Travel with Rick Steves

Guides from Portugal describe the delights of Porto, and the winemaking traditions of the nearby Douro Valley in the north of Portugal. Then NPR's David Greene shares what he learned about everyday working-class Russians from his trips on the Trans-Siberian Railway. And friends from Scotland explain the cultural importance of their neighborhood pubs, and share tips for making yourself feel right at home on your next pub visit. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

People-watching and relaxing in the night air in one of Rome’s picturesque public piazzas: Get tips for enjoying Rome’s more intimate side after sunset. Then a guide to New York City tells us where you can get in touch with the city's forgotten history and its multicultural character, and hear from a few daring souls who find adventure in high places. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Find out why Bath is an ideal city to visit for a little R&R in the English countryside, then hear why one American expat, who runs a popular website about her life in the Yucatán, left California with her husband to start a new life in the Mexican city of Mérida. And get clued in on the hot-button topics under discussion in the bars and cafés of Spain. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Did you hear the one about the Swede, the Norwegian, and the Dane? Hear about what Scandinavians tend to think about their Nordic neighbors, and the sometimes not-so-subtle differences that help give each country its distinct identity. Then listen in for the story of the special travel guide that African Americans relied on in the mid-20th century to find a welcome when traveling out of town within the US. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Listen in as we rock the cradle of country music, from kitchy Dollywood to all-day mountain-music jams along Virginia's "Crooked Road." Tony Horwitz explores how John Brown's 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry still haunts us today. And we'll hear how fun it can be to hike Appalachian Trail. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Journalist Gary Rivlin tells us how he's seen New Orleans change in the 10 years since Hurricane Katrina. Also, Brin-Jonathan Butler describes what a decade of training with Olympic boxing elites in Havana showed him about life in Cuba, and why he's now barred from returning. And hear how the nearly century-old legacy of an Irish revolutionary leader still evokes dissention among his countrymen. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear how photojournalist David Adams journeyed to Afghanistan and central Asia in search of the lost cities encountered by Alexander the Great. Learn why Ephesus, in western Turkey, is one of the best places in the world to resurrect a sense of the everyday life of the ancient Greeks and Romans. And for those looking for a taste of university life in England, we share tips for choosing between Oxford and Cambridge. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

David McCullough recounts a big day in aviation history, when the Wright Brothers first demonstrated powered flight to an eager audience ― in France. Then travel writer Tim Neville shares his first impressions of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan ― neighbors along the fabled Silk Road of central Asia, but ones with very different personalities. And listeners share the rewards of their latest exotic travels.  For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A British ex-pat tells us what it's like to live in Switzerland, and explains why the Swiss are deliberately different from the rest of their European neighbors. We'll also get pointers for fun things to explore on a weekend in Wales from one of that country's top tour guides. And a musician from Orvieto provides examples of the different styles of folk and traditional music you can enjoy across Italy. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Naturalist Terry Tempest Williams reflects on a mystery her late mother left behind, and explains her drive to speak out on behalf of the rugged Utah wilderness she calls home. Then a tour guide from Italy describes how he likes to get away from it all: on a motorbike across the vast Sahara desert. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.