Travel with Rick Steves

Italy has become one of the hottest destinations for European travel -- and for good reason. Smart travelers know how to avoid crowds and, as a result, enjoy a genuine experience of Italy. Rick chats with a local from Cortona, the hilltown known to Americans as the setting for "Under the Tuscan Sun," and for those afraid to fly, Rick receives tips from Steve Hutchison, who leads a Fear of Flying workshop. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We'll visit with three of Rick Steves' tour guide friends from Eastern Europe. We'll find out what it was like being raised in different types of Communist countries, and how their lives have changed since capitalism was introduced to Poland and the republics of the former Yugoslavia. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Join us this holiday season for Travel with Rick Steves Christmas in Europe radio special! During the program, Rick hears how his European friends prepare for and celebrate Christmas. Listeners learn the common threads of religious tradition and family, get acquainted with some of Santa's cousins in the old country, as well as experience extended interviews. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Travel journalist Michael Shapiro set out on a literary project to interview 18 travel authors to see what makes their work such a pleasure. He turned his interviews into a book called "A Sense of Place." This week, Rick turns the tables on Michael to find out what he discovered about his favorite travel authors -- including Rick. We'll learn about the roots of some of today's most celebrated nomads, and perhaps refine our own palette for wanderlust. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

If you like to travel off the beaten track, and want to get the most out of your travel dollar, Honduras might be just the ticket. This week, Rick learns from guidebook author Chris Humphrey about Honduras -- a laid back part of Central America with endless beaches, a huge undeveloped roadless jungle and cloud forest, and a growing American ex-pat community. Or, if you prefer a more cosmopolitan side of Latin America, we'll also chat with an American now living in Rio de Janeiro to see how easy it is to fit into Brazilian society. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

This week we will talk about Ireland with two of Rick's tour guide friends from the North and South. We'll find out how much Ireland has changed in recent years due to its impressive economic surge. The cost of travel has skyrocketed for Americans, but as guests Declan Field and Stephen McPhilemy and our callers confirm, it's the Irish people that make visiting a priceless experience. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

This week, we'll learn some of the basics of eating out in France and how to enjoy such foods as crèpes, escargot, truffles and steak tartare. But the culture of everyday life in France is different enough for travelers that it sometimes causes misunderstandings and embarrassment. We'll touch on some of the faux pas visitors face when encountering French society on its own terms. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

afety This week, we will "Ask the Pilot" about how an over-active imagination can create a fear of flying. Commercial pilot, author, and salon.com columnist Patrick Smith joins Rick to explain what's going on from the cockpit to the runway. And Holly Morris, author of "Adventure Divas," will discuss her exploration of the planet in search of impressive and influential women to interview. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Mention the French Riviera, and images of glamorous celebrities may come to mind. But the Mediterranean coast of France was also the inspiration for some of the great impressionist and modern artists, and has plenty of charm to spare year-round for all kinds of travelers. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, tour guide Pascale Rucker is our guest, bringing us an insider's guide to help you experience the sensual pleasures of the French Riviera. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick learns about Islam -- where it's commonly practiced in Turkey from friends who live in Istanbul. He then places a call to Rome to chat with a resident of that city's little-known Jewish Ghetto, whose family emigrated there from Jerusalem two thousand years ago. We'll also hear from a listener who recently returned from a trip to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.