Rick has a lot of different types of books and this review covers any book about a specific city or region. The focus will be on what I/we found interesting and informative from our perspective as first time European travelers.
Here is my breakdown by chapter.
The introduction covers the first 20 or so pages of this 480 page book
and it is chalked with valuable information for the new traveler. It begins with a basic introduction of the city and a key on how to read the book. Rick then moves into some basic travel tips that are applicable regardless of where you are going. There is a section about budgeting for your trip that I found very helpful. It goes into the basic costs for travel to the specific city as well as travel within it along with budgeting for room & board, sightseeing and shopping. For example, it costs $60 for a cab from the airport to the center of Rome, otherwise you can take the train for $20 per person.
There are some very good tips about Money...Cash vs. Credit Cards, What to tip, ATM's, Taxi costs, etc. Pretty much all you need to know about how to use and get money. I found it very interesting to know that in Italy, your tip is already included in the cost of the meal and you only leave a bit more if the service was outstanding....maybe a Euro or two.
The Introduction also includes the best time to visit the city as well as some general things you should know before booking your trip...like which days certain museums are closed. Furthermore, he gives a basic introduction to the major sights and what to expect when you show up to visit them.
Overall, I felt this was a very valuable chapter.
This chapter delves into the neighborhoods of the city and how to best get around. There are maps of the bus, train and subway routes as well as the costs associated with using them. In addition he discusses local bus and walking tours.
Based on the title, this chapter is pretty cut and dry. It goes into depth about the major attractions and neighborhoods in the city with reviews as well as maps of where they are. Obviously a major reason you are traveling is to see many of these sights as well as experience the culture. This is a must read chapter that I found very valuable.
- Self-Guided Walks and Tours
Again this is pretty self explanitory. It goes over the the different sights and the best way to fit them into your daily itinerary. It goes into the cost of each sight, when you should get there and how to save time while visiting it. These will be great pages to tear out of the book and bring with us so we can read them as we visit the sights.
This section goes into different types of places to stay (i.e. Hostels, Hotels, Apartment Rentals, B&B's and Hotels) along with the pros and cons and prices of each. There are many hotel recommendations and some offer Rick Steves Discounts. I found that I could get better rates online or by phone so the discount did not help me. I will do a full post on selecting accommodations.
Similar to the sleeping section, this basically covers different restaurants in the city as well as local customs on tipping, selecting a restaurant and where the best neighborhoods for eating are. I think this is again another set of pages that we will be tearing out of our book and bringing with us.
Regardless of where you go, the odds are good that there is going to be nightlife of some kind. Rick gives you an overall feel of what the nightlife is like....what the hot clubs are, where the lively piazza's, bars and cafes are, etc. If you have the energy to go out after a long day of sightseeing, you should check out this chapter.
This is the chapter that talks about how people get into and out of the particular city. It covers Train Stations, The Airport, Cruise Ship Arrivals, Bus and Car Travel. This is an important chapter and gives very valuable information on how to get from your arrival point to your hotel as well as various fees and travel customs.
Most of the major cities in Europe offer many opportunities to take day trips to different parts of the country. In the Rome Guide, there are 3 or 4 tips that they discuss. In each section they go over how to get there as well as the sights in each local and how to best spend your day. I will find this section particularly helpful in the Florence part of our trip as we will be planning at least two day trips out into Tuscany.
This section goes into a basic history of the city you are visiting. Most of this information you can find elsewhere, but is fun to read.
Well there you go...my initial review of a Rick Steves City Travel Guide. I am sure I will be reading many of these sections again and as I find more and more useful information, I will be sure to post it.
No comments:
Post a Comment