Easy Access Europe by Rick Steves
A review of tour guide Rick Steves' accessible travel book.
Mar 10, 2007
Rick Steves is well known to North American viewers of American public television (PBS). His half-hour travel shows about Europe always deliver useful, practical travel information in a relaxed and easy to understand way.
Now Rick and Ken Plattner, a therapist, have written a guidebook for slow walkers and wheelchair users.
The book Easy Access Europe: A Guide for Travelers with Limited Mobility was researched and written by a team of people on the ground. They say in the Introduction that, while none of the team are disabled, wherever possible they were accompanied by a person in a wheelchair to the various sites to benefit from that person's experience.
Easy Access Europe begins with colour maps of:
- the region covered by the book, showing the relative locations of the areas
- Bruges sights
- Central London sights
- London Underground (Tube)
- Central Paris sights
- Amsterdam sights.
The Introduction to the book is actually the first chapter, and contains 34 pages of very useful, practical information about travelling in Europe, from a North American perspective. Whether or not the traveller has a disability, this information is one of the most succinct and sensible presentations available.
The next chapter focuses on Accessibility Resources and Tips, including:
- organizations
- air travel
- tours
- accommodations
- parking
- wheelchairs
- restrooms / bathrooms / toilets
- overcoming challenges.
These tips are often direct quotes from experienced travellers who have limited mobility, typically from wheelchair users. They are direct and sensible advice.
The rest of the book is divided into individual city or area guides, for:
- Great Britain - focusing on Central London
- France - focusing on Central Paris
- Belgium - focusing on Bruges
- Netherlands (Holland) - focusing on Amsterdam and Haarlem
- Germany - travelling through the Rhine Valley
For each of the cities there is a guided "Roll or Stroll" which takes you almost by the hand from one attraction to the other.
There are numerous black and white maps with very clear labelling.
I would recommend this book to any first-time traveller to any of the places covered. The fact that it is geared to travellers with limited mobility makes it suitable for a very wide audience.
This book puts mobility front and centre of its coverage, while giving the rich detail a traveller wants from any guide - but so often does not get.
If you are going to visit any of the places covered, this is an excellent guide. If you do not need the accessibility features, I suggest you compare this guide to Rick Steves' other offerings for the places you want to visit and then pick the one which gives the best coverage of that place. The only reason not to use this guide is if Rick has written another one that happens to fit your personal itinerary better.
Highly recommended.
