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I also have his other terrific guide books for Switzerland, Prague & the Czech Republic, Europe through the Back Door, and Europe 101. This book is great as are all of Rick Steves' travel books. As my friends who have traveled extensively said when I asked them questions,"Do what Rick Steves says".
They made our trips so much more enjoyable. Rick Steve's Books are amazing. It saved us time and money. Highly recommend investing in one of his books a couple of months before you travel so you can read and highlight the things that you want to do. We traveled to France and Ireland last year and are heading to Germany this year. I wouldn't visit a foreign country without one of his books.
Regardless, I ended up using almost exclusively Rick's book.There are so many essential, invaluable general tips (on accommodations, sights, how to prepare for the visit, ticket info, how to beat the crowds, etc). The best description of the book is captured in the introduction of the book itself: "If you plan a month or less in this region and have a normal appetite for information, this book is all you need". Yes, the Lonely Planet, the Rough Guide, and other books out there tend to have more information, but the bottom line is that there is so much to see, and if you are touring and have limited time, and do not intent to spent 3 weeks in the same place, then this is all that you need and this book will give you the best and assures you will have an unforgettable experience by pointing you to the best and most representative things that should be seen.I spent 2 weeks touring Austria and Germany (Tirol, Bavaria, the Rhine valley, Cologne and Nuremberg) by car during August 2008 and this book was a goldmine. he's not your typical individual and it is amazing how much energy he seems to have, hence, no wonder the overly optimistic estimate of what one can do in a day.
Just keep in mind that you might want to budget for extra time. If you've seen Rick's documentary on how he makes his travel show movies you'll understand why. Regardless, they can be done. I suspect many people will find them close to a "marathon" and that they require a more leisurely pace.
I typically get two books when planing a trip and travel, and almost always one of them is a Lonely Planet book (I must admit I just love their format and consistency). I found them to be on the overly optimistic side. That is absolutely true, and very likely even if you spend more time than a month. that save me so much time and money that in the end paid for the book many, many times its cost.Another aspect, that many other travel books just get so wrong most of the time by being out of date, was the recommendations for eating and sleeping; they just worked great for me almost exclusively - they truly were as described in the book.A cautionary note on the time given in the book as required to perform certain visits.
I had with me Rick's book and the Lonely Planet books on Austria and Germany. Truly. It was no different this time.
I would now buy any of his books for any other place I travel to in Europe. You should buy this book. Rick Steve's does an amazing job with these countries. He does a great job with giving some history, but not too wordy. Happy travels. We spent time in Munich, Salzburg and Vienna and used this book for each city and for stops in between (we had a car). His suggestions we spot on and had all the things that you should do with all the insider tips.
I've been to Europe several times and have always use Rick's books and they really do come in handy. We used this book like a bible. Just got back from Oktoberfest in Germany. This book is invaluable to the traveler that wants to travel on their own.
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