Customer Reviews

Europe to the Max with Rudy Maxa

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As far as I know of, the two main travel-guide videos are Rick Steves's and Rudy Maxa's. Rick Steves seems to be the more popular of the two since his shows are more frequently shown on the PBS channels (at least in the DC area). But in my opinion, Rudy Maxa's videos are better. First, although both are very informative, Maxa's writing and dialog seems to be better and more eloquently presented...he's almost poetic. His narratives are clear, substantive, and colorful. His portrayals also include splashes of historical facts or cultural trivia that not only make vacation spots more intriguing, they also provide the viewer with a better understanding of the people and their customs. Second, Rudy Maxa's videos seem to be more vibrant and more colorful than Rick Steves's--blues skies are bluer and green pastures are greener. I'm not sure if there is a varying type of filming quality, but for some reason, Rick Steves's DVDs have a dullish hue to them, even when he films under the sunniest conditions. Third, it seems that Rudy Maxa's videos were made with a larger budget than Rick Steves's. From what I can remember, all of Maxa's videos were always filmed on sunny days--displaying vacation spots at their best-conditioned visuals. I remember seeing Rick Steves visiting the Swiss Alps in rainy weather--absolutely not optimal for such magnificent panoramic views. Also, Rick Steves filmed Austria's Hallstatt--probably the most scenic Alpine town--in cloudy weather. Finally and perhaps most importantly, Rudy Maxa's videos use "proper" soundtracks to complement his visual displays. If you have ever done theater or film production, you know that the sound is almost just as important as the visual. Maxa's use of classical music or traditional cultural music from the visited country creates an effect that unites your visual and auditory senses and produces a mood that carries you as if you were there. Rick Steves uses some classical music, but more often utilizes...I'm not sure how to describe it, but I'll label it "elevator" or "cheesy" music that when you see and hear it together, you say to yourself "hmmm...something's not right." It's even evident in his opening credits. Again, it seems that Rudy Maxa's budget was higher and his producers seemed to have strived for perfection to showcase vacation spots at their best rather than filming with a limited budget in mind.

If you are planning to travel to Europe, I recommend viewing both Rick Steves's videos and Rudy Maxa's videos--both will provide you with very good information and great ideas of what to do. But, whereas Rick Steve's videos will make you say "That would be nice to see", Rudy Maxa's will make you exclaim... "I have to go there!"

Regarding this box set, this series and Rudy Maxa's other box set--"Hidden Treasures: Europe to the Max" (which Amazon titles "Rudy Maxa: Europe To the Max - Return Trip")--are sensational. From what I can tell, the shows are exactly the same as his "Smart Travel" series. Each box has 6 DVDs and each DVD contains 4 or 5 "half-hour" shows, plus other extras such as "Rudy's Travel Tips".

This box set has the following DVDs and their descriptions are as follows (I'm copying verbatim from his website):

Disc #1: Molto Italiano!
Rome beckons with its ancient treasures and modern pleasures. Rudy makes the most of your visit with stops at Rome's cafes and shops, and informative historic city walks. Your itinerary includes a detour to Vatican City. Rudy winds his way through Sicily with its vibrant mix of history, tradition, and intense cultural pride. A trek to a still-active volcano outside of Naples, a drive along the spectacular Amalfi coast, and explorations of the castles, vineyards, and walled cities of the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria complete this unforgettable Italian travel adventure.

Shows:
* Rome
* Naples and the Amalfi Coast
* Sicily
* Hill Towns of Tuscany and Umbria

DVD Extra Features:
* Scenic Tours: Ancient Rome, ancient ruins, Paestum Greek ruins, Sicilian Greek ruins, St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral.
* Maps: Rome, Naples, Sicily, Italian hill towns.
* Rudy's Travel Tips: Carry-on essentials, pre-booking accommodations, train travel in Europe.


Disc #2: Enchanted Italy
Join Rudy as he surrenders himself to the charms of some of Italy's most magical cities. In Venice, Rudy tours the famous sites, and also shares his secrets of how to escape the crowds by visiting the neighborhoods of Dorsoduro, Cannaregio, and San Polo. In Florence, Rudy brings the Renaissance to life through the fabled city's glorious museums and architecture. Rudy explores Milan, a European center for finance fashion, then takes a train north to visit serene Lake Como. Old World elegance and La Dolce Vita await in Genoa and the Italian Riviera.

Shows:
* Venice
* Florence
* Milan and Lake Como
* Genoa and the Italian Rivers

DVD Extra Features:
* Scenic Tours: San Marco, The Uffizi Gallery, Lake Como, and Palazzo Reale.
* Maps: Venice, Florence, Milan, Genoa.
* Rudy's Travel Tips: Ticket consolidators (Part 1), ticket consolidators (Part 2), travel in any language


Disc #3: The Heart of France
Paris is the city of style, art, and pastries. Hit the sites from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower, and then stroll through the parks, markets and cafes that make Paris " Paris." France's Burgundy region boasts exceptional French wines, world-class cuisine, and romantic canals. The Loire region offers magnificent chateaux. Rudy makes forays into Provence's picture perfect villages and countrysides, and points out the glamorous French Riviera's hottest spots and most beautiful beaches. Rudy offers invaluable tips on riding the Metro, enjoying summer festivals, touring wine country, and renting a car.

Shows:
* Paris
* Provence
* Burgundy and Loire
* French Riviera

DVD Extra Features:
* Scenic Tours: Musee D'Orsay, Van Gogh paintings, Loire Valley Chateaux, Cote D'Azur.
* Maps: Paris, Provence, Burgundy, Loire, French Riviera.
* Rudy's Travel Tips: Travel via Internet, Internet vs. guidebooks, Internet vs. the travel agent.


Disc #4: London and Beyond
Rudy answers London's call with this expert tour of its traditional sights and contemporary and cutting-edge attractions. In London's breathtaking countryside, Rudy points out mythic castles, browses in the real Alice in Wonderland's candy store, visits Jane Austen's house, and gazes upon the mysterious megaliths of Stonehenge. Brussels and Belgium serve up superb chocolate and world-class beer. In the Netherlands, we bicycle to Amsterdam's great art museums, and share a moving visit to the attic where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis.

Shows:
* London
* Out of London
* Brussels and Belgium
* Amsterdam and the Netherlands

DVD Extra Features:
* Scenic Tours: The Tate Gallery and Bankside, Marlborough Palace Maze, Lego Land, Rijks Museum.
* Maps: London, English countryside, Belgium, Amsterdam.
* Rudy's Travel Tips: Eating inexpensively, making dinner reservations, renting a car abroad.


Disc # 5: Fairy Tale Europe
From his base at Berlin's luxurious and historic Hotel Adlon, Rudy offers a new take on the Old World with unforgettable visits to this dynamic city's world-class cultural sites. In Munich and Bavaria, Rudy is your guide to the lively Marienplatz with its outdoor cafes, shops, and street musicians, as well as magnificent palaces and spectacular vistas. In musical Salzburg, Rudy visits the house where Mozart was born. In Austria's "Sound of Music" land, visit magical ice caves and stroll picturesque spa towns once frequented by European royalty.

Shows:
* Berlin
* Munich and Bavaria
* Salzburg and the Lake District
* Vienna and the Danube
* Medieval Europe

DVD Extra Features:
* Scenic Tours: The Egyptian Museum, Sommer Rollerbladen, Tegelberg, Hellbrunn Palace Water Garden, Nasch Market.
* Maps: Berlin, Munich and Bavaria, Salzburg, Vienna.
* Rudy's Travel Tips: E-mailing in Europe, getting around, medical insurance.


Disc # 6: Wondrous Europe
Join Rudy Maxa in the wondrous kingdom of legend and fairy tale - Denmark, where Vikings plundered and Hans Christian Anderson spun timeless children's stories. Sweden's luxuriant landscapes and Norway's grand panoramas prove irresistible to adventurers. Finally, from windmills in Holland to underground ancient Etruscan tombs in Tuscany, Rudy is your guide to Europe's dazzling getaways, each with its own unique charms.

Shows:
* Copenhagen and Denmark
* Stockholm and Sweden
* Oslo and Norway
* Europe's Great Getaways
* Renaissance Europe

DVD Extra Features:
* Scenic Tours: Karen Blixey Museum, Skansen Park, Euju-Bygdeton, Europe's great getaways, Renaissance Europe.
* Maps: Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Vienna, Salzburg, Provence, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Amsterdam.
* Rudy's Travel Tips: Overcoming jet lag, Internet car rental, airfare deal strategies.

Congratulations to Rudy Maxa and the crew for a set of brilliant DVD travel documentaries on Europe - the best I have ever seen. It is a pity that the series has not yet appeared on Australian TV. Beautifully filmed, the DVDs capture the enchantment of each location and its people, while providing great travel tips, fascinating cultural and historical insights. They provide all the entertainment and trappings for travel enthusiasts like myself.

My husband and I brought the series with us to watch on the plane on our way to Europe. While we didn't visit all of the destinations (our focus was Germany) we were totally hooked once we started watching and it really gave us a lay of the land of Europe. The photography is excellent and Rudy is, in our opinion, the best travel show host - and writer - on the market today. If you've never seen him, he blows Rick Steves out of the water. Rudy provides tips for a much easier, classier and more luxurious vacation without spending a fortune whereas Steve always makes travel look so arduous! My husband and I are in our 30's so we're not looking for some on-the-cheap backpacking adventure; our time is too precious. Rudy knows his stuff and knows what's important for you to know before you go. Highly recommended and makes a great gift - we received as a wedding present.

Despite the popularity of European travel, there is still a scarcity of good television shows on the subject. There is Rick Steves on PBS or Samantha Brown on Travel Channel and they represent two extremes in approaching European travel. Steves is the ultimate advocate of DIY travel and despite being well into middle age, still pushes the backpacking-on-a-shoestring approach typical of college students who can't afford to do it any other way; on the opposite end of the spectrum, there is Brown hopping on the overblown expense-account luxury jaunts that few working people can ever afford. I've watched quite a bit of both and found parts of their programs enjoyable, but as I got to travel myself, I have tired of her constant giggling and gushing but even more so, his liberal socio-political and anti-Catholic biases woven into the superficial historical lectures that take up most of his programs. At least Brown was showing us how to have fun.

Thank goodness my cable system picked up channels running Rudy Maxa, a veteran travel journalist who goes about his business without pretense. Unlike the others, he makes the locations the stars of the show as they should be. He gives equal time to all aspects of European travel that interest most Americans: a little art & history here, a little local flavor there, beautiful scenery shots and even a bit of luxury thrown in on occasion. Previous reviews have thoroughly described the contents so I won't repeat it except to say that practically all of the big European draws are included. I wish the extras were longer, particularly his tips, but otherwise this is the best series on European travel available for purchase (unfortunately I have yet to find the similarly excellent series by Burt Wolf). As a travel agent myself, I can't recommend this series highly enough and I am very sad to see that Maxa's second series on Europe is out of print.

My only problem with Maxa is his advocating of renting cars, especially in Italy - he must have a death wish!

This is a great DVD Set but is missing Greece & Spain! I recommend the more complete set: "Rudy Maxa: Europe To the Max - Return Trip" (which has Spain & Greece but omits Italy) or "Rick Steves' Europe: All 80 Shows 2000-2009" which covers everything and is 13 DVD's long! When comparing Maxa to Steves, Maxa shoots better video, is less nerdy, has better music, better visuals, but Steves' is way more in depth with historical references and analysis of the region. Some people may get bored with Steves' in depth coverage though so for those, Maxa would be a better choice.
Contents of this DVD Set is exactly the same as "Best of Europe with Rudy Maxa" so if you can get this one cheaper than go for this one & then see if you can get Greece & Spain Rudy Maxa footage separately off amazon!

DVD Set Contents:

Disc #1: Molto Italiano!
* Rome
* Naples and the Amalfi Coast
* Sicily
* Hill Towns of Tuscany and Umbria

Disc #2: Enchanted Italy
* Venice
* Florence
* Milan and Lake Como
* Genoa and the Italian Rivers

Disc #3: The Heart of France
* Paris
* Provence
* Burgundy and Loire
* French Riviera

Disc #4: London and Beyond
* London
* Out of London
* Brussels and Belgium
* Amsterdam and the Netherlands


Disc # 5: Fairy Tale Germany & Austria
* Berlin
* Munich and Bavaria
* Salzburg and the Lake District
* Vienna and the Danube
* Medieval Europe


Disc # 6: Wondrous Europe
* Copenhagen and Denmark
* Stockholm and Sweden
* Oslo and Norway
* Europe's Great Getaways
* Renaissance Europe

What should have also been included in this set to make it complete but wasn't:

Mysteries of Greece and Rome
* Athens and Delphi
* Greek Islands
* Out of Rome
* Classical Europe

Great Cities of Europe
* Madrid
* Barcelona and Costa Brava
* Four Great Cities of Europe
* Four Great Cities of Europe II

OK so you can see this on TV. Maybe--maybe not! We used to watch Rudy Maxa Travels on the Equator Channel before Dish Network took the channel, and all other VOOM channels, off their system. We had not seen a lot of the programs so we purchased all the CDs. They are very good and we would purchase again. There are several compaines selling these CDs on Amazon and we always look for "new" or "like new" and check out the shipping cost, plus the rating of the seller. We are most pleased and now can watch travels by Rudy Maxa when there is little or nothing to watch on regular TV. Rudy does a good job we think in his travels when it comes to history and sites worth seeing.

I gave my husband this dvd set for Father's Day. He's thoroughly enjoying them. We're going to Germany, Austria and Switzerland in October of 2008 and Spain in May of 2009. There are a lot of tips in these dvds. The dvds cover just about all the places we'll be seeing.

Excellent subject material, a must have for anyone concidering Europe travel for the first or 5th time.

This set has NO closed-captions or subtitles (any languages) AT ALL....so beware if you need them.

Region 0 (all)