Travel with Rick Steves

A biking Brit explains how easy it is to find evidence of the people from centuries past along the backroads of England and Scotland. And a pair of British tour guides get us ready to visit England's magnificent and historically important cathedrals, from Canterbury to York Minster.

Hear what it's like to live on one of the windswept Orkney Islands, off the northernmost tip of Scotland, where people have made a home since prehistoric times. Then learn how redesigned urban centers in Europe have had a positive impact on quality of life — and get ideas for making your own city a more enjoyable place to be outdoors. And consider some of the world's most fascinating nomadic societies, from their often underappreciated role in history to their struggles in the modern world.

Paul Theroux hits the road from Newfoundland to Vancouver, chasing his own family history and seeking out the stories of people across Canada's vast, diverse landscape. And journalist Euny Hong explains a Korean system of nonverbal social skills, sharing how it can help in your travels — and in your life.

A self-described "Rome nerd" helps us picture what it was like to live in the Roman Empire and explains how much we can learn about the era from its now 2,000-year-old rubble. Then a tour guide from Bulgaria sings the praises of its cultural capital, Plovdiv — one of the oldest cities in Europe, possibly in the whole world. And listeners share serendipitous stories from their European travels.

A Cypriot businessman-turned-philosopher connects the act of travel with the larger journey of our lives, and shares how revisiting places we've been before can help us to see them — and ourselves — in a new light. Plus, a cultural historian based on Easter Island recommends ways to experience the diverse cultures of the far-flung nations of the south seas.

A historian helps us re-envision Europe's eastern half, from the Baltics to the Balkans, with a lively account of how most of the region's countries have modernized since the Cold War, and of the challenges they face today. And an American-born artist and creative-writing teacher shares her joy of being "Welsh by choice," telling us of Welsh words that describe feelings we don't easily express in English.

A writing duo shares the sights that have a place in our music history, from museums and festivals to lesser-known locales to make the heart sing. And opera expert and self-described "pleasure activist" Fred Plotkin shows us how to open our senses and plug into the excitement at some of his favorite opera venues in Europe.

Pulitzer Prize winner Beverly Gage explains how a road trip to the places where history happened can renew your faith in American progress, without ignoring an honest assessment of the nation's past. And the good folks from Atlas Obscura share some of their favorite quirky and unique American roadside attractions.

Hear from two Roman tour guides about what to expect on a first-time trip to Italy, and how to make it the adventure of a lifetime. Then get a taste of life in France's rural southwest as author David McAninch explains how spending the better part of a year in Gascony taught his American family to slow down and savor their time together.

A Belfast-based tour guide points out the places where native son Van Morrison found inspiration for his music and poetry. Then a Romani author tells us about the variety of communities within her culture, both on the continent and in the US. And an adventure traveler shares some of his favorite scenic hikes in Europe.