Travel With Rick Steves

Knowing what's behind the walls, as well as what goes into them, can be quite the illuminating experience. Rick invites architecture professor Kathryn Rogers Merlino from the University of Washington to help make sense of flying buttresses and Roman ruins. And for something exotic, we'll also get a snapshot of what it's like to visit Katmandu, and read our latest round of listeners' travel haiku. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

If you like the people, tempo, and joy of living you find in Italy then you'll love Sicily. But for some Americans, the frenzied yet laid-back style of Italy's big southern island can be a bit overwhelming. So on this week's Travel with Rick Steves local tour guide Alfio di Mauro AHL-fee-oh dee MOW-ro) joins Rick to take listener calls and offer insider tips on getting the most out of a vacation to Sicily. And, for something completely different, German tour guide Christoph Dressler returns with an overview of the Black Forest region, where Germans are prescribed time off from work to soak in mineral spas and to "power hike" in the mountains. We're plunging head first into Sicily and the Black Forest on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

(note: Sept 21 is Armenian Independence Day) It's one of the newest nations in the world, and one of its oldest civilizations. And this week, Armenia is celebrating 15 years as an independent republic. We'll find out why it's a classic "back door" destination, on the next edition of Travel with Rick Steves. Rick's guest is Matthew Karanian (kah-RAIN-ee-ann), an American drawn to the land of his grandparents, who has co-authored a definitive guidebook to Armenia and the neighboring disputed land of Karabagh (CAR-ah-bock). We'll learn how Armenia provides a unique link to the ancient world, with some of the earliest Christian churches, a distinct language from its Indo-European neighbors, eco-tourism in its untouched countryside, and a society that has persisted for three thousand years, despite many adversaries. We're getting acquainted with Armenia...on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details

You probably already know that the flamenco, Sunday evening bullfights, tapas, and sangria are some of the flavors of Spain. Now, as part of the European Union, Spain is a re-energized democracy that might also provide us examples for coping with the threats of terrorism. Carlos Galvin (gal-VEEN), a travel specialist from Madrid, joins Rick this week to describe today's scene in his homeland, and to take listener calls about visiting Spain. Also, we'll learn how the Spanish tradition of taking a midday nap -- the siesta -- has been helping Spaniards beat stress for centuries...and how its days may be numbered in modern, urban culture. Julio Astor (WHO-lee-oh AS-tor) of the Spanish Tourism Board joins Rick to explain the role of "the siesta." Discover the pleasures of Spain and its distinctive culture, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit

It's long been a tradition in academia and many religious institutions. But it turns out anyone can benefit from a little time off the regular routine for a "sabbatical." On the next Travel with Rick Steves, we examine the practicalities and benefits of taking a sabbatical. Whether it involves months away from the job, or it's a vacation centered on helping others, sabbaticals are still a valuable way to explore the world -- including the one inside yourself. We're learning about "sabbaticals," and hearing your travel stories, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

(note: Aug 20 is Hungary's Constitution Day national holiday) Whether you're up for a night at the opera, or a day "taking the curative waters" at a hot spring, Hungary has a classy way of making you feel welcome. And its hearty wine and cuisine will keep you satisfied for hours. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, a tour guide friend and teacher from Hungary joins Rick to take listener calls and tell us what her country is like in today's post-Soviet era. Join us for an insider's guide to Hungary, on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, Rick updates our itineraries on Scotland with native-born tour guide Ken Hanley. They discuss the tensions Scotland has had over the years with England, and take listener calls about visiting the trendy cities and lonely outer islands that make Scotland so special. And while the food's improved in Scotland in recent years, we'll get more of your stories about the best, and worst, food you've encountered in your travels -- from the Himalayas to Antarctica. That, and another round of listener travel haiku, are coming up on Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We're exploring both ends of the transportation spectrum on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. Rick learns about the R-V subculture from Chuck Woodbury, who runs an online site for R-V travel. Chuck says that R-V camping has become a popular way to take the great American roadtrip -- even if the roads are overseas. Also, adventure bicyclist Willie Weir tells us about his most recent bike trip through Northern Thailand and Laos. Whether you've got two wheels or more...join us as we explore travel by bike and by R-V...on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

You really haven't seen Italy until you travel south to Naples. It's one of the most intense and chaotic urban scenes in all of Europe. So American-born tour guide Nina Bernardo, who now lives there, joins us to help clear the misconceptions about Napoli. She'll also clue us in to the attractions of the nearby resort areas, such as Sorrento and Capri. We also hear from travelers who found ways to fend off the scam artists that the Naples train station is famous for. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

(note: Bastille Day, the major French national holiday, is July 14) When you examine the tensions that sometimes arise between Americans and the French, many of them come from the different ways our two cultures operate. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, Rick takes a deeper look at the cultural faux pas some travelers experience in France. Our insider's guide to France and its culture comes from two native-born French tour guides, based in opposite corners of the country. That, and your calls about the best, and worst, food you've found in your travels, are coming up on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Good things often come in small packages. This week on Travel with Rick Steves, we'll investigate two small countries in Europe and Latin America that are often overlooked as destinations in their own right. Belgium has been in the center of much of Europe's action for centuries, and it now hosts the political capital of the European Union. It's a country with a remarkably easy-going flair, and great food. Native son tour guide Ferdi Menghi joins Rick to take listener calls about Belgium. Then, Kurt Kutay (koo-TIE) introduces us to an indigenous tour guide in Belize, for an overview of Belize for adventure travelers. That, and another round of listener's travel haiku, are coming up on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We're looking at two of America's most popular getaways on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. We'll get the latest on one of the world's hottest destinations -- Las Vegas, Nevada, where high stakes entertainment has replaced the ultra-cheap deals for which the Las Vegas Strip was famous. Rick Garman has a new guidebook to the city, and tells us how to enjoy Vegas without "losing your shirt." Then, we'll cool off in the mountains with an overview of California's Yosemite (yo-SEM-it-tee) National Park with Ann Marie Brown, who knows it inside and out, and what it offers visitors year-round. Lady Luck and Mother Nature are calling us to Las Vegas and Yosemite...on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

(note: June 25 is National Day in Slovenia; and it is also statehood day in Croatia - they each declared independence from Yugoslavia 15 years ago -- in 1991. ) They're celebrating 15 years of independence in Slovenia and Croatia, and we're joining in the party on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. Rick's tour guide friends from Slovenia join us in the studio to take listener calls and fill us in on why their small country has become the place to be for a no-pressure, bargain European escape - at least until they adopt the Euro and prices go up next year. Join us as we get an insider's guide to Slovenia -- a pastoral land with storybook castles, turbo-folk music, and a collection of 'wild and crazy guys,' on the sunny side of the Alps. And we'll also take a detour along the Adriatic coast of Croatia, on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.c

Get up close to African wildlife and forge an emotional connection with an ancient indigenous culture as we explore what it takes to go on an eco-friendly safari. A representative of the Maasai (mah-SIGH) people and the head of an adventure travel company join Rick in the studio to take your calls about visiting Maasai country. We're planning for the trip of a lifetime on a safari to East Africa on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Adventurous travelers know that Turkey is the welcoming entree to a secularized Muslim society. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, tour guide Lale Surman Aran (LAH-lay SOOR-man ah-RAHN) joins Rick to help plan listeners' sight seeing itineraries to Turkey's significant ancient sites, by land and by sea... And, travel writer David Stanley reports on what he found on a recent visit to the Persian Gulf region, whose small nations are emerging as important centers for international business, and pleasure, in the middle of the Arab world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Take a holiday to Mona Lisa's backyard on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. We'll examine the enormous appeal of Italy's Tuscany region, and its quieter neighbor Umbria. Rick chats with Cecelia Bottai (cha-CHEE-lia bo-TYE), a winemaker from Orvieto (or-vee-AY-to), about how visitors can experience authentic local culture in central Italy's hilltowns and estates. We'll also hear another round of listener haiku poems. Grab a glass of Orvieto classico and a seat on the plaza as we talk about Tuscany and Umbria on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

It's been almost 50 years since Arthur Frommer (FROE-mer) first published his groundbreaking travel guidebook "Europe on Five Dollars a Day." In the 1970s, Frommer's books helped instruct a young Rick Steves how to travel light, on a tight budget, and "through the back door" to interact with the people and authentic cultures overseas. Arthur Frommer is Rick's special guest on this week's edition of Travel with Rick Steves, as they reminisce and chat about how much international travel has changed over the past half-century. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Is an organized tour right for you? This week, Rick explores the advantages of, and some potential problems with, "big bus tourism," with industry consultant Rick Hazen. He offers tips on safeguarding against potential rip-offs, and explains how the tour industry works. Find out how bus tours and cruise ship operators make money, and how to get the most out of your vacation budget on a group tour, as we get the inside scoop on tour companies. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

This week, Rick discusses the appeal of our neighbors in Mexico, from the frenzy of its must-see capital to the deep blue waters and nightlife around Cancun, and the Mayan artifacts of the Yucatan Peninsula. Plus, we'll take listener calls from people planning trips to Europe...on Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick removes some of the mystery, but not the glamour, of European Royalty with help from guests Roy Nichols and Norway's Princess Martha Louise. Tour guide Roy Nichols gives Rick an overview of the British royal family and discusses why they remain an important instituion to the average Briton. Princess Martha Louise of Norway, who has written a children's book, "Why Kings and Queens Don't Wear Crowns" explains the modern realities of being from a royal family. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.