Travel with Rick Steves

Rick removes some of the mystery, but not the glamour, of European Royalty with help from guests Roy Nichols and Norway's Princess Martha Louise. Tour guide Roy Nichols gives Rick an overview of the British royal family and discusses why they remain an important instituion to the average Briton. Princess Martha Louise of Norway, who has written a children's book, "Why Kings and Queens Don't Wear Crowns" explains the modern realities of being from a royal family. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Does travel have to be bad for the environment? Does eco-tourism really help the planet -- or just hurt it less? What's an ethical traveler to do? On this week's Travel with Rick Steves we'll discuss the goals and impacts of eco-tourism with Jeff Greenwald of of Ethical Traveler dot org, and ponder the future of some noteworthy "Vanishing Places" on our planet with travel writer Michael Shapiro. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

2006 is being celebrated as Mozart's 250th birthday, reminding us that your next destination's music scene can provide a theme (pun intended) for your trip. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, our guest is Margaret Hemmen, a professional musician who leads music-oriented tours through Europe. Whether your next trip includes visits to concert halls, tossing coins at street musicians, or shopping for that special hand-crafted instrument... this show will have you tapping your toes in anticipation. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

When Ella Fitzgerald sang "April in Paris," she knew the perfect place to combine fresh flowers, spring showers, and romance. Half a century later, no other city comes close. Whether you're dreaming of your first trip to Paris, or planning a return, you'll enjoy Parisian tour guide Arnaud Servignant's inside look at his home town. We'll also take listener calls about cultural faux pas they've experienced in their visits to the City of Light -- all 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.

What better way to enjoy the world in bloom than to wander through an English country garden? Rick Steves asks British tour guide Roy Nichols about the English passion for elaborate gardens. Then Rick and Roy take listener calls and share tips to help you to experience the wide variety of gardens in Great Britain. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick Steves meets French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, a household name in his home country (where they simply call him "BHL"). During the height of recent tensions between political factions in the US and "old Europe," BHL traveled all across America, meeting with average Americans of all types, and wrote a book about our country's cultural identity, patriotism, and the creed that holds the U.S. together as a nation. His assertions may surprise you. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

From the deep green, rocky hills to the evocative smell of a peat log burning in the fireplace, you'll know you're in Ireland. But it's the people that every visitor remembers best, whether you visit the touristy destinations like the Ring of Kerry, or plot your own route on the island's back roads. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, Rick invites back two Irish tour guide friends to offer a little help understanding the modern Ireland, whose newfound affluence has made it one of the more expensive destinations in Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Egypt is a land of mysteries -- and the biggest mystery travelers face is what to expect while visiting there. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, Colin Clement joins Rick from his home in Alexandria, Egypt to take your calls and discuss how you can get the most out of your vacation in Egypt. Plus listeners add advice for planning vacation trips to Europe, and we announcce our latest round of listener haiku awards. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

After Italy hosts the Winter Olympics, Germany heats up for the championship games of the World Cup soccer tournament in June. On this week's Travel with Rick Steves, Rick assembles a panel of European soccer fanatics to explain what the excitement is all about. Whether your summer travel plans include trying to take in some of the action around the games, or trying to avoid it, you'll want to hear what's behind the world's biggest, and most passionate, sporting competition. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

200 years ago, Lewis and Clark charted the rivers of what is now Northwestern America. In the 21st Century, travelers seek the same mountains and rivers to get away from their crowded urban lives. Rick discusses the basics of back-country river rafting with Peter Grub, who runs a river adventure company in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We'll also chat with Julian Smith about the Four Corners area of the US Desert Southwest, talk with listeners about travel plans and challenges, and take a tour of Montreal with a listener who lives there. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.