Travel with Rick Steves

Rick reviews the World Monuments Fund list of the "100 Most Endangered Sites" and finds out what's putting them at risk, and what we can do to help. Also, Rick is joined by the founder of the Olympic Circle Sailing Club in Berkeley, California, and looks at the role sailing clubs are playing as they bring people together to let wind power take them near and far. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The old China travelers once knew is undergoing radical changes, mixing some of the world's oldest cultural heritage with futuristic city sklines and making way for the next generation of tourists. In fact, it's changing so rapidly, travelers need more than a good guidebook to get around. Rick learns how to get the most out of a visit to China from three experts on Chinese culture and society and finds out what visitors to today's China can expect. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

If you haven't seen Paris you haven't tasted the best of Europe. French tour guide Patrick Vidal joins Rick for an insider's perspective on the style and substance that make Paris a cultural capital. We'll also hear from listeners with their own suggestions for what makes Paris one of the world's favorite cities. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Alaska is a dream destination for many, but the cost and logistics of traveling to America's last frontier can seem almost as imposing as the spectacular scenery. Lonely Planet author Aaron Spitzer joins Rick to discuss travel options for first-timers to Alaska and compare crusing the Southeast to road tripping through Mount Denali and the Kenai Peninsula. Also, Jeff Campbell offers practical tips on how to make a summer road trip with small children memorable for all the right reasons. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick's guest Dan Austin describes what it takes to be a "Road Trip Pilgrim," and how a tiny travel budget can actually enhance your experience. Even if you don't want to climb a mountain, there are many ways to add a deeper sense of purpose to your travels. We'll share pratical ideas on taking take time off to recharge your spirit in another part of the world, no matter what your age or income. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Irish tour guide Stephen McPhilmey takes listener calls to explain how the high-tech boom and pop-culture scene have skyrocketed Dublin's stature in recent years and how that's changing the character of the Irish capital. Find out why people across the country are calling Dublin one of their favorite cities -- even though it has become one of its most expensive for American visitors. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Berlin is re-asserting itself as one of the world's powerhouse cities, and one of Europe's more-affordable cities for newcomers. Rick gets an update on the city's attractions and energy from an American who now calls Berlin his home and discovers how Berlin's intense re-construction project promises to reveal a re-invented German capital soon. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Two of Rick's favorite tour guides from Scotland and Wales join Rick to contrast the charms of Wales and Scotland and discuss the distinctions travelers can find in the United Kingdom, including a far more interesting taste of the authentic culture than you'll find from the standard romanticized tourists cliches. And another round of listener poetry about Winter in Ireland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Italy's distinctive regional cuisines are a high point for many travelers, but the disinctive customs Italians have for their food and drink sometimes baffles American visitors. Two Italian food guides chat with Rick to lay out the tenents of good everyday food -- Italian style. And, we'll help you enjoy eating like an Italian, without letting low exchange rate get in the way of enjoying authentic Italian cuisine. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

With the help of two politically-savvy Turks from Istanbul, we'll discuss some of the trickier political issues facing both Turkey and Tibet today and hear how Turkey is preparing for a formal relationship with the European Union. And, a Lonely Planet author explains how China's political control is changing Tibet, and offers tips for finding its traditional Buddhist culture. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.