Customer Reviews

Rick Steves' Snapshot Munich, Bavaria & Salzburg

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

 

 

I purchased this book before going to Munich and other places in Bavaria. I liked parts of the book, but I am somewhat troubled by all the references to "show this book and get a discount" at places recommended by Rick Steves. This is a potential conflict of interest. For example, he highly recommends EurAide to the exclusion of the traveler information office at the Munich train terminal (Hauptbahnhof). However, we checked the place several times, and it was either closed (it is only open on weekdays) or there was a sign to go into the travel agency next door, which had a lengthy line. As for the "Inside Track" newspaper that is supposed to be readily available, we only found copies in Japanese, so we could not even try to translate from a European language. In general, he is partial to the train system over buses, which is often understandable. However, had we taken his advice, we would have missed the airport shuttle bus that left us 100 yards from our hotel for 17 Euros roundtrip, as opposed to traveling to the train terminal and then taking 2 trains for 7 stops to go up the stairs to get to the street and our hotel. In other words, go to other sites to evaluate whether the trains are always the right choice. Another questionable point is his endorsement of a tour for the Dachau Memorial Site. This is one of the easier trips you can take yourself using the U and S trains, and entrance to the site is free and does not require belonging to a group, so I have to wonder why he endorses a tour here.
He does make good points about public transportation passes and ways to maximize your time in various museums (Residenz and Alte and Neue Pinakothek, for example). However, I wonder why he covers Fussen but Nurenberg, among other odd choices (maybe because Fussen is on the train route to Neuschwanstein?).
Finally, you need to check his Web site for updates. We went to Salzburg, and found the station completely in shambles due to construction, so we almost did not find the traveler information site. The book still has the old location, but the Web site does indicate that there is construction, and can save you a hassle. I would not receommend asking questions on the site, however, as there are people who regard any question as grounds for attack. Finally, you could just check the Web site and skip the book.

I thought I would be brilliant and buy the kindle editions of two of Rick's guidebooks after having religiously used his books for years -

Big mistake! The maps are spread out over several pages into quadrants or worse! you'll have to do a LOT of bookmarking to make this work while abroad.

Forget the one star review. This is a very concise review of the title. It covers everything nicely. If you want the broader review, get the full text. I planned my vacation to Munich, Fussen, and Salzburt based on this book and it was awesome. I recommend any Rick Steve's book over any other travel book.

Bought all Rick Steve's books for all the cities we visited on Europe. They are very helpful in everyway! Wouldn't travel without one!

If you are going to this area then this is a great book to get. Small enough but includes all the necessary info. Rick Steves' guidebooks are the first I turn to when I get ready to plan a trip, and this one is really just excerpts (word for word) from the Germany and Austria ones, but since Munich, Fussen and Salzburg are my destinations for that area this book works perfectly. Don't be expecting color pictures - there are only a few black and whites (normal for Rick Steves' books), and he likes to do hand-drawn maps (some times they work well, other times they are confusing). At the end of the day this is the book I will be carrying with me on my travels to that area.

We used this book extensively while traveling in Munich and Salzburg. We found the information to be incredibly helpful and time-saving. Rick takes a common sense approach and tells you what you really need to know for the sights, including tips on how to get there. This can be particularly useful when you aren't familiar with a city. As with all tour books you need to double check rates and hours as things can change, but we found this book to be an invaluable resource that we constantly referred to while traveling. It's a perfect size and fit well into my travel bag and wasn't too heavy to carry around.

The book arrived in fine condition. The contents are, of course, very helpful. He is quite honest, and packs a lot of good information in his assessments. Lots of contact information. Don't go without Rick Steves' guides! I enjoy the bits of history he writes, and the survival phrases in the back.

This was the perfect guide for our recent trip to Munich. Filled with useful information, and downloaded at the gate at the airport! We travel in Europe every year and hope to see more travel guides on the Kindle.

I bought this book before I knew who Rick Steve was. Then I saw him on PBS and I was like, "REALLY???"
The book is great if you're only going to one of the three towns he profiles. If you want a book about all of Bavaria, buy another book. This book won't be going along on my trip and if I had an extra thumb I would give this book three thumbs down! FAIL!!!