Travel with Rick Steves

Listeners share secrets on traveling on a budget, and learn the price of being an over-worked American. Also, we'll get tips on researching family trees in Europe from two of our Sicilian friends, and look at the influence of Sicilian culture as an alternative to the frantic American pace of life. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Lonely Planet author Errol Hunt paints a vivid picture of his homeland, New Zealand, and its distinct social mix including the Polynesian Maori culture. And, for a sunny getaway closer to home, Rick explores Mexico's Baja California peninsula from its gritty border towns to land's end at Cabo San Lucas. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Lonely Planet author Michael Kohn updates us on the scene in Tibet, from the influence of the Chinese government over the indigenous Tibetan culture, to practical tips that will help travelers plan a trip there. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick exchanges stories and tips on encountering India for the first time with Lonely Planet author Sarina Singh. From conquering India's train system, to enjoying Bollywood films, and learning to eat without utensils, they discuss issues that push travelers outside their comfort zone in order to find the best travel souvenir: memories. We'll also hear more stories about the unexpected kindness of strangers on the road. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Join Rick for an insider's guide to the Castille region of central Spain, and to the Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius. Sampling the sites of Toledo and Madrid, we get an understanding of what gives the heart of Spain its vibrant character. We'll bask in the mélange of cultures that makes Mauritius a delicious tropical magnet for European socialites -- and a potential eco-destination for tracking the remains of the dodo bird. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

If you're looking to travel where the old has become new again you'll do well to look East. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, three of Rick's friends discuss their home countries of Hungary, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic and how to get the most there for your dollar. We'll also venture into the heart of the ancient world with an overview of the sites of Eastern Turkey. Tour guide Mehlika Seval tells us why she loves the traditional Eastern half of her country, where deeply-rooted cultures carry on with little interruption from tourism. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Tony Wheeler's company writes guidebooks for practically every country on the planet -- including some that get very few visitors. On top of that, he's written up his latest adventures to some of the most dubious destinations in "Bad Lands: A Tourist on the Axis of Evil." The head of Lonely Planet publications tells us what he found in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Libya, Burma, North Korea, Cuba, and Albania on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Just in time to celebrate Saint Stephen's Day with the Hungarians, we look at the enduring appeal of Hungary's capital city of Budapest. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, two Hungarian tour guides join Rick to take listener calls and explore why Budapest remains the economic and cultural centerpiece for Eastern Europe. Budapest is one of the world's truly grand cities, and has been a meeting place of cultures for centuries. We'll check out everything from hot springs to Hungarian food, and find out why travelers in the know call Budapest the "Paris of Eastern Europe." For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, we'll hear about Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh from a travel author on assignment in Southeast Asia. And we'll learnr how to plan a visit to the misty Cambodian jungle and it's magnificent temples at Angkor Wat. Also, travel editor Don George joins Rick to help listeners practice the craft of travel writing and research. And a listener entices us to his home town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, we hear from three of Rick's friends who left Great Britain to make new homes in Spain, Italy and France. They'll tell us what it's like living as an 'ex-pat' on the Continent, and offer advice for Americans thinking of moving to Europe on a budget. We'll also get tips on skiing and surfing options in Latin America. And a listener explains what's it like being an American living in Panama. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Now that Fidel Castro no longer heads the Cuban government, questions are emerging about whether Cuban authorities might start to relax control of its society, and how soon the US government might rescind its economic embargo on Cuba. On the next Travel with Rick Steves, we examine some of the anxieties, possibilities and realities regarding Americans and Cuba. Rick welcomes Cuba expert Christopher P Baker for a discussion of what's next for Cuba in these days of political limbo, and what it means for American travelers who want to go there. We're going to Cuba -- sort of -- on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

This week on Travel with Rick Steves we investigate vacation options -- near and far. We'll explore the American tradition of taking a road trip to the desert -- whether it's at a national park in Utah or among the lava fields of Hawaii's Big Island. And we'll see why visitors to Bali in Indonesia call it paradise on earth, and hear how its tourism industry is faring after several scares in recent years. From a great American road trip, to a beach vacation in Bali, we're taking off for a change of scenery on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The captain of a passenger barge based in Burgundy joins Rick to explain the fine art of cruising France's intimate network of canals and how this dimension of traveling through the French countryside brings with it new pleasures. And we'll hear stories from listeners who experienced simple acts of kidness by strangers in their travels. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

One of Europe's most entertaining cities is also a great place for a civilized stroll around town. Join us for an insider's guide to Edinburgh with guides Anne Doig and Ken Hanley. Each year, they lead hundreds of Americans around Edinburgh, sharing the ins and outs of their city. We'll hear how to best enjoy the fabled summer festivals -- among the most popular in Europe -- and catch a wee dram of Scottish pride and spirit. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick's friends from Lonely Planet publications join us to discuss exotic, emerging destinations around the world, and a fresh take on two American favorites. We'll look at maintaining the 20th century magic of the open road along U-S Route 66 and go uptown for a budget traveler's guide to New York City. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Stockholm-based tour guide Marita Bergman provides a glimpse into her home city, explaining how Swedish society is organized to provide for raising a familiy, and telling us how the Swedes celebrate the longest day of the year. We'll take listener calls with suggestions for exploring the Swedish countryside, too. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

After 40 years of Communism, the countries of Eastern Europe are coming into their own as the newest members of the European Union. We'll examine the dramatic changes to everyday life for the people of the former Soviet bloc countries and get an overview of tourism to the former Soviet "Stans" of Central Asia to see how they're faring as independent nations. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick explores how some of the little things travelers do, or neglect to do, affect the way Americans are perceived in Europe. Author Mary Murray Bosrock, a specialist in intercultural communication and behavior, joins Rick to examine what's considered appropriate behavior when conducting business in Europe, how formal travelers should be in different cultures, and which cheek to kiss (and when). For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Alaska is a dream destination for many, but the cost and logistics of traveling to America's last frontier can seem almost as imposing as the spectacular scenery. Lonely Planet author Aaron Spitzer joins Rick to discuss travel options for first-timers to Alaska and compare crusing the Southeast to road tripping through Mount Denali and the Kenai Peninsula. Also, Jeff Campbell offers practical tips on how to make a summer road trip with small children memorable for all the right reasons. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick spends the hour with Rolf Potts, one of the sharpest minds among the new generation of travel writers and bloggers. Rick and Rolf take listener calls and compare notes on how to see the world "through the back door," and then stay a while; an approach Rolf calls "Vagabonding." Join us as we explore the art of open-ended adventures around the world on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Two of Rick's liveliest friends from Italy explain the regional differences between North and South, compare the loyalties, cuisine, accents, and attitudes of Italy's regions and show us how a common love of good food and soccer unites them. From aristocratic northern business types, to southern families that almost smother travelers with their hospitality, we're contrasting the character you'll find in Italy -- from North to South -- on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Prague has recently become one of Europe's most popular cities. Two tour guides based in Prague offer tips on avoiding the summer flood of tourists and finding the city's substantial old world charm - and bargains. They'll recommend day trips into the Bohemian countryside which are now easier than ever thanks to improved rail service in the Czech Republic. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick chats with tour guide Ton Van Garderen from The Netherlands about how Amsterdam makes its "live and let live" libertine policies work and what's behind the Dutch reputation for being "tolerant." We'll also assess the state of the overworked American with author and documentary producer John DeGraff to see how we can reclaim some of the time we never seem to have enough of. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

For this year's Earth Day observance, we're getting close to some of the cool creatures on our hot planet. Rick meets Marty Essen, whose adventures to the far corners of the planet with his wife and love of sometimes-frightening critters were enough to fill a very engaging book. Rick also learns how to conduct a home exchange, and discusses the World Monuments Fund list of "Vanishing Places" with author Michael Shapiro. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

As a crossroads of cultulres for millenia, Sicily is emerging as one of the most vivid islands travelers can visit in Europe. Rick interviews two tour guide friends from Sicily on what makes their island home so distinctive from the rest of Italy and what the island offers to keep visitors content for weeks. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We learn about the Camino de Santiago de Compostela from a man who takes tourists on updated versions of this mideaval pilgrimage route and catch up with a Lonely Planet Iran researcher who finds that, despite the country's heavy-handed rulers, the Iranian people are some of the most welcoming you'll find anywhere. Plus we have a new round of listeners' travel haiku to share. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick discusses Hinduism with a travel writer who learned lessons in the land of her ancestors and delves into the enduring appeal of an Islamic mystic known in the west as Rumi who is commemorating his 800th birthday. Listeners also share their experience with 'the kindness of strangers' as a godsend in their travels to Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We're looking at different angles of Irish culture for St Patrick's Day. Rick practices the "gift of gab" with Stephen McPhilemy, a friend from the North of Ireland who spins a few yarns about Ulster, and explains how the long-boiled animosities among Northern Ireland's residents are starting to fade away. And Patrick Noel, a Franco-Celtic tour guide from Cork, highlights the connections between Ireland and France. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Now that Fidel Castro no longer heads the Cuban government, questions are emerging about whether Cuban authorities might start to relax control of its society, and how soon the U.S. government might rescind its economic embargo on Cuba. On the next Travel with Rick Steves, we examine some of the anxieties, possibilities and realities regarding Americans and Cuba. Rick welcomes Cuba expert Christopher P. Baker for a discussion of what's next for Cuba in these days of political limbo, and what it means for American travelers who want to go there. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

You can't get much further off the beaten path than travelling to Afghanistan or Laos. We'll hear from Central Asia expert Paul Clammer who will give us a reality check on what travelers can expect from Afghanistan. Also, Willie Weir returns with more tales from his recent bike adventures thru Northern Thailand into Laos. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We'll travel to opposite ends of our continent to learn about the appeal of the Canadian Arctic from a guidebook author who's made a home in Yellowknife and get a detailed guide to celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans, including how one French Quarter merchant is faring as tourism slowly rebounds. We'll also hear listeners' tales of heroic acts of kindness experienced on the road, and a fresh batch of traveler's haiku. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

When travel leads to romance, a whole new life may be the result. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, we meet an American woman who married a Spaniard and is now raising a family in the heart of Madrid. We'll also hear from an Australian tour guide who spends much of the year showing off the sites of Greece. He'll advise us on how to find the real Greece beyond the sites of Athens. And we'll hear from listeners who stared down scam artists face to face in their travels in Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

During the "hippy days" of the 1970s, Carl Franz and Lorena Havens made a habit of driving from Washington state to Mexico in a VW van. The couple, who still spends the better part of each year exploring the back roads and magnetic appeal of Mexico, join Rick to help explain the appealing Mexican culture. Their classic guide book, "The People's Guide to Mexico," reads like an adventure manifesto, and has recently been updated in its 13th edition. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick chats with Don George from Lonely Planet publications about how Americans are being received overseas and investigates how interacting with the locals in our travels sometime means depending on the kindness of strangers. We'll also find out if New Orleans still has its 'soul' since being battered by Hurricane Katrina and learn from guidebook author Jay Cooke how "volun-tourism" may be one way to boost the spirit of the city, while still having a good time at this year's Mardi Gras and Jazzfest. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick gets the latest info on what to look for while island-hopping in Hawaii from Lonely Planet's Sara Benson, and checks in with Gary Chandler who is in Mexico updating the Moon guidebook to Cancun and Cozumel. He'll report on how well the area is recovering from Hurricane Wilma, and what visitors can expect from Mexico's top resort region. We're getting the scoop on planning escapes to Hawaii and Cancun on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

If you haven't seen Eastern Europe lately, you probably won't recognize it -- and that's just how the European Union wants it. Now that most of Eastern Europe is part of the E.U., the region is enjoying an extreme make-over. Looking at Eastern Europe then and now, Rick gets updates from a few of his friends who grew up "behind the Iron Curtain" on how these changes have impacted their daily lives, and what the region offers American tourists today. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

In 2004, Sri Lanka became one of the countries hardest hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami as it suffered damage along much of its coastline. Two years later, Sri Lanka still has some of the most picture-perfect beaches in the world, plus colorful temples, tea plantations, and festivals where visitors are welcome. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, Lonely Planet guidebook author Ryan Ver Berkmoes tells us how the island is faring today, including how the Tamil ethnic conflict is affecting tourism. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

One of the delights of driving through the countryside is spotting sheep grazing in the fields. We'll learn about the sheep and lambs that dot the hills of rural Britain from an accomplished breeder who has created a popular tourist attraction on his farm in Wales. We'll learn how travelers can interact with spring lambs, and the types of wool and meat these animals provide. And, Rick learns a few new tricks about how to whistle sheep herding dog commands. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We're looking high and low for adventures in the Southern Hemisphere on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. Adventure travel specialist Kurt Kutay (koo-TYE) fills us in on Peru's attractions, such as trekking to Machu Picchu in the Andes, and interacting with indigenous cultures and spotting wildlife in the Amazon. And, Rick calls travel writer David Stanley to learn how travelers can find a warm welcome in Fiji, and how it compares to its neighbors in the South Pacific. Join us for adventures in the Southern Hemisphere to Peru and Fiji, on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

If there's one city that knows how to enjoy the everyday pleasures of life, it's Vienna. From experiencing its café culture to getting an affordable ticket to the Opera, we'll find out what makes Vienna shine as one of the world's most graceful and elegant capitols with tour guide Ursula Klaus. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Some of the best souvenirs you can gather from your travels reside on your taste buds. On the next Travel with Rick Steves, Rick explores some of the comfort foods that his European friends enjoy in Paris, Madrid, and Tuscany, and how you can enjoy them when you visit their regions. We'll get advice on preparing and eating escargot (ess-car-GO) and steak tartare (tar-TAR), and get a recipe on how to mix up your own batch of sangria (san-GREE-ah). And we hear from listeners about some of their memorable food encounters overseas. We're whetting our appetites, European style, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Could Americans and Europeans benefit from an honest conversation with each other about their different ways of viewing society and the world? On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, we'll do just that, as Rick invites a best-selling French author and philosopher into the studio. Rick discusses some of the French stereotypes that fuel American prejudices with Bernard-Henri Levy (ber-NARD on-REE leh-VEE). They examine issues France faces as part of the European Union, and suggest ways that our two societies can learn from each other. Plus, Rick offers suggestions to listeners considering an off-season trip to Europe or traveling with teenage grandkids, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. FOR STATIONS WHICH HAVE ALREADY AIRED PGM #45: Could Americans and Europeans benefit from an honest conversation with each other about their different ways of viewing society and the world? On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, we'll do just that, as Rick invites a best-selling French author and philosopher back into the studio. Rick discusses some of the French stereotypes that fuel American prejudices with Bernard-Henri Levy (ber-NARD on-REE leh-VEE). They examine issues France faces as part of the European Union, and suggest ways that our two societies can learn from each other. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

In recent years, South Africa has awakened from its Apartheid-induced embargo to become one of the continent's most popular destinations. There's plenty to experience with its local cultures and spectacular natural beauty, but it's not really the kind of place the backdoor traveler can confidently experience without doing some homework first. Rick learns about the emerging tourism industry in South Africa from Carmin Arnot, who was born in Capetown, and now plans adventure travel for North American visitors. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Because it had a tense relationship with the United States for many years, Nicaragua remains a rather mysterious destination for many Norte Americanos. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, Rick chats with Randall Wood, who married into the culture, and has authored two guidebooks to Nicaragua. He'll take listener calls and provide an overview of how the country is doing today. Plus, we'll open the phones for listener comments and questions on jet lag and get the real story about Transylvania. It's on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Knowing what's behind the walls, as well as what goes into them, can be quite the illuminating experience. Rick invites architecture professor Kathryn Rogers Merlino from the University of Washington to help make sense of flying buttresses and Roman ruins. And for something exotic, we'll also get a snapshot of what it's like to visit Katmandu, and read our latest round of listeners' travel haiku. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

If you like the people, tempo, and joy of living you find in Italy then you'll love Sicily. But for some Americans, the frenzied yet laid-back style of Italy's big southern island can be a bit overwhelming. So on this week's Travel with Rick Steves local tour guide Alfio di Mauro AHL-fee-oh dee MOW-ro) joins Rick to take listener calls and offer insider tips on getting the most out of a vacation to Sicily. And, for something completely different, German tour guide Christoph Dressler returns with an overview of the Black Forest region, where Germans are prescribed time off from work to soak in mineral spas and to "power hike" in the mountains. We're plunging head first into Sicily and the Black Forest on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

(note: Sept 21 is Armenian Independence Day) It's one of the newest nations in the world, and one of its oldest civilizations. And this week, Armenia is celebrating 15 years as an independent republic. We'll find out why it's a classic "back door" destination, on the next edition of Travel with Rick Steves. Rick's guest is Matthew Karanian (kah-RAIN-ee-ann), an American drawn to the land of his grandparents, who has co-authored a definitive guidebook to Armenia and the neighboring disputed land of Karabagh (CAR-ah-bock). We'll learn how Armenia provides a unique link to the ancient world, with some of the earliest Christian churches, a distinct language from its Indo-European neighbors, eco-tourism in its untouched countryside, and a society that has persisted for three thousand years, despite many adversaries. We're getting acquainted with Armenia...on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

You probably already know that the flamenco, Sunday evening bullfights, tapas, and sangria are some of the flavors of Spain. Now, as part of the European Union, Spain is a re-energized democracy that might also provide us examples for coping with the threats of terrorism. Carlos Galvin (gal-VEEN), a travel specialist from Madrid, joins Rick this week to describe today's scene in his homeland, and to take listener calls about visiting Spain. Also, we'll learn how the Spanish tradition of taking a midday nap -- the siesta -- has been helping Spaniards beat stress for centuries...and how its days may be numbered in modern, urban culture. Julio Astor (WHO-lee-oh AS-tor) of the Spanish Tourism Board joins Rick to explain the role of "the siesta." Discover the pleasures of Spain and its distinctive culture, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

It's long been a tradition in academia and many religious institutions. But it turns out anyone can benefit from a little time off the regular routine for a "sabbatical." On the next Travel with Rick Steves, we examine the practicalities and benefits of taking a sabbatical. Whether it involves months away from the job, or it's a vacation centered on helping others, sabbaticals are still a valuable way to explore the world -- including the one inside yourself. We're learning about "sabbaticals," and hearing your travel stories, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

(note: Aug 20 is Hungary's Constitution Day national holiday) Whether you're up for a night at the opera, or a day "taking the curative waters" at a hot spring, Hungary has a classy way of making you feel welcome. And its hearty wine and cuisine will keep you satisfied for hours. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, a tour guide friend and teacher from Hungary joins Rick to take listener calls and tell us what her country is like in today's post-Soviet era. Join us for an insider's guide to Hungary, on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.