Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2010: The Travel Skills Handbook

First of all, congratulations: this book will fundamentally change how you travel. If you're new to the world of Rick Steves AND planning your first trip to Europe, a special congratulations to you: you will not regret picking up this book. In many ways, Europe Through the Back Door (ETBD) is the bible of traveling the Rick Steves way. It's more than just travel tips and advice--although there is much of that--it is an entire travel philosophy based on experiencing a culture like a local, resulting in more fun, greater understanding, and less money spent. Steves' philosophy focuses on thinking of travel in terms of experiences and not destinations, being a participant instead of an observer. Steves' blend of detail-oriented pragmatism and big-picture philosophy comes from decades of his own travel experiences as well as leading other travelers through Europe. The result is a travel philosophy--and wealth of guidebooks--that allow the independent traveler to maximize his or her...Read more

This book is chock full of critical information on planning and executing your European trip. Even if you are an experienced traveler, this is a goldmine of information and tips. This is geared toward the type of traveler that likes to design his/her own trip rather than hop on a bus with a guide and a bunch of fellow citizens. Rick's point is that individual travel gets you in closer contact with the people and cultures you are there to experience. It is also geared for the budget to moderate traveler, not as much for the rock-bottom 100 pennies a day group.

Candid and from author Rick Steves' experience is his EUROPE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR 2010, a handbook covering everything from how to pack and travel smoothly by public transport to avoiding crowds, tourist scams, and understanding cultural and local differences. A 'must' for any Europe-bound traveler.