Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door

October 11, 2024

These reliable guides each begin with a full-color, photo-rich introduction to the country, including a neighborhood overview with an illustrated map. Planning and basic budget guidance follow, with a useful day-by-day itinerary highlighting top sites for five-day trips and additional site suggestions for longer journeys. After the introduction, the guide switches to black-and-white photos and begins with standard Steves fare (a pronunciation guide, a daily reminder of what will be open or closed, personality-filled advice, transportation overviews, and a look at possible tours). Next is a chapter devoted to sightseeing strategies and key places to visit, as well as a few cultural highlights and a list of the best views. A strong point of the guides is their focus on walks that string together must-see sights, with good maps, useful narrative directions, and some history and context. Tours for key destinations are then supplied in long, chapter-length detail. This makes up the bulk of each guide, along with important side trips. Also included is basic travel information: short history and culture lessons, practicalities, reminders of essential travel documents, and information on hotels, restaurants, shopping, transportation, and entertainment. Like all Steves guides, the books in this series reflect his strong point of view: minimize souvenir-shopping, splash out for experiences, do a lot, book direct, pack light. VERDICT Thanks to his long-running TV series, Steves is likely the best-known figure in the travel world, and his books are perpetually in demand. Consider them core titles for all collections.

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