If I could give more stars I would. Having never been on a guided tour before my wife and I had some reservations about moving almost every day, following a schedule, etc. etc. But we did have friends that had taken a tour of his the year before and they convinced us that his trips are worth it. And, of course, we had seen many of his shows on PBS and like his approach to travel - go lightly, see the country's major treasures and art, and meet locals and eat their food. We took his Best of Turkey tour this spring and it was the best vacation I've ever taken. We were wowed by the beauty and simplicity of this fascinating country and awed by its history and culture. We ate with locals (we were hosted for lunch in a small village by a local), danced and sang, swam in the Mediterranean, met with an Imam and made many new friends along the way. Seriously, this was a fabulous time - not a moment of wasted time or frustration; RS hires great guides (Sidar Duman was wonderful) and there were just so many great surprises. If you want to see Europe (through the back door) and experience it at a local level, Rick Steves does a fantastic job. Here's a link to a fabulous website of someone that took the exact same tour as we did and she did a great job of capturing all that it encompassed http://www.laurasabraw.com/home.htm. read more

This review is for their free classes that they provide. I went to the Iceland lecture at the Edmonds theater this past sunday and thought the speaker did an excellent job. He had a lot of good advice about not only what to see and do but where to eat AND on the cheap! To me this was worth its weight in gold because you can't always get that information from a travel book. After the class the speaker went to the travel center and said he would be happy to answer any questions and I noticed that he had quite a long time and he stayed their and answered them all. Later I went to the Scandinavian lecture at the travel center. I had an hour to kill in between so I perused the books. The shop was pretty busy with people. This lecture I also found to be very valuable. Took a lot of notes. The speakers are very knowledgeable, having been there themselves which makes the information they gave you that much more valuable. I highly recommend taking the time to go to these lectures. Why not? They are FREE! read more

All aboard! Rick Steve has quite a business model for trips especially to Europe. This busy shop has people to give advice, books, a library and accessories galore. We waited a long time to have someone answer some questions. We got the London book and found it useful. This is a good place to go if you want to talk through some ideas or get some advice. read more

Big shout-out to Rick Steve's Travel Store Customer Service team. I had a very minor problem with one of their Classic Back Door bag, and wrote to ask about return and repair. They responded the same day, and said "Don't worry, keep the bag you have - use it as is or donate it - and we will send you a replacement." Is that stellar customer service, or what? Love their products. The Classic Back Door Bag (2 of them, in fact) replaced two very similar bags, also recommended by Rick Steve's back in 1990, that had finally given out. And, in fact, only because I stupidly decided to wash them. Love the bags, but now I'm totally hooked on their customer service. Rick Steve and The Travel Store rock! read more

Grab your backpack and jump on board the train. This place will show you how to enjoy that dream of traveling in Europe and not having to sell your first born child to do it. The website alone has wonderful and blunt advise on doing Europe in style. Listen to the stories of the others who have already made the mistakes that you won't make because you're reading about their screw-ups. Free classes on the countries you want to visit and a free library where you can do the any research needed before flying into the wild blue yonder. The store doesn't carry a lot of merchandise but they are all about information anyway. Swing by for a look at all the countries you dream about. read more

This place is awesome! There are helpful staff and the resources available to you are a major help when you're trying to plan a trip to Europe! They have DVDs and books for purchase and a separate section of books like a library you can just read there on the spot. Also, they have travel accessories and luggage for sale. Another great resource is that they offer consulation services to help you with planning as well as free seminars throughout the month. My understanding also is that Rick Steve's offer tours groups for those uncomfortable planning/going on their own. read more

Rick Steves' Europe - DVD/Blu-Ray, books, and a map. - Tours Near Me - Edmonds, Washington

We're really fortunate to have a place like this in our area. I have used the Travel Resource Center several times. It's amazing that a business has so many books available for people to browse and even photocopy! The store is roomy and the reading area is comfortable. The staff is super friendly and helpful. When I visited today, I was browsing a book and wondering if they had a photocopy machine. The woman behind the counter must be a mind reader. She came right over to me and asked if I needed to copy the book. And the price for copies was cheap. I'm glad there are businesspeople like Rick Steves in the world--to whom making a profit isn't the only priority. read more

My wife and I were invited to go on a "best of Italy" tour with friends. I am not against tours, I'm against going on a tour with 28 people I don't know. The Steves tour we were on was 9 days, of those days, 2 of them your on your own, the last day is breakfast and done. So 6 days of tour, about 3-4 hours per day by the guide, then again on your own and 4 dinners. There were 4 hotels we stayed at and 2 were ok and the other 2 were bad. If you never traveled before then have at it, but if you have, I assure you that you can do the same thing on your own for a lot less. You can go on line and pick your travel destinations, rooms and personal tour guide without a problem. If you start putting a pencil to the numbers you will see that half price is a very doable number. But again, if you have never traveled and money is no object then a tour may be right for you. read more

We have taken 3 Rick Steves tours and everyone of them has far exceeded our expectations (London, Paris, and Rome city tours). Their tour guides are just amazing. We have used other tour companies that have not been as good. Rick Steves tour guides are salaried so they won't try to push you to stores that will give them a kickback. His tours are definitely for the "fit" group as there is a lot of walking. They put you up in cozy family run hotels that are centrally located. We have young kids now so have to wait till they're a bit older to take them on the Europe 14 day Family Tour. read more

What a ripoff!! They stay in dumps, frequently no AC and occasionally shared bathrooms. This would be fine for a budget tour but you pay a premium price for crap. Also, don't be fooled by the age guidelines. Children of any age wil be on your tour. Do yourself a favor and use any other tour company. read more

This review is for the 14-Day Best of Spain tour my wife and I just took. Before writing a review, I look at what others have written. I was extremely surprised that anyone would rank this tour less than four stars. I understand some reviews are for the books and classes, but the tour reviews I assumed would nearly all be 5-stars with an occasional 4-star. I say this because our recent tour group contained many veterans of multiple RS tours, and it was a universal comment that their other tours were great too. My wife and I have decided that we will start with an RS tour and then go back on a future trip to spend more time taking it in. The biggest advantage of an RS tour is getting tickets for everything, having knowledgable experts showing you the sites, and NO LINES to get in. There are also wonderful surprises on the itinerary nearly every day like sunset dinners at breathtaking locations you'd never find in million years where you need a reservation made months in advance. After reading what some reviewers had to say, I feel bad for a few people posting, but you have to understand that tour guides are working 24 hours a day to make things run smoothly for EVERYONE, so you need to be grateful when you get your one-on-one time, which we all got. In all honesty. it seems like the issues people are having stems from reality not matching unrealistically lofty expectations. We saw six wonderful cities over 14 days, so we got just a small taste of each place. And there are places that we visited that would have never been on our "to-visit" list which were simply stunning "must see" spots, such as the windmills made famous in "Don Quixote." One of the things we loved was the "no grumps" policy laid out on day one. We were amazingly lucky to be in a group of wonderful travelers who appreciated the little things. We had no grumps, and this helped make our experience what it was. This tour is designed for team players who are open to a full spectrum of experiences, and that is exactly what we had. If you have an open mind, respectful attitude, and an appreciation for culture, then this tour is unbeatable and a five-star experience. We were also very lucky that our amazing tour guide set that tone and lived that life the entire time. Having done a different tour last year (to Italy) and a cruise ship tour four years ago, I have to say that our Best of Spain tour was far above and beyond what I was accustomed to. A great tour starts with a great guide, and that was the biggest difference between our RS experience and our previous experiences. I find it impossible to believe there is a guide better than William Rosendin. The multi-tour veterans said that every RS tour leader they had were terrific guides, but everyone agreed William was something special. Which leads the the meat of the review, which I hope will be useful but not spoil any surprises on a tour you take. The Tourguide: our guide was genuinely enthusiastic about every aspect of our trip and knowledgable about everything. As a seasoned traveler having lived in Spain and having spent time there for 33 years, he had so much experience to share about Spain. At the same time he really knew his audience (age, needs, and language assistance). Our group ranged from low 50s to 80, and he somehow managed to keep an eye on every member of his flock. I'm fairly sure he's a robot because he never slept. He went from teacher to translator to guard dog to caretaker seamlessly, being flexible as needed. The Hotels: we stayed in well appointed and perfectly situated hotels every night. The points of interest, good food, basic needs, and interesting sites were always within walking distance. We spent one night in heaven. The staffs at each hotel went above and beyond to make sure our needs were met, even special ones. Breakfasts were great and there was a low-priced laundry service midway. I'm still in awe of how luxurious each place was. The Food: the best food we had was with the group. My wife and I had a knack for finding not as good food when we ventured out on our own, so we greatly appreciated the food choices made for the tour. The breakfasts were perfect and the staffs were so accommodating in terms of timing. The Sites: Spoiler alert!!! We got yo see a horse training site, a bull farm, tons of museums and cathedrals, and so many of the famous landmarks. But what went above and beyond were the windmills, the olive farm, the old markets, the saffron house, the small town bar, the catacombs, tiny churches, and breakfast in a family's house. The Transportation: THANK YOU for getting us a high-end bus with two seats per traveler. We were able to spread out as needed and could store things on the bus safely. Our bus driver, Pablo, was fantastic and very knowledgable. The Local Guides: Energetic and well learned. Fluent in English. Concepcion's perspective brought people to tears in a beautiful way. THANK YOU William, Concepcion, and our fellow guests! read more

My husband and I took a Rick Steves tour to Sicily in spring of 2018. In the plus column, we had a good tour guide (native Italian), good local guides and a nice group of people. In the minus column, the hotels we stayed at were dumps-completely unacceptable. And some of the group meals were bordering on inedible-also unacceptable. We will never take another Rick Steves Tour. read more

DO NOT TAKE ANY RICK STEVES TOURS IF YOU NEED ACCOMODATIONS!!!!! My sister and I took the 14 day best of Europe trip. It is great if you are older and are able to navigate with minimal help. If you're anyone else, it's not worth it. The main reason why my sister and I (25 and 23 years old) signed up for a Rock Steves tour is because we wanted help with her life threatening tree allergy when going to restaurants. I am a doctor, but I cannot speak good enough German/French/Swiss/Italian to communicate the severity to the cooking staff. On the information section, my sister indicated that she has a severe tree nut allergy. We made our guide aware when we first met him after the welcome meeting of the allergy and he understood the severity and was receptive to this. When we were in Switzerland at Hotel Oberland, my sister was told what she could eat at breakfast by the staff and followed it diligently. However, I had to take my sister from the tour group at the beginning of our hike because her eyelids had began to swell. She was complaining of some shortness of breath and was lightheaded. I told the guide that we were leaving and he waved us goodbye and lead the rest of the group. He did not tell us how to get back or where we should go, but it was an emergency. At this point, my sister had broken out in hives all over her body and was lightheaded. I saw a bus coming and managed to stop it. When we hopped on, the driver asked us how we were paying. I shouted, "Emergency!" Yet he did not even close the doors. We paid him extra and asked him to take us to the hotel ASAP as we would be calling an ambulance. He took his time, stopped at his usual stops, but at the end he informed us of the clinic that we were passing, but did not stop. We asked him to please stop the bus here, but he did not. When we got off at the hotel we walked a short distance back to the clinic where she was treated. As I suspected, the doctor stated that this was most likely due to cross contamination at breakfast. I asked him it could have been seasonal allergies or a particular tree pollen that was similar to nuts. He said that there are no such trees. When our guide came back from his hike hours later, he asked my sister how she was doing. We explained how we went to the clinic and had to be seen and treated by the doctor. He asked what caused it. My sister said that it was from the breakfast this morning. Instead of apologizing, he immediately said, "no" and reinstated that it was not breakfast. I found this to be very unprofessional. Even after stating that another physician besides myself felt that this was true, he still refused to admit that it was the breakfast. Part of professionalism is admitting your mistakes and being true to the other party involved. His mistake in question is telling us that the food was safe to eat. This was not the case. He then avoided us and did not check back in. The wife that owned the place came out a few hours later and asked my sister and I to move from the sitting area outside that we were at because it was a smoking area. Not once did she ask how my sister was or if there was anything that she could do. My sister was still light-headed and dizzy at the time. I was so disappointed with how this was handled as this is a business. Bad events are bound to happen, but how organizations handle them shows true responsibility and dedication to their customers. I cannot say that any part of this Rick Steves tour did that. We continued on the remainder of the tour thinking it would be handled better at a later time, but it was not. Our guide even had the audacity to try and serve almond chocolate on the bus. We had ask him to stop. When I contacted the customer service department via email, they took a week to get back to me and basically said, "you paid for it and you went." Certainly not the customer service department I'd want running my business. read more

I always enjoy a visit of Rick Steve's Europe. It's a well of information on any European country you might want to visit and the staff is always friendly and happy to help. read more

I need to reserve Oktoberfest reservations for flights to Munich Germany and hotel

I purchased the 20 inch Rolling Carry-On luggage and used it on 4 trips over a 10 month period and a seam broke with a one inch tear. When I originally received the Rick Steve's' luggage, I was somewhat concerned about the way the handles are connected to the luggage top and side, and also the overall general quality of the luggage. I wanted to try this 20 inch size and do love the Rick Steve tour books. I have previously used Samsonite and TravelPro luggage and used them for many trips and experienced excellent quality. I do love the Rick Steve books, but I will pass on the luggage. read more

If you are an independent person/couple, who try(ies) not to be a tourist, is/are adventuresome diner(s), enjoys(s) your own pace, don't sign up for a tour, whether Rick Steves or any other. We just found out. You are at the mercy of a tour guide (ours was self-absorbed), a group that may not have a sense of humor, are not interested in learning the language or the cuisine. They were guarded, passive and very set in their ways. Our fun happened outside the group for the most part. Work harder before the trip and your trip will be more beneficial and FUN. Do it on your own. read more

I bought a copy of Rick Steve's Paris and was skimming through the part about local guides. To my delight, I found Arnaud Servignat as one of the recommended guides. I knew Arnaud from my very first trip to Paris when I was fresh out of high school 14 years ago on a foreign exchange program. I remember how knowledgeable he was and how well he handled our group which was mostly consisted of rambunctious, boy crazy girls. I booked Arnaud for two days, each day for a 4-hour tour. Since this is my third visit to Paris, I didn't want to do the typical tourist stuff. I wanted to pick Arnaud's brain as to where the good eats, great shopping, good areas to go for nightlife, etc. are. Boy, did he deliver. On the first day, we covered the right bank, concentrating on the 3rd and 4th arrondissement (Pompidou Center, Le Marais, Place des Vosges, Ile Ste-Louis, Notre Dame, etc.). We were introduced to Mariage Freres (a popular tea room) and had lunch at Cafe Tresor where I had the best mixed greens salad with chevre chaud (baked goat's cheese) and most importantly, there was not a single tourist to be seen. On the second day, we covered the left bank in the 6th arrondissement (Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Latin Quarter, Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens, Sorbonne, Hotel Cluny, etc.). Arnaud had the brilliant idea of picnicking at the Luxembourg Gardens and of course, he knew where to go for the food. We went to Paul (on Place Dauphine) for sandwiches and salads, to Nicolas for a bottle of pinot noir, and over to Patisserie Gerard Mulot (on Rue de Seine) for some eclaires and a chocolate tartelette for dessert. We proceeded to have what felt like the best and most scenic picnic I've ever had. Sigh! Life is good. All throughout the tour with Arnaud, in addition to his knowledge of the local eateries, he demonstrated great knowledge in the architecture and history of Paris. I truly felt like our activities were tailored especially for my husband and my interests. For the two days we were with Arnaud, it didn't seem like business as usual between a tour guide and a couple of tourists, it felt more like a friend showing a couple of guests around his neighborhood. Merci beaucoup Arnaud! read more

There is nothing that I can find provided by Mr. Steves services that a trip to the library and basic internet research will not provide. I find it insulting that I am asked to pay for wrong information. read more

Truly a unique and inspiring travel organization! Let me be clear, this style of travel is not for everyone. An example of this style difference is one of my favorite Europe travel memories. Years ago I boarded a train departing Interlaken and was sitting near an American couple. Each of them had two large suitcases. They sat and whined to each other about how their ultra expensive hotel was exorbitantly priced and ensured they never would to return to Interlaken. Typical American travelers... I had to hide my face behind a book so they didn't see me chuckling. I had stayed at a comfortable, quiet B&B perhaps three blocks from their hotel for 1/6th of their lodging bill. Oh sure, their hotel had a front desk manned 24 hours per day, room service and phones and TV in every room. I didn't need any of those items. My B&B had a prideful owner who each morning laid out a small breakfast buffet of fresh meats, cheeses, fruits and bread. Also in broken English he offered fantastic local tips on best walking trails, vistas, shopping and dining. I believe this highlights Europe Through the Back Door travel style. Rick says the more you pay for your hotel the bigger separation there is from local culture. In two weeks my wife and I fly to Venice for a 21 day trip through Italy ending in the French Riviera. We already booked B&Bs in seven towns all with private baths and gorgeous settings. Average lodging rate is less than 100 Euro per day. All this accomplished using Rick Steves books, DVDs and travel consultant (many thanks to RS consultant Rich Earl!). read more

My mom's best friend went to high school in Edmonds with him... nicest nerd ever! The store/resource center in Edmonds is really worth checking out. There is a library of a bazillion travel books to look at and you can buy rail passes. There are also maps galore and tables for plotting. Also- it is close to the kick tush store Savvy Traveler and all the other Edmonds cuteness shops. Sweet staff and a chance to peek at "the channel 9 travel man" Rick through his cracked open office door make a trip to explore or plan a must. read more

My mom is taking my daughter to Europe for her 16th birthday, and is happy to let A plan the whole thing and hand over the details for Grandma to make it all happen. Fun stuff if you're 15, but where to begin without the adult travel partner living within thousands of miles of you, and parents who've never been to Europe? Enter Rick Steves' travel store in Edmonds. I didn't know where to begin selecting a travel counselor, and assumed anything with Steves' name on it would be held to a high standard. We have been in twice; once to schedule an appointment and to pick up some DVDs, and again today for our appointment with the counselor. We've been very pleased with the service on both occasions - very friendly and helpful! Rich helped us today, and my daughter left much less daunted about planning her vacation - exactly the goal of our visit. Rich provided us maps of Europe and of London and vicinity (which he used during our consultation to outline her itinerary), as well as hotel recommendations, rail and air information, helpful information sheets on "things to do" and website resources. An all around very positive experience. The place is very Rick Steves... comfortable, casual. TONS of travel books and other useful items. They also offer travel classes, and of course, what they're famous for: tour arrangements! Assistance for planning independent travel does entail a fee, but it was more than worth our $50. read more

Twelve years ago my husband and I and another couple went on a fabulous Rick Steves Tour to Spain and Portugal. At that time I purchased a RS big rolling travel bag. I have used it regularly since then. Well, fast forward to three weeks ago. Traveling in Amsterdam, the wheel of that suitcase broke off making it very difficult to roll. I contacted the RS organization to see if the wheel could be replaced. Much to my surprise, (after sending photos) I was offered a gift card to purchase a new suitcase through the RS store. Everyone I tell this story to is blown away by the generous offer of this quality organization. I love my new much smaller (and more practical) travel bag. I can't wait to start traveling lighter. Thank you Rick Steves (and Katie) for backing your warranty. Gail D. read more

I am torn between a 3 or a 4. The tour itself (Eastern Europe) was good and interesting. The tour bus was very nice. They do tell you how much walking to expect each day. What they do not tell you is the pace of the walking. You move at the speed of the tour guide, who is probably 20 years younger than the average tour member. Our tour guide downplayed some of the physical aspects. For example, she didn't say anything about the 380 steps you have to walk down to get to the salt mines in Poland, until the night before. Said we would have to walk about 5 minutes from our bus to our hotel when it was 15 minutes. I use a cane and would suggest that if you are not an active senior do not take a tour. I do agree with other reviewers that he has very good books, suitcases and back packs (Ours just gave up the ghost after 11 years). read more

Awesome company to work with. Their products are EXCELLENT! I had a carry on bag for about 7 years the wheel broke and I emailed them with pictures and what happened, no questions asked they had another in the mail and I got it in 2 days from the first email. 5 stars all the way, awesome, awesome I tell you. My grandmother got me my first Rick Steves and its been great! Thank you Rick Steves for awesome service and support! read more

I recently bought a few items from Rick Steves company, for the first, and definitely last, time. One of them, the Civita day pack was terrible--could hardly get my arms through the straps it was so small, even at the largest setting for them. I went to mail it back. Unlike most mail order companies, however, they do not provide a return pre-paid label, just a label. So when I went to the UPS Store near me they said 1)it would be over $11 to ship back at the cheapest ground rate (the item itself only cost $24.99!) 2)because there is a PO Box number in the address and UPS does not ship to PO Boxes they weren't sure it would be delivered. This despite the fact that your return instructions clearly say it is ok to send via UPS. It may be, but at least warning people that they may be questioned about the UPS policy when they try to ship UPS would be nice. I never will shop at Rick Steves store again. If they can't provide a return shipping label (like many other companies) and make the return shipping policies clear, buyer beware. . Sorry, Steve, I like your programs but your sales company is terrible! read more

Once upon a time, I was a naive traveler. I, like so many other girls with stars in their eyes, wanted to go to Paris. I met a handsome, intelligent man who was well versed in traveling the world, and he proposed marriage. In order to help expose me to many places I may not have seen, he decided that going to not only Paris, but Italy, Austria and many other places for our honeymoon would be ideal. I was thrilled! But all that begins well, doesn't always end well. I still love this man, and we're still married, despite this horrid experience as we entered our martial bliss... Now, to be fair, this happened in 2008. Unfortunately, after reading the reviews, it seems some things are still an issue. Alrighty then, so we go to Paris. It's the first stop. I'm pleased as pudding. The hotel room was nice, however, there was a sulfur like odor coming from the shower... reminiscent of rotten eggs. I had to wash my hair... bad move. I smelled like an Easter Hunt, from 1982. We were told by our at times annoying guide to not get too spoiled by this hotel, because many of the others on our tour were not like it. Now, we are on our honeymoon, mind you... that's important to the story. We leave there and go to Beaune. Things were fine in Beaune until my husband and I opened our mouths. There was a strong anti-American attitude there, so much so, people who initially came across as friendly heard us speak, and literally walked away from us while we were in mid-sentence. Thanks! 'Preciate it! (((waving goodbye as they storm away.))) This happened in shops as well. Let's talk about this hotel... it was flea and tick infested. When I say infested, I'm talking about a three ring circus where these little black jumping dots giving a 5 star performance. Oh, and check this out! The tourguide, with her sweet little self, arranged my husband and I to be in separate beds... for our HONEYMOON. This is not 'Leave it to Beaver.' We will not be sleeping in separate beds but lo and behold, there were no more rooms available and no one would switch with us. (I will get to the delightful tour group we were with in just a moment.) So I'm slapping my arms, legs and everything all night, screaming, "They're biting me!" Every 10-20 minutes. My husband and are are squeezed into a tiny twin bed, and neither of us are large people, but there was barely room to breathe. The only welcome distraction were the topless newscasters that gave the weather and other tidbits. Through out the entire trip, we were talked down to, like children from the tour guide. My husband was even reprimanded at one point. We were being herded like cattle in the museums. We could barely enjoy anything, because by the time we got up close to see anything, they were making us hurry along. After paying to use the bathroom and standing in a long line, we were once again reprimanded and told that if we were late coming back to the bus (we were literally three minutes late and barely got to even relieve ourselves) that we'd be forced to purchase everyone on the tour, wine. The people we were with and the tourguide ruined it. Thankfully, there were a few people on the tour who were very friendly and likable, which made it bearable. The others at times said insensitive comments, were stodgy, or just plain standoffish. The food was not good. I literally lost weight. Now, in fairness, I don't like German food but for the prices we paid - receiving one long dried out sausage, Wienerschnitzel and funky fondue was an absolute rip off. In Italy, the pizza was like a saltine cracker with a bit of pizza sauce on it. I will admit that I'm spoiled from Brooklyn pizza, however. It was no one's fault - but I was disappointed in alleged authentic Italian pizza. Perhaps it was the restaurant we were at, I sure hope so. Rick Steve's is gettin' over like a fat rat. The man is sticking folks in hole in the wall hotels and saying it is to 'get the real feel' of Europe. I understand that the purpose of the tour is not to stay in the hotel - it is to tour, to learn, and enjoy the events and the culture but let me tell you something, when I go to bed at night, I don't want to become a walking meal for the flea circus! I don't want to see someone elses' pubic hairs lining the bottom of a tub. I don't want to be in a twin bed, the size of a marshmallow for my honeymoon. I don't want to be freezing my behind off and told by the tour-guide to not make a fuss, and just wrap my comforter around me. I didn't expect to be in the Ritz - I understood what the deal was, but these issues were deal breakers. My husband and I are going back to Venice & Paris... BY OURSELVES. We won't take a tour, we won't follow a guide, we will not be rushed around, and threatened to be left and miss our ride. We will not do this again, for traveling in packs is now a pet peeve. Shame on you, a thousand times, Rick Steves! read more

This review is about a 10 day tour I took to Italy in July 2013. This was the first time I relied upon a tour company. I was in Europe for work, decided I wanted to do a vacation in Europe, and didn't have any time to plan. I will always have great memories of my trip but I probably wouldn't do RS Tours again. The good: I like that RST does not spend a lot of money on fancy hotels because I would rather spend it on learning and sight seeing. The tours are well planned and well organized. The guide we had was knowledgeable, lived in Italy (but not Italian) and genuinely loved being there. Overall great way to get introduced to a country if you don't have time to plan. We went to all of the places that one should see at least once in their lives: the Coliseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, David, the Ufuzi gallery, medieval towns, good wine and one wine talk, Roman ruins wherever we went, alabaster, fine jewelry, and of course amazing history. Everywhere, Italy is beautiful. 3 stars because the above says: A-Okay and 4 stars says I'm a Fan. I am not. 5 stars for information in the books. The things I would change about the tour: You are agreeing to have your images on social media When you sign the contract that they send you, you are in agreement that any and all pictures of you might be used on social media. They say they have no control over what other tour members do with their images. It's also a way for RST to do word-of-mouth marketing and its a legal way of not taking responsibility for irresponsible tour members. I was perfectly fine with the rest of the contract but not that. When I called to learn more about this, the customer service person I spoke with said, "Well you might not want to go on the tour then." (imagine this is aligned with other reviews about RST customer service). So I asked to speak with her supervisor who was equally not happy that I was concerned about the lack of expectations on their part that their tour members simply be respectful. I said that I had no problem asking the other tour members, myself, to not to take images of me unless they knew they weren't going to post to social media. I think the supervisor was surprised that I would be proactive (and fair) but then received a sense that they saw this as being a trouble maker. While in Italy and during orientation, I made my request to the group, and no one even raised an eyebrow. It was an issue for RST but not for the tour members. So you will need to be proactive if this matters to you. Tour guide was knowledgeable but didn't know when to stop talking There's only so much information anyone's brain can take in. i believe the limit even for graduate school is 20 minutes. In corporate life, it's more like 5 :). After leaving Rome we went to Cinque Terre, Volterra, Lucca and Florence. During the bus rides, some of which lasted for two hours, our tour guide was talking, constantly, on the microphone. He was impatient at times with questions that didn't have to do with his lectures, e.g., where might I find a restaurant that wasn't just focused on meat and pasta. He'd been doing this for 17 years and it began to show. Perhaps tour guides need sabbaticals? On all organized tours, you're limited to how ever much time they have to spend on that one place. I would have liked to wandered around the coliseum or other places beyond the few minutes we had to go on our own after the tour. But this tells me that I'm likely not a candidate for organized tours. Toward the end of the trip we had a couple of 'free' days. I walked from one town and back in Cinque Terre but there's not too much to do there other than that. Food was good but not memorable. What I did like about the food is that it was simple and delicate like many authentic foods in the world. Somehow, US culinary tastes have made Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish. . . foods too sweet, too saucy, too salty and portions too big. So this was a great way to taste more authentic Italian. read more

I thoroughly agree with others who have advised to beware the bandwagon of the Europe for dummies approach RS delivers through his publications and programs. I also find it ironic that he is such a proponent of the temporary resident approach to travel yet has the market somewhat cornered on organized tours for which you are certainly not independent and are buying into his schedule and following the leader from place to place. I personally have stayed at a hotel in Varenna, Italy which was hosting a RS travel group. All the people on the tour were wandering aimlessly around the hotel looking lost and befuddled. The schedule was posted on the front desk advising those on the tour to not think for themselves or be adventurous or independent .... just follow the leader and file onto the bus to be delivered to the next destination for another day of mindless touring. Bleh!!! I'll thank RS for the advice in his travel books as it is mostly sound and carries value. read more

Our experience was good overall but not great. The sites and guides were great. The food was just ok...expected better. The hotels not good because it was warm. They had no AC which would have been ok but they also had no fans and most hotels you couldn't open the windows because of trains...flies...and other insects that would cover you up, and of course no top sheet only a heavy duvet. But this was my first Europe experience and we did enjoy it....but could have been better read more

My husband and I took a Rick Steve's Best of Europe 14 day tour. I have mixed reviews of the trip. There are some things they do well and some things that could be improved. There were several couples on our trip celebrating milestone anniversaries. WARNING: If you want to take a romantic trip for a milestone event...this is nit the trip for you!!! If you want time to shop this is not the trip for you!!! Our tour guide, although very knowledgable, clearly had favorites in our group. Most of the places that we stayed had a variety of room types. Some couples got the premium rooms where we stayed and others got the worst rooms on the highest floors routinely. My advice...suck up on the first day to your tour guide if you want the most comfortable rooms. The food was just ok at most places but really good in a few. There was a little too much togetherness with the tour group and by the end I couldn't wait to escape and come home. The itinerary is so jam packed that when you did have free time you just wanted to rest. One thing i really looked forward to was our gondola ride in Venice...our Rick Steve 's guide scheduled it at night and we couldn't see anything!!!!! Big disappointment! You will share your gondola with 2 other couples. To be fair here are the things that they do well.....1. With the exception of one of the local guides, they do hire the best local guides 2. The schedule is designed so that you do get to do and see a lot for the price...no waiting in line at historical sites, museums, churches, etc. 3. Most of the hotel rooms were ok err very hot...if you are warm natured go on a tour in the spring...most rooms do not have air conditioning. 4. They do try to provide lots of cultural experiences such as a Carnivale mask making demo in Venice, fondue making in Switzerland, wine-tasting in Beaune, France, and Tuscan cooking lesson. 5. The Rick Steve's guide did a great job keeping us on the tight schedule. The tour buses were clean and comfortable. Would I take another tour? Probably not...however, if you do not mind the heat, tight schedule, group tours, little time to take pictures of your group at the sites, don't like to shop, average food, and trucking your luggage up at least 3 floors every other day then by all means this trip is for you. read more

Although I have great respect for Rick Steves' travel philosophy, I will never purchase a backpack or suitcase from his company again due to substandard materials and workmanship. A year ago, I replaced my trusty old Rick Steves suitcase and day pack with new ones to take on a 3 week European trip. By the time I got home from that trip, the top loop and side drawstrings on the Civita pack were frayed and useless, and the suitcase fabric was ripped along the bottom edges. I contacted the company when I got home and they promptly sent me a new pack at no cost...which ripped again in the same places after its second use. I got no response from customer service regarding the suitcase, or when I notified them of the identical issues with the second pack. I can see on the website they are no longer selling the suitcase, but they continue to market the poorly-made Civita pack. Just so you know, I'm a 60 year old woman who does not carry really heavy stuff in my pack...we're talking knitting, a book and a water bottle! read more

Rick Steves is a treasure trove of travel help & information. They provide many free classes every month, the staff is courteous and helpful, and they offer a variety of tried and true travel gear to make your experience successful. Ray Steves books are as good as it gets with information and travel advice. If you're traveling, come in and look around before you go, I'm sure you'll learn something new & you'll be glad you stopped in. read more

Rick is a tremendous person and his travel show on KUOW is close to awesome! Will no one tell him that he talks on top of the end of the end of every other sentence his guests are saying in the show?Can't listen to this otherwise great show! read more

I recently came back from a Rick Steves' Tour of Sicily (Best of Sicily in 11 Days). A wonderful tour almost ruined by the 1 hour long Anti-American harangue of the tour guide, Alfeo using the microphone on the bus. When I asked him to stop since i was on vacation he said that Rick Steves tells him to give this Political diatribe. I understand that visiting another country can be a broadening experience bot not at the experience of my personal American dignity. read more

One piece of luggage arrived with a broken clip from the Rick Steves store. I called the store and had a replacement in 3 days! The staff was very very helpful and ask me to give the luggage to a homeless center. I have been dealing with RS staff for years and never had any experiences like some of the negative reviews being shown. read more

I've never written a review before for anything but I was so surprised and pleased by the Customer Service team at Rick Steves. I ordered a rail pass online only 10 days before I was leaving for Europe and about 20 minutes after I received a phone call from them concerned that I might not get it in time. They assured me that they would do their best but just wanted to make sure that I was aware that it might not be enough time. And they did get it to me on time! It was incredibly nice of them since it would be so easy for them to just say "ah well hope she gets it!" but no, they took the time to call. That is extraordinary customer service. They have a loyal customer in me for life. read more

I took RS 14 day France Tour from Paris to Nice. The tour itself was OK. The tour guide was a female from Seattle that lived in Paris. The food was just Ok. The hotels where centrally located. The problem I encountered on his tour was another female took a disliking to me. During the whole trip she and her family made me so uncomfortable I found myself avoiding everyone on the tour . They all appeared to be fellow travelers. I was beside myself during the whole tour. I also was one of a few that was not from Washington State on the tour. I was glad when the tour ended. When I got back to the states I called a few weeks later to express my disappointment of what happen on the tour. To make matters worse for me this young women and her family and a few others including the tour guide filed a complaint against me for being anti social. This whole experience made no sense to me. And never has. I was made to feel I wasn't good enough to be on one of his tours. I am introverted but socially friendly. On this experience alone I wouldn't recommend his tours. RS was very rude to me when I spoke to him about this. I gave up was not worth the fight. read more

only thing I can say from perusing his itineraries and having never been on one of his tour groups (but use his guides when traveling) is it appears there is way too much time spent on busses when trains would be more efficient and looking at the cost per day is way overpriced for the conveniences read more

Rick Steves is my hero--really, he is. His goal is to make European travel accessible to all, and I think he has done great job. I have garnered many travel tips from his TV shows, books, and website. If you are planning a trip to Europe, I suggest you take a trip to his travel center in Edmonds. There is a great area full of travel books and maps, and you can spread out on one of the tables to plan your trip. They also sell Eurail passes, I bought mine here and they were very helpful with any questions that I had. Europe Through the Back Door has free travels classes taught by their employees, and periodically, Rick teaches too. They carry some travel products, and although selection is limited, I was very pleased with my purchases. (My ETBD sleep sack definitely protected me from some nasty hostel beds!!). This place gets 5 stars thanks to the helpful staff, great travel resources, travel products, and a nice relaxing environment. If you are planning a trip you Europe, you should check out the travel center, or at the very least, read some of the travel tips on his website. read more