"....and once, he started a thread on FlyerTalk."

er, isn't that www.ricksteves.com for the correct link.


The best thing that can be said about the rickster is that his travel divas all like gelato and you can pretty much avoid his hotel recommendations if you don't want to meet other rickophiles.

lala

Ok, I am no Rick desciple, but the Mrs. and I both have a couple of pairs of the convertible pants and they are the greatest for lightweight travel. No need to pack pants and shorts. And for those blistering hot days when you suddenly need long pants (St. Peters in Rome etc.), the convenience can't be beat.

Oh for the days of staying in youth hostels and 1* (if that) hotels/pensions, washing laundry in the sink, shared bath on another floor, 5th floor room with no elevator?-sure, we'll take it, standing room only on overnight train rides, hey lets splurge and treat ourselves to a sit down meal...sigh. Those were some of the trips I look back on most fondly.

Now, it is hoping for the coveted "double upgrade", having my plutonium FF/hotel number entered in the reservation and hoping for a suite upgrade, making sure that they have a crib reserved for the Pupster, will the car service pick us up at the airport curb?, asking the concierge for restaurant recomendations, did we pack enough diapers & wipes?, oh no they lost the Pupster's Barney doll!, honey can the Au Pair come on the trip with us?...sigh. These are trips that I will look back on fondly.

Sigh, I'm getting old.

At the risk of offending: what's with the title of his web site: "Europe through the back door?"

Many years ago my parents went on a trip to Europe and sent away for a copy of "Mona Winks" from Rick Steve's travel company. My mom received the book and a handwritten letter giving lots of suggestions on places to visit while they were in France. I thought it was a nice touch and have been a fan of his ever since.

Beware, beware--this mis-spelled link takes you to a casino site!

JP

I fixed the link-apologies to the group.

Washing clothes in the sink? Hopefully not the same sink people are apparently peeing in!

Makes you think twice about filling the basin to wash your face. or is that

edited to add the


[This message has been edited by cattle (edited 01-24-2003).]

I can't decide which I hate more, Rick Steves... or this thread?

you guys *do* know why he wears the same thing all the time, right???

It's for TV. It makes it much, much easier to shoot, and then edit it and put it all together. Doing it this way means he they can show him on a train in the morning, then in the next scene, he is in a car driving from the. train station to some remote village. But in reality, the car scene may have been filmed a day or two later, for whatever reason. (logistical, weather, time, etc).

With 20 separate entries by ATC in this post -- I think it is about him......give it up too, ey!!!

Whether or not the guy is a dweeb, he means well and he helps thousands of people with getting off their duffs and taking world travels with the necessary information and support needed. Regardless of style of some, it fits many others.

To each his/her own.........

I was pretty much neutral on Rick for several years - the info is pretty basic unless you're just never been anywhere. But I agree that it's fine for those folks, who need the reassurance that, yes, you can do this!

My dislike for Rick (hatred is probably too strong) came up when I bought one of his books - I tend to buy 3-4 books prior to each new trip and slam through them in advance - so I picked up a few pointers from Rick's book, and then turned the last page to a shill for donations to Jubilee - an advocacy group working to cancel outright the debt of other countries who have borrowed themselves into trouble - this sort of political comment goes way beyond what's appropriate for an otherwise objective travel guide.

It's probabaly just me (maybe not "just" me), but that's the last RS book I'll buy.

Oh, so that's why the Simpsons always wear the same clothes....