True enough. I suppose he's the travel equivalent of white zinfandel (AKA "wine with training wheels").

If he transforms more than a few classic "how much is that in REAL money" American tourists into world citizens, then he has redeemed himself. I just wish he'd find a new hotel in Paris.

+1 :td:

I have always avoided Mr. Steves' products and programs because, well, I find him pretty annoying. In an effort to educate myself I went to his website. I'm pretty appalled.

A 7 day itinerary to London, Paris, Florence or Rome will set you back $1995, plus air. That's $285 a day; however, since "Day 7" is actually the day you depart you're only getting 6 nights hotel, which makes it $332 a day. That's double - if you want a single room it's an extra $425.

For someone who champions "budget travel" that's really taking the p1$$.

Sorry, but I find it silly that a bunch of frequent flyers are appalled by the idea that not everyone is as travel savvy as we are. The more I travel, the less I need Rick Steves, but very much appreciated his website when I was first travelling, and will still occasionally use his message boards to get recommendations from other travellers.

Is he Dorky? Yes. Would I get up at 7 a.m. to learn how to use a subway? No.

His philosophy is not about being cheap. Its about spending money on the important things. Like don't spend $400 a night on a hotel if it means you are going to have to now skimp on admissions to sightsee. He encourages people to seek out local flavor rather than big names. His books give options in different price ranges, so if you ARE ready to travel independently, you can plan accordingly.

People who travel in tours are paying for the convenience of not having to worry about every step of the journey on their own. I don't think $332 a day is overly expensive when you consider that you're getting accomodations in London (although the $ is much more favorable than when I was there a few years ago) all tours and admissions, a significant number of meals, no worries about tipping, and a knowledgeable tour guide to hold your hand when you need it.


If you're not the kind of person who's ready to pick up and travel independently to a foreign country, then I'd much rather see you on a Rick Steves tour than never leaving your comfort zone, or getting yourself in a wierd pickle because you have no idea how to travel. If just a few of those people get "the bug" and realize that the world is a big place and they want to see more of it on their own, then YAY for them. If they decide that they still prefer the convenience of having someone else do most of the leg work, then YAY for the travel tour industry.

Steves' tours are a small part of his operation, which is mostly the guide books he puts out. I find that the books are kept current and they often have real gems-Fodor and the others tell you when the Louvre is open, but Steves tell you the secondary entrance that usually isn't crowded.

I'm not sure what to make of comments like finding his product distasteful or his website appalling. Guidebooks distasteful?

I doubt Rick Steves worries much about being considered uncool. An article on him in the Sunday NY Times two or three years ago said he grosses $30 million a year, and I'm guessing there's a 15-20% margin on those books.

Now that's very cool.

Now come on folks. I LOVE HIS BOOKS.

I have been through 2 of them, and seen everything in it, cover to cover. I am now working though the Paris book. Have a trip planned soon.


It's almost a sure way to spot Americans while in Europe. I must have seen at least 5, walking around Bruges, (in West Flanders, Belgium), Rick steves book in tow.

I have to admit, I'm embarrassed to carry it around - it's almost a sure fire way to identify yourself as someone from the US.

It's a great way to connect with other travellers.

Try is walks (the Paris book is great), and you'll be hooked.

I find the cost of his tours appalling. I think his company takes advantage of folks who trust him by changing too much. His website is fine, maybe that's where the huge profits being generated from his tours go. However, I think most guided tours cost waaaaaay too much, thinking about it.

Never read one of his guidebooks so I can't comment on those. If they work for you and yours, great! Whatever works for you.

Finally got around to reading the thread start to finish. Was curious how the thread was going to evolve after what seemed to be a barrage of one line posts saying the same thing over and over. Was also curious why this 6yr old thread was brought alive again. :)

Kudos to ksandness and missydarlin for describing who his target audience is and what to realistically expect from his info.

Personally, I generally like Rick Steves' and his travel resources. We had the opportunity twice to meet & hear him talk in Vancouver and he seems to be like you'd expect him to be from his tv shows: friendly, nerdy, etc. He gets a bit too preachy on stuff which I suppose can help make you like him more or hate him. I just generally like his travel philosophy of exploring, meeting people, and experiencing different cultures. Some of his info is really basic but I think it serves as a good base for initial trip planning on which to build additional research.

TV Shows
I like his shows as they are what got me to check out his books in the first place. Again, the shows are pretty simple but they have to be to appeal to the demographic that watches PBS ;). The shows aren't supposed to be as detailed as "rocket surgery" but more to give an easy sampling of what Europe has to offer.

Books
I've used his books three out of my five trips to Europe and have also used Frommers and Lonely Planet. I just like the writing style & familiarity in his books as well as finding them entertaining. There's seems to be more consistency in his books' writing styles (even though it's a collaborative effort) than other travel books "brands" that have different writers per region.
The drawings/maps are simplistic but I agree with his philosophy that for a guide book you just need something basic that will get you in the right direction and for the more complex routes, you're better off buying a local map or something. The historical info in the books may not be exactly accurate but personally, I just want the general gist of things and to be entertained. YMMV.
You can't rely on travel books being completely up to date because of the time it takes to research and put it to press. But at least he goes to Europe yearly, has his tours/guides network that can assist with the research, and publishes an updated edition every year.
I don't rely solely on his hotel and restaurant recommendations unless in a last minute bind. Some of his restaurant recommendations we've been to have been dogs IMO. (You got to suspect hotels and restaurants up it a notch when they know he or his tours are around to ensure they get a decent review in his books.) We'll use his hotel and restaurant recommendations for initial research but will cross reference recommendations with other sources to compile a list of options before leaving.

Tours
I haven't fully researched or have been on a Rick Steves' tours so I can't really say how good a value they are. But, during his "mini commercials" at his lectures, he tried to justify his tour costs based on him paying his guides decent wages (you don't have to tip them) and his tour sizes are smaller.
Comparatively, I've only been on a guided tour once in my life (to Beijing). The base cost was flipping cheap. But we had to stop for an hour each at multiple tourist traps so the guides could get kickbacks from people buying crap (and subsidizing our trip :D). Plus, we had to tip the guides at the end.

I'm just curious...

Is there a "I Hate Rudy Maxa" thread somewhere? :D

I don't think RS is "taking advantage" of ANYBODY with his tour pricing. There is actually good value in his tours vis-a-vis other commercial tours. RS's tours are operated in an ethical way -- NO kickbacks to tour guides from stores, NO tipping the RS tour guides, and you get what you are promised. (The tours do NOT have a shopping focus, unlike many of the mainstream competitors.)

Also, some "extras" are thrown in -- free travel insurance that covers most of the tour fee if you have to cancel due to illness or emergency, for example. (That would cost a pretty penny to buy separately!)

Another thing is that solo travelers don't need to buy up to a single room -- they can share a room with another solo traveler of the same gender. So, no single supplement is necessary, provided you're willing to share with a stranger.

Finally, you seem not to have noticed that he offers hefty discounts to repeat tour customers. Each prior RS tour you have taken gets you $50 off the cost of one tour (discount use limited to once per year). So for example, someone who has taken five RS tours in the past can get a $250 discount on one tour this year. Even before he ever offered this discount (which he started doing several years ago), he had NUMEROUS repeat tour-takers. Therefore he really didn't NEED to offer such a discount. But he did, and still does.

Can I just echo what Missy, Jay71, Kathy and many others have said?

Sure, some of the people complaining about his work have brought up some valid points, but on the whole, he is--by virtue of getting people to travel--a force for good.

I, as others have said, still like to glance through his recommendations (getting at least slightly off the beaten tourist path and cutting through the crap), and while I may not need all of his basic information anymore, I still make the first chapter of his books required reading for those I introduce to international travel. If anything, he shows you that other cultures do things differently--and that's it's very often a good thing and should be appreciated for what it is. That kind of advice has shaped positively my worldview about travel to this day, and I'm able to enjoy international travel much more.

Sorry, long post.
 

I remain unconvinced and still think the tours are very overpriced. Below I insert the "London for 7 Days" itinerary from the Rick Steves website. Before that I will give a detailed reasoning for my belief. I will base my calculations on 28 tour participants, all sharing rooms.

Having spent many years in hotels I have no doubt that these groups get preferred pricing on hotel rooms, probably not spending more than $250 per night inclusive of VAT. Since the pricing is double, I'm going to estimate 14 rooms. 14 rooms x 6 nights = 84 room nights x $250 = $21,000.

Also, I am willing to wager that they purchase London Passes for all tour group members that will get them admission into the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, St. Pauls, etc. These go for 68 quid each for the guy on the street, and I have no idea if they get a discount on them (I would guess they would but will not assume) so let's estimate $100 x 28 tourists = $2800.

Breakfast is included each day so let's say $500 per day for that.
$500 x 6 days - $3000

Transport pass including trip to Windsor: $100 per person (estimated) x 28 people = $2800
The itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in London
Look for a note posted in the hotel lobby telling you where and when to meet this afternoon. We'll get together around 3 p.m. to get acquainted, before setting off for an orientation walk and dinner together. Walking: light.
Dinner: $35 per person x 28 = ~$1000

Day 2: Westminster Abbey and the Tower
This morning we'll hop a boat and cruise past monuments, skyscrapers, and cathedrals on our way to the Tower of London, the city's historic "tower of power." We'll join a Yeoman Warder "Beefeater" for an entertaining tour and a peek at the impressive Crown Jewels. In the afternoon, we'll tour Britain's finest church, Westminster Abbey. Then we'll finish the day with a traditional fish-and-chips dinner. Walking: strenuous.
Dinner: $25 per person x 28 = $700

Day 3: Whitehall and the National Gallery
We'll take a historic stroll through the Westminster/Whitehall area, including stops to visit the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms and gaze at Big Ben. This afternoon, we'll dodge pigeons in Trafalgar Square and marvel at the masterpieces in the National Gallery before dispersing in the late afternoon for free time. This would be a perfect evening for the theater (book something in advance from the Colonies or pick up a ticket in London). Walking: moderate.
Everything this day is covered by the London Pass or is free.

Day 4: St. Paul's Cathedral and the City
This morning we will take a tour of St. Paul's Cathedral, the symbol of London and England's national church. Then we'll explore The City, the oldest part of London and now its financial heart. The afternoon is free for you to enjoy one of London's many museums (perhaps the Victoria & Albert Museum) or wander through one of its many parks. This is another good night for the theater. Walking: strenuous.
Everything this day is covered by the London Pass or is free.

Day 5: Historic Windsor Castle
This morning we'll hop on a train and head out of town to Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. We'll spend the morning touring the Royal Family's castle and grounds. After free time in the quaint town of Windsor, the remainder of the afternoon is yours for sightseeing back in London. Walking: strenuous.
Train to Windor included in travel pass

Day 6: The British Museum and Library
This morning we'll dive into the treasures of the British Library, including the Magna Carta, Gutenberg's Bible — even Beatles lyrics! Then we're off to the British Museum, the chronicle of Western Civilization. The rest of the afternoon is free for more museums, Covent Garden, or other sightseeing. Tonight we'll meet for our "last supper" and raise a toast to London. Walking: strenuous.
Dinner: $45 per person x 28 = $1260

Day 7: Tour Over After Breakfast
Following breakfast, we'll say our final farewells and head for home or further adventures in Britain or on the Continent.

Adding up all of these expenses I come to a total of roughly $33,000.
The total paid by the travelers, at $1995 each, is $55,860.
That leaves approximately $22,860
The tour guide: I am going to be generous and assume he makes $2000 per tour, so that's $20,860 profit.

I will not go into overhead, administrative expenses, etc but I would bet again that they are a darn sight short of $20,800 per WEEK per TOUR.

Discounts for multiple tours? If I took a tour, got wise to the real costs and then did the math you'd have to give me a discount too if you wanted me to book again! Cancellation insurance? With a profit margin that large you can afford someone to drop off and they'll come back since you were so generous in letting them cancel before.

I have never taken a Rick Steves tour. I don't know anyone who has. I am sure they give great peace of mind to those who take them, and they are happy as larks and feel it's good value. Personally, I still think they're being ripped off.

Just MO, though. ;)

I waded thru this thread happily, being a devout Rick Steves hater. I made the mistake earlier this decade in buying his Italy guide book, specifically for a trip to Rome, The Amalfi Coast, and Capri. The book was printed on cheap paper; I found the make-shift self guided walking maps amateurish and confusing; and his elcheap-o tips appalling. Thankfully I had other guide books with me as well. I simply cannot and will not take the train from Naples to Pompeii and who in their right mind hikes on trails from town to town on the Amalfi Coast ? What grown adult wants to travel Europe like a back-packing college student ? Wear the same ill fitting polyester short sleeve shirt every day, Steve. Stay in crummy hotels if you must " to get to know the locals ". I for one like some creature comforts when I travel. Certainly Steve had made enough $ to do the same. And oh did I mention his annoying voice and bad haircut ? Don't get me started !

Wow. Where is the vitriol for the Let's Go writers, who are exactly what you say Rick Steves is (and worse)?

FWIW, I know several "grown adults" who prefer to travel on a budget and along the lines of Rick Steves' style (or who think Rick Steves splurges).

Everyone has their own travel preferences and style, and disrespecting those of us who are a bit more budget minded is just trolling.

BTW, what were the other guide books that you thankfully had with you?

I like RS
 

Now his travels to Iran bring a rare balance to your TV screen. The faces and sites of our "enemy" as a tourist destination is delightful to me. I visited this fascinating country in the 70s good old days before the hostage crisis. It is valuable to see his very American self still welcomed warmly. He is the quintessential American traveler and I like his brand of human understanding politics.

His guide books do include some fun things like favorite gelato flavors to try and easy hikes in the Alps with the best views. His suggestions to avoid crowds and rip offs are nice. Rick has that familiar NW nerd style that is familiar and comforting. Americans that travel rarely are often nervous. He has reassuring demeanor of a high school history teacher.

I would like him to do more difficult traveling. How about trip to Central Africa Rick?