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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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I’m Heading to the Holy Land and Need Your Advice

p51-sexy-scarves-and-rickI am about to embark on an exciting TV production/tour-guiding adventure. My crew and I are preparing to fly to Israel in a couple of weeks to make new episodes for our TV series — one on Israel and one on the West Bank, or what’s also known as the Palestinian Territories or Palestine (to air in October 2014). We will also produce one hour-long show that will be a combination of the Israel and Palestine shows. That program will deal a little more directly with the tough issues of the day (to air in spring 2014).   In the spirit of our recent Iran documentary (if you haven’t seen it, you can watch it on Hulu), we plan to provide historical and cultural context. Our aim will be to humanize the Holy Land rather than just focus on the hard issues facing Israelis and Palestinians as they try to find a way to share the land they each consider sacred and their rightful homeland.   I have three requests for you:

First: I’m struggling with what to call the shows. Our Israel show is pretty easy: “The Best of Israel.” For the West Bank show (I won’t be dealing with Gaza), just choosing the term to describe the area is more challenging. Depending on your outlook, the region is called Judea and Samaria, The West Bank, Occupied Territories, Palestinian Territories, or Palestine. My working title is simply “Palestine.” Since this will be a half-hour episode in my travel series that treats the West Bank as a fascinating place to explore, what do you think is the best name for the land where Palestinians live west of the Jordan River, and why?

Second: The working title of the hour-long special is “The Holy Land: Israelis and Palestinians Today.” I want to use a form of the word Palestine in some way, but in reference to the people rather than the political unit — it makes it less contentious. Any advice on this one?

And third: I’ve been reading and watching documentaries and learning a lot about the region in preparation for our shoot. I’d love some recommendations on short videos or books that provide good cultural context for my work here. I don’t need material that tries to make you anti anybody.

I’ll be blogging during the trip and I’m excited to take you along on what promises to be a challenging and fascinating journey. Thanks and stay tuned.

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A Day in St. Petersburg with a Rick Steves Tour Group

One of our Best of St. Petersburg, Tallinn & Helsinki tours was in town, so we decided to join them for the day. With a wonderful local guide, we rode the bus 15 miles to the town of Pushkin and a cluster of over-the-top-opulent Romanov palaces called the Czar’s Village (Tsarskoye Selo). This gorgeous ensemble of residences, pavilions, and gardens was born shortly after St. Petersburg, when Peter the Great’s wife Catherine founded a church and began erecting palaces here. Photos by Trish Feaster, The Travelphile.com.

During the second half of the 18th century, Peter’s heirs built the most impressive building at Czar’s Village: the grand Catherine Palace. Recently restored, like so much of St. Petersburg, it absolutely sparkles. Unfortunately, this is one palace that seems efficient and workable only for groups or individuals with a local guide. They give the lowest ticket priority and the last entry times to individual tourists.
During the second half of the 18th century, Peter’s heirs built the most impressive building at Czar’s Village: the grand Catherine Palace. Recently restored, like so much of St. Petersburg, it absolutely sparkles. Unfortunately, this is one palace that seems efficient and workable only for groups or individuals with a local guide. They give the lowest ticket priority and the last entry times to individual tourists.
I love to pop in on Rick Steves tour groups as I travel. I’ve probably crossed paths with a dozen in the last two months. I got to be an honorary member for a group shot on the grounds of Czarina Catherine’s palace. The group saved their best faces for my shot.
I love to pop in on Rick Steves tour groups as I travel. I’ve probably crossed paths with a dozen in the last two months. I got to be an honorary member for a group shot on the grounds of Czarina Catherine’s palace. The group saved their best faces for my shot.
At Europe Through the Back Door, we produce souvenir patches that many of our tour members enjoy collecting. With this particular tour group, the average number of Rick Steves tours people had taken was five to six. This woman, with “only” three of our patches, was a relative newbie. We’re so thankful for the passionate following we have among our tour members. And when I meet these loyal travelers, I’m reminded that they have high expectations for our tours. And I have high expectations for my staff to consistently exceed those high expectations...and they do.
At Europe Through the Back Door, we produce souvenir patches that many of our tour members enjoy collecting. With this particular tour group, the average number of Rick Steves tours people had taken was five to six. This woman, with “only” three of our patches, was a relative newbie. We’re so thankful for the passionate following we have among our tour members. And when I meet these loyal travelers, I’m reminded that they have high expectations for our tours. And I have high expectations for my staff to consistently exceed those high expectations…and they do.
These days, when you tour a big, crowded palace or museum with a commotion of tour groups and guides all coming together, the “whisper system” is a very good investment. A guide can talk softly into the microphone and the entire group (including me on this day) can wander through the crowded halls, immersed in all the glittering art, and hear everything — without having to scramble to get close enough to the guide to catch what she’s saying. With my guidebook, camera, and “whisper system” earpiece, I am one well-equipped tourist.
These days, when you tour a big, crowded palace or museum with a commotion of tour groups and guides all coming together, the “whisper system” is a very good investment. A guide can talk softly into the microphone and the entire group (including me on this day) can wander through the crowded halls, immersed in all the glittering art, and hear everything — without having to scramble to get close enough to the guide to catch what she’s saying. With my guidebook, camera, and “whisper system” earpiece, I am one well-equipped tourist.
Just like everyone mobs the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, people come to the Catherine Palace mostly to see the Amber Room. In a sumptuous and sprawling palace, this room stands out as a riot of gilded panels, embedded with amber and slathered with mirrors. Like the rest of the palace, the Amber Room had to be restored after World War II. The restoration was made possible, in part, by funds donated by German taxpayers — whose grandfathers caused the damage.
Just like everyone mobs the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, people come to the Catherine Palace mostly to see the Amber Room. In a sumptuous and sprawling palace, this room stands out as a riot of gilded panels, embedded with amber and slathered with mirrors. Like the rest of the palace, the Amber Room had to be restored after World War II. The restoration was made possible, in part, by funds donated by German taxpayers — whose grandfathers caused the damage.
It was a hot, hot day, and on the way home from the Catherine Palace, our bus driver stopped at a big Soviet-era square where hundreds of kids were enjoying buckets of fun with the fountains.
It was a hot, hot day, and on the way home from the Catherine Palace, our bus driver stopped at a big Soviet-era square where hundreds of kids were enjoying buckets of fun with the fountains.
Watching the fun on this square, and dodging lots of water (as tourists were fair game for these rollicking kids), I was struck by how, throughout the world, the laughter of happy children sounds exactly the same.
Watching the fun on this square, and dodging lots of water (as tourists were fair game for these rollicking kids), I was struck by how, throughout the world, the laughter of happy children sounds exactly the same.
Back at our tour group’s hotel, I enjoyed shooting a group selfie. After spending a day with our tour, I was impressed by how well-organized it was, the quality of our local guide, and how much fun the tour members were having. St. Petersburg is a new destination for ETBD, and I’m proud that our tour program includes it.
Back at our tour group’s hotel, I enjoyed shooting a group selfie. After spending a day with our tour, I was impressed by how well-organized it was, the quality of our local guide, and how much fun the tour members were having. St. Petersburg is a new destination for ETBD, and I’m proud that our tour program includes it.
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Eating in Russia

Eating in St. Petersburg is easy when you stick with the cafeteria lines. The food is good, the price is right, and you order by pointing — so you’re more likely to get what you want. Photos by Trish Feaster, The Travelphile.com.

Tepemok is a top local chain. A kind of Russian fast-food joint, you can eat here very well for just a few dollars. This is where people of all walks of life stop for a quick lunch.
Tepemok is a top local chain. A kind of Russian fast-food joint, you can eat here very well for just a few dollars. This is where people of all walks of life stop for a quick lunch.
Looking at this menu, you can get a sense for what’s cooking and the cost of eating out in Russia. Figure 33 rubles for a dollar or $3 for every hundred rubles. It’s fun to order adventurously from a menu like this.
Looking at this menu, you can get a sense for what’s cooking and the cost of eating out in Russia. Figure 33 rubles for a dollar or $3 for every hundred rubles. It’s fun to order adventurously from a menu like this.
For me, the language barrier is huge because I don’t speak Russian, and many people you deal with (clerks, salespeople, waiters, and tellers) speak only Russian. And, in Russia, there’s a culture of lousy service with a sneer. It doesn’t matter if you’re a local or a tourist, service often stinks. So, eating in a self-service cafeteria-style place with menu items featured on easy-to-identify pictures can be the key to a more enjoyable lunch.
For me, the language barrier is huge because I don’t speak Russian, and many people you deal with (clerks, salespeople, waiters, and tellers) speak only Russian. And, in Russia, there’s a culture of lousy service with a sneer. It doesn’t matter if you’re a local or a tourist, service often stinks. So, eating in a self-service cafeteria-style place with menu items featured on easy-to-identify pictures can be the key to a more enjoyable lunch.