New Books for 2009
Snapshots
Mix-and-match your way through Europe with our new series of Snapshot books. These slim titles consist of chapters on some of Rick's favorite destinations, excerpted from our larger country and regional guidebooks. For example, if you're headed only to the Cinque Terre but not the rest of Italy, consider the Cinque Terre Snapshot (rather than the longer, more-inclusive Italy book). Each Snapshot has a brief introduction and a short Practicalities chapter (with advice on traveling in the particular country). For a list of Snapshot books, see our helpful find the right guidebook chart.
Postcards from Europe — 10th Anniversary Edition
Come along for the adventure as Rick recounts his first "Europe Through the Gutter" trips, his rocky start as a tour guide, and the passion for travel that ultimately built the successful multi-faceted travel company he leads today.
In this special 10th anniversary edition of his beloved collection of travel essays, Rick adds a new introduction and afterword, with a "where are they now" update on the colorful European friends he's met over the years. Also new are 16 pages of full-color photographs drawn from Rick's own library, providing a pictorial chronicle of Rick's three-plus decades of travel.
Budapest
The elegant Hungarian capital on the banks of the Danube, Budapest welcomes visitors with steaming baths beneath opulent Baroque domes, top-notch opera at bargain-basement prices, and thought-providing reminders of its communist past. Fortified by a bowl of goulash, take day-trips to Gödöllő Palace, the tiny Hungarian village of Hollókő, and the river towns of Szentendre, Visegrád, and Esztergom. Beyond Budapest, visit enchanting Eger, the former Roman frontier town of Pécs, and rejuvenated Bratislava, Slovakia.
As with all of Rick's guidebooks, you'll enjoy in-depth information on trip planning, the best sights, hotels, restaurants, tourist offices, transportation, telephones, festivals and holidays, mail and e-mail, weather, easy-to-follow maps, and suggestions for great day trips.
Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol
This new book focuses on Vienna and its sights, as well as the Danube River Valley, Salzburg, Hallstatt (the gem of the Salzkammergut Lake District), and the mountainous Tirol region. Because some sights just across the border are so scenic and interesting, this book also ducks into Germany (Bavaria) and even Slovakia (Bratislava).
Athens & the Peloponnese
With its Classical past, hang-loose present, and vibrant future, Greece offers something for every traveler. Sprawling Athens, a microcosm of the country, is an irrepressible mixture of old and new. Visit the world's top ancient site — the Acropolis, sample a cup of coffee in a Plaka café, and join the pan-European nighttime scene. Outside Athens, this book takes you to the ancient oracle at Delphi, the time-passed island of Hydra, and to the mountainous Peloponnese Peninsula, where you'll discover a Mycenaean palace, the theater at Epidavros, and the birthplace of the Olympic Games.
Travel as a Political Act
For more than three decades, Rick Steves has been teaching Americans how to travel on a budget and expand their horizons. His guidebooks, tour company, public television series (Rick Steves' Europe), and public radio show (Travel with Rick Steves) have helped millions of Americans travel smoothly.
But there's more to travel than good-value hotels, great art, and tasty cuisine. Americans who "travel as a political act" can have the time of their lives and come home smarter — with a better understanding of the interconnectedness of today's world and just how our nation fits in. Steves explains how to travel more thoughtfully — anywhere. He shares a series of his field reports from Europe, Central America, and the Middle East to show how his travels have shaped his politics and broadened his perspective. Travel connects people to people, helps us fit more productively into a shrinking world, and inspires creative new solutions to persistent problems. We can't understand the world without experiencing it. Travel as a Political Act helps us take that first step.