Europe Through the Back Door 2012 Book
Favorite discoveries or tips:
I would like to see where I can find Left hand drive adds for cars for sale in Europe. You give locations for cars in England but they are only right hand drive.
Terry in OCEANO, CA USA 12/14/2011
I walk the Camino de Santiago, $5.00 to $10.00 per night and plenty of history and new people to meet.
Terry Sweetland in OCEANO, CA USA 12/14/2011
1-Many rental (hire) companies provide GPS systems. They are great, but the Guide Books need to provide the POSTAL CODES for the cities & villages because that is how the GPS software is set up.
2= ASSUME NOTHING: for example I am in Ulm, Germany ´great Cathedral MUNSTER (highest steeple in world), but only on my second day did I find out that in the hotel lobby they had a computer that I could use = it is new, fast and sure beast the 5 Euros I paid at an Internet Cafe last night. 3= ALWAYS book rental car ahead. I landed at Menningen (30 miles west of Munich). Nice airport, but small without any cars available. Great guy who I met in line (pays to be super friendly) took me to an off-airport place to get a rental. He knew German, mine is rusty, and recognized place that rented. I satyed at the Ibis hotel, but also was not told that I can unbundle the breakfast from the bill and ONLY pay for the room.
Charley Herdener in Vancouver, WA USA 06/29/2011
1-Many rental (hire) companies provide GPS systems. They are great, but the Guide Books need to provide the POSTAL CODES for the cities & villages because that is how the GPS software is set up.
2= ASSUME NOTHING: for example I am in Ulm, Germany ´great Cathedral MUNSTER (highest steeple in world), but only on my second day did I find out that in the hotel lobby they had a computer that I could use = it is new, fast and sure beast the 5 Euros I paid at an Internet Cafe last night. 3= ALWAYS book rental car ahead. I landed at Menningen (30 miles west of Munich). Nice airport, but small without any cars available. Great guy who I met in line (pays to be super friendly) took me to an off-airport place to get a rental. He knew German, mine is rusty, and recognized place that rented. I satyed at the Ibis hotel, but also was not told that I can unbundle the breakfast from the bill and ONLY pay for the room.
Charley Herdener in Vancouver, WA USA 06/29/2011
For a cheap meal in Britain try Boots all over the country. Sandwich,drink,chips all for under 4 GBP. Often you can get a 2 for 1 offer on the drinks. Save one for later. You probably already know this but just in case. Also Chester is a great town.Roman walls,amplitheatre, cathedral, near N.Wales Liverpool. 3 American Loyalists buried in the cathedral as well as other interesting aspects. Norman church, River Dee, free museum with roman stuff. I spent 10 months studying there and it was great.
Richard Whittington in Memphis, Tn USA 12/21/2010
Hotel Longchamp Elysées was a wonderful, friendly hotel I did not find in Rick's books. It is a short two blocks from the Trocadero Metro Station and a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower! The hotel is in a neighborhood off the beaten path. We walked everywhere1 There are lots restaurants near by as well as small markets, shops, and a grocery just steps from the hotel. (Be sure to find the bakery just around the corner!) The staff was more than friendly and extremely helpful! They allowed us to eat our own "take away" food in the dining area instead of our room, the made Eiffel Tower reservations for us, and helped map out any destination we inquired about. The rroms were small, quiet, and clean, and had everything we needed(we were in a quad). Please check out htis hotel and add it to your book! Hotel Longchamp Elysées - 68, rue de Longchamp 75116 Paris Tel: 33(0)1 44 34 24 14 Fax: 33(0)1 44 34 24 24 info@hotel-longchamp.com
Tanya Hope in Leander, TX USA 08/01/2010
Rick; I plan on visiting Wales next May andI checked your latest edition of Back Door and you never mentioned wales. I was disappointed. Can this be corrected and how.
Patricia Roth in Medina , OH USA 07/11/2010
We just returned from 7 weeks in the Dordogne area, Normandy and wrapped up the trip with 3 nights in Giverny. In Giverny we stayed with Gilles and Claire at Les Jardins d'Helene B&B. It is not only a beautiful place, the attention to detail was above and beyond. Gilles insisted on getting up to make breakfast for us at 5:00 AM when we had to leave for the airport. We stayed in the Barcarolle room which was sumptious!! We would highly recommend this B&B for addition to your book. The addrerss is 12, rue Claude Monet, 27620 Giverny. The email address is lesjardinsdhelene@free.fr and the website is giverny-lesjardinsdhelene.com. Just as an aside, Gilles life work was as a composer. The music on the website was composed by him.
Susan and Bill Friedman in Fort Collins, CO USA 06/23/2010
Please. Please. Please. Make this book available on Kindle or iPad. Why are all the other books available and this one is not?
Rey Anasco in Ocala, FL USA 04/09/2010
You miss a big, emerging sector of the "budget" traveler (actually, all the guidebooks miss this demographic). Many of us who travel a lot back home fly to Europe on free tix, and accumulate free nights at hotel chains, e.g., Hilton, Marriott. We redeem those free nights in Europe, which makes it helpful to include the geographical location of these hotels to help us plan the journey. Lots of travelers using this strategy have your guidebooks under their arms. Help us out.
David Firth in Reno, NV USA 02/06/2010
Hotel Alimandi Vaticano Rome, sister hotel to the one recommended in book. Same people own it. A 4 star and a little more expensive than the Alimandi Tunsi a 3 star in the book but an option if one can afford it. Right next to each other.
Ellen Pavelek in JOLIET, IL USA 02/03/2010
The hotel El Rey Moro was fantatic. Small and personal and right on the smallest street in the Bario in Seville. You were just a 5 minute walk from the Cathedral and Castle. Huge rooms and great ambiance. We had 2 different rooms (due to a mistake on our part!!) and they were both great!! elreymoro.com
Lisa Bruckner in Lighthouse Point, FL USA 01/04/2010
RADIO: Rick, as an experienced world traveler I have found it useful to carry a small, good quality portable AM/FM radio while traveling in Europe. There are many stations on the Armed forces Network which can be picked up in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and other places. Of course the broadcasts are in English and provide Stateside news, sports, music and other programming that may be of interest to some travelers. The frequencies are available from the Armed Forces Network ( Europe ). The radio can also be used to listen to the BBC as well as other foreign country sations. AM stations are generally available only after sundown. FM stations can be picked up all day long if you are close to the stations. I think a paragraph or two about this may be useful to many travelers in Europe.
WILLIAM RODRIGUEZ in JACKSONVILLE, FL USA 11/05/2009
Hiking in the Dolomites was wonderful!!
John and Cheri Courtnage in Eugene, Or USA 10/26/2009
We went to Spain earlier this year (2009) and Rick Steve's advice was perfect! In fact, in Sevilla we took Rick's advice and found this flamenco place with gives discounts if you bring in the Rick Steve's book. We found the place in the book, followed the directions and received the discount. We also encountered other with the same book at La Alhambra in Granada. Rick described how to take pictures so you get the perfect reflections, we will never go anywhere without Rick again. He is amazing!
Rebecca in ARLington, VA USA 08/09/2009
Yes but I am not putting them out for the locust hordes of tourists to destroy.
Eric Hermqn in Lake Forest, IL USA 07/25/2009
be yourself and not american. get the best time by meeting the locals.
Russ Gaiser in Buffalo, ny USA 07/20/2009
If you booked a cruise with a travel agent, always ask if they can provide a transfer from the boat to your hotel. I didn't ask and ended up walking from the ship to the train station in Civitavecchia for forty minutes because the Port Shuttle Bus would not pick us. They refused to pick us up and was picking up the other 10,000 passengers diembarking from other ships that day.
Amanda in New York, NY USA 06/25/2009
We are 70 year old twins traveling in Europe for 3 months. Using the hostels and depending on our Rick Steves guidebooks to find our way. Check our blogspots to see how we are doing. the-traveling-twins.blogspot.com or marthajans.blogspot.com
Mary Bender in Palmetto, FL USA 04/01/2009
I am a Junior at Harvard College, concentrating in Archaeology. This semester, I am studying in Rome where I have the exceptional opportunity to intern at Case Romane, a rich archaeological site. I am writing to encourage you to visit this attraction in order to share its wonders with your readers.
Due to its extensive occupation, Case Romane is well representative of Rome's multifaceted past. In it's early history, it served as a 2nd century domus which included a bath house, a 3rd century insula that housed the poor, and a 3rd century apartment complex where artisans gathered. At the beginning of the 4th century, an affluent man purchased the entire complex, transforming it into a posh residence, marked by its vivid frescoes. Later on in the 4th century, Saints John and Paul, officials of Constantine's court, resided here. Having refused to serve Emperor Julian the Apostate after he had renounced Christianity, the saints were martyred and, according to tradition, buried in their house. As such, in the 5th century, a Roman senator built a basilica for John and Paul above the site, which subsequently functioned as a place for religious worship and storage.
Having resided in Rome for the past month, I strongly feel that all who visit this remarkable city should explore Case Romane. I have found that Rome is a vast amalgamation of archaeological sites, consisting of structures from divergent time periods that are fully integrated into a common landscape, often touching one another. The Romans I have interacted with have proudly expounded on their homeland's distinct configuration, urging me to understand Rome through its overlapping layers. Case Romane encompasses many of these layers, revealing what daily life entailed for Romans during different time periods and amongst different social classes. The personal nature of the site enables visitors to truly connect with its messages, projecting themselves into the past in a natural manner that is often difficult to do when exploring more overwhelming sites such as the Colosseum or Pantheon.
Managed by the Spazio Libero Cooperative, the staff at Case Romane is amicable and welcoming. Additionally, the site attracts a steady yet manageable crowd each day, composed of eager visitors from a diverse array of nations. Expert archaeologists provide both daily and nightly tours, enlivened by a "witness" who recites Latin prose.
If you are interested in visiting the site or learning more about it, please contact me. Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you!
Best Wishes, Devon Sherman
Devon Sherman in Rome, Italy 03/18/2009