Travel with Rick Steves

The co-author of Rick's Central Europe guidebook and a Ljubljana-based tour guide discuss the charms of Slovenia's laid-back capital. Then a tour guide from Munich shares her insider tips for becoming a temporary Bavarian at Oktoberfest, and a naturalist with a knack for adventure explains why even the creepiest critters deserve a little respect. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A historian discusses some of the most salient narratives about themselves that eastern Europeans have been passing down through generations of folklore. Then a Bulgarian tour guide lets us in on why the smaller Balkan countries of Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia are emerging as "back-door" destinations. And tour guides from Italy share tips for people-watching among the chic and sleek in Milan's fashionable café scene — and the cocktails to enjoy while doing so. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A linguist who studies disappearing languages lets us in on some of Europe's lesser-known lingos and discusses how languages help define cultures. Then travel journalist Oneika Raymond shares some of the insights she's gained as a "serial expat" and why she encourages fellow women of color to explore the world on their own, despite the extra challenges. And listeners offer more strategies for avoiding, or at least managing, crowds when traveling in Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A longtime Italophile shares the charms and rich culture of Sicily. Then a popular columnist and avowed train buff recounts tales of his rail travels the world over. And a photojournalist takes a deep dive into the ways we soak, swim, and slow down in hot springs. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Author Susan Cahill recommends some of the most magnificent religious architecture to explore in Paris, then an American who married a Frenchman describes her experiences raising three young children in a small town outside Paris. And writer Frances Mayes, who lives in both Tuscany and North Carolina, discusses just what makes a place feel like home. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Delve into southern Wales and its evocative landscape of castles, pilgrim trails, and coal mines. Then get a rare glimpse into Central Asia's largest country from a former Peace Corps volunteer. And vicariously explore some of our world's remaining desolate places. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get recommendations for enjoying scenic hiking trails in the Scottish countryside. Then learn how Oslo's renovated harbor front has become a popular place to enjoy the city's art, culture, scenery, food, and even saunas. And hear how fellow listeners have been coping with crowds at Europe's major sights. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Tour guides from Athens recommend easy day trips from the capital into the historic Greek countryside, then let us in on some lesser-known island getaways in the Aegean and Ionian seas. Plus, British actress Dame Joanna Lumley shares her favorite highlights from exploring northern Greece for a TV special she filmed there. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

British travel writer Richard Grant discusses the sporting sense of humor he's observed (and appreciated) behind the distinctly American talent for over-the-top bragging. Then tour guides from Madrid let us in on their favorite places to take visitors in the Spanish capital. And we ponder our place in the planet's history with author Robert Macfarlane, who shares insights gained from a decade of investigating, from a perspective of geologic time, humanity's relationship with our landscape. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof has witnessed his share of danger and strife as a foreign correspondent. Listen in as he reflects on his career and helps us look for hope beyond the headlines that bombard us daily. Plus, get a taste of the culinary delights of Paris with a foodie so enamored of France that he moved there from Australia. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get ideas for visiting some of Paris' unique, under-appreciated small museums, as well as tips for tackling its massive grande dame, the Louvre — and an author's insights into the former palace's remarkable history. And French tour guides tell us what they love best about the cities along the Mediterranean's sparkling Cote d'Azur. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get a taste of the hearty, homespun cuisine of the American South from a writer who has documented our nation through the foods we celebrate. Then hear about a man's quest to trace the travels of Ben Franklin — and to uncover the founder's life lessons. And listen in as callers recount meaningful travel experiences close to home in North America. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A Newfoundland musician lets us in on the sights he recommends to best enjoy the rugged beauty of his Atlantic island home. Then an award-winning Canadian TV personality shares his own favorite places and things to enjoy across Canada. Plus, a culinary historian raises a glass to New Orleans and unveils how to appreciate the history of America's most "spirited" city through its distinctive cocktails. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear about the slower pace of life on Bowen Island, just offshore from bustling Vancouver, British Columbia. Then get tips for exploring Alaska beyond its cruise ship ports. And vicariously experience a summer hike across Iceland's dramatic backcountry. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear from a scuba diving enthusiast how the scenery beneath the surface can be breathtaking in unexpected ways. Then get tips from a tour guide for enjoying Italy's gorgeous Amalfi Coast in spite of the crowds. And discover how you can enjoy a ramble on one of England's most popular hiking trails, the South West Coast Path. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The Iberian Peninsula takes center stage as tour guides tell us what they like best about the scenic Algarve region of Portugal, and recommend where to find the charming parts of Spain's crowded and touristy Costa del Sol. Plus, futurist Kevin Kelly tells us what traditional aspects of Asia have impressed him the most over fifty years of photo journeys across the continent. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A self-described "Rome nerd" helps us picture what it was like to live in the Roman Empire and explains how much we can learn about the era from its now 2,000-year-old rubble. Then a tour guide from Bulgaria sings the praises of its cultural capital, Plovdiv — one of the oldest cities in Europe, possibly in the whole world. And listeners share serendipitous stories from their European travels. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Historian, novelist, and legendary editor Michael Korda invites us to look back on World War I through the eyes of its soldier poets, whose works — often composed in the trenches — offer an unusually personal and uncensored perspective on the horrors of "the war to end all wars." And a Turkish tour guide takes listener calls while offering advice for finding a friendly welcome in the rural villages of Turkey, where the main attraction might just be…you. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick and his senior writer discuss why so much of what Americans have long called "Eastern Europe" is better termed "Central Europe," especially with the Cold War now several decades behind us. Then a tour guide from Oslo explains how Norway cleverly uses its oil-industry revenues to maintain a flourishing society. And German-American journalist Michael Scott Moore tells us how he survived nearly three years as a hostage of pirates in Somalia. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A pair of tour-bus drivers offer their expert tips on what to expect when navigating the highways of Europe. Then we discuss ideas for exploring two of Europe's most scenic regions: the lush Irish countryside and the floral landscapes and villages of southern France — and pop into a Dublin pub for a wee sing-along. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A German journalist shares some timely thoughts on what his fellow citizens find appealing about America, as well as his insights into the intriguing differences between our two societies. Then a London "mudlarker" who searches the River Thames at low tide for buried objects describes how discarded items can connect us with life in the Victorian era, and even as far back as Roman times. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A Dutch guide invites us to imagine a day on the water exploring Amsterdam's iconic canals. Then a historian shares what little we know of the elusive Sentinelese — likely the most isolated, least contacted people on earth — and what he learned by traveling to nearby islands in the Bay of Bengal. And a tour guide from Portugal tells us why the venerable university of town of Coimbra is such a delight to explore. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Celebrate Earth Day by considering the ways you can address climate change at home, with practical advice from a scientist who's seen its effects around the world. Then hear from a culinary historian about the crops, farm animals, and agricultural traditions that we risk losing in America. And mark Shakespeare's birthday by learning how his works have played a key role in shaping Africa's newest nation and by getting tips for enjoying a visit to his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We admire the seafaring prowess of the Polynesians and hear how a cultural faux pas led to Captain James Cook's fateful encounter with 18th-century Hawaiians. Then tour guides from Athens and Thessaloniki recommend attractions to visit in northern Greece, and The New Yorker’s "Comma Queen," Mary Norris, explains what an appreciation for Greek language and mythology can add to your own Greek odyssey. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We learn some surprisingly useful Italian phrases from one of Italy's most popular newspaper columnists, then consider why certain places have fostered more than their share of world-changing innovations, and hear about Timbuktu's history as an important center for scholarship. Plus, we find out about the thrill of dropping in on a choir practice in small-town Wales. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A nature filmmaker and self-proclaimed "umbraphile" shares tips for viewing the next total solar eclipse, when the moon will cast its otherworldly shadow on a narrow band across North America on April 8 — and explains why he thinks it’s worth a trek to the totality zone. Then the "Paddle Pilgrim" returns to tell us about the unexpected challenges along his month-long Southeast Asian adventure kayaking down the Mekong River, where he was forced to learn to "linger with the lotus." And Cecily Wong from Atlas Obscura describes some of the strangest potions and fermented foods concocted before the era of refrigeration. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

An American expat in Oslo shares some of the quirks and customs of life in his adopted home. Then, a wilderness and history author recounts what he found exploring four blank spots on the US map. And an ethnobotanist describes the healing properties of different kinds of herbs around the world — some of which might be growing in your own backyard. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

In this all-Irish hour, tour guides describe some of the intriguing sights you'd encounter on a walking tour of Dublin and explain why the rugged Aran Islands, off Ireland's west coast, are such an exciting place to explore Irish traditions. And author Timothy Egan delves into the legacy of 19th-century America's most famous Irish immigrant. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A columnist for the Irish Times describes some of the historical objects so cherished by his compatriots that they're considered key to Ireland's national identity, and tells us where you can see them on display. Then we take a closer look at the life of Michelangelo and the midlife mess that threatened to derail him from creating many of the world's most treasured works of art. And we learn about the many languages spoken in New York City that are on the brink of disappearing — and the efforts to preserve their unique vocabulary and sounds. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A historian describes how eastern European countries have modernized since the Cold War and examines the kinds of challenges they face today. And an American-born artist and creative writing teacher shares the joy she feels in being "Welsh by choice." For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get ideas and tips from TV host Samantha Brown for finding little corners of Europe in the New World, then hear an author's dramatic firsthand account of a near catastrophe on a cruise ship caught powerless in a freak winter storm off the coast of Norway. And a tour guide takes us to the wild, windy, and wonder-inspiring backcountry of Iceland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear what it's like to live on one of the windswept Orkney Islands off the northern tip of Scotland, where people have lived since before recorded history. Then learn how redesigned traffic patterns in Europe have had a positive impact on quality of life — and get ideas for making your own city a more enjoyable place to be outdoors. Plus, a historian examines the underappreciated role of nomadic societies and their struggles in the modern world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Astronomer Philip Plait — who fell in love with Saturn after first viewing the gas giant, with its mesmerizing rings and moons, through a telescope as a child — shares some of the amazing discoveries we've made about the planet in recent years. Then actor Martin Sheen describes how his travels in the developing world have opened his eyes, and his heart, to the needs of others. And a Florence-based tour guide and culinary expert lets us in on where to find the best food in her adopted home. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The most popular storyteller of our time, author James Patterson, shares insights from the people who work behind the scenes to turn Las Vegas into America's ultimate fantasy destination. And a Morocco-based tour guide recommends letting yourself be amazed by the night sky in the Sahara Desert, a view that's guided travelers for millennia. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A deep-sea diving instructor from Australia explains why he's not afraid of sharks — well, most of them. Then a Cuba travel expert looks at the places and experiences you can explore beyond Havana, as well the rules that govern travel to Cuba for US travelers. And a guide from Italy helps us step into a day in the first century, frozen in time, at the ruins of Pompeii on the slope of Mount Vesuvius. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear the unlikely story of how Spanish grew from a Latin dialect in northern Iberia to become one of the world's most important and widely spoken languages. Then get tips for enjoying your first trip to Spain, and for getting the most out of a visit to the Prado's massive art collection in Madrid. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get tips for enjoying elegant, easily navigated Vienna, Austria's capital and the epicenter of a once-mighty empire. Then hear a Bosnian describe what his country, a generation after its infamous war, has to teach us about getting along with our neighbors — and why the nation is now blossoming as a travel destination. And get acquainted with the fascinating ancient structures atop Athens' Acropolis. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A tour specialist from Cairo explains how you can cruise through five thousand years of history on the Nile River in Egypt. Author Pico Iyer suggests paradise on earth might be in some of the most unexpected places. He tells us about his sojourns from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka to experience what South Asia had to show him. And hear how Sophy Roberts searched for the historic "lost pianos of Siberia," and what she actually found. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get some travel advice from the former U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria, who recommends his favorite vacation getaways in the Balkans. Then listen in as a climate scientist describes the efforts that have worked — and some that haven't — in combatting the pollution that causes climate change…and what you can do now to make a difference. And hear how Germany's pop music has evolved to reflect a half century of intense cultural transformation. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Brighten your holidays with an international perspective on Christmas celebrations: Learn about Europe's Old World holiday traditions, and meet some of Santa's cousins, as some of Rick's friends drop by to discuss the sometimes sublime, often quirky ways they observe the season in Bavaria, Sardinia, Croatia, Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Rome. And get a taste of a tropical Christmas in Costa Rica. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear about why cod is so popular among the Portuguese — especially at this time of year — and get a taste of the culinary treats to try in and around Naples. Then find out how the Irish gear up for the holidays, and what listeners enjoy about traveling overseas during the Christmas season. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A columnist for the Irish Times discusses the dramatic recent changes in public opinion and attitude in Republic of Ireland, and how he's seen it become a modern, progressive nation over his lifetime. And a journalist from Utah tells us how to find some of the roadways the ancient Romans built to connect outposts of their empire — all the way to Istanbul. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A former US ambassador to Switzerland shares her insights into what makes the Swiss tick — and what their society gets right. Then an astronomer helps us imagine what sort of views we'd enjoy if we could travel to planets in our solar system. And a guidebook author from Anchorage tells us why south-central Alaska can be a fun place for a winter visit. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Tour guides from Lisbon paint audio pictures of the vivid art that colors the streets of Portugal, then a journalist and former diplomat tells of how curiosity led him to meet with healers in the jungles of Nicaragua and Belize. And travel writer Richard Grant explains how a particularly bitter Yukon winter in Dawson City inspired Jack London to write one of his most famous tales of the North. Plus, Rick's in-house art expert gives us a close-up appreciation of Leonardo's Mona Lisa. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A culinary historian tells us what's traditionally been on the Thanksgiving table over the years. The head of the World Food Program USA updates us on the work that goes into feeding the world's most impoverished communities. Also, we remember Tucson-based travel writer Tom Miller. And we get a taste of the variety of sausages people enjoy year-round in Germany. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear about the risks and heroism it took to protect Europe's art treasures during World War II. Then vicariously eat your way through four of Italy's lesser-known regions — where specialties include elaborate seafood stews, spreadable salamis, and some of the world's best sheep's-milk cheeses — with Italian-food expert Fred Plotkin. And listen in as two Belgians discuss the hearty comfort food of their homeland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A Jerusalem-raised Palestinian tour operator explains how he works to reconcile divided communities — in his home country, and far beyond. Then two Spanish tour guides consider what makes their country one of the world's most popular destinations among tourists, and what they want visitors to experience there. And a historian discusses the legacy of Shawnee chief Tecumseh, and why, in the early years of the US, he was so admired even by the settlers he opposed. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

At a time of year when, according to some cultures, the worlds of the living and the dead come a little closer together, a historian joins us to explain how vampire stories arose from eastern European legends of the "un-dead." Then Irish writer Fintan O'Toole describes the role of the supernatural in Celtic traditions and in more recent Irish literature. And listeners describe eerie encounters they've experienced while traveling in Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A creative-writing professor discusses Icelandic mythology, as told in the Viking-inspired sagas — and how a summer backpacking trek around the island nation helped him understand the role these tales play in Iceland's modern-day culture. Then futurist and Wired founder Kevin Kelly looks back on his journeys to document, over nearly 50 years, many of the traditions and features now quickly vanishing across Asia. And experts share advice for fall travels to England's gardens and stone circles, and for understanding British slang. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Tour guides from Hungary discuss their country's love of paprika and set us straight on what makes for good goulash. Then the literary director of the Library of Congress and bicultural author Marie Arana examines the cultural divide between the US and Latin America, and explains its thousand-year-old historical roots. And we learn why the lesser-known region of Galicia, in Spain's northwest corner, is where Spaniards go to escape from heat (and tourist crowds). For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.