Customer Reviews

Rick Steves' Best of Eastern Europe 2006

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During a six week trip around Europe, I had the pleasure of spending about two of them in Eastern and Central Europe ... thanks to Rick Steves' guide, they were among the highlights of the trip. Eastern Europe has become very tourist-friendly, but (not surprisingly) the tourism infrastructure is still behind Western Europe, so having a high quality guide was extremely beneficial for navigating the sights and finding hotels and restaurants.

While no longer a "back door", Eastern Europe is a wonderful and relatively inexpensive place that will welcome novice and experienced travelers alike. From the elegant baths of Budapest to the old-world charm of Prague and Krakow, there's a little something for everyone. Opinionated but informed, Rick Steves' Best of Eastern Europe makes for an excellent traveling companion!

05/06/06 I will be traveling to Eastern Europe this summer on a tour, but I wanted a guide book that would help me prepare for my trip. Rick Steves book is full of great history, knowledge and background information. It also covers many major cities (five of which I will be visiting). I like that he's usually "wallet friendly" and you'll know that his recommendations aren't going to max out your credit card. The maps are clear and I have been able to locate my hotels. I will admit, I love to shop in Europe and his guide books don't tell you where to go---for good shopping recommendations check out Fodor's new gold series.
09/01/06 Back home and very happy with Rick Steves' Eastern Europe. My Rick Steves' Best of Eastern Europe traveled with me all throughout Krakow, Warsaw, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Slovakia, Cesky Kromlov, Vienna, Budapest and Prague. The historical information in this book allowed me to better understand and appreciate what I was seeing. Some of the historical facts in the book were also told by our local guides. Rick does his homework. The restaurant suggestions in this book are right on. In Budapest, our hotel concierge recommended a cafe down the street from our hotel--Cetral Kavehaz--a cafe in Rick's book. When we didn't feel like walking around for hours to find our next meal, we used Rick's suggestions and were not let down. In Warsaw, we saw another couple traveling with Rick's book. There is also a small section of useful phrases for each country. I was traveling on a tour group so I did not use any hotel recommendations. The book is a must purchase if you are traveling to more than one country in Eastern Europe. You can also view reviews on Rick Steves' website. I will definately be traveling with Rick Steves again!

I used Rick's guide to Eastern Europe on two different trips (with two different editions) and found his advice to be an excellent guide to an interesting area. I have traveled extensively and find his comments and suggestions exceptionaly accurate and helpful.

Best Of Eastern Europe 2006 by famed travel expert Rick Steves is an informed and informative instructional guide ideal for the explorative mapping of an itinerary any Eastern-Europe traveler's next vacation. Enlightening the reader of hundreds of locations, sights, tours, restaurants, hotels, entertainment, shopping, and other useful tips and tourist information for any experienced or novice traveler of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Slovania, and Croatian with the gateway city of Vienna. Best Of Eastern Europe 2006 is very highly recommended as an ultimate guide and reference for all aspiring tourists to the Eastern-European area. No Eastern European traveler should be without a copy of this highly portable, user friendly, 784-page compendium of travel information and resources.

I am a recent convert to Rick Steves. When I decided to travel around Eastern Europe I at first opted for the old standby - Lonely Planet. However, I stumbled upon so many great reviews of Rick Steves that I decided to get this book instead. I am certainly glad that I did.

Rick has a flair for sucking one into the world of which he writes. Before I even took my trip I found myself reading the travel book for leisure, not just planning.

The tips on hotels and hostels were great, as well as various restaurants. While I am not exactly a heavy spender, the book gave me great suggestions that allowed me to really feel like I was mixing in with the locals, especially in Slovenia.

I was also very impressed with Rick's recommendations on which sites and monuments to check out and which ones to skip. Steves is not afraid to state quite bluntly if an attraction is worth skipping. The only time Rick let me down was with the Joze Plecnik house in Ljubljana, which turned out to be a complete waste of time. I would have rather just spent more time in Bled.

I highly recommend any Rick Steves book. He is arguable the best travel writer around today. It's a pity that he only focuses on Europe, as I'm sure even a book on Tajikistan would be fascinating.

Rick Steves did his homework and this book definately helped in the small details. Especially helpful was the section regarding Auschwitz. Getting to and from can be tricky, and the book helps the situation. However, the minibus system wasn't as described in the book. Overall, a fantastic resource for traveling to Eastern Europe.

Rick Steve makes travel a cinch. The book hooks you up with the best restaurants, hotels, and places to see. I used this book last fall and did things I would have missed without it. Such as chasing a wedding couple in a rowboat in pouring rain across the lake in Bled to see the groom carry the bride up 100 steps, having an elegant dinner in Tito's favorite villa and staying in the coolest jail house in the world in Lujbiana (sp.). I bought this 2nd book for my sister who is going to Eastern Europe next spring.

It's always good to read the history of a place before visiting it! I helps to understand the behavior of the people. And the hints are also really worth!! Great savings!!

Although there was a wealth of information within the book, it was almost impossible to locate through the Index. If you are trying to find an explanation or discussion quickly, do not bother with this book, as we found it necessary to leaf through pages and scan for key words, which often were noted museums, churches, palaces, etc.

For ease of use, and because of its weight, it should be separated into 2-3 volumes. We stopped carrying it very soon after arriving in Eastern Europe.