Latest news with #RickSteves
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
The One Simple Rule Rick Steves Advises Everyone to Follow When They Travel
Long-time travel writer and TV host Rick Steves is your man for all things European travel. Not only can he tell you where to go and what to do there, but he can also give you tips on anything from health and hygiene to safety when traveling. And out of his entire library of travel wisdom, there is perhaps one piece of advice that he considers most important: pack light. In a video posted to his TikTok (@ricksteveseurope), Steves says you'll be better off if you can limit all of your belongings to a carry-on-sized bag—that's 9x22x14 inches. Yes, he means everything. This includes your toiletries, shoes, chargers—try to get everything into that one small bag. The reason for this is that travel, especially international, often requires walking long distances (sometimes in the heat or on uneven terrain) while lugging your baggage, and doing so will be a heck of a lot easier if you pack light. Steves makes a good point by saying, 'You'll never meet a traveler who brags: 'Every year, I pack heavier.'' As a former world traveler myself, I can't attest enough to the truth of this; you will never regret packing less. Related: We've Got Your Vacay Covered With the Ultimate Packing Lists for Every Type of Trip Although it may give you peace of mind to bring anything you could ever need and more, the reality is that you won't end up needing or using most of it, and it will just add extra pounds to your bag that you'll wish you didn't have to carry around. What about a small bag and a personal item? More bags still mean more space taken up, whether that's when you're pulling your luggage through tight, crowded city sidewalks or storing your stuff on the floor of a hostel room. It's best to have everything kept together in one spot. If you prefer to bring a carry-on-sized roller bag, that's okay, but Steves carries it all in a backpack. I, too, have always found backpacks to be best for serious traveling. To test out your limits, Steves recommends packing up everything you think you need in the size bag you think you need it in and either walking around your house carrying it all with you for a while, or even going into town to carry it around for a few blocks. It's very likely that at some point on your international travels, you'll have to spend some hours carrying your luggage around in between flights/hotel check-ins, etc. If it's not comfortable to have it all with you while sightseeing, you should scale back your belongings. Related: 45 Travel Essentials, According to Flight Attendants, Professional Packers and More What you absolutely need to bring will depend on where you're going and when, but it's always best to stick to the bare essentials. Creating your own sort of travel capsule wardrobe is helpful for this; bring clothing items you can mix, match and layer instead of bringing multiple full outfits. Of course, having fewer clothes means you'll need to do laundry more often, but this is not the end of the world. Pro tip: bring a travel laundry bag to separate your dirty clothes from the clean ones and easily tote your laundry to the laundromat. The same goes for cosmetics and toiletries; the reality is that you can often find what you need once you get to your destination, so you don't always have to bring everything with you from home. Bringing only a carry-on also reduces the risk of your luggage getting lost or stolen. And, of course, you'll save money! 'It's not a hardship to pack light, it's a sort of enlightenment,' Steves states. Related: I Traveled the World for 2 Years With This Backpack and It Still Looks Brand New
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
Traveling to Europe this summer? Avoid these 13 mistakes
One of my best friends is getting married in Italy this spring, and, as part of her hair and makeup team, I shot awake earlier this week with a realization: Will our American hair dryers blow a fuse? (The answer, according to my midnight research session: We're fine so long as we pack a dual-voltage dryer.) But from power adapters and voltage converters to currency and international driving permits, there are a lot of extra little things to consider when traveling to Europe for vacation. No matter how many Rick Steves travel guides you read or how much you prepare for a trip to Europe, there's bound to be a thing or two you learn through experience while on the ground. (Speaking of grounds, a lot of it's cobblestone, which is pretty tough to roll your suitcase over or walk in flip-flops on; more on that below!) Ahead of the busy summer travel season, here are 13 common mistakes to avoid when traveling to Europe. The first time I visited the Amalfi Coast in Italy with my girlfriends, we moved between the cliffside towns of Positano, Capri and Ravello throughout the week. We took public transportation, booked taxis and ferried about, all with our carry-ons in tow. Already, it's a bit of a feat to roll even the most compact carry-on along the cobblestone streets and through narrow passageways, and larger luggage can be especially tiresome. In a lot of European towns, a taxi can get you close to your hotel, but some small streets are closed off to through traffic so you'll also have to do some walking. Plus, you don't want to be hauling a bulky full-size up and down stairways. The scenario: After a long day of travel, you get to your hotel and go to plug in your phone charger only to realize it doesn't fit in the outlet. European outlets differ from the ones in America in that they have two rounded prongs (with the exception of the U.K. and Ireland, where plugs have three pins arranged in a triangular shape). Put a power adapter on your packing list and, if you're a frequent international traveler, opt for one that's universal (here's my favorite universal travel adapter) with multiple prong options so that you can use it in other places around the world. This is especially helpful if you're traveling throughout Europe but have a long layover in a London airport. If you do end up forgetting an adapter, you can often borrow one from your hotel's front desk or find one at a local store. I get it; you're accustomed to swiping your credit cards or tapping your phone to use Apple Pay. But if you want, say, a scoop of gelato or an espresso from a small cafe, it's best to have some euros on hand as many places don't accept credit cards. Even larger restaurants and bars—especially throughout Germany—are often cash-only establishments, as well. You'll also want to make sure you have some small denominations in your wallet, as many public bathrooms in train stations and throughout larger European cities have attendants and require a small fee (usually less than a euro or pound). It's convenient to grab some euros from an ATM as soon as you touch down, but doing so will typically tack on a charge in the ballpark of 4% to 9%, says Nate Hake, founder and CEO of travel site Travel Lemming. Decline currency conversion at the ATMs, he says. If you're a frequent traveler, he recommends getting an ATM card that refunds ATM fees worldwide, such as the Schwab Bank Investor Checking account. Or, as long as you plan far enough in advance, you can probably get currency exchanged at your bank or credit union before your trip, an exchange route that tends to be the cheapest. One of my favorite feelings when traveling is retreating to a hotel room after a long day out in the heat and enjoying the AC on full blast. But many hotels in Europe don't have air conditioning or if they do, it can't be cranked up as we're accustomed to in the U.S. If AC is a must-have amenity for you while traveling, check with your hotel first to see whether it has in-room air conditioning. Chain hotels, especially ones that have a large North American presence, are likely to have AC, but it's still a good idea to check. While we're on the topic of staying cool: Don't expect water or drinks to be served over ice. You may have to specify your preference for ice while ordering. When my husband and I were looking at rental car options in Menorca, a small Balearic island east of mainland Spain, I was surprised to see how inexpensive the options were. But when we dug a little deeper, most of those good deals were for cars that are manual transmission, and it's been a couple of decades since I drove a stick. Opting for an automatic is a bit more expensive, but it's worth it if that's what you're more comfortable driving. Also note that some rental cars are very small and have barely any trunk space, so be sure that the car you book will comfortably fit you and your luggage. And one last note on rental cars: European rental car companies usually place a larger hold on your credit card than American companies do, so be prepared to have a pending authorization between 900 and 2,000 euros while you've got the rental. If you're planning to rent a car in a European country, getting a $20 AAA international driver's permit (IDP) will smooth out the process. Whether you actually need one varies by country; however, some rental car agencies will require an IDP before they hand over the keys to you. According to AAA, some countries such as Hungary don't recognize state-issued driver's licenses but accept IDPs. An IDP will also satisfy Spain's requirement that a driving document is translated into Spanish because the document translates your information into 10 languages, including Spanish. While you may save some money going this route, booking a hotel outside of the city center of some of Europe's most popular cities including Paris, London and Rome can require a lot of extra travel time and hassle, especially if you've got kids in tow, says Cassie Tetro, a certified travel expert and itinerary designer who helps families plan European vacations. No. 10. Taking taxis everywhere On a group trip to Florence, Italy, one friend took a taxi to the center of the city while I took the train. Because of all of the traffic congestion in the city, it was actually much quicker to take the train, not to mention I saved the USD equivalent of $20. Note that when you're taking the train in European countries, you'll want to get your ticket validated —most of the time it'll be valid for a four-hour window. Another mistake people make when traveling to Europe is forgetting that they'll probably purchase a bottle of wine or olive oil and want to bring it home, says Kate Bossany, a travel expert with Throne and Vine, specializing in travel to South Tyrol and the Dolomites in Italy. Instead of stressing that your bottles will break in your luggage, she recommends buying a few lightweight wine protector sleeves that are leak-proof and lined with bubble cushioning wrap. Even if you have an international plan, cell service can be spotty—especially when venturing into the countryside. Before you leave your hotel, download offline maps for the places you'll be visiting through apps like Google Maps or It'll save you from getting lost when you least expect it. One big mistake that's easy to make: assuming you can walk up and buy tickets to major cultural sites and museums. Many of these top attractions now require advance reservations and can sell out days (or even weeks) ahead of time during peak season. Book early and save yourself the heartbreak—and long lines—later.
Forbes
04-04-2025
- Forbes
Travel Expert Rick Steves' Coming-Of-Age Memoir: 'On The Hippie Trail'
Rick Steves in Nepal, 1978. Rick Steves—best-selling author, renowned guidebook guru, popular public television host and radio personality who founded and heads the impressively successful group-tour company Rick Steves' Europe, which leads more than 30,000 vacationers annually abroad—astounds once again with his latest book, On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer (Avalon Travel, Hachette Book Group). . The origin of this singular, coming-of-age memoir springs from a remarkable hard-cover journal that Steves, during the summer of 1978, toted along a 3,000-mile stretch of horizon-unfolding experiences in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal (see route map below) on what was then called the Hippie Trail—an overland trek from Europe and West Asia through South Asia. Notable for its cheap-budget lifestyle and an alternative hippie subculture that interacted more readily with locals than traditional tourists did, the trail held legendary allure, spotlit by the Beatles' 1968 trip to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh, India. Ripe for meaningful exploration through mysterious lands, 23-year-old Steves was a recent college graduate and piano teacher from Washington State. En route, he daily penned 1,000 words, chronicling a vast expanse of observations and interactions. Returning home, his well-worn pages brimmed with 60,000 words. Soon after, the travelogue was tucked into storage and forgotten. Forty-two years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Steves stumbled upon his diary, rereading passages about his formative trip. A personal anthropological dig. His hand-written script was transcribed into type and lightly edited. The resulting 2025 published narrative stays true to Steves' early emerging voice and enthusiastic purview: candid, curious, earnest, empathetic and hopeful. It exudes the transformative power of travel. An unvarnished, very readable revelry. Photographs—from an era when each camera snapshot was carefully considered because film rolls were limited and costly to develop—enrich his in-the-moment, on-the-spot reportage. Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw traveled overland from Istanbul to Kathmandu during the summer of 1978. Steves was accompanied by his friend Gene Openshaw, an ideal travel companion. Cellphones, GPS, apps, personal computers, social media, online recommendations and digital reservations did not yet exist. In their rucksacks, the duo packed a foldout paper map of the itinerary, few clothes and ample medicine (antibiotics, malaria pills, iodine drops for the water). Openshaw and Steves on the Pakistan-Indian border. This fresh-faced leap into the unknown catapulted Steves and Openshaw toward wisdoms beyond their years. They were free, determining their own paths, facing their own consequences. Unable to stay in touch with loved ones in the United States, they relied on themselves. There were no guidebooks about this region, nor an ability to make advance bookings—so they slept among a patchwork of accommodations, often searching and scrambling for overnight cover. Their Western values encountered distinctly different cultures and characters, the collision of which fortuitously instilled wonder and humility. Steves and Openshaw in Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. The monsoon season soaked them in Delhi. They fought off leeches and biting winged insects. Bumped and bustled on scruffy buses, crowded trains and narrow rickshaws. Dodged mischievous monkeys. Witnessed chaos and repression. Faced myriad complexities. Peered at ramshackle neighborhoods and broken roads. The poverty was jolting, heart-breaking. Visiting a village outside Delhi, Steves relieves a local woman of her load. They also rejoiced at the sublime beauty of picturesque landscapes. Cherished unexpected embraces, uplifting connections and formidable kindnesses. Made friends in Tehran. Got high for the first time in Afghanistan, which they departed via the mountainous Khyber Pass, navigating through Waziristan, an ungovernable region where Pashtun tribes set their own rules and strong-armed their own defenses. Rode elephants and ponies. Boated the milky Ganges River. Were awed by the strikingly white marble Taj Mahal, a monument to romance. Hiked the Himalayas. Floated on a dreamy Kashmir Lake houseboat. In Kathmandu, they exchanged namaste greetings with villagers in a lengthy, slender settlement and up a ridge overlooking a pastoral valley. Sweeping his vision across the panorama, Steves told Overshaw that he couldn't remember ever being more contented, happy and at peace. In Kashmir. "I've never met a family so disconnected from the rest of the world or so warm and welcoming," says Steves. At journey's end, when Steves flew home and 'dove into adulthood,' he explains: 'In the wake of this adventure—having stoked my travel spirit—I made a decision that changed the trajectory of my life: I let my piano students go, turned my recital hall into a lecture hall and began a small travel business.' His pivotal seed was planted, aligning a passion that has brought an array of travel pleasures to millions of people. Rick Steves today. Steves and Openshaw were unaware at the integral crossroad of their lives that 1978 would be the last Hippie Trail summer. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and the Islamic revolution arose in Iran. Easy, friendly and safe passage through both countries slammed shut. The world has changed a great deal since then, yet Steves continues to rally travel's impact to influence peace and partnership. Here, from the book's postscript, his thoughtful highlights about spreading your wings. • 'Those same 23-year-olds are still out there. I frequently hear from young globetrotters who have ventured beyond 'tourism' to become friends with the world, and I'm inspired by their stories.' • 'I miss the days of 'bon voyage.' There's so much fear these days. But the flip side of fear is understanding, and we gain understanding through travel. Travelers learn that fear is for people who don't get out much; that culture shock is the growing pains of that broadening perspective.' • 'I've shared the lessons I learned on the Hippie Trail for over 40 years. And I'm an evangelist for the notion that good travel is more than bucket lists and selfies.' • 'I believe that if more people could have such a transformative experience—especially in their youth—our world would be a more just and stable place.' • 'Travelers understand that the big challenges of the future will be blind to borders, and we'll need to tackle them together—as global citizens and as a family of nations. And most fundamentally, travelers know that the world is a welcoming place filled with joy, love and good people.' • 'Young or old, rich or poor, backpack or rolling suitcase, the best way to understand this is to experience it firsthand. To get out there to know our neighbors. To build not walls, but bridges.' Steves bicycles in Afghanistan, where trucks were brightly painted. To read a digital scan of Steves' original hand-written journal, go here.
Los Angeles Times
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, March 16
1. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 2. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Knopf: $32) The story of four women and their loves, longings and desires. 3. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $30) Worlds collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondacks summer camp. 4. The Women by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin's Press: $30) An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time. 5. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $29) A woman upends her domestic life in this irreverent novel. 6. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (Entangled: Red Tower Books: $30) A dragon rider faces more tests in the 'Fourth Wing' sequel. 7. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.: $29) An unexpected wedding guest gets surprise help. 8. The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare (Del Rey: $32) Tensions heat up in the city-state of Castellane in the follow-up to 'Sword Catcher.' 9. One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter (Pamela Dorman Books: $30) A young woman journeys through war-torn Italy. 10. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (Knopf: $27) A socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding. … 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 2. How We Learn to Be Brave by Mariann Edgar Budde (Avery: $28) A guide to navigating pivotal moments in life with faith and strength by the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. 3. On the Hippie Trail by Rick Steves (Rick Steves: $30) The travel writer recalls his 1978 journey from Istanbul to Kathmandu. 4. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and John Burgoyne (illustrator) (Scribner: $20) The 'Braiding Sweetgrass' author on gratitude, reciprocity and community, and the lessons to take from the natural world. 5. Golden State by Michael Hiltzik (Mariner Books: $33) The Pulitzer winner and L.A. Times columnist writes a definitive new history of California. 6. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. 7. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) A powerful reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values. 8. Do This Before Bed by Oliver Nino (Hay House LLC: $26) A guide to transforming your nightly routine. 9. I'll Have What She's Having by Chelsea Handler (The Dial Press: $32) A collection of essays that captures the joyful life the comedian has built for herself. 10. Atomic Habits by James Clear (Avery: $27) How to build good habits and break bad ones via tiny changes in behavior. … 1. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17) 2. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 3. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Grand Central: $20) 4. Funny Story by Emily Henry (Berkley: $19) 5. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Entangled: Red Tower Books: $21) 6. North Woods by Daniel Mason (Random House Trade Paperbacks: $18) 7. Long Island by Colm Tóibín (Scribner: $19) 8. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Vintage: $18) 9. You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue (Riverhead Books: $18) 10. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17) … 1. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 2. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 3. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20) 4. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 5. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $35) 6. Abolish Rent by Tracy Rosenthal and Leonardo Vilchis (Haymarket Books: $18) 7. Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here by Jonathan Blitzer (Penguin: $21) 8. The White Album by Joan Didion (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $18) 9. Eve by Cat Bohannon (Vintage: $20) 10. 3 Shades of Blue by James Kaplan (Penguin: $20)
Los Angeles Times
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, March 9
1. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 2. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $29) A woman upends her domestic life in this irreverent novel. 3. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler (Knopf: $27) A socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding. 4. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.: $29) An unexpected wedding guest gets surprise help. 5. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $29) Two grieving brothers come to terms with their history. 6. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $30) Worlds collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondacks summer camp. 7. Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley (Crown: $28) A love story about two people pulled apart by the same force that draws them together: music. 8. Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House: $28) A story collection exploring marriage, friendship, fame and artistic ambition. 9. Isola by Allegra Goodman (The Dial Press: $29) A French noblewoman is marooned on an island in a tale inspired by a real-life 16th century heroine. 10. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (Entangled: Red Tower Books: $30) The third installment of the bestselling dragon rider series. … 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) A guide on how to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 2. Golden State by Michael Hiltzik (Mariner Books: $33) The Pulitzer winner and L.A. Times columnist writes a definitive new history of California. 3. How We Learn to Be Brave by Mariann Edgar Budde (Avery: $28) A guide to navigating pivotal moments in life with faith and strength by the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. 4. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) A powerful reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values. 5. I'll Have What She's Having by Chelsea Handler (The Dial Press: $32) A collection of essays that captures the joyful life the comedian has built for herself. 6. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. 7. Lorne by Susan Morrison (Random House: $36) An authoritative biography of Lorne Michaels, the man behind 'Saturday Night Live.' 8. On the Hippie Trail by Rick Steves (Rick Steves: $30) The travel writer recalls his 1978 journey from Istanbul to Kathmandu. 9. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (Crown: $34) The Barefoot Contessa shares the story of her rise in the food world. 10. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and John Burgoyne (illustrator) (Scribner: $20) The 'Braiding Sweetgrass' author on gratitude, reciprocity and community, and the lessons to take from the natural world. … 1. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 2. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Grand Central: $20) 3. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Vintage: $18) 4. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17) 5. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Entangled: Red Tower Books: $21) 6. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial: $22) 7. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17) 8. Funny Story by Emily Henry (Berkley: $19) 9. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Vintage: $19) 10. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Anchor: $18) … 1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 2. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 3. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 4. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17) 5. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $35) 6. Eve by Cat Bohannon (Vintage: $20) 7. Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley (Picador: $18) 8. The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (Penguin: $19) 9. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (Vintage: $18) 10. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (Vintage: $17)
