Rick Steves London

by Rick Steves, Gene Openshaw

Now more than ever, you can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling through London.  From the sacred stones of Westminster Abbey to the top of the London Eye, the city is yours to discover! Inside Rick Steves London you'll Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves London .

Spending just a few days in the city? Try Rick Steves Pocket London .

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, History, British Literature

632 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2022

About the author

Rick Steves is an American travel writer, television personality, and activist known for encouraging meaningful travel that emphasizes cultural immersion and thoughtful global citizenship. Born in California and raised in Edmonds, Washington, he began traveling in his teens, inspired by a family trip to Europe. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in European history and business, Steves started teaching travel classes, which led to his first guidebook, Europe Through the Back Door, self-published in 1980.
Steves built his Edmonds-based travel company on the idea that travelers should explore less-touristy areas and engage with local cultures. He gained national prominence as host and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, which has aired on public television since 2000. He also hosts a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored dozens of popular guidebooks, including bestselling titles on Italy and Europe at large.
Beyond travel, Steves is an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform, environmental sustainability, and social justice. He supports marijuana legalization and chairs the board of NORML. He has funded housing for homeless families and donates to anti-hunger and arts organizations. In 2019, he pledged $1 million annually to offset the carbon emissions of his tour groups.
Steves is a practicing Lutheran with Norwegian ancestry and continues to live in Edmonds. He has two adult children and is in a relationship with Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee. Despite health challenges, including a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, Steves remains committed to his mission of helping Americans travel with greater purpose, empathy, and understanding of the world. His work reflects a belief that travel, done right, can be both transformative and a force for peace.

Reviews

[Cameron Rhoads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive and enjoyable travel guide. Even though it was 600 pages, I learned a lot and enjoyed reading it through on my family trip to London. The book includes the 2,000-year history of the city, metric weights and conversions, and day trips to nearby destinations.

[Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Steves is always a solid choice for European travels. The books are plain/black & white with thin/cheap paper - i.e. very functional. That's what I like about them, but some prefer a glossier package, and I get that. As far as I can tell, information is accurate and as up to date as possible. This particular book gets a bonus for including a section on East London which I couldn't find in other London travel guides.

[Jessica Shamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Rick Rick Rick
Rick Steves the travel guy

[Brenna Rueschhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always take Rick when traveling to Europe!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the paperback, not the Kindle Edition, of which there were 614 delightful pages of my favorite city to travel too. So many good tips and a lot of useful information. Rick Steves should be your "go to" guy when traveling anywhere in Europe. He also has dozens of self-guided tours (free) you can listen to while you cruise thru Europe's top museums, sights and historic walks. "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford" -Samuel Johnson

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would not know how to plan a trip without Rick Steves’ books. Paris, Turkey. Greece, and London for the second time-Rick’s books have always been my go-to. He tells you the sites where tickets need to be ordered in advance (or you may not get them at all) and how to save money on transportation and eating. I like to read up on places I’m going to the next day so I know what to look for and what to skip. Some attractions are overwhelming, and Rick gives you the top 10 or so things to see too. I’m looking forward to our next trip with help from Rick Steves.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some incredibly helpful 5 star tips in here but I wonder if I couldn’t have found most of them online. It’s a good tour book but much isn’t useful for the way I want to travel. There are various types of touring suggested and none of them appealed to me. Perhaps if I was returning to places and it wouldn’t be my first ever trip I’d have more interest. I can see this being a 5 star book for some. For me it was 3-1/2 stars.

[Enlik Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knew Rick Steves from his free mobile app “Rick Steves Audio Europe”, which helped me a lot to explore many new cities around Europe.

This London travel guide book provides comprehensive information about London and its surrounding areas. Really useful for first-time traveler to London to getting know about the city, some places to go, to eat, to explore, and some historical background about British empire

[Autumn Rybin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. The author always adds little alleys and historical points of interest along the walking tours and they are my favorite! The pub where Shakespeare hung out? The water pump that spread cholera and helped us discover germs? The home where Samuel Johnson once lived? My bread and butter.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource both for the planning of our trip and for information while there. If you’re a walker, you will love the multiple walking tours covering different parts of the city. He also has some clever suggestions for watching the Changing of the Guard. However, we did spot one error: the 187 bus to Greenwich leaves from Holborn Square, not Russell Square.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting my homework!

Reading ahead of a late summer trip! Love it! Actually booked the tour of London with Rick Steves tours! Can’t wait! Great book with great advice! I’ll be sure to read it a few more times!

[Roger McGaffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are planning a trip to London, you want to read this book. Easy read and full of details.

[Jess McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t leave home without Steve…

[Jacqueline]

Love this! So helpful for our upcoming trip.

[Angela Hedworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful but I wanted more information on places to stay all over London instead of just a few select locations.