Travel With Rick Steves

Tour guides from Spain explain the importance of local saints to this festive country's national identity. Then actor David Suchet shares what he discovered about his own religious faith while retracing the first-century travels of St. Paul. And Rick chats with art historian Miles J. Unger about the masterpieces by Michelangelo that travelers can enjoy on a visit to the artist's hometown of Florence. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Author Mark Adams shares what he learned about Incan history while trekking to Machu Picchu, just a century after it was revealed to the outside world. Then author and radio commentator Sarah Vowell explains how Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette helped unify Americans after the contentious presidential election of 1824. And Rick checks in with tour guides from Edinburgh to get tips on visiting Scotland's whisky distilleries. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Folks from online magazine Atlas Obscura share some of their favorite American roadside attractions. Then author Doug Mack explains the unique status of the United States' far-flung territories, where American citizenship is "complicated." And writer, photographer, and businesswoman Wendy Simmons describes her remarkable tour of North Korea. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick and two French guides offer tips for planning a visit to the royal palace of Versailles and discuss contemporary issues facing France. Graphic Novelist Sarah Glidden discusses her first trip to Israel on a Birthright tour. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Give yourself an authentic Saint Patrick's Day as friends from Ireland demonstrate how traditional folk music continues to play an important role in their lives on a level that everyone can enjoy. Explore the sights of Ireland's second city, Belfast, and hear how Northern Ireland has outgrown its reputation for sectarian violence.  We'll also have pointers on what it really means to be Irish. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Photographer Marty Essen talks to Rick about his close encounters with animals in their native environments. And guides from Ireland recommend their favorite parts of Ireland to explore for people visiting this year. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Celebrate 30 years of Women's History Month in the USA by visiting sites where women changed the nation's history, recommended by a former director of the National Museum of American History. Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad tells us how she set a world record swimming from Havana to Key West. And naturalist Gary Ferguson describes the fierce nature of the wilderness. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We'll hear about the local delicacies found on the various tapa menus across Spain. Then we'll learn more about the centuries-long traditions behind Carnival celebrations in Venice and Cologne, the scene of some of Europe's biggest wintertime parties. Plus we'll listen in on the Norwegian TV show that's helped many Americans discover their old-country ancestry. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We'll take an audio stroll along the bustling banks of the Danube as it flows through the scenic heart of Budapest. Then we'll hear from some Brits about what motivated them to vote for or against leaving the European Union, and about what makes them fearful — or optimistic — for the years ahead. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A Sicilian tour guide lays out the essentials for exploring his distinctive sun-drenched island. Then a prominent Italian archaeologist discusses Venice's population decline, which continues even as crowds of tourists and cruise-ship passengers overwhelm Italy's most beloved city. And we'll get all the gritty details on the side of 18th-century Venice described so vividly by that infamous libertine, Casanova. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Discover the rewards of being a "road-trip pilgrim," as explained by author Dan Austin. Then journalist Elizabeth Becker describes how China's mandatory Golden Week holidays have boosted the worldwide travel industry, and how China's investments in tourism are paying off. And a panel of Europeans discuss how the recent rise of populist politics is playing out across the European Union. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

British author Tim Parks explains why the Italian rail system, which he depends on daily, means more to him than a mere means of transportation. Then a pair of tour guides from opposite ends of Italy highlight the regional differences that make travel in Italy such an enjoyable study in contrasts. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Travel writer Dave Fox discusses everyday life as an American in Saigon, then British actor David Suchet explains why this year's 500-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation is so important — and why London is the world's best city for theater. Plus, listeners get Rick's advice for making the most of their European travel plans for 2017. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Two Americans who've made their living in Cuba shed light on the influence Americans have there, then author Ken Ilgunas describes the 1700-mile trek he made on foot from Alberta to Texas in hopes of getting a local perspective on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn how eating like a Greek could be an ideal way to improve your diet in the new year. Then listen in as consumer-travel advocate Christopher Elliott explains why travel insurance isn't always a good deal, and author Patricia Schultz recommends a thousand places you should plan to see in the US, plus her top picks for places to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Authors David Sedaris and Patricia Schultz encourage making travel plans in the new year. Chris Santella recommends getting outdoors for an adrenaline kick heli-skiing in Alaska or a civilized game of golf on the coast of Ireland. Plus, Nate Johnson stirs up our curiosity about urban wildlife from the birds we take for granted to the plants we never noticed. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Friends from Madrid, Rome, London, and Lisbon tell us how they celebrate the yuletide holidays. We'll also hear about small-town festivities in Holland, Austria, Northern Ireland, and Bulgaria. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Writers Jane and Michael Stern discuss wintertime comfort food served in America's roadside restaurants, then food and culture expert Fred Plotkin explores the various kinds of chocolate available across Europe. And listeners share the experiences that made their Christmas vacations in Europe really special — plus we'll hear how locals get into the Christmas spirit in Prague. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Montreal-based authors of "The Bonjour Effect" discuss the unwritten rules of conversation in France, and the communication hurdles visitors face — even those who speak perfect French. Then reporter Peter Costantini shares updates from Nicaragua, where he's been investigating problems behind the country's bid to build a canal to rival Panama's. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get into the holiday spirit by hearing about Germany's many outdoor Christmas markets, then listen in as Rick's son Andy Steves describes what kind of low-cost weekend adventures young travelers are looking for in Europe. Plus, find out why Seoul's nightlife and pop culture are attracting a worldwide crowd to South Korea, and experience the "hard sell" at a street market in Cairo. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.