I'm counting this as a book read, even though I skimmed some chunks of it and hence wouldn't usually count it as read. I'm moving to Germany soon and have been trying to read some guidebooks on Europe and/or Germany. This one caught my eye because it was the only 2017 edition of a Europe guidebook in my library's very small Europe travel section.

I've heard good things about Rick Steves recently; this is my first book of his (I've already checked out his Germany guidebook and plan to read that next), and I was impressed. Although he regularly recommends his own books, shows, apps, etc. to help out travelers, he also gives a lengthy rundown of different brands of guidebooks in the beginning of the book, encouraging people to check out whatever books work for them.

And this is technically a guidebook, but not really, which is maybe why I was able to read so much of it (instead of skimming over to the stuff that interests me). It's part guidebook, part travel memoir, and part travel advice book (does that count as a guidebook?). It was really useful, but also felt really personal, which is why it worked so well for me.

Somewhere between the first half and the first two-thirds of the book are just his travel advice. The entire book (the "back door" concept) is based around how to travel easily and cheaply in Europe and get the most bang for your buck. It's not really about "budget travel," but rather, about smart travel: where to stay, what food to get, how to behave--just how to maximize your experience to get the most experience and least hassle. He gives extensive advice in the first part of the book on lodging, food, transportation, budget and money, etc. Some of it is terrifying and some of it is really useful. He is pretty clear about what he thinks are the best options for things, and will back up his opinions with reasons (for example: he recommends staying in hostels to meet fellow travelers, or to stay in B&Bs if possible for the personal experience that is usually cheaper than a huge hotel).

The second half/last third of the book goes through every country in Europe with his thoughts on each. Once again, this is not a guidebook; he gives brief notes on traveling in each country, how to sight-see, and so on. He does not (usually) give recommendations for specific restaurants, lodging, or locations to see (that is for the other guidebooks), but gives broader recommendations for what cities to stay in and what local sights or experiences he thinks travelers should take in. He gives some recommendations for specific tourist spots (i.e. get there early and/or reserve a ticket ahead of time), but most of what he says about each country includes overviews of the country and its people, what the food is like, and what the cities are like.

One thing Steves really pushes in this book is the idea that you are traveling to have a new experience, not to experience typically American things but in another country. He encourages people to meet new people, strike up conversations, go exploring, check out slightly-less-popular tourist destinations, hiring guides, trying new food, etc. And that was what I really appreciated about this book: not a guidebook listing every possible sight I could want to see, but a book listing personal experiences with European countries and how to navigate them. Highly recommended, and I intend to dig into some of his other stuff (books, apps, shows) soon.