Customer Reviews

Rick Steves' Germany 2009

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Having been to Germany before (World Cup 2006) I wanted to see other sites I missed while traveling through Germany. This book gives you a good idea of what you can do that gives you the most bang for your buck. The cities/areas are broken down in expert fashion allowing you to decide what you like and what you don't.

I tend to trust his judgment and haven't been let down yet. Some things I think I wouldn't enjoy turn out to be excellent. It's amazing to be able to get the insight on a hotel you're considering as well. For example "$$ Hotel-Pension Funk, the former home of a 1920s silent-movie star, is delightfully quirky. Kind manager Herr Michael Pfundt offers 14 elegant old rooms with rich Art Nouveau furnishings..." There's not much more that makes someone's day than hearing their name, this opens you to friendly discourse and tips that the average hotel guest may not receive.

I have been to Europe many times. Rick Steve's books (I own 10 or so of them) always amaze me with their succinct descriptions yet not lacking pertinent and needed information. This book is no exception, if you're going to Germany this is a worthy book to own (plus it's not expensive to boot!).

I actually returned this book when I noticed right away that the northern part of Germany was not included. I was planning a trip that would include Hamburg and Lubeck. Not there. I have been to the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea and I can't understand why Mr. Steves hasn't bothered to visit this pristine gem. Cobblestone streets, lighthouses, very old churches, bed and breakfasts in renovated barns, and in the spring the canola blooms in beautiful yellow squares all around the island. I loved the place and want to go back. So I wouldn't recommend this book at all. Mr. Steves, figure out what Germans, Danes, and Swedes know - Fehmarn is a great vacation destination.

Rick Steves guide books are overall the best on the market. They provide very practical advice (where to exchange money, how to make calls within Germany, road sign conventions if you plan to drive, etc.) for both the novice and advanced traveller. His advice can save you money, and he offers suggestions for finding the best value hotels, activities, etc. in addition to helping you plan itineraries. I highly recommend this book.

This book was a disappointment. Northern Germany is not covered at all! It does not exist. The rest seems to be mostly the most obvious tourist locations. Much of Germany's charm is in the smaller towns - the various nuances of regions within Germany - which is not captured at all. This book is only for the absolutely novice German traveler.

GLAD WE HAD IT. We used it for a 1 week southern Germany road trip. Including Switzerland, Austria and Lichtenstein. Booked several hotels out of it, after also checking TRIP ADVISOR. VERY helpful for international dialing - lays it out step by step and it was a lifesaver. Maps - as always - the detail is great. Read about things to do that the aren't traditional tourist things (i.e. a Zeppelin ride!). We often found ourselves in areas where we were the only ones speaking English.

Used Steve's tour book for a trip in Italy in 2002. Both that time and this, it really was indispensable. Often found ourselves saying "Where's the Rick Steve's book?". Also, when we struck up conversations with U.S. travelers (once hiking at Hitler's Eagles Nest, and once at breakfast at our Munich pension) we almost always found they too had Rick Steve's book. The one time someone didn't have it - they said they wish they did. They had switched to another brand and said it wasn't good at all.

Tips for tourist attractions are spot on about lines, tickets, timing, etc. However the book really focuses on not being TOO touristy and he goes out of the way to make you feel "local". For example we stayed in Reutte, Austria verses the much more crowded area of Fussen, Germany at the books advice. But were able to enjoy all the same area pleasures.

Pick it up - YOU WILL USE IT.

I don't mean to come off sounding like Rick Steves' die hard fan, but in comparing to other guidebooks(Frommer, Lonely Planet, Fodors, Let's Go) and tv shows, his information in general always seems to be the most pertinent and useful to me as a middle class young(24 yr/old) traveler. Not too much info, but not too little. He is always thorough and well grounded in his decisions and opinions on tourist sites, advice, and travel philosophy when I compare them to my own experiences overseas in Europe and Asia both. YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)

I would recommend this book over all others if there was only one you would buy. It has the right amount of information in a logical and entertaining presentation as well as a great philosophy of traveling and learning about other countries/cultures.

Most travel guides I read seem to either be written for the affluent(luxury travel), the poor college kid(bare bones budget travel in hostels), or history buff(overload of facts).

Rick Steve's books focus on comfortable/clean accommodations and getting the most for your dollar without forcing you to use cheap hostels or overpriced full service hotels. Much of the budget seems to focus on what an average middle class American could afford in Europe while still seeing all the sites. Rooms seemed to be priced in the $80-$150 USD/night range for the most part but there are definitely lower cost options listed most of the time, including some hostels occasionally. There are options for every budget it seems, but the focus is definitely Middle Class. Another assumption Rick makes is that you'll "travel like most Europeans". Which means the occasional hotel that has 4 or 6 rooms sharing one shower will happen. This is why some of the accommodations are less expensive(Water is EXPENSIVE in Europe-not to mention electricity). The hotel formats are usually described so you can plan around this if you must. I for one, feel that it was and always will be apart of the European experience. Rick mentions that he never sacrifices SAFETY, COMFORT, or Cleanliness for any of his recommendations and many lodgings offer discounts with mention of the book(tours and sites as well)

This book is written in a clear and concise tone that flows very naturally(as if you're having a conversation with him) and full of useful facts and information on sites, schedules, and prices for everything . One nice thing about the format the information is presented in is that activities aren't just listed with phone numbers/times/and prices only. There are usually suggestions/tips for each site, how to get there most efficiently, tips on how busy they are at what times, and even competing tours at identical locations are compared. There isn't any filler or fluff info in this book. Everything mentioned is great advice on travel in general as well as the "through the back door" suggestions in Germany. While this book is not the most COMPLETE, end all source of information on a trip to Germany, it IS the BEST book if you are looking to see the main attractions of southern Germany AND experience the culture on a level that a native European would.

About my reading of this book and experience in Germany: I haven't read all of this book. Some areas just don't interest me, HOWEVER, I have been to Germany before on a school trip and visited many of the sites in Frankfurt, Rothenberg odT, Munich, Oberammergau, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Ulm, and the Rhein valley such as Castle Neuschwanstein, Dachau, Zugspitze, etc. I have read all the travel information, planning a trip info and everything in the begining of the book up until they talk about individual cities. At that point I read about places I have already visited to compare facts. Everything I could compare from my visits was correct. The writing style kept me surprisingly interested even though I have already been to these places. I never read a guidebook before I went to Germany the first time. I had taken a few years of German in school(hence the school trip) which helped out while there but wasn't absolutely necessary. I learned most of the general guidebook information from my class before I went. This guidebook in comparison is laid out perfectly and moves forward very logically. It has a great introduction and trip panning information and gives you just the right amount of facts and necessary info about locations without drowning you in useless history or listing activities/hotels you couldn't even afford back home.In that aspect, this isn't for the big spender or luxury traveler. There are better books for that or you should really have a travel agent by that point.

I cannot comment on the actual hotels listed, as I didn't stay in these places(I was on a school trip and stayed in many places that had bathrooms/showers in your private room, some that had everything down the hall, and lived with a family in an apartment for a week as part of a one-way exchange program(more of a live and learn in the country program without hosting someone in your house when you come back home thing).

I think the best part of this book and other Rick Steves' books I've read/own("Europe Through The Back Door", "Best of Europe", "Traveling As A Political Act") is his travel philosophy. He really makes it a priority to try and experience the culture of a particular country as one of it's own citizen's would. Which I think is the greatest way to travel especially when you're looking to learn something in a new country. There are, of course, times when you just want to relax and forget about everything on vacation but why go to a foreign country for pure relaxation on your first trip? His philosophy of living as a traveler within their own country is the best way to experience a country apart from living there for some time. Learning and using as much of the local language and spending time talking to locals off the beaten path is almost always an enjoyable if not enlightening experience. Before I went to Germany in the summer of 2003, I spent a few weeks in China on another school trip and I was amazed how many people would randomly walk up to me to just practice their English, talk about politics, or were just flat out interested in everything about Americans and foreigners in general. Besides the culture shock of traveling to such an amazingly different place, some of the things I remember most vividly are my conversations with the local citizens. It was the same way in Germany. Any time you ventured away from the tourist areas and bumped into locals, the conversations and experiences have always been the most memorable and enlightening of any trips I've ever had regardless of the country and the language barriers.

One last tidbit of info is that unlike other guide book brands, Rick Steves' books are updated annually which is a great thing as prices and information change very rapidly in this day and age.


In the end, I would recommend this book over all others if there was only one you would buy. The right amount of information in a logical and entertaining presentation as well as a great philosophy of traveling and learning about other countries/cultures.



I would also recommend all of his videos from his PBS television show. Some of the text in the book(s), I swear, seems to come straight from the show scripts. He comes off as a bit nerdy but is very outgoing and always up for learning and experiencing the local culture as best he can. One of the most important things I think in traveling to new places is being an extrovert like Rick is. It opens up so many doors to great experiences with the locals and their culture.

I purchased this book for a recent trip to Germany, while I found it somewhat useful to highlight major things to do along our trip, it was very biased and lacking.

This book is really for a leisurely, 2+ week trip to Germany on a tight budget. If you're looking to go and have fun for a week, look to other books as this one doesn't cover all of the fun places and is somewhat limited in it's depth on the major cities.

I do give him some credit for being known all over Germany, when you walk into a restaurant in a small town, the owner has likely met Rick. But in major cities very nice hotels aren't even listed in the book.

This is a great beginners book to visiting Germany. The information is well-organized and helpful.

I would not travel without a Rick Steves book. This book was great. It had all the information we needed to take a driving tour of south Germany. The hotel recommended were wonderful, the driving route was very precise and the must see places well described in the book. I like that he does not focus on tourist activities and gets you to places locals eat and hang out at. We are going to Italy next year and have already ordered his book for that trip.

This was an excellent guide book. Ricks' recommendations on hotels and sites to see were spot on. We relied on this book heavily when we went to Munich, Berlin, and Vienna. A nice thing about his book too is he tells you the top sites to see if you only have a couple of days. It also has German phrases in it which was helpful.