Rick Steves' Spain and Portugal 2004 (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Spain may seem poor compared to Sweden, but it has a richness-of history, of culture, of people-that has little to do with per capita income..." (more)
Key Phrases: eating lane, rooms into three categories, train info, Plaza Mayor, Plaza Nueva, Gran Via (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Marvel at Gaudi’s stunning architecture in Barcelona; make a pilgrimage to Granada’s Alhambra, take a vintage trolley through Lisbon; or wander through the Medina in Tangiers. Join Rick Steves on a trip to the sun-kissed Iberian Peninsula. Rick Steves' Spain and Portugal 2004 covers the best of Barcelona; Madrid; Segovia and Toledo; Salamanca; Coimbra, Nazare, and Obidos; Lisbon; The Algarve and Salema; Andalusia, Sevilla, Arcos, and Jerez; Granada; The Costa del Sol; Tarifa, Gibraltar, and Morocco. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves’ Spain and Portugal 2004 includes selective 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; and Rick’s newest "back door" discoveries. America’s number one 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. Color photographs and maps are included.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566915295
• ISBN-13: 978-1566915298
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #822,003 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, concise travel guide, September 5, 2003

By	Steven Lee "sfosteve" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rick Steves' Spain and Portugal 2003 (Paperback)

As indicated in his book, the author does not try to pack anything and everything into his travel guide. Rather, he tries to winnow things out and focus on the important highlights of a particular country. That is why this book was so appealing to me. Other books are like heavy tomes that contain more facts and information than you need and are not likely to remember. I think Rick Steve's cuts to the chase. My only criticism of his book is that I found the restaurants he recommended to be uneven. Some of the restaurants were good and others were simply average at best. I felt that his other recommendations as to sights, entertainment and accomodations were very good.

If you have never been to Spain or Portugal before, I would highly recommend this book. If, however, you have been to Spain before or plan to spend several days in just a few cities, you should consider another travel guide that contains more detail.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Big disappointment for highly touted book ..., November 10, 2003

By	Jerome Dubois (Belmont, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Rick Steves' Spain and Portugal 2003 (Paperback)

This book would only be useful if I were travelling to Spain. And even the 3 days I spent there, not a single word was mentioned of Bilbao, Valladolid, and the northern Atlantic cities. Very dissappointing. The book reserves all of about 30 pages on Portugal, none of which provide nearly as insightful as the Lonely Planet or Michelin guides. My advice, save your money and buy something else.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A book that will talk you out of going to Portugal, September 7, 2004

By	njoy - See all my reviews

Surprising for an RS travel book. I've used his books heavily in planning many a trip. His team usually does a nice job of providing a balanced view of a country or city. This one showed mostly the unpleasantness and mediocrity of Portugal. Can't speak for the Spain section, as I'm not considering travel to Spain in the short term, and did not review that as carefully.