Travel with Rick Steves

Rick celebrates Independence day, gathering tips for visiting Washington D.C. from Pauline Frommer and Jay Inslee, who represents Rick's home district in Congress. Also, Patricia Schultz inspires listeners with a follow-up to her book "Thousand Places to See Before Your Die" focusing on the USA and Canada. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Whether you studied art history in college, or you just want to be a good sport on your next trip to Europe, we'll see how art can change the way you look at the world. Rick is joined by the co-author of his Europe 101 book on art appreciation, and by certified guides from Rome and Florence, to discover new ways of looking at the masterpieces that surround you in Italy. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick chats with Scott Huler about his voyage in the Mediterranean to re-trace the steps of Ulysses and what he learned about himself 3,000 years after "The Odyssey." Also, a writer from Forbes.com shares with listeners the lengths some intrepid travelers are going to in order to reach the far corners of the earth. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick gets advice from a flight attendant on how to enjoy flying in the coach section of the plane, including tips for getting a good seat, and hears from two Hollywood comedy writers who challenged each other to see who could make it around the world first -- without ever using an airplane. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The beaches of Normandy, France hold the memories of thousands who fought -- and many who died -- to bring an end to Europe's Nazi tyranny in 1944. Rick commemorates the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings with an expert guest on D-Day sites who gives travelers options for a trip that many Americans rate among the most moving of their lives. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Italians have always believed in eating locally and in-season, and that's exactly what Italian food expert Fred Plotkin recommends when he joins Rick to talk about chowing well in Italia. Fred gives tips for helping travelers savor the variety of regional Italian cuisine specialties, where to look for great Italian food on a budget, and some of the local traditions Italians have for what -- and when -- to eat and drink. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

For centuries castles were considered the high points of their communities. Join Rick as he talks castles with an expert guide from Wales and offers recommendations for which sites travelers to visit -- from historical ruins to converted B&Bs, all the way to Transylvania. Next, Rick learns about American high school students who travel to Guatemala each summer in order to learn first-hand how connected we really are in our modern world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick brings centuries of Roman history to life as he takes a closer look at some of the sites found on the streets of Rome, checks in on the city's now-trendy Jewish Ghetto, offers practical tips for planning a visit, hears what some of our listeners have discovered in their own travels and chats with a local guide who not only knows her city inside out, but also explains how it teaches us about ourselves today. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

After World War Two, European visionaries dreamed of cooperation and peace between countries in the hopes to prevent another devastating war. Today, we celebrate this vision through Europe Day and the European Union with a panel of European citizens who discuss the political and social issues facing the E.U. Out of the rubble of World War Two, European visionaries came up with a way to get their countries to cooperate and to prevent another devastating war. We're commemorating Europe Day with a panel of European citizens. Join us as we discuss how the E-U addresses the political and social issues facing Europe today. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Budget travel guru Arthur Frommer joins Rick to compare notes on recent travel trends, and share ideas for seeing the world in a down economy. Also, Margret Hemmen provides tips on how to research for some of the year's biggest music festivals, since 2009 will include anniversaries of many major classical composers. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.