Travel With Rick Steves

Jake Ducey describes what the world taught him after he dropped out of college and spent half a year wandering far from home, then blogger "Nomadic Matt" shares budget travel tips that allow you to see the world in comfort on $50 a day, whatever your age. Plus listeners share tales from their unforgettable adventures. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

NPR's former Moscow correspondent David Greene joins us to describe his winter ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and share what it taught him about the Russian people. And we'll examine how Europeans are debating immigration issues in light of the recent increase in refugees from Syria and North Africa. Then it’s off to Portugal, where we’ll learn why its colorful traditional ceramic tiles are so central to the culture. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn about how the waters of Rome — from its ornate fountains to a shrine for the Venus of the Sewers — can be a refreshing way to explore this ancient capital. We'll also hear from Ferenc Máté how sailing the dangerous waters around Canada's Vancouver Island set the scene for the first of his Dugger mystery novels. And for some serious fresh air and exercise, we explore options for activities in the great French outdoors. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get suggestions for relaxing in Hungary’s countryside, long a favorite for low-stress family vacations. Rick also checks in with listeners planning family trips to the UK and Ireland. Then get tips for exploring the Basque Country of Spain and France, where top-notch food, modern art, and deep-seated traditions make for a colorful trip to this unique region. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Listen in as astronaut Chris Hadfield and writer Pico Iyer describe the life-altering perspectives they’ve gained from their travels. Then Rick compares notes with guidebook publisher Hilary Bradt, and remembers the highlights of his first trip to Europe after high school graduation — the first time he traveled abroad without his parents. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Listen in as Christopher P. Baker, one of America's top experts on travel to Cuba, reports on the reaction in the streets of Havana to President Obama's announcement - and addresses common misconceptions about what the policy change really means for Americans who want to visit Cuba. Then learn about 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 - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get tips for exploring Mexico at your own pace as the experts behind “The People's Guide to Mexico” offer tips for enjoying an independent road trip. Then hear about the frustrations many Italian women face when fighting against some very deep-rooted gender stereotypes, and listen in as listeners share their travel tales from Sicily.   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.

Get a peek behind the news to hear first-hand how Spaniards and Greeks are coping with Europe’s economic crisis — then hear the other side of the debate as we turn to look at thriving Berlin, which has continually attracted newcomers ever since it reunited 25 years ago. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

One of America's top experts on European train travel shares her tips for making the most of Europe's extensive train network, and explains how rail passes work — and how to know when they’re a bargain. Then Road Food experts Jane and Michael Stern tell us what they look for in hometown "comfort food" restaurants, where everyone feels welcome. And listeners check in with reports on special travel moments from France, Spain, Poland, and Italy. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get personal insights on what persuaded the Scottish people to vote 'Nae' in their recent independence referendum, and hear an overview of the two personalities that comprise Belgium. Then listen in as we learn more about the doomed Lusitania, which was sunk off the coast of Ireland 100 years ago this year, and about some of Europe's greatest unfinished artistic masterpieces. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

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, and hear how renovating a house on an island off the coast of Brittany can feed your wild side. Then American tour guides let us in on what happens when you marry an Italian...and the in-laws live next door. And 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 - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get tips for eating well on the cheap in Istanbul, where street vendors and inexpensive cafeterias offer great local food amid the city’s vibrant street life. Then hear about the Karneval street parties that have livened up Germany’s Rhineland for centuries, and the pre-Lenten festivities that kick off spring in Croatia and Slovenia. Plus, listen in as listeners share impressions from their visits to the Holy Land. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Find out what's been threatening the mid-Pacific...and what’s being done to protect it. Then learn about an unusual — and often comfortable — alternative to hotels and B&Bs: convents and monasteries, many of which welcome travelers in some of the world’s prime locales. And listen in while the man behind The Long Winters tells tales from his band’s tours around Europe, and reveals where they’ve found the biggest fans for American rock and roll. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Join us as we take a look at regional highlights beyond Paris, such as the vineyards and mansions of the Loire Valley. We'll also learn about the weathered prehistoric stone formations on the hillsides of Brittany and how they link us to France’s mysterious past. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We look at how important the poet W. B Yeats is to the Irish, then Agatha Christie’s grandson recommends places in England where you experience the world of her mystery novels. And, just in time for Burns Night, Scottish troubadour Jim Malcolm explains what Robert Burns means to the Scots — and sings some of his favorite Burns tunes. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Explore the highlights of the South Carolina Low Country, home to antebellum architecture, wildlife preserves, and plenty of rice and seafood. Then discover how you can stay high in the Andes with an indigenous family, right on the lake where Incas believe life began. And learn how Latinos in the United States are gaining influence — and what politicians need to understand to earn their vote. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Francis Tapon checks in with Rick at the halfway point of his goal to explore each of Africa's 54 countries. African historian Martin Meredith explains the lasting impact of the continent's colonial legacy. Also, Sasha Martin shares how to introduce your family to the favorite foods of every nation on earth. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear how people in Sweden, Croatia, Wales, and Scotland welcome in the new year, then learn how Spanish wines are making a splash — and get tips for pairing up its major varietals. And listen in as an Australian photojournalist describes how his expeditions in Central Asia led him to new insights on Alexander the Great. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

In Europe, Santa Claus has some rather interesting relatives. Get acquainted with such characters as Baba Noel, Grandfather Frost, Saint Nicholas, Krampus, and even Samichlaus and Schmutzli. Listen in as friends from Madrid, Rome, London, and Lisbon tell us about their cities’ Christmas traditions, then hear how the holidays are celebrated in Bulgaria, the Swiss and Austrian Alps, and in the Low Countries. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.