Rick's "Places to Avoid in Europe"

I sort of agree with him on the Black Forest, but for different reasons. The region is fairly typical of the low mountain ranges that make up most of central and southern Germany, only more extensive. If you're going out of your way to visit the Black Forest, chances are you've probably driven by a very comparable region. The mountains in the southern portion are impressive, but they pale in comparison to the Alps, which are only about a 90 minutes drive away. Geneva isn't spectacular, but not nearly as bad as he makes it seem. I would argue that he vastly over-rates Beilstein, Rothenburg and Gimmelwald (and Baden-Baden, which he doesn't mention in the article, but sits on the western slopes of the Black Forest).

As for the positive, with the hordes of people concentrated in Rothenburg and buying Christmas decorations, the better villages are much less crowded.

I agree with many of his assessments. The one I particularly disagree with is his assessment of Blarney castle - there's much more there than just the stone - it was a pleasant surprise for me. I don't agree with limiting a trip to his "top sights". As he says at the start, it depends on your interests. If you rely on Rick's picks, you're relying on his interests. I'd try to include his picks when you're in the area but be sure to see more and decide for yourself.

Agree, Brad - very well put.

I agree with Tom, he overrates Rothenburg.
I was on a river cruise in May and we had an optional tour here. I thought many of the other small villages on the Rhine we visited were just as nice or nicer. Rothenburg is just too touristy-too many Christmas stores.

Not to nitpick but I'm annoyed by two other things:
That he included some "Must sees" with the "places to avoid" list - half of the article is NOT places to avoid, but rather places to see! And that he identified himself as Norwegian. Really? Rick, you've spent "100 months in Europe" so you know how annoyed Europeans get when Americans start saying they're "Irish" or whatever. Secondly just throwing out a bunch of far-flung "must-sees" is going to lead to a lot of silly posting on this board as people pop in saying "I've heard I HAVE to go to Beilstein! How do I get there by train?" I'm sure Beilstein is quaint, but luckily the people on this board told me that while nice it wasn't super unique or worth the hassle to get to (for me since I had a packed schedule in the Mosel and didn't have a car there). I agree with the idea that people shouldn't go out of their way to go to the Black Forest as a destination, but I do think that if people are already going to be near the Black Forest, particularly if they're traveling by car, they might as well enjoy it. It's just that it's not a huge "must see while in Europe" destination wrt natural beauty for most North Americans because we really rule the roost on natural wonders as far as forests and mountains are concerned.

Laurie, you mentioned a river cruise - are you sure you got to see Rothenburg then?? I suspect you actually got to visit Ruedesheim which is the most touristy place I've ever encountered in Germany. THE tourist trap that should be in every list of places to avoid (unless you take the chair lift right away to head up to the monument and the beautiful Niederwald park area). Rothenburg is not on the Rhine but on the river Tauber as its full name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" indicates. And yes, Rothenburg is touristy as well and that was the reason I never went while I was still living in Germany all those years. Didn't want to get overrun by Americans .... and surprise surprise, when I eventually made my way there it was actually quite nice and not as bad as I had feared (we made sure we went there for an overnighter for the evening and early morning).

Sarah, that's funny about Americans and ethnicity-- we're so used to self-identifying as Italian, Irish, etc. I probably said "I'm Scottish" a few times growing up. Only much later did I realize that Europeans find this strange and non-sensical.

Yes, I meant Rothenberg. It was an optional tour on the cruise. We traveled from the river via bus.

Yeah, in an American-only group we all tend to do the "Oh, I'm part Scottish and this and that" and nobody looks at you funny, but if you do it around actual Europeans you will get the side-eye. If you say to a German, "Oh, I'm German!" they will assume you have at least one parent who is actually from Germany and if it turns out to be your great-great-great grandfather, you'll get a hearty eye-roll. Not just Germans, but almost all Europeans I've known do this. The Irish and Scottish seem to be extremely annoyed by it more than anyone else - maybe because a lot of stereotpyically Irish culture got kinda popular in the 1990s in the U.S. with Riverdance and all that. I've learned as an American that if I MUST mention my ethnicity, it's better to say, "I have ancestors from here" but even then, they generally just don't care. To them, we're all American, period.

Gosh, I'll now try to bury my heritage when talking with my European friends ranging in age from young students to old age pensioners. Was of no apparent negative issue when I lived and worked there and during frequent trips over the years and through 2012. Nevertheless, if annoying, I put in the same category as the Turkish fellow asking me if I knew a close friend of his living in greater Seattle. I politely mentioned that Seattle is some distance from my home and many people live there.

Interesting thought, now would anyone question someone or roll their eyes who identifies themself as "African American"? Probably not, are they anymore African than someone who's ancestors came from Germany, Norway or Scotland if they're all born in the United States?

Hi, I haven't been to any of the top places to avoid. Just worked out that way. I don't agree with the hype for Beilstein though. Cute, yes, but stay there, no thanks. I would be way too bored (and it takes a lot of nothing to bore me!). It's TINY. I do agree with Burg Eltz and Rothenburg though. We tried to tour Reifenstein. We were turned away by the woman who gives the tours. We had 3 people, myself, my wife (with a broken toe who walked all the way up to see it) and a German gentleman. She said we needed 4 for her to give the tour. Myself (in German), and the other man, asked if she would give the tour anyway, first telling her my wife had so much trouble just to reach the castle, then offering to pay for the 4th person we didn't have. She actually slammed the door in our faces. Would have liked to have seen it, but I'd never go back again. Wow, I got off track there. Back to the list... the Glacier Express was a great train ride, for maybe half the journey. 9 hours on a train is brutal, even with the scenery. Would never do that again either. There's way better ways to spend 9 hours in Switzerland than looking out a train window. Paul

For me, the greatest injustice of all "RS's places to avoid list" (though not on that specific article) is Bologna. Bologna is an awesome place in my opinion. It has: - old significant architecture (like the iconic Due Torri) - an extremely interesting dining scene with trendy restaurants and places that reinterpret the Italian cuisine in a sensible way (like Milan, but far more accessible) - a general feeling or a city that works as a normal city, not a tourist attraction that doubles as a city - uncrowded museums and other cultural activities For me, Bologna is one of the most underrated big Italian city. I disagree with everything about RS assessments about it. I even wonder if he ever actually spent a whole day in the city or formed his opinions as someone who'd had just visit the immediate surroundings of the train station.

I also feel Rick Steves has a personal grudge against cities that are major financial or diplomatic centers. He has disdained Frankfurt, Milano, Genève and Bruxelles on different occasions. In the particular case of Milano, he repeats a common mistake of a rookie-and-hurried visitor, sticking to areas around the main sight (the Duomo) to pass a judgment of Milano as dull, a big shopping mall and the Last Supper paint. A bit of knowledge lets the traveler know the best area of Milano is slightly to the Northwest/West of downtown, with the castle, the inviting Brera area with its diverse galleries and some theme-specific museums. I can't understand why he hasn't spend at least 3 days in the city over his many years in Europe to provide some assessment of alternate sites to Galeria Vittorio Emanuelle or Via Torino shops... =================== Now, there is a secondary issue: people take his recommendations as the only European cities worth visiting. I've seen in on Helpine: all Gimmewald hotels are full, then some Helpliner is terrible sad because he will miss the whole "magic of Berner Oberland", as if every other city there except RS picks of Murren and LAuterbrunne were the worst places on Europe. Ditto for people who will not take a minute to consider other Lake Como city but Varenna or other Cinque Terre village but Vernazza

"so you know how annoyed Europeans get when Americans start saying they're "Irish" or whatever." I wonder, then, how Dubliners will receive this event: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/04/navy-notre-dame-dublin-9-am/1#.UDxFk6MpRRo

"...I also feel Rick Steves has a personal grudge against cities that are major financial or diplomatic centers..." Where do you get this stuff from???? From all accounts London is now the biggest financial center on the planet, yet Rick has an entire book dedicated to it........some grudge.

"I'll now try to bury my heritage when talking with my European friends" lol @ "heritage" - something Americans tend to be a little preoccupied with compared to other nationalities. People don't have to hide their heritage, but how often would it REALLY come up if you didn't make a point of bringing it up? I mean, unless you're in an area where it's like "Oh, my grandmother is from this village" - that makes sense. "I'm Irish!" "Really? You were born in Ireland? Where?" "No, you see, my great-grandparents were born somewhere in Ireland, though!" is more typical and what I have seen and heard a lot of Europeans rolling their eyes at. Maybe they are polite enough not to do it in front of the people who do that, but I have been subject to many discussions on the topic. "African-American" is a racial designation, not an ethnicity or nationality unto itself, so it's not comparable. Anyway, total tangent, I just thought it was odd for Rick to say, "I'm Norwegian," point blank like that, particularly when it's not really funny or relevant to the article.

We have found that regarding travel, as with so many other things in life, we get better at it with more experience. A big part of getting better has been discovering which guidebooks suit our tastes, and it's not RS. I find him inconsistent - - sometimes touting "back doors," but often pushing extremely touristy places, e.g., Rothenburg. His enthusiasm for Carcassonne, a mostly modern-day replica filled with tacky souvenir shops, baffles me. Of course, he is not to blame for the mindlessness with which some of his readers follow his path. E.g., including Cinque Terre and Civita da Bagnoreggio as must-sees along with Rome, Venice, and Florence for a 1st trip to Italy. (Just my opinion) Or, wailing that their tour, which they haven't taken yet, is spoiled because their hotel isn't on Rue Cler.
I also don't find his hotel recommendations reliable. I'd almost go so far as to say that I'd avoid hotels he recommends. One reason is that they tend to be a bit too downmarket for me. Other authors have done a better job of ferreting out moderately priced, but charming accommodations. The other is that his recommended hotels are sure to be full of Americans clutching his guides. I don't fool myself that I can live like a local in a couple of days visit, but I also don't want to be surrounded by hordes of my fellow countrymen. I like the Cadogan Guides very much because they are very comprehensive. They give information on a lot of places not covered elsewhere, along with some concise, but illuminating background material. We have found that we can count on their lodging and restaurant recommendations to be pleasing, though that is not what we primarily use them for.

Unlike Rosalyn, we find RS Guide Books to be "right-on" for our traveling in Europe every summer for a month. In the last 10 years, we have never been disappointed in any of his recommendations and have never been overwhelmed by fellow American tourists clutching his guide books. "Different strokes for different folks" as the old saying goes. And here we are about to take our 10th RS tour (14-day Village Italy Tour). Have we visited cities, stayed in hotels, and eaten in restaurants that he has not recommended? Absolutely. That is part of the overall experience we are looking for. We are fortunate enough to be able to spend time in Europe before or after, or both, related to his tours.

Yes, Americans can be preoccupied with their heritage, except for native people and like Australia we are all from different parts of the world. This preoccupation probably stems from the fact people want to connect with their heritage in one way or another, which in turn fuels the desire to travel to Europe and other parts of the world. Granted African American is an racial identity, Norwegians are part of the North Germanic/Nordic group, a group one doesn't hear about everyday or brought up in coversation, now if that was said that would really be an eye roller, my point being someone identifing themself as Norwegian is just a more precise way of saying where they're ancestors originated, the same for African Americans, but no one questions that, but I digress. But I would be remiss if I didn't ask would they roll their eyes if someone said "I'm European American". And would someone of Japanese heritage get the same eye rolling response if in Tokyo they announced "I'm Japanese"! He probably should have phrased it as of Norwegian heritage or Norwegian-American. To be honest I've always found it silly how we desire to attach our heritage to our nationality, wouldn't we all be better off it we were just Americans? Fun dialogue Sarah! Funny story, or at least I think so, about 20 years or so ago I was listening to an interview with a black male who had just been named as coach for a minor league hockey team. One of the reporters asked him how it felt to be the first African American to be named to this postiion, He looked at the reporter and simply said "I'm not African American". The reporter looked at him perplexed and said "what do you mean you're not African American. The coach said "I'm Canadian"!

I totally agree with you Rosalyn. We have been disappointed with at least 4 of RS hotels, and as a result, I look elsewhere for recommendations. I find RS hit or miss in general, and disagree with a lot of his advice for Paris (which I know well). He's still useful, but I take what he says with a grain of salt and am aware of his shortcomings, and I use other guides and sources in addition. I do not follow RS blindly.

I usually don't end up using RS hotels because I usually find cheaper similar options (and RS recommended hotels tend to book up earlier than others!) but I will say that while I don't always agree with his recs for what places to visit, once IN those places I find his recs fairly solid. He's not a foodie, for example, but his restaurant recs are usually pretty safe if you want a decent meal. Strangely, I find his bar recs to be the best - he's led me to some places that are definitely locals-only and quite quirky, that I might not have noticed otherwise. I think he's secretly a party animal!

Like every other travel writer, RS brings strengths and weaknesses to the table. He is highly opinionated, going out of his way to rank sights and destinations. As someone who uses RS as one of several sources, I appreciate his strong opinions. I use RS as my starting point on what to see in cities. I will look at his recommendations for restaurants. I no longer consider his hotel recommendations for reasons noted above. And I recognize that he loves places I did not love and there are places worth visiting that he ignores. In short, I use several guide books. I determine the itinerary. But for those cities and other places discussed at length by RS that are on my itinerary, I look to RS first on how to best spend my time in that location, though recognizing, often quickly, that he recommends some sights I have limited interest in seeing. RS is a reference--and a good one--but not gospel. PS Rosalyn, thanks for the Cadogan Guide recommendation. I intend to look for the Cadogan books next time I visit the bookstore.

I find Rick's books to be more "curated" than Lonely Planet books, if that makes sense. He picks only the stuff that he thinks his readers will like. But we use Lonely Planet too. For instance, I had to laugh at the Lonely Planet Paris book because it lists every museum imaginable, including things like the "fan museum" which was closed in August! Rick's books won't have that stuff. But I find his backgrounds on some things, though self-guided tours/audio tours, indispensable. (As goofy as he can be at times, we like it.) And I like his recommendations for where to base ourselves when trying a region out; we went to Keswick on his recommendation and just loved it. Also, the best tip we ever got from him was to come to Mont-Saint Michel late in the day to avoid crowds and to see the sunset and flood-lit abbey. Seeing the sunset out on the mudflats was one of the top experiences of my entire life just magical. So, for that kind of tip, RIck can't be beat. But I agree with those above who are agnostic to his restaurant and hotel recs. And if he said to go or not to go to a place, I would take it into account but not treat it as Gospel. Everyone is different, and I have a sense of his tastes and where they do and do not correspond with my own.

I guess I'm getting too caught up in this side thread about ancestral origins but I had a completely different experience in London, when talking to a couple from Scotland. First off, they wanted to talk to us because we are from the US. They then asked our names and when we told them our Scottish surname, they were delighted. When we then told them my maiden name is also Scottish, and that all of my relatives emigrated here from Scotland way back when, they were thrilled. I often refer to my ancestor's roots. I would like to think they would like that I know and care where they came from. If people roll their eyes, I really could care less as its just another mock in a world of arrogance. Who cares. I get very tired of hearing about disaproval of this and that, particularly when it comes to Europeans versus Americans. I would never mock a tourist here...would certainly hope to not be mocked there.

Its funny some of the posts about identifying yourself as this or that. I am new to this site - I am going to Barcelona in October and will take a meditteranean cruise some days later so I want all the information and tips I can get. I am very much a planner so my hotels, transfers and the hop on/hop off bus ticket in Barcelona are all set. I still have to decide whether to purchase an excursion in Rome, Athens and Ephesus, or not. I think I can do without in Naples, Florence, Monte Carlo and another small Greek town I can't remember. Regarding identifying yourself as coming from this country,etc., as a Puerto Rican American, I say that my parents are from Puerto Rico but I was born here. I do not identify myself as such since I was not born there so I get what some of you are saying - LOL

Gee, something must be terribly wrong with me! We thoroughly enjoyed our 3 days in Beilstein, even with the intermittent rain. The Haus Lipmann was a wonderful place to stay and we had a great time hiking up to Burg Metternich taking in the amazing views. We also visited the Carmelite Church with it Black Madonna and enjoyed several delicious meals at Haus Lipmann and the Altes Zollhaus as well as some of the best apple strudel is served at the Burg Metternich Hotel. And we found Rudesheim to be a great place to stay for a couple of nights after flying into Frankfurt. Wonderful restaurants and interesting walks as well as the cable car up to the Niederwald Monument. Finally, we have visited Rothenburg at least 6 times and always look forward to returning, even if it's just for an afternoon before returning home. Early in the morning, you can get out and wander the old cobblestone streets with hardly a tourist in sight. We've been to many small towns in Germany and Austria where there were no American tourists. And, while the places above may not be everybody's "cup of tea" we thoroughly enjoyed exploring them.

Careful Betty, you may be now be officially labeled an apologist for Rick Steves for enjoying recommendations that are panned by some. :)

It's not that Beilstein, Rothenburg, etc. aren't enjoyable locations. They are. It's just that other than the tourist attention they receive, they aren't nearly as unique as advertised. I wouldn't flat out say not to visit one of these towns (well, I would with Baden-Baden and Reutte). But I would recommend considering what interesting towns you may by-pass when following the herd to the Blue Book approved destinations.

Hi Betty, I don't think there's something wrong with you. Travel is subjective. Nothing wrong with Beilstein at all. It's very cute, charming, quiet, etc. It's just not "our place" to stay. If we all liked the same things, there'd be no need for this type of travel board at all. Paul

I finally got a look at the version of this article that is on the Blog and was a bit dismayed to find that he panned the Borders of Scotland. It's different from the Highlands, but it certainly does not deserve to be on a "worst list". I spent 3-4 days there and found it beautiful and historic. I saw Sir W Scott's home' Traquair House, which has a great maze and lots of legends around Prince Charlie and Mary Queen of Scot's. I thought Hermitage Castle was amazing. And when I got lost driving around the hills and farms of the Debatable Lands, I could have sworn I heard Riever Ghosties laughing at me. ; ) And I don't say I'm Scottish, I say my grandfather came from Orkney. As others have pointed that usually sparks an interesting conversation. Very few Scots have been to Orkney and they'd like to go there. I've been twice and for stays of 3-5 days each. I know a lot about Scotland's history and follow the politics and so the discussions can then move beyond family heritage to contemporary Scotland and that what I like.

Definitely, Tom, I think there are many little towns where you can get the experience RS touts without the hype. Rothenburg, Baden Baden, etc. are now brands. They have cache beyond their actual merit. As far as the heritage argument, the issue is about declaring one to be Scottish, or German, or whatever, when one is actually American. My grandmother was Irish, but I don't declare myself Irish as the experience of being Irish and living in Ireland is foreign to me. I know what it is to be American and to claim otherwise is appropriating the others' culture.

I guess the 2 statements that Rick makes in his book about Germany, about not to go to either Heidelberg or Mainz, are the ones that I find the weirdest. He thinks Heidelberg isn't worth it because it has too many tourists. Hello? What is Rothenburg like then? Then goes on to say don't go to Mainz as it is just a big city. Seriously, there is no way that he has toured either one of these cities and walked away with an opinion like this. It sounds more like hear-say that someone told him as he traveled through Germany. If one walks into the Mainz Cathedral, a church that is over a 1000 years old, you can't help but be impressed. The fact that the Archbishop of Mainz was one of the most powerful men in Germany for centuries just adds to the importance of this church building. Entering St. Stephans with its' gorgeous Chagall windows will take your breath away and maybe even cause your eyes to leak a little, it is so beautiful. Mainz was a major Roman city in the year 100, as well as being one of the 3 major Jewish communities, along with Worms and Speyer 1000 years ago. Heidelberg is very pretty and other than on the one little street, seldom packed with tourists. The view from the castle is stunning. Frankly, a city that Mark Twain enjoyed and wrote about so extensively is well worth a visit. There is more there than just the castle too. It would be nice if Rick could have one of his editors start doing a bit more research on some of the cities that he has dissed.

Jo, I think the issue Rick takes on Heidelberg is that is "packed with Americans" more than "packed with tourists" (or else places like the Interlaken/Laterbrunnen and Firenze should be on the "avoid" list since they get much more tourists for their size). =========================== On the heritage issue, I find it personally troubling how it became sort of a litmus test for citizens of the United States of America to have an hyphenated prefix if they are to have "character" or be "well-rounded". It is sometimes strange; it seems like being American is not enough, is as bland as a McDonalds store, you ought to be African-American, Irish-American, Pacific Islander-American, Moldovan-American and what else.

I am an American citizen and I have never hyphenated anything. Just plain old American. There are many of us out there who just identify as American and only American, so please don't generalize.

Jo: I certainly agree with you about Rick's "nix" on Mainz. It's not Germany's greatest city, by any stretch. But there are many practical reasons for ending up there (FRA, railway hub) and the old town has a great vibe and is just a delight. The Dom is marvelous. And Mainz has some terrific Fests throughout the year. I suspect that Rick may have exited the Mainz Hbf station, walked around for 10 minutes in this drab part of the city, asked "Why am I here?" and headed back to the station. Mainz is at its best in the area surrounding the Dom.

Rick seems more comfortable recommending those parts of Germany where English is more widely spoken - Rothenburg, for example - and less so in areas that don't exactly throw out the welcome mat in English. In the Black Forest section of his book, he curiously recommends staying in Baden-Baden, Freiburg, and Staufen, places that are mostly removed from more traditional Black Forest towns where life is somewhat less impacted by the march of time and progress. But you can get a look at more "old-world" Germany and a much better window on traditional German life in places like Gutach, Haslach, Schiltach (a whopping assortment of half-timbered buildings here), Calw, Villingen, Löffingen, and dozens of other Black Forest villages. Gengenbach is a nicely preserved town that resembles Rothenburg in some ways but is mercifully shy on tourists. They don't speak as much English in these places, but they also don't clutter their handsome villages with kitschy souvenirs or try to sell you Schneeballen. Bavaria Ben's website fills the Black Forest gap left by Rick quite nicely; check the trip reports and accommodations pages for the "Schwarzwald": http://www.bensbauernhof.com/

When pressed on my ethnicity, I identify as "Pennsylvanian-American".

I tend to avoid RS recommended lodging. I don't mind the quality and type of lodging. I do mind that they are full of "RS Guide toting Americans" (not sure there's a better description) as well as that they are booked early, and at top price, by those same RS Guide toting Americans. There are plenty of comparible places available, usually at a better price. Rick recommends only a few places and his followers seem to believe when those places are full there is no more lodging available in Europe.

My mom is big on being "Irish". It's true her family is from Derry, but they moved here in 1750. My dad's family is from Oxfordshire, but moved here in 1635. I consider myself American - a cultural mutt that's the end result of marriage between lots of European immigrants.

I was thinking on something: to what extent visiting a place that comes with a strong RS recommendation or a very clear "stay away" warning would precondition us, travelers. Maybe many of us (don't think anyone is totally immune) would, for instance, travel already pre-disposed to like or dislike a place based in what we heard or read about it.

I tend to like pretty much any place I have been in Europe...granted, some more than others, but if I happen to end up in a town that others have said 'don't bother, or waste or time'.. I guess the rebel in me tends to want to see what they missed, and I always find something wonderful. Maybe I just do better with really low expectations. As for the other issue... I am an American. However, since I am not a Native American I have often commented that I have Germany heritage when visiting Germany, but I would obviously not announce myself as a German. And frankly, it really doesn't matter... who cares?

I don't think Rick normally identifies himself as Norwegian, does be? In the context of the article, he was just making a joke about not liking the Swedish countryside. I didn't have a problem with it. Now if he said it all the time, I'd think it was peculiar.

What I've taken away from Rick's TV shows and books is not so much "Go here, avoid this, stay in this hotel," but the skills to have a better experience in Europe. Don't automatically pick the big Hilton; look for a small, private hotel or a B&B, and here are some tips to help you find a nice, clean, value-priced place. Don't just go around to the typical tourist sites; look for things more off the beaten path, and here's how to avoid being scammed by the local lowlifes. Don't choose a restaurant because they speak English; go where the tourists go, and try to learn enough phrases of the local language to get by. It's about the attitude: travel light, try to fit yourself to the place instead of forcing it to fit to you, and swing with the punches. One boring town, or even something that is less than you expected, won't ruin your trip, and may make for a fun memory or interesting anecdote. Try to pick something better for the next time. And the only way you can pick is to hear a variety of opinions and assimilate them. I think there are less rules in traveling "through the back door" than is sometimes perceived. Rick even says in the books to get other guide books; just make sure they are recent. Check with the TI to see what's going on. Try to live like a local, and you'll get different and possibly better experiences out of it, no matter where you go. I agree about Rick's tips, too; they can be really helpful. One of the best for me was to go to the Tower of London first thing, and see the Crown Jewels first and then get on the Beefeater tour. My friend and I had the jewels almost to ourselves, and were able to go around the little conveyor belt a dozen times. P.S. why is this forum allergic to double dashes?

I like this message board forum and always read Rick's guide to where ever we are going (along with every other one) but I find his advice stale and rehashed. This "blog" is pretty much an exact word for word copy of a chapter which he reprints in every Europe Through the Back Door guide every single year. As I have said before Rick Steves needs to change things up a bit - I "get" that he is trying to "acquire" new readers but he must understand the need to "retain" the readers you already have! I get it - you love Rothenburg Rick. You have written about it year after year and honestly it sounds like a snooze to me - I'd love to hear about some different "back door" towns.

great - looks like he is taking my wise advice. Now I have some suggestions about making his TV show less boring!

^^ I think it would be interesting if Rick Steves next year of 2014 had decide to make a "new places only" series of videos/posts. As in: only covering places that aren't covered already extensively by his material. No Cinque Terre, no Haarlem, no Bernese Oberland.

uh, um, Andre - next year is 2013. Maybe you, in your line of work, have imaginative time definitions but for us mere mortals 2014 is a couple of years off...

I'm very jealous that there are travelers out there who have visited each and every site Rick recommends in all his guidebooks, that they have run out of places to visit and demand all new "back-doors" from him. Meanwhile 90% of the rest of his fans have probably only visited a tiny por-tion, and could literally spend a lifetime exploring the rest of them and are happy with the way things are. Also for those who claim Rick never expands or adds to his guidebooks, consider this: I was just doing some cleaning around the house and discovered an old 1997 edition of his Germany/Austria/Switzerland guidebook. That's right back in 97 those three destinations were all crammed into one book with thicker pages and slightly larger font. Since then of course he has added so many more locales that each destination has it's own solo edition thicker than the combined 97 book despite the thinner paper his publisher now uses.

I get what Andre is saying, and I think he is right. Rick and his cowriters and editors are working now on books for 2013; they are not going to drrop everything and start over at this stage of the game. Even if they were to go out immediately afterward to start work on a new book, it would be for 2014. But this would be a good time for Rick's company to do some market research on the topic, if they are willing to consider it. I would buy the book Andre suggests, but I don't know if there is a large enough market to make it profitable. My guess is that a book exploring lesser known (to Americans) places in "Old" Europe would have a bigger market in the U.S. than books about the Middle East or much of Eastern Europe.

Michael - there are other places to visit that Rick doesn't suggest! It's not that I have visited all of "Rick's places" - I may have researched some and found they were of no interest to my family and me. Rick raved about Brugge but I found it kinda lame - Ghent was MUCH more my speed. But every year he has a chapter on Brugge. Less tourists, more bars and much more fun. Obviously everyone is different - my point is for a guidebook to only cover a small selection of a country I think it would benefit them to change up that small selection.

I guess you didn't hear that Rick added a chapter for Ghent to his Amsterdam/Brgues/Brussels guidebook. What's that you said about Rick "changing things up a bit"?

Hi, 1) The only disappointing day I have ever had in Europe was visiting Stratford on Avon and Warwick castle. AVOID!! Total tourist traps. 2) The Rue Cler (Paris) is convenient, but overrated. I stayed at a lovely RS recommended hotel in the area and went to the Rue Cler every day. 3) Once you have looked at the Grand Place, there is not much to see in Brussels. Some wonderful art museums, half of which were closed for rennovations while we were there.
4) With one exception, I have found RS hotels to be the perfect fit. They are (for the most part) 3 star hotels with good central location or near easy public transportation. If you need a fancier room, I agree with the writers who do not use RS hotels. Yes, they do fill up early. And, what is wrong with other RS travelers staying at the hotel??? I had a delightful conversation with a lady and her daughter at the Museum de Orsay because we were both carrying RS books. It is another connection to fellow travelers. JRob

Although going to the Christmas Eve service at King's College Chapel still is on my bucket list, I want to defend Oxford over Cambridge. Think Christ Church, the Eagle and Child, the Bodleian, the truly charming and quirky Pitt Rivers Museum! Also, a good word for Barcelona, with its gorgeous walkable harbor, Parc Guell, and The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, in my opinion the most fantastic and interesting building in Europe. I agree that Lisbon is underrated and so is Porto. Happy travels!

> Rick seems more comfortable recommending those > parts of Germany where English is more widely > spoken - Rothenburg, for example - and less > so in areas that don't exactly throw out the > welcome mat in English. Well, it looks like he rarely spends time out of his comfort zone, or his knowledge of the rest of Germany is very limited. I think it's quite strange for instance that the only mentioned place to the north of Berlin is Hamburg, and the Baltic coast (with three World Heritage Sites, several islands and beautiful 19th century resorts) isn't even mentioned. Or that he raves about Rothenburg odT, but doesn't know Quedlinburg. "Lutherland" lacks Weimar, Dresden lacks Meissen, and Nuremberg lacks Bamberg.
He should travel more... :D