Rick Steves' Europe takes 30,000 Americans through Europe on 1,200 bus tours every year (except this year, of course). It’s a complicated operation with a lot of moving parts — and recently, I enjoyed focusing on one dimension of that vast network: A group that our Tour Operations department simply refers to as “Our Vendors.” Our vendors are the mostly very small businesses that we partner with in Europe to create the Rick Steves tour experience: the carefully chosen guesthouses, small hotels, r

Our new special, Rick Steves' Experiencing Europe, is now available! Join Rick Steves as he shares lessons from a lifetime of European travel so you can learn from his experiences and travel smoother. In this entertaining, information-packed hour, with Europe as your classroom, you’ll learn the essential skills for smart travel from itinerary planning to venturing off the beaten path. Get Rick’s tips on packing light, escaping crowds, avoiding scams and pickpockets, and maximizing your cultural

Enjoy your own “passeggiata” and “aperitivo” experiences during two nights in Siena on a Rick Steves Best of Italy in 17 Days tour: www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/best-italy | Rick Steves' Europe

Tight on time? The Heart of Italy in 9 Days Tour is Rick Steves' personal "best of" distillation of our Best of Italy tour: ricksteves.com/tours/italy/heart-italy Beginning with the "must see" sights of the Eternal City of Rome, your guide will help you experience the very heart of this remarkable country: the Tuscan hill-town ambience of Volterra, the pedestrian-friendly streets of Lucca, harbor-hugging villages of the Italian Riviera, and the amazing art of Renaissance Florence. Along the way,

Rick Steves has just returned from two weeks in Italy, and is ready to share practical tips, personal anecdotes, and gorgeous photos from hiking in the Dolomites to soaking in the ethereal beauty of Venice, the Cinque Terre, and Lake Como. Purely a vacation, this was a trip of experiences: hiking with friends for six days high in Italy’s Alps, exploring the Venetian Lagoon, pounding pesto, sipping wine on Italy’s Riviera, and capping it all off on Lake Como, where he was named “Ambassador to the

Join Rick Steves as he shares the essential skills for smart European travel: itinerary planning, venturing off the beaten path, packing light, avoiding crowds (and thieves), transportation tips, finding hotels and restaurants, and much more. Learn from Rick's experiences — and travel smarter! | Rick Steves' Europe

One of the reasons we travel? To learn. Deepening our understanding of history, art, and culture, we better appreciate those who came before us, and it helps us to better prepare for and contribute to what’s next. In this clip from Rick's "Why We Travel" TV special, we learn how, through travel, we can deepen our understanding of history, gain context and perspective… and become wiser. #RickSteves #KeepOnTravelin #KeepOnTraveling #RickStevesEurope | Rick Steves' Europe