Eastern Europe Guidebook
Best ways to improve this book:
Consider adding a small section on Rab in Croatia since the tour goes there
Joe Hellman in Central Point, OR USA 10/19/2011
Most of the city walking guides are great but Warsaw was a bit confusing to find the way around the ghetto tour and finding the Umsclagplatz. Need more direction on which way to turn on Stawki street.
Judy Sepik in Forestville, CA USA 10/01/2011
There is no way to improve this book as it is perfect the way it is. I used it to plan my trip and carried it every day with me.
Patricia in Walenista, VA USA 10/01/2011
Seeing as you offer a 12-day tour to Bulgaria, why not add a section dedicated for this country if there isn't enough interest in a stand-alone Bulgaria guidebook?
Eileen Kocherhans in San Diego, CA USA 09/04/2011
This book was terrific - what I sorely missed was a guide to Jerusalem and Israel, where I was forced to use another guide book that had great pictures and pretty mediocre information. Rick! PLEASE get into Israel and publish a book I can use for my next visit there! PLEASE! In fact, I can't go back until you go there first. . . .
Carol Sullivan in Mount Vernon, WA USA 08/24/2011
RS mentions the Tatars in several places in his various Eastern Europe Guidebooks, but doesn't say much about them, except they were Mongols. I suggest adding a more detailed description, perhaps a paragragh or even a sidebar, of who they were, and their influence, if any, on the Central/Eastern Europe history.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 08/22/2011
The only possible recommendation would be to make a pocket guide version. But, everything else was absolutely amazing!
Bri Morris in Little Rock, AR USA 08/15/2011
Bring the sweater the RS also recomends
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 07/03/2011
Enforce the idea that the weather north of the Carpathian Mountains (Poland & probably the Czech Republic) the weather is often rainy &/or chilly, so in your luggage of 5-6 shirts, make two or three long-sleeved, and bring a light rain-proof jacket and a small umbrella.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 07/03/2011
Consider somehow adding this information: "I had some questions about rail travel in Central/Eastern Europe, so I contacted RS' staff. She referred me to Karen at EurAide, Inc., in Massachusetts (781-828-2488), who works nights and weekends. She was able to put together a package of tickets and European East Passes for our six day and night train trips (they also got us to Kutna Hora and back, too). Having her arrange the tickets and passes ahead of time saved us a lot of time and headaches trying to figure out what we needed as well as trying to communicate with impatient railroad ticket sellers who don't speak English. Their fees and costs seem reasonable to me. KAREN NEEDS AT LEAST TWO WEEKS TO GET THINGS DONE! If using the Pass, then be sure to know when and how to validate them! URL: http://www.euraide.com/. EurAide@verizon.net. If this info is already in your books, then I suggest trying to make it more prominent since I miseed seeing it.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 07/02/2011
Mostar: We found Alma Elezovic passionate @ her country's history, but we had already done a ton of research @ it, + she never asked what we were interested in, i.e., she talked probably too much. Those who stayed at the Motel Kriva Cuprija used a male guide + loved him!
Larry in Iversen, WA USA 06/18/2011
Please provide better directions to the Salt Mines. We were unable to go because we couldn't find the 304 bus stop. The day that we were leaving Krakow we found the stop a few blocks away from the Galleria Mall. Our directions said that it was in front of the mall but it was actually a few blocks away on a small side street. Also please stress the fact that the area of the train station next to the tracks is not the main station. Since upon arrival to Krakow we exited to the opposite direction of the Galleria Mall, we didn't realize that the big pretty yellow building (a ways away from the tracks) was the main train station. We found it hard to believe that a big city like Krakow would just have two small underground hallways as it's station. You can imagine how dumb we felt when a few days later when we were trying to buy our tickets to Budapest, a nice English speaking employee gave us dirctions to the main building. Rereading your dirctions in the book now seems pretty simple but at the time we just didn't realize that the main building was seperate from the rest of the station and a little further away than normal. I know it sounds like we are inexperienced travelers but that's not the case. My husband and I have been traveling to Europe for the past 11 years on our own and with the help of your books. This is really the first year where we have encountered this much trouble. We do love all of your advice and plan to "keep on traveling" with the help of your books in the future.
Francine Miller in Seminole, FL USA 05/18/2011
More precise directions in the Budapest Castle area. Others we met also said that the directions in the Eastern Europe book was not up to the standards of your other books, which I agree with.
Debbie Dalin in Delray Beach, FL USA 10/24/2010
Add in some more information about the former Yugoslav countries. Especially Serbia (Belgrade). Or even just survival phrases for Serbia!
Donald Snider in Sherwood Park, AB Canada 10/19/2010
Note that on Saturdays only organized tours can enter the Auschwitz Museum between 10:00 and 15:00.
Steven Levitt in San Antnonio, TX USA 10/03/2010
Note that on Saturdays only organized tours can enter the Auschwitz Museum between 10:00 and 15:00.
Steven Levitt in San Antnonio, TX USA 10/03/2010
We've always found your advise to be excellent and we've seen things we'd have missed without your great books and website.
Liz Bowermaster in Urbana, Il USA 09/18/2010
More info on different options getting to things. I'm glad I grabbed the Momento park brochure since I found we could catch the tram near our hotel for a bus connection, rather than back track by metro for tram/bus etc. Also, add minor directions to bus stops for return trips as they weren't always easy to figure out (but...typically someone available to ask).
Brian in Böblingen, Germany 09/08/2010
I wanted to write to say the book was absolutely fantastic! I carried it everywhere and it was incredibly helpful and informative. I will definitely purchase Rick Steves' books in the future!
Carrie in St. Paul, MN United States 08/31/2010
The book was very helpful - it saved us time and money which made our trip much more enjoyable.
James in Ottawa, ON Canada 08/06/2010
still in midst of tour for another month will get back with final comment so far has been excellent our first experience with your guide books we have used many
howard blitz in boulder, co USA 07/01/2010
We agree with other posted comments that it is hard to find material in this book. If additional tabs could be included to highlight sleeping vs. eating vs. sights it would be helpful.
Could the survival phrases listings include the translations for "good morning" and "good evening"?
Anna in Tacoma, WA USA 06/22/2010
Keep doing what you're doing!
Chris in Minneapolis, MN USA 06/10/2010
Sometimes it's hard to find information you've already read in the book. I'd recommend some kind of sub-tab system along the margins: not only "Prague" to show which chapter you're in, but also "sights," "sleeping," "eating," and that kind of thing. I think it would make it much easier to find what you're looking for.
Lori in Mannheim, Germany 04/11/2010
It's a fine guide as is - detailed and accurate, providing more historical and aesthetic context than any other guide, including Lonely Planet, the runner-up.
Jack in Brondum, MN USA 03/29/2010
Call it Central Europe. Save this title for, when you are in fact in Eastern Europe (worth visiting)
Nick Knight in Laytown, Co Meath, IE 02/12/2010
This is my first time giving feedback - didn't know this was possible. I use these books extensively and absolutely love them - Rick is a travel genius! seems that while travelling I sometimes think of little things that might help, next time I'll make some notes - but don't get me wrong - these are the BEST books out there for European travel and I'm so thrilled to be able to use them. Keep up the good work!
J. Briggs in Seattle, WA USA 10/10/2009
Re-name it Central Europe
susan ford in senoia, GA USA 10/02/2009
My husband and I just returned from a fantastic 12-day trip to Romania. The only problem...the Rick Steves guidebooks don't yet cover this country. The Carpathian mountains are awe-inspiring and the towns and villages filled with "back door" charm. Please add this wonderful country to your Eastern Europe coverage for our next trip!
Jennifer Bergstrom in St Louis, MO USA 08/25/2009
this is a pretty useful book- lots of good ideas
Tim Bolinger in Plano, TX USA 07/14/2009
Add more information about Bosnia (Sarajevo) -- we really missed Rick Steves' advice while there!
Amy Tedoff in Colts Neck, NJ USA 07/12/2009
The only improvement could be the maps. This is the only area where Lonely Planet has an advantage over the Rick Steves books - their maps are more thorough and are consolidated so you don't have to flip between a map of sights, map of hotels and map of restaurants.
Jack Martin in Lawrence, KS USA 06/28/2009
The book was very informative and helpful. A must for travelling there. More could be included for places in poland.
Kerry Gaultois in Nanaimo , BC Canada 05/24/2009
All of these notes are for Prague: 1. The AVE in the secondary train station was friendly and patient. But it was hard to see their AVE sign. 2. Hotel Salvator has a Tb 3400 Kc / night (booked through AVE). It's very nice and it has a cheap Internet computer to use. We thought you should put it back in your book. 3. We recommend that people should buy a day pass for the Metro before going to Little Quarter or Castle Quarter. There was only one place that sells metro tickets in Little Quarter and it was closed. 4. We really recommend that you show how to walk from Little Quarter center to the castle. It's short and you don't need to take the tram and it's not obvious at first.
Mark McKnight in Austin, TX USA 05/06/2009
We are HUGE Rick Steves fans and have used his guidebooks exclusively since 2000. Our daughter is just ending a 10 day trip to Gdansk, Warsaw, and Krakow and we provided your Eastern Europe guidebook. Sadly, she was very disappointed in it and feels so much was left out and is now turned off by the mention of RS. She had a fabulous time only because she didn't "go by the book" or she would have missed so much. In particular, she felt directions were inacurate and took offense to "only history buffs" would be interested in seeing where the WW started. She relied on local free info which provided what she needed. So perhaps a bit of detail quality improvement is needed; I do realize this area is new to RS, when we went in 2000, we were on our own because there was no RS book. She is a seasoned traveler and does keep detailed travel journals; I will ask her to contribute some of the important missing info to this venue. Thanks for listening and we remain RS fans! (PS: we, too, are seasoned travelers now and even visited with Rick in Provence and were filmed on that DVD)
L.Kelly in Newbury, VT USA 04/04/2009
Nothing. It is being improved by doing just what you need to do. Asking us to provide update and feedback.
Lorraine Chatham in San Francisco, CA USA 01/08/2009