Guidebook Updates for ‘Rick Steves Best of Europe’

• Per new requirements set by the UK government, all passengers on Eurostar trains to/from the UK must now enter their passport details online before boarding. Once you've bought a ticket, enter your ticket's reference number at Eurostar's Manage Your Booking page to reach the page for entering your passport info. If you don't have a reference number issued by Eurostar, head to the manual check-in desk at the Eurostar terminal. Given the UK's new procedures for border checks, it's especially important to allow plenty of time for check-in (Eurostar recommends that standard-class passengers departing from Paris Gare du Nord arrive 90–120 minutes ahead of their departure time; gates close 30 minutes before departure).

For books printed before April 2024, the following may also apply:

• In Provence and the French Riviera, buses are now run by the Zou bus network, and bus numbers have changed (timetables at Rome2Rio are easier to use than those on Zou's own site).
• High-speed Thalys trains — which run the only direct trains between Paris and Brussels — have been rebranded as, and are now operated by, Eurostar. (Prices have not changed significantly; see our France Rail Passes and Train Tips page.)

For books printed before October 2022, the following may also apply:

• Barge Nilaya has new contact information: +33 6 51 25 78 46, [email protected].

For books printed before November 2019, the following may also apply:

• Eurail Select Passes are no longer being sold (but similarly priced Global Passes still are) — see our 2019 rail-travel update.

For books printed before January 2019, the following may also apply:

• French hotels recently won the legal right to undercut Booking.com and Hotels.com prices on their own hotel websites; virtually all hotels can offer lower rates than a site like Booking.com if you book directly. If you find a cheaper offer on a third-party site, let the hotel know, and they'll likely be willing to adjust their direct booking rate.
• Baggage check services near train stations are becoming more common throughout France (through hotels, tourist information offices, and small shops). Day-trippers should always ask about available baggage check services at the tourist information office.
• The speed limit for two-lane D and N routes is now 80 km/hour unless the road has a divider separating the lanes, in which case it's 90 km/hour.

• From June 1 to September 1, 2024, all international long-distance trains to and from Germany will require mandatory reservations. The only exceptions are ICE trains via Basel Bad to Switzerland and IC trains from Stuttgart/Singen via Schaffhausen to Zurich, where reservations will remain optional. This reservation requirement applies to all IC, ICE, EC, ECE, RJ, RJX, NJ, EN trains crossing the German border, even for passholder fares. (For travelers not in a hurry, it's easy to work around these new restrictions by using regional train services on cross-border legs.)
• Following the success of 2022's experiment with a single monthly ticket for nationwide transportation, Germany now offers the €49 Deutschland-Ticket, which covers regional trains, buses, and urban transit for one calendar month. (It doesn't cover the three fastest classes of trains — you still need a separate ticket to ride any ICE, IC, or EC train.) Tickets are available in stations and via the excellent DB Navigator app (worth downloading if you're doing any European train travel, as it has up-to-date, easily deciphered schedules for the vast majority of Europe's trains). If traveling with others — especially if they're kids under 15 — other offers may be a better deal than the Deutschland-Ticket. Check out your options on our Germany Rail Passes and Train Tips page.
• Per new requirements set by the UK government, all passengers on Eurostar trains to/from the UK must now enter their passport details online before boarding. Once you've bought a ticket, enter your ticket's reference number at Eurostar's Manage Your Booking page to reach the page for entering your passport info. If you don't have a reference number issued by Eurostar, head to the manual check-in desk at the Eurostar terminal. Given the UK's new procedures for border checks, it's especially important to allow plenty of time for check-in (Eurostar recommends that standard-class passengers at least an hour ahead of their departure time; gates close 30 minutes before departure).

• It seems that car-rental agencies in Italy are now more frequently requiring renters to show an International Driving Permit. To avoid hassle in Italy, it's best to get one before your trip (see our tips at Rental-Car Red Tape in Europe).
• Overnight Paris–Italy trains (formerly run by Thello) are no longer operating; direct trains between France and Italy are now limited to daytime TGV and Frecciarossa trains on the Paris–Lyon–Turin–Milan route.
• Direct Frecce trains run once or twice a day between Rome's Fiumicino Airport and Venice, Padua, Bologna, Florence, and Naples.
• Some websites ending in ".it" only operate when the sight itself is open. From the US, you may have to visit them first thing in the morning.

For books printed before November 2022, the following may also apply:

• Museums run by the Italian state are free to enter once or twice a month, usually on a Sunday. Free days are actually bad news — they attract crowds. In peak season, check state museum websites in advance and make a point to avoid their free days.
• Tuscany's regional bus companies have been subsumed by a big company called Autolinee Toscane. Tickets are available through their app, Autolinee Toscane offices, and at machines.

For books printed before April 2023, the following may apply:

• The 24-hour toll phone number for the Swiss Federal Railway (SBB) is +44 848 44 66 88.
• A new scenic train, the Golden Pass Express, runs direct between Interlaken and Montreux in just over three hours.

• Tickets for the Anne Frank House now go on sale six weeks in advance (released every Tuesday).
• After cutting ties with the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 2022, the Hermitage Amsterdam has rebranded itself as the H'ART Museum and now features rotating exhibits from the Pompidou in Paris, the British Museum in London, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum of Washington, DC.
• Amsterdam Museum is closed at least until 2027 while it undergoes renovation. In the meantime, highlights from its collection are on display at the H'ART Museum.
• The modern, new National Holocaust Museum is open in the Jewish Cultural Quarter, across the street from the Dutch Theater.
• Netherlands Maritime Museum is now free for kids 12 and under and is no longer closed Mondays off-season.
• Rembrandt's House is now open daily 10:00–18:00.
• The Museum of Canals is now open Mon 12:00–17:00, Tue-Sun 10:00–17:00.
• The Houseboat Museum has a new owner and some changes: The new price is €7.50 and includes an audioguide, there's no closure off-season, and the new phone number is +31 6 4289 3868.
• The Tropical Museum has changed its name to World Museum Amsterdam (Wereldmuseum Amsterdam). The museum café has closed.
• Restoration of the Westerkerk tower should be completed at the end of 2024, when the tower is expected to reopen to visitors.
• The Noordermarkt (the end of Westerstraat) takes place on Saturdays as well as Mondays.
• High-speed Thalys trains — which connect Amsterdam and Rotterdam with Brussels (and beyond to Paris) — have been rebranded as, and are now operated by, Eurostar. (Prices have not changed significantly; see our Netherlands Rail Passes and Train Tips page.)
• For the latter half of 2024 (starting in late June), the Amsterdam-to-London Eurostar route, which is usually a direct train, will require a connection via Brussels, where passengers will undergo border formalities before boarding the cross-channel train. (This is to accommodate renovations at Amsterdam Centraal that require closure of the station's international terminal.) The London-to-Amsterdam service, however, will continue to be direct.
• Amsterdam has moved the departure points for most long-distance buses away from Centraal station to outlying Metro stops. The EBS buses for Edam/Volendam and Marken leave from the Noord Metro station; Connexxion bus #357 to the Aalsmeer Flower Auction leaves from the Amstelveenseweg Metro station or Elandsgracht in the Jordaan, and bus #391 for Zaanse Schans leaves from the Nooderpark Metro station.
• Voyage Amsterdam canal boat tours has changed their departure point to the pier at Singel 359.
• The tourist information office at Schiphol Airport has closed.
• Cannabis College has closed its study center on Oudezijds Achterburgwal street in the Red Light District (though it still exists as an online resource).
• The Mouse Mansion has moved to Muntplein 8.
• The discount code for the Toren Hotel is "RSTEVES" (not RSSTEVES).
• Bed & Breakfast Amsterdam has a new phone number: +31 6 5109 7663.
• Max Brown Hotel has a new phone number: +31 20 710 7288.
• Hotel Hegra has a new phone number: +31 6 2447 1242.

For books printed before April 2023, the following may also apply:

• Amsterdam's three most popular museums now sell only timed-entry tickets. You'll need to book a timed entry even if you're buying a sightseeing pass (which you can do before you have your pass):
  • We recommend booking tickets for the Van Gogh Museum at least a week in advance. This museum is no longer covered by the I Amsterdam City Card.
  • If the Anne Frank House has sold out of basic admission tickets for time slots that work for you, consider the ticket that includes a 30-minute introductory talk (while about €7 more, these tickets don't tend to sell out as quickly as the basic admission tickets).
  • Though same-day tickets for the Rijksmuseum are often available, it's wise to buy your timed tickets ahead of your visit.
  • In peak season, it's also smart to buy tickets online in advance for the Stedelijk Museum.
• Guides offering free city tours must now collect a city entertainment tax.
• Tram #11 is no longer running. (The best way to reach Vondelpark is now via tram #17.)
• The city now has just two tourist information offices: one inside the Centraal train station, and the other at Schiphol Airport.
• The Amstelkring Museum is now (once again) called the Our Lord in the Attic Museum (Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder).
• Amsterdam's city government has banned tours of the Red Light District. But the Prostitution Information Center still offers self-guided tours bookended by an informative talk and Q&A session.
• Randy Roy's Redlight Tours are no longer in operation.
• The Westerkerk's free organ concerts are now held on Wednesdays (not Fridays; no concerts in winter). Its tower is temporarily closed for renovation.
• The EYE Film Institute is now the EYE Filmmuseum.
• The Canal House Museum is now the Museum of the Canals (Grachtenmuseum).
• The Museum of Bags and Purses has closed, as have the Biblical Museum and the Reypenaer Tasting Rooms.
• The 4:20 Coffeeshop is now Strain Hunters Coffeeshop.
• Rembrandtplein has gotten grittier since our last edition, and its sculptures are gone — we no longer recommend it as a good park for kids.
• Miniportworld has closed.
• Café Villa Zeezicht has closed, as have the Atrium University Cafeteria and Ristorante Hostaria.
• There is no longer a Connexxion shuttle bus that goes to most hotels. A public bus, Connexxion #397, does, however, go to the Leidseplein district.
• The correct address for La Perla restaurant is Tweede Tuindwarsstraat 14 and 53.
• B&B Helmers has closed.
• The Connexxion shuttle bus between Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport now only allows payment by credit card.
• The bus route to the Aalsmeer Flower Auction from Amsterdam's Centraal Station has been renumbered to #357.
• Direct Amsterdam to London Eurostar trains are now running.

For books printed before May 2019, the following may also apply:

• The correct email address for local guide Albert Walet is [email protected].

For books printed before October 2018, the following may also apply:

• The entrance to the Anne Frank House has moved: Facing the museum, the entrance is now around the right side, in the new modern annex. See its site for new opening hours.
• The I Amsterdam City Card now covers the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum, as well as public transport and a canal cruise.
• The rules governing tourists' use of the Museumkaart sightseeing pass have changed. The €60 pass, which is bought at participating museums, is now good for just five museum visits over 31 days (instead of unlimited admissions). But, this temporary card can be upgraded to a one-year card offering unlimited admissions to nearly 400 museums. To do so, register your temporary card online. A few days later, a one-year card is mailed to you at the address you give (your hotel in the Netherlands, for example). The temporary card may still be worthwhile for those on a short stay; the one-year card can be a very good deal for those staying longer.
• The Van Gogh Museum's hours have changed (check their site).
• All Amsterdam trams are now "cashless." To buy a ticket or pass onboard, you'll have to use a credit card and PIN. Ticket machines at stops accept both coins and credit cards. You can purchase tickets with cash from many points of sale within the city; see the public transport website for details.
• Many of the city's tram lines have been renumbered and/or rerouted — check the new route map, and double-check local signage in person.
• A new Amsterdam Metro line (#52) has begun operation from Noord (across the IJ River) to Centraal Station, then through Rokin to the Zuid train station in the south. We recommend getting around by tram instead of underground metro, but this line can be helpful for reaching sights in Rokin and in the Museumplein area.
• From Schiphol Airport, bus route #197 into town is now bus #397 (it still departs from platform B9 in front of the airport).
• The Civic Guards Gallery at the Amsterdam Museum is now called the Amsterdam Gallery.
• The Rijksmuseum at Schiphol Airport has reopened.
• Maes B&B has closed.
• Hotel van Onna is no longer a standalone hotel, but is now an annex of Mr. Jordaan Hotel.
• The following eateries have closed: La Place Cafeteria, Dwars Restaurant, Los Pilones Mexican, and the Marks & Spencer mini-grocery.

For books printed before April 2024, the following may apply:

• In summer it's best to book your free entry to the Frank Gehry–designed Tower at LUMA Arles online in advance.
• The Discover Provence tour company is no longer operating.
• Sophie Bergeron at the Travel in Provence tour company has a new email address: [email protected].
• Bus #707 (not #57) connects Arles and St-Rémy-de-Provence via Les Baux in summer. Bus #704 (not #54) also goes to St-Rémy (but not via Les Baux) and runs all year.
• Hôtel de la Muette has a new email address: [email protected].

For books printed before November 2022, the following may also apply:

• The Arlaten Folk Museum has reopened after an 11-year renovation.
• The Frank Gehry–designed tower at the LUMA Arles complex is complete, and visitors can climb the tower.

For books printed before December 2020, the following may also apply:

• Les Filles du 16 has closed.
• The Navia shuttle in Arles is no longer free and is now €1.

For books printed before November 2019, the following may also apply:

• The Arles Walk audio tour slated for release in 2019 in the Rick Steves Audio Europe app is delayed indefinitely.

For books printed before April 2024, the following may apply:

• Between June and September, it's a good idea to book timed-entry tickets for the Palace of the Popes in advance of your visit. Also, the palace's light show has been discontinued.
• The Nîmes-Orange Pass been discontinued.
• The Discover Provence tour company is no longer operating.
• Sophie Bergeron at the Travel in Provence tour company has a new email address: [email protected].
• Bus #126 (between Nîmes' Pont du Gard TGV station and the Pont du Gard) is no longer running.
• Bus #707 (not #57) connects Avignon and St-Rémy-de-Provence via Les Baux in summer.
• Bus #902 (not #2) connects Avignon with Orange (hourly Mon–Sat, 3/day Sun, 1 hour).
• Bus #906 (not #6) connects Avignon with Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.

For books printed before November 2022, the following may also apply:

• L'Essentiel restaurant in Avignon has closed.
• Nîmes now has a second train station: Nîmes Pont du Gard, a TGV station that's nine miles out of town (and nowhere near the Pont du Gard). Nîmes Centre remains the better station to use for reaching the city by train.
• Restaurant Le Vintage and Rotisserie Thibaud, both in Nîmes, have closed.
• L'Imprévu eatery in Nîmes is now Cézarine, and is under new ownership.

For books printed before December 2020, the following may also apply:

• The Romanity Pass has been discontinued.
• The Patrick Mallard pastry shop mentioned in the "Discovering Avignon's Back Streets Walk" has closed.

For books printed before November 2019, the following may also apply:

• The Oscar restaurant in the La Roquette district has closed.

For books printed before May 2024, the following may apply:

• All four of Sagrada Família's evangelist towers are now complete. Construction of the final, central tower is expected to wrap up in 2026.
• The bus running between Sagrada Família and the Eixample is #D50 (not #50 or #19).
• Park Güell is now open until 22:00 April–Oct (but last entry in summer is at 19:30; the rest of the year it closes at sunset). The Monumental Zone no longer requires a timed-entry ticket. The Bus Güell shuttle between the Alfons X Metro station and the park's side entrance is no longer running — we recommend taking either a taxi or bus #24 to a stop near the side entrance.
• The Picasso Museum's center ground-floor entry is the only way in to the museum.
• Casa Batlló now offers early entrance daily.
• Juan, the owner of the Bar Pinotxo in La Boqueria market famous for his gregariousness and warm smile (long pictured in our guidebooks), has passed away.
• While renovations to the Camp Nou soccer stadium are underway, an interactive exhibit and the flagship team store remain open at Camp Nou, but the team is playing in the Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc, likely through some point in the 2025–2026 season.
• The Sagalés bus connecting the Costa Brava Airport to Girona (and to Barcelona via train to/from Girona) now runs hourly (not every 10 minutes), but only takes 30 minutes (as opposed to 1.5 hours).

For books printed before October 2022, the following may also apply:

• Tickets are no longer sold on-site at Sagrada Família — all visits now require a pre-booked timed-entry ticket (check the site for new opening hours and ticket options).
• Visitors must now pay to enter Park Güell. The Monumental Zone now includes just the terrace and dragon stairway/fountains.
• Reservations are now required for guided tours in English of Casa Museu Amatller and at the Palace of Catalan Music (although both offer audioguides).
• The correct email address for local guide Mónica Sánchez Sabater is [email protected] (some printings have an erroneous "d" in the address).
• The tourist information offices on Plaça de Sant Jaume and on Plaça Nova (in the Barri Gòtic, inside the Catalan College of Architects) have closed, but a new office is now open on Pla de la Seu, next to the cathedral.
• Casa Batlló now offers nighttime visits.
• The Gaudí Exhibition Center has closed.
• Casa Lleó Morera is now closed to the public.
• Bike Tours Barcelona no longer rents bikes for general use.
• The Barcelona Guide Bureau has closed.
• The Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau is now preserved as a Modernista sight, now known as Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau. The complex's courtyards and buildings are now open to visitors.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed: Café de l'Academia, Cerveceria Vendimia, Parellada, Monvínic ("World of Wine"), El Guindilla, and Mamarosa Beach.
• The Kitchen Company shop has closed.
• Herbolari Ferran herbalist has closed.
• Hotel Banys Orientals is now Hotel Habana Hoose.
• Equity Point Hostels are now Safestay Hostels.

​For books printed before October 2020, the following may also apply:

• Barcelona's main airport has been renamed Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport.
• The Barri Gòtic street Sant Doménec del Call has been renamed "Carrer de Salomó Ben Adret."
• Bus #24 no longer stops at Park Guell's side entrance, and bus route #92 (which had also stopped at Park Guell's side entrance) has been discontinued.
• The Barcelona Cathedral is now open for tourist visits Mon–Fri 12:30–19:45, Sat 12:30–17:30, Sun 14:00–17:30 (+34 933 428 262). Visitors can no longer use the side door facing Carrer dels Comtes, and cloister doors are reserved for those with reduced mobility.
• The T10 Metro travelcard is no longer available. The new T-casual card covers 10 rides for €11.35, but this card is not sharable; each rider needs their own ticket.
• Parellada restaurant has closed.

• The Pergamon Museum is closed to accommodate a thorough renovation that's expected to last 14 years (!). Parts of the Pergamon Altar, however, should be back on display in 2027. During the closure, Pergamon Museum das Panorama, a five-minute walk from the Pergamon just off Museum Island, showcases sculptures and friezes related to the altar, along with other immersive experiences.
• The German History Museum's main building (Zeughaus) and all permanent exhibits are closed and under renovation until at least 2026. Temporary exhibits, however, are on view in the Pei annex building.
• Museum Pass Berlin has increased in price to €32, and the Museum Island Pass has increased to €24.
• A €20 combo-ticket covers all Kulturforum sights. Tickets can be bought online or at any included sight.
• The New National Gallery has reopened after an extensive renovation, displaying a rotating collection of 20th-century art.
• At Charlottenburg Palace, the New Pavilion is now accessible only by guided tours in German, never English.
• The Museum Berggruen is closed for renovation until 2026.
• In Potsdam, the only way to see the inside of the New Palace is to join a German-language guided tour (English audioguide available).
• In Wittenberg, the Luther House is closed for renovation, with plans to reopen sometime in 2026. In the meantime, the Augusteum next door displays the most important artifacts.
• The Castle Church in Wittenberg is no longer free; entry costs €3. In high season, it now closes at 17:00 rather than 18:00.
• The Town Church of St. Mary in Wittenberg is now open daily.
• In Wittenberg, the House of History is now closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) now uses only terminals 1 and 2. Terminal 5 has closed.
• The EurAide train information office at the Hauptbahnhof has closed.
• Private operator European Sleeper now runs overnight trains between Berlin and Brussels (3/week, 11 hours).
• The Berlin Wall Memorial has a new phone number: +49 30 213 085 123.
• The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe has a new phone number: +49 30 263 9430.
• The East Side Gallery has a new website: www.stiftung-berliner-mauer.de/de/east-side-gallery.
• Hard Wax music store has moved to Köpenicker Strasse 70.
• Galeries Lafayette department store has closed.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed: Deponie No. 3, Dom Curry, Factory Kitchen, Mogg Deli, Alay by Hasir, Lode & Stijn, and Ali Baba.
• The Ampelmann shop in City West (Kurfürstendamm 20) has closed.
• In Prenzlauer Berg, the following Kastanienallee-area shops have closed: Heimat Berlin, Kleine Fabriek, and Grünbein. Also in Prenzlauer Berg, in the Kulturbrauerei, the Green Living store has closed.
• In the Hackesche Höfe, Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur and Home on Earth have closed.
• In Bikini Berlin, the Edeka supermarket has closed.
• Hotel Birgit has a new email address: [email protected].
• Amano Hotel has a new website and email address: www.amanogroup.com, [email protected].
• Hotel Zoe by Amano has a new website and email address: www.amanogroup.com, [email protected].
• EasyHotel Berlin Hackesche Markt has a new website: www.easyhotelberlin.com.
• Calma Berlin Mitte hotel has a new website and email address: www.littlebighotels.com, [email protected].
• Hotel Albrechtshof has a new website and email address: martas.org, [email protected].
• Hotel Oderberger has a new website and email address: www.hotel-oderberger.berlin, [email protected].

For books printed before January 2023, the following may also apply:

• Tickets to visit the Reichstag are now often unavailable weeks in advance — book as soon as you can.
• The Neues Museum and Pergamon Museum are now closed on Mondays (as are all other Museum Island museums).
• The Käthe Kollwitz Museum has moved to the Theaterbau wing of Charlottenburg Palace.
• The Humboldt Forum, in the rebuilt shell of the former royal palace on Museum Island, is now open for visits to its various museums and other cultural attractions.
• The Gemäldegalerie is undergoing a multiyear phased renovation that may see some areas closed during your visit (ticket prices may be reduced at these times).
• The tourist information offices at the Europa Center and the Park Inn on Alexanderplatz have closed, but new ones have opened in the Humboldt Forum and at Brandenburg Airport.
• All stops of new U5 line of the U-Bahn are now open.
• Bus #245 no longer runs between the Hauptbahnhof and Alexanderplatz.
• Simple Rent a Bike bike sharing is not operating (consider using an app, such as Next Bike).
• Hotel Augustinenhof and Hecker's Hotel have closed.
• Hotel Jurine is now Hotel Birgit.
• Hotel Alexander Plaza is now Classik Hotel Alexander Plaza.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed: Die Schule, Vân Anh, Zuhause, and Zillemarkt, as well as Aufsturz pub.
• Weltrestaurant Markthalle has been replaced by Marktlokal restaurant.
• Cocolo Ramen X-berg has moved from Oranienstrasse to Graefestrasse 11.
• Bite Berlin food tours are no longer operating.
• St. Hedwig's Cathedral is temporarily closed and no longer hosting free organ concerts on Wednesday afternoons.
• The Hekticket ticket clearinghouse is no longer operating.

For books printed before January 2021, the following may also apply:

• The Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) opened in late 2020. Schӧnefeld Airport became BER's Terminal 5, while Tegel Airport is no longer operating.
• Insider Tour's groups meet outside the Friedrichstrasse train station, on the square beside the Palace of Tears.
• Original Berlin Walks now meets in front of Starbucks across from the Hackescher Markt S-bahn station.
• Local guide Bernhard Schlegelmilch has changed his email address to [email protected].
• The James-Simon-Galerie's entrance pavilion is now open on the west side of Museum Island and connects to the Pergamon and Neues museums.
• The Kennedys Museum has closed (to become a "touring museum").
• It is no longer possible to purchase a timed-entry ticket in advance for the Neues Museum.

For books printed before September 2019, the following may also apply:

• As of August 2019, many of Berlin's buses have undergone changes, including:
  • Line #200 now runs via Spittelmarkt and Berlin City Hall instead of via Unter den Linden (new line #300 — which goes from Tiergarten/Philharmonic to Warschauer Strasse — has replaced this portion).
  • Metro Bus M48 has been cut (lines #200 and N2 have replaced this bus between Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz).
  • Line N2 has been rerouted to follow the U2 subway line.
• The tourist information office on Rankstrasse (across from the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church) has closed.
• Bassy Club has closed.

For books printed before December 2018, the following may also apply:

• Passports are now required for entry to the Reichstag, and must be presented with the confirmation letter received after making the required online reservation.
• The Pergamon Museum has a new combo-ticket that covers the "Pergamon. Das Panorama" exhibit with museum admission. The exhibit — a wraparound panorama painting of the city of Pergamon in AD 129 — is in a pavilion across from Museum Island while the Pergamon Altar is undergoing restoration.
• The Museum Pass Berlin now includes the German History Museum.
• We now recommend buying tickets online in advance to avoid lines at the DDR Museum.
• Several recommended guides have updated their contact information: 
  • Lee Evans has a new mobile number: +49 176 6335 5565.
  • Torben Brown has a new email address: [email protected].
  • Carlos Meissner has a new email address: [email protected].
• The Jewish Museum Berlin is no longer open late on Mondays.
• The Deutsche Kinemathek Film and TV Museum is now open on Mondays and closed on Tuesdays.
• The Silent Heroes Memorial Center has moved from the Hackescher Markt to the German Resistance Memorial location.
• The famous Fassbender & Rausch chocolate shop on Gendarmenmarkt has dropped "Fassbender" – it's just the Rausch chocolate shop now.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed: Die Zwölf Apostel (both the one near Museum Island and the one on Bleibtreustrasse), La Bodeguita del Medio (Lychener Strasse 6), Imbiss 204 (in the Kollwitzkiez area), and Café Sibylle (in eastern Berlin).
• The Fat Tire Bikes location at Zoologischer Garten has closed.
• In Potsdam, the #603 bus only leaves from the main train station on summer weekends. On summer weekdays and off-season, you can catch the #603 at Platz der Einheit, a 15-minute walk past the Alter Markt (reachable by multiple bus or tram lines from the station).

• Mürren does currently have an ATM (in the Schilthornbahn station).
• Eurail Global Passes now cover trains between Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen, and even trains from Lauterbrunnen/Interlaken to Grindelwald (not Gimmelwald!) and up to Wengen. Unlike the more extensive Swiss Travel Pass, however, the Global Pass (still) doesn't cover travel between Lauterbrunnen and Mürren. (For more on this, see our Switzerland Rail Passes and Train Tips page.)
• The top stretches of the Schilthornbahn cable-car line, between the Birg station and the Schilthorn summit, and the summit's Piz Gloria restaurant, are currently closed to allow for construction of a new cable-car line that's set to open on March 15, 2025.
• Wengernalp (a gorgeous 30-minute walk from Kleine Scheidegg) is, contrary to what's printed in our book, a rather steep one-hour hike from the Allmend train stop (which is indeed another 60 minutes' walk from Wengen).
• Gimmelwald's Hotel Mittaghorn, run by Walter Mittler from 1970 until his death in 2019 and one of Rick's long-time fond favorites, is now slated to reopen under new ownership in 2025.
• Hotel Bellevue in Mürren is now Drei Berge Hotel, and under new management ([email protected]).
• Doris Schmied is not longer working as a hiking guide.

For books printed before April 2023, the following may also apply:

• Train fares for ascending all the way to the Jungfraujoch have jumped a bit since our last edition: Full-fare round-trip rides in high season (June–Aug) in 2024 cost 250 CHF from Interlaken Ost, 240 CHF from Lauterbrunnen, 228 CHF from Wengen, and 166 CHF from Kleine Scheidegg. Between Kleine Scheidegg and the top it's now a 45-minute ride, and you no longer need to change trains on this top stretch. Before heading up, be sure to check last-departure times from the Jungfraujoch and Kleine Scheidegg stations.
• While you can indeed buy tickets on board the Lauterbrunnen–Wengen–Kleine Scheidegg–Jungfraujoch train for a 10-CHF surcharge, previous editions of our books hadn't clarified that it's important to approach the conductor to buy the ticket, rather waiting for them to find you (which could land you with a hefty fine).
• The Lauterbrunnen Valley Folk Museum is now only open three afternoons a week (Wed 14:00–16:00, Fri 17:00–20:00, Sat 15:00–18:00, closed entirely Oct–May).
• The Airtime Café in Lauterbrunnen is now only open on weekends (Fri–Sun 9:00–17:30).
• The Coop grocery in Lauterbrunnen now has longer summer hours (July–mid-Sept daily 8:00–19:00).
• The Restaurant Bären in Wengen no longer serves lunch.
• Pension Gimmelwald is no longer the only place to eat in town: The Mountain Hostel now has a restaurant that welcomes nonguests (daily in summer but only on weekends in winter). They specialize in pizza (served 12:00–21:00; bar stays open till at least 23:00) and also offer breakfast (7:30–9:30). The hostel itself, including the restaurant, is now closed not just in November but through mid-December and for about a month after Easter (and is no longer run by longtime owner Petra Brunner).
• The Schilthorn Explore app, which had included an audio tour of Gimmelwald, is no more.
• Expect some disruption around Mürren's cable-car station while construction is underway to replace a good share of the Schilthornbahn line. If you find the walking path blocked between the station and Hotel Alphenruh, simply look for signs to Gimmelwald, as there are several ways out of central Mürren that end you up on the paved road down to Gimmelwald.
• Mürren's nightlife options are now a bit more limited: The Eiger Guesthouse no longer has a game room, Hotel Blumental's cellar bar has closed, and the summer folkloric performances are only held about once a month.
• The Mürren tourist information office is now closed on weekends in the off-season (May and Nov–mid-Dec).
• Denise Fussell's yoga classes at the Sportzentrum in Mürren are now held on Wednesdays (not Tuesdays; now €15 but discounts offered to Rick Steves readers).
• The Pop-Up Lodge Mürren and its Sport Lodge are no longer operating (Hotel Alpin Palace is finally moving ahead with renovations).
• Hotel Blumental in Mürren has a new phone number: +41 33 855 8856.
• Previous editions of our books had not listed prices for the two ways to connect Interlaken with Brienz (for reaching the Swiss Open-Air Museum at Ballenberg) without a car; as of 2024 the train is 8.60 CHF, and the boat is 35 CHF.
• The Interlaken tourist information office's 2024 opening hours: July–Aug Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–16:00; June & Sept Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat 9:00–16:00, closed Sun; April–May Mon–Fri 8:00–12:00 & 13:30–18:00, Sat 9:00–16:00, closed Sun; closed Oct–May).
• Interlaken's Flying Wheels bike rental is now open daily 9:00–19:00 in summer (in good weather), till 18:00 April–May and Sept, and till 17:00 in early Oct (after which they're closed until April). They also a new phone number: +41 76 453 1464 (WhatsApp messages also answered at this number). Their guided e-bike tours now include a three-hour tour around Interlaken (119 CHF); their six-hour tour of the Lauterbrunnen Valley is now 219 CHF.
• The St. Beatus Caves no longer offer guided tours to individual travelers (but you can easily follow the self-guided route, which takes about an hour). In summer the caves are now open daily 9:00–18:00, Fri–Sat until 21:00.
• The Harderbahn funicular to Harder Kulm now runs until 21:40 in summer (until 17:10 in winter), and in summer now costs 44 CHF.
• Adventure-sports operator Outdoor Interlaken, now going as simply "Outdoor," has a new phone number: +41 224 0704. (Similar outfit Alpin Raft is no longer operating.)
• Interlaken's K44 indoor-climbing facility has closed.
• Most restaurants along Interlaken's Rugenparkstrasse have closed, and Jungfraustrasse now has primarily Indian restaurants. The nearby Biryani House has closed as well. In Interlaken's Unterseen neighborhood Restaurant Bären is now closed on Tuesdays (as well as Mondays), Città Vecchia is now closed on Tuesdays and Wednesday afternoons, and Benacus has closed entirely.

For books printed before January 2023, the following may also apply:

• The Schilthornbahn cable car no longer runs later in the day in July and August.
• The Lauterbrunnen tourist information office now closes at 17:00 in season and on Tuesdays (as well as Mondays) in Oct–May (otherwise open daily 8:30–12:00 & 13:15–17:00).
• It's now a little more expensive to reach Mürren from Lauterbrunnen via the valley-floor bus and Schilthornbahn cable car (15.60 CHF total) than via Grütschalp cable car and clifftop train (11.20 CHF total). From Lauterbrunnen to Gimmelwald, however, it's cheaper via the valley floor (10.40 CHF total) than via Grütschalp and Mürren (17.20 CHF).
• Stäger Sport in Mürren is now a branch of Intersport, and now closes for an hour at midday (12:00–13:00).
• The via ferrata in Mürren now costs 149 CHF, and should be booked either online or through Outdoor's new phone number (see above).
• Bus #151 between Brienz and the Swiss Open-Air Museum at Ballenberg (now slightly more frequent at 1–2/hour) now stops running from the Ballenberg Ost (east) entrance at 17:15 (after that, buses only run from the Ballenberg West entrance).

• The Via dell'Amore trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola will reopen for tourists August 9, 2024, following a lengthy closure for improvements. A timed-entry ticket is required to hike the trail, which is by guided tour only (€10 in addition to required Cinque Terre park card). Reservations can be made online once the new website is launched, or at information offices in the five villages, as well as in La Spezia and Levanto. Only 400 hikers will be allowed access every hour (100 hikers every 15 minutes). In high season, the walk departs only from Riomaggiore.
• National park information offices now all have the same opening hours: 8:30–19:30 year round.
• To reach Amy Inman, who offers accomodations in Riomaggiore, see her new site or email [email protected].
• Il Giardino Incantato B&B in Monterosso has a new email address: [email protected].
• Manuel's Guesthouse in Monterosso has a new email address: [email protected].
• Francamaria Rooms in Vernazza has a new website: www.francamaria.it.
• Vernazza Rooms in Vernazza has a new website and a new email address: [email protected].
• Locla guide Anfrea Bordigoni has a new email address: [email protected].
• Dive Center 5 Terre in Riomaggiore no longer rents kayaks.
• in Vernazza, Trattoria da Sandro has closed.

For books printed before November 2022, the following may also apply:

• The train station in Vernazza no longer offers baggage storage.
• Monterosso's Wonderland bakery and Bar Davi have both closed.
• The Vernazza Wine Experience has closed.

For books printed before December 2019, the following may also apply:

• The Ostello 5-Terre Hostel in Manarola has closed.
• Monterosso's Fast Bar no longer serves breakfast. Instead, try Beach Bar Alga on the beach or Pasticceria Laura at 59 Via Vittorio Emanuele.
• ATC shuttle bus schedules are now available online at www.atcesercizio.it.
• Roberto Pecunia now offers baggage delivery from all Cinque Terre train stations to your accommodations. Call ahead to +39 370 375 7972.
• Local guide Paola Tommarchi is no longer working in the Cinque Terre.
• Local guide Marco Brizzi has a new email address: [email protected].

For books printed before September 2018, the following may also apply:

• Train schedules have changed in the Cinque Terre and any local train might skip one or more of the five towns. Before getting on any train, confirm that it stops at the town you need.
• The alternate Riomaggiore-Manarola trail (known as "La Breccara") is closed through 2018.

For books printed before November 2017, the following may also apply:

• Tickets for regional trains are now valid only on the day of purchase (you can't buy several in advance). This makes the Cinque Terre Treno Multi-Service Card worth considering for the sake of convenience, even if you don't plan to hike, since it covers local trains connecting all Cinque Terre towns, plus Levanto and La Spezia.

• For buses and trams, the easiest way to pay is by "contactless" ("tap-to-pay") credit card payment when you board. To use paper tickets, buy them at tobacco shops (tabacchi), newsstands, tram stops, and some bus stops (€1.70/90 minutes).
• There are no longer shuttle buses from the Florence airport to local train and bus stations. Transportation to and from the airport is by tram, taxi, or rental car.
• Florence has banned new Airbnbs and other short-term rentals (grandfathered listings still exist as an option; we no longer recommend them).
• Cruise passengers arriving in the Port of Livorno have a new option for getting inland: Shore Experience replaces TuscanyBus.com and offers cheap bus excursions to Pisa and/or Florence, as well as combo-rides that include Lucca. Buses leave from Livorno's Piazza del Municipio (near the port shuttle dropoff point). City Sightseeing Livorno has similar offerings geared to cruisers.
• There is a third tourist information office in Florence, near the Church of Santa Croce at Borgo Santa Croce 29 red.
• Booking in advance at the following sights is critical: the Accademia (two months in advance); the Uffizi (one month in advane); and climbing the Duomo's dome (one month).
• Each of the three passes for the Duomo Complex includes a timed entry to a different sight: The Ghiberti Pass includes a timed entry to the cathedral; the Giotto Pass includes a timed entry to climb the Campanile; and the Brunelleschi Pass includes a timed entry to climb the Duomo's dome.
• The PassePartout combo-ticket offers admission to the Museum of Precious Stones in addition to the Uffizi, Pitti Palace, and Boboli Gardens.
• A Bargello Museums combo-ticket covers entry to the five sights run by the Bargello: the Medici Chapels, Orsanmichele Church, Palazzo Davanzati, Casa Martelli, and the Bargello itself. The €21 pass is valid for 72 hours.
• The Bargello Museum is now closed on Tuesdays and has a new information phone number: +39 055 064 9440.
• The Medici Chapels are now open Wed–Mon 8:15–18:50; closed Tuesdays. Last entry is 40 minutes before closing.
• For the Brancacci Chapel, reservations are required and can be booked a few days to a week in advance. The chapel is now open daily except Tuesdays and has a new information phone number: +39 055 276 8224.
• The Accademia Gallery has a new information phone number: +39 055 098 7100.
• The Pitti Palace has a new information phone number: +39 055 294 883.
• Fra Angelico's predella panels of the Wedding and Funeral of the Virgin has been moved from the Museum of San Marco to the Uffizi to be displayed with the main altarpiece.
• The interior of the Baptistery's dome is under restoration until 2029. You can book a guided tour up the scaffolding to see the mosaics up close.
• The Bardi Chapel at Santa Croce is closed for restoration until at least 2025; panels show the Giotto frescoes in the meantime.
• At Santa Maria Novella Church, Masaccio's fresco The Trinity (the first painting of modern times to portray three-dimensional space) is undergoing restoration. During this time, visitors can pay €1.50 to enter the restoration are and see the fresco up close.
• The Museo dell'Opera at Santa Croce is closed for renovations.
• At the Pitti Palace, the Royal Apartments, Porcelain Museum, and first floor of the Treasury of Grand Dukes are closed for restoration.
• The Vasari Corridor (connecting the Pitti Palace and Palazzo Vecchio) remains closed.
• Orsanmichele Church is now closed on Tuesdays and no longer has evening concerts.
• At the Palazzo Vecchio, nighttime terrace visits remain closed to the public, though in summer, you may be able to visit the balcony in the evening; ask at the ticket office. Excavations of a 2,000-year-old theater from ancient Florentia are closed to the public indefinitely.
• The Coin department store on Via de' Calzaiuoli has closed, and a new branch has opened at Piazza del Grano 5, near the Uffizi.
• The flea market formerly at Piazza dei Ciompi has moved near Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio.
• There is no longer an antiques market in Fiesole.
• Hotel Morandi Alla Crocetta at Via Laura 52 has reopened as Guest House Morandi, with new owners and a new phone number: +39 055 234 4747.
• In Piazza della Signoria B&B is now called Boutique Hotel in Piazza della Signoria. The new mobile number is +39 333 465 5886.
• On Elba, the local orange shuttle bus service in Portoferraio, which normally operates between the ferry port and the old harbor, may be running inconsistently.
• The Francesco da Firenze shop has closed.
• Pasticceria Robiglio has closed.
• Gosh bar and Mostodolce craft brewery have closed.
• Cross-Pollinate vacation rentals is no longer operating.

For books printed before November 2022, the following may also apply:

• The tourist information office's new website is the best source for the opening hours of many Florence sights, which change on a seemingly constant basis. Also, the office's smaller branch, across from the Duomo and inside the Loggia, has closed.
• Some museums — such as the Accademia, Uffizi, Pitti Palace, and Bargello (but not the Medici Chapels) — are once again offering free admission on the first Sunday of the month. (But since the free admission causes increased crowding at these sights, we recommend avoiding these days.)
• The Uffizi and Accademia may no longer stay open late on certain days in peak season — double-check their current hours before assuming you can visit in the evening (and of course book ahead for a visit to either museum).
• Room numbers have been rearranged on the Uffizi's first and second floors.
• The combo-ticket for the Uffizi/Pitti Palace/Boboli Gardens is now valid for five days (not three), and no longer requires that your first visit be to the Uffizi.
• The Florentine State Museums' site is the best for booking tickets for the Uffizi, Accademia, and the Uffizi/Pitti Palace/Boboli Gardens combo-ticket.
• The Duomo interior and the Museum of San Marco are now closed to visitors on Sundays. The Museum of San Marco's room that was formerly known the Hospice has been renovated and is now labeled as the Beato Angelico room; paintings have been rearranged.
• Ticket options for the Duomo complex sights have changed — see Making Museum Reservations in Florence. We now recommend booking the Duomo's dome climb at least a month in advance.
• If the main ticket office for the Duomo and its related sights (opposite the Baptistery at Piazza di San Giovanni 7) is still undergoing renovation during your visit, use the self-service ticket machines or visit the temporary ticket office at Piazza del Duomo 14a (opposite the entrance to the Duomo's crypt).
• Santa Croce Church is no longer accessible from the leather school, and the school no longer sells tickets to the church. Timed-entry tickets are now available on the church's website.
• The Museo Leonardo Da Vinci has moved to Via del Castellaccio 1 red.
• The Palazzo Vecchio Museum and excavations are no longer open till 23:00; they usually close at 19:00, though they may close earlier on certain days (and may stay open later during peak season).
• Florencetown tours have moved to Piazza Mentana.
• Florentia tour company has a new email address: [email protected].
• Walks Inside Florence has a new email address: [email protected].
• The correct URL for perfumery Aquaflor's website is www.aquaflor.it (not .com).
• Sanctuary Firenze is now Suore Oblate dell' Assunzione (+39 055 234 6291, [email protected]).
• Hotel dei Macchiaioli has closed.
• Locanda de' Ciompi's email address is [email protected].
• Hotel Dalí has a new email address: [email protected].

For books printed before December 2019, the following may also apply:

• Recommended guide Karin Kibby's new email address is: [email protected].
• Hotel Maxim and Hotel Axial are now one hotel: Hotel Maxim Axial (+39 055 217 474, [email protected]).
• Prestige Rent has moved to Via della Saggina 98, and has a new phone number: +39 055 286 059.
• Transfer Chauffeur Service has a new email address: [email protected].
• The Basilica of San Lorenzo is now closed Sundays, and the basilica's library is now open Mon–Fri 9:30–13:30, closed Sat–Sun.
• The Gucci Museum (now called the "Gucci Garden Gallery") is now open daily until 23:00.
• The Duomo now closes at 16:30 Mon–Sat year-round (though opening times sometimes change to accommodate to religious functions).
• English mass at the Duomo is now Sunday at 17:00.
• The Duomo sights combo-ticket is now valid for 72 hours.
• There's a new contact email for booking Duomo-themed tours: [email protected].
• A new combo-ticket for the Uffizi/Pitti Palace/Boboli Gardens saves you €12 over paying separately for each site.
• The Pitti Palace's two ticket options have changed. Ticket #1 now covers most of the sights (the Palatine Gallery, Royal Apartments, Treasury of the Grand Dukes (silver museum), Museum of Costume and Fashion, and Gallery of Modern Art) while ticket #2 now covers the Bardini and Boboli Gardens as well as the Porcelain Museum.
• The Medici-Riccardi Palace has a new phone number: +39 055 276 8224.
• The new tram line, T2, is now operating between Amerigo Vespucci Airport and near Florence's SMN train station (runs every five minutes, 20 min, runs 5:00–24:00).
• Bus #7 to Fiesole now leaves from near the train station on Piazza Adua rather than from Piazza San Marco (only return buses stop there now; with returns also near the train station at Largo Alinari).
• Buses #14 and #17 no longer run between the train station and Piazza San Marco but buses #7 and #12 now do.
• The city of Florence no longer rents bikes at the train station.
• Turishav Travel is now Florentour. Their hours are now 9:30–16:30, closed Sat–Sun.
• Walks Inside Florence's website is now at www.walksinsideflorence.it.
• Istituto Gould has been renamed Foresteria Valdese di Firenze.
• Hotel Europa has new ownership and has been reopened as Arté Hotel.
• Panella's Residence has new ownership and is now open under the name Haggi's Residence.
• Lovelife Café has closed.
• Due Sorsi e Un Boccone has closed.
• Trattoria I' Cche c'e' c'e' has closed.
• Minibus #D is now #C4, and runs on a slightly different route, traveling from near the Duomo to the train station, across the Carraia bridge, through the Oltrarno (passing the Pitti Palace), and on to the San Niccolò neighborhood.

For books printed before April 2024, the following may apply:

• The Chagall Museum in Nice often closes at lunchtime (12:00–14:00) and may close at other odd times (check its site for the latest).
• Buses and trams in the Riviera no longer accept tickets per se; now you need to first purchase a €2 travel card (available in digital or physical form) to which you add funds to cover the cost of your ride(s). Travel cards are available via the Lignes d'Azur mobile app, in person from bus drivers, at vending machines at Nice's main train station and at key tram/bus stops (including at the airport), and at Lignes d'Azur offices. Single trips on Nice's city buses cost €1.70 (covers 74 minutes of travel in one direction including transfers); an all-day pass is €7, and a seven-day pass is €20. Round-trip travel by tram between Nice's airport and the city center costs €10.
• Buses in the Riviera are now run by the Zou bus network, and bus numbers have changed (timetables at Rome2Rio are easier to use than those on Zou's own site). Main changes to note:
  • Bus #601 (not #100) connects Nice with Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, and Monaco.
  • Bus #620 (not #200) connects Nice with Cagnes-sur-Mer and Cannes (4/hour Mon–Sat, 2/hour Sun).
  • Bus #603 (not #116) connects Nice with La Turbie and Monaco along the High Corniche (5/day, leaves from Pont Michel T-1 tram stop in Nice).
  • Bus #650 (not #500) connects Nice and Grasse (2/hour, 1 hour).
  • To connect Nice with St-Paul-de-Vence, take the train between Nice and Cagnes-sur-Mer and the frequent bus #655 (not #400, which had run all the way to/from Nice) between Cagnes-sur-Mer and St-Paul-de-Vence (allow about one hour total). Bus #655 also serves Vence.
  • Bus #80 (not #110) connects Nice's airport with Monaco (Place d'Armes stop).
  • Bus #81 (not #210) connects Nice's airport with Cannes' train station.
  • Bus #82 (not #250) connect's Nice's airport with from Antibes.
• The phone number for Nice's tourist information office is now +33 4 92 14 46 14.
• The tourist information office next to Cannes' train station has closed.
• Le Cantine de Tiflo restaurant in Villefranche-sur-Mer has closed.
• La Cabane de l'Ecailler restaurant in in St-Jean has closed.
• Two recommended restaurants in Antibes, Chez Lulu and Le P'tit Cageot, have closed.
• Parking in Eze-le-Village is now easy, thanks to a big new underground parking garage.

For books printed before November 2022, the following may also apply:

• The Nice's combo-ticket, which includes all sights except the Chagall Museum, has been renamed the "All Museums Pass" and is now valid for three days instead of just 24 hours, but costs a bit more (€15 in 2023).
• L'Ecole de Nice restaurant has closed.
• Mon Petit Café in Nice is now Le Séjour Café.
• Restaurant La Terrasse in La Turbie is now Brasserie Pampérigouste.
• Hôtel Vendôme in Nice has a new email address: [email protected].
• Auberge de Jeunesse les Camélias in Nice has a new email address: [email protected].
• Hôtel Suisse in Nice has a new email address: [email protected].
• Welcome Hôtel in Villefranche-sur-Mer has a new email address: [email protected]
• The tourist information office near Antibes' train station has closed.
• Bastide de la Brague hotel in Antibes has closed.
• Direct, cross-border day trains between Marseille/Nice and Genoa/Milan are no longer running; any connections between France and Italy along the Mediterranean now require changing trains in Ventimiglia.

For books printed before December 2020, the following may also apply:

• The Lignes d'Azur info desk at 17 Rue Thiers in Nice has closed, but Nice's main train station still has a Lignes d'Azur info desk. Office hours are now generally Mon–Fri 7:30–17:30, Saturday until 15:00, and closed Sunday.
• The combo-ticket for Villa Kérylos and Le Trophée des Alpes is no longer available.
• Transportation to Le Trophée des Alpes from Nice has changed: Bus #116 leaves from the Vauban tram stop except on Sundays, where it departs from the Pont St. Michel tram stop.
• Nice's airport buses #98 and #99 have ceased operations. Instead the T-2 tram line runs between the airport and Port Lympia.

For books printed before November 2019, the following may also apply:

• Nice's Tram #2 now goes from the Nice airport to the city center at Jean Médecin, where visitors can transfer to Tram #1.
• Coco & Rico restaurant in Nice (near the Promenade des Anglais) has closed.

For books printed before October 2019, the following may also apply:

• Cruise lines now provide a shuttle boat right from the cruise dock at Port of La Seyne-sur-Mer (near Toulon) that takes passengers directly to Toulon's central waterfront (free or €10, depending on cruise line, 20 minutes).

• It's important to reserve a tour of the Corrie ten Boom House as far ahead as possible — ideally 3–4 months in advance.
• Haarlem Hotel Suites has a new email address: [email protected].
• Hotel Amadeus has new ownership and no longer offers a Rick Steves discount. It also has new contact info: +31 23 532 4230, [email protected].
• Mr. & Mrs. Food & Wine has closed.

For books printed before April 2023, the following may also apply:

• The tourist information office no longer offers walking tours (nor stocks walking tour brochures), and they no longer offer discounted or combo tickets to the Frans Hals or Teylers museums.
• Het Dolhyus psychiatric museum has been rebranded as Museum of the Mind.

• Per new requirements set by the UK government, all passengers on Eurostar trains from (and to) the UK must now enter their passport details online before boarding. Once you've bought a ticket, enter your ticket's reference number at Eurostar's Manage Your Booking page to reach the page for entering your passport info. If you don't have a reference number issued by Eurostar, head to the manual check-in desk at the Eurostar terminal. Given the UK's new procedures for border checks, it's especially important to allow plenty of time for check-in (Eurostar recommends that standard-class passengers departing from London St. Pancras arrive 90 minutes ahead of their departure time; gates close 30 minutes before departure).
• Tours of Shakespeare's Globe depart from the box office every half hour; plan for about a two-hour visit, including a 50-minute guided tour plus self-guided time in the exhibition space (£27, £20 for kids under 16). Half of the tour spots are bookable in advance; the other spots are reserved for same-day sales. Tours generally depart daily at 9:30 or 10:00 during outdoor theater season (April–mid-Oct); last tour generally departs at 12:00 if there's a matinee performance, otherwise around 16:00.
• Local guide Britt Lonsdale's updated prices are £325/half-day, £450/day.
• Cross-Pollinate vacation rentals is no longer in business.

For books printed before September 2024, the following may also apply:

• The Luton DART light rail has opened, connecting the Luton Airport Parkway Station with the airport in about 3 minutes (£4.90, runs every 4–7 minutes). This replaces the shuttle bus that previously connected the Parkway Station to the airport. DART tickets can be purchased on their site; printed tickets for Thameslink or Luton Airport Express trains to/from the airport will also get you through DART ticket barriers (select "Luton Airport" when purchasing your ticket).
• The US Embassy has moved to 33 Nine Elms Lane (Tube: Vauxhall).
• Elizabeth Tower, home to Big Ben, has reopened to visitors.
• For the latter half of 2024 (starting in late June), the Amsterdam-to-London Eurostar route, which is usually a direct train, will require a connection via Brussels, where passengers will undergo border formalities before boarding the cross-channel train. (This is to accommodate renovations at Amsterdam Centraal that require closure of the station's international terminal.) The London-to-Amsterdam service, however, will continue to be direct.
• Tours of Shakespeare's Globe depart from the box office every half hour; plan for about a two-hour visit, including a 50-minute guided tour plus self-guided time in the exhibition space (£27, £20 for kids 5-15). Half of the tour spots are bookable in advance; the other spots are reserved for same-day sales. Tours generally depart daily at 9:30 or 10:00 during outdoor theater season--April-mid-Oct; last tour generally departs at 12:00 if there’s a matinee performance, otherwise around 16:00.
• The Loch Fyne restaurant chain has closed.
• Moti Mahal has closed.

For books printed before February 2024, the following may also apply:

• The Elizabeth transit/railway line is now fully operational, connecting central London (Paddington, Bond, Tottenham Court Road, Farrington and Liverpool Street Tube stations) with outlying neighborhoods to the east and with Heathrow Airport and Reading to the west. Within the city center it's part of the Tube network, and uses the same tickets. It's a faster (and more expensive) option from Heathrow into the city than the Tube (£12.80–14.30 depending on payment method and destination; contactless credit card and Oyster card accepted).
• The National Portrait Gallery has reopened (daily 10:30–18:00, Fri–Sat until 21:00).
• The Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery is closed for renovation until spring 2025, and artwork may be moved around while it's underway. Long entry lines, however, remain a problem. To avoid the longest ones, book your visit ahead and enter through the less-crowded Getty entrance. Also, the museum's free one-hour overview tours now leave from the central hall, and are no longer offered every day (usually Tue–Thu at 15:00).
• Bus #11 no longer runs between Westminster Abbey and Liverpool Street (via Trafalgar Square and St. Paul's) — it now goes across Westminster Bridge and ends at Waterloo Station.
• Bus #23 no longer runs from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, High Street Kensington, and on to Hammersmith; it now goes to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and Aldwych.
• The British Museum's 1.5-hour tours need to be booked at least two weeks in advance.
• At the Tate Modern floors 5–10 of the Blavatnik Building are currently closed, meaning the 10th-floor viewpoint is off limits. The museum now stays open until 22:00 on the last Friday of every month. Pre-booked visits are now only possible for special exhibits and events; this is also the case at the Tate Britain (which no longer maintains an app — but its website has a well-maintained guide to what's currently on display). The Tate Britain now stays open until 22:00 on the first Friday of every month.
• The Victoria and Albert Museum is once again open late (until 22:00) on Fridays.
• The Tower of London's last entry time is now two hours before closing time (which has been pushed back to 17:30).
• The London Eye has resumed selling tickets on-site, but tickets are cheaper online (and even cheaper the farther in advance you book), and its new family ticket that is only available online.
• The Museum of London location near the Barbican has closed. (The Museum of London Docklands remains open.) Its exhibits will be back on display as "The London Museum" in West Smithfield in 2026.
• Sights at Buckingham Palace are now pricier than ever (£45 for the State Rooms; £58.50 for the "Royal Day Out" combo-ticket), and opening hours have changed:
  • The State Rooms are open mid-July–Sept Thu–Mon 9:45–14:45, closed Tue–Wed and Oct–mid-July. (Some winter and spring tours may be available; check online.)
  • The Queen's Gallery is open May–Feb Thu–Mon 10:00–17:30, closed Tue–Wed and March–April.
  • The Royal Mews are open mid-May–Sept Thu–Mon 10:00–16:00, closed Tue–Wed, usually closed off-season (but check online before your visit).
• St. Paul's Cathedral is now open Mon–Sat 8:30–16:30 (dome opens at 9:30), except that on Wednesdays the church and dome don't open until 10:00. Its Whispering Gallery remains closed for the time being.
• The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields has changed its opening hours, with much shorter hours on Wednesdays (12:00–19:30), and somewhat later opening times and earlier closing times the rest of the week (9:00–17:00). Free tours are now offered daily at 14:30, and afternoon concerts are now performed only on Fridays at 13:00.
• In the off-season (Sept–April), evensong at Westminster Abbey is now on Sat at 15:00.
• Hampton Court Palace is now open daily 10:00–17:30, Feb–March until 16:00.
• Pollock's Toy Museum is currently closed while it moves locations.
• Greenwich's Clocktower Market, recently renamed as the "Greenwich Vintage Market," has moved to a spot just opposite the St. Alfege Church and is now held on weekends (Fri–Sun) and bank holidays, 8:00–17:00.
• The vintage market housed in the former Truman Brewery on Brick Lane is now open daily 11:00–18:30 (until 18:00 Sat–Sun).
• The City of London Information Centre is now closed Sun–Mon.
• Congestion charges for driving in the city center are now levied weekdays 7:00–18:00 and weekends 12:00–18:00; the minimum charge remains £15.
• Recommended driver guide Mike Dickson has retired.
• A portion of The Strand (between the Courtauld Gallery at Waterloo Bridge and King's College at Surrey Street) has been pedestrianized. This change has affected some bus routes, including:
  • Bus #11, which no longer runs between Westminster Abbey and Liverpool Street via Trafalgar Square and St. Paul's; it now goes across the Westminster Bridge and ends at Waterloo.
  • Bus #23, which no longer runs from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, High Street Kensington, and on to Hammersmith; it now goes to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and Aldwych.
• There is no longer an EasyBus running between Gatwick and the Earl's Court Tube stop.
• 7-day Travelcards are no longer sold as paper passes; they must now be loaded on to Oyster cards.
• The Oyster transit card deposit is now £7 and nonrefundable. Cards purchased before February 23, 2020 (a year later than what's printed in some Rick Steves guidebooks) can still have any amount less than £10 refunded from Tube station ticket machines. Oyster card credits never expire.
• The Emirates Air Line gondola has been rebranded as the IFS Cloud Cable Car.
• Bus #242 no longer runs to Shoreditch or Liverpool Street Station (but bus #26 does).
• St Katharine Pier, a stop near Tower Bridge used by many Thames cruises, is now known as Tower Bridge Quay.
• Fernandez & Wells restaurant has closed.
• Jen Café has closed.
• The NH London Kensington hotel has closed.

For books printed before September 2022, the following may also apply:

• Most of London's major sights, including many that don't charge admission, now primarily offer admission via online bookings, which generate a QR code that's scanned upon entry. This means that the "Fast Track" tickets are being phased out (as they're now redundant given each sight's on online-booking system).
• Many sights have been slow to resume weekly evening openings following the pandemic; check ahead before assuming a sight is (or isn't) open late at least once a week.
• Many museums — especially smaller ones — have done away with audio-/multimedia guides, as well as printed brochures, and now free apps in their stead. The free Bloomberg Connects app is worth downloading, as it provides in-depth audio commentary for several good museums, including the Churchill War Rooms, Sir John Soane's Museum, and Courtauld Gallery.
• Most payment in London is now credit-card (or mobile-device) based. In many situations, such as transit, cash is often not accepted.
• The very cool heritage "Routemaster" double-decker buses are no longer running. :(
• Uber is once again cleared to operate within London.
• We strongly recommend booking ahead for the London Eye and Greenwich's Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory Greenwich (which has reopened following a renovation).
• The Courtauld Gallery has reopened following a long renovation.
• The Victoria and Albert Museum's Cast Courts — galleries displaying plaster-cast replicas of famous statues, such as Trajan's Column and Michelangelo's David — have reopened after a lengthy renovation.
• To avoid the long security line at the main entrance to British Museum, try using the north Montague Place entrance.
• Borough Market is now open on Sundays (10:00–15:00), though it is much less lively then than it is the rest of the week.
• TKTS now sells same-day theater tickets online (as well as from its booth).
• The former Queens Theatre is now the Sondheim Theatre.
• Recommended driver guide Janine Barton has retired.
• Quite a few recommended restaurants have closed: Eat, Princi, Nordic Bakery, XU Teahouse, Y Ming Chinese Restaurant, Beirut Express, Geales, Andina Picanteria & Pisco Bar, Terroirs Wine Bar, and La Bottega.
• Afternoon tea is no longer served at the Restaurant at Sotheby's or in the National Dining Rooms within the National Gallery.
• The 22 York Street B&B has permanently closed, as have the Princes Square Guest Accommodation and St. Paul's Youth Hostel.

For books printed before June 2020, the following may also apply:

• The City of London Information Centre phone number is +44 (0)20 7606 3030.
• The Cutty Sark and Royal Observatory Greenwich have implemented tiered pricing, with higher prices on weekends and bank holidays. Tickets bought online are still cheaper than walk-up tickets on any day.
• At the Tate Modern, free 45-minute guided tours are offered at 12:00 and 13:00 (Natalie Bell Building) and 14:00 (Blavatnik Building).
• Shakespeare's Globe's off-season last tours are Mon–Sat at 12:30, Sun at 16:00. The box office is open Mon–Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun until 17:00.
• At the British Library, two one-hour tours are offered daily — a Treasures tour (generally at 11:00) and a Building tour (generally at 14:00). You can book online or call +44 (0)19 3754 6546.
• Bus route #23 no longer runs the route described in Rick Steves guidebooks, and buses #6 and #12 no longer run. Visit the Transport For London website for current bus routes.
• Direct Eurostar trains between London and Amsterdam are now running — on these routes, travelers don't need to connect in Brussels in either direction.
• La Bottega in Belgravia has closed.
• The Nadler Kensington is now The Resident Kensington ([email protected]).
• LondonConnection.com is no longer in business.

For books printed before March 2020, the following may also apply:

• The Victorian afternoon tea is served Fri 13:00–19:00 (no longer on Sun).
• Bus route #RV1 has been canceled.
• Savini at the Criterion has closed.

For books printed before October 2019, the following may also apply:

• The British Library is now open Mon–Thu 9:30–20:00, Fri until 18:00, Sat until 17:00, Sun 11:00–17:00.
• The Painted Hall at Greenwich's Old Royal Naval College has reopened. Its admission includes a 45-minute tour of Old Royal Navy College grounds (daily 10:00–17:00). The nearby Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul is still free to visit.
• The Greenwich city walk that's operated by the tourist information office now runs only at 12:15 (no 14:15 tour).
• The Heathrow Express does not accept Oyster Cards.
• Sir John Soane's Museum's one-hour highlights tours now run Thu–Sun at 12:00, and on Sat–Sun at 11:00 as well.
• Recommended guide Tom Hooper's new email address is [email protected].
• London Bicycle Tour Company's office has moved to 74 Kennington Road (next to the Imperial War Museum).
• Stanfords Travel Bookshop has moved around the corner to 7 Mercer Walk.
• The Cartoon Museum has moved to 63 Wells Street.
• K+K Hotel George has a new email address: [email protected].
• Seven Dials Hotel has a new email address: [email protected].
• Generator Hostel has a new email address: [email protected].
• The EasyHotel at Earl's Court has closed, as has the Hotel Ibis at Euston/St. Pancras.
• Bao and Mildred's Vegetarian Restaurant are now both open daily.
• Salumeria Dino is now open on Saturdays.

For books printed before December 2019, the following may also apply:

• Several recommended eateries have closed: Potato Project, Melt Room, and the Gay Hussar.

For books printed before September 2018, the following may also apply:

• The Heathrow Connect train is no longer running.
• Sir John Soane's Museum is open Wednesday–Sunday (not Tuesday–Saturday).
• Inigo Jones' masterpiece of Neoclassical architecture, the Queen's House in Greenwich, has reopened.

• The tourist information office outside the main train station (at Luisenstrasse 1) is now open Mon–Sat 9:00–17:00, Sun from 10:00.
• The Neue Pinakothek remains closed for major renovations, with plans to reopen in 2029. Until then, some of its key works of 19th century art are on display on the ground floor of the Alte Pinakothek and in the Schack Collection.
• The Munich City Museum has closed for a major renovation that's expected to last until mid-2031 (!). Its recommended Stadtcafé remains open (until summer 2027).
• Haxnbauer restaurant is reopening, as Haxnbäurin, in a new location at In Tal 38 (between Marienplatz and Isartor) in December 2024.
• Hotel St. Paul has closed.
• The EurAide train information office in the Munich train station has closed.

For books printed before January 2023, the following may also apply:

• While construction is underway at the train station, look for the travel center (Reisezentrum, with ticket counters near track 11 (not track 18). Car rental agencies are currently located on streets around the station, not opposite track 22.
• The Romantic Road bus now leaves from Karlsplatz 21, not the central bus station (ZOB), and only goes once or twice a week.
• All Gray Line buses also now leave from Karlsplatz 21.
• We recommend Flixbus rather than Deutsche Bahn buses from Munich to destinations outside Germany.
• Both MVG customer service centers are now closed on Sundays.
• Radius Tours' office is now located at Dachauer Strasse 4, near the train station.
• The Munich Walk tour company is no longer operating.
• The first of two completely overhauled wings at the Deutsches Museum's main branch has reopened, and with a new entrance on the southwest end of the complex. (The second wing remains closed and under renovation until 2028.) The museum no longer offers combo-tickets with its aviation or transportation branches.
• The in-person München Ticket Office in the New Town Hall has closed; information and tickets are still available at www.muenchenticket.de.

For books printed before March 2022, the following may also apply:

• Hotel Monaco, Pension Lindner, and Pension am Jakobsplatz have closed.

For books printed before February 2021, the following may also apply:

• Munich's transit tickets now reflect the city's new transit-zone system, with Zone M being the central zone in which most travelers spend most of their time, though Dachau lies in Zone 1, and the airport in Zone 5. Ticketing otherwise remains the same.
• The Nazi Documentation Center no longer charges admission (and still doesn't charge for audioguide).
• Litty's Hotel has closed.

• The Notre-Dame Cathedral is slated to reopen in fall 2024. An online reservation system is planned.

For books printed before April 2024, the following may apply:

• Expect changes leading up to, during, and even after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (July 26–August 11).
• If you plan to use a Paris Museum Pass for to visit the Louvre, you'll need to book much farther in advance — at least six weeks ahead in high season — than needed for standalone Louvre tickets, as passholder spaces are limited. That said, we now recommend booking even Louvre-only tickets as far ahead as possible. The museum is (once again) open late on Fridays (until 21:45), and may also stay open later on Wednesdays as well — check its site for current hours.
• The Paris Museum Pass is going digital only; paper passes will be sold at participating museums, monuments, and TIs until the stock is depleted.
• A two-part visitor experience is now open at Notre-Dame Cathedral (in the underground parking garage behind the Archeological Crypt). The "In the Heart of the Restoration" exhibit uses video monitors to explain the monumental task of rebuilding the cathedral following the catastrophic 2019 fire. And the breathtaking "Eternelle Notre-Dame" virtual-reality experience lets visitors travel through time from the cathedral's 12th-century construction up to the fire. Highlights include gazing into the nave from above; watching the assembly of rose windows; "meeting" the cathedral's architect, craftsmen, and first bishop; and gazing at views over Paris from the Middle Ages through today. The first exhibit is free, but the virtual-reality experience is fairly pricey (€35, €25 for kids under 18, cheaper online — choose the Notre-Dame square location, not the other location at La Défense; both parts open Tue–Sun 10:00–20:00, closed Mon).
• The Delacroix Museum has reopened.
• When approaching the Orsay Museum, use the entry that accords with your ticket: When facing the entrance, head to the left if you have a pre-booked Orsay ticket; those using a Paris Museum Pass and those purchasing tickets on-site enter on the right (where there's a separate line for each). The Orsay now requires pre-booked tickets for free-ticket days on the first Sunday of the month.
• Discounted tickets at the Opéra Garnier for those with a ticket to the Orsay Museum are only granted within five days of your Orsay visit.
• The Grand Palais is now expected to remain closed until at least 2025.
• The Orangerie Museum now requires pre-booked tickets only for free-entry days on the first Sunday of the month — but we still strongly recommend booking in advance for any Orangerie visit.
• If you're planning to get a combo-ticket that covers either the Orangerie or Rodin Museum in addition to the Orsay, it's smart to visit the Orsay after buying your combo-ticket at either of those less-crowded museums. (You can book a timed-entry spot before you've purchased a ticket.) There is no longer a combo-ticket that covers both the Orangerie and Monet's gardens in Giverny.
• Rooms 16–21 at the Cluny Museum are often closed; if this is the case during your visit, you'll need to backtrack to the entrance and climb the stairs to see the museum's final rooms.
• The escalator to the Centre Pompidou's sixth-floor view terrace is now free. Nearby, the studio of sculptor Constantin Brancusi has closed.
• The Architecture and Monuments Museum has intriguing exhibits on the Notre-Dame fire (through June 2, 2024).
• At Les Invalides, a dazzling sounds-and-light show runs after dark from mid-July to early September.
• At the Eiffel Tower, the Madame Brasserie restaurant has opened on the tower's first level, with two lunch and two dinner seatings. Reserve far in advance, particularly for a view table.
• Train and bus service from Paris to Château Vaux-le-Vicomte is unpredictable; check transportation websites before going. Likely the best approach is to take a train from Gare de Lyon to Melun and then a taxi to the château.
• After 75 years in operation, Paris' largest cabaret, the Lido, has shut down. Its building, directly on the Champs-Élysées, now houses a UGC multiplex cinema.
• The correct email address for Hôtel Eiffel Kensington is [email protected].
• Hôtel Bonaparte and Hôtel Basss are closing for renovations at some point in 2024.

For books printed before September 2022, the following may also apply:

• We no longer recommend waiting to buy the Paris Museum Pass once you get to Paris — since some covered sights need to be booked ahead (such as the Louvre), it's best to purchase your pass online in advance of your trip.
• Timed-entry tickets are now required at the Louvre. Visitors can enter at the pyramid up to 30 minutes before their assigned time. Its Post-Impressionist works are now on Level 5 (not Level 2), near the Impressionist rooms.
• The Cluny Museum has reopened after a major renovation (€12, Tue–Sun 9:30–18:15, closed Mon).
• The Paris Sewer Museum has reopened (now €9, covered by Museum Pass, Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00, closed Mon, last entry one hour before closing).
• Post-Impressionist works at the Orsay Museum are now in new galleries on level 5, near the Impressionist rooms.
• The National Maritime Museum has reopened.
• The tourist-information office in the underground Carrousel du Louvre mall has closed.
• The hop-on, hop-off bus company L'Open Tour has rebranded as "TootBus" and now runs the "Paris by Night" tour (not Paris City Vision).
• The 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant has reopened. Reserve long in advance, especially if you want a view (+33 1 72 76 18 46, toll tel. +33 8 25 56 66 62).
• The Place Gambetta bus stop for Père Lachaise Cemetery is no longer the last stop of the #69 bus route.
• Disneyland Paris has retired its free Fastpass program. Its new "Premier Access" system allows parkgoers to skip the lines for the most popular rides by paying a fee (which varies by date and attraction).
• Hotel de la Paix's correct street address is 19 Rue du Gros Caillou.
• Young & Happy Hostel has closed.
• Restaurants Les Fables de la Fontaine, Cuillier Coffee, L'Epicerie-Rotisserie Jeanne B, and Le Jardin d'en Face have closed.
• The Hédiard gourmet shops have closed, as have Fauchon's Traiteur Pâtisserie and its Cave, Chocolat, Épicerie shop.
• A Paris–Nice night train is now running again (12 hours, does not run daily).
• Overnight Paris–Italy trains are no longer operating; direct trains between France and Italy are now limited to daytime TGV and Frecciarossa trains on the Paris–Lyon–Turin–Milan route.
• A new Paris–Vienna night train now runs three times a week (14 hours; keep in mind that flying may be cheaper).
• Le Bus Direct (formerly just known as the Air France bus) has gone out of business. Good alternatives for reaching the city center from Paris' airports include the Roissybus and RER/Train-B.
• The correct phone number for airport-transfer service Inter Service Prestige is +37 7 62 23 23 31.

For books printed before January 2021, the following may also apply:

• The Paris Archaeological Crypt has reopened after the Notre-Dame fire closure.
• The Fragonard Perfume Museum has moved to 3 Square Louis Jouvet.
• The Carnavalet Museum has reopened after a major multiyear renovation.
• If you plan to visit the Louvre with a Museum Pass, we recommend making a reservation in advance, even for an off-season visit. You can book a reservation online as late as the day of your visit, even in high season — but you do need to get your Museum Pass first, as the site will ask you to enter your pass's number. While the Museum Pass now carries a one-visit-per-museum restriction, the Louvre's three wings count as different museums for the sake of the pass — so you can visit the Louvre three times on one pass, provided you enter through a different wing each time.
• The Puces St. Ouen tourist information office has new telephone number: +33 1 55 87 67 50.
• Bistrot Chez France's phone number is now +33 1 40 67 96 54.
• Café Delmas on Place de la Contrescarpe has closed.
• The Poilâne bakery is now closed Sunday.
• Hotel Bosquet is now Hotel Relais Bosquet. Rick Steves readers can get a discount by booking online with code "RSDEAL."
• Hôtel Eber-Mars is now Hôtel le Cercle-Tour Eiffel, and has new contact info: +33 1 47 05 42 30, [email protected].
• Port-Royal Hotel's correct email address is [email protected].
• The local bus connecting Beauvais airport and the Beauvais train station is now #6 (not #12).
• SoGymnase Comedy Club no longer offers shows in English.

For books printed before November 2019, the following may also apply:

• Following the 2019 fire, Notre-Dame Cathedral will likely be closed for several years. Access to the Ile de la Cité may also change while reconstruction is underway; check the tourist information office's updates page for the latest.
• The Sacré-Cœur's dome is now open 8:30–20:00 (May–Sept) and 9:00–17:00 (Oct–April).
• The Arc de Triomphe is no longer free the first Sunday of the month in October (now November–March). Museum Pass holders with kids no longer have to wait in line for tickets at the Arc.
• The Louvre Wine Museum now closes at 18:00, and the phone number is +33 1 40 28 13 11.
• The Rodin Museum now stays open until 18:30. There is no longer a separate entry time and cost for the gardens.
• The Louvre is no longer free on first Sundays.
• Online reservations for the Eiffel Tower are now available 60 days in advance. From September until mid-June, the last ascent by stairs is at 18:30. For any trip up the tower that includes stairs — any time of year — tickets must be purchased on-site.
• The Paris Museum Pass is now activated at the time of first use and is time-based (not days-based). For example, a two-day pass gives you 48 hours of use from the time you first use it (e.g. if your first entry is at 13:00, you get 48 hours from 13:00). While prices have increased, it's still the best value of all the passes offered in Paris, and pays for itself with four key admissions in two days (for example, the Louvre, Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle, and Versailles).
• Paper Métro tickets are being phased out in favor of plastic Navigo travel cards, which cover transit on the Métro, public buses, and the RER/suburban train. Single-use tickets for buses and the RER/suburban train will likely remain available. There are two Navigo options:
  • Navigo Easy Card: Load euros onto your €2 Navigo Easy card and pay as you ride (€1.90/ride), or load the card with a 10-ride pass (€14.90) or day pass (€7.50 for Zones 1-2).
  • Navigo Decouverte Pass: This chip-embedded card costs a one-time €5 fee. When you buy, select from a weekly (€23) or monthly pass and ride unlimited during that time.
  You can buy your Navigo Easy or Découverte card at any staffed Métro station and at most tabacs.
• The tourist information office at Gare de l'Est has closed.
• Local guide Arnaud Servignat's correct email address is [email protected].
• At the Orangerie Museum, the Walter-Guillaume Collection on the bottom floor has been renovated and reorganized. The collection no longer presents the art chronologically, but now groups paintings by confronting artists.
• The Paris Webservices has a new email address: [email protected].
• Bike About Tours' 3.5-hour tour meeting point has changed to Le Peloton Café, located in the Marais at 17 Rue du Pont Louis Philippe. Their additional May–Sept afternoon tour now runs at 14:30.
• Opéra Garnier's morning guided tours in English that run July–Aug are now at 11:00 daily. Their updated contact information is +33 1 42 46 72 40 or 1 71 25 24 23, [email protected].
• The Thanksgiving store has closed.
• The Marché de Saxe street market is only open Thursday and Saturday now (not Tuesday).
• Stéphane Secco at 20 Rue Jean Nicot has closed.
• Le Pré Verre has closed.
• Café de Mars is now closed Sunday–Monday.
• The Gérard Mulot pâtisserie at 76 Rue de Seine is now called Maison Mulot and is no longer closed Wednesdays.
• Cave à Jojo has closed.
• La Poule au Pot is now closed Sat–Sun and has a new phone number: +33 1 47 05 16 36.
• Autour de Midi et Minuit has closed.
• Hôtel Prince has closed.
• The Parler Parlor conversation group has closed.

For books printed before April 2019, the following may also apply:

• The Picasso Museum has a new website: www.museepicassoparis.fr.

For books printed before October 2018, the following may also apply:

• The tourist information offices in the Opéra neighborhood (25 Rue des Pyramides) and in Montmartre (21 Place du Tertre) have closed.
• ADP information desks at Paris airports have closed.
• Cobblestone Paris, an apartment rental company, now offers a 10 percent discount for Rick Steves readers in addition to two free river cruises (no minimum night requirement) — use code RSPARIS. They also have a new email address: [email protected].
• The Canadian Consulate and Embassy has moved to 130 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré (+33 1 44 43 29 02).
• Brasserie Aux PTT in the Rue Cler no longer offers Rick Steves readers a breakfast special.
• The Vélib' Bikes system is being overhauled to offer lighter bikes, electric bikes, and an easier booking process; see their new website for updates.
• City Sightseeing Tours has a new website.
• The Peugeot dealership on the Champs-Élysées (at #136) has closed.
• Street parking can now be paid with a credit card — it's no longer necessary to buy a parking card at a tabac.

• Pfalzgrafenstein Castle has a new website.
• The shuttle bus from St. Goar to Rheinfels Castle has been handed over to the local bus company. Visitors can now take bus #681 to the castle, and #682 back to town.
• The Koblenz tourist information office has a new website.
• Pension Winzerhaus in Bacharach has a new website.
• In St. Goar, Landgasthof Biergarten Rebstock is now called Aries am Rhein.
• In St. Goar, Hotel an der Fähre no longer rents bikes.
• In St. Goar, Frau Kurz is no longer renting rooms.
• In Koblenz, the Romanticum has closed.

For books printed before January 2023, the following may apply:

• K-D Line riverboats run on a significantly different schedule than what's listed in Rick Steves books printed before 2023; check schedules (look for "Fahrplan Hauptsaison Rhein" table on pages 21–22 of the linked pdf) before heading out.
• Bacharach's tourist-information office no longer offers walking tours.
• The Jost souvenir store in Bacharach is now a wine shop.
• St. Goar's tourist-information office has moved down the street to Heerstrasse 81, and now has shorter opening hours in high season: Mon–Tue and Thu–Fri 10:00–16:30, Wed and Sat–Sun until 13:00.
• The Signal and River Pilots Museum (Wahrschauer- und Lotsenmuseum) in St. Goar has closed.
• The Montag family's beer-stein souvenir shop in St. Goar has closed; the steins are now for sale in their cuckoo-clock shop.
• Expect Rheinfels Castle to close for a week during the Castle Beats music festival (late August or early September).
• At the Rhein Hotel in Bacharach, all rooms have air-conditioning (but only the "hiker room" has an in-room sauna).
• Gasthaus Jägerstube in Bacharach has closed.
• Rusticana restaurant in Bacharach is now Café Bistro Noy.
• Marksburg Castle now offers English-language tours only at 13:15; German-language tours (which include an English handout) no longer run on a set schedule. There's no longer a tourist train running between Braubach and the castle.
• Burg Pfalz has more limited opening hours than what's stated on its English-language website and in Rick Steves books printed before 2023.

• 2025 is a Catholic Jubilee year, which will bring millions of pilgrims to Rome. To help you plan when to visit (or avoid) certain areas, particularly around the Vatican, check the Jubilee 2025 website or visit the Pilgrims Welcome Center in Rome (Via della Conciliazione 7) for events calendars, news, and information.
• Fiumicino Airport currently has only two operating terminals (T1 and T3). Terminal T5 is closed for renovation.
• You can now pay as you enter the Metro, buses, and trams by tapping your contactless credit card.
• Public transit prices are due to increase in January 2025. Standard fare will be €2 (valid for 100 minutes); day passes, €9.30–24 (sold in increments of 24, 48, and 72 hours); and week passes, €32.
• The tourist information office at Termini station has closed.
• We now recommend booking timed-entry tickets for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel as far in advance as possible (€25, including reservation fee). If individual tickets are sold out during the dates of your visit, consider booking a guided tour instead (€40, includes admission). The shop on St. Peter's Square no longer sells same-day tickets to the Vatican Museums.
• The website for purchasing Colosseum tickets has changed. Be aware that the site may work only during Colosseum opening hours.
• The Roman Forum/Palatine Hill/Imperial Forums are one single-entry sight: If you plan to visit more than one, you'll need to do it in a single visit, using internal connecting routes (no exiting to the street and reentering). Be aware that the website for purchasing tickets may work only during Forum opening hours.
• The Pantheon now charges a €5 entrance ticket, available via the Italian Ministry of Culture's site and in person: at the entrance, choose the shortest line and book at the machine, pay as you enter, or book online while you wait. Entry is free the first Sunday of the month. Be aware that these ticketing details may change later in 2024.
• To climb the dome at St. Peter's Basilica, the ticket office (with stairway entry) is typically on the south (left) side of the basilica but sometimes moves to the right side, where the elevator entrance is. Those visitors who want to take the elevator will still need to buy tickets at the ticket office on the left side, and walk around to the elevator entrance.
• The ruins at the Sacred Area of Largo Argentina (Area Sacra di Largo Argentina) are open to visitors (€5, Tue-Sun 9:30-19:00, shorter hours off-season, closed Mon).
• Visits to the Catacombs of Priscilla are by 45-minute guided tour only.
• The website for information about the Borghese Gallery is now galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it.
• The Appia Antica Caffè once again rents bikes — both regular and e-bikes (Via Appia Antica 175, +39 06 8987 9575).
• Arch Rome Suites has a new email address: [email protected].
• Can't Be Missed Tours has a new phone number: +39 333 779 1273.
• The evening sound-and-light shows at the Imperial Forums have been discontinued.
• The Mercato Monti market has closed.

For books printed before September 2022, the following may also apply:

• Tickets for the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill are sold online only (no tickets sold on-site). All Colosseum tickets are timed-entry.
• Reservations are currently required for weekend visits to the Pantheon. (No reservations are required or possible on weekdays.)
• The tourist information offices on Via Nazionale (at Palazzo delle Esposizioni) and near Piazza Navona (at Piazza delle Cinque Lune) have closed.
• Visiting the Borghese Gallery has become a little easier: Entry is still by mandatory reservation, but appointed times are now offered hourly (rather than every two hours) and you're no longer required to limit your visit to two hours. To help with crowd control, visitors are now routed to different floors upon arrival.
• The Roman Guy tours has a new phone number: US +1 888 290 5595.
• Tom Rankin no longer leads guided tours.
• Another option for requesting tickets to a papal audience is to email the Bishops' Office for US Visitors to the Vatican three months to three weeks prior to your requested date; you'll pick up tickets the afternoon before your visit ([email protected]).
• Tickets for the Rome from the Sky elevator (at the Victor Emmanuel Monument) now include admission to the Risorgimento Museum.
• The Mausoleum of Augustus has been restored and is open to visitors who book online far in advance.
• The Roman Houses at Palazzo Valentini are now open every day.
• The small museum at Ostia Antica is closed for renovations.
• Eating Italy food tours is now Eating Europe.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed: Il Pentagrappolo, Hostaria da Nerone, and Pizzeria Annicinquanta.
• San Crispino Gelateria (in the Pantheon neighborhood) has closed.
• Many recommended shops have closed, including Made bakery, Spazio, Peperita, dell'Alta Moda, Vertecchi, Il Cerichio dei Goloso, La Peonia, Attilio, Roncaccia, and Santa Maria Novella.
• The live music venue and enoteca Il Pentagrappolo has closed.
• Dharma Style Hotel is now Dharma Luxury Hotel and has a new email address: [email protected].
• The Casa di Santa Brigida has a new email address: [email protected].
• Bellesuite Rome has closed, but Maison delle Naiadi Roma has opened in its place, with renovated rooms.
• Several recommended hotels have closed: Casa per Ferie Santa Maria alle Fornaci, Hotel Due Torri, Hotel San Carlo, Hotel Margaret, and Hotel Sileo.
• Cross-Pollinate vacation rentals is no longer operating.

For books printed before January 2021, the following may also apply:

• "Decorum laws" are now more strictly enforced, including fines. We no longer recommend picnicking anywhere but in parks or other green spaces. Eating discreetly is fine, but not near major sights.
• The shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's is no longer an option. It is strictly for tour groups and the exit is monitored.
• Colosseum and Forum tickets have changed: The basic Colosseum and Forum/Palatine ticket has gone up in price and is valid for 24 hours. The SUPER ticket is gone; in its place are two new tickets:

1. The Full Experience ticket, valid two consecutive days, covers the Colosseum (plus choice of arena or underground area), Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, special Super sites, and the newly opened Imperial Forums (Forum of Julius Caesar and Forum of Trajan, connected by a new path that passes beneath Via dei Fori Imperiali).
2. The Forum Super Pass, which is valid one day, includes Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, special Super sites, and the Imperial Forums, but not the Colosseum.

Both of these tickets allow entry near Trajan's Column.

• The 48-hour Roma Pass only offers one sight, not two. This pass now covers the Villa Borghese.
• St. Patrick's Church no longer arranges papal audience tickets.
• The Museum of the Liberation of Rome is now open daily 9:00–19:00, except closed in August.
• The café at the Victor Emmanuel Monument has closed.
• Electric minibuses are back: Elettrico #117 connects San Giovanni in Laterano, Colosseo, Via Cavour, Via Nazionale, and Trevi Fountain. Elettrico #119 connects Piazza Venezia, Via del Corso, Trevi Fountain, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, and Piazza Augusto Imperatore.
• The Opera da Camera di Roma has moved to Palazzo Albertoni Spinola at Piazza Capizucchi 6 (close to the Jewish quarter).
• Feltrinelli International bookstore has closed.
• The Italo train+bus connection between Rome and Sorrento has been suspended.

• The Romantic Road bus route between Munich and Rothenburg is no longer running.

For books printed before January 2023, the following may apply:

• The English Conversation Club is no more.
• Hotel Spitzweg has closed.
• The Romantic Road bus now runs only once or twice a week, and only in summer (May–Sept): Between Frankfurt and Rothenburg it runs only on Sundays.

For books printed before February 2021, the following may also apply:

• The former Gästehaus am Klosterhof is now Gästehaus Edelzimmer Rothenburg, run by Jennifer and Martin Menzel, and it no longer offers breakfast (+49 163 7710 9959, [email protected]).

• The dome of La Salute Church is now open to visitors (€8, Wed–Sun 10:00–17:00), making for another breathtaking Grand Canal viewpoint. Its sacristy (now €6) is now closed all day Mondays, and on Tuesday mornings.
• Venice is now charging day-trippers €5 on certain dates; at those times every visitor to the old city should be prepared to show a QR code as proof that they've paid the fee. The city also charges a tourist tax for overnight visitors (€1–5/person per night, depending on time of year and accommodation class); your hotel will provide you with the QR-code proof of your overnight stay.
• For St. Mark's Basilica, we now recommend making reservations at least a month in advance in peak season.
• The Treasury at St. Mark's Basilica is closed indefinitely.
• The tourist information office inside the train station has moved to the edge of the canal nearby. it's now located to the left of the Church of Santa Maria of Nazareth (between the Ferrovia vaporetto dock C/D and the train station).
• Vaporetto line #3, which runs from Venice's train and bus stations to Murano-Colonna, is suspended due to restoration work.
• The Alilaguna aiport boat's red line (linea rossa), which connects Marco Polo Airport with Venice city center and other nearby stops, runs only from mid-April through October.
• At San Giorgio Maggiore, there is a mandatory €8 "donation" to climb the bell tower, which must be paid in cash. (And the island does not have ATMs.)
• At Scuola San Rocco, Tintoretto's Crucifixion is under restoration until at least 2025, so some paintings in the Sala dell'Albergo may be covered up.
• In the Cannaregio district, near the Arsenale gate, the Ships Pavilion (with 19th-century boats) may be closed for renovation.
• The Jewish Museum is closed for renovation until at least 2025.
• La Fenice opera house has a new box office phone number: +39 041 272 2699.
• Trattoria da Bepi has changed its name to Bepi Antico 54.
• Osteria al Ponte Storto has changed its name to Ai 4 Feri Storti.
• Guide Sara from Walks Inside Venice has passed away. (Roberta is still guiding.)
• Cross-Pollinate vacation rentals is no longer operating.
• Il Merletto lace shop on Burano has closed.
• La Murrina shop on Murano has closed.
• Inishark Pub has closed.

For books printed before November 2022, the following may also apply:

• St. Mark's Basilica now charges admission (€3, or €6 for timed-entry advance ticket).
• From late May to mid-September, vaporetto line #2, which typically runs between Piazzale Roma (bus station) and San Marco/San Zaccaria via Giudecca, converts to an express boat that runs all the way down the Grand Canal to/from San Marco.
• Venice Bites Food Tours is no longer operating.
• The Rolling Venice card is valid for ages 6–29.
• The Vetri d'Arte shop in Palazzo Rota no longer offers glassblowing demonstrations.
• City Sightseeing no longer runs hop-on, hop-off boats to the lagoon islands.
• La Botique del Gelato has closed.
• Casa Rezzonico hotel is closed for renovations, and may not reopen under the same name.
• Hotel Anastasia has closed.
• Albergo Doni has a new phone number: +39 348 511 1007.
• Abbazia Hotel has a new email address: [email protected].
• Locanda Ca' San Marcuola has a new email address: [email protected].
• Locanda Herion has new a new email address: [email protected].
• The intercity bus services formerly operated by Sena/Baltour have been taken over by Flixbus, with some changes in frequencies and routes.

For books printed before January 2021, the following may also apply:

• Free tours of St. Mark's Basilica now begin at 11:00 (not 11:30)

For books printed before November 2019, the following may also apply:

• The Correr Museum/Doge Palace's combo ticket is now €25.
• It's now easy to reserve an entry time online for St. Mark's Basilica, even for the same day (€3 booking fee, April–October only).
• Venice's youth hostel is now called Generator Venice. It has a new website and email: www.staygenerator.com/venice, [email protected].
• Instituto Ciliota has been renamed Domus Ciliota.
• Brek cafeteria chain has closed.
• Casa per Ferie Santa Maria della Pierta has closed.
• Osteria di Bentigodi has closed.

For books printed before September 2018, the following may also apply:

• Italo now runs a useful Milan–Venice train route.

For books printed before May 2018, the following may also apply:

• Osteria alle Testiere, Rick's "top dining splurge" in Venice, only takes reservations via email: [email protected].
• The Venice tourist information office's website is now at www.veneziaunica.it.
• The German Exchange now houses the T Fondaco dei Tedeschi luxury mall.

For books printed before September 2022, the following may apply:

• A timed-entry ticket is now required to enter the château. Reserve ahead (no fee) and book an entry time online.

For books printed before January 2021, the following may also apply:

• Visitors can now purchase either a palace-only ticket or a "Le Passeport" pass that includes the Trianon and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette.
• The Phébus TRI shuttle bus has been discontinued.

For books printed before October 2019, the following may also apply:

• Les Grandes Eaux Musicales now runs early April–late October.
• The gardens are now free on Mondays (though the palace is closed).
• Hôtel de France has new contact information: www.hoteldefranceversailles.com, [email protected].
• The Queen's Wing of the Palace of Versailles has reopened following an extensive renovation.