Depart for Adventure

Rick Steves shares his best tips for European travel live at WHYY
By Jill Zayszly

Viewers can depart for adventure on Sunday, March 10 at 7 p.m. as Rick Steves, the candid and funny host of the travel series Rick Steves' Europe, seen Saturdays at 5 p.m. on WHYY TV12, appears live in the TV12 studios.

Steves brings travelers right up to date, sharing the most important, practical tips he has gleaned from his latest trips and over 25 years of travel experience. Join Steves as he hosts two brand-new specials on traveling affordably through Europe, answers questions from the TV12 audience and reveals his "Thrifty Fifty" money-saving travel tips for 2002.

Whether you're a novice, or a seasoned traveler, you'll learn how to get maximum travel thrills for every mile, minute and Euro (Europe's new currency) on your next vacation.

In Rick Steves' Affordable Europe, Steves travels through London, Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, the Rhine and the Swiss Alps, sharing essential travel skills and introducing viewers to his intriguing European friends along the way.

Steves also takes England by storm, dining out in London's Soho district, cruising the Thames, tasting regional English fare in South England and touring King Arthur country in the heart of England and South Wales.

Each of these new specials offers a fresh perspective on the best travel advice with practical tips on planning a trip, overcoming the language barrier, getting around, finding accommodations and staying safe.

Steves says he caught the travel bug at a young age. He took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting German piano factories with his father, a piano importer. By the time he reached 18, Steves jokes, "I realized I didn't need my parents." He began traveling on his own or with a friend, funding his trips by teaching piano.

"Basically, I traveled 10 years for fun, then 10 years writing guidebooks and the last ten years writing guidebooks and taping our PBS specials."

Traveling about 100 days a year to Western Europe, Steves certainly takes his job seriously. Most recently Steves was in Europe to celebrate the debut of the euro. "Over 300 million people with the same coinage is a real sign of European unity," he notes. "And it's great news for travelers."

Although travel today is much different then it was seven months or seven years ago, Steves says "there is a much warmer welcome for Americans in Europe in the wake of 9-11. Traveling gives us a broader perspective, which is more important than ever these days.

"Today smart travel takes more than packing light and wearing money belts," Steves explains. "Savvy travelers make museum reservations, hop bullet trains, call home for a dime a minute with phone cards, choose smartly from dozens of railpasses and are wise to the scams -- from fake police to thieves dressed like tourists.

"Exchange bureaus are out and euros are in. ATMs dish out cash at utopian rates any time of day. Cybercafes keep you easily in touch and delightfully caffeinated. And digital 'audio wands' bring galleries of art to life on your terms. If you know the latest, exploring Europe is more efficient, affordable and fun than ever. And 2002 promises Americans the warmest welcome in _memory."

Steves says he hopes viewers gain "confidence to enjoy Europe and they learn from my mistakes. I want viewers to learn to _travel like temporary Europeans."

Rick Steves presents his two new specials Rick Steves' Affordable Europe and Rick Steves' England live in the TV12 studios on Sunday, March 10 beginning at 7 p.m. His travel series Rick Steves' Europe airs Saturdays at 5 p.m. on TV12.