Rick Steves' Postcards from Europe: 25 Years of Travel Tales from America's Favorite Guidebook Writer

By Rick Steves

Book Overview

The host of public television's "Travels in Europe with Rick Steves" offers a series of personal vignettes for an armchair tour of his favorite European travel experiences.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1562613979
• ISBN13: 9781562613976
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Rick Steves
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Steves' Introspective Take on Europe

I've used numerous Rick Steves' guidebooks in conjunction with other travel guides before, but became truly impressed after relying exclusively on a Steves' guidebook for a recent trip to the Mediterranean. His passion for European travel and combination of practical, informative, and entertaining details places his guides nicely between Let's Go and Fodors. Being in my 30s, that's just about where I fit, too. Realizing there was a certain depth to Steves (despite his on screen, PBS campy-ness) I picked up 'Postcards from Europe.' How does he continue turning out quality travel guides to an entire continent, year after year? Does he get burnt out? 'Postcards' reveals a conflicted Steves--he's still in love with the Europe he first discovered in his teens, but he's terribly distraught at how tourism has watered down much of Europe's cultural authenticity, in so far as it affects a traveler's ability to experience it (to say nothing of Europeans' willingness to peddle it). Most significantly, as one of America's premiere travel authorities on Europe, Steves is keenly aware of his role in it all. Consider the following passage from his chapter on medieval Rothenburg: "Rothenburg has never depressed me until this visit. I love the place, but so does everybody else. Millions of people can love a TV show and not ruin it. But the charm of a small medieval wondertown is a consumable, and there's only so much to go around. My Rothenburg is being loved to death. But it's not 'my' Rothenburg. And I'm part of the problem." (p.61) Despite tourists' worst efforts, along with those Europeans who turn their villages and galleries into an amusement park to accomodate them, Steves is an optimistic man, and he's not so egocentric/Americentric as to think tourism will ruin Europe. His insights here, however, make 'Postcards' as much (or more) of a revealing guide to contemporary Europe as his 'proper' travel books.

great book!

A wonderful book on travel. Rick Steves writes wonderfully about his experiences travling. It's like listening to a friend. It is a great way to get to know the people of Europe through his experiences and a very enjoyable read. It's really entertaining and you learn a lot about Europe and it's people also. It's a delightful read. I'd recommend it to anyone that loves and appreciates travel. It's a must have travel book. By far the most interesting I ever read.

A seasoned traveler gets new ideas

If you have been to Europe 5 or 6 times, feel as if you've "seen it all", and want to discover a renewed interest, by all means read this book! Rick takes us on an adventure in Europe that gave me all sorts of new ideas for my own trips. Because after all, Europe is more than just a list of sites (Eiffel Tower, Tower of London, St. Peter's, etc.) that the tourist needs to "check off". Europe is it's people...and the experiences one can have while getting to know another culture!Rick...I just gotta see the Tippelzone though....that was a new one one me!

Excellent writing!

Although a fan of Rick's public television show, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book since it's a bit of a break from his regular guidebooks. I was very pleasantly surprised! Rick has a dry and sophisticated sense of humor that I found quite amusing. His descriptions about the various characters he has met in his travels are really entertaining.

Love Rick and Europe

What can I say? My husband and I have always used Rick's guides when traveling to Europe. I enjoyed this book because it shows you a side of Rick himself that you don't have time to get to know during his TV shows. It brought back memories of places we've been. And while reading, I made a list of places I still want to go. I just wish I could have read it before I made my first trip to Europe. It shows you more of what to expect. Which for us has always been just wonderful! The book is not a tourist guide like the others, but an insiders guide to Rick and his experiences. As for the humor, I found parts very funny. It shows a side to Europe that 2 weeks of vacation will never reveal. I loved it.