Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

I’ve been giddier than usual this week as I’m finalizing my travel plans for 2014. I’ve got an amazing itinerary promising four months of fun and learning–and there’ll be lots of great new information to share. I’m flying away in mid-April and finish my adventures in mid-August. Of course I’ll be packing very light. But I’ve always got room for my Facebook friends to stow away. I’ll be vigorously posting almost daily from the tiled delights of Portugal to the off-beat corners of Italy’s Cinque Terre; from the fjords of Norway to the salt mines and jazz cellars of Poland. If you have any traveling friends who you think might enjoy coming along for the ride, please let them know so they can “like” this Facebook page.

For the next week or so until I fly away, we’re running video clips to get us all in the mood. To kick it off, here’s one of my favorite short videos. It reminds me that travel is not a check list of blockbuster sights–it’s the magical serendipitous moments.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

This year I capped our annual tour alumni reunion and guide summit by sharing my “Irreverent History of Europe Through the Back Door” talk.  (Watch the full lecture here.) While not designed for general consumption, our guides and those who enjoy our tours find this candid (and occasionally sordid) peek into the anals of Europe Through the Back Door history both fascinating and entertaining. The talk is a sweep through the story of our company—from my student vagabond days to the early mini-bus tour days and through the evolution that led us to where we are today. I was having so much fun sharing old stories from our “Europe Through the Gutter” days that the spirit moved me to do something I’ve never done in public: yodel.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

Every year since the turn of the century we’ve been giving away a free tour for the best electronic scrapbook created by one of our tour members. It’s amazing how much fun people have on our tours…and it’s also amazing how well they can capture that experience in their writing, photos, and web design through these lovingly and artfully put-together scrapbooks.

My staff reviews the many submissions we get from our alums each year (we had more than 70 this year), and I get to weigh in on the finalists. This year, each of the top scrapbooks was great. Last year was a tie (and we gave away two tours). This year, while each of the finalists was wonderful, the winner was clear: Mike and Nicole Goodman shared the fun they had on their 2013 Europe in 14 Days tour.  They did it in a way that made me nostalgic for the joy I had leading great tour groups for 25 years.

Enjoy checking out our winning 2014 scrapbook entries. You can get some clever ideas about constructing your own electronic scrapbook. But, be warned: It may get dreams of joining one of our merry tour groups stuck in your mind.

First Prize (1 seat on any 8-21 day tour or 2 seats on any 7-day city tour)

Mike and Nicole Goodman: Europe in 14 Days

Our jury was especially impressed with the way the Rick Steves tour experience was thoroughly (and chronologically) captured. The Goodman’s scrapbook is easy to navigate, and their slideshows were interesting and well-designed. They also included lots of great group shots and provided good tips. Their “do something normal” theme was fun and original. Take a look at their first place scrapbook.

Second Prize (a $500 gift card good toward a tour or Rick Steves Travel Store purchase)

Danielle Gale: Turkey in 13 Days

Danielle’s layout and photography caught the jury’s eye. Her captivating four-minute video at the beginning of her scrapbook captures the essence of the tour. Her narrative was interesting, and she gave good tips and insights. The Top-10 sidebar was especially informative, and her people pictures were great. Take a look at her scrapbook.

Third Prize (a $250 gift card good toward a tour or Rick Steves Travel Store purchase)

Martta Howard: Adriatic in 14 Days

When you review Martta’s scrapbook, you can tell she paid close attention to her guide. Her scrapbook has a clean design and is full of friendly and informative writing. Our judges liked her layout and were impressed with her tips and photos. Her use of step counts was unique and potentially helpful to others. View her scrapbook.

Fourth Prize (a $100 gift card good toward a tour or Rick Steves Travel Store purchase)

Suzette Bartlett: Europe in 21 Days

Suzette’s scrapbook reads like a little magazine. Her layout includes sidebar sections on food, travel tips, and “wow” moments which are creative and fun to read. The judges also liked the summaries of what she did, what she’d do differently, and her favorite moments for each destination on the tour. View her scrapbook.

Last night my staff and I met at a local restaurant for drinks and appetizers to celebrate an amazing-to-me milestone: We just sold a Rick Steves Tour to our 16,000th traveler this year–the most ever! What was supposed to be a quick, work-night happy hour became a celebration with many of us toasting late into the evening. My web producer (you know who you are!) even confessed to being a little hungover this morning.

I feel honored to be surrounded by talented professionals who I also consider friends. This video–taken at a staff party a few years ago–shows just how much fun we have together. This milestone would not have been possible without their dedication. I’m grateful they’re also a lot of fun. And I’m grateful we can still get out of the office and let our hair down. (After all, as a traveler, you’d want nothing less for your tour guide.)

I’m one of those 16,000 travelers. And, in a little more than a month, I’ll be meeting my guide, our bus driver, and my group somewhere in Europe (I’m keeping the tour I’m signed up on a bit of a secret) and kicking off a delightful European vacation.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

I have a lot of fun and rewarding projects on my desk–and one that I am particularly passionate about is our free app, “Rick Steves Audio Europe” (shown in this video). Why am I so in love with this thing? Because it’s packed with practical information (both self-guided audio tours of Europe’s greatest cities, galleries, and museums, and the very best of our radio interviews organized in country-specific playlists) that will make people’s trips more meaningful. It’s free. And tens of thousands of travelers are using it. Any time I drop into the Pantheon in Rome, St. Mark’s in Venice, or Versailles outside of Paris, I see travelers using our app. They’re having a great time immersed in the cultural wonder of the sight…and I am literally in their ear (my voice is anyway).

Each year we add to the material already available with Rick Steves Audio Europe, and last week we spliced in about 20 new tours and interviews. We added three new self-guided audio tours covering Prague, Berlin, and Edinburgh. This brings to 44 the number of guided tours on the app. And, after reviewing last year’s weekly, hour-long public radio programs (“Travel with Rick Steves” can be enjoyed weekly on over 200 public radio stations around the USA or as a podcast), we chose to include the interviews listed below.

Learn how to download the (free and easy) Rick Steves’ Audio Europe Travel App. It is such a treat for me to be able to interview such beautiful minds and inspirational travelers and an even bigger treat to be able to share these conversations (so beautifully edited by my radio production team) with you.

New radio interviews spliced into all the existing ones on the Rick Steves Audio Europe app include:

“Ever-Evolving Berlin” – Fabian Reuger
“Beauty in a Broken World” – Terry Tempest Williams
“Another Helping of Italian Culinary Favorites” – Fred Plotkin
“How to Eat Like a Parisian” – Mary Bouron
“A Taste of Basque Country” – Francisco Glária and Agustín Ciriza
“Living as an Italian Woman in the 21st Century” – Francesca Caruso, Nina Bernardo, and Lisa Anderson
“Joanna Lumley’s Nile” – Joanna Lumley
“Rome after Dark” – Francesca Caruso and Gene Openshaw
“Destination Space Station” – Cady Coleman
“Modern Sweden” – Åsa Danielsson
“Italy’s Decadent Desserts” – Fred Plotkin
“Respecting the Pasta” – Alfio Di Mauro
“Food Markets of Paris” – Marjorie R. Williams
“Walking Budapest” – Eszter Bokros and Cameron Hewitt
“More Loire Valley Chateau Country” – Danielle Farineau
“Exploring Brittany” – Virginie Moré and Mark Seymour
“The French Cheese Plate” – Kathe Lison
“The Mountain” – Ed Viesturs
“Italian Rails” – Tim Parks
“Amalfi Coast” – Ann Long and Aldo Valerio
“Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Nation” – Madhur Jaffrey
“Monuments Men” – Robert Edsel
“Doc Martin’s Cornwall” – Martin Clunes
“The Whole Fromage” – Kathe Lison
“Marrying into France” – Sarah Turnbull and Nina Sovich

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.