Best ways to improve this book:Change the name...IT IS NOT A COMPREHESIVE GUIDE TO GERMANY. I wanted one book for my trip...this wasn't it.!!!!!I want my money back.and my trip isn't even over yet!!!!. Molly Jaber in Beaverton, OR USA 11/13/2009 Accuracy in routing is vital as time is short and errors cause serious impacts. David S. Davidson in Norwalk, CT USA 11/10/2009 My husband and spent 2 weeks driving through Bavaria and the Mosel area of Germany. It seemed that every English speaking tourist(including us) was clutching a copy of Rick Steves Germany. Although the guidebook was very helpful both in planning and while traveling, we felt a glaring omission was any mention of the Hotel Rheinfels in St. Goar. This was our favorite hotel of the trip. Our room was very large,beautifully furnished, immaculately clean and moderately priced. The hotel is located directly across the street from the Rhine and from our balcony we enjoyed the never ending parade of barges, ferries and riverboats. The owner is charming, friendly, hospitable and very proud of the wonderful job he has done remodeling and furnishing this lovely hotel. We found this hotel through Trip Adisor and would have been very sorry to have missed staying there. Elaine Miller in Sharon, MA USA 10/25/2009 More info about Saarland and the lower Rheinland-Pfalz. Lori Brubaker in Downingtown, PA USA 10/20/2009 Not sure. Both the France and Germany books were very helpful. Gordon Turner in Austin, Tx USA 10/14/2009 Add a search engine - too time consuming to look up specific cities, towns, sites, etc. Al and Mary Hermansen in Delano, MN USA 09/28/2009 Remove the Dicke Witten and add Schwarzes Cafe. Bill in Miami, FL USA 09/22/2009 We spent 2 weeks in Germany and used Rick's 2009 book continually. It was the best money I have spent on a travel book. The discounts, time saved, good restaurants and rooming all paid for this book. Everywhere I went I saw people carrying this book with smiles on their faces! They "knew" this book was giving them a great vacation! I have never taken the time to review anything before but I felt the need to thank you for all the hard work that goes into researching and helping other people, like us have a great vacation. Keep up the great job! susan knutter in rockford, il USA 09/07/2009 I would recommend expanding the list of restaurants and hotels. Vijay Goradia in Houston, Tx USA 08/03/2009 Include which hotels accept credit cards, especially Visa and Mastercard. Bob Pearson in Upper Arlington, OH USA 07/26/2009 Our daughter lives in Hamburg and it is not in your book. I know you cannot cover every city, but it is beautiful and should be included. Bill Horton in N. Mankato, MN USA 07/24/2009 --include information about sustainability sights such as the car-free neighborhood of Freiberg (see http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/science/earth/12suburb.html?_r=1), info about the many green roofs you'll see from the train, and more details about how recycling works in Germany. --Consider Pfronten as another home base for drivers visiting Bavaria. Lots of affordable accommodations and family-friendly set-up with playgrounds and walking trails. --Consider including Heidelberg - the Philosophen Weg is a lovely walk, the student cafeteria is an affordable place to eat, there are international restaurants for some culinary variety, the gardens of Schloss Schwetzingen are nearby, and overall it felt much less touristy than recommended destinations like Cochem or Baden-Baden. Emily S in Berkeley, CA USA 07/21/2009 Dear Rick Steves & Co., I first discovered your WONDERFULLY helpful guidebooks last summer on two seperate trips to Europe (Spain/Morocco, Germany). Please please please come tell me what to do in Asia. My husband and I are stationed in Japan with the Navy and in the past few months we've traveled to China, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, and all around Japan. And we'll be here another two and a half years! Other guide books drive me nuts; they pile on a ton of information without telling me what's most interesting or how I should go about my visit. I need the Rick Steves trademark "What to do if you only have 48 hours," "What to do if you have 10 days" breakdown. I never know if I'm catching all the highlights or not. I feel so in the dark. On my travel blog (mostly for my family back home or for other traveling Navy spouses...and there are a lot here) I sometimes do a section on, "If I were Rick Steves, here's what I'd do in one day. Here's what I'd do in three days," to help my friends sift through all the jumble most Asia guidebooks dump on us. We need some Rick Steves!! Can you help?? Thanks! Mari Krueger marigirl05@gmail.com marispassportdiaries.blogspot.com Mari Krueger in FPO, AP USA 07/18/2009 Rick mentions the DDR Museum in his introductory Berlin walk, but doesn't give it much attention. I found it to be a very fun and interesting place to learn more about East German culture, especially popular culture. It's definitely a little kitschy, but it's a convenient location and seems worth at least one pyramid to me. I learned a lot there. Abby in Seattle, WA USA 07/09/2009 As a source of info on Germany (and the rest of Europe) include mention of Deutsche Welle-- the German news/culture media source for the world: www.dw-world.de on the internet, and DW-TV, available in the US on some cable, satellite and broadcast services. (Also, for French info there's www.France24.com/en) Bill and Rhonda Lakatos in San Jose, CA USA 06/10/2009 The books have always been heavy, but they hold up the best. Judge Leverich in SALT LAKE CTY, UT USA 06/01/2009 Add the Rothenburg Puppet Theater as a reccommended experience Catherine Palazzola in St. Louis , MO USA 05/22/2009 In Berlin, please put numbers on your map to show where Georgenstrasse St is and where Brauhaus Georgbrau is (if you didn't already in your latest book). Thanks! Mark McKnight in Austin, TX USA 05/06/2009 Alter Keller Weinstube has later hours than are mentioned in the 2009 guide for Germany. The Alter Keller in Rothenburg serves dinner until 9, closed on Tuesdays, and the kitchen closes at 6 on Sunday. They have the best goulash soup in town! James Derheim in Sarasota, Fl USA 04/24/2009 The cartoon maps for some of the smaller cities could be made bigger and more detailed. Gary P in Ramona, CA USA 04/18/2009 Berlin: The trains had changed from paper notes (to indicate a reserved seat) to electronic. The system is a little confusing (not sure how to improve this in book, though). All the free seats were labeled "bahncomfort.de" and we weren't sure if we were allowed to sit there (with a railpass, but no reservation). A staff member on the platform said it was okay, but it wasn't clear if this was a special program or not. Dave W. in Seattle, WA USA 01/20/2009 Offer the RS top sights, and restaurants in text format to copy to our mobile smart phones (BB) to use during the trip. Ken in Dallas, TX USA 01/02/2009 1. Separate Austria & Germany. 2. Put in Northern cities (Hamburg at least) 3. Don't assume everybody is using the train. I rented a car but your descriptions & directions assume the train MOSTLY. 4. Better maps 5. In cities tell us which U-Bahn or S-Bahn line to use AND station to see a specific site. Berlin had many sights that I had to figure out how which station was closest. Brandon Walker in Clovis, CA USA 01/01/2009 There were two very important cautions that Rick Steves mentioned. One was to avoid the modern-day gladiators at the Colosseum (in the Italy book). The second was a note to ignore the Eltz signs when driving to Berg Eltz, otherwise you end up in a totally different parking lot where you get to pay to park and end up going on an hour-long hike on a muddy, uneven, hilly trail. This was not where we wanted to be. We did not have the time for it. We did not have the fortitude for it. As a result, I had to walk all the way back, while the rest in my party were able to tour the castle. I was very disappointed. This parking lot near Berg Eltz and the gladiators at the Colosseum are both obvious scams. These cautions need to stand out more in the guidebooks. Perhaps you could print "CAUTION" in bold type. Otherwise, it is very hard to find the caution within the 2 or 3 pages of description. Leanne Roe in Everett, WA USA 12/31/2008 Expand the restaurant reviews. Maybe highlight what sites are best for off season or bad weather (we visited in late October). Jessica in sacramento, CA USA 11/10/2008 (just an idea) We have used Rick's books for 20 years and swear by them. As we have aged and been able to afford a little more, we find we like restaurants away from the downtown scene. Since we now always rent a car, as I suspect more and more of your clients do, we would appreciate more restaurants recommendations that are away from the downtown area which gets you more with the locals...the way we like it (see suggesion above) Larry Snyder in Pittsboro, NC USA 11/03/2008 Include Bamberg. Jan Polkinghorne in Boulder, CO USA 10/11/2008 Need to add Spar in Melk to map on pg 550 Need to improve Map on page 550. I couldn't understand the orientation Need to provide better directions in Krems to train station. Got lost for 1 hour. Saw no traffic-free zone, instead ended up at the prison pg 553. Need to provide information on traveling from Vienna to Prague or vice versa (see my posting on helpline "to the east" from late August. The book is pretty heavy - perhaps combine Austria with Prague (like it used to be), but you can't please everyone.
Denise Schlotfeldt in Ann Arbor, Mi USA 09/04/2008 I know your target is younger readers, but some of us older folks use your books also - you should indicate maximum flights of stairs to climb in accommodations w/o elevators. (or at least if over one or two flights of staris). Jack Ferguson in Plano , Tx USA 09/04/2008 Add a few more road signs for drivers. Strongly recommend that drivers take a GPS with Europe/Alps map card. My Garmin was very accurate even on back roads and a lifesaver for us. The book was great. R. J. Vanden Berghe in Springfield, VA USA 08/26/2008 Keep exploring new places--it's fun to find new adventures. Thanks for all you do!!! Julie & Ed Wrabetz in Madison, WI USA 08/22/2008 Great section on the Mosel river. One small suggestion: In the directions for bike rental in Zell, you say '1.25 miles out of town'. Confusing, since measurements are in kilometers, not miles. Bob in Minneapolis, MN USA 08/13/2008 I feel that Hamburg should be included in this book. I was disappointed to see that it wasn't in there, especially when I made the decision to go there. I was only there for about 10 hours, but it's a much more interesting and beautiful city than Frankfurt, which IS in the book. I also have a friend who visited Bremen and thought precisely the same thing about that city. So perhaps consider sending someone to check Hamburg and Bremen out. They are pretty far north, but with a railpass you definitely get your money's worth. Eric Almeida in Ames, IA USA 08/05/2008 Put some northern Germany routes and hotels in this book. The above information I learned from my German relatives and it shows that there are many other nice places beside the south. Dave Beck in Jefferson, WI USA 07/29/2008 Leave out the Kunsthistorisches self-guided tour (Vienna). It was useless. Emphasize your recommendation to look at the postcards. Add that the museum has an on-line database of their highlights from which one can make a personal list of must-see paintings. Also, include the public transportation route numbers and closest stops for the restaurants. After an entire day of sightseeing, I didn't feel like walking another mile down to Buffet Trzesniewski, even though that was one of the places I had planned on eating. Charlotte in Vermillion, SD USA 07/12/2008 Rick's books have been perfect for our trips. We have also carried the Lonely Planet books for when we veered off Rick's suggested itinerary for some reason. Janet Johnson in Manhattan Beach, CA USA 07/11/2008 Add BAD GASTEIN (We stayed @ Mondi-Holiday Bellevue in a 1 bedroom apartment) and ZELL AM ZEE Austria (Hotel Garni)family owned and operated for 4 generations, and the best breakfast in all of Austria. Both places were heavenly and ranked near Hallstatt and Rothenburg on our list of "see again someday." We visited Frankfurt, Munich, Dachua, Salzburg and Innsbruck,along with the above mentioned places. Thanks for the advice. We won't travel without our Rick Steves' book! Gwen Ashworth in Lake Charles, LA USA 07/09/2008 I know that you concentrate on a few key areas in your Germany & Austria guidebook - and you do them exceptionally well. But I wish you would include more places, perhaps even a separate book on Germany. One very interesting city in Germany which you might want to include in the future would be Hamburg. As well, you might want to include more information on areas in former East Germany. Susan Langin in Cranbrook, BC Canada 07/08/2008 Focus on areas outside the Big Three sights in Austria. Also, properly describe how to get to Mauthausen, a town in Upper Austria and quite far away from Vienna or even Melk Martin in Shoreline, WA USA 07/08/2008 Better maps........ we consistently had issues finding our way on the self-guided tours. Perhaps the map and tour should be on the same page, as they usually aren't. Mike Greene in Wildomar, CA USA 07/08/2008 Add Walter Friedel Bakery to Rothenburg eating section: sandwiches to go and delicious pastries and everything you need for a picnic. Markt 8, 91541 Rothenburg. Tel 09861/7818; www.original-rothenburger-schneeballen.de Ann Doty in Juneau, AK USA 07/07/2008 Please list the Holocaust Memorial Wall in Frankfurt. This is something everyone who visits Frankfurt should go and see. It doesn't have the huge, "in your face" impact that the Berlin Memorial has, but more of a very personal impact with all of those 11,000 names on it and where they were killed and when. I find it sad that no mention of it was in the guidebook. Especially, since Anne Frank and her sister Margot were born in Frankfurt and also have their names on this Memorial. Jodean in Frankfurt, Germany 07/06/2008 Checking out B & B or pensions in Berlin will give you a much cheaper and nicer place to stay then in many hotels. We had a whole apt. to ourselves including a fully equipped kitchen and 2 beds for only 48 euros a night. It was only 2 stops from the main train station and the landlord met us with the key and info about how to get around town. Jodean in Frankfurt, Germany 06/27/2008 Add a better description of how to get to the airport in Vienna. Here's my draft; take the U-Bahn to the Vien Mitte station (which is marked Vien Mitte / LandstraBe on the maps but only LandstraBe on the sign seen from inside the subway car) and exit the station to the street following the green signs with an airplane on them. On the street again follow the signs until you find a green line painted on the sidewalk. Follow the green line to the City Airport Train building which is a lime green. Mike Thompson in Los Angeles, CA USA 06/26/2008 My brothers were going to Germany so I told them they had to get Rick Steves' book "Germany and Austria 2008" because his books are the best. They got to Germany and there was not even a section on Hamburg (where one brother spent the majority of his time). You mention in the beginning of the book that Hamburg is the 4th largest city in Germany and then don't include it. I really don't understand. Next time I will recommend a more thorough book. Mel in NA, VA USA 06/26/2008 I would rate the National Library 2 stars and it is only an affterthought mentioned in the section of the Augustinian Churhc in Vienna. We saw the library at the monastary in prague and the library in the melk abbey. This blows both of them away and should be more profiled. Also, the Opera House in Vienna is not as grand as the ones in Prague and Budapest. The seating area in Vienna was severely damaged by bombs in wwII and not rebuilt to the glory of the past or nearly as nice, in my opinion, as the interiors of prague's estate theatre or budapest's opera house s mike in tempe, az USA 06/22/2008 We used your Germany and Austria 2007 guide which was excellent. However, as all distances in Europe are shown as kilometers, as are the trip meters of rental cars it would be very useful to also show distances in your books in kilometers as well as miles. Helen Douglas in Sydney, Australia 06/18/2008 A couple of comments. Places in Germany (especially the larger cities) and in Salzburg seem to get booked very early for May. There seemed to be many school holidays going on. Also, I take exception to your comments on p. 19 of 2008 Germ and Austria book. My husband and I always try to be quiet and respectful when travelling in Europe or other foreign places. We found Germans to be a lot noisier in public than we were! They were very friendly to us, and we had lots of good conversations! Barbara in Eikenberry, CA USA 05/23/2008 My most recent Rick Steves' book is Germany & Austria 2008. I am planning to visit my niece in Hamburg and thought I could get some info on places to visit/stay. However, I was disappointed that neither city was covered. (No, I didn't check the contents before I purchased the book.) I know the rest of the book will be helpful in my travels, but I would like to see northern Germany included. Charlotte Tenerelli in Califon, NJ USA 05/09/2008 Can't think of any improvements. We wouldn't think of going to Europe without it. We took 2 grandsons in 2006 and 2 granddaughters in 2007. They are hooked on your recommendations now also. Bev Smith in Grand Junction, CO USA 05/02/2008 Include Maulbronn cloister! It is a UNESCO World Heritage sight, and although it may be out of the way for some travelers, it could be included on an itinerary from the Black Forest to Rothenburg. Gute reise! S & J in Freiburg im Breisgau, BW Deutscheland 04/29/2008 Add section on Lake Constance area, especially Meersburg (great hotel: Gasthof zun Baeren, great restaurant: Allemann Torkel) Debra Livak in Boise, ID USA 04/20/2008 I used the Germany Austria book, and I'm very happy that it covers a wide range of information and it's in detail and up-to-date. There were certain pieces of information that I think many travelers from the U.S. find useful. For example, validating your tickets before taking a train (it's easy to miss that little stamp machine, and get in trouble on the train), and paying to use bathrooms. It was my second trip to Germany, so I was ok. However, those who go there for the first time have no idea about those things. If you can add information like that, I think it would be great. One last suggestion is to divide Germany and Austria into different book. The book is pretty thick as is. If you put them into different volumes, you may be able to add information on other places you have not been able to discuss (like Northan Germany, which many reviews mentioned). Masa in Bellingham, WA USA 03/09/2008 You suggest the city map of Vienna from the tourist bureau. I've received this prior to leaving & find it difficult to read & it has no street index. The "Streetwise Vienna" map is easy to read, has a street index, & also a U Bahn/S Bahn map.Map is smaller in size waterproof too. Mike Evangelista in Dillwyn, Va USA 02/17/2008 just "keep on travellin" and share your tips with us. Carolyn in Birrell, UT USA 02/06/2008 Can't really think of any. We have come to trust and rely on your books, and have not been disappointed yet! Alan & Shelley Davis in Thornton, CO USA 01/23/2008 I bought your books Europe Through the Back Door and Germany and Austria which are GREAT...Have been a fan for a long time. However, I was very disappointed that you did not cover an area of Germany that has so much to offer. I mean Bremen, Hamburg, Moelln, Ratzeburg, Luebeck, Kiel and Flensburg just to name few. Northern Germany is a beautiful part of Germany and has much history and so much to offer. Please do noy keep this region from your faithful fans....My son was just there for 6 weeks and found it so interesting he is returning this summer for another visit. Keep up the good work! But please include Northern Germany in your travels! Bil Wentzek in Bend, OR USA 01/15/2008 I understand that not everyone's suggestions can be included and production costs are a factor but I agree with others that portions of Northern Germany should be included (i.e. Bremen and Hamburg). Perhaps, you could consider two volumes (i.e. Northern Germany and Bavaria/Austria)? Paul Wester in Dickinson, TX USA 01/02/2008 There were several times when things were pointed to on the map but we could never find them without an actual map showing us the streets. Dane Kantner in Chicago, IL USA 11/28/2007 It was fantastic. We used it throughout Austria and Germany -so many tips, many hotels, restaurants etc. I couldn't travel without Rick's books. I have become so accustomed to using it on our travels. Keep up the good work. Andrea Latendresse in Burlington, ON Canada 11/11/2007 Recommend food and lodging options that are outside of the tourist area but nearby (i.e. Haidhausen and Schwabing neighborhoods). Prices can skyrocket when a fair/convention is in town and there are plenty of good choices to give your readers. Brian Autke in Asheville, NC USA 11/10/2007 I loved it! my trip was fabulous! I'll do it again soon! Sue Kerns USA 10/27/2007 Stuttgart is not discussed in the book. Thanks. Charlie in Pensacola, FL USA 10/20/2007 We returned from this trip with yet another dog-eared, soiled, well-used Rick Steves' guidebook to put on our travel shelf! Robert and Janet Reiner in Sierra Vista, AZ USA 10/17/2007 ...And other books: Take a little more care with your music sections. They are rife with errors that are simple to check and correct. John Grabowski in Oakland, CA USA 09/30/2007 With this now being the age of the GPS, please make every effort to include addresses for all locations. Thanks! Doug Stansbury in Saint Cloud, FL USA 09/29/2007 Encourage people in the Senior Citizens bracket to be brutally realistic with themselves concerning their driving/navigating skills in a foreign country and urge them to travel in groups with an friend or a tour guide who knows the country. The learning curve is very steep for the inexperienced and not so young. John S Treadwell in McDonough, GA USA 09/22/2007 We loved the Germany & Austria Guide book! We visted one town not mentioned in the book, Mulheim An Der Rohr in Germany. It was beautiful. Wonderful waking paths along the river, gardens, Brioch Castle, The Camera Observatory, Locks on the river, River boat tours, and we lucked out the first weekend in September they host a huge Dragonboat festival with races, food booths, music and on Saturday night fireworks. We stayed at the Gartenhotel which was lovely, breakfast included. Ate a lovely lunch on an island in the middle of the river (bridge across) at Frankies.Check it out! Mel Penton in North Haven, Ct USA 09/11/2007 Add Hamburg and Hannover. They are both great. More of North Germany. Add BernKastel-Kues-One of my favorite places on the Mosel! Would love to hear your thoughts on BK.
Alex Griffin in Danville, Ky USA 08/19/2007 In GERMANY & AUSTRIA 2007, on page 415 vague directions are provided for finding the FLEA MARKET. The term "beyond the Victory Column' depends on your location. Instead state that it is immediatly west of the TIERGARTEN S-Bahn station. Quite a walk from Victory Column. If one wants a friendly welcome, and a touch of 1950s USA decor, stop at the BEL-AIR Cafe, about two doors west of CHARLOTTENBURG PALACE, on same side of street - great folks and good food. As always love your books/shows. Thanks for it all. Lloyd in Overland Park, KS USA 07/31/2007 I am just amazed that Rick spends three or four months each year checking out hotels, restaurants, and sights for his guidebook resesarch. At this stage in his life and with his success, you'd think he could pass this on to someone else. But obviously Rick takes his work seriously and wants to unhold the solid reputation he has established. We had Europeans tell us when were we there that other guidebook researchers never come personally to their hotels and check things out "unannounced" like Rick does. They respect him, too. Thanks Rick and E.T.B.D. for giving us this resource to make our trip such an enjoyable one. We are proud that we can travel independently and successfully because Rick has supplied us with the knowledge and information to make this kind of travel possible. It is so much more satisfying to travel in Europe this way and not be limited by a tour and what the "guide" thinks we should see. I'd much rather have the knowledge and then make the decisions myself. Our memories of the 16 days we spent in Germany, the Czech Republic and in Austria will linger with us for a very long time. Gary Hoffman in Baldwin, WI USA 07/30/2007 One suggestion - Heidelberg may be overrun with American students in the summer, but when we went in March it was wonderful. I think that your advice to avoid it should be altered to recommend avoiding it only in summer. We spent a terrific 16 days going to Berlin, Weimar, Nuremberg, Heidelberg, Koeln, Bacharach, and Franfurt. The guide made everything easy, as with trips to Spain, Finnland, France, Italy, and Portugal. Thanks for everything! John Frazer in Concord, CA USA 07/17/2007 It would be nice to have a sturdy card that could be punched out from the book to show to merchants for Rick Steves discounts. It's heavy to carry the whole book around all the time. I often copied down notes for the day (or morning) and left the book behind. Sometimes I had to schlepp it around for various discounts. Marianne Sullivan in Newark, DE USA 07/04/2007 Nothing! Thank you for providing the only guidebook necessary to give us a great time! Laura in Seattle, WA USA 06/25/2007 I would like to recommend a tour guide in Salzburg...Gumennikov Eugeniy, 43 650 823 68 90, email Eugene at g_yevgeni@mail.ru He was wonderfully knowledgeable about Salzburg and the Eagle's Nest. He is a delight to be with. His English is impeccable. He also speaks Russian! Hire this terrific young man. He's the best! Ellen Langer in Dayton, OH USA 06/23/2007 How about adding some info on Luxembourg?! Beth Platte USA 05/07/2007 Perhaps better directions along the Rhine as to which side of the river a hotel is one. If you are on the wrong side, it can be very confusing given the few bridges. The ferries aren't difficult, you just have to know you need one. Pat in Vinkenes, VA USA 04/23/2007 Give more detailed directions for finding the Kaisergruft. This site gets two stars in the book (and deservedly so), but Rick just says, "Visiting the imperial remains is not as easy as you imagine" in part to explain that the remains are spread through several locations. We used Rick Steves book and our plastic map (indespensible!) to figure out where it was. Please give a hint in the book as to where to find it to make it easier for others. Susan Myers in Chesnee, SC USA 04/20/2007 I just wanted to add an accommodation recommendation. We stayed in a small town in Oldenwald, Hesse, called Rothenberg, in an INN owned by Micheal and Annette Gittek.It is a beautiful place to see Germany from a small town perspective. We had a family Christmas there. They 4 apartments that have kitchens. The town has three resturants and two pubs. A Christmas walk with the whole town to the old water well for spiced wine and bratwurst, we were wlcomed as family.contact the Gitteks for year round fun in a farm town with flare. Beth Halle in New York, NY USA 02/04/2007 Add more hotel recommendations to the Dinkelsbuhl section. Lorene Boyes in Lindenhurst, IL USA 01/13/2007 Offer volumes with larger maps for older folk. Maybe even senior print. We older travelers would welcome the service. Be the first travel books available with larger maps and print size. Stan Biles in Blue River, or USA 01/03/2007 |