Travel with Rick Steves

Get a personal look at India as BBC reporter Nick Bryant tells us what he learned about Indian society while he was stationed in New Delhi, and actress Madhur Jaffrey shares childhood memories from the sunset of the imperial era. Plus, friends from Italy tell Rick how they cope with the everyday chaos of their country, and how travelers can prepare for inevitable Italian-itinerary surprises. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A pair of native-born Sicilian tour guides tell us what matters most about the "intensified Italy" of the island they call home. Then Eric Weiner, author of Geography of Genius, poses a theory about the places that have fostered world-changing innovation, from ancient Athens to today's Silicon Valley. And a journalist from Tokyo updates us on Japan's recession, and tells us what the Japanese are looking forward to in 2016. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear how an American found delight, and a fresh start, in rural Ireland — even after an unwelcome medical diagnosis ended his career. Then consumer-travel expert Christopher Elliott explains the pros and cons of travel insurance, and lets us in on the tacked-on costs of many “bargain” airfares. And listeners share their plans for overseas travel in the year ahead. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear about New Year's customs and superstitions of Belgium, Portugal, Turkey, Wales, the Netherlands, Spain, Sicily, Hungary, and Scotland. Then brighten your New Year with new tips for pairing the right kind of pasta and sauce, and learn the dos and don’ts of attending a dinner party in Switzerland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear about holiday traditions in Wales, Hungary, Sicily, and Scotland, then learn about the unique ways people light up the season in Santa Fe — where the glow of luminarias and the scent of piñon wood fires leave a lasting impression. And listen in as we head much farther south to hear how scientists at a research station in Antarctica make merry. Also, listeners share some of their favorite Christmas memories from holiday travels. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Nothing says Christmas like fresh oysters and fermented trout — at least according to some Europeans. Learn about the yuletide traditions of France, Norway, Greece, London, the Spanish Basque Country, and small-town Italy, from the varied fare to unusual holiday decorations to Santa's leaner — and often meaner — overseas counterparts. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn about some of America's most interesting lighthouses to visit — or even slumber in. Then hear from an experienced pilot about why the view from a 747 never gets old. And listen in as we consider the longbow's influence on the balance of power in medieval Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear how you can get close to the ancients by hiking Peru's Inca Trail, and get tips for enjoying Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Then we'll zoom in on two more areas with striking monuments from the past: Turkey, with its legacy of the Ottoman Empire, and Wales, with its string of massive medieval castles. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear what makes Spain's jamón the best ham in the world, then learn about the traditional comfort foods of Scandinavia, and the after-dinner customs that keep Italians lingering at restaurant tables. And find out why a Tulsa mom embarked on a four-year project to prepare meals from every country in the world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

British actress Joanna Lumley takes us on a soulful journey from Athens into northern Greece. Guides from Britain help us plan a getaway into England's scenic Cotswolds. Then travel writer Tim Neville tells us about skiing in unlikely places ― including Kosovo and North Korea. And we get a taste of Reykjavík nightlife during the Iceland Airwaves music festival. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.