Rick Steves' Spain 2014

I have been to Spain before using Rick Steve's guide and found it to be chock full of pertinent information. I found the information to be clear, concise and the recommendations to be right on. We used the guides for hotels, tour guides, restaurants and even the most basic info is included.i.e advice on transportation and warnings if need be. Great for first time visitors to Spain, as well as seasoned travelers. Also, there is much info in the budget category which is usually absent from other guides. During our Granada visit, we even used the room descriptions of the Alhambra. In Italy, I used the recommendations for private guides 3times and found them to be outstanding. In fact, it sold our group of 8 including 3children on using private guides. This trip I plan on using some of the private tour guides for Spain. We've also used hotel suggestions in Spain during my first trip and found them so much to our liking, we are retuning on this trip. It is mostly in non color pictures with a few in the beginning of the guides. While I sometimes use other guides books from the library for choosing areas to visit, Rick Steve's is the guide I take with me.

I found this guidebook to be invaluable in planning a trip (in fact, in deciding whether I really wanted to take the trip). I found particularly helpful the discussion of the pros and cons of visiting during high season vs. off-season. Rick Steves has been rather selective in deciding what towns and sights to cover, but those that are, are then described in great detail. The book includes more than "just the facts." You also receive the author's impressions and judgments, so you have to be discerning about whether or not to agree. For example, I generally find his ratings to be very helpful. But the Picasso Museum in Barcelona gets his highest rating (three triangles, a "don't miss" attraction); I'm not quite the fan of Picasso's art that Rick obviously is, so I've decided this is an attraction I can miss. But any international trip deserves your thoughtful, careful and extensive planning. I highly recommend this book.

Our trip is for May 2014 so we are still in the planning stages. I think Rick Steves does a good job of describing the different parts of Spain and giving ideas for itineraries. There is information about how to get around that we found helpful (we are going to take a night train for part of the trip--an idea from Rick that we think will work well). I was able to get excited about the trip from his descriptions. I do think that Rick caters a bit to the budget traveler though and doesn't always give enough of a balanced review for those of us who want a bit of luxury during our travels. I haven't really explored the restaurant sections, but it seems that he likes to help travelers find the hole in the wall local joint that serves great food--which we LOVE, but we also like to eat at a Michelin star restaurant one night too and Rick doesn't seem to be a foodie in that respect. Great maps including ones that detail travel times. Good tips on avoiding crowds and lines. No coverage of Valencia--which I found odd, given that the other book we bought (Fodor's 2014) did cover it. Worth buying in combination with another travel book unless you are solely a budget traveler and don't want to go to Valencia!

I think Rick Steves gives the most helpful detailed advice for independent travelers on a budget. He gives straightforward advice on where to go in Spain and I love his self guided walks. He has free tours for some museums on his web site also that you can get with your phone. He has saved us money because there are often discounts at hotels that are listed in the book so the book essentially becomes "free". He does not hesitate to prioritize and ranks what to see and do, rather than giving you a giant compendium listing everything in the country which is what I find a lot of other guide books do. He gives you several different itineraries to follow and tells you how best to plan your time. He does tend to be "quick" so that I have learned if he says a place is worth a "day" I am more apt to spend two days there. I like slow travel however. This book was the only guide we took for our two weeks in Spain and it was a life saver.

We have travelled much of the world. Thanks to Rick Steve's books our visits have allowed us to learn and see so much more than had we essentially winged it on our own. Rick Steve's Spain book is yet another sterling addition to his travel book repertoire. We do not venture into a new country without preparing by studying in advance and then carry the book(s) so that we can enjoy the full breadth of the whatever country which we're visiting. Ricks books provide both short and long itineraries that make travel a breeze. He magically knows shortcuts, how to avoid long cues and grades sights in order to assure that your time is not wasted ever on purely touristy, glitzy and over hyped locations and sites. We don't travel without Rick Steve's in our pocket.

I have used Rick Steves' travel books before for trips to Germany and Italy. What I like best are his self-guided walks in the cities and towns he describes. If you follow them, you will learn so much and get to see the most important sites. His books are great for those who like to go it on their own, rather than travel on a tour. Rick likes to travel on a budget, so he gives a lot of good advice on reasonably priced (for Europe that is) lodging and restaurants. I have traveled in Italy and Germany using his recommendations and have never been disappointed. Remember that he is frugal, so the accommodations will not four-star, but they will be clean and the people will be friendly. I am looking forward to using this book as I travel in Spain this year.

This book was phenomenal! We didn't need to buy a tour, or a audio guide at any of the sites we visited in Spain. We did the Rick Steve's walking tours of Seville and Granada, they were perfect for our group. The book had enough information on everything, but not too much. Audio guides we have gotten in the past have had wayyyy to many words and information to the point where none of it sinks in and you get numb to the info. The RS book was perfect. We used it for food, attractions and activities in Barcelona, Granada and Seville. One word of advice, be sure to get a good detailed map in addition to the RS book. The maps in the book aren't quite detailed enough to navigate you through the small alleys and minor streets.

Rick Steve's Spain 2014 is the first RS guide I have purchased. I purchased it online assuming it was a relatively comprehensive guide. I was disappointed to learn that two of our destinations were not covered. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain...not really sure why Steve's includes chapters on Morocco and covers day trips into France rather than dedicate those pages to a Spanish destination. We also visited Menorca but this guide does not mention the Balearic Islands. On the destinations covered the writing is good and informative, but there are times I questioned the content. For example, why use a page to draw an incomplete subway map when a comprehensive reproduction of a subway system would fit in the same space. Having used Lonely Planet guides frequently in the past, I find they are easier to use and more comprehensive.

Genau das richtige fuer Reisende von Nord America - Rick Steves kennt sich aus und weis was jemand von Nord America sucht - gute Tipps fuers Essen und Übernachtungen. Seine Internetseite ist eine super Ergänzung.

Rick Steves Spain 2014 encompasses the entire Spain and provides many personal insights. The book provides all the necessary planning tools for a well planned trip. A well planned trip usually results in a memorable experience.

We are very satisfied.

very detailed!

I was looking for information on Valencia, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca, as well as Barcelona. This book doesn't include anything on those 3 places. What a let down. I wish Amazon had provided some sort of list of the cities covered, because I never would have bought this book for just Barcelona.