Rick Steves' Amsterdam, Bruges & Brussels

You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Amsterdam, Bruges, and Brussels.

The self-guided tours in this book will lead you on bike rides over cobblestone streets and on cruises through charming canals. Stop to smell the tulips as you hike past whirring windmills. Get inspired by the work of the Dutch Masters and visit the ultramodern European Parliament. When it's time for a break, sample fine chocolates or sip local beers—each served in its own distinctive glass.

Rick’s candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. You’ll learn how to get around the Low Countries by train, bus, or car, and discover which sights are worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.

 (32 customer reviews)

Rick Steves (and his "silent" partner Gene Openshaw) have established a successful travel-book franchise by writing primarily for on-a-budget travelers. The conversational, reassuring "Good Ol' Rick" tone of the books seems to be intended to allay the anxiety many people feel about traveling in other countries.

The Amsterdam book, like the others, does best with the sightseeing aspects of travel, highlighting the "must-see" attractions and going into detail about what it is you're seeing when you're there. I'm not as impressed with his choices for lodging and meals -- I didn't find it helpful to know, for example, that there's a good snack bar in the Amsterdam train station.

The detailed information about the Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum and even the Red Light District proved to be accurate. I find the writing by Rick and his colleagues to be entertaining and (with the one caveat mentioned above) helpful.

Rick Steves' books have helped me out a number of times in Europe. The information is up to date and Rick really seems to get into the threads that make up the fabric of a travel destination. He tells you when not to go to places and what's the best way to get there, etc. better than any of the other books I have read about this region. I would give it 5 stars but the less-than-stellar photos and the not-to-scale, hand-drawn maps in the book could be better. The travel advice Rick gives however, is indispensable. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book for traveling to this area.

I found this guidebook very useful on my recent trip to Europe. Using it, I found some really nice, out of the way spots that weren't mentioned in standard guidebooks. I also found it a little friendlier and easier to use than some of the other guidebooks. The only downside is that the maps are kind of hand-drawn and not quite as precise and detailed as those in other books.