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 July 2025, the following may apply:

• Following the success of Germany's post-pandemic experiment with a single monthly ticket for nationwide transportation, it now offers the 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).

For books printed before June 2025, the following may apply:

• Car-rental agencies in Italy are now seem to be 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 museum websites ending in ".it" only operate when the sight itself is open. From the US, you may have to visit these websites 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 July 2025, the following may apply:

• Tickets for the Gotthard Panorama Express train-and-boat journey are available on its official website, as are seat reservations for the train journey. If you don't have a first-class travel pass, you can save a little money by buying your boat ticket separately, either on the SBB Mobile app or at train station kiosks (rather than through the official website). This allows you to choose a cheaper second-class ticket for the boat (even though a first-class ticket for the train is required).

• Voyage Amsterdam canal boat tours has changed their departure point to the pier at Singel 359.
• The Westerkerk tower may still be closed during your visit.
• Tour guide Dennis Gerrits has increased his hourly rate to €75.
• Herengracht 21 B&B no longer offers canal boat tours.

For books printed before March 2025, the following may also apply:

• 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.
• The 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.
• The Noordermarkt (the end of Westerstraat) takes place on Saturdays as well as Mondays.
• 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.
• 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.

These older updates still pertains to some of our audio tours:

• Amsterdam's city government has banned guided 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.
• The Museum of Bags and Purses has closed, as has the Biblical Museum.

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 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.

• The north terminal of the World Trade Center is now closed to cruise ships, and the south terminal is closing at the end of 2026. Ships will continue to dock at the five berths at Moll Adossat.
• The blue cruise shuttle bus and hop-on, hop-off Bus Turístic red route now stop near the World Trade Center, a 10-minute walk or quick taxi ride from the Columbus Monument at the bottom of the Ramblas.

For books printed before May 2024, the following may also 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. Bus #24 no longer stops at the park's side entrance, and bus route #92 (which had also stopped at Park Guell's side entrance) has been discontinued.
• 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 Barcelona Cathedral has changed the hours it's open for tourist visits. Visitors can no longer use the side door facing Carrer dels Comtes, and cloister doors are reserved for those with reduced mobility.
• The Barri Gòtic street Sant Doménec del Call has been renamed "Carrer de Salomó Ben Adret."
• 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.
• 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.
• Barcelona's main airport has been renamed Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport.
• The Gaudí Exhibition Center has closed.
• Casa Lleó Morera is now closed to the public.
• The Barcelona Guide Bureau has closed.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed, including Café de l'Academia and El Senyor Parellada.
• The Kitchen Company shop has closed.
• Hotel Banys Orientals is now Hotel Habana Hoose.

For our Barcelona audio tours, these older updates also apply:

• Sardana performances take place on Sundays in front of the cathedral at 11:15 (not noon, none in August), and some Saturdays at 18:00.
• La Pedrera no longer offers free entry to its atrium.

For books printed before June 2025, the following may apply:

• 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.
• The only way to see the inside of Potsdam's New Palace is to join a German-language guided tour (English audioguide available).
• 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.
• 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 (at 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 email address: [email protected].
• Hotel Zoe by Amano has a new email address: [email protected].
• Calma Berlin Mitte hotel has a new email address: [email protected].
• Hotel Albrechtshof has a new email address: [email protected].
• Hotel Oderberger has a new email address: [email protected].

This older updates pertains to our Berlin City Walk audio tour:

• 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 Schilthornbahn's new direct line between the valley floor (near Stechelberg) and Mürren is up and running, and the Piz Gloria restaurant has reopened (though some construction is still ongoing).
• Gimmelwald's Hotel Mittaghorn, run by Walter Mittler from 1970 until his death in 2019 and one of Rick's long-time fond favorites, will not reopen before 2027 (if at all).
• Wengernalp (a gorgeous 30-minute walk from Kleine Scheidegg) is, contrary to what's printed in our books, a rather steep one-hour hike from the Allmend train stop (which is indeed another 60 minutes' walk from Wengen).

For books printed before July 2025, the following may also apply:

• 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.)
• 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.
• If you find the walking path from Mürren to Gimmelwald blocked by construction work 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 June 2025, the following may apply:

• A timed-entry ticket is required to hike the Via dell'Amore, which is by guided tour only (€10 in addition to required Cinque Terre park card). Reservations can be made online or at information offices in the five villages, as well as in La Spezia and Levanto. Only 400 hikers are 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 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.
• Trattoria da Sandro in Vernazza has closed.

For books printed before October 2025, the following may apply:

• The Uffizi Gallery — where we recommend booking a timed-entry reservation at least a month in advance to have your pick of entry times — has switched to paperless tickets, and no longer offers a pay-by-phone option.
• The Vasari Corridor (between the Pitti Palace and Palazzo Vecchio via the Ponte Vecchio bridge) has reopened to visitors after a years-long restoration. It's accessible from the Uffizi Gallery. Buy a combo-ticket when reserving your Uffizi Gallery ticket.
• Walks Inside Florence has a new lead guide, Chiara Calanca, and a new phone number: +39 346 380 1015 ([email protected]).
• Because of a production error, our recommendation for Hotel la Scaletta did not appear in the first printing of the 28th edition of Rick Steves Italy:
  $$$$ Hotel la Scaletta, in the Oltarano neighborhood of Florence, has 40 pricey, sleek rooms hiding in a convoluted floor plan. Some ground-floor rooms surround a peaceful garden. Their fabulous rooftop terrace bar/restaurant offers 360-degree views and is a nice place for a drink (discount for Rick Steves readers when you pay with cash, family rooms, breakfast extra, Via de' Guicciardini 13, +39 055 283 028, [email protected], Sara).

For books printed before April 2025, the following may also apply:

• It's become critical to book in advance at the Accademia (at least two months in advance), the Uffizi (at least one month in advance), and for 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 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.
• At the Brancacci Chapel, which has reopened following a series of renovations, 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 that takes you 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.
• 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.
• 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 between the Florence airport and 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.
• 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. The office's smaller branch, across from the Duomo and inside the Loggia, has closed.
• The Florentine State Museums' site is the best for booking tickets for the Uffizi, Accademia, and the Uffizi/Pitti Palace/Boboli Gardens combo-ticket.
• 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.)
• Room numbers have been rearranged on the Uffizi's first and second floors.
• Tthe Museum of San Marco are now closed to visitors on Sundays. The room that was formerly known as "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. The Duomo now closes at 16:30 Mon–Sat year-round (though opening times sometimes change to accommodate to religious functions), and English mass there is now Sunday at 17:00 (the Duomo's interior is closed to visitors on Sundays).
• There's a new contact email for booking Duomo-themed tours: [email protected].
• Florencetown tours have moved to Piazza Mentana.
• Florentia tour company has a new email address: [email protected].
• Recommended guide Karin Kibby's new email address is: [email protected].

• Le Cantine de Tiflo restaurant in Villefranche-sur-Mer has closed.
• Antibes restaurants Chez Lulu and Le P'tit Cageot have closed.

For books printed before April 2024, the following may also 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 four days instead of just 24 hours, but costs a bit more (€15).
• 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.

For books printed before March 2025, the following may apply:

• 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.

• Tickets for Big Ben tours are now released several months in advance, on the second Wednesday of every month at 10:00, and usually sell out almost immediately.
• 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.
• The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields is now generally open daily 9:00–17:00, but it's smart to check before visiting. Free tours are now offered only on Wednesdays (14:00), and lunchtime concerts are now performed only on Fridays at 13:00.
• Britt Lonsdale has retired from guiding.
• 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.
• 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. First 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.
• The Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery is closed for renovation until May 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).
• 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.
• The British Museum's 1.5-hour tours need to be booked at least two weeks in advance.
• 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.
• The opening hours of sights at Buckingham Palace are likely to have changed since your book was printed.
• St. Paul's Cathedral is now usually 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 — but it's still worth checking its calendar for exact hours before your visit. Its Whispering Gallery has reopened.
• In the off-season (Sept–April), evensong at Westminster Abbey is now on Sat at 15:00.
• Hampton Court Palace has new hours.
• Pollock's Toy Museum is closed while it seeks a new permanent home.
• Greenwich's Clocktower Market, now 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).
• 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.
• 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.

• Haxnbauer restaurant has reopened, as Haxnbäurin, in a new location at In Tal 38 (between Marienplatz and Isartor).

For books printed before July 2025, the following may also apply:

• 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).
• Hotel St. Paul has closed.
• The EurAide train information office in the Munich train station has closed.

• Notre-Dame Cathedral is once again open to visitors. Though admission is free, a timed-entry reservation is highly recommended, either via the cathedral's website or its Compagnon de Visite app. Time slots are usually available up to a week ahead, with 10,000–15,000 reservations available per day. If you find all slots taken, check back regularly, as more times may be made available. Without a reservation, arrive at the cathedral early, expect long lines, and understand that you may not get in (visiting hours can vary depending on special events but usually open Mon–Fri 7:50–19:00, Thu until 22:00, Sat–Sun 8:15–19:30). The nearby "In the Heart of the Restoration" exhibit has closed, but the Eternelle Notre-Dame VR experience is still on (described below).
• Fat Tire Bike Tours now offers a €4 discount on their tours to Rick Steves guidebook readers (code: RS4OFF).
• After a long renovation, the Grand Palais is opening to the public on June 6, 2025.

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

• 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 tourist information offices until the stock is depleted.
• Notre-Dame Cathedral's breathtaking "Eternelle Notre-Dame" virtual-reality experience, in the underground parking garage behind the Archeological Crypt, 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 (roughly €40 but prices vary, usually cheaper online — choose the Notre-Dame square location, not the other location at La Défense; daily 10:00–20:00).
• 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 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.
• 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].

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. The 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).
• Timed-entry tickets are now required at the Louvre. Visitors can enter at the pyramid up to 30 minutes before their assigned time. If you plan to visit the Louvre with a Museum Pass, you 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 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 Cluny Museum has reopened after a major renovation (€12, Tue–Sun 9:30–18:15, closed Mon).
• Post-Impressionist works at the Orsay Museum are now in new galleries on level 5, near the Impressionist rooms.
• The Rodin Museum now stays open until 18:30. There is no longer a separate entry time and cost for the gardens.
• The hop-on, hop-off bus company L'Open Tour has rebranded as "TootBus."
• 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: You can buy your Navigo Easy or Découverte card at any staffed Métro station and at most tabacs.
  • Navigo Easy Card: Load euros onto your Navigo Easy card and pay as you ride, or load the card with a 10-ride pass or day pass.
  • Navigo Decouverte Pass: This chip-embedded card costs a one-time small fee. When you buy, select from a weekly or monthly pass and ride unlimited during that time.
• Local guide Arnaud Servignat's correct email address is [email protected].
• Café de Mars is now closed Sunday–Monday.

For books printed before July 2025, the following may apply:

• 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.
• In St. Goar, Landgasthof Biergarten Rebstock is now called Aries am Rhein.
• In St. Goar, Hotel an der Fähre no longer rents bikes.
• Sweet Frau Kurz, who long rented affordable rooms in St. Goar, has died.
• The Romanticum in Koblenz has closed.

• The Auditorium Parco della Musica has a new phone number: +39 06 8024 1281.

For books printed before October 2025, the following may also apply:

• St. Peter's Basilica is now offering a €7 timed-entry ticket that may save time in line (book in advance online; includes audioguide). Free entry is still available, but likely with longer lines to enter.
• The Trevi Fountain now limits the number of visitors, for a less crowded experience. Depending on the time of day and the season, you may wait in line 5–10 minutes or longer. You may stay at the fountain as long as you like. After 9 p.m., access is unrestricted.

For books printed before June 2025, the following may also apply:

• Photo ID is now required to enter the Colosseum as well as the Forum.
• Public transit prices have gone up for 2025: Standard fare is now €2 (valid for 100 minutes), day passes are €9.30–24 (sold in increments of 24, 48, and 72 hours), and week-long passes €32.

For books printed before April 2025, the following may also apply:

• 2025 is a Catholic Jubilee year, which is bringing 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.
• 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 and Roman Forum/Palatine Hill/Imperial Forums tickets has changed, and may work only during Colosseum opening hours (and tickets are only available online). Also, the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill/Imperial Forums are now 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). The evening sound-and-light shows at the Imperial Forums have been discontinued.
• 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 have changed again by the time you visit.
• 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.
• You can now pay as you enter the Metro, buses, and trams by tapping your contactless credit card.
• The tourist information office at Termini station has closed.
• The website for information about the Borghese Gallery is now galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it.
• The ruins at the Sacred Area of Largo Argentina (Area Sacra di Largo Argentina) are now 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 Appia Antica Caffè once again rents bikes — both regular and e-bikes (Via Appia Antica 175, +39 06 8987 9575).
• The Rick Steves discount code for Walks of Italy is now RICKSTEVESROME10. The code grants Rick Steves guidebook readers 10 percent off the company's Rome city tours and day trips, including Colosseum tours, but not including the Vatican museums.
• Can't Be Missed Tours has a new phone number: +39 333 779 1273.
• Fiumicino Airport currently has only two operating terminals (T1 and T3). Terminal T5 is closed for renovation.
• Arch Rome Suites has a new email address: [email protected].
• The Mercato Monti market has closed.
• The Banchievecchi Pellami shop has been renamed "Cuoi e Pelli."
• Fatamorgana no longer has a location on Via Laurina.
• Hotel Portoghesi has closed.
• There is no longer a Vatican Express train or Civitavecchia Express train between Civitavecchia and Rome, but fast Regionale Veloce trains run with few or no intermediate stops to the San Pietro, Ostiense, and Termini stations.
• You can now catch a PortLink shuttle bus from your cruise dock directly to the Civitavecchia train station (€6, buy ticket on board).

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

• 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.
• The shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's is no longer an option for independent travelers. It is strictly for tour groups and the exit is monitored.
• 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.
• Sitting on the Spanish Steps is no longer allowed. Violators face a €250 fine. Related "decorum laws" are also 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 Roman Guy tours has a new phone number: US +1 888 290 5595.
• 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).
• Recommended restaurant Il Pentagrappolo has closed.
• Feltrinelli International bookstore has closed.
• The Canadian Embassy in Rome has a new phone number: +39 06 854 441.
• The Vatican post office branch near the columns of St. Peter's Basilica's portico (just before the security checkpoint), is now closed (but you can still get the famous Vatican stamps at the other Vatican post office, next to the Vatican tourist information office).
• There's no more baggage storage at the train station in Civitavecchia, but you can store bags at two places on Via Garibaldi near the Varco Fortezza port entrance: the Semplice café and Seaman Hub.

For books printed before July 2025, the following may apply:

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

For books printed before October 2025, the following may apply:

• The city's "access fee" is being reinstated for 54 days in 2025, starting April 18. As in 2024 (see below), day-trippers must pay to enter the historical center: €5/person per day if you register more than four days ahead of you visit; after that the cost goes up to €10. Details are well explained by the tourism office's FAQ.
• Large cruise ships no longer dock at Venice's Stazione Marittima. Instead, they use the Marghera port on the mainland, or they dock farther away at Ravenna or Trieste (2–3 hours from Venice by car or train). The old Stazione Marittima port is still used for embarkation/debarkation processes for passengers starting or ending their cruise in Venice.
• The Alilaguna express boat blue line (linea blu) from the Marittima port to St. Mark's Square no longer leaves from in front of terminal building #103; instead, cruisers can get on at the Tronchetta (car park) or Ferrovia (Santa Lucia train station) stop.

For books printed before March 2025, the following may also apply:

• 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 a peak-season visit to St. Mark's Basilica, we now recommend making reservations at least a month in advance.
• The Treasury at St. Mark's Basilica is closed indefinitely.
• The tourist information office once located inside the train station has moved to the edge of the canal nearby, 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 while construction work is underway on the Cannaregio canal, which could last into 2026.
• 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 has reopened following its renovation.
• 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.
• The Correr Museum/Doge Palace's combo ticket is now €25.