Travel with Rick Steves

Rick Steves

A weekly one-hour conversation with guest experts and callers about travel, cultures, people, and the things we find around the world that give life its extra sparkle. Rick Steves is America's leading authority on travel to Europe and beyond. Host and writer of over a hundred public television travel shows and author of 30 best-selling guidebooks, Rick now brings his passion for exploring and understanding our world to public radio. Related travel information and message boards on www.ricksteves.com

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1,074 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes1074

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Yesterday · 52 min
836 Van Morrison's Belfast; Roma in Europe; Classic European Hikes
A Belfast-based tour guide points out the places where native son Van Morrison found inspiration for his music and poetry. Then a Romani author tells us about the variety of communities within her culture, both on the continent and in the US. And an adventure traveler shares some of his favorite scenic hikes in Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
July 25 · 52 min
628a Amtrakistan; Astronaut's View; Renaissance Florence
Hear why one writer chooses to invest the time in crossing America by train instead of hopping a quick flight. Then discover what taking high-definition photos of Earth from space revealed to a veteran astronaut. And get inspired to view the Renaissance treasures of Florence. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
July 18 · 52 min
835 Appreciating Stonework; Italy's Dolomites; Rediscovering Route 66
A master stonemason considers the great sites of Europe and shares what these enduring structures can teach us about permanence, craft, and human ambition. Then an Italian tour guide sheds light on the Dolomites, the spectacular setting where Italian, German, and Ladin traditions meet. Plus, an aficionado of American road trips tells us about efforts to revitalize historic Route 66 as a national heritage trail. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
July 11 · 52 min
681a French Impressionism; Perfect Week in Paris; Appreciating the Louvre
Celebrate Bastille Day with French guides. They'll explain the impressionist techniques perfected in the early 20th century, provide insider advice for designing the perfect Parisian itinerary, and help tackle the immense collection at the Louvre. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
July 4 · 52 min
834 An Apple a Day; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; The Wright Brothers
A chef and cookbook author takes a look at idioms that are shared across diverse languages. Then the head of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum updates us on what's happening this summer at Cleveland's top attraction. And the late historian David McCullough reflects on the Wright brothers and how their dream changed the world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
June 27 · 52 min
719a Rocky Mountaineer; Gulf Islands BC; Global Perspective; Piecing Together America
Hear about making family memories in western Canada along the historic Rocky Mountaineer train line. Explore the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea. Learn more about confronting culture clashes in overseas travels. And discover the best local crafts in each of the 50 states. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
June 20 · 52 min
701a The US Civil Rights Trail; Wild Arctic Svalbard
Hear how the US Civil Rights Trail, with 100 stops across 14 states, was organized to help all Americans get an up-close look at the movement to dismantle Jim Crow laws across the South. And listen in as ecologist Chris Morgan describes changes he's observed on Norway's Svalbard archipelago — halfway between the mainland and the North Pole — which indicate how our warming climate is a threat to life in the Arctic. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
June 13 · 52 min
833 Americans in Europe; Venetian Lagoon
Three American-born tour guides who have settled in Europe tell us what it's like to make a new home in a foreign country. Then, a lifelong resident of Italy's Veneto region helps us explore the Venice Lagoon as an ever-changing ecosystem shaped by climate change, local history, and the distinct cultures of its islands. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
June 6 · 52 min
832 Terry Tempest Williams: The Glorians
Join us for a special hour with American author and environmental activist Terry Tempest Williams as she invites us to consider the interconnectedness of the natural world, and discusses what we gain from recognizing and engaging with all that's around us — including a heightened appreciation of the good in our world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
May 30 · 52 min
534b Crete; Alaska's Tip of the Iceberg; Darwin Comes to Town
A pair of tour guides from Greece tell us how the island of Crete offers a natural experience unlike any other. Then travel writer Mark Adams describes his 3,000-mile voyage along the coasts of Alaska to follow what the Harriman Expedition saw in 1899. And a Dutch biologist explains how urban evolution is happening faster than we used to think all over the world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
May 23 · 52 min
680a The Last Cowboys; Perfect Day California; American Bald Eagle
New York Times reporter John Branch tells us how one family in southern Utah keeps a cowboy tradition alive at rodeos across the West. Then an award-winning travel journalist recommends itineraries for scenic road trips and sites to explore across California. And an environmental history scholar pays tribute to the American bald eagle, whose recovery from the brink of extinction is an environmental success story that can inspire everyone. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
May 16 · 52 min
831 Greek Theatre; Beyond Santorini; Home Base Hiking in Europe
An Athenian theater director discusses drama's role as a building block of civil society since ancient times, and recommends some Greek destinations that are especially fascinating for the theatrically inclined. Then a pair of tour guides offer their picks for lesser-known Greek islands that promise a break from the bustle and expense of tourist centers such as Mykonos and Santorini. And an outdoor enthusiast lets us in on the wisdom of finding a good home base to unlace your boots on a multi-day European hiking trip. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
May 9 · 52 min
286c Mother's Day; Sweet Home Croatia; An American Mother in Paris
On our Mother's Day edition, we hear what it was like to relocate a Midwestern family to the Croatian village their great-grandparents came from. An American who married a Frenchman tells us what it’s like raising a child in Paris. We go on a sentimental family trip to San Francisco, and hear how mamma is center stage in Sicily. Plus Rick pays tribute to his late mother, who influenced him to become a traveler. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
May 2 · 52 min
830 Bite of Rome; Heart of London; Spirit of Portugal
The founder of a food-tour company tells us in delicious detail about some of his favorite eats to enjoy on the streets of Rome. Then a British tour guide shares how to take in London's historic core as well as its changing landscape on a visit to the boroughs of The City and Westminster. And a tour guide from Lisbon illuminates the contrasts between Portugal's bustling cities and the more traditional way of life that persists in the countryside. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
April 25 · 52 min
829 Packing Light; Sweden Beyond Stockholm; Check-In
One of Rick's longtime cohorts shares her road-tested advice on what you need — and don't need — to put in your suitcase for a successful overseas trip. Then a brother-and-sister pair of Swedish tour guides share their picks for places to explore beyond Stockholm, from easy day trips to coastal wilderness adventures. Plus, listeners chat with Rick about what made their recent travels feel special. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
April 18 · 52 min
781a Potsdam; Emperor of Rome; On the Hippie Trail
We hear why the city of Potsdam — home to elegant Prussian palaces and parklands, all in quick reach of central Berlin — is worth a day's visit. Then we get a sense of what life was really like for the emperors of ancient Rome, with the help of classicist Mary Beard. And we travel back to 1978 with Rick and his longtime buddy Gene Openshaw as they retrace their post-college adventures along the infamous "Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Afghanistan to India, all the way to Kathmandu. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
April 11 · 52 min
828 Orvieto; Taking the Train; India by Rail
A tour guide from Orvieto explains why his Umbrian hill-town home is well worth a stop on your Italy itinerary. Then a rail enthusiast looks at train travel in Europe and beyond and considers how — and why — the US set off upon a different track. And a British journalist takes us along as she rides the rails on a lively journey across India. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
April 4 · 52 min
827 The Grand Tour; Touring Today; Sagrada Família 2026
The Grand Tour was a rite of passage for the aristocracy, and the adventuresome spirit behind it lives on in modern European itineraries. A longtime travel publisher traces the evolution of this fantastic voyage. Then Rick Steves' Europe guidebook researcher Cameron Hewitt takes a look back on the ways travel has evolved over the past quarter century. And as the Sagrada Família stretches ever closer toward completion, one of the project's architects helps us understand what Gaudí's ambitious creation means to Barcelona and Catalonia. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
March 28 · 52 min
826 Ask the Senior Nomads; What Europeans Are Talking About
Debbie and Michael Campbell, aka the "Senior Nomads," offer listeners their expert advice on traveling full-time during retirement. And tour guides from Britain, Poland, and Germany reflect on how politics and media shape public conversation about current events within their own and neighboring nations. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
March 21 · 52 min
748a Quirky Oslo; Last Empty Places; Herbal
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.

Travel with Rick Steves

836 Van Morrison's Belfast; Roma in Europe; Classic European Hikes

628a Amtrakistan; Astronaut's View; Renaissance Florence

835 Appreciating Stonework; Italy's Dolomites; Rediscovering Route 66

681a French Impressionism; Perfect Week in Paris; Appreciating the Louvre

834 An Apple a Day; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; The Wright Brothers

719a Rocky Mountaineer; Gulf Islands BC; Global Perspective; Piecing Together America

701a The US Civil Rights Trail; Wild Arctic Svalbard

833 Americans in Europe; Venetian Lagoon

832 Terry Tempest Williams: The Glorians

534b Crete; Alaska's Tip of the Iceberg; Darwin Comes to Town

680a The Last Cowboys; Perfect Day California; American Bald Eagle

831 Greek Theatre; Beyond Santorini; Home Base Hiking in Europe

286c Mother's Day; Sweet Home Croatia; An American Mother in Paris

830 Bite of Rome; Heart of London; Spirit of Portugal

829 Packing Light; Sweden Beyond Stockholm; Check-In

781a Potsdam; Emperor of Rome; On the Hippie Trail

828 Orvieto; Taking the Train; India by Rail

827 The Grand Tour; Touring Today; Sagrada Família 2026

826 Ask the Senior Nomads; What Europeans Are Talking About

748a Quirky Oslo; Last Empty Places; Herbal