Travel with Rick Steves

Rick explores the sites and culture of Basque Country with two guides who have deep family roots in the region. We'll look at the power of music in Ireland, where nearly every town comes with its own special song. Also, we'll hear how traditional ballads connect the Irish with their history, and with one other.

Hear how language is a high form of art in Ireland, where the works of its poets and playwrights add color to even the nation's parks and pubs. We'll get tips for enjoying more of the speciality museums of Paris. Also, we'll explore how growing up in Renaissance-era Florence shaped Michelangelo into one of the greatest artists of all time.

Hear how you can get close to the ancients along the Inca Trail in Peru with tips for enjoying Cuzco and Machu Picchu. We'll also look at the monuments and legacy of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey, and we'll see what medieval castles in Wales can still tell us about the past.

Journalist Elaine Sciolino explains the many ways seduction operates as part of day to day life in France. Also, Martin Fletcher describes what a good long walk down the coast of Israel showed him after 30 years of reporting from the Middle East.

Rick examines Sicily and what the "heel, toe and instep" of the boot of Italy has to offer the adventurous traveler. In addition, we'll explore pirate history and lore along the Carolina coast, where legendary sea scoundrels made their mark during colonial times.

Local tour guides explain why Madrid and Prague are two of the most romantic cities in Europe. Plus, Rick chats with listeners who share unforgettable encounters from their travels, where the kindness of the locals — even with a language barrier — left a lasting impression.

A portrait photographer shares tips for taking top-notch photos of the people you meet in your travels. A painter shares how going on an artist's safari has deepened his love of African wildlife, and lets him look eye to eye with the creatures of the savannah. Also, a travel writer tells us how he's preparing to start a three-year trip to every country in Africa.

Bill Bryson points out what the rooms and items in your house can teach you about the world. Tour guide, Britt Lonsdale, explains your options for enjoying an elegant afternoon tea in London. Also, public radio's favorite librarian, Nancy Pearl, inspires us to read about the far away places of the world.

North Ireland's city of Derry is gearing up to be this year's "U-K City of Culture." We'll find out how concerts and the arts are uniting the Irish. Hear how London's working class East End is becoming a trendy scene for colorful shops and a good curry dinner. In addition, hear how an American family explored the beaches of Croatia as if it was their second home.

Journalist Jonathan Groubert explains what a recent change of government means for the Netherlands.  And Travel Channel host Samantha Brown chats about her latest projects.  Plus, listeners tell us fun ways they get to feel like one of the locals in Europe. 

A wine expert from Paris explains how the wine industry operates in France and offers tips for finding the best deals on French wine.  We'll also explore the rich New Year's Eve traditions of Scotland.  And listeners describe places they want to return to, as well as a fun way to explore the world from the comfort of your own kitchen. 

Hear about holiday traditions from Wales and Hungary, Sicily and Scotland.  Learn about the unique ways people light up the season in Santa Fe — where the fragrance of piñon wood fires leaves a special impression.  Hear how scientists at a research station in Antarctica make merry.  Plus, listeners share some of their favorite Christmas memories from holiday travels.

Friends from Madrid, Rome, London and Lisbon tell us about their cities' traditions for the Christmas season.  And we’ll hear how the holidays are celebrated in Bulgaria, the Swiss Alps, Austria and the Low Countries.

To keep you well-fed while traveling around the holidays, American Road Food experts Jane and Michael Stern recommend over-the-top dining venues for sharing a family meal. Also, Rick checks in with Phil Keoghan, the host of TV's "The Amazing Race," as it wraps up another season, racing around the world, and we'll hear how people enjoy Christmas away from home on vacation in Switzerland, Venice, Bavaria, and in Prague.

Hear how the Dutch and the Swedes get their holiday season started. Get advice for blending in with the locals next time you're in Paris.  Also, get tips for enjoying the expanded pedestrian zones on the streets of Madrid.

You don't have to go inside a museum to experience great art. We look at some of the ways Europeans love to embellish their every-day scene.  Also, Robert Edsel shares stories of the people who helped rescue the masterpieces of Western art from the Nazis, during and after World War Two, and how their work continues today.

Ireland's Celtic Tiger economic boom improved the quality and variety of what the Irish like to eat. We'll look at trends in Irish cuisine from its culinary capital of Kinsale in County Cork. We'll also examine the effects of the Columbia River's massive hydropower dams that fuel the Pacific Northwest, where the price of cheap energy goes beyond what shows up on the electric bill.

If texting a phone message is the biggest workout your hands get all day, Ferenc Mate shares the rewards of relying on one another, instead of our gadgets. Dan Austin describes his journey into becoming a "road trip pilgrim," and how a low-budget bike journey changed his view of the world.  Plus, listeners share teachable moments they encountered while traveling in Germany.

Lisa Napoli tells us about her stint helping to start a radio station in the formerly isolated former-kingdom of Bhutan. Photographer Phil Borges describes how much things have changed on a recent return to rural Tibet, and what's threatening its indigenous people. Also, author Pico Iyer explains the appeal of spending time in some of the world's least likely places for tourism.

This week features strange encounters in England and France.  Terrance Zepke describes some of the most haunted places in America that she's investigated, from a former asylum in Appalachia to underground Portland.  Plus, Kate Hopkins delves into the bittersweet history of candy, and shares her well-researched opinion on who makes the best chocolates in Europe.

The countryside of Hungary is a sentimental favorite for relaxing family vacations. Rick gets suggestions for tapping into the recreation Hungarians treasure and checks in with listeners planning family trips to the UK and Ireland. Also, get tips for exploring the Basque Country of Spain and France.

Helping to melt the age-old rivalries between two popular regions of Italy, locally-based guides help us take a closer look at Tuscany, and its neighbor Umbria.  They're both classic destinations for exploring Italy’s scenic medieval hill towns and countryside.  And listeners share reports of faux pas and misunderstandings they experienced in Italy, and what they learned from their travels. 

With a little help from expert guides, sightseeing in the ancient world of the Mediterranean takes on a whole new dimension.  We'll also get tips for visiting Tangier, on the Morrocan side of the Straight of Gibraltar, and for holidays along Turkey's alternative coast on the Black Sea.

The woman who practically invented the idea of a "bucket list" with her best-seller "One Thousand Places to See Before You Die," updates us on some of her latest favorites around the globe. We'll also meet an American who taught art at a women's college in Kuwait, and hear what the experience taught her. And we'll explore the high points of a visit to Northern Germany.

Follow the lead of a seasoned traveler, and you'll discover new ways to make your next vacation terrific. Andrew McCarthy will share how actors on location find ways to connect with the locals, and Fred Plotkin illustrates how to plug into the excitement at some of his favorite opera venues in Europe. Also, Rick helps listeners planning trips to Barcelona and Paris.

Get your thrills on a whitewater river raft, in the pages of a great novel set in an exotic locale, or sampling the fried pigs ears at a tapas bar in Spain

If you dread the mug shot that passes as your passport photo, you're not alone. We examine how the passport became the required document for international travel to and from the U.S. Also, three American tour guides offer tips for Americans who are thinking about moving to Europe, and tell us how they fit into living in France, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Paul Theroux describes what a trip the length of Africa taught him, 40 years after serving with the Peace Corps in a village in Malawi. Frugal Traveler Seth Kugel tells us what it was like to spend a week in a small Mexican town he picked at random, well-off the tourist grid. Also, Neil Taylor explains how much the Baltic countries have brightened up to visitors in 20 years, since they shook off Soviet Communism.

Francis Tapon describes his three-year excursion into every country in the eastern half of Europe. He shares how the Balkans and the former Soviet states are the next travel frontier, where tourists don't outnumber the locals. Also, listeners check in with Rick for help in finalizing their vacation plans.

Some things haven't changed much over the years in Appalachia. Rock the cradle of country music, from kitchy Dollywood, to all-day mountain music jams along Virginia's "Crooked Road." Tony Horwitz explores how John Brown's 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, still haunts us today. Also, we'll hear how fun it is to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Get better acquainted with Southeast Asia and Ireland through the eyes of its artists. We'll explore how understanding the stories behind paintings, and knowing the role of important architectural sites, can help frame your appreciation for anyplace you visit.

The future of the United Kingdom is on the table when Scotland votes in 2014 on whether or not to form a completely independent government from the rest of Britain. Rick discusses the issues behind the push for separatism, with friends from Scotland, Wales, and England. Also, we'll hear how the European Union makes it easier for citizens to make a new life in one of the other member countries of the E-U.

Get inspired by Jane and Michael Stern for a summer road trip to find classic American dishes with a regional twist, like chowder and barbecue — and a few treats that are definitely one of a kind. We'll also meet the author of a guidebook with tips for navigating Interstate-75 between Michigan and Florida. Also, Rick swaps tales with Richard Bangs on how adventure travel can change the way you view the world.

Celebrated author, Pico Iyer, shares how going it alone can actually clue you in to the global village that already surrounds you. Also, travel writer Will Hide tells us why Cape Town, South Africa is one of his favorite getaways -- where a pleasant climate, easy access to outdoor adventures, and friendly people are just an overnight flight from London.

It's said that the French consider people who live in Paris to be abnormal. A wine expert and TV personality from Paris joins us with tips for blending in with the quirks of stylish Parisians, and to prove that they share a sense of humor about themselves. Also, we explore our options for relaxing vacation cruises along the canals that criss cross the French countryside.

We'll hear about this year's Iditarod sled dog race across Alaska from a rookie racer, Rick's younger sister. A guide from Pamplona, Spain tells us about the big San Fermín festival they're celebrating this week, and what the running of the bulls is all about. We'll also explore the craze in crime fiction from Scandinavia, where author Steig Larsson used his novels as a way to critique Swedish society.

Guides from the Museum of American History prepare us for a patriotic pilgrimage to the historical attractions along the National Mall. Next, a novelist reveals how the overwhelming beauty of the Grand Canyon inspires her writing. Also, a geologist explains what you're really looking at from a window seat view on your next domestic flight.

Three of Rick's European friends share their impressions of being in America, and contrast it to life in their home turf in Italy, Ireland, and Slovenia. Plus, listeners recommend clever ways to connect with the locals when you travel overseas.

Before embarking on their college careers, the "Ballpark Boys," a group of lifelong friends from Seattle, planned an epic roadtrip across the USA, to attend a game at every major leage baseball stadium in the country. Hear how they did it and which ballparks were their favorites. Plus, Richard Cohen chased the sun around the world for seven years. He shares discoveries of the many curious ways the sun impacts life on planet Earth.

Adventure traveler and author Richard Grant describes the craziness he encountered on the island of Zanzibar. A native of small town Italy explains the uncrowded appeal of Abruzzo in the rugged Apennine mountains. Also, a tour guide to southeast Asia outlines the visitor scene from Vietnam to Burma.

Get tips for visiting evocative pre-Columbian sites. Learn how you can be a houseguest of today's Mayans, too. Plus, Rick joins a guide from Prague for a walking tour of the charmingly preserved "Golden City of 500 Spires," where sightseeing is fueled by some of Europe's best beer.

We'll explore trendy Barcelona with the help of two expert guides to Spain. Viewing the works of modern artists such as Picasso, Gaudi, and Dali is a highlight of any visit. Also, travel blogger Angela Nickerson shares the highlights from researching her book "A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome."

Rick plans a visit to the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii, near Naples, explores ancient monuments scattered across the countryside of England and learns how recent renovations have turned Glasgow into an energetic showpiece city in the center of Scotland.

Author Jennifer Wilson describes what it was like to relocate her family to the same mountain village in Croatia her great-grandparents emigrated from, an American who married a Frenchman explains what it's like raising her first child in Paris, plus, Rick shares how his mother influenced him as a traveler.

Italian food expert Fred Plotkin takes American visitors deeper into the culture of enjoying a good meal, and tour guide Jamie Blair Gould from Lucca helps listeners assemble ingredients for the perfect Tuscan picnic, complete with a picture postcard view.

This week, a diving enthusiast highlights the underwater world, from the turquoise coasts of Central America to the cold jade waters of Puget Sound. NPR's Steve Inskeep explains what Karachi, Pakistan showed him about the mega cities that are mushrooming around the world. Also, author Scott Wallace describes his trek deep into the Amazon and the quandary of trying to protect the fierce Arrow people from contact with the outside world.

Tour guides from London join Rick to point how you can join the crowds, or avoid them, for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Summer Olympics, and lots of other special events. Also, we learn the special ways Greeks and Bulgarians observe Orthodox Easter, their biggest holiday of the year.

"One Thousand Places to See Before You Die" author Patricia Schultz shares new places she's included in the updated version of her book, actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy tells Rick why he's made a second home in Ireland, and Eva Marie Everson describes dozens of sacred sites in Israel from her guidebook.

A Bosnian journalist tells Rick what it was like to live through the Siege of Sarajevo twenty years ago, and what it's like to visit the city today. Rick also shares tips with listeners for overcoming shyness and making friends while traveling, including meeting long lost relatives in the Old Country.

Colleen Heater, author of "The Pilgrim's Italy", describes how 21st century travelers can find inspiration at Italy's many religious shrines; a tour guide in Siena tells us about resoration efforts along the old pilgrim's trail from England to Rome; and a German comic confides what he learned from a month-long trek to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.