The first guidebook I ever wrote was Europe Through the Back Door. For 30 editions since 1980 it’s evolved, but I’ve realized that travel in the 21st century doesn’t always fit a 20th-century template. Now I’m considering reinventing entire parts of the book rather than just updating it, and who best to help me with this task than my travel-savvy Blog fans?
For the next week or so, I’d like to tap into your cumulative travel wisdom as my Blog “road scholars.” I love the notion that we’re all in the same “Travelers’ School of Hard Knocks,” so every day I’ll be seeking your travel advice. Let’s compare notes to make the best travel-skills handbook possible together.
Today, I’d love to poll you for general comments on the book (more specific questions will come later). For example: Has anyone read all of ETBD? What was most helpful? What did you want to see more of? What did you want to see less of? Are there new concerns for travelers that it doesn’t address? How can we improve ETBD for our travelers? Anything else?
I would suggest to you to use some monastery and convent locations I stayed at San Giusepi in Venice with a clean room, bed and bath but no breakfast but at 51€ not expensive hotels. Travel can be fun with little or no expense– also taking the Vaperato for a tour at night looking at Venice by night for basically free having purchased a 3 day pass.
No. I’ve not read the book in it’s entirety; only the sections we traveled to – and loved it. I would like to see more about Eastern Europe. I believe there was a comment (on the blog) that there wasn’t much to see in Bucharest. After staying 3 days in Lipscani we wished for more time. I can highly recommend a hotel and a few places to eat.
have a copy of your book from 1980…any chance you could return to the $4.95 price (plus $1 shipping and handling)…probably not. Back then you were Steves Wide World Studios. I wanted to bring it by your open house this year and get it… autographed, but was unable to make it. ( I was also going to bring my newest addition to my library: France 2012.) (BTW, you bind them a lot better now. My 1980 edition has a section that is in the book but no longer attached)
I read ETBD cover to cover about 3 years ago. It helped enormously in taking on the task of planning our first big trip. I had been to Europe as a college student, and once on a business trip, but ETBD helped me become a good trip planner. The only thing that comes to mind (I am travelling now and don’t have ETBD with me) is more information and ideas on traveling with gadgets: Ipods, smartphones, tablets, net books, etc. The travel boards are abuzz with questions on how to manage the gear, the plans, the options. Thanks, Rick, for your many contributions!
Since 1986 I’ve purchased a new edition of ETBD about every 2 years. I read it from cover to cover even though much of it has not changed from the previous, that’s fine, it never gets old to me. In my opinion you’ve done a great job of including the most valuable content to people who buy ETBD.
However, I think the majority of people that buy this book are new travelers to Europe. On occasion I’ve been embarrassed by the behavior of American tourists. Even though I’m there to enjoy myself I try to set a good example for Americans. Maybe a short section on behavioral expectations? Hope that doesn’t sound too “travel snob”.
Hmmm….maybe you should change the title to Europe Travel Has No Doors. Their borders are irrelevant to the traveler and getting there is easier than ever as Airline options have increased significantly since you first started that publication.
Rick, for my first trip to Europe, I only took ETBD. More hotel information would have been helpful. Budget was tight so I only bought ETBD. I quickly learned that your country books yielded more (hotel) information. But aren’t first trips to Europe about making mistakes and living and working through them. Dale
Without Rick’s books. I would not at age 70+ been able to enjoy my first trip to Paris and the +’s of Rue Clare Paris …Wouldn’t have dared to take the local bus to Pere-Lachaise Cemetery or in Florence to the charming village of Fesole. ..Perhaps with each city a paragraph on elder travel would be helpful to some.
I find it useful as is.
Rick,
I read ETBD cover to cover before my first trip to Europe in 1999. Before reading your book, my friends and I had only planned on staying in Europe for 2 weeks. We were going to rent a car and travel from Rome to Edinburgh stopping in the cities of our favorite soccer clubs. We planned on staying at the popular hotels and taking numerous pieces of luggage each. When finally priced out this dream trip, I realized I had to find a better way to spend my time and money if I wanted to enjoy myself in Europe (my parents weren’t paying my way like some of my friends’ were).
Enter ETBD. After coming across your book and devouring all of the VERY helpful information contained within, I was now armed to plan a much different and more fulfilling trip to Europe. After trying to persuade my friends to join me on a 3 month adventure bringing only a single backpack and Eurail pass, it was evident that not everyone is as open to the ETBD philosophy. Long story short(ish), I spent the best 3 months of my life traveling alone (after the first 2 weeks) through the wonderful European back door amusement park. It was the greatest trip of my life and completely change my world.
When I came home, I graduated from college and went on to “build a career”. However, I’ve never stopped my love affair with Europe, and up until a couple years ago even taught a “how to” class for European travels on a budget using your book as the main sylabus. With your book, I like to think I helped 100’s of college students , parents, and grandparents gain the knowledge and skills they needed to enjoy Europe on their budget and on their own terms.
Without the knowledge you imparted in that book, I would have never believed I had the skills to spend an entire summer on my own in Europe on a budget only the size of my friends’ 2 week budget. I would have never been able to help others gain the courage, confidence, and skills needed to realize their own European adventure dreams. I would have never had the pleasure of visiting the Cinque Terre and spending the night at Mama Rosa’s hostel in Riomaggiore. I would never have been equipped to traverse Europe on it’s efficient rail system, nor would I have known that I could sleep on the rail cars for free thereby stretching my limited budget. I would not have the memories I do, and Europe would not be the 3rd best experience of my entire life (behind my wedding and son’s birth).
Rick, you are a mentor and ETBD has been my travel bible for over 10 years. I always make a point when at the book store to see what changes have been made, and review the current budget you recommend. With or without changes, I think you ETBD has been the single greatest Europe travel resource on the market since at least 1999 when I became aware of it.
Things I would like to see added /changed to the book? More information on the best ways to travel with an iPhone, iPad, laptop, etc. What extra security should I take with this type of gear? Updated hostel information (in the last version of ETBD i looked at it seemed that hostels are glossed over more than they were in the past). I think with the lousy exchange rates, hostels could be a good means of accommodation again for travels on limited budgets and maybe more info about how many hostels have been greatly updated over the past decade would be beneficial.
I also think maybe lessening the number of Back Doors you include in the book would be better for those seeking just a “travel skills” manual. Maybe focus on just the top 10 Back doors with maybe a one page rundown of the others. this way, travelers getting this book, aren’t intimidated by its sheer size and focus on just the travel skills contained within, also this might (i don’t know as I am not in publishing) reduce the cost of the book so readers aren’t forced with the “Should I get this OR a Country/City guidebook because I can only afford one?” dilemma.
Also, updated puns and Rickisms maybe? Not intending offense, but when you’ve read several of your guidebooks cover to cover (a couple even several time), they do in fact get repetitive, even if they do make you chuckle the first time :)
In the end, regardless if the books are changed, or my thoughts above are considered, you have compiled some of the greatest Europe travel advice of my generation. I have always recommended that this book should be the go to of any person contemplating a trip to Europe, regardless of budget – especially for a first timer.
Rick, I want to thank you for your contribution to European travel and for fueling my 12 year love affair with Europe – my wife and family call it “the other woman”. Without your books and budget travel advice I, nor many of my friends and family, would never have known how wonderful Europe could be for those traveling with “more time than money”.
Oh I almost forgot: Rick, you should have your son include a chapter in ETBD for student travelers – both while on semester and for those traveling during the summer. I am quite sure his perspective both as a younger traveler and a second tour operator with a much different target market would be a great addition to your book and draw another demographic to your book.
We used your book this summer while in Italy. I have found that many of your budget hotel recommendations are still out of my price range. While in Rome, we stayed at a B$B in Pigneto for only 60 Euros per night with breakfast include. We were around the corner from the bus and tram stops – very convenient to get in town. We liked being out of the very touristy area. How about including places to stay and eat outside the main cities but still convenient to get in? BTW, we are in our late 50’s and middle 60’s and don’t mind using public transportation and exploring.
Love, love all of your books. The only thing that drives me crazy is that my husband wants to see museums in the exact order they are presented in your book. I would like that too but most museums move exhibits around from the date you were to the date of publication and use. I feel like we are on a scavenger hunt looking for this painting or that statute. Is there any possible way the museum information could be updated on your website? It would be really helpful.
I would love to see more focus on families travelling with kids. My sons are 11 and 9 right now. We want to plan a trip to Europe that is not touristy alone. We need real advice as we love to live with the people, shop like the people – no tour buses.
Like Mr Campbell, I feel I owe you a great deal of thanks, as without having seen one of your shows on PBS and picking up a copy of ETBD back in 2008, I would probably not have spent three wonderful summers traveling in Europe. I read it cover to cover several times It all started with a friend and I wanting to follow some of the Normandy Invasion (2007), but was followed up by Spain & Italy in 2009 and all over the place in 2011. Next summer? Don’t know yet, Portugal for sure but more to plan…. and I’m just getting ready to place an order for up-to-date guide books.
Changes? Well, for starters, I have found that many of your maps and directions are not very accurate. In Nuremburg in 2007 I was never able to find a suggested hotel and ended up in kind of a dump. In Padua this year, I was asked by two groups of your guidebook fans for additional directions because the maps weren’t doing the job. In Freiburg this year, I hiked all over the place for nearly an hour in the hot sun because the street directions weren’t clear enough. Yes, I survived, but it was very frustrating. Good maps and street directions are vital to a traveler.
Another observation is that I feel you place WAY too much emphasis and pages on art museums. Art is most definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, and most assuredly not mine. Leave the art info to specific art museum books and pamphlets, they’re not hard to find. Much of what you include is available many other places. In lieu of that material, why not include brief chapters on some more cities? I loved Valencia Spain, enjoyed Genoa Italy (where my ancestors were from) and adored Bourges, France, home of an amazing cathedral. Also, the Hohenzollern castle south of Stuttgart is, in my opinion, a much nicer castle than Mad King Ludwig’s castles, and you get to see more of the inside as well. I realize there is far more in Europe to see than one person can ever see in a lifetime, but I think you might want to consider visiting some of these ‘new’ places and covering them for your readers.
That’s about all I can think of right off the top of my head. Thank you so much, and keep up the good work. I missed you by about an hour in Sienna in 2009 and by a day in Venice this year – maybe one day we’ll make connection!
I read ETBD about 3 times last year before my son and I traveled around Europe for about 2 weeks by train. I had not traveled to Europe since 1980 and my son had never traveled abroad. I first scanned the book to get a feel of what was there and what I could learn… then I read it to absorb everything i needed and last read was to make sure I had not overlooked something as the travel time drew nearer. I can honestly say that reading the book allowed our trip to be a successful one it probably would not have been otherwise….we traveled through 8 countries in 15 days. The book allowed us to narrow down places to visit, enjoy and focus on the simple things in life and “travel light” which made our traveling more enjoyable and tolerable with the walking and train rides, etc.
There is one travel skill that i feel should be discussed or described better and that is the details regarding train travel….how to assure you are getting on right train and getting off at right stops, reading the train schedules, resources on line. Our first few trains were not marked on the outside regarding destinations nor any signs on inside of train of destinations and overhead language is not in English; luckily we trusted our instincts and were okay. We only had trouble one day due to train construction and conductors not informing us of change after asking and showing them our printed schedules and route planned. More visuals regarding train boards, different signage on trains, etc would be helpful for those with less experience traveling by train in Europe. PS the staff in Edmonds were very helpful regarding extra train travel tips.
I really can not think of things to delete from the book. I was not sucessful in being able to book with most of the rx’d hotels or B&B due to them reporting they had no room (I was making reservations in Jan/Feb for July-Aug).
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with all of us and allowing us to experience Europe in a more enjoyable way. The book gave me the extra confidence I needed to travel by train and cover the area we did.
I read a few different versions of ETBD (2006, 2008) both the general European books (big comprehensive ones) and a few specific site books (Rome and Italy). Rick has done a bang-up job for so many years, and his books have proven super handy. Europe being larger than one might suspect can make it impossible for Rick and his crew to cover all areas for his readers, so one town that I think would make a nice addition to Italy would be Acireale, Sicily.
A city of only about 50,000 people situated half-way between Sicily’s 3rd largest city (Catania) and Taormina (resort town mentioned in Rick’s books), Acireale is an excellent base from which to explore the eastern portion of the island. I stayed in an excellent, inexpensive hotel perched over the Ionian Sea here 5 years ago over New Year’s 2006-2007. The town and its people were very warm and welcoming; they have a main drag through the old part of town where the passeggiata is very much alive with wonderful little cafes, bars, and shops along the route. The townsfolk set ablaze a large bonfire in the center of town in front of their main piazza on NYE. It illuminated the entire center of town!
Acireale is also an ideal spot to make an excursion up to Mt. Etna, which thoroughly dominates the northern skyline of the town. (I enjoyed traveling up the mountain via Road Ranger with a local group of Sicilians). And ritzy, touristy Taormina is just up the road about 30-40 minutes, and although I enjoyed walking its narrow streets and backways (not to mention taking in the awesome Greek ampitheater), I actually enjoyed some of the nearby towns better, such as the medieval and more rocky-perched town of Castelmola, an easy drive up the mountain from Taormina.
Anyway, Acireale is, I feel, worth inclusion and a little more mention in Sicily. Certainly, after having first spent a week in the hustle and bustle of Rome at Christmas, Acireale was the perfect contrast for chilling out in small-town Italy…er, SICILY (the people there will tell you that they’re Sicilians first, Italians second!). :)
Happy Travels!
I have used the ETBD since 1990 and it has always been a guide I could rely on. I used your book as a general guide to the areas I wanted to travel. Then looked at your particular guide books on the particular countries I wanted to travel in. However, no matter how I used the ETBD it was fabulous and is fabulous. This year I had traveled from Germany, to Holland, to Belgium, to Luxembourg, to France, to Switzerland, to Italy, to Austria and back to Germany. It was a wonderful month and a half in Europe. But without your ETBD it would have been impossible to see some of the other areas, other than main sites, ie Rome, Paris, Berlin etc. Thank you and good luck on the revision of your new ETBD. Happy Travels.
More walks and hikes would be nice. Even in a large city like Rome or Venice, walks that get us away from he crowds become our back doors. The maps and directions need some testing and editing, though. I’ve had more than one Rick Steve’s walk that got us turned around because of unclear directions or stylized maps.
Ah, I’ve wondered whether you’d ever do a real update rather than just tweaking things! I first read ETDB all the way through back in the 90’s, when I first started traveling. I’ve reread it a few times since – I used to get a copy every so often as a public TV pledge reward, but my current edition is from 2007. These days I mostly travel beyond the reach of your guide books, but I still travel more back door style. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that your books and tours have been sneaking round the side of the house towards the front door – most of your accommodation recs are out of my price range these days, and I have a hard time justifying the cost of the tours (I did Bulgaria this year, but that is likely to be the last unless you branch out some more).
I think you need to decide on your target audience. Long time readers who now want to travel more comfortably? Long time readers who still want to travel cheaply? Long time readers who have mobility issues? New readers who really need to travel at a budget level? People who still use public transport or people who drive themselves? The “Special Concerns” section probably needs considerable expansion.
Things I would like to see? Please, some new back doors! I’ve been reading about the same ones for fifteen years. Most of them stopped being real back doors years ago. (I just checked the list for 2007 – I wouldn’t call ANY of them back doors today.) And I agree, this book doesn’t really need the back door section – I usually just check the table of contents to see if the list has changed. I also agree that you cover too many art museums and churches and not enough countryside. The budget tips I REALLY need are for getting out into the countryside without a car.
Some issues that need to be addressed: chip and pin cards, electronics – especially the disappearance of internet cafes, the Schengen zone limitations on long term travel, the disappearance of the (minimal) language barrier (this seems to be a big deal to potential newbie travelers)
How do we avoid tour groups? We remember encountering one of the many RS bus tour groups in Vernazza. They took over the place. We like to drive to not so touristy places.
I realise I am way outside the target audience for Rick Steves’ Europe through the Back Door because I am an Australian, but I found the book invaluable planning my first trip to Europe.
I was 35 with a husband and two kids (5 and 10) looking to take my trip of a life time. I only expected to go once so in 2007 I set out with a carefully planned itinerary and 19kg of luggage for four people for 8 weeks in Europe. Needless to say the planning and packing light chapters were a bible for me.
Most organised tours did not cater for young children and I was after some specific sights (England based on the novelists I had studied and taught, the British Museum for the ‘real’ historical items, art in Paris, Nefertiti in Berlin and a hunt through churches in Rome for Caravaggios to name a few). I needed help to make my own tour that catered for the fact that my family and I were not ‘average tourists’. We didn’t fit the mould and I was forced to choose my own path. ETTBD was the ONLY guide book I found that actually suggested it was possible to travel this way.
I read part one in total but the individual sections on each country I dipped into because I already had my own ‘dreams’. I also used country specific guide books (and city specific in some cases) for more detail.
We flew into Heathrow, hired a car in England, railed it around Europe and flew out of Frankfurt with a few days stop over in Helsinki before coming home to Australia via Bangkok. Rail travel skills were a must.
Being a monoglot at the time I appreciated the section on communication and I found that asking “Do you speak English?” in the language of the country I was in go a much better response that just launching into English (I think my poor efforts at the foreign language made them feel confident I would not judge their English harshly!)
The attitude adjustments were really important, appreciating the German efficiency in the train times and embracing the more relaxed Italian arrival and departure times added to our enjoyment. We also had a good idea of how to be secure and avoid thieves and were confident in finding and using public transport and public toilets (important with kids!)
We used YHAs and apartments for our stays because hotels are often too much for a family with two kids. I sourced much of this through the internet. We used the rule of eating big at lunch in ‘ma and pop’ type establishments and having the cheese and bread evening meals, which was economical and sensible since exhausted kids eat little at night and need the early sleep.
The success of the tour and the budget skills was shown by our second trip in 2010 to enjoy a white Christmas for the first time. This time we were assisted by the language skills of my eldest who had studied French intensively for the past three years, and my developing German. We plan to travel again to Europe in 2013, taking the Grandparents with us. By then my youngest daughter will have five years of Italian language study with which to work.
For the first time do-it-yourself traveler, the book is excellent as it is. For improvement I would suggest information on using electronic gadgets overseas (particularly with all the free wi-fi in places like Germany!) ipads/ ipods/ iphones can be brilliant if used correctly. I would also suggest more details on apartment living in places. It does make you a local pretty quick when you supermarket (or market) shop and when you visit the bakery each day for fresh supplies, but it is a bit of a skill picking what is in the can!
I would also suggest more advice on train travel. The eurail pass is fine for some, but if you have an area to see point to point tickets can be so much cheaper and in some cases can be done before you go now. For our “Christmas market tour of Germany” in 2010 I could book trains on line and print out tickets on my computer in Australia (with electroninc back ups on my mobile in case I lost the print out) for half the price of a eurail Germany pass.
The number of city cards available now are also important especially when they include public transport. It is a real skill to work out which ones are value and which ones require you to see 23 museums of clock work in the 13th century in order to get your money’s worth. I think many first time travelers would appreciate guidelines here.
Given the internet is so important in do it yourself bookings I would also suggest a section on being internet booking savvy. Sometimes ringing the accommodation directly can be worthwhile for security and the budget- remember booking engines take a cut, so offering a few euro below the budge internet price can actually be a profit for your host!
The book is best as a starting point and a reference for where to go next (as we did by checking out some travelling with kids books Rick recommended). Perhaps the new book should be called “Everything you need to Discover your own Slice of Europe”
I know we did and I am eternally grateful.
I last read ETBD, and several of your regional guides, cover to cover before backpacking through Europe for 5 weeks in the summer of 1997. Now I am in the midst of planning a return to Europe, this time with children along, so no more hopping off the train wherever and asking around for a place to crash at midnight. I know that this trip will be very different for other reasons because the world has changed so much — increased security, fewer lockers for bag stashing, online reservations required for certain things, etc. In a way it could be easier, because there is so much information to help plan, but also it is overwhelming, because there are endless options! I bought a new copy of ETBD and am trying to get up to speed on all the changes!
I do know this was a very interesting post thanks for writing it!