Customer Reviews

Rick Steves' Prague and the Czech Republic 2007

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My husband Tom and I have toted our Rick Steves all around Europe. We love him. His pages are dog-eared and scribbled on and reread. One time, in a moment teetering on tragic, we nearly left Rick on a German bus. Luckily Tom accelerates under pressure and although the incident left us pale and shaken, we were reunited with our trusty friend. I can't say enough about German/Austrian Rick, London Rick, Paris Rick, or Italy Rick.

But in Prague, we got a little hitch in our giddyup. I find it hard to say out loud, but we had a squabble, Rick, Tom and I.

First he left us hanging on his orientation tour on the tram. We didn't realize the route wasn't circular and we ended up in the suburbs. It's ok, we travel low to the ground, we figured out that the trams don't pick up where they let out and managed to get back into town. It's just that Rick is usually so thoughtful and careful with his directions. Unfortunately, not so much in the Czech Republic.

There are only shadows of his signature walking tours in Prague, only a few of his snappy one-liners that make you snicker inappropriately in national monuments and his historical write-ups are uninspired, virtually odorless.

Cataclysmically, in a decision about as user-friendly as a wet cat, Rick chose to feature the English place names on his maps and write-ups; yet all signage and other city maps (even the "English" ones) show Czech place names. I think we earned a degree in cross-referencing.


All I can say is that I hope Rick rewrites Prague 2007 so the rest of you can manage to hurl his 2008 book over the very high bar that he has set for himself.

(Let it be noted for the record that as Rick-devotees, we did not purchase any other guides for Prague. It is very possible Rick's is a shining gem amongst the muzzy rest of them.)

[...] for our Prague recommendations.

I was turned on to Rick when I checked out his Paris book from the library for a trip a year ago. When I lived abroad in Prague this summer, I took this book with me. Rick is my husband-away-from-home -- he's always going to take good care of you. His lodging and restaurant recs are really good, and I love the historical background he gives you on notable sights. I trust him completely, but his maps are lacking. Grab LP's Prague as a supplement.

Great travel info even though it is dated 2007. This item helped us plan and travel our Nov 2009 trip to Prague.
All fellow travels speak highly of Rick Steve's advice.

Hubby and I used this book constantly while in Prague in April 2008! Very informative and great maps!

I had only three days in Prague...But with this books infor I made good use of my time. Detail and points of interest in Prague were presented through Maps and grafics

The Prague book continues in the great Rick Steves tradition. We recently used this book as a guide throughout the Czech Republic and found everything up-to-date and bang-on; the insider information was invaluable. We ate at his recommendations in Cesky Krumlov as well as Prague and had great meals. I only wish Steves would provide a few more shopping tips, but overall this is a great, up-to-date book!

This book is really handy! Worth the money - gives lots of great advice and information on tourist things (and what not to do while being a tourist!)

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.

This is a great book as is all Rick Steve's books. I bought this for planning a trip to Prague in Oct.