From England to Norway, Burgundy to Bavaria, and Rome to the top of the Swiss Alps, Rick Steves' European Christmas gets you a seat at the family feast, up in the loft with the finest choirs, and into the kitchen with grandma and her best-kept holiday secrets. With enchanting photos and more than a dozen recipes, this great gift book captures the spirit of the season perfectly. Rick Steves' European Christmas includes the following video segments: Rick Steves reads the Biblical Christmas Story Bath Bach Choir sings the Twelve Days of Christmas Bath Abbey Choir of Boys and Men Norwegian Girls Choir sings Carol of the Bells Santa Lucia Day in Norway Medieval Music in Burgundy Phonema Faisons Rejouissance Noel traditionnel Christmas Carols in Germany Wilhelm-Loehe School Choir Da pacem Domine Rick Steves interviews the Christkind Concert in Cathedral, Salzburg Silent Night Shepherd Carols in Tuscany Explanation of Nativity Scenes Presepi Manger Scenes Pope John Paul II, Final Christmas Midnight Mass Sacred Music of Monks Merry Christmas Norwegian Girls Choir sings Joy to the World Christmas Eve Around the World

It's party time in Europe! Bestselling author Rick Steves explores the best festivals in Europe, from the Running of the Bulls in Spain to Carnival in Venice. There will be no museums! And no art galleries! Just Europeans having lots of fun. Across Europe, festival traditions go back centuries and are filled with time honored pageantry and ritual. Entire communities hurl themselves with abandon into the craziness. We'll careen all over Europe: the Palio horse races in Siena, the Highland games near Edinburgh, the colorful masquerade of Carnival in Venice, Slovenia, and Luzern, Easter festivities in Andalucía, Tuscany, and Greece, the springtime April Fair in Sevilla, Bastille Day in Paris, the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Oktoberfest in Munich, and Christmas markets and traditions in Nurnberg and Switzerland. With fascinating insights, rich history, and vivid photos, this great gift book captures the spirit of Europe's rich and fun-loving heritage. Hang on to your party hats!

Change the world one trip at a time. In this illuminating collection of stories and lessons from the road, acclaimed travel writer Rick Steves shares a powerful message that resonates now more than ever. With the world facing divisive and often frightening events, from Trump, Brexit, and Erdogan, to climate change, nativism, and populism, there's never been a more important time to travel. Rick believes the risks of travel are widely exaggerated, and that fear is for people who don't get out much. After years of living out of a suitcase, he still marvels at how different cultures find different truths to be self-evident. By sharing his experiences from Europe, Central America, Asia, and the Middle East, Rick shows how we can learn more about own country by viewing it from afar. With gripping stories from Rick's decades of exploration, this fully revised edition of Travel as a Political Act is an antidote to the current climate of xenophobia. When we travel thoughtfully, we bring back the most beautiful souvenir of all: a broader perspective on the world that we all call home. All royalties from the sale of Travel as a Political Act are donated to support the work of Bread for the World, a non-partisan organization working to end hunger at home and abroad.

Write guidebooks, make travel TV, lead bus tours? Cameron Hewitt has been Rick Steves’ right hand for more than 20 years, doing just that. The Temporary European is a collection of vivid, entertaining travel tales from across Europe. Cameron zips you into his backpack for engaging and inspiring experiences: sampling spleen sandwiches at a Palermo street market; hiking alone with the cows high in the Swiss Alps; simmering in Budapest’s thermal baths; trekking across an English moor to a stone circle; hand-rolling pasta at a Tuscan agriturismo; shivering through Highland games in a soggy Scottish village; and much more. Along the way, Cameron introduces us to his favorite Europeans. In Mostar, Alma demonstrates how Bosnian coffee isn’t just a drink, but a social ritual. In France, Mathilde explains that the true mastery of a fromager isn’t making cheese, but aging it. In Spain, Fran proudly eats acorns, but never corn on the cob. While personal, the stories also tap into the universal joy of travel. Cameron’s travel motto (inspired by a globetrotting auntie) is "Jams Are Fun"—the fondest memories arrive when your best-laid plans go sideways. And he encourages travelers to stow their phones and guidebooks, slow down, and savor those magic moments that arrive between stops on a busy itinerary. The stories are packed with inspiration and insights for your next trip, including how to find the best gelato in Italy, how to select the best produce at a Provençal market, how to navigate Spain’s confusing tapas scene, and how to survive the experience of driving in Sicily (hint: just go numb). And you’ll get a reality check for every traveler’s "dream job": researching and writing guidebooks; guiding busloads of Americans on tours around Europe; scouting and producing a travel TV show; and working with Rick Steves and his merry band of travelers. It’s a candid account of how the sausage gets made in the travel business—told with warts-and-all honesty and a sense of humor. For Rick Steves fans, or anyone who loves Europe, The Temporary European is inspiring, insightful, and fun.

After 40+ years of writing about Europe, Rick Steves has gathered 100 of his favorite memories together into one inspiring, award-winning collection: For the Love of Europe: My Favorite Places, People, and Stories. Join Rick as he's swept away by a fado singer in Lisbon, learns the dangers of falling in love with a gondolier in Venice, and savors a cheese course in the Loire Valley. Contemplate the mysteries of centuries-old stone circles in England, dangle from a cliff in the Swiss Alps, and hear a French farmer's defense of foie gras. With a brand-new, original introduction from Rick reflecting on his decades of travel, For the Love of Europe features 100 of the best stories published throughout his career. Covering his adventures through England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and more, these are stories only Rick Steves could tell. Wry, personal, and full of Rick's signature humor, For the Love of Europe is a fond and inspirational look at a lifetime of travel. Winner of the 2022 Society of American Travel Writers' Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award: Best Travel Book, Silver

Rick spends four months each year exploring Europe, and his candid, humorous advice will steer you to the very best sights and museums that London has to offer. You'll beat the lines at the major monuments. You'll find hotels and restaurants that make the most of your vacation budget. You'll navigate the city like a local, using Rick's walking tours as your guide.

Pick a Weekend, Pick a City, and Go! This award-winning travel guide picks up where crowdsourcing leaves off, covering the skills you need for spur-of-the-moment trips to Europe's top destinations. Follow three-day plans to explore each city. Learn which cities match your interests and which can be easily combined for a longer trip, including itineraries for Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Dublin, Edinburgh, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome, and Venice. See iconic sights. Check the Eiffel Tower, the London Eye, and the Colosseum off your bucket list, and use Andy's tips to save time and skip lines. Hit the local hot spots. Chill at Amsterdam's coffee shops, study mixology at London's speakeasies, and bust moves at Barcelona's beach clubs. Enjoy the best and cheapest local cuisine. Graze at boulangeries in Paris, pubs in Dublin, and aperitivo bars in Rome. Become a temporary local. Engage with the culture to enjoy authentic, unforgettable experiences. Master digital travel. Make the most of your money in Europe with apps and other digital resources. Connect with other travelers. Head to the most popular hostels for a ready-made, real-life social network. Whether you're studying abroad or just looking to explore Europe without breaking the bank, Andy Steves' Europe will have you city-hopping like a pro.