I read a bunch of sites and bought a few guide books before my Iceland trip but the one that had the most practical, useful information and turned into the only one I used and referenced the whole trip was the Rick Steves Iceland guide. I had broad strokes ideas about what I wanted to see but I appreciated his book that let me know about a cattle farm where we could grab some food or a swimming pool on our way from one site to the next on the Golden Circle. I don’t think I would have gone to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula if I hadn’t read Rick’s guide and it had some of our most picturesque views of the trip. It was seriously a perfect help. I didn’t consult it for hotels (I literally just googled “best hotels in Iceland” for that) but it came in handy for everything else. I absolutely recommend a trip to Iceland and I recommend pairing that trip with this book!

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Can't wait to get my hands on the 2013 or 2014 one and take it to Ireland!

Took a two-week trip in July and heavily relied on Rick Steves’ book for our itinerary/sightseeing ideas, B&B choices, and travel tips. Guidance for driving the Ring of Kerry was excellent. When our Cliffs of Moher walk from Doolin was canceled due to weather, we were ready with alternative plans in the Burren for our one day in County Clare, thanks to this book.

A few things like open hours were different than what was listed in the book but that’s not surprising. Just make sure to double-check when you’re there. Also Kells Priory had an excellent free guided tour of a tower that was not mentioned in the book, maybe it’s brand-new. But overall I felt well-prepared for the trip.