Travel With Rick Steves

A New York Times travel writer recommends four great cities for solo travelers, and the best time of year to visit them. Then the author of "Achtung Baby" tells us of her family's relocation to Berlin, and what she learned about Germans' hands-off approach to child rearing. And listeners share their travel plans and experiences for trips to Turkey, Hungary, and Sicily. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Author Jim Hinckley joins us to recommend Old West ghost towns that you can still visit. Then Irish singer Cathie Ryan describes how Ireland remembers its heroes through the lyrics of traditional songs. And journalist Carl Hoffman shares his deeply researched take on the mysterious disappearance of banking scion Michael Rockefeller in the jungles of New Guinea. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

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 an English lit expert from Cambridge explains how the works of Shakespeare have been embraced in East Africa. And a radio DJ tells us about an Icelandic music festival that features an amazing amount of home-grown talent. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A transcontinental pilot discusses the marvels of jet travel, then Australian actor Marta Dusseldorp describes her favorite Down Under destinations, and shares insights she's gained from starring in a TV series about the postwar 1950s. Plus, tour guides from Berlin explain the German love of a good sausage, at any time of year…and any time of day. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The author of "Living Abroad in Japan" offers tips for making yourself feel at home in Japan, no matter how long your visit. Then Rick talks to tour guides from England about scenic filming locations you can visit in Britain. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Filmmaker and documentary photographer Phil Borges explains what's behind his remarkable photos of people in different traditional societies of central Asia. Then portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz lets us in on how she documents the worlds of her famous subjects, and shares stories of the road trips that've brought her closer to great American artists. And tour guides to Sicily take listener calls to swap tips on enjoying the traditions of Italy's liveliest island. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Author and artist Elizabeth Murray tells how her life was changed by working in painter Claude Monet's gardens outside Paris. Then Irish tour guides take us to the scenic highlights of the popular Ring of Kerry peninsula. And nature writer Gary Ferguson reveals how cultivating a relationship with the natural world helps us better understand life's mystery and beauty. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Three tour guides from Berlin suggest sights to see and experiences to enjoy in Germany's vibrant, changing capital. And as Bavarians prepare to host this year's Oktoberfest, a tour guide from Munich joins us to explain why beer gardens are so important to their culture. Then two guides from Italy walk us through the typical Italian's daily visit to a coffee bar, and share tips on how to order your espresso like a true Italian. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Roman tour guide Francesca Caruso recommends places to explore in the Eternal City that give you a particularly vivid feel for its centuries of history. Then historian Michael Wood describes how China's updated infrastructure makes it easy to reach his favorite sights in this fascinating country. And author Fred Plotkin discusses how you can eat and travel well when you engage your surroundings with an eye toward pure enjoyment. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Listen in as tour guides from Scotland let us in on their favorite experiences on the magical Isle of Skye. Then hear what it's like to kayak the length of both the Mississippi River and New York's waterways, from Buffalo to the Statue of Liberty. And join in on an audio Moondance along Belfast's "Van Morrison Trail," which connects the spots made famous by the music of the city's beloved hometown boy. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

In what was the beginning of the packaged tour, find out how middle class Victorian-era tourists from England enjoyed the Swiss Alps. Examine the emotional benefits of travel that last well after you return home. Plus, a painter shares how going on an artist's safari has deepened his love of African wildlife. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear author Teresa Bruce describe how she retraced a poignant family road trip all the way down the Pan-American highway. Then listen in as we weigh the value of souvenirs with travel writer Rolf Potts, who shares insights on the origins of the travel-gift industry. And reminisce with fellow listeners who’ve called in to share the travel memories evoked by recent episodes of the show. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear how Crete offers travelers a uniquely fascinating Greek island experience. Then travel writer Mark Adams describes his 3,000-mile voyage along the coasts of Alaska in the path of the Harriman Expedition of 1899. And a Dutch biologist explains how urban evolution around the world is happening faster than we used to think. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Tim Neville discusses why you'd enjoy vacationing in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. Travel writer Stephanie Rosenbloom explores the advantages of traveling solo and how to do it without feeling all alone. And tour guides from the Balkans recommend their favorite places to explore along the coast of Croatia. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

British tour guides discuss their favorite overlooked cities to visit, beyond London. Plus, we learn what guides from the Cumbrian Lake District and the Cotswolds love about living in rural England, including recommendations for connecting with the regions' sometimes-eccentric folk culture and its literary giants. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Kathleen Winter tells us what her voyage into the Northwest Passage taught her about the world. Richard Grant left the bustle of Manhattan to buy an old farmhouse in the Mississippi Delta. Plus, listeners share tales of memorable stories from the people they've met overseas. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear about the charms of France's Alsace region from local tour guides. A Parisian guide explains how visitors' expectations lead to misunderstandings and faux pas. Plus, Fred Plotkin shares how you might find the best croissant you've ever tasted in Paris. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Tampa Bay Times columnist Craig Pittman explains how Florida's massive tourism industry impacts the state's residents. Plus, the author of a guide to Route 66 tells us about efforts to revitalize the historic 24-hundred mile highway as a national heritage trail. Also, author Sarah Vowell tells us what she learned when she visited sites associated with assassinated American presidents. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Newfoundland actor and musician Alan Doyle recommends sights to best enjoy the rugged beauty of his island home in the Atlantic. And Canadian TV personality Rick Mercer shares his favorite places and things to do across Canada this summer. Plus, culinary historian Elizabeth Pearce raises a glass to New Orleans for its tri-centennial, and unveils tips for enjoying 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 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 episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.