Travel with Rick Steves
Arts & Culture Podcasts
A weekly one-hour conversation with guest experts and callers about travel, cultures, people, and the things we find around the world that give life its extra sparkle. Rick Steves is America's leading authority on travel to Europe and beyond. Host and writer of over a hundred public television travel shows and author of 30 best-selling guidebooks, Rick now brings his passion for exploring and understanding our world to public radio. Related travel information and message boards on www.ricksteves.com
Location:
Edmonds, WA
Genres:
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Description:
A weekly one-hour conversation with guest experts and callers about travel, cultures, people, and the things we find around the world that give life its extra sparkle. Rick Steves is America's leading authority on travel to Europe and beyond. Host and writer of over a hundred public television travel shows and author of 30 best-selling guidebooks, Rick now brings his passion for exploring and understanding our world to public radio. Related travel information and message boards on www.ricksteves.com
Twitter:
@RickSteves
Language:
English
Contact:
130 Fourth Avenue North PO Box 2009 Edmonds, WA 98020 425-771-8303
Website:
https://www.ricksteves.com/
Email:
rick@ricksteves.com
Episodes
821 Expert On Board; Foreign Correspondent Lyse Doucet
2/6/2026
An Easter Island-based travel writer and lecturer lets us in on what life is like on the cruise-ship circuit. Then journalist Lyse Doucet recounts her career as the BBC's chief international correspondent and delves into the issues her profession grapples with today.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
820 Vietnam; Touring the Mississippi River
1/30/2026
Bradt guidebook author Joshua Zukas, who focuses exclusively on Vietnam, shares why he enjoys challenging misconceptions about his adopted home. And a writer who has spent his life captivated by the mighty Mississippi River takes us on a virtual tour of America's great waterway, from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
819 Swiss Riviera; How to Plan a Safari; Take a Hike in Europe
1/23/2026
One of Rick's tour guides opens our eyes to the idyllic "Swiss Riviera" that borders Lake Geneva. Then a British journalist and safari expert takes us into Africa, sharing the best ways to find authentic safari experiences. And a hiking-and-biking tour operator tells us how to escape the crowds of Europe's grand cities by spending a few days hitting the trail.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
690a Hamburg; The Art of Europe; Extreme Sports
1/16/2026
Find out why Germany's "second city," the industrial northern port of Hamburg, is a first-choice getaway for many of the country's residents. Then get the inside scoop on Rick's "Art of Europe" TV miniseries, which explores the backstories of the continent's greatest artworks. And consider what drives some death-defying athletes to go all-in for "extreme sports."
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
818 Amsterdam Museums; Regenerating London; European Borders
1/9/2026
Two Dutch tour guides help us get the picture on what's new on Amsterdam's eclectic exhibit scene. Then a Blue Badge guide lets us in on where to go in London to see the exciting ways the venerable city is reinventing itself. And a journalist delves into the inexact science of borders and ponders the complicated relationship between physical geography and national identity.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
817 Budget Travel Tips; Moonlight Express; Hola South America
1/2/2026
A budget-minded travel blogger shares timely tips for keeping costs down — so that you can keep your travel dreams alive. Then a British journalist with a passion for rail travel enthuses about the special magic of the sleeper train. And an American writer based in Chile tells us what he loves about living in South America.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
816 Vesterheim; Atlas Obscura Curiosities; Lessons Learned
12/26/2025
Celebrate Norwegian roots in America as we mark the 200th anniversary of a major wave of immigration to the US from the Scandinavian nation. Then join an expert of the offbeat as he delves into some of the more curious places and things held dear by people around the world. And listen in as callers share their favorite travel memories of the year behind us. Plus, learn from Scottish tour guides about Edinburgh's lively New Year's Eve traditions of Hogmanay.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
427c Christmas in London, Umbria, France, Norway, Greece, Basque Country
12/19/2025
Christmas is a little different across the pond — where Santas dwell on farms or in the woods, festively decorated boats stand in for sleighs, and fermented trout is a must-try treat. Learn about holiday traditions observed in France, Norway, Greece, London, the Spanish Basque Country, and small-town Italy, as a slate of Rick's guides share their customs and memories of this festive season.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
815 Sacred Paris; Newgrange Solstice; Finnish Sauna; Christmas in Estonia, Rome, Venice
12/12/2025
Hear a Francophile's recommendations for some of the most magnificent religious architecture to explore in Paris. Then vicariously experience a winter solstice ritual from inside an ancient tomb in Ireland, and warm up to the custom that's central to life in Finland: the sauna. Plus, kick off the Christmas season with local holiday traditions from Tallinn, Rome, and Venice.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
814 Tuesdays at the Louvre; Stone
12/5/2025
A Paris-based journalist lets us in on what happens behind closed doors at the city's grandest museum when it shuts to the public each Tuesday. And the last apprentice to be trained in the medieval techniques of masonry in Tuscany reveals how ancient secrets help to turn stone into masterpieces of art and architecture.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
495b National Parks Dinner Party; The Great Southwest; Utah's Craziest Bike Ride
11/28/2025
Author Terry Tempest Williams describes the various "personalities" of a dozen US national parks and examines each one's contributions to the American character. Then historian Flannery Burke tells us how Arizona and New Mexico came to embody what we now think of as the Great Southwest. And travel writer Christopher Solomon enjoys getting dusty on a mountain-bike tour across southern Utah.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
813 20th-Century France; Finest Hotel in Kabul; Photogenic Scotland
11/21/2025
Historian Colin Jones has managed to distill centuries of French history into just 250 pages, and he leads us through significant sights from the mighty nation's recent past. Then a veteran BBC correspondent recalls turbulent times in 1980s Afghanistan and the hotel that still stands as a symbol of the country's resilient people. And a photographer from Scotland's Hebrides describes his ongoing quest to capture the moods, light, and breathtaking beauty of his homeland.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
812 What's New in Venice; The Senior Nomads Come Home; Food Tours in Europe
11/14/2025
One of Rick's favorite Venice tour guides lets us in on changes afoot in Italy's city of dreams. Then the tireless Senior Nomads share lessons from a dozen years on the road as they unpack their suitcases and settle down for good. And a gastronomic guide invites us to dig into the best bites from across the continent.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
811 Slavic Europe; Running with the Bulls; Checking In
11/7/2025
Guidebook researcher Cameron Hewitt opens our eyes to the history, nature, and genuine welcome that await travelers venturing to the Slavic nations of central and eastern Europe. Then a tour guide from Switzerland explains what compels him to run with the bulls in Pamplona each summer, as he's done for five decades. And listeners chat with Rick about their latest European travel discoveries.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
810 Gothic Literary Tourism; Mexico's Day of the Dead; Spooky New Orleans
10/31/2025
Hear how Gothic literature uses scary stories and the supernatural to explore human nature. Then learn about the origins and traditions of Mexico's annual celebration of departed loved ones. And get a New Orleans tour guide's take on the uniquely spiritual culture of her city as well as some of its most haunted sights.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
809 Women of Pompeii; Lesser-Known Greek Isles; Weird Ireland
10/24/2025
Learn about the societal roles and everyday lives of the women of Pompeii. Then get recommendations from a Greek tour guide for some islands that should be on your radar for your next visit. And take a walk on the Emerald Isle's weird side with a local collector of all things offbeat, outlandish, and delightfully Irish.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
679a Nordic Roots; Dutch Towns; Bridge to Nicaragua
10/17/2025
Hear how the characters of Nordic mythology can help you better understand the past, and how they influence the epic tales that entertain us today. Discover Dutch towns to explore beyond Amsterdam where you can view technological marvels as well as medieval charm. Also, find out how tourism in Nicaragua is trying to rebound from multiple setbacks, one rural homestay at a time.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
808 See You in the Piazza; Lagers
10/10/2025
Bestselling author Frances Mayes comes in from the Tuscan sun to tell us about her favorite uncrowded corners of Italy, away from the crush of the country's top tourist destinations. And a certified beer judge explains what makes lager the world's most popular style of the ubiquitous beverage.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
807 Islands of Portugal; Easter Island; Endangered Languages
10/3/2025
A Portugal tour guide describes the scenic and culinary rewards that await visitors to the country's mid-Atlantic island getaways. Then a Scotsman who spent over two decades living on Easter Island takes us behind the mysteries of its famous stone figures and shares what daily life is like in the remote outpost. And a New York linguist reminds us of the benefits of preserving our world's diverse dialects.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00
806 Swedish-Norwegian Cousins; The London Tube; Czech Castles
9/26/2025
Get an inside look at the (mostly) friendly rivalries of Scandinavia as a pair of tour guides from Sweden and Norway sit down for a chat. Then hear from a London Blue Badge guide about what to know — and love — about London's famous underground metro system. And listen in as we explore the grand castles of the Czech Republic.
For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
Duration:00:52:00