Travel with Rick Steves

Kayaker Dave Ellingson tells us how he learned to savor the unexpected on a paddling adventure in Minnesota. Then German comedian Hape Kerkeling relives his hike on the famed Camino de Santiago in Spain, where he learned something new every day. And adventurer Christina Nealson recommends places in New Mexico to get in touch with both the indigenous and Spanish colonial heritage of the desert Southwest. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get an expert's tips for enjoying the best of the Louvre's gigantic trove of treasures on a short visit. Then hear about what you can expect from US embassy and consulate staff, should you need their assistance while traveling, from the President of the American Foreign Service Association. And listen in as Rick recalls his first unchaperoned backpacking trip to Europe, right out of high school, in the summer of 1973. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A Brussels-based tour guide offers his recommendations for making the most of a weekend in the Belgian capital. Then one of Rick's co-authors joins us to explore what it means to become a "temporary local" when traveling, and how it can help you actually relax on your next vacation. And listeners share ideas for enjoying areas they know well, as long-term locals — including Maine's Acadia National Park and the art museums of St. Petersburg, Florida. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Irish-born comedian and writer Maeve Higgins shares what she's observed about the US after a decade of living in New York City, and Irish tour guide Barry Moloney explains why his hometown of Kinsale, on the scenic south coast of County Cork, is so popular among visitors. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear how the Irish language, once banned by English colonial rulers, has re-assumed its place at the heart of Irish identity. Then listen in as musician Kieran O'Hare explains why he finds Irish bagpipes more pleasing than the better-known Scottish ones, and plays a few traditional tunes on the Irish tin whistle. And eavesdrop on a pair of Irishmen from opposite ends of the island as they share a beer and a little banter with Rick. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn about the Ancient Ohio Trail and its cluster of mysterious geometric earthworks left behind by pre-Columbian "mound builder" cultures. Then find out which cultural treasures — architecture, landscapes, townscapes — have been added to the World Monuments Fund's most recent list of endangered sites. And hear about some of the more curious places and things held dear by people around the world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Author J. Maarten Troost recounts his journeys sailing the South Pacific in the wake of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the contentment and sobriety he found along the way. Then Harvard professor David Damrosch describes the globe-spanning route he charted during the pandemic...via some of the world's most eye-opening works of literature, both classic and contemporary — and recommends some of his favorites. Plus a Welsh historian and guide gives us a good peek at the magical landscapes and attractions of his homeland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

An expert on Antoni Gaudí reveals what the Modernista architect had envisioned for Barcelona's magnificent Sagrada Família church, and shares updates on the work to complete what Gaudí started 135 years ago. And travel writer Seth Kugel makes the case for letting serendipity play a role in your trip's itinerary. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A pair of German tour guides take us on a vicarious stroll down Unter den Linden, the famed tree-lined boulevard running through the heart of Berlin, and describe what it reveals about their country's history. A British writer and avid "mudlarker" explains why low tide on the River Thames often brings pieces of that city's past to the surface. And an artist with a passion for street art tells us how she helped brighten up a couple of working-class neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We consider how visiting second- and third-tier destinations — places some might dismiss as "boring" — can lead to the most rewarding travel experiences. And two New York Times journalists take us on a pair of journeys: first to the world of offbeat — and often mortally dangerous — athletic achievements, and then to the Atlantic-seaside attractions of Dakar, Senegal's lively capital. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.