Rick Steves' France, Belgium, and the Netherlands 2002 (Paperback)

~ Rick Steves (Author), Steve Smith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Rick Steves doesn't just list where to travel in Europe, he leads travelers through the "Back Door," and reveals how to give every journey an extra, more authentic dimension. He shows travelers how to delve into European culture, make friends with the locals, and experience each region's natural wonders -- economically and hassle free. Rick Steves' France, Belgium, and the Netherlands 2002 is no exception. It covers Paris, Provence, the Loire Valley, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

Product Details

• Paperback: 395 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; Revised edition (December 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566913551
• ISBN-13: 978-1566913553
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,257,288 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #21 in	Books > History > Europe > Luxembourg
  #89 in	Books > Travel > Europe > Belgium

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rick Steves France, Belgium and the Netherlands, May 17, 2002

By A Customer

This book was great. I recently went to Paris for the first time and found this book to have invaluable information and to be extremely accurate with pricing, timetables, etc. Not only did it save me about 2 hours standing in line for the Louvre by enlightening me to the underground entrance, but the walking tour had all the necessary places to stop in a great and easy to follow order.
I also found the book extremely useful when traveling to Beaune for the winery tours. The hotel, winery tour and restaurant I selected were straight from the book and they were everything he said it was.
The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of information on Dijon. It's a fairly large city and easy to inlcude with a trip to Beaune, but there wasn't any information at all.
One other useful piece of information would be a holiday schedule. France closes entirely down on certain holidays and as a tourist that would be useful information when planning a trip.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book you will need to pack!, June 2, 2003

By A Customer

Rule #1 when traveling in Europe: pack light! You will carry your stuff up many stairs from the metro. You certainly do not want to bring 10 books on each region you will visit!

For the person who wants to experience the countries tourism and the real culture behind the front door, this is the best guide I've seen. I've been to Europe with another guide, and this one beat it hands down! I felt like a professional traveler and actually had other tourists befriend me and ask for advise--all from this detailed and wonderful book!

It's a must have for any person who wants to make sure they see everything they came for without breaking the bank or wasting their time.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scott, December 6, 2002

By A Customer

Raves
The French phrases are excellent-kept it simple. I was complimented for my French.
Rants
The Orangery Musee housing the Impressionists does not open sometime in 2002 as indicated in the book, but 2006. Long walk from Louve to find out its not even open. Made up for this with article on Montmarrse musee with Monets-short cab from Latin quarter-well worth it.