Rick Steves Travel Talks (Video)

Join Joan Robinson, Rick Steves' packing specialist and tour guide, as she shares tips and tricks for packing light. You'll learn now or you'll learn later that the first step to a great trip is packing light — don't weigh yourself down! You can travel for months with one carry-on size bag and still have everything you need for a great trip. We'll distribute packing lists, show off the latest in lightweight luggage, and demonstrate a professionally packed bag. (Please note this presentation was filmed April 14, 2012 and any special promotions or discounts mentioned are no longer valid.) For Joan's packing list, visit www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/pack-light.htm.

Join Pat O'Connor, co-author of Rick Steves' Ireland guidebook, as he shares tips and insights for traveling in Ireland. We'll get a glimpse of Ireland's fascinating history and meet the friendly people of this charming country. Our travels will take us through both the Republic and Northern Ireland, including Dublin, Waterford, the Aran Islands, Dingle Peninsula, Belfast, Derry, and the Giant's Causeway. (Please note this presentation was filmed April 14, 2012 and any special promotions or discounts mentioned are no longer valid.) For more travel information, visit www.ricksteves.com.

Join Steve Smith, co-author of Rick Steves' France guidebook, as he shares tips and insights for traveling in France. It should be no surprise that France is the world's most-visited country. We'll lead you through the battlefields and rugged coastline of Normandy and Brittany, and the vineyards and chateaux of the Loire Valley and Burgundy. Then we head south to Provence and the glamorous Riviera before topping it all off in romantic, historic Paris. (Please note this presentation was filmed April 14, 2012 and any special promotions or discounts mentioned are no longer valid.) For more travel information, visit www.ricksteves.com.

You'll almost be able to smell the linguini and taste the vino rosso as Rick explores enchanting Italy in this 80-minute lecture. For more travel information, visit www.ricksteves.com.

Equip yourself with good information and expect yourself to travel smart by being your own tour guide. That's what "Europe Through the Back Door" is all about. For more information, visit www.ricksteves.com.

There are two IQs of European travelers: those who wait in lines and those who plan ahead to avoid them. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

Sleep cheap and enjoy cultural intimacy in simple, family-style hotels and b&bs. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

Find the "mom and pop" restaurants with small menus written in the local language; they're just around the corner from the fast food joints on the main drag. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

Traveling Europe is easier now: ATMs are everywhere, flying within Europe is cheap, and road and rail systems are being upgraded extensively. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

If you're wearing a moneybelt, having a thief's hand slip into your pocket is just one more interesting cultural experience. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

Don't frantically try to learn the language everywhere you go. English is the world's linguistic common denominator. Just speak simply and use internationally-known words. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

There are two kinds of travelers: those who pack light and those who wish they'd packed light. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

Take advantage of the resources at Tourist Information offices, but do your own homework, too. Or, hire a local guide for a few hours. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

A good traveler avoids the tourist attractions posted in the hotel lobby and finds out what local people do on a family night out. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.

If the art's not fun, you don't know enough about it. Study up before your travels. For more information on Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, visit www.ricksteves.com.