Travel With Rick Steves

With the help of two expert guides to Spain, we'll explore trendy Barcelona where the works of modern artists such as Picasso, Gaudí, and Dalí are a highlight of any visit. Also, travel blogger Angela Nickerson shares the highlights from researching her book "A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome." For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Elizabeth Gilbert shares what she's learned about life's most important relationships. Author Leslie Carroll unveils some of the juicy scandals from "Notorious Royal Marriages." Also art history expert William Wallace discusses the early influences Michelangelo had in his hometown of Florence, and what you can still see of it today. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Guides from Stockholm and Istanbul tell us how to get back to nature in the Swedish countryside, and ideas for enjoying a night on the town in Istanbul -- even during Ramadan. Rick also checks in with listeners about their experiences dealing with medical problems while visiting Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Join Rick as we explore options for getting beyond the busy capital of Budapest and into the heart of Europe in the countryside of Hungary. Tour guide Peter Polczman takes your calls to highlight the scenic Danube Bend, Lake Balaton, and the winemaking center of Eger, known for its strong "bull's blood" wine. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick swaps tales of both American and European road trips; Road Food experts Jane and Michael Stern offer new tips for digging into local specialties; and a longtime river guide shares the thrill of a whitewater adventure. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Two locally-based guides help melt the age-old rivalries between the regions of Tuscany and its neighbor Umbria in Italy and take a closer look at what makes both such clasic destinations for exploring Italy's scenic small towns and countryside. Plus Rick checks in with listeners for reports of faux pas and misunderstandings, and what they learned from their travels. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

London guides Gillian Chadwick and Tom Hooper discuss the many free activities that make London a top-notch city for visitors. Plus, Rick and British history expert Roy Nicholls describe mysterious sites from ancient and prehistoric times in England worthy of a look. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Explore the spirit of America with Rick as guides from the Museum of American History prep for a patriotic pilgrimage to the sights in the nation's capitol, a novelist reveals how the overwhelming beauty of Grand Canyon inspires her writing, and a geologist explains what really comes into view through the window of domestic flights. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt's assignment to chart a strange river in the jungles of Venezuela turned into an adventure complete with poisoned arrows and guerilla kidnappers that almost did them in. Also, Harry Rutstein shares his three expeditions retracing Marco Polo's legendary trade route to China. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Christopher Baker, one of today's top travel writers, describes the "pura vida" that makes Costa Rica, with seaside resorts on two coasts, an active volcano travlers can safely watch while sipping a nightcap, rainforest and jungle expeditions, and more species of birds and butterflies than almost anywhere else on earth is Central America's most popular destination. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Two guides from Lisbon describe what makes Portugal distinctive today, and share itinerary suggestions for a country that used to be a colonial powerhouse but is now a bargain "backdoor" destination for travelers wanting to enjoy a Mediterranean-style climate without the crowds. Also, Rick opens the phones to share stories of how to connect with the locals in our travels. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Marita Bergman explains the rituals Swedes enjoy to accompany the long days marking the start of summer. Also, tour guide Colin Clement describes what drew him to make Alexandria, Egypt his home. He'll tell us what remains visible from the city's prominent role in the ancient world, and how it contrasts with Cairo today as Egypt's "second city." For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Road Food experts Jane and Michael Stern discuss the best places to find good ol' American breakfasts, hamburgers, or pie a la mode and tour guides from Brittany share tips for a road trip through the villages and battle sites in Northwestern France. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We're looking at African wildlife eye to eye, through the perspective of Fred Krakowiak, a wildlife painter who shares his love for Africa with us in his vivid descriptions of a safari. Rick will also interview Doctor Edward Chapnick, the head of travel medicine at a major hospital in Brooklyn. Dr. Chapnick answers questions about precautions you need to take for visits to lesser developed countries, as well as the plane ride over. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The policies of Portugal and Bhutan are on the agenda. We'll talk to the man who authored Portugal's law that dropped criminal penalties against all narcotics users. He'll explain what the intention of the revamped policy was, and how it's actually working out after nearly ten years. And the Himalayan country of Bhutan has strict rules that only allow a small number of escorted tourists in each year. We'll hear how the country that just got TV and the internet in the last decade makes it a priority to promote "gross national happiness." For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Frances Mayes joins Rick to reflect on 20 years of living "Under the Tuscan Sun" -- and how getting in tune with living in Italy can change your sense of time and even help prioritize what matters most in life. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

From stately gardens and picturesque villages to pre-historic stone circles and hillsides haunted by wild ponies, Rick explores the small towns and shires of England and options for touring the enchanting countryside. And, the people of Poland prepare to celebrate the 200th birthday of native son Frydryk Chopin. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A local Munich guide describes how laid-back, traditional Bavaria, where pretzels and beer combine with legendary castles and fairy tale scenery, plays host to some important anniversaries this year including Oktoberfest and Passion Play. Plus, listeners describe some of their memorable faux-pas experiences in Germany. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A native-born guide describes how ancient traditions cross paths with post-Soviet capitalist energy, and the stuffed pepper is king in Bulgaria. Also, nature photographer James Martin shares what he discovered about the world's icy environments -- from the North and South Poles to the Himalayas. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

After many centuries, Istanbul still one of the world's greatest and largest cities where neighborhoods retain an intimate character and echoes of past generations remain evident in its narrow streets and ornate monuments. Tan and Lale Aran join Rick and take listener calls for a full hour devoted to Turkey's capital. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.