Saturday 12:00 - 1:00pm
Travel with Rick Steves is a fun, hour-long, and practical talk show with guest experts and calls and questions from travelers. This weekly program is a lively conversation between travelers and the experts as we learn to explore our world smartly, smoothly, and thoughtfully.
Glasgow; Roman Britain; Pompeii
Rick plans a visit to the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii, near Naples, explores ancient monuments scattered across the countryside of England and learns how recent renovations have turned Glasgow into an energetic showpiece city in the center of Scotland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Mothers Day: Sweet Home Croatia; An American Mother in Paris
Author Jennifer Wilson describes what it was like to relocate her family to the same mountain village in Croatia her great-grandparents emigrated from, an American who married a Frenchman explains what it's like raising her first child in Paris, plus, Rick shares how his mother influenced him as a traveler. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Italian Food Culture; The Perfect Tuscan Picnic
Italian food expert Fred Plotkin takes American visitors deeper into the culture of enjoying a good meal, and tour guide Jamie Blair Gould from Lucca helps listeners assemble ingredients for the perfect Tuscan picnic, complete with a picture postcard view. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Open Phones: Sick in Europe; Swedish Vacation; Istanbul By Night
Guides from Stockholm and Istanbul recommend getting back to nature in the Swedish countryside, and share tips for enjoying a night on the town in Istanbul and Rick checks in with listeners who have questions on dealing with medical problems while visiting Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Diving Adventures; Instant Cities; Unconquered Amazon
This week, a diving enthusiast highlights the underwater world, from the turquoise coasts of Central America to the cold jade waters of Puget Sound. NPR's Steve Inskeep explains what Karachi, Pakistan showed him about the mega cities that are mushrooming around the world. Also, author Scott Wallace describes his trek deep into the Amazon and the quandary of trying to protect the fierce Arrow people from contact with the outside world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
London Celebrates 2012; Orthodox Easter
Tour guides from London join Rick to point how you can join the crowds, or avoid them, for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Summer Olympics, and lots of other special events. Also, we learn the special ways Greeks and Bulgarians observe Orthodox Easter, their biggest holiday of the year. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Easter in the Holy Land; Even More Places To See Before You Die; Travels of Andrew McCarthy
"One Thousand Places to See Before You Die" author Patricia Schultz shares new places she's included in the updated version of her book, actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy tells Rick why he's made a second home in Ireland, and Eva Marie Everson describes dozens of sacred sites in Israel from her guidebook. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Open Phones: Making Friends; Sarajevo -- 20 Years After the Siege
A Bosnian journalist tells Rick what it was like to live through the Siege of Sarajevo twenty years ago, and what it's like to visit the city today. Rick also shares tips with listeners for overcoming shyness and making friends while traveling, including meeting long lost relatives in the Old Country. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
The Pilgrim's Italy; Hape Kerkeling's Santiago de Compostela
Colleen Heater, author of "The Pilgrim's Italy", describes how 21st century travelers can find inspiration at Italy's many religious shrines; a tour guide in Siena tells us about resoration efforts along the old pilgrim's trail from England to Rome; and a German comic confides what he learned from a month-long trek to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Rewards of a Road Trip Pilgrim; Exploring Ireland 2012
Rick discusses the rewards of being a "road trip pilgrim" with author and traveler Dan Austin, and, in the spirit of Saint Patrick's Day, Irish tour guide Stephen McPhilemy takes listener calls, offers advice on touring convivial towns and ancient sites, and updates Rick on contemporary issues in Ireland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Visiting Post-Tsunami Japan; Living in the Arab Awakening
Guests from Egypt and Morocco discuss the "Arab Spring" movement and explain what the upheaval is about from an insider's perspective, and Rick chats with a Japanese-American tour organizer who's sending Americans to visit the region of Japan that was devasted by the earthquake and tsunami a year ago. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Adam Gopnik: The Table Comes First in France; A Taste of Portugal
Adam Gopnik discusses why the rituals associated with mealtime are often as important to the French as their recipes, and explains why "The Table Comes First in France"; also, two Portuguese guides share the highlights of their country's cuisine, from the seafood along its long Atlantic coast, to the hearty dishes enjoyed in the inland mountains. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Flying with Johnny Jet; The State of the European Union
European Union experts join Rick to discuss the roots of the current political tensions in Europe, and how government policies are impacting the average European and frequent flier Johnny Jet returns with more tips for getting the most out of flights. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Beer In Europe; An Irreverent Curiosity
Rick invites some of his European friends to compare the beers of Europe and discuss the cultures that go with them, and travel writer David Farley talks about an eccentric hill town, not far from Rome, where a generation of bohemians share residency with a centuries-old mystery relic the Vatican would rather not talk about. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Midnight In Paris; Hidden Gardens of Paris; Richard Wiese: Born to Explore
Rick speaks with Parisians who inspire travelers to explore their city, from its relaxing parks and public spaces to late night strolls and memorable dinners. Also, Richard Wiese, one of today's most adventurous scientist-explorers, shares how his passion for exploring the natural world has taken him on research projects to the North Pole and the hottest place on earth. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
The Pilgrimage of Annie Leibovitz; Open Phones: Extraordinary Travels
Photographer Annie Leibovitz talks about her pilgrimage to the homes of famous people from our history across the United States and describes what it meant to zoom in on the places and objects from the icons of our culture. Also, Rick checks in with listeners for ideas on planning extraordinary travels. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Richard Ellis: Polar Bears on Thin Ice; Open Phones: Travel Reports
Marine wildlife expert Richard Ellis explains how the loss of the ice cap in the Arctic is accelerating, why wildlife in the region cannot adapt to the effects of global warming, and why this should matter to everyone. Also, Rick takes listener calls for stories of lessons learned when immersed in another culture. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Offbeat Turkey: Historical Dives and Exploring the East; Richard Grant's Crazy Adventures In East Africa
Guides from Turkey dive into underwater archeology along with sights of Eastern Turkey and adventure traveler Richard Grant explores East Africa in search of the fabled source of the Nile River. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Two Sides of Mexico: From the Drug War in the North to the Mundo Maya in the South
Ed Vulliamy investigates the escalating bloodshed from drug gangs in Northern Mexico and shares what he found in a "post-political" war zone, where few outsiders dare to tread. But Mexico is a big country, so Rick also explores this year's special tourism emphasis around an ancient Mayan prophesy, which is is fostering a deeper interest in the indigenous culture in the south. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
Steve Inskeep's Foreign Intelligence; Vienna a la Fred Plotkin; Open Phones: Travel Resolutions
Steve Inskeep assesses international news coverage in the U.S. media, Fred Plotkin describes why Vienna is one of his favorite cities, and listeners share resolutions for enjoying other cultures — even from the comfort of their own kitchen. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves -- including episode descriptions, program archives and related details -- visit www.ricksteves.com.
