Two prominent Canadian authors share their perspective on today's strained political relationship between the US and its northern neighbor. They reflect on their country's geography, diversity, strength, and identity, and consider the history and attitudes that make Canada distinct from the US. And of course, they talk a bit of hockey. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Jun 28, 2025•52 min
Find out what makes Liverpool worth at least a day's visit even for those with no interest in Fab Four lore, then hear from renowned classicist Mary Beard about some of the best places outside Italy to see remnants of the ancient Roman empire. And learn why one expert recommends 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.rickst...
Jun 21, 2025•52 min
Hear how people of all ages enjoy a day at the baths in Budapest, where doctors commonly prescribe a relaxing day at the spa. Then learn about a sacred geothermal river located deep in Amazonian Peru: It's huge, deadly hot, and might contain clues to the origins of life on Earth. And get advice for enjoying the splendor of Padua, located just half an hour from the crowds of Venice, and home to one of Europe's oldest universities. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episod...
Jun 14, 2025•52 min
Journalist Paige McClanahan examines recent changes in the travel industry and explains how a more conscientious approach to tourism can make it a force for good. And travel writer Sophy Roberts recounts a curious episode in colonial history when the king of Belgium ordered a group of elephants to be sent from India to Congo — and discusses what her own travels taught her about Africa's past and present. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program ar...
Jun 07, 2025•52 min
Expert tour guides share advice for exploring the ancient ruins and seaside villages along Turkey's Aegean coast, the Renaissance wonders of Florence, the sun-drenched Tuscan countryside, and charming Danish towns and islands easily reached on day trips from Copenhagen. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
May 31, 2025•52 min
We hear how the Dutch continue to remember and honor the servicemen who helped liberate their towns in 1945. And we revisit a conversation with the late historian David McCullough about the influential "Americans in Paris" of the 19th century, who returned home with skills that helped transform life in the US. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
May 24, 2025•52 min
English tour guides share their enthusiasm for enjoying the riot of color and inspiration you'll find in England's best country gardens. Then author Catie Marron explains how she designed and planted a garden as a way to feel a sense of belonging in her new home. And physicist Alan Lightman explains why it's healthy to give yourself a little unstructured time every day just for goofing off. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and rel...
May 17, 2025•52 min
Scottish tour guides tell us about the most famous castles in a country that's brimming with the imposing structures. Then a Santiago-based American travel writer embarks on a 1,200-mile odyssey through one of the driest places on earth — Chile's Atacama Desert — as he searches for a deeper understanding of his adopted homeland. And listeners call in to share stories and find inspiration for their next travel adventures. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descrip...
May 10, 2025•52 min
Journalist Oneika Raymond reveals the top countries where, as a black woman traveling solo, she feels a cultural appreciation and connection. Then the head of Bread for the World describes how the organization's advocacy work has stepped up its efforts in the face of cuts to government aid programs. And tour guides from Poland give us a look at how the country is modernizing, while retaining what makes it uniquely Polish. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descri...
May 03, 2025•52 min
A travel writer shares how a trip to Antarctica helped him see that continent through the eyes of the early polar explorers. Then a reporter focused on climate change and conservation explains how some North American tree species are migrating to survive the planet's rising temperatures. And two Italy-based tour guides take us to the resort lakes of northern Italy, where the glamour extends beyond the natural scenery. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptio...
Apr 26, 2025•52 min
Learn about the customs that Greeks observe as Orthodox Easter draws near. Then contemplate the massive undertaking of building a cathedral centuries ago and how these monuments to faith and devotion helped shape their locales. And get acquainted with southern Spain's elaborate Semana Santa observances, which fill the streets of Andalucía in the week leading up to Easter. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visi...
Apr 19, 2025•52 min
Hear from tour guides about Spain's robust high-speed rail network and all the places it can take you. Then hit the road vicariously with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof for a taste of life as a foreign correspondent. And take a closer look at the surprising and fascinating ways in which borders have shaped our world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Apr 12, 2025•52 min
Rick marks 20 years of his radio show by revisiting some memorable guests and what they've taught us about travel. Then author Paul Theroux celebrates his 84th birthday as he contemplates the passage of time in his new short-story collection, "The Vanishing Point." And actor Martin Sheen describes how his experiences filming overseas have come to influence his political activism. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related detail...
Apr 05, 2025•52 min
Europe brims with world-class art, and we contemplate some of the continent's truly outstanding paintings, sculptures, and historic edifices. Then we learn about the historic and ecological importance of the Gulf of Mexico from a professor in neighboring Florida. And we consider the humble guidebook and what its pages can tell us, both in the moment and long after the trip is done. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related deta...
Mar 29, 2025•52 min
A tour guide from Greece delves into the importance of food, family, and traditions in his homeland. Then a Francophile offers advice on how to take on the vast collection of the world's largest — and arguably greatest — museum. And guidebook researcher Cameron Hewitt shares discoveries from his travels in the Balkans, an affordable and rewarding alternative to the tourist crowds of western Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives...
Mar 22, 2025•52 min
Two countrymen explore Ireland's reverence for their national poet, W. B. Yeats. Then a Dublin journalist shares what it was like to grow up amid the turbulent societal changes in his city during the 1960s and '70s. And a guide from Belfast tells us why an Emerald Isle itinerary should include a visit to Northern Ireland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Mar 15, 2025•52 min
Delve into the remote outposts and refuges across the globe where travelers have stopped along the course of their adventures. Then hear about the highest views in Wales — and how to reach them — and learn about the country's slate mining heritage. And from Alps to caves, vineyards to beehives, catch the buzz of the natural wonders on display in Slovenia. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves....
Mar 08, 2025•52 min
Look at what's behind Carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations around the world by learning about the festive season's origins and customs in Germany's Rhineland. Then hear what's been added to the World Monuments Fund's latest "watch list" of endangered cultural sites around the world. And get recommendations for must-see experiences in Alaska, along with tips for planning adventures across the Last Frontier. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program ...
Mar 01, 2025•52 min
Two English tour guides explain what Brits mean by a "rough and ready" pub and how to find some of the UK's best pub grub. Then a father-and-son tour-guiding duo invite us to fall in love with their favorite corner of France. And BBC journalist Eliot Stein shares insights from his travels in search of the world's oldest disappearing traditions, giving us a peek into what it's like to be the last to carry a cultural torch. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descri...
Feb 22, 2025•52 min
Listen in as an artist who helped restore Monet's gardens explains why the French painter first created these colorful gardens at his house outside Paris. Then hear how renovating a house on an island off the coast of Brittany can feed your wild side. And find out what happens when you marry an Italian…and your new in-laws live next door. Plus, an adventure cyclist shares the story of a timely romantic surprise that came when he needed it most. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - i...
Feb 15, 2025•52 min
This week we explore three of the most charming — and most popular — of Europe's Old World cities: Two tour guides get cheeky as they make the case for which of their own hometowns — Prague or Budapest — offer the best experiences for visitors with limited time in central Europe. And expert locals catch us up on changes afoot in Lisbon, offering strategies for navigating its more crowded sights so that you can still enjoy an authentic taste of today's Portugal. For more information on Travel wit...
Feb 08, 2025•52 min
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 info...
Feb 01, 2025•52 min
Two German tour guides let us in on the back story behind Berlin's most memorable monuments to their country's turbulent history. Then two Turks tuck into a discussion of the traditional Turkish street eats, comfort foods, and desserts they recommend for a tasty visit to Istanbul. And an American who met — then married — a local artist in Bhutan shares tips for surmounting the logistical hurdles of visiting this remote Himalayan kingdom. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - includin...
Jan 25, 2025•52 min
Travel Channel host Oneika Raymond recommends her favorite Miami neighborhoods to explore on a sunny getaway. Then friends from Scotland discuss the uniquely Scottish cultural icons that reinforce the small nation's strong sense of identity. And just in time for Burns Night, Perthshire-based troubadour Jim Malcolm explains what Robert Burns' poetry means to his compatriots — and sings some favorite Burns tunes. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, pro...
Jan 18, 2025•52 min
Consider three distinctly different styles of historic European cities as we hear how Bristol has transformed itself from an industrial and maritime powerhouse into a creative center for the southwest of England — and how it rewards visitors who set aside at least a day for this city just a half-hour from well-touristed Bath. Then learn from a local about how the Catalan culture of Barcelona sets it apart from the rest of Spain. And discover what visitors have enjoyed for centuries along the cob...
Jan 11, 2025•52 min
The author of a guidebook to Costa Rica discusses what the phrase "pura vida" conveys amid the tropical abundance of her adopted Central American eco-paradise. Then a Morocco expert and fellow guidebook writer recommends the best cities for immersing yourself in the Old World atmosphere of Morocco's intimate, car-free medina neighborhoods. And fellow listeners call in to share how their passions and hobbies have provided a framework for memorable overseas travels. For more information on Travel ...
Jan 04, 2025•52 min
The "world's leading snowman expert" joins Rick to explore the somewhat dark — and certainly cold — origins of the tradition of building snowmen, and what Frosty and his ilk have come to mean across different societies. Then two Rome-based tour guides unpack some of the cultural treasures crammed into the world's tiniest country, while sharing tips and secrets for a successful visit to Vatican City amid the Jubilee-year pilgrimage that's sure to keep the city packed throughout 2025. And to welco...
Dec 28, 2024•52 min
Rick gathers some old friends to hear about their childhood Christmases in Spain, Italy, and New Mexico. Then he brings in more friends to describe what you're likely to find this time of year in Austria, Australia, Japan…and Antarctica. Plus, a Brit from Bath explains how the English tradition of wassailing developed as a way to guarantee a good apple harvest — or at least an occasion to enjoy a warm drink with neighbors. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descr...
Dec 21, 2024•52 min
Old World traditions — fasting, feasting, incense, and song — make Bulgaria's Christmas season special, and tour guide Stefan Bozadzhiev invites us to imagine it with him. Then an Istanbul guide updates us on the latest big news in Turkey's cultural capital, and a culinary historian inspires us to peruse our spice racks as she discusses the often surprising origins of the eight flavors that unite America's diverse cuisines. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode desc...
Dec 14, 2024•52 min
Ken Follett, author of a monumental series of novels based in medieval Europe, celebrates the much anticipated — and hotly debated — reopening of Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral five years after its devastating fire. Also, the New York Times' former Paris correspondent Elaine Sciolino tells us what makes her own Paris neighborhood feel like home. And a peace activist from Jerusalem shares a suggestion to help people of different religions get along better. For more information on Travel with Rick St...
Dec 07, 2024•52 min
