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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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Comrades No More: Thoughts on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Today is a profoundly sad day. Russia’s aggressive action is heartbreaking for the death, suffering, and economic turmoil it will cause in Ukraine and, indirectly at least, beyond. Here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope that a diplomatic solution can be found and peace will return to that fragile and long-suffering part of our world.

Our mission at RSE is to help Americans better know and understand our neighbors through travel. But when we bring travelers to another country, we also bring their dollars — dollars that would support Putin’s aggression. Therefore, as of today, we have canceled all 2022 tours that include a stop in Russia.

Of course, we will keep a close eye on unfolding events and monitor any travel impacts through the rest of Europe. But it is important to keep geographic realities in mind and remember that a war in Ukraine is as far from our European vacation dreams as a war in Guatemala would be from Texas or Florida. For 40 years now, we have lived, worked, and traveled through many periods of tragic warfare in lands far from where we lead our tours (and some closer). And at this time, we see no reason to change the rest of our travel and touring plans.

The tragic reality unfolding in Ukraine only reminds me how important it is for Americans to keep on traveling and to do so in a way that makes us better and more engaged citizens of our world. I’m flying to Europe next month for a 40-day trip through a dozen great cities from London to Athens — and I’m proud that thousands of my fellow travelers will experience the European trip of their dreams while having rich learning experiences far from home on a 2022 Rick Steves tour.

In the meantime, let’s be thankful for our blessings, support our nation’s leaders as they do their best to navigate this crisis, and keep the troubled corners of our world (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and more) in our thoughts and prayers.

The Tour du Mont Blanc: Some Tips I Learned Along the Way

At 66, I felt a bit like the father of the hiking community when I hiked around Mont Blanc earlier this fall. But the Tour du Mont Blanc is doable for any reasonably fit hiker, and there were plenty of people on the trail who were older than me.

For total novices like Shelley and me, it’s wise to be proactive about health and safety. Here are some tips I learned along the way:

Good boots, liner socks, slippery powder, and moleskin for tender skin are essential. We kind of became gear geeks — investing in good day bags (Osprey), woolen clothes (socks, underwear, shirts), and great hiking shoes. I was never so thankful for a wool cap in Europe.

I was skeptical about a lot of “good ideas,” but two things I eventually appreciated were a daily baggie of trail mix and my metal water bottle. (I complained about its steep $40 price tag…but soon came to recognize it was a great value).

I must say, if the weather turned bad and it rained hard, I think much of the trail would become no fun at all. In fact, it would be dangerous. Hiking poles are essential, and even in perfect weather, I would have been worried about a stumble without my own trusty set.

Eat a solid breakfast. The one day we had breakfast with no protein, climbing was tougher.

Put on sunscreen, even if the weather’s bad.

After learning my lesson on other long hikes, I decided to be religious about stretching on the Tour du Mont Blanc from the start. I had a routine of six stretches and spent time throughout the day making sure I didn’t tighten up. Very important!

Don’t be a hero. If skin is getting hot, wrap it up. I did the entire TMB hike without a blister — and then just got one on purpose in the last two hours.

Good gear, smart and proactive ways to stay healthy, stretching, and taking it easy… it all worked just great.

I’ll be sharing more photos, stories, and tips from Mont Blanc on the Nov. 29 edition of Monday Night Travel. Want to come along?  Register now  for this fun — and free! — event.

Taking it Easy on the Tour du Mont Blanc

While the Tour du Mont Blanc is demanding, it’s not a particularly difficult hike. It’s just long, with lots of altitude gain and loss, and always scenic. On my recent trek around the mountain with three friends, it seemed each of us had a weak spot: knees, toes, or lungs. For some, the challenge was the uphill part, and for others (with weak knees), it was going downhill. We just took it easy, with lots of little breaks.

For long climbs, steady, smaller steps are best. The trail could be really rocky, and I can’t imagine doing it without hiking poles. The trail signs were great, and apps made staying on the trail easy: Just follow the blue dot. And I got good use out of a top-quality printed map. (I’d spend time the night before reading up on the hike and familiarizing myself with the trail on the map.)

While the weather forecast looked threatening, we hiked six days (in September, during the last week of the season) and, thankfully, had only one hour of rain. Still, each day we’d pack rain gear, and we’d add on and take off layers as we gained and lost altitude. After four days, we had it sorted out, and it occurred to us rank beginners, “We’re getting good at this.”

As we were hiking in a big circle around a big clump of mountains and sleeping in charming towns each night, every day seemed to be up and over a daunting mountain pass. A nightly treat was a stroll under a milky blanket of stars.

I’ll be sharing more photos, stories, and tips from Mont Blanc on the Nov. 29 edition of Monday Night Travel. Want to come along? Register now for this fun — and free! — event. 

The Mont Blanc Esprit de Corps

Hiking Europe’s Tour du Mont Blanc was a totally different slice of European culture for me: Coming upon a remote farmhouse-turned-thriving-cafe serving wonderful lunches…flowers and cows (with classic bells) scenically sprinkled throughout…and an esprit de corps where everyone is like family.

As nearly everyone hikes in the same direction (counter-clockwise), you become friends with fellow hikers. It seemed like half the people on the trail were from the US, and I met lots of Seattleites.

And in the interest of hiking light, lunches were very simple — just a sandwich from the hotel, maybe a carrot, a piece of fruit, and water. But upon reaching the mid-day summit, lunch was a marmot’s banquet. (Speaking of marmots, we saw no wildlife except a couple of mice that had been squished under hiking boots on the trail.)

The Best Hike of my Life: The Tour du Mont Blanc

Earlier this fall, four of us — total novices at long-distance treks — hiked around Europe’s highest mountain. (On the first day, big birds of prey circled high overhead. My hunch: They were vultures just waiting for one of us to drop.)

The Tour du Mont Blanc is a 100-mile, ten-day hike — but we cheated a bit, hiking the best 60 miles in six days from mountain lodge to mountain lodge, catching local buses through the less exciting parts, and letting a “sherpa service” shuttle our bags each day through France, Italy, and Switzerland, from Chamonix to Chamonix.

This was the first time I’d enjoyed a slice of Europe with my girlfriend Shelley, and we were joined by Sue and David from Minnesota. (I’ve worked with David Preston for 20 years at TPT – Twin Cities PBS . In the public television world, he’s considered the “pledge drive guru.”)

Each day, we’d hike what the trail signs said would be a five-hour hike — that took us six or seven.  Our mantra: “Take our time. This is why we’re here.” Generally, the day would start at a 3,000-foot climb to a pass (or “col”) 8,000 feet above sea level. Each col was a little triumph, with its cairn of rocks arranged in a pile, dramatic weather blowing across, commanding views, and congratulatory selfies.

Part of our pre-trip training was taking steep hikes closer to home. As a typical day’s climb on the TMB is a thousand meters (or roughly 3,000 feet), I’d recommend choosing a practice hike with a 3,000-foot elevation gain so you can use it as a reference point. Ours in Washington State was the Mount Si trail. We even had a term for a 3,000-foot altitude gain: “a Mount Si.”

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Rick Steves Just Told Us His Top Travel Mistakes to Avoid — and His Best Piece of Travel Advice

Every year, Rick Steves’ Europe takes 30,000 people on small-group tours — and this is the one thing they're not allowed to bring.

Rick Steves never checks a bag when traveling — and he strongly encourages all of his fellow globetrotters to do the same.

“It’s more important than ever to travel light,” he said. “Two weeks, two months, man, woman, winter, summer, it doesn’t matter, you just need a carry-on bag.”

Steves is known for his popular European guidebooks, tour company Rick Steves’ Europe , and public television travel show . As a professional international traveler, Steves is an expert at avoiding common travel mistakes like lost luggage, overbooked restaurants, and crowded sights.

While a few travel problems are inevitable, Steves advocates for flexibility, which is at the core of his travel philosophy. In a recent interview with Travel + Leisure, Steves shared some of his best tips to help alleviate frequent travel issues and reduce trip anxiety.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli/Courtesy of Rick Steves' Europe 

Pack Light and Skip Tight Connections

Besides the occasional need to pack his hiking poles, Steves is adamant that travelers should only bring along a carry-on bag . Every year, Rick Steves’ Europe takes 30,000 people on small-group tours, and all travelers are limited to just a carry-on — no checked luggage allowed. 

“If you don’t check a bag, you’re much less likely to get ensnared in all of the airport chaos in Europe,” Steves said.

Carry-on luggage is less likely to get stolen, lost, or broken, and Steves also loves that it helps with flexibility — you can easily switch flights without worrying about leaving your whole wardrobe behind. Plus, he said, if you are worried about limited space, packing cubes are a worthwhile investment to help organize and compress clothes in a smaller bag.

“You need to roll with the punches,” Steves said.

Steves is also a proponent of scheduling airline connections with plenty of time, especially for international trips. For instance, U.S. travelers visiting countries in the European Schengen Zone have to go through passport control when arriving in their first Schengen country. So, if your final destination is Greece, but your layover is in Germany, make sure the connection timing in Germany accounts for the possibility of long immigration lines.

Book Your Top Reservations, Then Go With the Flow

Steves believes 2023 is going to be a busy travel year, with sales of his guidebooks currently matching where they were at this time in 2019, previously the company’s best year ever. With the coronation of King Charles in London in May, and the Olympics in Paris next year, Steves wants travelers to understand that some crowds are going to be inevitable.

“People really need to respect that there are going to be a lot of crowds in Europe,” he said.

Travelers who don’t do any planning in advance often end up waiting in long lines, wasting valuable time queuing outside of a museum, rather than spending than extra time inside. Steves recommends using a guidebook, like his own, that has been researched after the worst years of the pandemic to account for any changes to reservation systems and updated hours.

“More than ever, people are going to the same famous places,” he said. “Museums want to moderate their mob scenes.”

A notable change these days, he said, is many sights are still requiring online bookings to help control large crowds, which they started doing during the pandemic and have kept up in order to mitigate the chaos of long lines outside. In updating his guidebooks, Steves said he is focused on making sure there is a sidebar for each chapter reviewing what visitors need to do in advance.

For instance, Steves said well-organized travelers visiting Amsterdam have just four things they need to book ahead of time: the Anne Frank House , the Van Gogh Museum , the Rijksmuseum , and one trendy restaurant for a nice dinner.

“The flip side of that coin is that everything else is fine. You don't need reservations for all the other stuff,” he said. “If a serendipitous opportunity presents itself, the answer has always got to be 'yes.”

Once you have the core set of reservations you need, the rest of your trip can easily fall into place, Steves said. Don’t worry about making a dinner reservation every night — instead, visit a street with local eateries and pick a delicious, non-touristy spot.

“We tend to be too figured out these days,” he said. “It takes away some of the joy of travel, which is letting things unfold in an unpredictable way.”

Courtesy of Rick Steves' Europe 

Avoid Overcrowded Spots

Steves said he's noticing that so many travelers now source recommendations from social media — and that has repercussions. The consequence, he said, is that when everyone goes to the same place, trying to get the same picture, it becomes overcrowded and hard to enjoy. 

“There might be a place that's just as good, maybe 90 percent as good, but with no crowds at all just down the street,” he said.

Instead of relying on Tripadvisor or Instagram, Steves said, try to embrace the local culture and you’ll have a less stressful experience.

“I don’t go crazy over what’s No. 1,” he said. “No. 1 is the company that is deemed best in the system. [Instead], we try to find these little mom and pops, these labors of love, these creative adventures — that’s what distinguishes my books and tours.”

Perhaps the most important piece of advice Steves shared is that often, travelers put a lot of pressure on themselves to check off the top museums, historic sites, restaurants, and shops from every “best of” list. But that pressure can lead to a lot of trip anxiety and the feeling of rushing around to go somewhere just because it’s famous.

His best advice? “Assume you will return,” he said. “Never try to do everything on one trip, because you can't.”

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Rick Steves on the Return of Travel and Why It Matters

The travel writer and TV personality is back in Europe, planning itineraries for next year. Travel, he says, can help us understand the world. Here’s how he recommends doing it.

By Paige McClanahan

On a recent morning, Rick Steves was wandering around the ancient Tuscan town of Volterra with a new crop of tour guides. His company’s trips to Europe are set to resume in February after a nearly two-year pandemic hiatus, and the guides were midway through a nine-day trip around Italy to learn “what makes a Rick Steves tour a Rick Steves tour.” One of the stops on their itinerary was Volterra, a medieval hilltop town whose stone walls are 800 years old. Mr. Steves — who has been to Tuscany many times for his popular public broadcasting show and YouTube channel — was relishing being back.

“We’re surrounded by the wonders of what we love so much, and it just makes our endorphins do little flip-flops,” he said during a phone interview.

That unabashed enthusiasm has fueled Mr. Steves’s empire of guidebooks, radio shows and TV programs, as well as tours that have taken hundreds of thousands of Americans overseas since he started running them in 1980.

Along the way, Mr. Steves has built a reputation for convincing hesitant Americans to make their first trip abroad — and that first trip is often to Europe, which Mr. Steves has called “the wading pool for world exploration.” But he also speaks passionately about the value of travel to places like El Salvador and Iran, and he’s open about how his time in other countries has shaped his views on issues like world hunger and the legalization of marijuana.

But Europe remains Mr. Steves’s bread and butter, and he’s back on the Continent now — both to prepare for the return of his tours and to work on a six-hour series on European art and architecture that he hopes will be broadcast on U.S. public television next fall. As he wandered through Volterra, we talked about why he doesn’t count the number of countries he’s visited, why his tour company will require vaccinations and why a world without travel would be a more dangerous place.

Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

What does it feel like to be back in Europe?

I’m working with 20 guides here and people are almost tearfully emotional about the rekindling of tourism. Professional tour guides have been on hold for two seasons, and they’re just so filled with joy to be able to do what they do, because guides are wired to enthuse and inspire and teach about their culture and their art and their history. And it’s just so fun to be here and be filled with hope. And while we’re still in the pandemic, we’re also coming out of it and there’s an energy in the streets and in the museums.

Do you think Americans are ready to travel overseas again?

I would say it’s not for everybody, but if you don’t mind being well-organized and if you’re enthusiastic about following the regulations and rules, it’s not a big deal. And Europe is ahead of the United States, I believe, in fighting Covid. There’s a huge respect for masks. More museums are requiring reservations to get in because they want to make sure it’s not crowded. It’s kind of a blessing, actually. I was just in the Vatican Museum and really enjoying the Sistine Chapel because it wasn’t so darned crowded. That was an amazing experience for me because the last time I was there, I had to wear shoulder pads.

You have long held that travel can do a lot of good in the world, but what about carbon emissions, overcrowding and other negative effects of travel?

Climate change is a serious problem and tourism contributes a lot to it, but I don’t want to be flight-shamed out of my travels, because I think travel is a powerful force for peace and stability on this planet. So my company has a self-imposed carbon tax of $30 per person we take to Europe. In 2019, we gave $1 million to a portfolio of organizations that are fighting climate change. We gave half that amount in 2020, even though we stopped bringing people to Europe after the pandemic hit. It’s nothing heroic. It’s just the ethical thing to do.

And in terms of other problems, when you go to Europe, you can consume in a way that doesn’t dislocate pensioners and ruin neighborhoods. Landlords anywhere in the world can make more money renting to short-term tourists than long-term local people . So, if you complain that a city is too touristy and you’re staying in an Airbnb — well, you’re part of the problem.

But we would be at a great loss if we stopped traveling, and the world would become a more dangerous place. We need to travel in a “leave only footprints, take only photos” kind of way. What you want to do is bring home the most beautiful souvenir, and that’s a broader perspective and a better understanding of our place on the planet — and then employ that broader perspective as a citizen of a powerful nation like the United States that has a huge impact beyond our borders.

How do you try to encourage people to travel in a meaningful way?

The responsibility of the travel writer is to help people travel smarter, with more experience, and more economically and more efficiently. And everybody has their own idea of what that is, but for me, it’s about remembering that travel is all about people. It’s about getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new. So we’re trying to help Americans travel in a way that’s more experiential and more thought-provoking and more transformational. You know, you can have transformational travel or you can just have a shopping trip and a bucket list.

You’ve said that you don’t keep track of how many countries you’ve visited. Why is that?

Why would you? Is it a contest? Anybody who brags about how many countries they’ve been to — that’s no basis for the value of the travel they’ve done. You could have been to 100 countries and learned nothing, or you can go to Mexico and be a citizen of the planet. I find that there’s no correlation between people who count their countries and people who open their heart and their soul to the cultures they’re in.

I hear you’re working on a big new project. What’s that about?

Something I’ve been preparing to do for 20 years is to collect all the most beautiful art experiences we’ve included in our TV show and weave it together into a six-hour series of European art and architecture. We’ve been working on the show for the last year, and it’s going to be my opus magnum, my big project. It’s going to make art accessible and meaningful to people in a way that I don’t think we’ve seen on TV before. I’m inspired by people who have done art series in the past, and I’ve got a way to look at it through the lens of a traveler. I’m very excited about it. It’s just a cool creative challenge.

What have things been like for your tour company since the pandemic hit?

Well, 2019 was our best year ever. We took 30,000 Americans on about 1,200 different tours and we were just euphoric. We had 2020 essentially sold out when Covid hit, and then we had to cancel everything, so we had to send back 24,000 deposits. We all hunkered down, and I’ve done what I can to keep my staff intact. A couple of months ago, we decided we’re confident about the spring of 2022, so we opened the floodgates and immediately those 24,000 people that had to cancel two years ago — basically, they re-signed up. And now we’ve got 29,000 people signed up out of 30,000 seats for next year.

So we’re doing really good, but we just have to continue the diligence in our society and in Europe of fighting Covid responsibly. So I’m kind of losing patience with anti-vaxxers. Maybe they’re exercising their liberty, but they’re also impacting a lot of other people. So we’ve just decided to require that people have vaccinations to go on our tours. Here in Europe, unvaccinated people would be standing outside most of the time anyway — because they couldn’t get into the restaurants, onto the train, onto the bus or into the museums. The world is getting progressively smaller for people who want to travel but not get a vaccination.

Do you think travel will ever feel normal again?

There were certain people who decided they didn’t want to travel after 9/11 because they didn’t want to deal with security. You know, those people have a pretty low bar for folding up their shop. I got used to the security after 9/11, and I’m getting used to Covid standards now. But I do think that, come next year, we’ll be back to traveling again — and I hope that we’ll all be better for it.

Paige McClanahan is the host of The Better Travel Podcast .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list .

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Rick Steves Best of Europe (Rick Steves Travel Guide) Paperback – April 16, 2024

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Expert advice from Rick Steves on what's worth your time and money
• Itineraries for one to four days in the top destinations in England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland
• Rick's tips for beating the crowds, skipping lines, and avoiding tourist traps
• The best of local culture, flavors, and haunts , including walks through the most interesting neighborhoods and museums
• Trip planning strategies like how to link destinations and design your itinerary, what to pack, where to stay, and how to get around
• Over 100 full-color maps and vibrant photos
• Coverage of London, Paris, Provence, the French Riviera, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, the Swiss Alps/Berner Oberland, Munich, Rothenberg and the Romantic Road, the Rhine Valley, Berlin, and Amsterdam
• Print length 992 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Rick Steves
• Publication date April 16, 2024
• Dimensions 5.05 x 1.18 x 8.05 inches
• ISBN-10 1641715839
• ISBN-13 978-1641715836
• See all details

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What sets Rick Steves apart from other travel guides?

A personal and experienced take - Rick Steves has spent over 40 years traveling Europe and he shares his favorite spots and essential travel strategies with you.

Are these books updated for current travel?

Rick and his team fan out across Europe personally checking and updating each listing in his guidebooks. These are the most accurate guides to Europe!

Why should I use a Rick Steves guidebook?

Rick will point you toward worthwhile experiences and help avoid expensive mistakes. A Rick Steves book is like having a tour guide in your pocket!

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rick Steves; 4th edition (April 16, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 992 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1641715839
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1641715836
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.05 x 1.18 x 8.05 inches
• #10 in General Europe Travel Guides
• #17 in General Spain Travel Guides
• #108 in Tourist Destinations & Museums Guides

About the author

Rick steves.

Guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves is America's most respected authority on European travel. Rick took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting piano factories with his father, a piano importer. As an 18-year-old, Rick began traveling on his own, funding his trips by teaching piano lessons. In 1976, he started his business, Rick Steves' Europe, which has grown from a one-man operation to a company with a staff of 100 full-time, well-travelled employees at his headquarters in Washington state. There he produces more than 50 guidebooks on European travel, America's most popular travel series on public television, a weekly hour-long national public radio show, a weekly syndicated column, and free travel information available through his travel center and ricksteves.com. Rick Steves' Europe also runs a successful European tour program. Rick Steves lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington. His office window overlooks his old junior high school.

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• Destinations

You Should Avoid One Thing To Fully Appreciate Today's Istanbul, According To Rick Steves

Guidebook author, TV host, and world traveler Rick Steves has stated that one of his favorite places in Europe is Istanbul, Turkey. He even ranked it among the top four best cities in Europe (all tied for first place, of course). Most who travel to Istanbul are there to see incredible historical and cultural places, like the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, which you certainly won't want to miss. However, as explained in an episode of "Rick Steves' Europe,"  to truly get a sense of the real Istanbul, you can't just stay in the tourist areas. Instead, you have to leave the ancient behind and step into the city's present by visiting its busiest neighborhoods, where people actually work, shop, and live.

"Europe's cities showcase the past. And they also reflect the future, with stimulating public art and trendsetting eateries. They're a collection of neighborhoods — each with its own personality, thriving markets, and rituals of celebrating community," Steves said in a Facebook post celebrating his favorite cities. Whether you're traveling with one of Steves' city tour groups or embracing his tips for traveling solo without feeling lonely , to truly get to know the real, modern Istanbul, you'll have to explore neighborhoods that most tourists overlook.

What to expect outside of Istanbul's sightseeing core

"To get a full appreciation for today's Istanbul, you must leave the sightseeing core and explore the lively, more cosmopolitan neighborhoods," Rick Steves stated on his show. You can leave the old town for the new by using the city's tram. Steves recommends hopping off at the busy, beautiful, and unrepentantly modern Taksim Square, and walking along İstiklal Street. On his website, Steves said: "Strolling this mostly pedestrian boulevard from one thriving end to the other is a joyful ritual for me every time I'm in town. And it changes with each visit."

This cultural melting pot is a fantastic place to walk, explore, and maybe best of all, eat. Rick Steves has a lot of tips for how to have authentic eating experiences while traveling , and the best one may be to eat where the people who actually live in the city do, rather than at eateries catering to tourists. All along İstiklal Street, you'll find opportunities to try street food and local spots. In particular, Steves recommended desserts like Turkish delight and baklava, and quick bites like simit, gözleme, and döner kebab.

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