Travel With Rick Steves

Is it really too late? A mountain-climbing journalist explains why he says the accelerating effects of global warming have put the earth in hospice — and what it requires to turn it around. We'll also hear what the original Earth Day accomplished 50 years ago, and we'll take a closer look at Rome, where viewing more than 2,000 years of history can teach us a few things about our own civilization. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Find out how the Disney and Universal theme parks compete for your time and money, and what other things you can plan to enjoy when attractions open up again in Orlando and central Florida. And get inspired to build a day hike into your travel plans or explore the attractions of Switzerland's most interesting cities the next time you're in Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

On our 15th-anniversary edition of Travel with Rick Steves, Rick explores designing your own spiritual pilgrimage: Tim Egan shares what the trail from Canterbury to Rome showed him about his own religious skepticism; Lori Erickson explains how spiritual travels informed her view of the world as a clergywoman; and Elaine Sciolino remembers how the world responded to the fire at Notre-Dame. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We revisit interviews from 2017 about the motor-free Gili Islands of Indonesia as alternatives to the crowded tourist scene on nearby Bali. A guide from Australia shares all-season recommendations for getting away from it all Down Under. And listeners tell us about their most memorable travel adventures. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get inspired to rediscover the world when it's safe to travel again with an episode that takes us to a number of special outdoor venues. We'll get more ideas for exploring the long-distance hiking trails of Europe, find out about improvements to the neighborhoods of Athens, and discover the world's most interesting contemporary gardens. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Tour guides from Spain explain the importance of saints to the Spanish national identity — and as a reason for holding a festival. Actor David Suchet tells us what he discovered about his faith when he filmed a documentary about the first-century travels of St. Paul. And Rick chats with art historian Miles J. Unger about the masterpieces Michelangelo created in Florence. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Find out why the Old-World town of Eger, in northern Hungary, is such a popular weekend getaway from Budapest. The head of the Young China Group updates us on how the millennial generation has been coping lately in China. And listeners remind Rick that you're never too old to travel. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Author Terry Tempest Williams explains why she purchased oil leases near her home in the Utah desert to protest removing protections in a national monument. Travel writer Kiki Deere tells us why the Philippines is one of her favorite countries to visit. And a tour guide who mapped hiking trails in Switzerland's Lauterbrunnen Valley talks about the area's Alpine thrills. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn about the important role lighthouses played in the 19th century, and find out where you can visit interesting ones in the US and France. We'll also hear from a Welsh tour guide on the pride that comes from belonging to a distinctive corner of Great Britain, with its own language and traditions. And Rick visits England's Stanway House, a slightly eccentric version of Downton Abbey. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

It's an all-Irish hour, as tour guides from Dublin and the West point out what you can find on a walking tour of the Irish capital and share why the rugged Aran Islands are one of the top sites to explore Ireland's traditions. And author Timothy Egan explains the legacy of the most famous Irish American immigrant of the 19th century. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Discover why the city of San Miguel de Allende is attracting artists and retirees to Mexico, and why food in Italy is reliably good — even in restaurants you might find on a road trip. We'll also hear from a pair of pro-independence Scots on how Scottish nationalism is different by being left-of-center, and a Greek tour guide explains the origins of the Olympic Flame Lighting ceremony. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn how Spanish became one of the world's most important languages, and get tips for enjoying your first trip to Spain and for tackling the massive art collection at the Prado in Madrid. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn why acqua alta episodes are flooding Venice more frequently — and what it was like to live through a week of near-record floods last November. Hear what it takes to hike across Papua New Guinea on the notorious Kokoda Trail. And discover the traditions behind the February "Carnaval" celebrations in the Basque Country of France and Spain. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn why Monet created colorful gardens at his house near Paris from an artist who helped restore them. Hear how renovating a house on an island off the coast of Brittany can feed your wild side. Three Americans explain the expectations of being married to an Italian (and living next to the in-laws). And an adventure cyclist shares the story of a timely romantic surprise. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Writer Elaine Sciolino explains how the legendary Seine River made Paris into the vital, romantic city you find today. We'll also hear from German tour guides on how their country views its important social issues, and we'll learn the differences between the Belgians and the Dutch. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Writer Euny Hong explains how a Korean system of non-verbal social skills works, and how it can help in your travels and your life. We also get insider information on enjoying Italy's scenic Amalfi Coast without getting stuck in tourist crowds or traffic. And listeners check in with Rick about travel concerns for shoulder season and where you may need to look over your shoulder. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The folks from Atlas Obscura tell us about many of the remarkable traditions they've encountered, including a few of the creepiest. We'll also discover the timeless character of Scotland's Hebrides islands — where you're more likely to overhear conversations in Scots Gaelic than English — and learn how to turn the blues into songs that make you feel better with the fado music of Portugal. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Tour guides from Athens and Thessaloniki recommend attractions to visit in Northern Greece, and "Comma Queen" Mary Norris explains what a love of Greek language and mythology can add to your own Greece odyssey. We'll also admire the seafaring skills of the Polynesians and hear how a cultural faux pas led to Captain James Cook's fateful encounter with the Hawaiians. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

On the 10th anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti, journalist Catherine Porter tells Rick how the rescue of a 2-year-old girl brought hope to a desperate country — and changed her life, too. Plus, adventure traveler Christopher Solomon tells us what a recent trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge showed him about the forces battling over the largest wilderness refuge in the US. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

One of the top American travel writers of our time, Paul Theroux, tells us about his recent road trip across Mexico to see for himself what the situation was like on the other side of the border. We'll also look at Ukraine as an up-and-coming Eastern European tourism destination with a lot to offer, at bargain prices. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.