Two Roman tour guides explain how to find the magic in Rome's backstreets, connecting ancient history and today's modern city. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome I: Travel Guide - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Greek tour guide Anastasia Gaitanou tells Rick how Athens has grown into a visitor-friendly destination, complete with a new Acropolis museum. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Athens - Audio Europe: Greece

Greek travel expert Penny Kolomvotsou discusses the spruced-up capital of Athens, the villages of the mainland and the islands, and how travelers can best experience Greece's rich history in the ruins of its ancient past. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Greece Travel Tips I - Audio Europe: Greece

We make sense out of the rubble of antiquity with the help of guides from Greece and Egypt. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Antiquities and Archaeology - Audio Europe: Greece

World-class ancient art.  
     Trace the evolution of Greek statues, vases and paintings, from their roots to the flowering of the Golden Age and beyond. It's all beautifully displayed and in air-conditioned comfort.
    Starring: Prehistoric Barbie dolls, the golden Mask of Agamemnon, and the perfectly posed Artemision Bronze.
    Practicalities: €7. Open May–Sept Tue–Sun 8:00–20:00, Mon 13:30–20:00; Oct–April Tue–Sun 8:30–15:00, Mon 13:30–19:30. Photos okay without flash. Located at 44 Patission Street. Tel. 210-821-7717, www.namuseum.gr.
    More info: Excerpted from the book "Rick Steves' Greece," www. ricksteves.com

Athens: National Archaeological Museum Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Greece

Ruins of old city center.  
     The Agora was the heart of ancient Athens — its "downtown." Walk through the remains of former shopping malls, theaters, taverns, and government buildings. You'll see the dusty ruins come to life as Rick describes the fascinating people who once worked, shopped, and played here.
     Starring: Athens' best-preserved ancient temple, a rebuilt "stoa," a fine museum, and the footsteps of great Athenians.
     Practicalities: €4 or covered by €12 Acropolis ticket. Open daily May–Sept 8:00–20:00, Oct–April 8:00–15:00. Located at the foot of the Acropolis, Metro: Monastiraki. Tel. 210-321-0180, www.culture.gr.
     More info: Excerpted from the book "Rick Steves' Greece," www. ricksteves.com

Ancient Agora Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Greece

Famous hill with Parthenon.  
     Athens' show-stopper is this dramatic hill topped with the ancient world's greatest temple, the Parthenon. Stroll among historic ruins and eroded statues, and appreciate those Golden Age people who set the tone for all of Western civilization. 
     Starring: The Parthenon and its reliefs; the carayatid lady-statues of the Erechtheion; and expansive views over modern Athens.
     Practicalities: €12 ticket also includes the Agora. Open daily May-Sept 8:00–20:00, Oct-April 8:00–15:00. To avoid crowds, go before 10:00 or after 14:00. The bare hilltop can be blazingly hot and has no tourist services except WCs and drinking fountains, so plan ahead. Backpacks are allowed. Tel. 210-321-4172, www.culture.gr.
     More info: Excerpted from the book "Rick Steves' Greece," www. ricksteves.com

The Acropolis Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Greece

Nina Bernardo, a tour guide based in Rome, walks Rick through the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, frozen in time since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Pompeii - Audio Europe: Italy

In this excerpt from his travel memoir, Rick contemplates contemporary Dutch culture, the persistent scars of World War II, the people's frugality, and the fundamental differences between Dutch and American attitudes toward sex. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Amsterdam - Audio Europe: Netherlands, Belgium

Munich-born tour guide Daniela Wedel chats with Rick about laid-back, traditional Bavaria, where pretzels and beer combine with legendary castles and fairy-tale scenery. They also share ideas for enjoying Oktoberfest and the Passion Play performed every 10 years in Oberammergau. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Munich and Bavaria - Audio Europe: Germany, Austria

One of the most important cities of the Roman Empire, Ephesus is among the world’s best ancient sites. We'll see stores where the ancients shopped, baths where they schmoozed, and a theater where St. Paul confronted the pagans. Find related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Ancient Ephesus Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Turkey

World's best Impressionism.
     The Orsay Museum, or Musée d'Orsay, houses French art of the 1800s, starring the Impressionists — the art of sun-dappled fields, bright colors, and crowded Parisian cafés. It's the best general collection anywhere of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gauguin. If you like Impressionism, visit this museum. If you don't like Impressionism, visit this museum. I personally find it a more enjoyable and rewarding place than the Louvre. Sure, ya gotta see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, but after you get your gottas out of the way, enjoy the Orsay. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion maps.
     Sightseeing nitty-gritty: The Orsay costs €8, €5.50 Fri–Wed after 16:15 and Thu after 18:00, free first Sun of month. It's open Tue–Sun 9:30–18:00, Thu until 21:45 year-round, last entry one hour before closing (45 min before on Thu), closed Mon. Contact the Orsay at tel 01 40 49 48 14 or www.musee-orsay.fr.
     Admission is covered by the Paris Museum Pass, which also lets you skip the long ticket-buying line — passholders enter on the right side of the museum (Entrance C). The Impressionist galleries begin closing 45 minutes early. Tuesdays are particularly crowded, because the Louvre is closed.
     The museum is at 1 rue de la Légion d'Honneur, at the RER-C stop called Musée d'Orsay. The nearest Métro stop is Solférino, three blocks southeast. From the Louvre, it's a lovely 15-minute walk through the Tuileries Garden. Also handy are bus #69 from the Marais or rue Cler, taxis, and the Batobus boat.
     A pricey but très elegant restaurant is on the second floor, with affordable tea and coffee served 15:00–17:30 (daily except Thu). A simple fifth-floor café is sandwiched between the Impressionists. Bag check is free. Photography without a flash is allowed. 
     [This audio tour was updated in 2023]
     For more specifics, consult my guidebook. This was excerpted from Rick Steves' Paris 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.

Orsay Museum Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Paris

A Spanish tour guide discusses what makes Barcelona a booming tourism destination, and offers suggestions for visiting the city's less touristy attractions.

Barcelona Guide

Tour guides from Ireland offer insider advice for planning a week-long trip to the Emerald Isle.

A Week in Ireland

Tour guides from Portugal join Rick to share recommendations for planning a week's getaway to Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, and the colorful, historic towns in between.

Perfect Week in Portugal

English tour guides share their enthusiasm for enjoying the riot of color and inspiration you'll find in England's best country gardens.

English Country Gardens

Get expert advice for planning a trip to the majestic Scottish Highlands.

Scotland Highlands

We'll visit Orkney with a local guide and contemplate the prehistoric stones that stand amid the stark beauty of these remote islands.

Scotland's Megalithic Orkney

Soak in the history and the splendor of Bath, where Georgian architecture and mineral waters make it one of England's most attractive cities.

Touring Bath

Two Hungarian guides take us on a stroll along the beautiful blue Danube in elegant Old World Budapest.

Budapest River Walk

Cameron Hewitt, Rick Steves guidebook co-author, shares off-the-beaten path delights in Central and Eastern Europe from festivals to farm towns.

Celebrating Eastern Europe

Author Susan Cahill recommends some of the most magnificent religious architecture to explore in Paris.

Sacred Paris

An Austrian guide takes us beyond the usual tourist sites in Vienna and Salzburg for summer vacation ideas in the Austrian countryside.

Experiencing Austria

Two Greek tour guides share some of their top reasons to visit the Peloponnese, the giant peninsula just an hour's drive south of Athens.

Peloponnesian Greece

A native-born Belgian shares what delights him most about his small but justifiably proud country.

Belgium Pride

Tour guides Cristina Duarte and Robert Wright introduce us to the historic Portuguese city of Porto and the breathtaking Douro Valley wine region nearby.

Porto and the Douro Valley - Audio Europe: Portugal

An expert on Antoni Gaudí reveals what the Modernisme architect had envisioned for Barcelona's "Sagrada Família."

Barcelona's Sagrada Família

Two Lisbon-based guides give advice on where to go in the vibrant Portuguese capital and how to enjoy their city like a local.

Lisbon City Guide

Tour guide Daniela Wedel highlights the best of Munich and Bavaria, what to expect in southern Germany during Oktoberfest, and some kid-friendly activities.

Old World Bavaria

Swiss tour guide Mirjam Grob joins Rick as they explore the attractions of the most interesting cities in Switzerland.

Popular tracks by Rick Steves Audio Europe