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Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

Here you can browse through my blog posts prior to February 2022. Currently I'm sharing my travel experiences, candid opinions, and what's on my mind solely on my Facebook page. — Rick

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12 Days in the Alps and Lots of My Way Fun

I absolutely love our My Way Alpine Europe Tour itinerary. Imagine enjoying the Alps in Austria, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and France — all in 12 memory-packed days. (While My Way tours are officially un-guided, I took some liberties with the group I led this summer and threw in a few extras.)

Rick Steves with tour group

I enjoyed surprising our group with fun ad-lib stops during our driving days. (The tour is designed to be a series of two-night stands, alternating between driving days with stops and days where we’re set up and free to explore on our own.) We took a group shot at my favorite ruined castle with its new suspension bridge (Ehrenberg Castle, near Reutte in Austria’s Tirol, just a few minutes over the German border from Neuschwanstein Castle).

in front of Ehrenberg

Our Alpine Europe Tour group came ready to hike. Here we climbed to the hill-capping ruined castle of Ehrenberg. Trish and I snuck up bottles of beer and pop to surprise the group with a little party at the top. I “discovered” these castle ruins as a teenager. Ehrenberg was one of my original Back Doors, which I collected for the first edition of my first book, Europe Through the Back Door (in 1980). Back then, I never dreamed I’d be coming here with busloads of travelers. It’s always a treat to show off my favorite little spots in Europe, and I’m thankful that my team of guides are just as enthusiastic as I am when it comes to sharing with their Rick Steves tour groups the countless magic moments Europe has to offer.

Trish Feaster on luge

As the leader of our tour, I got to decide which of the summer luge rides we’d go on. They only run when the weather’s dry. On this day, the sky was heavy with clouds loaded and ready to dump — but we managed to get our luge rides in. Here’s Trish barreling to the finish line — huge smile blocked by her iPhone. By the way, Trish — who took the photos in this post — has her own blog, and is reporting on this tour from her perspective. For Trish’s take on our My Way Alpine Europe experience, visit The Travelphile.

leg wound

We rode the Biberwier luge ride (just outside of Lermoos, on the Austrian side of the Zugspitze). It’s a fast one, and I always make a very strong point that you need to keep your limbs in tight, hold on to your stick, and be careful. Still, the thrill of the luge sometimes tempts kids-at-heart to go too fast. One man on our tour ended up with a very painful souvenir. What did he do upon finishing that tragic ride? He rode the lift up to do it again.

Rick Steves and group with umbrellas

I am really nervous when leading a group through the Alps, because you can be seriously disappointed by bad weather. On this 12-day trip, we had about three rainy days. While the rain dampened our clothes, it didn’t dampen our spirits. Here we are in Chamonix — at the statue of the men who first climbed Mont Blanc back in 1786 — looking up toward Europe’s highest peak and seeing only clouds. The next morning, the sun came out…and so did Mont Blanc.

Rick Steves group selfie

Leading a tour is more fun with a fun-loving group. And, because of the way we promote our tours, fun travelers are what we get. As I always tell my groups, “You’re the most wonderful group of travelers I’ve had the privilege to lead.” We really did have a wonderful group, with a wide range of ages and styles. Together, we were a lot like a family on the road.

Rick Steves group selfie

My favorite kind of group shot is a group selfie. Twenty happy travelers can pack a lot of joy into one frame — especially after having spent 12 days enjoying a Rick Steves tour itinerary covering the best of the Alps. Happy travels to each of my friends on our tour, and thanks for traveling with us.

Amsterdam book and food

The day after our tour finished, I found myself alone again (singing that old Gilbert O’Sullivan song…naturally). I was in Amsterdam, wearing my guidebook researcher hat. For me, it’s rejuvenating to alternate responsibilities while working on the road. I normally toggle from guidebook research to TV production. This year, I’m adding tour guiding to the mix. I thoroughly enjoyed leading our group — and am already looking forward to guiding our Best of Europe in 21 Days Tour in two short months. But for now, it’s just me, the latest edition of my guidebook, and a list of things to check each day. Thanks for traveling with me.

This is Day 67 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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My Return to Leading Tours

I love being a tour guide. For more than 20 years, that was my primary work. But for well over a decade, I have not led a tour. (Instead, each year, I’ve signed up as a participant on a Rick Steves tour — which I absolutely love.) This year, I decided to get back in the saddle and actually lead two tours: our My Way Alpine Europe Tour (which I’ve just finished) and our Best of Europe in 21 Days Tour (coming up this September — stay tuned).

At Rick Steves’ Europe, we have fully guided tours, family tours, and My Way tours — that’s the type I just finished leading. My Way tours are un-guided, including just the bus ride, the hotels (with breakfast), and a tour manager (that’s me) to be sure everyone is organized and knows what to do. The rest is up to each tour member. My Way tours are quite popular with families, older travelers who want to take it easy, and independent types who don’t want the expense and regimentation of a fully guided tour.

As I hadn’t led a tour since we introduced the My Way itineraries — and they’ve been very popular — I wanted to have firsthand experience leading one of these. My partner, Trish, has led several. She was traveling along to make sure I understood the new standards. (Our tours have much more online support and online reporting requirements than back in the old days when I was guiding.)

Salzburg walk

My group didn’t know I was their leader until we met in person. (I was listed with a pseudonym on the roster.) It was a lot of fun to surprise the group at our orientation meeting that first evening at our Salzburg hotel. This shot is a few minutes later, as I give our group an orientation walk of Salzburg.

 

bus and hilde

I am so proud of the quality of our bus drivers and their buses. Hilde was our driver. (On this tour, I learned why she’s a favorite among our guides.) And her bus is smooth and comfy — far better than the buses I remember using back in the 20th century. One of my favorite things about the way we do our tours: twice as many seats as there are travelers…and plenty of room to stretch out.

 

rick steves group with bags

Here’s our group with their bags ready to walk to the bus from our Füssen hotel (in Bavaria). When choosing hotels for our tours, a central location (often in the traffic-free zone of the old town) is a priority. That’s why we often need to walk a couple of blocks to get to our bus. On our tours, everyone packs light (carry-on sized bags only), and everyone carries their own luggage. That requirement helps shape our clientele — attracting a hardy and fun-loving gang of travelers…and prompting high-maintenance travelers to choose another tour company.

 

rick steves on bus

I have to admit, it was great to get back into the guide’s seat. There’s nothing like having a mic and a busload of eager-to-learn travelers when driving through the wonders of Europe with so much to talk about and share.

 

p5 free bike Alp Suisi

Our My Way tours come with a lot of free time. Each day, our group was free to explore from the efficient springboard provided by our hotel. Here in the Italian Alps, our group had an entire day to hike and bike in Europe’s largest high-alpine meadow, the Alpe di Siusi.

 

happy hour after

One of my favorite things about our My Way tour was hosting a happy hour. Trish and I bought the most typical local liquors, schnapps, firewaters, and wines, and then made a fun tasting education out of it in our hotel’s lounge. When the happy hour was over, the table looked like a chemistry lab littered with beakers.

 

By the way, Trish — who took all of these photos — has been reporting on this tour on her own blog. If you’d like Trish’s take on our My Way Alps experience, visit The Travelphile.

 

This is Day 66 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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High-Altitude Hiking Above Chamonix

I’m wrapping up the My Way Alpine Europe tour I’ve been leading. This tour includes ample free time to hike your heart out. And my favorite hike above Chamonix is from La Flégère to Planpraz — a hike known as the Grand Balcon Sud (Grand South Balcony). Being a lightweight when it comes to hiking, I prefer a trail where I can ride a lift to one end, enjoy high-mountain thrills all along, and then ride the lift down from the other end. This three-hour walk gained just a few hundred feet in altitude, and the entire time I was well above 6,000 feet. What’s your favorite alpine hike, and why?

This is Day 65 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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Dangling Slowly and Silently Past Europe’s Tallest Mountain

The My Way Alpine Europe tour I’m leading includes plenty of free time to ride high-mountain lifts — as you’ll see in this two-part, Alp-happy video. With the help of a three-mile-long cable, we glide slowly, dangling silently over the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) from France’s Aiguille du Midi (high above Chamonix) to Helbronner Point, the border of Italy, on Europe’s highest lift. Then we celebrate the view from Helbronner Point…looking down on the Alps of Italy, Switzerland, and France.

This is Day 64 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.

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At Europe’s Rooftop, the Aiguille du Midi

The My Way Alpine Europe tour I’m leading continues to brave new heights. Here in France, the Aiguille du Midi caps a rock needle high above the alpine resort of Chamonix and just across from Mont Blanc. At 12,602 feet above sea level, the air is thin, people are giddy, and even though the sun’s out, it’s still bitter cold in July. This video clip takes you there. (And tomorrow’s clip takes us over the mountain by gondola into Italy.)

This is Day 63 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more right here on my travel blog.