Rick Steves' Ireland 2007 [Paperback]

Rick Steves (Author), Pat O'Connor (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rick Steves | Publication Date: November 28, 2006

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best way to see the Dingle Peninsula, Kilkenny, Dublin, Galway, Belfast, the Antrim Coast, and Portrush? With Rick Steves’ Ireland 2007, travelers can experience the best of everything the Emerald Isle has to offer – economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves’ Ireland 2007 includes:

• Opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights
• Friendly places to eat and sleep
• Suggested day plans
• Walking tours and trip itineraries
• Clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot

America’s #1 authority on travel to Europe, Rick’s time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Steves preaches a low-cost, low-to-the-ground style that not only saves money, but gets you closer to the real Europe, the way Europeans experience it. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; Revised edition (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566918154
• ISBN-13: 978-1566918152
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,019,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rick Steves advocates smart, affordable, perspective-broadening travel. As host and writer of the popular public television series Rick Steves' Europe, and best-selling author of 40 European travel books, he encourages Americans to travel as "temporary locals." He helps American travelers connect much more intimately and authentically with Europe -- and Europeans -- for a fraction of what mainstream tourists pay.

Over the past 20 years, Rick has hosted over 100 travel shows for public television, and numerous pledge specials (raising millions of dollars for local stations). His Rick Steves' Europe TV series is carried by over 300 stations, reaching 95 percent of U.S. markets. Rick has also created two award-winning specials for public television: Rick Steves' European Christmas and the ground-breaking Rick Steves' Iran. Rick writes and co-produces his television programs through his company, Back Door Productions.

Rick Steves also hosts a weekly public radio program, Travel with Rick Steves. With a broader approach to travel everywhere, in each hour-long program Rick interviews guest travel expert, followed by listener call-ins. Travel with Rick Steves airs across the country and has spawned a popular podcast. Rick has also created a series of audio walking tour podcasts for museums and neighborhoods in Paris, Rome, Florence and Venice (with more tours, including London, coming in 2010).

Rick self-published the first edition of his travel skills book, Europe Through the Back Door (now updated annually), in 1980. He has also written more than 40 other country, city and regional guidebooks, phrase books, and "snapshot" guides. For several years, Rick Steves' Italy has been the bestselling international guidebook sold in the U.S. In 2009, Rick tackled a new genre of travel writing with Travel as a Political Act, reflecting on how a life of travel has broadened his own perspectives, and travel can be a significant force for peace and understanding in the world. Rick's books are published by Avalon Travel, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

In addition to his guidebooks, TV and radio work, Rick is a syndicated newspaper columnist with the Tribune Media Services. He appears frequently on television, radio, and online as the leading authority on European travel.

Rick took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting piano factories with his father, a piano importer. By the time he reached 18, Rick jokes, "I realized I didn't need my parents to travel!" He began traveling on his own, funding his trips by teaching piano lessons. In 1976, he started Europe Through the Back Door (ETBD), a business which has grown from a one-man operation to a company with a well-traveled staff of 70 full-time employees. ETBD offers free travel information through its travel center, website (www.ricksteves.com), European Railpass Guide, and free travel newsletters. ETBD also runs a successful European tour program with more than 300 departures -- attracting around 10,000 travelers -- annually.

Rick is outspoken on the need for Americans to fit better into our planet by broadening their perspectives through travel. He is also committed to his own neighborhood. He's an active member of the Lutheran church (and has hosted the ELCA's national video productions). He's a board member of NORML (working to reform marijuana laws in the USA). And Rick has provided his local YWCA with a 24-unit apartment building with which to house homeless mothers.

Rick Steves spends about a third of every year in Europe, researching guidebooks, filming TV shows, and making new discoveries for travelers. He lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Guide - Here's where he's coming from:, December 30, 2002

By 

Kilgora (San Francisco,, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rick Steves' Ireland 2002 (Paperback)

I think that Rick Steves' really intends this guide for first time travellers who want an excellent overview of Ireland, its culture, and its people. The guide covers the places he recommends you visit - it plans a 20 day itinerary mainly along the perimeter of the island. You should know that, as mentioned by a previous reviewer, it skips places, such as Donnegal and much of the center of the country. However, as a first time traveller who is travelling with someone who also has never been there before, I'm looking for well thought out recommendations by someone who's been there many times. Rick's book has an intimate feeling about it.. like a friend who's been there and wants to share his joys of Ireland with you... what to see, what to skip, etc. I've bought seven (yes, seven!) guides of Ireland and yes, some of them have a broader scope and the simple number of places mentioned is greater. But I found them rather unhelpful when it came to where I should go on my actual 12 day first visit. I can't possibly hit all those sites, but how do I know what to see and what not to see? That's where Rick Steves' guide comes in. He narrows it down FOR you. Don't get me wrong, he doesn't lock you into his itinerary.. he just tells you what he would do along with other sites that you may want to visit. Also, his list of places to stay rivals the number and quality of the other bigger guidebooks. Many of his recommendations also offer discounts if you show them his book. Because his recommendations seem so heartfelt (and not so anonymous as in the other guides, such as Lonely Planet, Frommer's, and Eyewitness), I trust what he's telling me. He gives detailed information about how to get where you want to go, the hours, the prices, etc. Also, because the book is small in comparison, I won't weigh down my bag (a concern because I'm taking his advice about packing light). You should know, however, that he doens't have pictures in this book (it helps to keep the weight down). If you want a guide filled with pictures, you should get the Eyewitness Guide.. but keep in mind that it doesn't always give detailed advice on how to get to the places.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and Intriguing, December 28, 2001

By 

"apriltheangel" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rick Steves' Ireland 2002 (Paperback)

No, it's not as in depth as the Lonely Planet or Let's Go. That's because it doesn't have to be! Rick Steves has cut through the thick, overblown travel guides to write one that is to the point and extremely helpful for the budget traveller. Within minutes of starting this book I had all my questions answered and was on the path to seeing Ireland local-style. Also, it isn't boring. I enjoyed reading this insightful and fun guide. ~Happy Travelling

63 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Skimpy, Unsatisfying Introduction to Ireland, May 27, 2002

By 

David M. Dillon (Westford, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rick Steves' Ireland 2002 (Paperback)

Had I just finished Rick Steves' Ireland 2002 in an Irish pub rather than my livingroom, I would have felt my thirst unquenched. Indeed,... this rather skimpy volume leaves the reader feeling as if he just finished a glass of stout, yet knowing full well he paid for a pint. Whatever happened to Europe Through the Back Door value?

In Ireland 2002 Steves is at least a tad disingenuous. On the book's back cover he writes, "Don't be fooled by overweight guidebooks...it's my job to sift through mountains of time-sapping alternatives and present you with only the best." While this philosophy sounds practical, even attractive, Steves' 200-odd pages lack many of this small, yet historically-rich country's highlights. Steves' stripped-down philosophy, in truth, comes off as a bit hollow, leaving the reader to conclude that he's a bit lazy, reluctant to complete his homework.

The prospective traveler to Ireland should consider what's missing in Steves' Ireland 2002. West Cork is a lovely land, full of small, quiet villages, entrancing scenery, and at least a pair of islands (Clear and Sherkin) that beckon the traveler. Steves makes no mention of these. In addition, Steves all but snubs the counties of Donegal and Sligo. The former features stunning scenery, the highest cliffs in Europe (Slieve League), and the lovely Glenveagh National Park, to name but a few attractions. As for the latter, County Sligo is home to a large number of prehistoric attractions, along with the literary presence of W.B. Yeats. Also conspicuously absent in Ireland 2002 is information about Clonmacnois, located in the Irish midlands and perhaps Ireland's most noteworthy monastic site. Missing, too, is much mention of Northern Ireland's County Fermanagh, home to some gorgeous (and untouristy) lakeland scenery, plus some impressive medieval sites, including stone carvings and a round tower located on Devenish Island. Lastly, it wouldn't be a complete trip to Ireland without a visit to Skellig Michael. Unfortunately, Steves fails to give detailed information about getting to this fascinating and stunningly situated monastic site, located off the Kerry coast.

In his defense, Steves' Ireland does have its pleasures. His conversational writing style is enjoyable, and I was especially impressed with his comprehensive look at the highly popular Dingle Peninsula. The author's Slea Head itinerary is particularly strong, and perhaps the best thing about Ireland 2002. Even the most dedicated travel guide curmudgeon would have a hard time quibbling with Steves' combination of history and pop culture, as he describes stone age forts along with the house inhabited by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman during the filming of Far & Away.

Unfortunately, when one compares Steves' Ireland 2002 with the likes of The Rough Guide and Lonely Planet, it just can't compete. The number of pages can - and does - matter, especially when the Ireland-bound traveler is looking for a comprehensive and satisfying overview of the Emerald Isle. Steves' Ireland 2002 simply fails to meet such a demand.