Rick Steves Reviews

Currently in the middle of a Turkey tour and I have to say the experience has been incredible so far. The destinations are stunning, the local people are wonderful, and the food is phenomenal. Our guide Taylan has been fantastic, really knowledgeable and personable, plus he seems to know everyone we encounter! I'd definitely suggest this tour to anyone interested in learning about Turkish culture and people. This has truly been the adventure of a lifetime.

We picked up two Convertible Carry-On bags way back around 2000 and absolutely loved them. So impressed that I ordered a fresh one in fall of 2024. During a recent trip, I spotted a small seam coming apart and reached out to the company. Same day they got back to me and said they'd send a replacement at no charge. That's exceptional service! Really impressed with how they handle things. Keep it up!

This was our second RS tour. We'd used Rick Steves guidebooks to plan everything ourselves before 2024. Our Scandinavia tour was so great that we booked the 7-day Best of Ireland this year. We weren't let down at all. The guide was just as good, friendly and knowledgeable, the destinations were incredible, every hotel was excellent, and there were tons of local activities that gave us real cultural insight.

Want to share my experience with Rick Steves luggage and their warranty program. I purchased a bag decades ago and it finally gave out, so I got a replacement. Meanwhile bags we bought for three other family members are still going strong. My new bag ended up smaller and didn't feel as durable, tearing and the handle getting loose. I contacted their customer service team asking for help. They requested my receipt and pictures of the damage, which I provided. Within a short time, they sent out a brand new bag that looks solid and shows no wear even with heavy use. Everything was handled by email with zero shipping costs and no requirement to return the damaged item. They honored the warranty completely. I wish I'd kept my original bag actually, since I'm pretty sure they would've fixed that one too even after all these years. Our lightweight backpacks are fantastic too. They fold down super compact but hold everything we need for traveling. Would definitely purchase again.

I thought this company actually cared about doing things right. I've taken trips through Road Scholar, Globus, and On the Go, and all were excellent. So I reserved a Europe tour with Rick Steves for next year, putting down an eight hundred dollar deposit. My wife then realized she couldn't commit to such an extended tour. I asked for my deposit back and was told no, refunds only happen within 30 days of booking. This was despite the fact that the tour was ten months out, plenty of time to sell my spot to someone else. They offered alternative tours we weren't interested in. So heads up: make sure you cancel within that 30-day window if you want your money back, because we waited around 90 days and got nothing. Enjoy my money. I'll never book with Rick Steves again.

Rick Steves has got to be the most self-centered person I've ever encountered. He basically made a gigantic advertisement for himself by showing up constantly in scenes, even getting a haircut on camera in Spain! Come on, is that really the best way to teach viewers about that country? He acts like someone appointed him as the authority on travel, but I don't think he's earned that title. His shows don't give honest portrayals of places, just what he and the filmmakers decide to sell people so they'll buy his stuff. I'm not convinced and many other serious travelers I know share that opinion. He's known in the community for his arrogance and people don't respect him. The video work itself is excellent, but his face being plastered everywhere ruins it. He should appear in less than 2 percent of the footage. The whole thing needs a major rework, Rick, and I hope they consider canceling the show and bringing in some of the superior travel programming that's available now.

Completed my first RS tour, a 13-day My Way France experience. Overall it was enjoyable. We had a group of 20 which was nice, our guide was helpful and experienced, and the bus and driver were top notch. The weak point was definitely the accommodations. Hotels in Paris and Lyon were just average. Amboise's hotel felt more like a budget hostel, so we actually paid out of pocket to stay elsewhere for comfort. Avignon's hotel was mediocre and unfortunately my room had a bed bug problem. Nice and Annecy were average as well. Based on this experience, I won't be booking another RS tour. Their hotel quality standards simply don't match mine.

Took the Best of England tour this past June and while I've always appreciated Rick Steves' travel approach across Europe, this experience fell short. It was our third RS tour overall. The tour guide had been doing this for 40 years and seemed to be just counting down to retirement. He didn't meet Rick Steves' standards and wasn't particularly helpful or responsible either. Fortunately most people in the group were experienced travelers. Beyond the guide, nearly all the accommodations were disappointing. What may have worked when these hotels were first chosen years ago just isn't holding up anymore. Nothing felt particularly clean, and the facilities weren't in great shape.

My wife and I booked our first RS tour for 14 days exploring Scotland. The positives: the local guide was excellent, everything ran pretty smoothly, and the group of roughly 28 people was nice and mostly consisted of seasoned travelers. Now for the less impressive parts: why does the tour begin in Glasgow and finish in Edinburgh when flying round trip from America to Edinburgh is cheaper? The itinerary seemed to overemphasize smaller towns and rural areas. Three days in Oban feels excessive while Glasgow and Edinburgh got short shrift. St. Andrews, with all its charm, only got a few hours. Skipping Perth, Scotland's historic capital, seemed like an oversight. Then there were the hotels. A couple places in the smaller mountain areas weren't very good, though Dunkeld was nice. The Scotland guide mentions midges as a concern, but we never ran into any, and even our guide said not to stress about them. The itinerary suggested lots of strenuous hiking, but reality was much lighter than that.

I'm not going to knock Rick Steves tours, they're definitely convenient and if budget wasn't an issue, sure why not? But the reality is they cost a lot more than doing it independently. When I looked into it, I found I could book the same 6-night Rome itinerary at the identical hotel with all the same activities for roughly a third of the price. I actually ran into some fellow Americans from the RS group back in April. They seemed satisfied with their experience, but honestly so was I, and I kept over two grand in my pocket. One thing to note: airfare is separate and not included in RS tour prices.