Rick Steves talk: Tips For European Travel

Recently I attended a talk by European Travel expert Rick Steves. Rick’s popular “Europe Through the Back Door” book is one of the best selling guides to European travel. Rick is also well known for his series of programs on Public Television. This talk was of special interest to me since me and my family will be visiting Europe for the first time in May 2006! Below I will give some of the highlights of Rick’s talk.

Rick has been visiting Europe since he was a teenager. His Dad imported pianos and first took Rick to Europe when Rick was age 14. A year or two later Rick toured Europe by himself as a teenager. Later Rick became a piano teacher and toured Europe every summer during school breaks. Rick’s “Europe Through the Back Door” book was first published in 1976 – that initial release was largely a one man effort. Today Rick’s organization has over 60 employees and Rick himself spends 120 days a year in Europe.

Rick says Europe is well organized for independent travel. In his first few years traveling to Europe he noticed others were making the same mistakes he had made the year before. One goal of his guidebooks, Rick says, is that future European travelers can “learn from my mistakes.”

Europeans have a knack for enjoying themselves. According to Rick, they embrace what they think is good and can live well without being wealthy. Rick especially enjoys finding hidden gems in Europe, places that don’t have big promotional budgets. Rick likes to stay overnight in small European towns to get a feel for what the towns are really like. Often these towns are overrun by tourists by day but are uncrowded at night.

Some tips Rick shared for European travel:

You owe it to yourself to read up before your trip on what you will be seeing. Germany, for example, has ruined castles all over that can be visited for free and are not well promoted. If you have an understanding of feudalism, and that Germany once consisted of 300 independent countries, the castles will be much more interesting to you. Otherwise you are just looking at a bunch of rubble. Similarly, there are many opportunities to see historic art in Europe. By doing some reading on the art you will be seeing you’ll understand that art is the closest thing to a time tunnel that you’ll experience.

Think creatively about “open jaw” flights. It’s easier and less expensive to fly into one city and country and fly out of another when compared to domestic travel. Short flights between cities in Europe are good bargains in many places – they are faster and often cheaper than trains or buses in many markets. Plan your itinerary around weather patterns. If you are taking a 2 week trip from Spain to Scandinavia start in early June in Barcelona and work your way up to the Scandinavian countries at the end rather than vice versa.

When in Europe, be a temporary European. Store your camera unless you are using it. It is much more interesting to join in and do what the people are doing (a folk dance, a song in a tavern, etc) rather than videotaping it. Pack light and buy necessities as you go along – you’ll learn the culture better. Rick on his organized tours (some 2 weeks or longer) requires each guest to bring a carryon bag on the plane as his or her only luggage. If you run out of toothpaste, it’s interesting to go to a store in a European town to buy some more. The worst strategy is to over pack and bring extra clothes, supplies, etc “in case you need it”

Seek out Mom and Pop businesses. There are businesses in Europe that have been run by the same families for over 50 years. Family businesses don’t have to pay minimum wage to their employees – relatives freely give of their time to make the business successful. The quality is consistent. Rick particularly likes local tour guides and family run restaurants.

Use ATM’s for cash. ATM’s are all over Europe and they often give you a better exchange rate than if you get foreign currency before you leave home. Tell your bank that you will be traveling abroad so they don’t question foreign withdrawals on your ATM card. Many places only accept cash and not credit cards, so having access to cash through an ATM card is very important.

Be prepared for thieves. You are going to meet pick pockets – they target Americans and tourists. If you take a purse or a wallet there’s a good chance you’ll lose it. Instead take a money belt and store your cash and passport in there. Buy an over-the-shoulder bag that is much more secure than carrying a purse.

If you are waiting in line too much, you are messing up. There is always a way around a line. See popular attractions at off times. Seek out local guides to show you the sights.

Generally Europeans like Americans. Many Europeans may disagree with our country’s politics, but generally they treat you as an individual. Bring some “show and tell” items – Europeans are just as interested in us as we are in them. Europe is safer than the United States – there are far few deaths by hand guns in Europe when compared to back home.

It’s ok to speak English. Rick only speaks English when he travels in Europe. Many Europeans know English and can help. Use simple words and speak clearly.

This is just a sampling of many interesting topics Rick discussed in the three hour talk I heard. For more information consult Rick’s guidebooks or look at Rick’s website, http://www.ricksteves.com/ . The “graffiti wall” section on Rick’s website is loaded with tips from past European travelers.

The Larison family is really excited about our European trip this May – a Mediterranean cruise on the Carnival Liberty with a post-cruise stay in Rome for a few nights. We are taking Rick’s advice and studying up on all the sights we will be seeing! (update: see a review and pictures of our experiences on our website ).

(Travel Agents Tim and Anne Larison are not affiliated with Rick Steves or his company in any way – the above is published for informational purposes only)