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Reviews
Rick Steves' London 2000 (Rick Steves' City and Regional Guides) by Gene Openshaw, Rick Steves
barkylee15's review against another edition
4.0
I wish I could take this with me on my trip, like most Rick Steves books!
ashleykhoffman's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very comprehensive guide to London, sprinkled with humor, honesty, and a very vast descriptive vocabulary.
ladyarwen's review against another edition
4.0
I recommend this for anyone going on a trip to London! The 'practicalities' section is definitely worth reading. It is short but has some useful tips, especially for people who have not been to the UK before. If you have the UK 2020 book, the key London information is already in there, but this one has more details about specific neighborhoods and more self-guided tours.
I enjoy the self-guided tours and find them pretty fun. Even when one of the sights is underwhelming, the mini-scavenger hunt to find it is fun.
I enjoy the self-guided tours and find them pretty fun. Even when one of the sights is underwhelming, the mini-scavenger hunt to find it is fun.
tanyarobinson's review against another edition
5.0
I used this book to plan a week with my husband and kids in London. I know the city quite well, so I was really just looking for something to help me put together a good itinerary. This was perfect. We did several of Rick Steve's walks in the city, as well as using his British Museum and V&A tour. I'll definitely use his guides for European cities in the future.
jlrmac's review against another edition
4.0
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.
tericarol21's review against another edition
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.).
bluepigeon's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
jasman56's review against another edition
4.0
I often use Rick Steves books when I travel and this London book maintains his usual high standards for completeness and accuracy.