Travel with Rick Steves

Rick interviews a guide to the street markets of Paris, where souvenir shopping can be a destination in itself.  Hear how the beer in Belgium is so good, it's worth a special trip.  Also, learn about the mysteries and history you can find in the caves of Slovenia.

Photographer Annie Leibovitz joins us to describe what it meant to zoom in on places and objects from the icons of American culture from Walden Pond to Niagara Falls and from Ghost Ranch to Graceland. Listeners also give ideas for planning extraordinary travels.

Guides specializing in Eastern Europe highlight  the charms of Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw and Gdansk, where the prices can be as friendly as the people. Also, Fred Plotkin explains how this is a really big anniversary year for opera. He recommends performances celebrating the birthdays of Wagner, Verdi, and Benjamin Britten.

Naturalist Terry Tempest Williams tells us why her dedication to the rugged beauty of the Utah wilderness where she lives requires her to speak out on its behalf. Also, a tour guide from Italy describes how he gets away from it all, riding a motorbike across the vast expanses of the Sahara desert in North Africa.

Discover how you can enjoy Mexico and the Netherlands like you're one of the family.  The authors of The People's Guide to Mexico recommend how to make your next trip south of the border extra-fun and culturally-rewarding.  Also, Rick looks into family-friendly cultural treats that you can enjoy in the Netherlands, including Europe's guilty TV pleasure, the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

Rick learns about tourism in the Palestinian Territories on the West Bank of the Jordan. Also, the host of The Amazing Race, Phil Keoghan, describes how a near-death experience at age 19 convinced him to make his travel fantasies come true. He tells us how leaving "No Opportunity Wasted" can add a lot of memorable adventures to your life.

A lot of Stockholm's charm comes from how much land and waterfront is dedicated to parks and public access. We'll also explore the mysteries of the ancient stone circles and prehistoric monuments of England.  In addition, we'll hear how taking a sauna is an important part of life in Finland. 

Five years in France showed Adam Gopnik and his family why the rituals associated with mealtime are often as important to the French as their recipes. Also, two guides from Portugal share the highlights of their country’s cuisine from Atlantic seafood, to the hearty dishes enjoyed in the inland mountains.

Moses Gates is an urban explorer who tells us why his favorite part of Paris is underground, and how he gets to enjoy his favorite view of the Manhattan skyline from the top of the Brooklyn Bridge. Street artist, Nicolina, brings color and panache to people around the world. Also, soon-to-be travelers ask Rick for advice on upcoming trips to Europe.

Travel writer Jeff Greenwald makes a point to return to Nepal every year and describes how long-held customs are challenged by modern pressures and political turmoil.  He also points out what’s timeless about the Himalayan culture that draws him back year after year. Also, we take a close-up look at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome to understand what went into making it the most impressive church in the world with tips for making it a high point of your life's travels.

An expert who advises American travelers on how to best use the passenger rail lines in Europe offers tips for when rail passes are a bargain, and how they work. Also, Jane and Michael Stern discuss trends in hometown "comfort food" restaurants in America, including a few eateries where the local atmosphere made their day. Also, listeners check in with travel reports on what made their trips extra-special when they visited France, Spain, Poland, and Italy.

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.