him that much different than any other company (one advantage is he does seem to more regularly). The problem is that a lot of people sem to read his book, and only his book,, cant seem to discriminate among the stops and dont seem to acknowledge that there is anywhere else worthy of going. Any travel book is only one person's agenda.

I would word it "a few ions from amongst the cream and a bunch of other random, baffling choices." And just to clarify... I wouldn't say don't go to Rothenburg (or other similar locations) because its very touristy. Even though it has become a tourist funhouse, it still is quite beautiful. I would, however, say that you don't have to think your not seeing Germany if you skip a place like Rothenburg. There are numerous other alternatives throughout the country that offer a similar atmosphere without all the souvenir shops and bus tour groups.

On the same lines, I've been really disappointed to see that the Let's Go guides have really pared down their content. Used to be that these were pretty comprehensive country guides, now it seems that they hit the highlights that everyone else does.

I think this is a matter of economics and business model. RS says (or used to, I don't think it has changed) they visit every hotel and restaurant annually and/or as often as a guidebook is published or revised. His staff size is partially based upon their ability to get to all these spots. If they were to expand coverage, they'd need to expand staff and expenses. Likely there is not enough upside in revenue to justify the additional expense. Alternately, RS could visit places every other year, but that would seriously erode from the brand ultimately leading to lower revenue. I'm guessing the publishing house has done market research and there is not enough revenue upside to adding areas. It would be an interesting test if RS developed "Red books." They'd be designed for and marketing to more seasoned travelers. They would have a slightly higher price tag. There would be Red books for just three countries at the onset: Germany, Italy and France. Would you pay for this? I know I would if the quality was similar to the Blue books. I would even pay a little more. A good guidebook is one of the best investments you can make if you are spending thousands of dollars/euros/pounds on a trip.

Agree...he is doing what works according to his business model. He travels all over the world and has been asked about guidebooks for other continents, but I understand that it wouldn't fit with his model. I think his guidebooks do a fine job of introducing both new and seasoned travelers (i.e. experienced but who may not yet have visited a particular country in Europe) to the major tourist destinations that shouldn't be missed while mixing in some smaller or rural locales that add a lot of color to a trip. Still, I think he could throw in some other world-class places like Passau, Regensburg, Bamberg, or Bayreuth in Germany, for example. Although, I do seem to recall that, in addition to using his guidebooks, he mentioned somewhere that travelers should explore their own favorite places. I reference other guidebooks, and some posters have mentioned the Michelin Guides before...So I started using these this year, and they typically include lots of places Rick doesn't, and they list them as top-rated. Tom mentioned Hamburg, and that's a good example. It's rated higher than Munich. Still, I think if travelers were to use nothing but Rick's book when new to Europe or a country in Europe, they can have a fantastic vacation and wouldn't necessarily leave feeling like they've missed anything. It makes sense that he leaves out half of a country...no guidebook covers everything. And without intent to offend, who wants to visit Essen if you're not attending a trade fair?

I like Michael 1's idea of the Red Book and would add the UK to the three countries mentioned. I'd rather see him expand his recommendations in Europe than go to another continent.

Hi all posters, I would like a separate RS book on Sicily. Have had to go to other publishers for info. They are not as good for the "nuts and bolts" details of travel. Otherwise, I think that Rick's books cover the "Best of" meaning most famous and most visited locations really well. Yes, many are back doors no more but maybe we all need to find our own, and not tell. I also like the Red book idea suggested above.
Sherry

I think it would be easier on everyone if people just accepted that Rick does not, never has and probably never will publish a comprehensive guide. The title of his books ought be "Rick Steves' personal favorite places in XXX, which is based on own personal bias and preferences and in no way should be considered a comprehensive and complete guide to said area" But that would be way too long of a book title so he goes with "Rick Steves' guide to XXX." If you know enough about the areas of Europe you want to visit to actual form an opinion that he is leaving stuff out than you don't need Rick. His bread and butter is helping people go to Europe who have never been or have only been a few times. They are written for the newbies, not you.

Then maybe an "advanced guide" would be a good idea. I think it is wise to not only acquire new customers but also you need to retain your current customers. Another idea, maybe one new chapter in each guide, each year with a new place to explore.

Darn - when I saw the title of this thread I thought it was a discussion on Rick getting a fashion makeover.

I'm pretty happy RS sticks to what he does. We have a few area's that we love visitng and they're even more appealing due to the fact that they're "our own backdoor" places. Paul

Try the Lake Constance area (Lindau) in Germany it is a gem. And to me RS does a fine job, I do not agree w/ all his bkdoors but he is 95% right on. Better than any other guidebk I have ever come across in 40 yrs of european travel. To add more to his guidebooks he would need to add volumes.
Sure I would love new material but his target audience is prob for those who go to Europe occassionally.

Love his books and certainly any innovative traveler will go beyond those places he recommends, or find their own by exploring. He also supplies this site for people to make their own referrals.
Above post.... Love Lake Constance, and very few people I know have ever been. One of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I heard about it from a German family I stayed with who lived in Bad Gronenbach (sp) which was also a lovely little town. All you have to do is get in the car, pick a spot on the map and explore.

I think of Rick's books as introductions to places and the places chosen are his favorites. So, if I've been to Edinburgh and the highlands, I need to depend on other resources and find my own backdoors, as I've likely either been to his places or already found my own. I actually think that's what he wants people to do. You should "graduate" from the guidebook to personal exploration as your own skills develop. I wouldn't take a Rick Steves tour of Germany as I went to school there for 6 months, but I would consider one for Eastern Europe. The only travel I've done there is a through train from Stuttgart to Athens. I'd like to think that after taking one of his tours, I would be comfortable going back and exploring the country in more depth. Pam

One item I haven't seen mentioned is when it is recommended NOT to go to a city or town, such as Heidelberg and for no real reason at all, other than some imagined flaw that seems to be acceptable in other towns, like having too many tourists. That readers are told to skip Mainz because it is too big of a city??? is a huge disservice in my eyes. People are missing a fantastic destination and 2 of the most stunning churches in Germany.

I would never trust any travel writer who discouraged people from going to Heidelberg.

Good point...I would not discourage anyone from visiting Heidelberg or Mainz. They are famous and, as such, worth a few days' visit. If a first timer traveller wanted sources to consult with and plan a trip to Germany, I definitely would not recommend and encourage reading up on RS books. Especially not for Germany. Look at Michelin, Rough Guide, and Let's Go, aside from the editoralising in Let's Go. I have yet to go Freiburg im Breisgau and Görlitz...which? Görlitz an der Oder....I didn't think he went that far.

Yes, that's the Görlitz, the one on the Polish border...Görlitz an der Oder. It was a Prussian Garnisonstadt (a garrison town). For that reason I would be remiss not to spend at least one night there, ... not because of what RS says. Roy has a good point in that the experienced and seasoned traveller in Germany wants more than the superficial treatment in the RS books, which could serve as an introduction to Germany for the first timer, but a superficial one based on his preference for South Germany, ie., south of Frankfurt and the Main.

If not add any new destinations, his books could at least re-evaluate some of the places that get trashed, ie, Heidelberg, Mainz and Wiesbaden. Particularly Heidelberg... the description he gives to this city could just as easily apply to Rothenburg, Bacharach, Beilstein or Baden-Baden, Oberammergau, or Mittenwald. But unlike all those other towns, only Heidelberg has a real life outside of the tourism industry.

Rick's guides are not meant for seasoned travelers or natives and expatriates already in Germany. When sales drop in the U.S., I am sure he will make changes in the books. But as long as novice travelers snap up the books and flock to the Rothenburgs, Ruettes and Rue Clers of the world, he has no reason to drop them. After all, intense coverage of those places is what sets his guides apart from those of other travel writers. Where I think his books excel is in the quality of the writing and his ability to offer a different perspective on places that everyone covers. I personally think he could replace some of his picks without losing sales, but he or his marketing team must not agree. That said, I do think there is a market for guides in the RS style about off-the-beaten-track-type destinations for seasoned travelers, as someone suggested earlier. I wish he would follow up on it.

Reading his guides and watching his show, RS makes it pretty clear that his guides are based on his preferences. Those who are mad b/c he isn't comprehensive or that he doesn't like their favorites aren't paying attention. Most of those who seem ticked about sites he's leaving out and/or dissing are from Germany and are only talking about Germany. Like another poster pointed out - if you live there and know enough to know better, then RS guides aren't for you. Actually in some ways you should be thankful b/c if he did recommend those towns, they'd have even more Americans tromping down the streets ruining the quaintness and character. Personally I like the guides b/c I can use them to cull from the comprehensive guides. Frommer's is useful, but not a very fun book to read. RS guides give you more interesting essays as well as narrowing the field. If I know someone where I'm going, of course, I'm always going to take their advice over Rick's - but if I'm flying blind it is much easier with his guide than the other ones. However, I think the idea of a Red Guide is an interesting one. I'm not sure it would financially make sense, but I would buy it. The problem is, if a place is well-traveled enough to have a guidebook, it is already losing its beauty to the tourist hordes. Interesting thoughts, though.

Rick actually published an "Asia Through the Back Door" once. I think he wisely realized he was overreaching.

I wish all of those folks who wish RS would expand his guide books to cover things that they do not could realize the added cost of such an endeavor. He and his staff commit as much time as he feels is financial practical to put out and the guide books he now does, plus adding one now and then.
As far as his guide books only being useful to the new traveler, I go to Europe every summer and while there take a RS tour. I always use his guide book for the tour area and anywhere else I may go plus getting another guide book or two (LP?) to do my research. I have never been disappointed by the information I have found in any RS book. Last year I toured Turkey and did not see hoards of tourists running around with their "blue books", so every place is not saturated with RS guide book followers. I have gone up to his office in Edmonds, WA, numerous times over the years to seek information and make suggestions (such as accepting credit cards-finally) and have almost always received an answer that I may not agree with but that makes some sense. Given that RS has been so successful in doing what he does, I would not expect any major changes to the way the organization does business. G/A/S this summer! And don't have RS put out a guide book for Hawaii.

I never meant that the RS guides are superficial, just limited in coverage. I agree with those who say that once we get to know a place, we no longer need the guidebook; at that point most of us could write our own. All guidebooks are superficial to those familiar with the territory, but Rick's are the most thorough I have seen for the places they cover. If most of us didn't like or use the guides, at least for our first visit to a place, we would not be asking for more.

I think it is difficult to provide everyone with everything needed in a travel guide. The value I find in Rick's books and programs are the need to get off the beaten path. Whether one is traveling in the US or Europe, the goal is the same. The book is a guide. Customize it for your travel. If you have already been to the areas mentioned, expand your horizons. I used Rick's books to plan my travel last year. Are there areas I wish he would expand on? Yes, but I will still reach for his guides because they provide me with something missing from other guidebooks-readability. You sound like a seasoned traveler. I am not sure many travelers, especially from the US, are. Novice travelers are going to go to sights recommended to them from the agencies. I believe Rick's books at least provide some other recommendations.
If someone was to write an "America through the back door" I doubt it would be as up to date as our life. Ditto with Europe.

A vote for Heidelberg. Just got back from a weekend trip there. This was our third visit and it never disappoints. Discovered the Kultur Brauerei which we can't believe we missed on our previous visits. Hot, well priced food served all day everyday (no Ruhetag!) and great beer in a great atmosphere.