Guidebook recommendation for NYC? And Question about Europe through the Back-door

I love DK eyewitness books.....have used them in Ireland and Italy.......I groove on the cross section drawings (statue of liberty, subway system, etc. is available as an ebook if your mom wants both.... there are sample pages at the very bottom of this listing....

http://www.dk.com/us/9781465410511-dk-eyewitness-travel-guide-new-york-city/

Todd, preference for one guidebook over another tends to be a personal thing. I really like DK Eyewitness Guides because of the pictures; they often help me visually locate what I'm looking for, and add to the excitement before the trip. They are heavier to carry around than some others but we've enjoyed them for years, and sections which we don't need (hotels and restaurants) can always be ripped out to lighten the load if desired.

As far as replacing guidebooks, I haven't felt the need unless they're very old. I've learned NEVER to use a book for hours and entry fees as those can change as soon as a book goes to publication but the basic information - what to see and why - rarely needs updating.

Last NYC guidebook I used was Michelin green guide -- heavy on museum contents and history. It was just right for me, but not for everybody.
I see ETBD as a reference book on HOW to travel -- if I see a newer one at a thrift store for a dollar, I might pick it up. Or get a copy from the library to see if there's any new tips.

I live in NYC and I actually own two NYC guide books ( needed for when out of town friends come for a visit) and I love Fodors and Frommer's guide books. I buy them for any time I travel in other parts of the United States and found them both to be excellent guide books and easy to carry around ( as guide books go, as all books are a pain to carry around). The UK eye witness books are wonderful, but not to actually carry around when you are touring. Nice to have and take notes from or take and leave in the hotel room. They are very heavy so I don't bring them with me on vacation but have a few when they were on sale.

I think the 2013 book would be fine for a while. What I would do, if there are any museums you want to visit, then check them out on the internet to make sure they are open. As some museums have been closed due to renovations like the Rodin and the Picasso both in Paris. The websites for the museums will be able to tell you up to the minute information.

I used Access New York City but I don't know if it's been updated. My copy is about 10 years old, but I liked using it. Rick's books are up front about his personal preferences about what is worth doing, and Access NYC is not, but it had good information and it was easy to see what was in the neighborhood I was in at any one time.
I would look for a new edition of Europe Through the Back Door every few years, but you are likely OK with 2013. You can always get updated information about credit cards, the latest scams, and over-night trains from folks here on the Forum!

1. I'd recommend the Michelin Green Guide to any city for comprehensive coverage of worthwhile sights, maps, self-guided walks, and the like. Here's the link on Amazon if you want to explore further. It's a little heavy but shaped to fit in a hip or jacket pocket. It's not so strong on places to stay and eat, but it does have some listings. No guidebook could cover all the options in that city anyway.

2. I wouldn't buy a later ETBD edition for at least several more years. Most of the "how to" info isn't that time-sensitive. HOWEVER, it's possible that we'll see a return to border controls between some or all the Schengen countries, with accompanying hassles moving between them, in the future. This would be due to ongoing concerns about refugees and terrorism -- separate issues much in the news lately. It would be a shame to lose the seamless border crossings within the Schengen area, but it's possible. In that case, an updated ETBD might have helpful info about particular journeys. So would any good guidebook to any affected country or region. But don't invest in a post-2013 ETBD unless a lot of time passes or (regrettably) European cooperation goes into reverse.

Frommer's "Easy Guides" series are really good. Lightweight so easy to tote around in a day bag or purse, cover a decent selection of sights, clear info on best ways to get around using public transit, etc. If your mom has a smartphone, there's pretty much an app for just about everything she'd want to see in NYC, so I would not go overboard on the guidebooks. Make sure she downloads a good app that she can use to get around on the MTA.

As you go there often, you may want to invest in the "Not for Tourists: NYC" guide for yourself and lend that to her in addition to getting her the Frommer's Easy Guide on NYC. While NFT does provide some very limited info on museums, galleries, etc., it's great as a companion guide to reference when you need to look at a neighborhood map, find a place to eat or a local bar.

For ETTBD, if you have the 2013 edition, I would not see the point purchasing an updated edition. I feel like that particular book is geared more towards those who have never traveled in Europe at all, or who haven't traveled there for the last decade or more. It's a lot of travel skills compiled into a guide, and most of it is covered by watching one of the Rick Steves' travel skills videos (which you can probably view here, and if you can't, you can find it on YouTube somewhere).

I got Timeout New York when I moved to the City. I found it to be very helpful. It she is planning on using the subway and has a smart phone, get the subway that works off line. Very helpful.

PAm

the ETBD is very general. Once you've read it, just get the current guidebook for the specific country or city that you plan to visit and it will be more useful to you.

The current edition of ETBD was published in Aug. 2015 and is on sale elsewhere on this web site. The next scheduled update is in
Aug. 2016. After 13 trips to Europe in the last 14 years, we no longer use that guide book but we do get a current copy of what ever guide book covers the area we are planning to visit that year as in Portugal in 2016. I have read numerous posts on this web site saying that the ETBD guide book is a "must read" for new or newer travelers to Europe. Happy Travels.

I received the 2015 edition of ETBD when as part of an RS tour package. I am a seasoned traveler. I got through about half of it, and found about half a dozen tidbits that were interesting to me. I can see that it would be very helpful to some who is fairly new to foreign travel. Given that, I doubt that a new edition would be worth the time to read through for the few updates that would be needed. As others have said, the destination-specific RS books are a better buy, once you have ETBD. Even those I wouldn't bother to update for several years. Most sights don't change at all. Hotel and restaurant recommendations can be out-of-date before a book even comes on the market.

I've used Michelin green guides for Chicago and New York. I like them because they focus on sights (the red guides are for eating and sleeping) and give more information than most, but don't have the glossy pages and pretty pictures that make other guide books too heavy to carry around.

Actually AAA has a good New York City guidebook - and cheaper if you're a member.

My ETBD is from 2009 and I'm still re-reading it from time to time and haven't felt any need to get a new one. As others have said it's important for 'how' to travel and generally where to go and what to see, but use online info for hotels, museum and sights' hours and prices to get the most up to date info.

Of course, I forgot about AAA books. They are great for choosing sights.

I believe that Europe Through the Back Door was Rick's original book. I still have my 1988 edition! It was a great book for a beginner European traveler, college age at the time. That and the Let's Go books which were big at the time for the youth. I pick up ETBD at Barnes and Noble and scan through it at times. Many of the original classic destinations remain and Rick has added newer ones. I think that book put some of the more obscure places on the tourism map. Way back in 1988 I ran into numerous people at the Hotel Mittaghorn in Gimmelwald, Switzerland who were there with Rick's book in hand. The only negative is that sometimes you don't get as immersive an experience when so many of your fellow lodgers are fellow ETBD travelers.

For a "living" guidebook your mom can try Big Apple Greeters

It is a unique to see NYC