Customer Reviews

Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2007

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read many of his books cover to cover. Rick makes them fun and easy to read as well as packing in a wealth of information the other guide books just never cover. He tells you what you have to see in the area and then what he would veer off the beaten path for. We've taken his advice over and over again and he never disappoints. He'll take you to those small towns where authentic old Europe still exists and where you can truly relax. I can't recommend his books enough. We've had life altering moments on vacation that would not have occurred if we hadn't taken his advice to stray off the well-beaten tourist path. I highly recommmend the Italy, England and this Germany/Austria book. Reutte, Austria is a slice of heaven - don't tell anyone.

There is no denying it, this book has lots of useful tips and is easy to use but I did find the tone a bit patronizing at times. I really don't need someone to tell me what to think, even when in a foreign country. I also did not like the "show this book for x% discount" offers - I rather pay full price elsewhere and know the place is in the guidebook on its own merits.

The book covers only the most popular tourist destinations and is a bit lightweight to my taste on historical details. The author offers sensible advice by saying if you spend $3,000 on a vacation another $25 for additional guidebooks is money well spent.

I found the self-guided walking tours despite the not-to-scale maps very useful although I would follow the author's advice and rip the book apart and only carry the vital pages rather than be seen with this book in hand. Of the three guidebooks I used I liked this one the least.

I haven't see the TV show, but a friend loves the series and strongly recommended the book. Before our family trip for 10 days throughout Germany, I purchased a few different travel guides. After having each of them in hand before leaving home, we took 3 books with us. By the 3rd day, we only carried 2 books with us: Daytrips Germany, 6th Edition and then as a BACKUP, Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2006. It was okay, but a bit too snarky for me. Using the 2 books together were great for finding tourist sites, great restaurants and hotels that could accommodate 2 adults and 2 kids (most hotels don't have rooms with 2 beds!).

Anyone who's familiar with Rick Steves, from his PBS show, to his syndicated travel column in newspapers, to all of his books, knows that when it comes to having a true European experience, you gotta "bring" Rick. He finds the best places, the best deals, and saves you time and money. Rather than include everything, he only points you to the best of what a particular country has to offer. And since his books are updated every year, the info is as up-to-date as publishing will allow. He saved the Italian town of Vernazza in the Cinqueterra by bringing in tourism, and that alone is worth a 5 star recommendation. If you're going to Europe and you want to experience it like a local, and save time and money to boot, order a copy of the appropriate guidebook. And if you're going to any major museums, get his "Mona Winks" as well. You'll thank him everytime you walk past all the "suckers" standing in line at some major attraction, while you saunter up to the front with your pass that you ordered ahead of time based on his info.

A great guide. Very informative and easy to use. Fun to read, too. Everything you need to have a great time in Germany and Austria. This was my only guide during my trip, and I got everything I needed in it. Rick Steves was wonderfully opinionated and selective, which I liked a lot, but the book doesn't cover some more popular sights (like Heidelberg). If you're spending a lot of time in Germany (1 month +) or have something specific you want to see, then consider having a second guide book, in addition to this. And also, it seems like Rick Steves' "back doors" are becoming "front doors". Almost every American/Canadian tourist I met on the trip has this book in their bag. And the recommended hotels get booked very fast, although I didn't have any trouble finding accomodation.

Rick Steve's Germany and Austria 2006 is a barely updated version of the last edition. As usual he only travels to the 'super touristed' towns and not to any of the other lesser known areas. Obviously aimed at middle aged US tourists it is both facile and superficial. I wasted my money.
There are much better travel books available.

This guide provides two things that I really like and miss in other guides, off the beaten path sites/activities and adjustable itineraries based on the length of your trip. This book provides itineraries of what to do, what to see, how to do it and in what order. I highly recommend this book along with a standard "travel" guide for those occasions that you stray from his "plans". The days we followed his "guided" tours exactly, were the days my family enjoyed the most. We have been to Austria/Germany several times before this last trip when we used Rick's book. This book is like having a tour planned for you for $20 instead of thousands.

i ALWAYS buy rick steves' guidebooks when i go europe. thus far, i have his books for paris, london, switzerland and amsterdam. my boyfriend was somewhat skeptical at first, since he'd never heard of this line, but he became a rick steves fan, too, after all the memorable meals we had at the restaurants rick recommended. too bad rick steves only does europe; i'd love to see some guidebooks for asia and the middle east.

Was very disappointed with this book. Not only did it cover only the most touristy places, but it left out many more interesting, not as common, sites. The real tip off is that he lists places that "guarantee the price listed here if you show them your copy of this book" or offer a "10% discount" with this book. That isn't really objective reporting in my opinion.

This is the 3rd Rick Steves' European travel book I've bought. From now on, his is the first one I look for. I like the simple way the book is set up, and his tips on what to see if you don't have a lot of time.