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I bought guidebooks by Rick Steve's, and the Rough Guides, before my last two trips. We use a variety of books when planning our trips, and prefer some to others when gathering different bits of knowledge and inspiration. It will provide a good sampling then you can go back some day if something lights your fire. Posted by shawnt63 on 03/23/15 02:33 AM. Check the Product Details here on the website and when the current edition was published and when the next is due. As a bit of a history buff and a lover of architecture and the arts I, and my wife do have some spots that we want to see but as you are all no doubt aware sometimes it is better to ask of those who have been there that to just guess :)That trip should be fairly straight forward. RS is most helpful for practical travel information, affordable options, what sights to focus on if you have limited time/money. And my plan through Bulgaria only works by car. Then go to I'd do 5 days in London, 5 days in Paris, 1 day transit (Chunnel)Then you have 8 more days. Thinking about traveling to Germany. In addition to RS, I also like the DK Eyewitness series - at least for researching the sights, history, etc. My Account.
I often find it useful to browse several of these for regions, countries or specific cities to help decide where to go. (Courtesy of Rick Steves’ Europe) Stuck here, I’ve been pondering a big question: Why do I travel? With a family, you don't want to be making reservations on the fly (we are 2, so we often do that). My Account.
A number (if not many) will disappear, or be compromised in some way. In particular, I like his Pocket city guides - small, easy to carry, and they include pullout maps. :O)I know you are looking to 'do it yourself', and not taking a tour, but you can look at the "Itinerary" tab for each city to use as inspiration/planning for each place.I am another that uses the library to start my travel research. You might want to fly there.
Also most of us will send you a private email with the places we stayed etc. then for the final stretch Sofia to Istanbul.
Besides Guide Books, read Historic Novels set in the Countries where you plan to travel. They don't cover a lot of sites that you might really enjoy. Also, reading through it will give you a better idea of all of the variety of options just traveling within France offers. They are all full of things you will want to savor. But you are correct in that it is often overlooked. It is true that focusing on major cities does leave you with only one vantage point for Europe. Thanks everyone! booking.com can be used to find a place to stay for 5 days in London and Paris. They should include information on day trips in nearby sites. We've used their self-walking tour routes as well (although Rick has those too.). The website Rome to Rio is great for planning how you're going to get between countries, based on time and the experience you want to have. In Florence I saw at least two sights Rick didn't mention. Usually I select a hotel that is near the train station so that I don't have to carry/roll my bags far and want a nice hotel for a low price. RS books are just a STARTING point for me, gives me ideas to research and then my own trip is formed.
❤️We have hiked the Cinque Terre and the Appia Antica outside of central Rome, among some other non-city treks, so have a bit of rural footwork under the belt. For example, in France should I buy "France," "The Best of France," or "Paris?" Also Cornwall. Anyway, just as one size doesn't always fit all, one book sometimes doesn't either. We expect to have about 19 days in Europe next summer (not including flights to/from the US) and are trying to figure out the locations that we would like to visit. Does the "France" book cover Paris to the same level of detail? There are plenty of Churches and Palaces; research them before you leave so you can savor them while you are there. HI, I am new to the forum and did some reading and got some good ideas but just wanted to isolate a bit more. We live by the philosophy that vacations are for exploring, learning and having fun, not relaxing.In addition, we are a family of four and range in age from 10 to 50. Things have changed this year, and will very likely continue to so well into next year, especially where mandatory reservations may be concerned. COVID has thrown a big giant wrench into the travel machinery and I wouldn't trust ANY book with info such as hours, entry fees, ticketing options and visiting rules and regs. Here's a sample, from the Italy 2020 page:What's the difference between this Italy guidebook and Rick's Best ofRick Steves Italy, the complete guide, offers more coverage of moreThe shorter Rick Steves Best of Italy guidebook focuses on Italy's topBoth books are packed with hand-picked recommendations and Rick'sShould I get the Sicily guidebook in addition to this Italy guidebook?Yes!
Rome is totally different than London and Paris.