What was your travel like before Rick Steves?

WHAT travel?!? (of course I was a young thing...) When my mother asked me to accompany her on a trip to Israel in 1992 (?), I said 'yes' because I had watched 'Uncle Ricky' for a few years, and he showed me that ANYONE could do what he was doing! When I landed at first in Atlanta, then Ben Gurion Airports and I realized that they did indeed all look the same LOL, that's when I KNEW that this traveling thing was most definitely for me!!! A real 'lightbulb' moment. A year later I had an opportunity to travel to South Korea - BY MYSELF! - and while nervous about the specifics of the trip, I wasn't nervous at all about whether or not I COULD do it! Trust me, I just simply don't see THAT ever happening if not for Rick's old "Travels in Europe" shows and his old "2 to 22 Days in ____" guidebooks (that I still own). I'm sure that, IF I actually ever got to Europe, it would be on one of those "If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium" bus tours. IF I ever got to Europe... YEA, 'UNCLE RICKY'!!! (of course, I paid for his daughter's braces LOL!)

When I was very young my family moved to France in 1960. We traveled all over Europe during the 5 yrs we lived there - my parents style of travel was very similar to Rick's so I learned from them. The Michelin guide was their bible. We stayed in quaint towns, in family run hotels, ate in family run restaurants, visited and stayed with friends and relatives, and in addition to seeing all the famous sites, my parents were big on non-tourist and "off the beaten path" experiences. I've traveled throughout Europe often ever since, in the style that my parents taught me. I first discovered Rick's show on PBS in 1990 and because his style was so similar to mine, I enjoyed watching and have bought many of his books over the years which have been very helpful.

Before "meeting" Rick we went on a big bus tour of Austria. We took one HUGE suitcase, and one slightly smaller one. Plus a "camera" bag that was bigger than most day bags now (and no, we didn't take any camera gear- we used it as a day bag). We did a couple more of "those" trips. And we started to look at train stations and say "Wonder if we could do this on our own". Finally, we tried to London on our own. We took the "smaller" suitcase and an even smaller one. Still took a large day bag. Then we found Rick!!! We each got one of his bags (still using those same bags and they look as good as they did that first trip). Our day bag got smaller each trip. Hubby can now pack his bag so it weighs less than 10 lbs. Mine usually weighs in about 12-15 lb- but I "get" to carry all the single item things (first aid kit, sewing kit, medications, etc.). We've now done more than 40 trips, including one around-the-world trip. Wouldn't travel any other way now.

When I was student studying in Europe in the 70's we had one copy of Europe on $5 a day. We seemed to decide where we were going by talking with each other. I knew that I was going to Greece. I knew too that I would go to France. I knew what I wanted to see from classes. And, then we got to places and stayed in youth hostels you got more suggestions from other travelers. In some ways it was simple, we wanted to visit the best museum and sites and then find good food and good beer and wine! Oh and good music! We did use the Michelin Green Guides a lot. This laid back style continued through my later trips to Britain and Greece. We did have a guide book for Greece, but we still would wake up and go to breakfast at a cafe and decide whether we were going to ruins, a museum or the beach. ; ) For Britain we were guided by family recommendations. I think Rick's guides are terrific, but I think that the biggest change in travel planning is the Internet. When I decided that I wanted to go back to Scotland and wanted to do a photo workshop I looked online. When I did the Greece and Britain trip I went to a travel agency. Today, I use the Internet, Rick Steves suggestions, this forum and TripAdvisor to plan my trips. Pam

Without Rick my planet is lonely and still is for everywhere not Europe. I like Rick's writing style and perspective, but I can get along fine with Lonely Planet or Let's Go.

all of my past 6 annual trips to Europe where all brought to me by..........Rick Steves. There was no travel before him. Thanks Rick!

travelled starting in 1960s by doing what I had always done- read everything available including Fodor's, Frommer and everything else- did my first trip on an organized tour to see what was there and what I wanted to go back to. Since then we have been travelling on our own. Each trip we try and go somewhere new (plus usually somewhere we have been before). Bought and read ETBD when it first came out. Rick Stevees has not changed my travel- just given me one more source for inspiration- we do enjoy his TV shows
I do not rely exclusively on any book or source (but give a lot of respect to places in Good Pub and Good Food guides).

I went to England (twice), Czech Repupblic, Austria, Poland, Scotland, Wales, Spain and Rome all without Rick. I mainly used DK, Frommers, and Let's Go. I did pretty well without Rick but find his books inspire me more to go back again and again. What I like most about Rick's books is the detailed advice given for practical things, like how to take a train somewhere, or how much time he suggests for each place. I know its biased to his views but most of the time I think it suits most people. I also like that the books help to make friends! We ran into a couple who had the same blue book as us on the funicular up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Ended up spending the whole day with them, all the way to a glass of wine at midnight.

Before I read Ricks advice on how to pack lighter, I tended to over-pack. I like Ricks style, and basically follow his advise, but I got along just fine before that. Except for the over-packing.

I remember, at least in my experience, that people always said, "we're going to Europe" like it was one big place and you went and checked it off your to do list. One day I was watching an RS show and he was talking about not getting to see everything on every trip and it changed my way of thinking about what a trip would look like. Instead of doing it all on one trip, it was okay to only go to one country and okay to go back to the same one if you liked it. I am heading back to the UK for the third time this year. I know I will be back and so if I don't see everything, that's alright. Just like it is alright that I haven't seen everything in France and Spain and the Netherlands and that I still haven't even started on Italy. To me, that has been his biggest contribution to my travels.

In 1970, at age 15, my parents, a girlfriend, and I took our first trip to Europe. My parents had read Frommer's "Europe on $5 a day," and while it was impossible to get by on that amount in 1970, we came close to doing it by...camping! My folks had ordered a brand new VW bus which was waiting for us at the Frankfurt airport (later to be shipped back home and sold), and off we went! Our goal was to "shake hands" with all the major European capitals (and more). Although it would be considered blasphemy by many who frequent this site, in 32 days we actually visited Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Munich, Salzburg, Venice, Florence, Rome, Florence (again), Lugano, Paris, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, West Berlin, and back to (then) West Germany to visit some never-before-seen relatives of my mother for two days. It was a remarkable, breath-taking trip that cemented my love for traveling around Europe to this day (though no longer in a camper!). Rick Steves' books have been with my husband and me since our honeymoon in 1985 -- they are invaluable! We're getting ready for our tenth trip this year, this time focusing on Italy. It never gets old!

No real difference - except that I am learning to pack less. But in all honesty, I have to credit Toni for that. Her suitcase for a month weighs less than my purse. Toni is my new role model.

I was one of those 70's college students in Europe, too - study abroad semester in Salzburg, Austria, from which I traveled around to a variety of countries that no longer exist on today's globe (and some that do). I had a copy of Europe on $5 a Day, too, and my biggest memory about that book was when a couple of my friends went somewhere in Italy intending to stay at a particular hostel listed in it. When they arrived, they found that it had burnt down some two years previous! No internet, no cellphones, no advance reservations - we just went wherever we felt like every weekend. You waited for the snail mail to arrive each morning, and if you needed to make a call home you had to go to the post office, wait for the operator to place the call, then get sent to a booth where your call was waiting. And it could only be done in the middle of the day (early morning at home) because that was the only time the post office was open. Today, I use a variety of different guidebooks when I'm planning a trip. I do a lot of photocopying of small bits and pieces that I want to take with me. I find RS books a little too limiting in some areas (like northern Spain). And maybe it's because of my freestyle travel "roots", but I prefer to find my own accomodations, good or bad, rather than take a widely publicized recommendation from a book.

Unlike most here, I haven't been a RS fan until just a few years ago. Before then we took great American road trips - first with just the wife & I and then with our children. We visited 40 states and several provinces. Then we decided to forgo a couple of years worth of road trips to save for a trip to Great Britain with the children. I wanted to plan the trip myself, but I also wanted to keep the trip simple and low-stress. So we wound up staying in three different locations for a week each. We loved it and dedicated ourselves to making more trips to Europe. But I wanted to do trips more complex and I was frustrated by the standard guide books that act as judgement-free encyclopedias of information. The Rick Steve's books were exactly what I was looking for. We also suppliment with other books when we want to visit an area his don't cover. But we find that his approach matches our own preferecnces very well. We will get more adventurous when the children are a little older.

Nothing has changed a great deal. I still tend to overpack but I've cut back a very lot since my first trip to the UK in 1988. I have always put the TI's to good use in finding accomodation. I'd did lots of research and got lots of conflicting infomation. What has changed is that I want to travel more. Living only a short distance from the world headquarters of ETBD, I go there a lot for the free travel classes and other rickobelia.

My first Europe trip was in 1979. If RS was in business then, I hadn't heard of him. This was when the EU was much smaller than today, and the Schengen Treaty (limiting duration of stays within participating countries) didn't exist. Good backpacks were hard to come by, and internal frames were not yet popular, so I had one custom built. Cell phones and internet didn't exist. My one guide book consisted of "Europe on $5 a Day". I had an International Youth Hostel membership, a road map of Europe, some cash in my pocket, and my thumb (useful for hitchhiking). The EurailPass was very popular and very cheap at that time. I think it is less of a deal now, but it depends on what you compare it to. I only had a EurailPass for 1 month of my 7 month trip. I flew on a one-way ticket, bought the return when I was ready to come back. No concern about how much time I spent in any one country or any one area. Most border crossings put a stamp in your passport (cool!). If you wanted to contact someback back home, you either wrote a letter telling them when you'd be at a certain town so they could write back or you'd wait in line at a phone bank and arrange an expensive phone call home through an operator. It felt very adventurous and was great fun! Hitchhiking through Europe was very popular at that time. Some people still do it but, like in the US, it has lost it's allure, either due to safety concerns, being in a rush, unpredictability, etc. But my best and most authentic European experiences were due to that mode of travel. Spent nights in youth hostels, B&Bs, pensions, small hotels, parks, and local's living room floors. People were extremely generous everywhere. Great question. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

"Vagabonding thru Europe and North Africa" was the authority for me. Read it 10 time before actually traveling to Europe. The book is out of print now but it was the first book I read that showed me that it was possible to travel the world - on a budget.

I'm actually more of a Lonely Planet guy, RS has had little affect on my travel. In fact, some of my favorite places were found through friends before RS ruined them so if anything I guess I could say he's had a negative affect on my travel plans.

I have to admit, we've never taken a trip without Rick. As we've traveled more, we've used lots of resources besides his books, and (gasp!) I might not use one of his at all on our trip this summer. Wait, I take that back, my first trip was a week in Paris to visit a friend. I checked out some guidebooks from the library, which listed everything there was to do in Paris and I was quickly overwhelmed. Luckily, since my friend had been living in Paris for a while, she was able to whittle down my list to something doable and help with the practicalities, like getting to town from the airport and getting a Metro pass. So, after that, I was actually relieved to find Rick's books. The practical info is really valuable, and the way he rates different sights, when you're a newbie, is helpful when deciding what to do. What cracked me up on our first trip using his books is how the businesses listed in his books REALLY know which side their bread's buttered on. They'd see the book, instantly become our friends, and give us free stuff.

When I was young, I did a lot of traveling with a backpack and absolutely no itinerary. I had fun but I practically walked right past World Heritage sites (weren't called that back then) without even knowing they existed. I got older and decided it was better to learn something about where I was headed. I did a couple of trips with too much baggage, then settled into my current style of one carry-on and maximum pre-trip study. I agree with Rick on many things and like his writing style. I don't rely on Rick for all my information because he only covers highlights - there is far more to see than what Rick talks about.

Like others of my age my first trip to Europe was a backpacking trip with a buddy. We had a copy of Let's Go Europe, Eurail passes and a carefree attitude. We went where the wind blew us. It was wonderful. Packing light wasn't invented by RS. That was the SMO of backpackers at the time. Some of the backpacks I see in Europe these days are way overpacked.

Backpacking trip with my fiancee (now will see our 35 year anniversary this year) We took Eurailpasses, stayed in youth hostels, and traveled with Fodor's Europe on $5 a day. The hostels were $2-3 a night, we ate picnic meals of bread and meat/cheese for lunch and dinner. We started in Germany, went to Belgium, The Nederlands, England, France, Spain and Switzerland before returning to Germany for our Condor airlines flight home. That was the BEST trip of our lives. 5 weeks of travel, no plans, meeting up with other couples and traveled with them for a day or two, or maybe a week. No cell phones, we didnt' call home, too expensive. Sent post cards! We used the experiences of the people we met to decide on the fly where we might go. We found places we might not have if we'd just used the guide book. There was no internet, world wide web to help us with reservations, we did it all in person. Walking up to a hostel hoping there was a bed for us for the night. YES, we traveled for 5 weeks with a backpack, no wheeled suitcases, even brought our own towel for showers! I took SLIDE film pictures (just had them transfered to DVD last year) Rick Steves didn't exist when we first traveled....there were very few guide books (and by the way, I still have the Fodor's book we took with us) We didn't get back to Europe for 20 years, taking our first bike trip in France in 1996. We've since been back 7 times, and I've traveled to England/Scotland for business. Travel is in our blood, and we will continue.

A result of my reading Rick Steves' travel guide books, for planning my trips to Europe, was that my trips were planned better. I went to less countries in one trip, thus experiencing more of a country, and having time to talk to people in that country. I do not agree with all of the "Sightseeing Priorities" that are in the INTRODUCTION in a Rick Steves travel guide book, but reading his priorities was helpful to me. I am glad that I read a Rick Steves travel guide book before I read any of the other travel guide books for a country in Europe. The book "Frommers' England", for example, does not have advice or information for planning a trip in England. That book is an encyclopedia of very very many places and things in England. The Frommers books have, at the front of the book, "The Best ...". but I totally disagree with their opinions of what are the best places and experiences in a country in Europe. In some of the Frommers books, the travel information is not helpful, and I think : did the person who wrote that chapter actually go to those places ?

I had to cut my first entry short... You show her the pictures Rick uses to show how NOT to pack - the heavy, very large (26"-30"+; 24" was 'small') , hard-sided NON-wheeled luggage ('Wheeled' luggage? What's THAT LOL?!?). One very large, or 2 large, bags each. Full of shoes, an outfit or two per day, and underwear for each day. Full-sized (glass - remember? 'Travel-sized'? What's that?) bottles of shampoo and conditioner (very long hair), probably hair rollers (maybe hot rollers, and no compact versions available yet). And that packing list is for a two-night stay at a rented lake cabin 2 hours away, or for a 1 week stay at Grandma's... (cont.)

(cont.) After I started watching RS's shows, the "Convertible Bag" came along - I still have the catalogs - they were revolutionary! A soft-sided (HUH?) bag with backpack straps you could zip away, and a handle like a regular suitcase (hence, 'respectable'). Oh My Gosh - it was like porn for me LOL! Couldn't stop staring at the photos! Had to have one, but they were SO small...Could I really pack with one of those? I desperately wanted to be "footloose and fancy-free" (where have I heard THAT?!?). So, when I took that trip to South Korea a few months before our first trip to Europe I got to practice my packing skills and try out my new 'stuff'. Of course, we still packed a bit heavily for our European trip (full carry-on-sized bag AND a full, full-sized daybag), but it was such a far cry from the olden days. I KNEW things were going to be different from then on... As for travel guides, I found a few books on South Korea, but my absolutely best info came from their Tourist Board - I sent away for what turned out to be a HUGE package of materials! Great stuff! And that was it for research. Luckily, my father had a Korean friend whose family owned a hotel, so THAT was taken care of. I have NO IDEA how I would have gone about booking a hotel in Seoul...with a travel agent, I guess... Yea, Rick Steves!!!

My travel didn't change as a result of RS shows and books. People have travelled independently for centuries while using small hotels and guest houses to explore the "must see" sites and the more remote and lesser known parts of Europe. For me, travel planning changed significantly with the Internet. Having up-to-date information about public transit, fees, accommodations, special exhibits, etc., all instantly available allowed much easier travel planning.

(yes - there's more LOL) I was watching some of RS's old "Travels in Europe" programs last night (finally found some on DVD a few years ago...my VCR cassettes are a bit iffy...), and was reminded of how much I loved his segments on travel skills he put into every show; last night, he showed how to wash clothes in a hotel sink, how to say 'kaput' and 'photo' (keepin' it simple with a 'language barrier'), and how to get most anything we need at either a regular market (toothpaste, shampoo) or at a pharmacy. I REALLY miss that aspect of his newer shows, and I realize that the vast majority of people reading this have absolutely no idea what I'm referring to - he was soooo young back then!!! (years younger than I am now!). I loved his geeky (or, geekier) manner, and how he just plunged in. It made such an impact on me - someone who never seriously thought about a European trip. Those trips were for 'other people', whoever THEY were. As I watched him just dive in, I had my first stirrings of 'hey, 'regular' people can go there (or most anywhere) and do what they want' - no travel agents, big buses, etc. He taught us HOW to do it, and people just beginning their travels these days don't appreciate how revolutionary his whole concept was at the time.

On my first trip to Europe many many years ago, we were just in London and took one bus tour - it was pretty easy. The next year we were going back to England but wanted to do the countryside. At that time we were living by Seattle so we went into the Rick Steves' office for a consultation. That began our style of traveling based on the information we received and the success of our trip. It has nothing to do with how much money we have but what style of travel we like - I have friends who always stay in 5 star hotels, but I much prefer the B&B's, getting to know the people, traveling light. It's been great for us.

I never went to Europe before I saw Rick Steves on PBS. Been there 10 times since then. It's unbelievable what this he and his way of traveling has added to my, and my family's life. This is why he's my idol.

I like Rick for the practical information. Like Europe through the Back Door. His guide books are so-so. Not bad, but not anything incredibly special.

His books changed nothing for me, I had already cut my teeth on Let´s Go and Lonely Planet, which promote a similar type of travel for a younger audience on a lower budget. The biggest change came when the internet really started to pick up steam in the early to mid 1990s. The internet essentially made part of (but not all) of the information in guidebooks obsolete, like opening hours, directions, rail schedules and price listings. But if a picture is worth a 1,000 words, his TV shows have inspired me to go out of my way to visit some places I wouldn´t necessarily have know about otherwise.

Good post Eli. Way back when, I grabbed a Fielding's Low-Cost Europe and headed for a lengthy trip. In many ways I was unprepared and made a significant number of avoidable mistakes. Rick offered sound advice about travel in a fun manner. Travel should be fun. Thanks Rick.

I don't think I had really heard too much about Rick Steves until my M-I-L came over here a few years ago with a Rick Steves Germany book in her hand. She then made the announcment that Rick recommended going to look at the Red Light District here in Frankfurt. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked at this, wondering why in the world this would be suggested to families traveling here. This still annoys me a lot. So, off we went to gaze at the wonders of it all. I don't care that much about the area, but it was embaressing showing it to my M-I-L who was in her 70's. (hint, hint, Rick, please remove this section from your book) After she left, I checked out the Graffiti Wall, the Helpline, and the Guidebook Updates and over time, read through all of them and then started answering questions on the Helpline. Can't say I have really used the books much, though we do have the last 3 years of the Germany book. I used it a bit in Berlin, but found the listings for the walking tours to have totally incorrect information, making me wonder what else is incorrect. The Frankfurt section 3 years ago also had its share of incorrect information, but after sending corrections in to the staff, the information was corrected last year. Much appreciated Rick! For 1st time travelers, the books can be very useful, but I tend to get all my info online, either by asking the forums over on Trip Advisor, asking people here and also making Google my best friend.

The only conclusion I can come to is that he's slowed me down. By the time he made his first trip to Europe, I had thirty-some countries and five continents under my belt. As a kid, I'd seen Germany still in shambles, Spain with pockmarked buildings from its revolution, and the opening moments of the Hungarian revolution. They were figuring out what to do with Gatwick, Ben Gurion was called Lod, and nobody had even thunk of building an airport way the hell out at Roissy. Boeing was fiddling with something that would become the 707, but it hadn't entered commercial service. My first trip on my own was in the first half of the sixties with a tremendous gal. We made it from Paris to Innsbruck and back over Christmas break. We were so broke we had to walk to the top of the ET, which you could do back then, and nearly froze our butts off. We made it back to Times Square for new years eve, but had to share a cup of coffee in order to have money to get back to Laguardia. I'd never even heard of RS until my wife picked up a copy of ETBD at a yard sale six or seven years ago and tossed it at me. By that time, my country count was in the mid-eighties. Since then I've only added one more country. THE SCOUNDREL HAS BUT THE BRAKES ON MY TRAVEL - - no other conclusion is possible - - there's a direct correlation.

But, darn, he is an interesting writer. And his PBS shows leave me wondering how I missed something by a couple hundred yards more times than I can count. A few minor things that just don't suit me: I wish he'd branch out a bit - - huge gobs of a country seem not to exist. He puts too much emphasis on places to stay (note the panic-posts if an RS place ain't available). The thought of a podcast (everwhat that is, exactly) makes me think that somebody suspects I can't read and study ahead of time. The thought of a guided tour makes my stomach churn. Continually changing modes of transportation would make me dizzy. Open-jaw is goofy unless it's something like London -> Rome. The continent is so small, it's usually cheaper to go back to the starting point. Having to plan and make reservations would drive me up the wall. The couple of planned trips I've made have been dismal failures - - bumbling and wandering just seems to work better.

I also dont want any part of guided tours.I think they are much more expensive and I enjoy the planning.I have always used Ricks book for my 9 trips. I do however take a look at other guidebooks just to compare and find most cover too much(the opposite of what many others think).

Gosh Ed, you must be older than..............dare I say it....dirt!!! But, thanks for this truly interesting post. You've had so many adventures......I'm sure many of us are envious.

I just discovered RS working on pledge drives at a PBS station in the mid 1990s. By that time I had been back and forth over the Atlantic (and on it) more times than I have counted, probably 20 to 30. My best trip was in 1972 when I left JFK for Koeln-Dusseldorf (or was it Koeln-Bonn, I don't remember and don't fly much now) on Lufthansa, traveled all around West Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, northern Italy, Monaco, Belgium and England for 4 months, returning to JFK from LHR (I think) and I had change for $1,000 including airfare. My guidebook was my Youth Eurailpass included map, and my tourguide was chatting with fellow travelers about what they had seen. I spent most nights sofa-surfing, sleeping in train compartments, and spending a few Marks for a bed (!!) in a Youth Hostel and a few pfennigs for a most excellent meal; and a few more pfennigs for a hot (!!!) shower (!!!!). My luggage was one aluminum frame green backpack with enough room at the top for my sleeping bag, and a place to tie my spare hiking boots. Every day was something new and exciting. I loved it.

Eli, I always love your posts. This one really got me thinking. I took my first trip across the pond in the mid 1980's. I also discovered RS at the same time. It was his "2 to 22 Days in Great Britain" book. I don't remember when I got my first ETBD book. I wish I still had it. Rick taught me to travel. I have always loved his philosophy of traveling like a European when in Europe, not like an American. I also learned to pack light and take public transportation right from the start. Thanks, Rick.

My first trip to Europe was on a tour with 40+ other people. I loved being there. But it was like watching the dessert cart roll by and not getting to taste anything. But on that trip I learned many people in the tourist trade speak enough English for me. Then I read RS books and realized I don't need no stinking tour group. I have gone on 2 RS tours, they do not stink at all..

Was there travel before Rick Steves??!!??

I feel like such a misfit, having over the past 25 years travelled half way round the world without once reading a Rick Steves guide book. We discovered the RS travel programmes long after having seen most of Europe and enjoyed them immensely but never felt moved to buy an RS guide book. His way of travel was our way of travel anyway so we just carried on doing what we had always done. N.B. We have never, ever, ever stayed on rue Cler.

(BR) before Rick, our first Europe trip was for the wedding of one of our children in Germany; and at that time we auto toured Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland. We had only a RS Germany book (we were unaware of who RS was), and found it to be a great help. Returning to the US we saw our first RS TV broadcast about the areas we had visited, and realized how much stuff we just passed right by. Decided to to his Best of Europe upon retirementTerrificthe ETBD tour guide, local guides, sites, and group!! This Fall will be the ninth ETBD tour (Best of E.,Village E., Spain & Protugal, Eastern E., Turkey, Greece, village Italy, and this Fall Scottland & England). Always do additional stuff on either end of the tour and have done considerably more auto travel with RS books as a primary source. His advice and tips almost always are very good for us. Thank you, to you folks on this blog, your help and advice has been super!

.......and if TheUnspokenOne were still around, he'd be bowing and taking all the credit.

Before RS - phone calls, visiting the library and bookstores, and social networking After RS
- phone calls, visiting the internet and bookstores, and social networking RS is one component of the internet and bookstores. A lot of helpful information but not necessarily covering everything of which I have an interest in. Edwin

I'm actually amazed that back in 1996, I let a travel agent plan our honeymoon; I never picked up a guidebook and basically winged the trip once we got there. Nowadays, I plan every aspect of our trip ourselves from the itinerary, transportation, detailed daily itineraries, etc... I also do a combination of home exchanges, apartment rentals, hotels/B&B's etc.. I love the planning almost as much as the trip. I love Rick Steves guidebooks because I (1) share his travel philosophy of living like a local (2) have a limited budget, and (3) other guidebooks put me to sleeeeep!

As a couple we never journeyed farther that Jamaica prior to two years ago. Our first trip to Europe together was to Greece (Athen, Hydra and Santorini. Last summer we did Holland (Amsterdam and day trips), Germany (Munich) Belguim (Brussels/Brugge). On both of these trips we found Rick's guides and shows on public TV most informative, no to say we couldn't have enjoyed ourselves as much without his insights is not an understatement. This year Amsterdam again (we loved it), Paris, Rome and leaving from Venice. All with stops along the way, well we hope. In the planning stages now. Can't say enough good things about Rick. Good travelling everyone. Feel free to suggest any travel info to us anytime. Ann and Frank