74 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Do your homework before traveling!, August 12, 2003
London, London, London... I just came back from a wonderful (and hot) trip to Europe. My best advice? Do your homework before traveling. Buy Rick Steves' books, research in advance what you want to visit and how to get there. I love the walking tours included in Steves books. In London the tube (subway) takes you pretty much everywhere. Organize your calendar by blocks (2 or 3 hours) flexible enough that you can change them around in your schedule. Group activities by geographical areas (that is how the book is organized). You will save precious time and lots of "surprises". I was tempted to give the book 4 stars because some of Steves comments are silly but I skipped them and concentrated on the great tips and well organized walks described in this book. Some of my tour friends had other travel guides and Rick Steves was the best by far. At the British museum and the Westminster Abbey I found Steves' followers, everyone agreed that this book made their travel much easier.
I recommend the specific city guide instead of the Best of Europe because the later was not detailed enough and it did not include the useful "walking tours". The only thing I did not use on this book for was the hotel recommendation (because my tour company arranged the hotels). Still, this book was worth every penny I spent on it.
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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An indispensable guide for budget travelers., October 14, 2004
I lived in London for 3 ½ years and have visited Europe several times in the past decade and Rick Steves' books are always the first travel guides that I turn to in my travel planning. If cost and time are a factor to you in your travels then Rick Steves' guides will prove indispensable.
I took his books with me on my travels to Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Great Britain as well as on my return trips to these countries. His tips on what to see and what to skip have proved invaluable. Thanks to him, I discovered this lovely little day trip outfit called "Mad Max Tours" which my husband and I joined during a recent trip to Bath, England. His tips on what is worth seeing in the British Museum and National Gallery saved us from `museum overload' on our subsequent trips to these fabulous and immense museums. I used to walk mindlessly along the numerous rooms and exhibits in these museums, until, 3 hours later, I walk out like a zombie overwhelmed with what I saw.
I highly recommend Rick's city guide to London. This guide is budget-minded, time-conscious and makes a point of touching on every major sight in these cities. It also includes walking tours, museum guides, shopping, accommodations, maps, recommended day trips and even kid-friendly attractions/activities. All of his guides include costs, location, subway/train stops, hours and descriptions (and his straightforward opinions) on each place.
Shortcomings? Well, trust me, no travel guide is perfect. Eyewitness, for instance, has wonderful colored pictures and loads of visuals but little practical information. Fodors and Frommers have too much text and almost no pictures. As for Rick, I used to gripe about his sparse selection of hotels in certain cities but he has now improved on these. And as much as I love his books, I also do agree that if this is your first trip to the United Kingdom, then do yourself a favor and check out at least one other travel guide as well. For instance, "Take the Kids: London" or Fodors' "Around London With Kids" are great supplementary guides for those with families. Frommers or Fodors guides are always worth the look for their comprehensive coverage. And if you're into visuals, then the Eyewitness Guides are a must have. After all, Rick's guides are selective and - depending on your tastes and preferences - you might miss some activities or sights that are also well worth a look. If antique shopping is your thing, for instance, then you would sadly miss out on the fabulous Bermondsey antique market in London which Rick doesn't mention in his books. Or, that you might choose do ignore a daytrip to the lovely towns of Oxford or Brighton which Rick also doesn't mention. As much as Rick loves Cambridge, I insist that Oxford also has its many (unique) charms. And Brighton is a fabulous destination for families and beach/seaside loving travelers.
In short, Rick Steves' books are an indispensable and invaluable guide for budget-minded travelers everywhere. His books are selective and well worth your time and money. However, I do recommend that you don't limit yourself to only one travel guide as your
Planning/travel companion. Get Rick's book but also check out one more of the travel guides I list above for good measure.
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well-researched touristing overview., February 23, 2004
By A Customer
Like all other Rick Steves books I've ever used, this book is a good investment if you're interested in a solid, readable, down-to-earth tourist's look at a place. This book provides excellent practical orientation and general how-to-get-by instructions (transit, tipping, etc), and I value Rick Steves for giving his opinion on what things are worth seeing and what things aren't -- if you're on a short vacation, this kind of editorializing is, to my mind, invaluable.
Rick Steves' London is great for planning the sightseeing part of a London vacation, and if you're not interested in much else, then you're all set. However, if you're interested in food and nightlife, or need more extensive lodging listings, I strongly recommend picking up one or more additional books (Let's Go, Lonely Planet, etc) as references on restaurants and the like.
Also bear in mind that about half of the book consists of detailed walking tours of London sights. Sometimes you'll want to follow his tours, but often you'll just want to read them for the background info and to get an idea of whether that attraction will interest you. The bulk of the basic sightseeing listings and orientation info can be found in his Great Britain book, so if you're traveling outside of London, that may be a better value.
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