Rick Steves London 2019 by Rick Steves

Rick Steves London 2019 Reviews

• 
  Julier

  This was the best book I read that prepares you for the trip about things to expect and notice and do. The conversational tone of the book was refreshing after going through the pile of London travel guides. I WISH I HAD PURCHASED THE PRINT VERSION INSTEAD OF THE KINDLE. We were traveling very light (Rick Steves' style) for a long trip that included other countries, so I thought the kindle would be smaller, let you mark things ahead of time, enlarge maps, and improve your searches. But I found I needed the print version to easily read desired parts. It was hard to whip out the kindle and navigate it while walking or in a crowded underground tube. The only reason I gave it a 4 star was because the kindle version didn't work out as well as I thought it would.
• 
  Ann

  London is massive and can feel overwhelming, but Rick Steves made it easy. I love the details he adds into his guides, like the information on a hidden rocketship carved into the American Memorial Chapel's panels at St. Paul's Cathedral. His practical hints save time and money, and I'd never travel in Europe without one of his guides.
• 
  Beth

  This is the second Rick Steves guide that I've read and, just like his Paris guide, this book goes beyond the usual sights, restaurant & hotel recommendations, to give the reader helpful practical tips for such matters as using your smartphone in London, or tipping different service providers, etc. This guide is particularly helpful for an inexperienced traveler.
• 
  carl theaker

  I do like Rick Steve's guides, yet sometimes his attitude can get a
  bit annoying, like why would you want to see Big Ben? it's just an
  over sized tick tock clock you simple, ignorant, tourist idiot!
  
  My library had a 2011 version, so this being 2014, it's a bit dated,
  still, good for research.
  
• 
  J.R. Dodson

  My first experience with one of Rick Steves’ city guides; the sheer amount of guided tours in the book is truly impressive—they are a lot of work to write, and Rick is the best in the business at ensuring that each guided walk adds value to the experience.
• 
  Rachel

  Rick Steves is dorky, but his guide books leave you incredibly prepared and well-informed. He gives you a ridiculous amount of helpful information in his usual chipper demeanor.
• 
  Laura Anne

  Kind of regret spending so much time on this book. Rick Steve’s touches on too many things and he doesn’t go into enough detail about any of them. And while I’m on the subject I’m pretty sure Rick Steve’s didn’t actually write this book, he just put his name on other travel writers accumulation of work so he could make more money and I find that distasteful.
• 
  Blue

  Rick Steve's London 2014 is a guidebook that is specifically for the American tourist. I wasn't really aware of this (my fault, probably) when I got it before my trip to London. Although I would imagine this would be a negative, it actually made the reading a lot more fun. At times, it was rather comical, the things one has to tell Americans, in case they do not know, like having to pack a passport or what a "civilization" means. Hilarious! So one can say that this book is thorough, in the sense that even the most ignorant tourist with no knowledge of history or art can pick this up and become superficially educated in a matter of hours to achieve a level of understanding that will enable proper, if not deep, appreciation of the things London has to offer. And for those who are well traveled, it will just be an amusing read.
  
  This is not to say that the book is not packed with essential, important, and useful information. It's all there, and more. Rick Steve actually tells you what he thinks is worth seeing and doing and what is just hype. I agreed with most of his judgements, apart from the 16.50-pound tours of St. Paul's Cathedral and the London Tower. It's great to walk around these, but unless you are really into history and architecture (and religion for the former), then there is no need to spend the money and time. He also provides self-guided tours of many sights and museums, which are extremely useful, especially if you are pressed for time. The long historical passages were also fun to read as good refreshers, with plenty of chuckle-worthy writing sprinkled in between.
  
  All in all, this is a good guide with strong opinions and great stories, allowing the reader to learn about the city and to come away with some essential and practical knowledge. Recommended for those who have never been to London, and especially those who have never been outside the USA. Also recommended for those who are pressed for time during their visit or those who do not like to spend too many hours in one museum.
  
  
• 
  Heidi Thorsen

  I didn’t overthink this, it was available on my kindle the day before I left for London. I don’t think this is my favorite series of travel books, but I’m not sorry I gave it a try. It had the basic information I needed in a clear format, several times giving a faster better answer than what my husband was googling online. I wasn’t able to do any of the walking tours because my kids “feet hurt,” but then the book came in handy to help me choose the best bus tour around the city. Whatever my immediate travel “problem”, the book offered some useful tips, and I’m satisfied with that.
  
  I would have personally preferred a little more history to go with the sights profiled, but I was using the kindle version, where that extra info would not have added to the bulk I was carrying around. I appreciate that the author kept the info to a minimum for the benefit of print readers, plus I didn’t have to wade through too much “extra” to get to the pertinent info I needed in the moment.
  
  I referred to the book pretty much daily during the week I was in London, and I recommend it as an acceptable option. Although the “best” option will be different for everyone depending on their travel mindset, I’m sure this would be a great option for many.
• 
  Melissa

  Rick Steve's books are great. Great tips on where to eat, sleep, sight see. We have planned both of our trips to Europe using his books!
  
  He has trip plans for the number of days you plan to stay - for every attraction he tells you how long you should expect it to take. He tells you exactly where the highlights of a museum are located so you can skip the stuff you don't want to see. Around every attraction, he lists a perfect place to grab lunch or a cup of coffee. He suggests great places to stay that are in local neighborhoods vs. tourist areas - they are usually cheaper and you get to experience a more local setting. In this London book, he lists lots of really great, old pubs!
• 
  Sarah

  Thank you, Rick Steves, for always telling me where the clean public toilets are!
  
  I also appreciate how his writers tell readers little things to look for, like particular narrow streets or cool churches to pop into. I don't tend to take the advice about restaurants or hotels, but I always read the sections about touristy places to see how I can make them easier to visit. I star the places on a Google Map I've created for the trip, add the hours open and little notes in the notes section, and I'm good to go. I always add a lot of markers to the map, since I never know where I'll be in the mood to wander off to. Fun stuff!
• 
  Jessica

  This author is very good! He tells you straight up what sites are worth the time and money, and which are basically tourist traps. It's easy to find the information you're looking for and even some that you didn't know you would need!
  
  We used this book's suggested route inside the British Museum when we only had 2 1/2 hours to see everything before it closed. It was great! I felt like we got to see some very important artifacts and while we were running through several rooms, I still enjoyed the trip. You could spend days in there and not see everything.
• 
  Debbie

  It's no secret Rick Steves is my travel guru; my Paris guidebook was personally signed by him. This book delivers everything Steves is known for: no-nonsense, practical travel hints; easy to follow directions for maneuvering local transportation; and especially his excellent narrated city walks. I'm set for my trip to London.
• 
  Andrew

  I carried this book the entire time during my trip to London. While this may not be the most comprehensive guide, it offered the whirlwind traveller some pretty good foot walking tours as well as the 'best bits' guide to popular museums.
  
  Handy and recommended.
  
• 
  Teri Peterson

  Helpful in getting an overview of neighborhoods and big sights. Amusing little puns and funny lines make reading a guidebook fun (because who just sits and reads a guidebook? Apparently me. But still.).
• 
  Joyce McPherson

  I buy the updated version every time we go to London, and it is always worth it! We like to take our children with us, and Rick's tours are great. The Southwark walk is our favorite, along with a visit to Shakespeare's Globe. We find something new every trip, thanks to Rick Steves.
• 
  Ofelia Valdez

  Muy bueno. Muchos tips, algo de historia y cultura!
• 
  Julie

  An amazingly portable size considering the wealth of information inside! Also worth noting is the highly readable style and enticing layout which includes many black & white pictures.
• 
  Ashley Hoffman

  This is a very comprehensive guide to London, sprinkled with humor, honesty, and a very vast descriptive vocabulary.
• 
  Abby

  The perfect book for my first time in London. I loved it! It was funny, and very helpful. I highly recommend this book.
• 
  John

  I often use Rick Steves books when I travel and this London book maintains his usual high standards for completeness and accuracy.
• 
  Paul

  Quick read that gave me a good orientation to London in preparation for a future visit. While a bit dated, a reader can gain considerable knowledge on the city in just a couple hours of reading. The below quote from the book is very interesting; hard to imagine that a couple hundred years ago such now priceless antiquities were just lying around in ruins.
  
  - The British Museum is the chronicle of Western civilization. History is a modern invention. Three hundred years ago, people didn't care about crumbling statues and dusty columns.... The British Museum is the only place I can think of where you can follow the rise and fall of three great civilizations - Egypt, Assyria, and Greece - in a few hours.....
• 
  Lori

  I was going to go this year (2021). I'll go next year. It covers most of the big sights in London. Good hotel and restaurant info plus the theatre, although obviously you need the current year's edition.
  
  Rick Steves is the best at this in my opinion. If you're going to go anywhere in Europe get his book.
  
  Only 4 stars because no guidebook is a 5 star.
• 
  Joline Moore

  Unbelievable detail down to b which buys to take out which museum entrance to use to expedite your tour. speaking of which... detailed step by step walking tours, museum and other attraction tours, companies to use for rentals, travel, etc. Might buy closer to trip and take with me (this was library copy)
• 
  Kelsey

  Read the 2017 version and loved it. Helped me plan my trip in just a couple days. I feel like I have a good grasp on what to expect and plan for once my vacation begins. Will definitely read Rick Steves whenever I head to Europe.
• 
  Rob Peters

  Excellent knowledge of this great city. Worth the price.
• 
  Mojca

  3 ½ - 4 stars
• 
  Stacey Korson

  Great book when planning a trip to London. Can’t go wrong with Rick Steves!
• 
  Nathan

  Great information and a handy guide