Find the Right Guidebook
Which Rick Steves Book is Right for Me?
Rick and his co-authors have written a wide range of guidebooks covering Europe from Portugal to Poland, and from Ireland to Istanbul. But trying to choose which book (or books) best suit your trip can be confusing. Here's a quick rundown of your options.
Read-Before-You-Go Books vs. Take-Along Books
Several of our titles are read-before-you-go books, designed to help you prepare for your trip. The best starting point is Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, our travel-skills handbook that teaches all the skills you need to travel like a seasoned pro; it also includes lively descriptions of Rick's all-time favorite discoveries...his "Back Doors." To get a complete lesson on history and art, pick up Europe 101. Designed for smart people who were sleeping in their history and art classes before they knew they were going to Europe, this fully illustrated book gives meaning to your sightseeing.
The majority of our books are take-along books. You use these to plan the specifics of your trip (where to go, how to get there, and where to stay), then take them along with you as you travel in Europe. The take-along books include our country, city, and regional guidebooks, which are loaded with specific tips on various destinations, including Rick's favorite hotels, restaurants, sights, and time-and-money-saving tips. Also included in this category are our phrase books, loaded with fun and useful phrases to help you connect with Europeans, as well as a dictionary and menu decoder.
Country Guidebooks vs. City or Regional Guidebooks
We divide our take-along books into two categories: Country guidebooks (Best of Europe; Italy; France; Great Britain; England; Ireland; Germany & Austria; Switzerland; Spain; Portugal; Eastern Europe; Croatia & Slovenia; and Scandinavia) and city/regional guidebooks (London; Paris; Provence & the French Riviera; Rome; Florence & Tuscany; Venice; Amsterdam, Bruges & Brussels; Prague & the Czech Republic; and Istanbul).
Our country guides and city/regional guides have virtually identical hotel and restaurant listings and the same basic sightseeing info. But, because they're able to delve more deeply into a particular place, the city/regional guidebooks also add more in-depth coverage of major sights, including easy-to-follow self-guided town walks and museum tours. City/regional guides also add (or expand) information on shopping, suggestions for traveling with kids, entertainment and nightlife options, and other in-depth discussions of specific topics. Finally, the city/regional guides are typically smaller (and more portable) than the country guides.
So, as a practical example: Let's say you're going to London for four days, and are debating between the London city guide and the Great Britain country guide. You'll find the same hotels, restaurants, sightseeing tips, and other basic information in both books. But you'll also find several fun and informative museum tours and neighborhood walks in the London book.
For example, our Great Britain country guidebook has about one page of material covering the National Gallery, with all the essential practical information you need to enjoy a visit (such as cost, hours, location, and a brief description of what you'll see inside). Meanwhile, the London city guidebook has an 18-page step-by-step self-guided tour of the museum, with easy-to-read "art appreciation" commentary on more than 25 specific paintings. If you prefer to blow through museums quickly, you don't need that much information. But if you want to really delve into the collection and understand what you're seeing, the city guidebook is a worthwhile investment.
Many travelers take along a combination of country and city/regional guidebooks. For example, on a trip to Italy that includes a quick dip into Venice and a few other destinations, but lengthy stays in Florence and Rome, we'd recommend taking along the Italy country guidebook, plus the Rome and Florence & Tuscany city/regional guidebooks (but no need for the Venice city guide on such a short visit).
If you have specific questions about what book is best for you, look at the description (and table of contents) offered for each book at our Travel Store.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rick's Books
What sets Rick's guidebooks apart from others?
Instead of packing lots of generic data into one overweight book, Rick divides his travel knowledge into a system of focused guidebooks, so you won't waste your time and energy reading and lugging around more information than you'll need. This means that our books are more selective — choosing only the very best destinations. But this also gives us room for more in-depth, insightful coverage of the places we love. Our books are also more opinionated. Rather than giving you watered-down descriptions, we'll actually tell you which sight, museum, or restaurant is worth your limited time and money. And, if a place is great save for one fatal flaw (cigarette smoke in a restaurant, dingy carpet in a hotel, unpredictable hours at a museum)...we'll say so.
What's the difference between Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, Rick Steves' Europe 101, and Rick Steves' Best of Europe?
They're completely different books. Europe Through the Back Door is a travel skills handbook, designed to be read before you go to learn from Rick's mistakes and share his discoveries. Europe 101 is a fun, readable survey of Europe's art and history, geared for the traveler (with tons of full-color illustrations). Best of Europe is a take-along book with specific hotels, restaurant, and sightseeing information on Europe's top destinations. (Rather than buying the multiple-country Best of Europe book, most travelers with a focused itinerary do better with a country- or city-specific guidebook.)
Do I need a city-specific book (such as Paris) or a country guidebook (France)?
For a trip that includes several destinations in one country, the country guidebook is useful. But if you're going only to one city, or if you want to delve into that city in more depth on a farther-reaching itinerary, the city guide is an essential tool. In addition to the same hotel, restaurant, sightseeing, and practical travel tips as the county guide, the city guide also has in-depth, self-guided tours of interesting neighborhoods and top museums, which brings more depth and understanding to your sightseeing.
Should I buy the Best of Europe book or a combination of country and city guides?
Each country guide covers about a dozen select destinations within the country or region featured. The 33 most important chapters from these 100+ destinations are excerpted to make up Rick Steves' Best of Europe. While the country guides allot triple the coverage for each country, the chapters that make up the Best of Europe book are virtually the same as those in the country guides. For example, the Rome and Cinque Terre chapters in the Europe book are just as thorough as the ones in the Italy book. But Naples and the Dolomites are found only in the Italy book. The Best of Europe book includes a healthy mix of exciting cities and cozy villages. It's great if you're looking for the highlights in several countries. If you plan a slower trip through a specific region or country, you'll want the country guides.