Snapshot: Rothenburg & the Rhine

Rick Steves Snapshot: Rothenburg & the Rhine contains the complete chapters on this region, excerpted from Rick's full-size Germany guidebook — and leaves out the chapters on other German destinations. So if all you want is Rothenburg, the Rhine and Mosel Valleys, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Würzburg, this compact Snapshot guide delivers everything you'll need to know — for about half the price and half the bulk.

Inside you'll find in-depth, Rick-tested information on the best sights, hotels, and restaurants for:

• Rothenburg ob der Tauber and the Romantic Road
• Rhine Valley
  • Bacharach
  • St. Goar
  • Oberwesel, Koblenz, and self-guided "Best of the Rhine" tour
  • Cologne
• Mosel Valley
  • Cochem
  • Burg Eltz
  • Beilstein
• Würzburg
• Frankfurt
• And more
  • Advice on planning your time
  • Easy-to-follow maps
  • Transportation tips for getting around the region by train, car, and boat
  • Sidebars on the region's history, culture, and wine
  • Handy German survival phrases
  • Basic tips on managing money, communicating, reserving rooms, handling emergencies, and other helpful hints

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's complete Germany guidebook?

Nope! Our Snapshot guides are simply excerpted chapters from our full-length guidebooks. Snapshot: Rothenburg & the Rhine covers the exact same topics as the Rothenburg, Würzburg, Frankfurt, Rhine Valley, Mosel Valley, and Cologne chapters of the complete Rick Steves Germany guidebook — the same hotels, same restaurants, same sightseeing information, same everything.

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's Best of Germany guidebook?

That depends on how deeply you want to dive into the region. Rick Steves Best of Germany includes lightly condensed coverage of Rothenburg, the Romantic Road, and the Rhine, as well as brief coverage of Frankfurt, Würzburg, Cologne, and the Mosel Valley's Burg Eltz — enough for a quick trip. But if you'd like more comprehensive coverage of the region, including information on the Mosel Valley's Cochem and Beilstein, the Snapshot guide is worthwhile.

Latest updates: When we learn of critical changes to the information in our guidebooks on Germany, we post them. (Of course, it's still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally.) Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and these late-breaking updates, you're set for a great trip!

Submit feedback: Once you've used this book in Europe, we'd love to hear your feedback — good or bad — about our advice on sights, hotels, restaurants, and travel tips. We're also interested in any tips or discoveries you made while in Europe. Your comments help us improve our guidebooks for future travelers.