Rick Steves - How not to be that kind of traveler

[SteveH2508]

 

 

 

Would you regard the US Marine guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as a 'ritualistic military ceremony' to amuse tourists? Thought not.

 

quote]

 

Just a footnote - and not a criticism, as it is understandable for a non US citizen to be unfamiliar - the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are not Marines, they are members of the Third U S Infantry Regiment - the oldest continually active U S Army unit.

 

Thank you for the correction.

 

 

Just for interest - the Changing of the Guard is not always performed by the Foot Guard regiments. Other infantry regiments (including Gurkhas I believe) have guarded Buckingham Palace (I think the Royal Navy may have done some as well). We are a bit short of soldiers in UK!

 

I agree that the tourist draw is a big factor in preserving the pomp, circumstance and ritual. The 6 Foot Guard regiments would have been downsized and/or amalgamated long ago otherwise. It has been proposed by some uncouth Ministers of Defence and their civil servants on several occasions. The uproar in the London clubs could be heard in Balmoral!

[K32682]

I agree that the tourist draw is a big factor in preserving the pomp, circumstance and ritual. The 6 Foot Guard regiments would have been downsized and/or amalgamated long ago otherwise. It has been proposed by some uncouth Ministers of Defence and their civil servants on several occasions. The uproar in the London clubs could be heard in Balmoral!

It is a certainly a factor but only an Ugly American would compare centuries-old military traditions to a shabby display of grass skirts and hula dancing at a South Pacific port and declare the reason both exist is to satisfy American tourists with an over-inflated sense of their own importance.

 

The uproar from the London clubs at the mere suggestion of cutting back is because Britain continues to value its military heritage and traditions not because of lost tourist dollars.

[Harry and Lucille]

American travelers amaze me. I am American and it seems to me the two most asked questions are,

 

1. Is there a Walmart? and,

2. Is it close to the ship?

 

Most American travelers speak English only. That is me, I admit it. European folks speak several languages.

 

That is why I bring my language translator. Making the effort to speak the local language shows a level of respect in the countries that we visit.

 

As the old saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." It's their Country with traditions, rules, laws, etc. specific to them. I respect that and enjoy the difference. I find that the reality is that we are all more alike than not.

[navybankerteacher]

It is a certainly a factor but only an Ugly American would compare centuries-old military traditions to a shabby display of grass skirts and hula dancing at a South Pacific port and declare the reason both exist is to satisfy American tourists with an over-inflated sense of their own importance.

 

The uproar from the London clubs at the mere suggestion of cutting back is because Britain continues to value its military heritage and traditions not because of lost tourist dollars.

 

Of course “the London clubs” to which you refer are home to the more traditional-minded, while the Labour back benches in Commons (rather less traditional-minded) have significantly more say when it comes to passing military appropriations.

[cruisemom42]

I’ve traveled extensively throughout my life. As the wife of an international businessman, I often spent my days alone navigating transportation and language barriers armed with a phrase book, map and card with my hotel address. I traveled around Asia and Europe. I went on the subway in Shanghai in 1996. I was the only caucasian. Sometimes, I took tours too. By the way, my tours we’re not just comprised of Americans. There were Australians, Canadians, British and people of other Nationalities who chose to take an English speaking tour. I meet lots of nice people along the way. I think am your definition of a traveler, but that IS NOT the only way to travel and there is no wrong way to travel. How people choose to spend their time and money is not our business. I think you are too judgmental.

I will complain when things are sub-par. I hated the air-conditioning in Basel. I was hot as heck and felt nauseous from the heat. I complained even though I knew Basel has regulations governing the temperature. They gave us a fan and ice water. They felt bad for me and tried to help. Should I have suffered in silence? Would that have made me a better “traveler”?

It a shame when people travel abroad and only stick to their own kind, but they are entitled to do so. It’s their vacation.

 

 

First, I hope you did not think that I was referring to you specifically in my post that you quoted. I was using the generic "you".

 

In my examples, I was trying to make a correlation between "in country" conditions that are the result of poverty, unemployment, natural disasters and the like, and the conditions travelers (or vacationers) might encounter -- such as the connection between high youth unemployment in Jamaica and the amount of hustle by local vendors when cruise passengers arrive. Or the wide devastation caused by last year's Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean as the 'big picture' when cruisers come back from visits to, for example, St. Martin and complain because the cruise line took them to facilities that were not 100% up to par.

 

Many European countries have stricter policies on electricity usage (or perhaps 'greener' might be used?), including when hotels are allowed to use heat and AC. I know it's an issue in Italy too. Heat bothers me as well, so I try to time my travel such that these issues are minimized. But if I cannot do that (e.g., a required business trip) I see no need making hotel management miserable with complaints when they have no authority to fix the problem. Would I request things like a fan or ice, sure. Would I complain? No.

[ilikeanswers]

If I live long enough, (I'll be 76 in three weeks), we're intending/hoping to go to Ukraine, (mainly by train), next Spring......at least we (now) know how to look for hummus. :D

 

Looks like you had good time in the Northern Territory, and I would say nothing seems to have changed since your visit. We we're looking into visiting the Ukraine next year too but unfortunately we just couldn't fit into our itinerary. Hope you do get there and have an awesome trip though I have my doubts even with translation in hand you will find your hummus, but I hear Ukrainians make some mean dumplings and cabbage rolls, hopefully that will satisfy.

 

 

Back to the topic of the OP, I do think you should travel in the way that makes you happy or might be the most feasible for you, but that doesn't mean that acknowledging the negative impacts of your chosen travel style is in anyway an insult to that travel style or the tourist who participates. Every form of tourism has some negative impact and as tourists knowing how we are impacting a destination both positive and negative is the best way to make informed decisions about our trips. No matter how we travel there is always room to be a more conscientious tourist and try in whatever capacity you have to make decisions where the benefits can outweigh the harm even it is just a little bit.

[CrossBluePerchance]

Looks like you had good time in the Northern Territory, and I would say nothing seems to have changed since your visit. We we're looking into visiting the Ukraine next year too but unfortunately we just couldn't fit into our itinerary. Hope you do get there and have an awesome trip though I have my doubts even with translation in hand you will find your hummus, but I hear Ukrainians make some mean dumplings and cabbage rolls, hopefully that will satisfy.

 

I worked on the Ord River Project in Kununurra, WA, in 1962....drove to Cairns, thence (indirectly) to Adelaide....so I had a little exposure previously. ;)

Ukraine: We're booked on the Serenade of the Seas from Ft. Lauderdale - Copenhagen next April......will do as much land travel as possible post cruise - hope to spend some time in Lviv at least.

We're not 'foodies', so we eat whatever we can grab. :D

 

. Every form of tourism has some negative impact and as tourists knowing how we are impacting a destination both positive and negative is the best way to make informed decisions about our trips. .

 

Our hope is that people (in whatever country) might sometime say "Oh, we met a couple from there and they were great!"

 

If we can accomplish that we'd be happy.

[bennybear]

Interesting thread, I too have used Rick’s books, but I have long since given up his hotel recommendations as I want to experience more of a local feel. Our expensive night on lake Como was ruined by noisy tourists that gave no thought about ruining the view and ambiance for others. I also was appalled at a woman in the Musee d’orsay who was upset the descriptions were in French and the people inCopenhagen who thought the taxis should take American dollars.

But most of the people we meet are not like this and we have met many lovely people from many countries. Thankfully. And if you choose to eat in McDonald’s instead of the local places in Rome, it is your loss not mine. I see travel is an adventure and I don’t want it to be just like home. Thankfully it is a big world out there.

[Hlitner]

Interesting thread, I too have used Rick’s books, but I have long since given up his hotel recommendations as I want to experience more of a local feel. Our expensive night on lake Como was ruined by noisy tourists that gave no thought about ruining the view and ambiance for others. I also was appalled at a woman in the Musee d’orsay who was upset the descriptions were in French and the people inCopenhagen who thought the taxis should take American dollars.

But most of the people we meet are not like this and we have met many lovely people from many countries. Thankfully. And if you choose to eat in McDonald’s instead of the local places in Rome, it is your loss not mine. I see travel is an adventure and I don’t want it to be just like home. Thankfully it is a big world out there.

 

Not only do we generally ignore his hotel recommendations, but also ignore most of his restaurant recommendations. We think (in some cases know) that at the time they write the book and make their restaurant comments it is accurate. But once the book is published hordes of travelers follow those recommendations which quickly leads to the ruin of many decent restaurants :(. Consider that when Rick Steves tells millions of folks about a quiet little restaurant it will no longer be quiet :).

 

We do highly recommend McDonalds for the easy availability of rest rooms, diet coke, and WiFi :). The McDonalds in Paris also sells very good "madeleines" for about half the price of those cookies in other nearby bakeries. Otherwise, there are certainly about 40,000 other restaurants where we would prefer to dine in just that city.

 

Hank

[ontheweb]

Not only do we generally ignore his hotel recommendations, but also ignore most of his restaurant recommendations. We think (in some cases know) that at the time they write the book and make their restaurant comments it is accurate. But once the book is published hordes of travelers follow those recommendations which quickly leads to the ruin of many decent restaurants :(. Consider that when Rick Steves tells millions of folks about a quiet little restaurant it will no longer be quiet :).

 

We do highly recommend McDonalds for the easy availability of rest rooms, diet coke, and WiFi :). The McDonalds in Paris also sells very good "madeleines" for about half the price of those cookies in other nearby bakeries. Otherwise, there are certainly about 40,000 other restaurants where we would prefer to dine in just that city.

 

Hank

 

LOL at McDonalds reference for getting familiar things. We were in Paris (land trip not a cruise) and DW who cannot drink caffeine tried to order a decaf coffee. She was told that they only had "normal".

[NHProud]

LOL at McDonalds reference for getting familiar things. We were in Paris (land trip not a cruise) and DW who cannot drink caffeine tried to order a decaf coffee. She was told that they only had "normal".

 

 

 

You may want to tell your wife that decaf coffee and no caffeine sodas contain some caffeine. I’m scheduled for a cardiac test and was told to eliminate them from my diet before the test as well as chocolate, cocoa , and tea .

 

 

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[jagsfan]

I remember the shrimp burger available on the McDonald's menu on base in Japan. They used a different oil, too, so the fries definitely tasted a little off. Even the hamburger was different. I don't know if it was a different grind, had fillers, wasn't beef or what, but it was just different from McD's at home.

 

 

 

And the McDonald's near our house on Oahu offered a plate lunch. Seems like McD's tries to create an item that locals would like no matter what country the restaurant is in.

 

 

 

You other comments about recommended restaurants turning into madhouses can be true about anything appearing on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

 

 

 

McDonalds in Vienna had a curry dip for the chicken nuggets. Our snack attack was a happy one.

 

 

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[jocap]

MacDonald's has rescued us in several countries by providing a clean toilet in exchange for buying a cup of coffee- the one near the dock at Civitavecchia is a life saver when returning to the ship.

We only eat in there before embarking on a ship at Southampton... a breakfast bacon butty which is filled with real back bacon! :)

[Hlitner]

I remember the shrimp burger available on the McDonald's menu on base in Japan. They used a different oil, too, so the fries definitely tasted a little off. Even the hamburger was different. I don't know if it was a different grind, had fillers, wasn't beef or what, but it was just different from McD's at home.

 

And the McDonald's near our house on Oahu offered a plate lunch. Seems like McD's tries to create an item that locals would like no matter what country the restaurant is in.

 

You other comments about recommended restaurants turning into madhouses can be true about anything appearing on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

 

So true, and we generally avoid those "dives" if we are even aware they were on DDD. I have not seen nearly all the DDD episodes although I like the show :).

 

We once had dinner in a Florence at a pretty well known restaurant that was also mentioned in the Rick Steves guide (and some other books). As we looked around more then half the tables had the Rick Steves book on the table or being read. It was actually kind of funny at the time. When we are in cities with many wonderful restaurants (i.e. Paris, Rome, Florence, etc) we try to dine at places that are not well known by most tourists. But we sometimes do go to the "famous" restaurants when its a place that is just hard to avoid. A good example would be Angelina's (Paris) where we have had more then our share of Cafe au Lait and delicious pastries.

 

Hank

[ontheweb]

You may want to tell your wife that decaf coffee and no caffeine sodas contain some caffeine. I’m scheduled for a cardiac test and was told to eliminate them from my diet before the test as well as chocolate, cocoa , and tea .

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Thanks, but I believe she knows that. There seems to be little enough that it does not affect her. She even always uses 2 decaf tea bags when she makes tea. I've always wondered if that added up to one regular tea bag.

[jagsfan]

How do they add caffeine to Caffeine Free Diet Coke? I thought they added it to regular Coke and Diet Coke to give people a jolt. I can’t drink it or Coke Zero but haven’t had a problem with Caffeine Free Diet Coke.

 

 

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[jagsfan]

So true, and we generally avoid those "dives" if we are even aware they were on DDD. I have not seen nearly all the DDD episodes although I like the show :).

 

 

 

We once had dinner in a Florence at a pretty well known restaurant that was also mentioned in the Rick Steves guide (and some other books). As we looked around more then half the tables had the Rick Steves book on the table or being read. It was actually kind of funny at the time. When we are in cities with many wonderful restaurants (i.e. Paris, Rome, Florence, etc) we try to dine at places that are not well known by most tourists. But we sometimes do go to the "famous" restaurants when its a place that is just hard to avoid. A good example would be Angelina's (Paris) where we have had more then our share of Cafe au Lait and delicious pastries.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

 

I am a big fan of Angelina’s hot chocolate. Anytime a friend or family member is going to Paris I beg for a bag of hot chocolate mix.

 

 

 

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[ilikeanswers]

How do they add caffeine to Caffeine Free Diet Coke? I thought they added it to regular Coke and Diet Coke to give people a jolt. I can’t drink it or Coke Zero but haven’t had a problem with Caffeine Free Diet Coke.

 

 

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You should be alright with caffeine free Coke. Unlike tea or coffee Coke is not naturally occurring and none of the ingredients they use contain caffeine as they have admited (despite their usual veil of secrecy) that they add the caffeine to the formula for the bitter flavour. So caffeine free Coke should be what it says Coke with no caffeine added. The only way I can think of caffeine being added is if they use the same factory equipment to process both syrups so you would have cross contamination but even then the amount of caffeine would be incredibly minuscule, so unless you have hyper sensitivity you should be OK.

[evandbob]

I remember the shrimp burger available on the McDonald's menu on base in Japan. They used a different oil, too, so the fries definitely tasted a little off. Even the hamburger was different. I don't know if it was a different grind, had fillers, wasn't beef or what, but it was just different from McD's at home.

 

And the McDonald's near our house on Oahu offered a plate lunch. Seems like McD's tries to create an item that locals would like no matter what country the restaurant is in.

 

You other comments about recommended restaurants turning into madhouses can be true about anything appearing on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

 

 

Like recommendations for restaurants or even private excursions here on cruise critic?

[Tatka]

We just returned from Adriatic cruise. We didn't use RS advises on hotels or restaurants, but found extremely helpful information about ports, transportation to main attractions, more and less important POI, loved his walking tours.

Of course all of this can be researched independently, and we did some, but he compiled it very conveniently.Also we liked his YouTube presentations.

[jagsfan]

We just returned from Adriatic cruise. We didn't use RS advises on hotels or restaurants, but found extremely helpful information about ports, transportation to main attractions, more and less important POI, loved his walking tours.

Of course all of this can be researched independently, and we did some, but he compiled it very conveniently.Also we liked his YouTube presentations.

 

 

 

I ordered his dvd on the Baltic and it was really helpful. Little things like taking a boat from the wharf to the Vasa Museum in Stockholm instead of a bus. My DH is too frugal most of the time to eat onshore, so we don’t even notice restaurant recommendations.

 

 

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[Folgers111]

Had to laugh at Rick’s screed against ugly American tourists when he identified my home state of New Jersey as the mother lode of ugly Americans. I get his point, but what he’s really identifying is inexperienced tourists likely having a great time. When you go to Europe 100s of times you get sophisticated, even jaded. Too bad Rick only envisions one way of visiting Europe, his way. Like that other Jersey guy, I’ll do it my way.

[Tatka]

I ordered his dvd on the Baltic and it was really helpful. Little things like taking a boat from the wharf to the Vasa Museum in Stockholm instead of a bus. My DH is too frugal most of the time to eat onshore, so we don’t even notice restaurant recommendations.

 

 

Your husband must be my husband’s twin. :)

The only thing that he will splurge for is a decent hotel before and post cruise, but he books independently.