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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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Memorial to the Politicians Who Opposed Hitler

German Reichstag monument

I’ve been thinking about a poignant memorial at the Reichstag in Berlin dedicated to the 96 members of the German congress who spoke out against Hitler, but failed to stop him as he thundered into power in 1933. These were the last people who could have stopped the fascist dictator…so they were imprisoned and then became his first victims. Each slate slab remembers one politician, with his name, political party, and the date and location of his death (generally in a concentration camp). They are honored in front of the building — Germany’s capitol — where they worked to defend democracy in their country.

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Rick Steves Guidebooks Are Doing Pretty Darn Well

rick steves at piano

I’ve come a long way since my piano-teaching days, when I had just one self-published guidebook. (That’s the first edition of Europe Through the Back Door on my music rack, back in 1980.)

My publisher (Avalon Travel, an imprint of Perseus) was recently purchased by Hachette Book Group. And reports are that Hachette is happy with our guidebook series because we’re doing so well with American travelers.

Here’s the list of the bestselling travel books in the USA during a recent week. As you’ll see, our books are 15 of the top 40. If you take away the impossible-to-compete-with “escape” destinations of Disney and Hawaii, we’re  15 of the top 33 (and 8 of the top 10). And if you look only at European destinations, we’re 14 of the top 21 — even nicer! Here’s the complete list:

Bookscan Travel Guide Bestsellers (week ending 2/28/16)
Imprint Title
1 DISNEY BIRNBAUM’S WALT DISNEY WORLD 2016
2 AVALON RICK STEVES ITALY 2016
3 WIZARD MAUI REVEALED
4 WIZARD KAUAI REVEALED
5 UNOFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL WALT DISNEY WORLD 2016
6 AVALON RICK STEVES IRELAND 2016
7 AVALON RICK STEVES PARIS 2016
8 LONELY LONELY PLANET ICELAND
9 ZAGAT ZAGAT NEW YORK CITY RESTAURANTS 2016
10 WIZARD HAWAII BIG ISLAND REVEALED
11 AVALON RICK STEVES LONDON 2016
12 AVALON RICK STEVES SPAIN 2016
13 AVALON RICK STEVES FRANCE 2016
14 DK DK EYEWITNESS IRELAND
15 NEXT EXIT THE NEXT EXIT 2016: USA INTERSTATES
16 NAT’L GEO NAT’L GEOGRAPHIC NATIONAL PARKS
17 AVALON RICK STEVES’ POCKET ROME
18 LONELY LONELY PLANET JAPAN
19 AVALON RICK STEVES GERMANY 2016
20 WIZARD OAHU REVEALED
21 AVALON RICK STEVES’ POCKET PARIS
22 PASSPORTER PASSPORTER’S WALT DISNEY WORLD 2016
23 AVALON RICK STEVES EUROPE BACK DOOR 2016
24 FODOR’S FODOR’S ITALY 2016
25 LONELY LONELY PLANET CUBA
26 UNOFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL GUIDE DISNEYLAND 2016
27 AVALON RICK STEVES’ POCKET LONDON
28 FODOR’S FODOR’S ARIZONA & GRAND CANYON 2016
29 WORKMAN 1,000 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE
30 AVALON RICK STEVES PORTUGAL
31 AVALON RICK STEVES AMSTERDAM & NETHERLANDS
32 DK DK TOP 10 ICELAND
33 DK DK EYEWITNESS ITALY
34 AVALON RICK STEVES ROME 2016
35 FROMMER’S FROMMER’S EASYGUIDE NEW YORK CITY 2016
36 DK DK EYEWITNESS LONDON
37 FODOR’S FODOR’S LONDON 2016
38 CARDIN YOUR GUIDE TO NATIONAL PARKS
39 FODOR’S FODOR’S COSTA RICA 2016
40 AVALON RICK STEVES FLORENCE & TUSCANY 2016

 

 

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My Conversation on “The Pub” with Adam Ragusea

(Photo: Ed Shenkman/American Public Television. Used with permission.)

(Photo: Ed Shenkman/American Public Television. Used with permission.)

At a recent national convention for public television programmers, I enjoyed an interview with podcaster Adam Ragusea. Our conversation was pretty wonky, but it wound up going in some fun and surprising directions — including a discussion of my unorthodox business model. I thought you might enjoy this transcript. You can also listen to the audio here.

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Imagine Downton Abbey in 2016…

When I watch Downton Abbey, I keep thinking of my friend, the Earl of Wemyss, and his grand Stanway House in the Cotswolds.

For 20 years, I’ve been dropping in on this noble manor house. And recently, as I’ve caught up on all six seasons of the PBS hit Downton Abbey, I keep thinking that the Earl of Wemyss is like a long-lost descendant of His Lordship of Downton Abbey, the Earl of Grantham.

About 15 years ago, the Earl of Wemyss generously showed our TV crew around his gorgeous home.  (This was before some important relative died…back when he was “just” Lord Neidpath, and not yet the Earl of Wemyss.) To this day, our Rick Steves England tours include a visit to Stanway House. And this summer, as we prepare to film a new show in the Cotswolds, we’re planning on dropping by once again with our TV cameras.

If Robert Crawley’s little grandson, Master George, were still running Downton Abbey today…I bet it would be a lot like this clip of Stanway House.

What travel experiences have had you thinking about Downton Abbey?

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Rick Steves’ European Easter

As we did for Christmas a few years ago, this spring we’re bringing you Easter celebrations from across Europe. Our new “Rick Steves’ European Easter” TV special will debut on public television stations across the US this month.

You’ll learn more about this sacred season (which stretches from Carnival craziness, through Lent, to Holy Week, culminating in Easter Sunday) than you ever imagined. Our journey takes you through Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Greece over an hour that promises to bring extra meaning and richness to your family’s 2016 Easter celebration. Check your local listings so you can be sure to join us.