Fortunately there are a few Antony Bourdains and Samantha Browns at FT. Not every thread or post or poster refers to those terms and subjects.

I'm surprised there's so much hate.


Personally I was raised by a father whom traveled quite a bit before there were frequent flyer programs so I've been on very few guided tours (typically only day excursions) so I've grown up using guide books. So I'll typically end up at the bookstore looking through a stack of them and buy a couple that cover different prespectives. RS is just another set that offers another perspective. I'll buy them when I see a good value.

I've seen the show and I'll agree it's a bit hokey. I'm not sure I trust the quality of his bags. I don't think I'd do a tour as I like exploring at my own pace.

On-average I'd probably trust the RS brand over others as I tend to agree with some of the travel philosophy he espouses. That is travel light, travel prepared, try the culture. Do I backpack through europe, no. Do I stay at mostly high end places, no.

Good to know

Sam Brown looks good when she's dolled up in a dress with heels.
But her "come-what-may" roller-coaster of a show is not my fave.

Rick Steves was actually brilliant in that he capitalized on the "great unknown" to many Americans.... That is .... CROSSING THE ATLANTIC!
He's made millions on his shows and his "travel gear". Love him or hate him, I admire his business prowess.

Tony Bordain? Love him. He's me with a chef apron and a foul mouth. You gotta' love the attitude.

Also like Zimmern (Andrew). He'll eat anything. Maybe he'll eat Rick Steves?

For what it is worth, I once grabbed a light-weight Rick Steves day-pack from some airside store at SFO because I needed it in a hurry (I was connecting to an SFO/HKG flight in about an hour). As I recall, it cost around $30 and it has become a "must take" item on my long-haul trips. It scrunches up into nothing -- I can jam it in a jacket pocket -- yet its solidly made, waterproof, and well-designed with lots of useful pockets and sturdy zippers. I was skeptical, too, and originally bought it because I had no other options -- now I'm glad I did.

I don't have a single problem with someone who encourages people to travel and see the world. Not everyone can jump in the deep end their first time overseas. Some need the shallow end for a while.

if I enter any restaurant and find it full of people with guidebooks, or now the only slightly stealthier tourists consulting iPhones and iPads, I leave

Why? Are you too good to be around those people? What if the food is excellent? I'm really just asking...

I've used Ricks' roll-aboard for years and it's great.
I've met him at NORML events and he's real.
I'm biased, but I think he puts his heart into it.
Maybe to younger people he's old school.

P.S. Sam B got a "job"? Have to start watching it again.

It sounds like a Hipster attitude to me. Anything that's good, and then becomes popular because word gets out that it's good, stops being good.

Personally, being in a really touristy place sets my teeth on edge. That's true whether I'm traveling in my home state or a foreign city 6,000 miles away. But if the destination itself is truly worth visiting, I put up with the crowds.

Seriously, is there any more geekier travel guy than RS? His corny literary-esque commentary reeks of geek and the rare moments of actual non-geek humor in any of his shows are purely unintentional. Most of his audience is obviously made up of the neophyte-traveling seasoned citizen types. But I'm astounded that he's managed to tap into such a large audience of 'em. But what really torks me is that this geek is spending half of every year living the good life traveling around Europe while apparently not bothering to learn how to say much more than a please and a thank you in each language while I sit with my 4 languages watching from a couch in Oregon. I tip my hat to ye Rickster. Oh that I could be half the geeky traveler you are!!

I thought this was going to be the reason the thread was bumped today.

For what it's worth, I have always enjoyed his shows. I don't care for his books as I find they cover a limited number of places within a country.

Yes, he does only cover the "highlights" of a country. And he uses his judgment in selecting what he thinks are the "best" places in a country.

His audience is Americans. How many Americans do you know who have the time to hit more than "the highlights"? We're not a country that typically takes 6 week vacations.

Obviously, if you're going further afield, you can't rely on just a Rick Steves book. That said, no sophisticated traveller would limit him or herself to just one information source anyway.

For what he does, Steves does very well. I occasionally run into another guidebook author who is as dedicted as Steves (Andrew Doughty's Hawaii "Revealed" books come to mind), but Steves has the most titles.

Anything except durian.

As for Rick Steves, he's amusing. He caters to his target market very well. Even the well-heeled traveler can make fine use of his books if heading to a new region for a brief period when the competition caters to young party types and I find often leaves out important details. The HD video from his more modern shows is quite nice to see.

Also - pay attention to how often he refers to things as "evocative" in his shows.

I am with him on that!
Durian is a great way to get spys to "confess".
It's a cross between bad feet and rotten onions rolled up in a used baby diaper.