Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door

First, a disclosure, I am an independent traveler for the most part, I have never taken a Rick Steves Tour. I have paid for tours on the ground while I am already there, even short overnight type tours when they make sense. (Some places you can only really go on a tour, or by hiring a car…)
I have seen lots of tours pass me. On a tour you are on someone else’s schedule. You are seeing what they think is interesting (and easy to get a group in and out of). Its hard to see the «back door» in a big group.
I am however a fan of his books and the travel center.
The non-​guide books are filled with lots of good information on how to travel smarter. While they are not location specific they help by inspiring a good philosophy and attitude. I learned to pack a fraction of what I used to. They also gave me the confidence to set out on my own a bit and just explore.
When I read the tour reviews here they remind me why I don’t take tours. To stay on schedule you leave when the tour wants not when you are ready. I have often sat staring at a painting in a museum while watching tour after tour rush past not even noticing how amazing it it. That is the nature of tours in general. I like to be able to stop and have a day off. If I like a place enough I know that someday I will be back (I got that from his travel skills book.)
The Guide books are great also. If I am traveling somewhere that he has a guidebook to I always buy one. I usually find where I am seeping from them. They have a good overview of the town/​city with the major attractions. One tip that I agree with Rick Steves, you are spending a lot of money on a European vacation, air fare alone is usually over a thousand dollars, Buy more then one travel guide and read them. Guides are usually under about 30 bucks, a good insurance for your money. Rick Steves is good for highlights, I like Lets Go far more in depth and if my hotel choice from RS is booked it provides affordable options and it has right ups on places that Steves’s books miss. (tip buy the latest issues of books. Where they list changes from year to year often for good reasons as places change as do neighborhoods.)
Finally the store, It’s a great resource. Yes, it is here to sell you his stuff, not only the tours, but the books, a good line of travel bags, but also other travel goods like locks for your bags, sleep sheets (if you’re going to stay in hostels), etc. You can also buy your rail passes here.
They have travel experts (often RS guides themselves) you can hire to sit with you and help you sort through what you want to see, develop an itinerary (they often suggest things not in the books once they see what you are into). If this is interesting to you it is best to call ahead to know when the best experts are going to be there, especially if you are going to a less visited destination .
For me here though the best reasons to come are free.
I love the Travel Book Library, there are the latest guide books on travel to all over the world. There are tables and comfortable chairs to sit and study. It’s a great place to review places I am considering traveling to and to see what books I want to buy.
There are also classes. Overviews on destination, travel skills and more. Lots of information and often discounts at the end!
In summary it is a great place to come, If you are in the area and getting ready to travel I suggest a visit. It’s surprising how often I have seen Rick Steves himself here.
Note Edmunds downtown is a pretty little downtown with fun shops and restaurants, I always plan a little extra time to look around. (tip check out The Savy Traveler also).

Once upon a time, I was a naïve traveler. I, like so many other girls with stars in their eyes, wanted to go to Paris. I met a handsome, intelligent man who was well versed in traveling the world, and he proposed marriage. In order to help expose me to many places I may not have seen, he decided that going to not only Paris, but Italy, Austria and many other places for our honeymoon would be ideal. I was thrilled! But all that begins well, doesn’t always end well. I still love this man, and we’re still married, despite this horrid experience as we entered our martial bliss…
Now, to be fair, this happened in 2008. Unfortunately, after reading the reviews, it seems some things are still an issue. Alrighty then, so we go to Paris. It’s the first stop. I’m pleased as pudding. The hotel room was nice, however, there was a sulfur like odor coming from the shower… reminiscent of rotten eggs. I had to wash my hair… bad move. I smelled like an Easter Hunt, from 1982. We were told by our at times annoying guide to not get too spoiled by this hotel, because many of the others on our tour were not like it. Now, we are on our honeymoon, mind you… that’s important to the story. We leave there and go to Beaune. Things were fine in Beaune until my husband and I opened our mouths. There was a strong anti-​American attitude there, so much so, people who initially came across as friendly heard us speak, and literally walked away from us while we were in mid-​sentence. Thanks! ‘Preciate it! (((waving goodbye as they storm away.))) This happened in shops as well.
Let’s talk about this hotel… it was flea and tick infested. When I say infested, I’m talking about a three ring circus where these little black jumping dots giving a 5 star performance. Oh, and check this out! The tourguide, with her sweet little self, arranged my husband and I to be in separate beds… for our HONEYMOON. This is not ‘Leave it to Beaver.’ We will not be sleeping in separate beds but lo and behold, there were no more rooms available and no one would switch with us. (I will get to the delightful tour group we were with in just a moment.) So I’m slapping my arms, legs and everything all night, screaming, «They’re biting me!» Every 10 – 20 minutes. My husband and are are squeezed into a tiny twin bed, and neither of us are large people, but there was barely room to breathe. The only welcome distraction were the topless newscasters that gave the weather and other tidbits. Through out the entire trip, we were talked down to, like children from the tour guide. My husband was even reprimanded at one point. We were being herded like cattle in the museums. We could barely enjoy anything, because by the time we got up close to see anything, they were making us hurry along. After paying to use the bathroom and standing in a long line, we were once again reprimanded and told that if we were late coming back to the bus (we were literally three minutes late and barely got to even relieve ourselves) that we’d be forced to purchase everyone on the tour, wine. The people we were with and the tourguide ruined it. Thankfully, there were a few people on the tour who were very friendly and likable, which made it bearable. The others at times said insensitive comments, were stodgy, or just plain standoffish.
The food was not good. I literally lost weight. Now, in fairness, I don’t like German food but for the prices we paid — receiving one long dried out sausage, Wienerschnitzel and funky fondue was an absolute rip off. In Italy, the pizza was like a saltine cracker with a bit of pizza sauce on it. I will admit that I’m spoiled from Brooklyn pizza, however. It was no one’s fault — but I was disappointed in alleged authentic Italian pizza. Perhaps it was the restaurant we were at, I sure hope so. Rick Steve’s is gettin’ over like a fat rat. The man is sticking folks in hole in the wall hotels and saying it is to ‘get the real feel’ of Europe. I understand that the purpose of the tour is not to stay in the hotel — it is to tour, to learn, and enjoy the events and the culture but let me tell you something, when I go to bed at night, I don’t want to become a walking meal for the flea circus! I don’t want to see someone elses’ pubic hairs lining the bottom of a tub. I don’t want to be in a twin bed, the size of a marshmallow for my honeymoon. I don’t want to be freezing my behind off and told by the tour-​guide to not make a fuss, and just wrap my comforter around me. I didn’t expect to be in the Ritz — I understood what the deal was, but these issues were deal breakers.
My husband and I are going back to Venice & Paris… BY OURSELVES. We won’t take a tour, we won’t follow a guide, we will not be rushed around, and threatened to be left and miss our ride. We will not do this again, for traveling in packs is now a pet peeve. Shame on you, a thousand times, Rick Steves!

If you are an independent person/​couple, who try (ies) not to be a tourist, is/​are adventuresome diner (s), enjoys (s) your own pace, don’t sign up for a tour, whether Rick Steves or any other. We just found out. You are at the mercy of a tour guide (ours was self-​absorbed), a group that may not have a sense of humor, are not interested in learning the language or the cuisine. They were guarded, passive and very set in their ways. Our fun happened outside the group for the most part. Work harder before the trip and your trip will be more beneficial and FUN.
Do it on your own.

I am torn between a 3 or a 4. The tour itself (Eastern Europe) was good and interesting. The tour bus was very nice. They do tell you how much walking to expect each day. What they do not tell you is the pace of the walking. You move at the speed of the tour guide, who is probably 20 years younger than the average tour member. Our tour guide downplayed some of the physical aspects. For example, she didn’t say anything about the 380 steps you have to walk down to get to the salt mines in Poland, until the night before. Said we would have to walk about 5 minutes from our bus to our hotel when it was 15 minutes. I use a cane and would suggest that if you are not an active senior do not take a tour.
I do agree with other reviewers that he has very good books, suitcases and back packs (Ours just gave up the ghost after 11 years).

I thoroughly agree with others who have advised to beware the bandwagon of the Europe for dummies approach RS delivers through his publications and programs. I also find it ironic that he is such a proponent of the temporary resident approach to travel yet has the market somewhat cornered on organized tours for which you are certainly not independent and are buying into his schedule and following the leader from place to place. I personally have stayed at a hotel in Varenna, Italy which was hosting a RS travel group. All the people on the tour were wandering aimlessly around the hotel looking lost and befuddled. The schedule was posted on the front desk advising those on the tour to not think for themselves or be adventurous or independent … just follow the leader and file onto the bus to be delivered to the next destination for another day of mindless touring. Bleh!!! I’ll thank RS for the advice in his travel books as it is mostly sound and carries value.

One piece of luggage arrived with a broken clip from the Rick Steves store. I called the store and had a replacement in 3 days! The staff was very very helpful and ask me to give the luggage to a homeless center. I have been dealing with RS staff for years and never had any experiences like some of the negative reviews being shown.

I’m being optimistic giving them two stars as my trip isn’t for 2 months yet. However, I’m already annoyed because I tried for two days to get someone on the phone so I could have them change my address for a trip I’ve completely paid for, as I’m moving in a week. No one ever answered the phone, so I emailed them. No response. Today I got an email telling that they sent my tour package stuff — to the old address that I tried to change. Not impressed with their customer service at all. Hope the tour is better than my experience so far.

only thing I can say from perusing his itineraries and having never been on one of his tour groups (but use his guides when traveling) is it appears there is way too much time spent on busses when trains would be more efficient and looking at the cost per day is way overpriced for the conveniences

Awesome company to work with. Their products are EXCELLENT! I had a carry on bag for about 7 years the wheel broke and I emailed them with pictures and what happened, no questions asked they had another in the mail and I got it in 2 days from the first email. 5 stars all the way, awesome, awesome I tell you. My grandmother got me my first Rick Steves and its been great! Thank you Rick Steves for awesome service and support!

A front-​door critique of America’s lauded tour operator.
A DISSENTING OPINION:
RICK STEVES’S «EUROPE FOR DUMMIES.»
Unfortunately the tours are not at all same as watching the PBS series. I wanted to have at least a moderately decent time but did not for the reasons below.
Undoubtedly overhyped, with at least one tour guide suffering from burn out. RS is the
, Dale Chihuly, or Starbucks of this niche travel sector, i.e., PBS viewers. It is also expensive for what you actually get. Beware of the bandwagon.
There is strong evidence that negative reviews of trips on the RS site are removed.
If your group tour leader is someone who is not your «cup of tea (as in cloying-​cutesy, sometimes condescending California girl)” – well, you are stuck with that person for the entire length of the trip, which in some cases can be 17 days.
It did not help matters, either, that on the very first day this tour guide disparaged – ridiculed, in fact – members of previous groups she had led. A friend who knows several tour guides tells me that all they seem to talk about – but only among themselves – is how awful the people they lead on trips are.
Or that she warned the group that «if they expected X, Y, or Z… they were on the wrong tour.» In fact, Rick Steves’s only requirement is that people be under 80 years of age and that they can carry their own bags from the bus to the hotel.
When I accidentally left something at the hotel we had left just hours ealier, she did nothing to help me get it back. In fact, she disappeared completely after lunch.
With the unsinting and efficient aid of, first, the receptionist and, then, the owner of the hotel in Castleroc – the latter got on the phone and told them the name and address of the next hotel – , I got the article on its way (4 Euros, Italian post). All it took that day was, after the receptionist had spoken to the hotel, was for the guide to forward the address… and slip a note under my door.
I don’t believe our guide was telling the truth when she stated later on that she had twice telephoned the first hotel (the people at Castleroc had no trouble whatsoever phoning them). Something was fishy.
Here I would like to take a stand against prejudice, conscious or unconscious, acknowleded or not.
She also made racially tinged references that I felt were insulting to the racial minorities (Asian-​Americans) that were part of our group («We have with us on this trip Americans, Canadians, Australians, as well as other groups»).

But I had difficulty hearing anything she said after that, as my intuition told me that deep down she had to be unhappy about having to deal with the problems of a group of 28.
A very shrewd business man Rick Steves is, I will concede. He has written some moderately useful travel guides.
He apparently is unaware of what actually transpires on his tours or doesn’t really care, unless it affects his bottom line. But he does know that his buses do not have restrooms and that they do get stuck in traffic on the highways – though nowhere on his website does he mention these things.
Or that there was not a single family-​run pensione on his 16-​day Best of Italy tour.
I found it hilarious that the tour guide stated with a straight face that Steves, undoubtedly a multi-​millionaire, still washes his laundry in his hotel room, etc.
With expenses over $ 300 per day – which includes breakfasts and only half the dinners, as well as hotels, guides, and a bus driver, Steves, the Jim Nabor-​ish boy-​next-​door turned businessman, still feels obligated to charge extra for wine-​tasting excursions and even bottled water.
From 2014 to 2015, the rates for RS tours were jacked up 12% while hotel rates in Europe plunged up to 65%.
On the other hand, there is way too much time spent on a bus. The 17-​day «Best of Italy» tour was mostly a lot of rushing around from one monument to the next.
I would look at other tour companies: Road Scholars, OAT, and Gate1. The latter is at least a third less expensive while, the first is a respected nonprofit organization (Elderhostel).
RS Tours, despite the PBS imprimature, are lean on deep cultural understanding.
Those with a yen for a richer experience would be better advised to look elsewhere. (Imagine a 17-​day Best of Italy tour without mention of the word «opera» or Verdi. On the other hand, «gelato» came up more than a dozen times).
One does not see Europe «through the back door» here, only a gazillion Chinese or American tourists hyperkinetically snapping photos.

Truly a unique and inspiring travel organization! Let me be clear, this style of travel is not for everyone. An example of this style difference is one of my favorite Europe travel memories. Years ago I boarded a train departing Interlaken and was sitting near an American couple. Each of them had two large suitcases. They sat and whined to each other about how their ultra expensive hotel was exorbitantly priced and ensured they never would to return to Interlaken. Typical American travelers… I had to hide my face behind a book so they didn’t see me chuckling. I had stayed at a comfortable, quiet B&B perhaps three blocks from their hotel for ¹⁄₆^th of their lodging bill. Oh sure, their hotel had a front desk manned 24 hours per day, room service and phones and TV in every room. I didn’t need any of those items. My B&B had a prideful owner who each morning laid out a small breakfast buffet of fresh meats, cheeses, fruits and bread. Also in broken English he offered fantastic local tips on best walking trails, vistas, shopping and dining.
I believe this highlights Europe Through the Back Door travel style. Rick says the more you pay for your hotel the bigger separation there is from local culture. In two weeks my wife and I fly to Venice for a 21 day trip through Italy ending in the French Riviera. We already booked B&Bs in seven towns all with private baths and gorgeous settings. Average lodging rate is less than 100 Euro per day. All this accomplished using Rick Steves books, DVDs and travel consultant (many thanks to RS consultant Rich Earl!).

This place is awesome! There are helpful staff and the resources available to you are a major help when you’re trying to plan a trip to Europe! They have DVDs and books for purchase and a separate section of books like a library you can just read there on the spot. Also, they have travel accessories and luggage for sale. Another great resource is that they offer consulation services to help you with planning as well as free seminars throughout the month. My understanding also is that Rick Steve’s offer tours groups for those uncomfortable planning/​going on their own.

Took the Heart of Italy tour and Ben was our guide. The tour was everything we expected and more. Although my wife had been to Europe as a student I had never been. Sure glad we choose a RST. We were concerned about being part of a group for 9 days. Worked out just fine because like minded people are attracted to this type of tour. Have made many friends for life.
Ben was fantastic. Passion, knowledge wit and charm all rolled into one. Loved the fact that they also bring in local guides who are also passionate about their respective area. Tour buses were very comfortable and provided Ben with an opportunity to brief us about the upcoming location.
Every group dinner was fantastic, Really memorable experiences. Wine flowed freely at all. Loved tasting regional favorites. Truffles, wild boar, rabbit, pork shank, riboletta, etc. Wine tasting in a Etruscan cave by a Sommelier was something we will never forget.
Great mix of free and organized time. Hotels were all 3 or 4 stars. Comfortable and clean but not the Ritz. All were strategically located and family run.
Definitely will consider another tour. Money well spent.

This review is about a 10 day tour I took to Italy in July 2013. This was the first time I relied upon a tour company. I was in Europe for work, decided I wanted to do a vacation in Europe, and didn’t have any time to plan. I will always have great memories of my trip but I probably wouldn’t do RS Tours again.
The good: I like that RST does not spend a lot of money on fancy hotels because I would rather spend it on learning and sight seeing. The tours are well planned and well organized. The guide we had was knowledgeable, lived in Italy (but not Italian) and genuinely loved being there. Overall great way to get introduced to a country if you don’t have time to plan.
We went to all of the places that one should see at least once in their lives: the Coliseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, David, the Ufuzi gallery, medieval towns, good wine and one wine talk, Roman ruins wherever we went, alabaster, fine jewelry, and of course amazing history. Everywhere, Italy is beautiful.
3 stars because the above says: A-​Okay and 4 stars says I’m a Fan. I am not. 5 stars for information in the books.
The things I would change about the tour:
You are agreeing to have your images on social media
When you sign the contract that they send you, you are in agreement that any and all pictures of you might be used on social media. They say they have no control over what other tour members do with their images. It’s also a way for RST to do word-​of-​mouth marketing and its a legal way of not taking responsibility for irresponsible tour members. I was perfectly fine with the rest of the contract but not that. When I called to learn more about this, the customer service person I spoke with said, «Well you might not want to go on the tour then.» (imagine this is aligned with other reviews about RST customer service). So I asked to speak with her supervisor who was equally not happy that I was concerned about the lack of expectations on their part that their tour members simply be respectful.
I said that I had no problem asking the other tour members, myself, to not to take images of me unless they knew they weren’t going to post to social media. I think the supervisor was surprised that I would be proactive (and fair) but then received a sense that they saw this as being a trouble maker. While in Italy and during orientation, I made my request to the group, and no one even raised an eyebrow. It was an issue for RST but not for the tour members. So you will need to be proactive if this matters to you.
Tour guide was knowledgeable but didn’t know when to stop talking
There’s only so much information anyone’s brain can take in. i believe the limit even for graduate school is 20 minutes. In corporate life, it’s more like 5 :). After leaving Rome we went to Cinque Terre, Volterra, Lucca and Florence. During the bus rides, some of which lasted for two hours, our tour guide was talking, constantly, on the microphone. He was impatient at times with questions that didn’t have to do with his lectures, e.g., where might I find a restaurant that wasn’t just focused on meat and pasta. He’d been doing this for 17 years and it began to show. Perhaps tour guides need sabbaticals?
On all organized tours, you’re limited to how ever much time they have to spend on that one place.
I would have liked to wandered around the coliseum or other places beyond the few minutes we had to go on our own after the tour. But this tells me that I’m likely not a candidate for organized tours. Toward the end of the trip we had a couple of ‘free’ days. I walked from one town and back in Cinque Terre but there’s not too much to do there other than that.
Food was good but not memorable. What I did like about the food is that it was simple and delicate like many authentic foods in the world. Somehow, US culinary tastes have made Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish.. . foods too sweet, too saucy, too salty and portions too big. So this was a great way to taste more authentic Italian.

Big shout-​out to Rick Steve’s Travel Store Customer Service team. I had a very minor problem with one of their Classic Back Door bag, and wrote to ask about return and repair. They responded the same day, and said «Don’t worry, keep the bag you have — use it as is or donate it — and we will send you a replacement.» Is that stellar customer service, or what? Love their products. The Classic Back Door Bag (2 of them, in fact) replaced two very similar bags, also recommended by Rick Steve’s back in 1990, that had finally given out. And, in fact, only because I stupidly decided to wash them. Love the bags, but now I’m totally hooked on their customer service.
Rick Steve and The Travel Store rock!

I am still a big fan of these tours! As a seasoned traveler, the idea of going on a tour strikes a chord of panic with me. But not so with these small groups. And now I have not only been on 5 of their city tours, but 3 of their bus tours, I still am liking the «freedom within a framework» concept that these trips afford.
If you want to spend your time with the group– you can always find someone to hang out with. But if you want to do your own thing– that is always a possibility as well.
The tour size is never over 24(on my most recent trip there were 18) and the guides are fabulous telling you about their city and showing your their city in the best possible way!
I also like that they take me to places I probably wouldn’t find on my own and if you have a problem– there is someone you can call (my recent guide ran to the pharmacy for me when I fell ill and couldn’t go myself! So appreciated!!)
The hotels are still not fancy (it’s the Rick Steve’s way) but I usually can pay for an upgrade to get me to a room that is more to my liking.
All in all a great way to see Europe!

My review is NOT for the store, but for the $ 50 30 minute consultations they provide.
My fiancé and I booked a consultation with one of the people on staff to discuss our upcoming honeymoon. We have been planning it for at least 6 months and actively thinking about it for 3. I have read the Rick Steves’ book as well as the Lonely Planet and browsed travel forums. We went to the consultation with high hopes, we have heard GREAT things about the consultations…
Our consultant could barely answer any of our questions and for at least 85% of them either 1) referred us to reading the book (did it) or 2) call the travel bureau for the country we will be visiting… um duh! 3) poorly use Google to look up things we wanted to know.
We asked fairly basic questions and wanted more information on things splattered in the books and on the travel forum and the guy couldn’t help us. Bless his heart, but he was not prepared or knowledgeable. We literally did not learn a thing except to read the book and use the internet!
The travel philosophy they employ is one of budget friendly and well researched… well we are going on a budget friendly trip that has been well researched. We wanted more information about smaller items and things we shouldn’t miss when we rent a car and drive in Europe and put our new marriage to the test on a honeymoon… and he had NOTHING.
Stick to the books and
, the consultation was a complete waste of money and time. We did get a nice no-​tear map, but it wasn’t worth $ 50 and it was a map of a surrounding country that ours happened to be on as well.

I am obsessed with the Rick Steves corporation. Every time the shows are on PBS, I get sucked into them, and the travel books are a must-​have for European travel! I’m planning another trip, and decided a visit to the store was in order. Boy was I glad I went! I happened to go on a day they were having a sale, and found quite the bargain on the books I needed. In addition, I went ahead and purchased some travel gear that I’m quite stoked about! Every employee was super friendly, and really helpful. I’m going to go back again to get more info before my trip.
If you’re planning travel to Europe, be sure to check them out!

We’re really fortunate to have a place like this in our area.
I have used the Travel Resource Center several times. It’s amazing that a business has so many books available for people to browse and even photocopy! The store is roomy and the reading area is comfortable. The staff is super friendly and helpful. When I visited today, I was browsing a book and wondering if they had a photocopy machine. The woman behind the counter must be a mind reader. She came right over to me and asked if I needed to copy the book. And the price for copies was cheap.
I’m glad there are businesspeople like Rick Steves in the world – to whom making a profit isn’t the only priority.

My husband and I are fans of Rick Steves, and like the fact that this store is so close to where we live.
We’re going on a two week vacation to England, and I’ve been hitting that store on a semi-​regular basis.
My rating is a solid three, because I’ve purchased a lot of very useful items there at very reasonable prices (power adapters, sleep masks, etc). I also bought his England book, as well as the pocket London book. Both have made planning our trip less stressful and very organized. The prices of this books at his store are pretty much exactly what they cost at any other book store. I also purchased luggage from his website — a suitcase that converts into a backpack, and a matching small tote bag. They pack very well, and are sturdy.
I’ve made a point to not deal with the employees at this store, because they are anything but welcoming. They don’t even look up from their computers, or from their conversations with each other. They act annoyed when they have to help people, or even ring them up. Two stars taken away. Come on, guys — I work in customer service and I am not exactly a people person… but I can at least be pleasant to them. It’s not hard.
Go to this store for packing supplies, guidebooks, and DVDs. It’s worth it for that alone. If you really don’t want to bother with crappy customer service, then The Savvy Traveler is practically just around the corner. They have a large selection of travel supplies, and they are incredibly helpful and friendly.