Travel with Rick Steves

Hear about holiday traditions in Wales, Hungary, Sicily, and Scotland, then learn about the unique ways people light up the season in Santa Fe — where the glow of luminarias and the scent of piñon wood fires leave a lasting impression. And listen in as we head much farther south to hear how scientists at a research station in Antarctica make merry. Also, listeners share some of their...

Nothing says Christmas like fresh oysters and fermented trout — at least according to some Europeans. Learn about the yuletide traditions of France, Norway, Greece, London, the Spanish Basque Country, and small-town Italy, from the varied fare to unusual holiday decorations to Santa's leaner — and often meaner — overseas counterparts. For more information on Travel with Rick Stev...

Learn about some of America's most interesting lighthouses to visit — or even slumber in. Then hear from an experienced pilot about why the view from a 747 never gets old. And listen in as we consider the longbow's influence on the balance of power in medieval Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visi...

Hear how you can get close to the ancients by hiking Peru's Inca Trail, and get tips for enjoying Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Then we'll zoom in on two more areas with striking monuments from the past: Turkey, with its legacy of the Ottoman Empire, and Wales, with its string of massive medieval castles. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives...

Hear what makes Spain's jamón the best ham in the world, then learn about the traditional comfort foods of Scandinavia, and the after-dinner customs that keep Italians lingering at restaurant tables. And find out why a Tulsa mom embarked on a four-year project to prepare meals from every country in the world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions,...

British actress Joanna Lumley takes us on a soulful journey from Athens into northern Greece. Guides from Britain help us plan a getaway into England's scenic Cotswolds. Then travel writer Tim Neville tells us about skiing in unlikely places ― including Kosovo and North Korea. And we get a taste of Reykjavík nightlife during the Iceland Airwaves music festival. For more information on Trave...

As Europe observes the centennial of the "Great War," learn about the WWI sites you can visit to better understand American doughboys' role on the battlefields. We'll also share tips for visiting Kraków, the cultural and spiritual capital of Poland. And we'll get insider advice for enjoying WWI sites in some less-visited corners of the Balkan Peninsula. For more information on Travel w...

Listeners tell us about eerie encounters they've had while traveling in England and France. Then ghost hunter Terrance Zepke describes some of the most haunted places she's investigated in the US, including a former asylum in Appalachia, and even a haunted nightclub near Cincinnati. And food blogger Kate Hopkins delves into the bittersweet history of candy, and shares tips for finding the best cho...

Learn why Colombia is turning into one of South America's prime tourist destinations. And as we mark the 50-year anniversary of the Immigration Act of 1965, hear about why Asians, primarily from China, represent the largest group of newcomers to the US. Then listen in as we learn how things get done — or not — in Italy's chaotic culture. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves...

Hear how recent upgrades to Oklahoma City have helped to turn it into a "big-league" city. Then eavesdrop on some local buzz around town in Honolulu, and get a sense of how time spent exploring its cultural opportunities can enhance any visit to Hawaii. And listen in as author Wallace J. Nichols explains the psychological benefits of being near the water ― even if that just means taking a relaxing...

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...

Tune into the traditional music of Spain and find out where to catch the best flamenco shows in Madrid. Then listen in as astronaut Chris Hadfield describes daily life aboard the International Space Station, and lets us in on how you get used to doing everything — and we mean everything — in zero gravity. And hear what a cross-country road trip showed a man and his dog about America's...

Guides from Portugal describe the delights of Porto, and the winemaking traditions of the nearby Douro Valley in the north of Portugal. Then NPR's David Greene shares what he learned about everyday working-class Russians from his trips on the Trans-Siberian Railway. And friends from Scotland explain the cultural importance of their neighborhood pubs, and share tips for making yourself feel ri...

People-watching and relaxing in the night air in one of Rome’s picturesque public piazzas: Get tips for enjoying Rome’s more intimate side after sunset. Then a guide to New York City tells us where you can get in touch with the city's forgotten history and its multicultural character, and hear from a few daring souls who find adventure in high places. For more information on Travel wit...

Find out why Bath is an ideal city to visit for a little R&R in the English countryside, then hear why one American expat, who runs a popular website about her life in the Yucatán, left California with her husband to start a new life in the Mexican city of Mérida. And get clued in on the hot-button topics under discussion in the bars and cafés of Spain. For more information on...

Did you hear the one about the Swede, the Norwegian, and the Dane? Hear about what Scandinavians tend to think about their Nordic neighbors, and the sometimes not-so-subtle differences that help give each country its distinct identity. Then listen in for the story of the special travel guide that African Americans relied on in the mid-20th century to find a welcome when traveling out of town withi...

Listen in as we rock the cradle of country music, from kitchy Dollywood to all-day mountain-music jams along Virginia's "Crooked Road." Tony Horwitz explores how John Brown's 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry still haunts us today. And we'll hear how fun it can be to hike Appalachian Trail. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related deta...

Journalist Gary Rivlin tells us how he's seen New Orleans change in the 10 years since Hurricane Katrina. Also, Brin-Jonathan Butler describes what a decade of training with Olympic boxing elites in Havana showed him about life in Cuba, and why he's now barred from returning. And hear how the nearly century-old legacy of an Irish revolutionary leader still evokes dissention among his countrymen. F...

Hear how photojournalist David Adams journeyed to Afghanistan and central Asia in search of the lost cities encountered by Alexander the Great. Learn why Ephesus, in western Turkey, is one of the best places in the world to resurrect a sense of the everyday life of the ancient Greeks and Romans. And for those looking for a taste of university life in England, we share tips for choosing between Oxf...

David McCullough recounts a big day in aviation history, when the Wright Brothers first demonstrated powered flight to an eager audience ― in France. Then travel writer Tim Neville shares his first impressions of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan ― neighbors along the fabled Silk Road of central Asia, but ones with very different personalities. And listeners share the rewards of their latest exotic trav...

A British ex-pat tells us what it's like to live in Switzerland, and explains why the Swiss are deliberately different from the rest of their European neighbors. We'll also get pointers for fun things to explore on a weekend in Wales from one of that country's top tour guides. And a musician from Orvieto provides examples of the different styles of folk and traditional music you can enjoy across I...

Naturalist Terry Tempest Williams reflects on a mystery her late mother left behind, and explains her drive to speak out on behalf of the rugged Utah wilderness she calls home. Then a tour guide from Italy describes how he likes to get away from it all: on a motorbike across the vast Sahara desert. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives a...

Author Euny Hong explains how South Korea has transformed into an economic and pop-culture powerhouse to become one of the world's "coolest" countries. Then author Pico Iyer shares what he observed on a recent visit to the renegade nation of North Korea, and explains how easy it is to visit the North on a tightly wrapped packaged tour via China. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves...

Hear French views on the tensions that free speech can raise in a multicultural nation. Author Graham Robb introduces us to some of the people that have helped define today's stylish city of Paris. Also, listeners describe the high points from their latest adventures overseas. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - v...

Guides from Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic tell us about some of the sites you can visit to get a feel for the Communist era in central and eastern Europe. We'll also explore the allure of a road trip in flatlands, where the unobstructed view makes the sky seem closer. And hear what kind of cross-cultural issues emerge when Europeans marry Americans. For more information on Travel with Ri...