Travel with Rick Steves

(note: Bastille Day, the major French national holiday, is July 14) When you examine the tensions that sometimes arise between Americans and the French, many of them come from the different ways our two cultures operate. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, Rick takes a deeper look at the cultural faux pas some travelers experience in France. Our insider's guide to France and its culture comes from two native-born French tour guides, based in opposite corners of the country. That, and your calls about the best, and worst, food you've found in your travels, are coming up on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Good things often come in small packages. This week on Travel with Rick Steves, we'll investigate two small countries in Europe and Latin America that are often overlooked as destinations in their own right. Belgium has been in the center of much of Europe's action for centuries, and it now hosts the political capital of the European Union. It's a country with a remarkably easy-going flair, and great food. Native son tour guide Ferdi Menghi joins Rick to take listener calls about Belgium. Then, Kurt Kutay (koo-TIE) introduces us to an indigenous tour guide in Belize, for an overview of Belize for adventure travelers. That, and another round of listener's travel haiku, are coming up on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We're looking at two of America's most popular getaways on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. We'll get the latest on one of the world's hottest destinations -- Las Vegas, Nevada, where high stakes entertainment has replaced the ultra-cheap deals for which the Las Vegas Strip was famous. Rick Garman has a new guidebook to the city, and tells us how to enjoy Vegas without "losing your shirt." Then, we'll cool off in the mountains with an overview of California's Yosemite (yo-SEM-it-tee) National Park with Ann Marie Brown, who knows it inside and out, and what it offers visitors year-round. Lady Luck and Mother Nature are calling us to Las Vegas and Yosemite...on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Join Marian Krzysztoficz, a Slovenian tour guide, as she shares fascinating insights about Slovenia’s vibrant history and culture. Discover the allure of picturesque Lake Bled, the unique tradition of beekeeping, and the captivating stories behind stunning castles and caves. Marian also highlights the charm of Croatia's Dalmatian coast and its famous towns like Dubrovnik, while touching on the region’s nudist culture. This lively conversation offers a delightful peek into two of Europe's hidden gems.

Get up close to African wildlife and forge an emotional connection with an ancient indigenous culture as we explore what it takes to go on an eco-friendly safari. A representative of the Maasai (mah-SIGH) people and the head of an adventure travel company join Rick in the studio to take your calls about visiting Maasai country. We're planning for the trip of a lifetime on a safari to East Africa on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Adventurous travelers know that Turkey is the welcoming entree to a secularized Muslim society. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, tour guide Lale Surman Aran (LAH-lay SOOR-man ah-RAHN) joins Rick to help plan listeners' sight seeing itineraries to Turkey's significant ancient sites, by land and by sea... And, travel writer David Stanley reports on what he found on a recent visit to the Persian Gulf region, whose small nations are emerging as important centers for international business, and pleasure, in the middle of the Arab world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Take a holiday to Mona Lisa's backyard on this week's Travel with Rick Steves. We'll examine the enormous appeal of Italy's Tuscany region, and its quieter neighbor Umbria. Rick chats with Cecelia Bottai (cha-CHEE-lia bo-TYE), a winemaker from Orvieto (or-vee-AY-to), about how visitors can experience authentic local culture in central Italy's hilltowns and estates. We'll also hear another round of listener haiku poems. Grab a glass of Orvieto classico and a seat on the plaza as we talk about Tuscany and Umbria on the next Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

It's been almost 50 years since Arthur Frommer (FROE-mer) first published his groundbreaking travel guidebook "Europe on Five Dollars a Day." In the 1970s, Frommer's books helped instruct a young Rick Steves how to travel light, on a tight budget, and "through the back door" to interact with the people and authentic cultures overseas. Arthur Frommer is Rick's special guest on this week's edition of Travel with Rick Steves, as they reminisce and chat about how much international travel has changed over the past half-century. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Is an organized tour right for you? This week, Rick explores the advantages of, and some potential problems with, "big bus tourism," with industry consultant Rick Hazen. He offers tips on safeguarding against potential rip-offs, and explains how the tour industry works. Find out how bus tours and cruise ship operators make money, and how to get the most out of your vacation budget on a group tour, as we get the inside scoop on tour companies. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

This week, Rick discusses the appeal of our neighbors in Mexico, from the frenzy of its must-see capital to the deep blue waters and nightlife around Cancun, and the Mayan artifacts of the Yucatan Peninsula. Plus, we'll take listener calls from people planning trips to Europe...on Travel with Rick Steves. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.